Runners must plan and have strategies in place for general running safety, weather, terrain, night time, and female specific safety considerations while getting in those mental clearing miles. In this episode, Coach Cat from our Spark Healthy Runner coaching team provides valuable actionable (running safety 101) tips that all runners can implement as part… View Article...
Read MorePlantar Fasciitis can be frustrating for all types of runners. Nicole is one of those runners who got foot pain after recovering from a knee injury when she attempted to run a 5k and then walk around the city of Chicago while on a vacation with her family. Like many runners, this was not… View Article...
Read MoreIt doesn’t matter if you are training for a 5k, 10k, half marathon, or marathon, the long run is a key ingredient to getting faster and stronger as a runner so you can run longer! In this deep dive training, coach Whitney LaCombe from our Healthy Runner coaching team, explains exactly how to execute… View Article...
Read MoreWant to relieve your foot pain when running? Have you tried to rest, ice, and stopped running but every time you try to increase your mileage again your pain just comes back? Trying to get over plantar fasciitis as a runner can be overwhelming. I have a 5-step plan on how to… View Article...
Read MoreHave you thought about dipping your toe into trail running but you just don’t know where to start? Kim Senechal is back on the Healthy Runner Podcast and she is going to provide you with 10 tips to go from road to trails in this trail running for beginners training! Kim is… View Article...
Read MoreYou may run into the term “stride rate” or “cadence“. What are all these jargon about? Cadence or “stride rate” refers to how many times the feet hit the ground per minute. What’s an “ideal” stride rate. Is there a magic number? Why? The short answer, 180 is a “magic number”, as you’re spinning the… View Article...
Read MoreAre you a runner who is constantly in the injury cycle and you want to learn how to stay healthy as a runner? The key to preventing running injuries is understanding the science behind implementing proper load management principles into your training! Our guest is Brodie Sharpe, a physiotherapist, the host of the… View Article...
Read MoreShould you tackle your first marathon this year? Are you worried that you won’t be able to do marathon training without feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or that you will miss family time? In this episode, Rachel (previous podcast guest from episode 66), shares why a structured but flexible plan that she received made her… View Article...
Read MoreDo you get more motivated to get out the door and go for a run if there is a goal on the horizon? Do you struggle setting appropriate running goals for yourself? Coach Carolyn Coffin is back on the show and she is going to help you set your yearly goals as well as… View Article...
Read MoreTrying to grow as a runner is overwhelming. If you don’t have a plan… Your running gets slower or (worse) leads to injury…You waste time chasing fads, You guess instead of following a process… And that leads to frustration and feeling constantly overwhelmed with the amount of information out there. We don’t want that… View Article...
Read MoreYou can teach an old dog new tricks!!! I have never considered myself a runner and I knew I needed to be smart about it because I am no spring chicken. Spark preached getting strong and healthy to be injury free and they practice what they preach. I am soooo glad I made the investment in me! I finished my half marathon last weekend and couldn’t be any happier! The program fed me all the steps I needed to essentially learn how to run long distance, build strength, nutrition help, a forum of other runners and probably most important was the 1:1 coaching. I had no idea how to tackle training for a 1/2 marathon and this program broke all of it down, had it individualized for me and we tweaked as we went to make sure I was staying healthy and strong. I had so many questions the week prior to my race and Coach Cat was always there for me and answering all the questions and issues I had-and believe me there were a lot! The biggest benefit I think I got was the strength. I am strong and fit. But most important was what I gained emotionally. I built confidence and strength I didn’t know I had, even at my age. Honestly could not have done this without Spark Healthy Runners!
My Healthy Runner journey started after I had battled bilateral achilles pain for a few months and was frustrated how it affected my running. As soon as I talked to Duane I knew I had made the right decision. His positivity, enthusiasm and genuine care are infectious. The training plan that was tailored to me included specific exercises to rehab my injury and I was so excited that I didn’t have to stop running. It took patience to only run slow for a few weeks but I trusted the process and it got me me to where I am now: running pain free. We made adjustments to the plan throughout whenever needed having someone in your corner that is always there with guidance and support throughout the process was invaluable.
I just ran my second half marathon, both with Duane’s coaching, and PR’d by over 9 minutes! I got all choked up in the last mile when I realized that I felt strong and could still kick it up a notch.
I’m so thankful for the Healthy Runner program, community and the entire coaching team for all the support!
Wanting to run more consistently, and to increase my long run distance and total weekly mileage, I was concerned about hip pain due to hip alignment issues. This is an issue I had when I trained for my first half marathon several years ago. Having listened to the Healthy Runner podcast for the past couple years, I knew Duane Scotti could help. I signed up for the four-month strength and running training program and am extremely happy with the results.
The program Duane and Coach Whitney developed for me was exactly what I needed. It was tailored to my needs and to my target race. Coach Whitney was very helpful, and with the biweekly coaching calls, we were able to fine tune the program based off my performance and feedback.
At the end of the program, I completed a 10K trail race feeling strong and pain free.
I highly recommend Duane Scotti and the Healthy Runner training programs.