This is Steph, a client of Cressey Performance who is in the midst of preparing for her 2nd Boston Marathon. As our resident Fashionista, it’s safe to say that Steph has an impeccable fashion sense based on the types of shirts she wears when she comes to train during the week.
While most people preparing for a marathon would gasp at the thought of strength training, Steph has embraced it as an integral part of her programming. In the past, she would do nothing but log endless miles on the road or treadmill thinking that the only way to improve was to run till the cows came home. For those of you not from Upstate New York like myself, that’s a long time.
As I blogged about a few weeks ago, the majority of endurance athletes tend to follow a particular cycle:
Train (run)………..Get Injured……….Rehab/Physical Therapy. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Before she started training with us at Cressey Performance, Steph was no different. She would typically run 4-5 times per week, only to re-injure herself not long thereafter. You can imagine her frustration.
Being the trooper that she is, she started training with my good friend Eric Cressey prior to her first Boston Marathon in 2007. With only a few months to prepare, he was able to fix her up and she completed her first marathon in memory of her mother who tragically died during the attacks of 9/11. Afterwards she vowed she would never run another marathon.
That lasted all of a couple of months, and Steph decided that she wanted to do it all over again. However this time, she’s doing it the right way. While she still gets her tempo and distance work in, she cut down her overall mileage considerably and replaced it with lifting heavy stuff and other tomfoolery:
The above video is Steph the day AFTER running 18 miles performing glute ham raises at our satellite facility in Saxonville, MA. How bad ass is that?
Coincidentally, the last time I ran 18 miles, the city of Boston held a ticker tape parade in my honor and I totally made out with Giselle Bundchen afterwards. True story…………………………………………..in my dreams. PS: I hate you Tom Brady.
All in all, Steph has never felt better (she’s injury free) and she’s a perfect example of what hard work and dedication can do. She works her tail off and always does it with a smile. She’s totally going to dominate her time from last year.
Side Note: This year Steph is running in the spirit of things that her mother dedicated her life towards. She’s raising money for the Boston Medical Center. You can visit her donation page here
Any help would be immensely appreciated.
