Having grown up running, skiing, rock climbing, and hiking, I never gave much thought to strength training — until my first year on the college track team, when team lifts became a regular part of our training routine.

I had zero experience with formal strength training and I still remember how intimidating it felt trying to learn new movement patterns when it seemed most of my teammates were miles ahead. Language like hang cleans, Romanian dead lifts and pistol squats were just not in my vocabulary and did not come easy to me. That being said, I’m determined, and I enjoy the process of learning new things no matter how uncomfortable it can be.

Over time, I began to appreciate the unique benefits of strength and mobility work. It became a valuable complement to my running, helping me compete across a range of distances in college (100m hurdles to the 10K) without any major injuries. These practices are now a permanent part of my lifestyle. In fact, since graduating, injury prevention and strength training have become the foundation of my career.

The programs I designed — much like my run training plans — are based off mountains I’ve climbed and the experience along the way. For example, El Diente, is a mountain in Colorado that tested my strength endlessly. Kings Peak, the tallest mountain in Utah taught me patience and persistence - similar to rehabbing an injury. Despite the mental/emotional/physical challenge many of these climbs had, I look back on them with only fond memories and feeling stronger and better for it.

I hope that in your own training, you find those moments of challenge that feel deeply rewarding and that you have some fun along the way!