How structured strength training led to a breakthrough marathon time by Jess Broderick, CPT, USAT, USAC, USAS

As a strength coach, of course I believe so strongly in strength training. I have seen firsthand as it transforms people, both physically and mentally, into better versions of themselves. At Revo, we have the privilege of helping so many people get healthier and stronger so they can enjoy their individual passions to the fullest: skiing, biking, running, swimming, climbing, hiking and more. While I love seeing clients PR in the gym, from Squatober to Deadcember, my heart sings when I hear athletes doing things they have never done outside the walls of Revo with confidence and purpose. From hiking their first 14er pain free, to biking one of the many steep climbs in Boulder, to chopping minutes off a PR in a road race, I am constantly inspired by our Revo community.

Over the last year I have used myself as a bit of an experiment: how can a more intentional commitment to my strength training help me achieve my goals? As a former professional triathlete, strength was always part of my training, but more of an afterthought. And it was certainly something that got bagged when we were tired from the other three disciplines. This past year, in working toward my running goals, I committed more intentionally than ever before to my strength training and felt a powerful shift.

I truly believe that the focused strength work was the foundation of every breakthrough I had this year as a runner. It allowed me to train more consistently, run faster, recover better and feel more confident in my execution both in training and in racing. I PR'ed every time I raced this year, and I felt stronger than ever before in the later stages of races. As I pushed through the last few painful miles of the marathon early December, I had many moments of thinking about myself in the gym, the strength I had gained, and how much that was serving me in getting to the finish line. With a 10 min PR, my experiment is complete: this shit works.

While running is still my true love, and I would choose to go for a run over lifting most days, I have come to really enjoy my strength work because of what it allows me to do. I hope to run as long as possible, and strength training will be a huge pillar in staying injury free, healthy and strong. Cheers to 2023, getting stronger and achieving our goals together!