Mental Health & Depression Resources

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7)

• Call or Text: 988
• Website: 988 Lifeline
• Free, confidential support for emotional distress, depression, anxiety, substance use concerns, or suicidal thoughts. Available 24/7.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

• Phone: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
• Text: NAMI to 62640
• Website: NAMI
• Provides support, education, and referrals for individuals and families dealing with mental health conditions.

Crisis Text Line

• Text: HOME to 741741
• Website: Crisis Text Line
• Free 24/7 text support with trained crisis counselors.

SAMHSA National Helpline

• Phone: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• Website: SAMHSA Treatment Locator
• Free, confidential treatment referral and information service for mental health and substance use concerns.

Mental Health Support & Community Resources

• Call 211
• Website: United Way 211 Mental Health Resources
• Can connect people with local counseling, support groups, and mental health services.

If you are struggling with depression, anxiety, emotional distress, or thoughts of self-harm, please reach out for help. You do not have to face it alone. If you are in immediate crisis, call or text 988 for free, confidential support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Free workouts with great people!

F3nation.com - Men

FIAnation.com - Women

Runningmileschd@gmail.com

https://teamrunrun.com/coach/josh-sain-raleigh-running-coach/

Strength Training for Runners with Jason Fitzgerald | Running Miles with Heart Disease CHD

Should runners lift heavy weights? How much strength training is enough? When should you schedule your gym workouts around running? Can lifting actually make you faster, healthier, and help you stay injury-free for years?

In this episode of Running Miles with Heart Disease CHD, I sit down with Jason Fitzgerald, founder of Strength Running, USATF-certified running coach, 2:39 marathoner, author, and host of the Strength Running Podcast. Jason has helped hundreds of thousands of runners become stronger, faster, and more resilient through practical, science-based coaching.

Whether you're training for your first 5K, chasing a marathon PR, preparing for an ultramarathon, or simply staying active, this conversation is packed with practical advice you can apply immediately.

1. Lift Heavy, Not Just High Reps
Running already develops muscular endurance. Jason explains why heavier lifting and progressive overload improve running economy, strengthen muscles and connective tissue, and reduce injury risk better than endless light-weight circuits.

2. Strength Training Should Be Periodized
Your lifting should evolve just like your running plan. Build a foundation with moderate weights, then gradually increase intensity while lowering repetitions as race day approaches.

3. Always Warm Up Before Running
Skip static stretching. Jason recommends a dynamic warm-up before every run to improve mobility, activate key muscles, and prepare your body for quality training.

4. Recovery Is Part of the Training Plan
Learn how to schedule strength sessions around workouts and long runs, why easy runs should actually be easy, and how proper fueling, protein, carbohydrates, hydration, and sleep all work together to maximize adaptation.

5. Train for the Rest of Your Life
One of my favorite parts of our conversation was discussing why strength training matters beyond racing. It's about staying independent as you age—lifting luggage into an overhead bin, hiking with your family, preventing falls, maintaining muscle mass, and continuing to enjoy the sport you love for decades.

• The biggest strength-training mistakes runners make
• Why progressive overload beats constantly changing exercises
• How often runners should lift weights
• Foot strength and whether barefoot running has a place
• Carbon-plated shoes and foot health
• Creatine for endurance athletes
• Nutrition myths and how runners should actually fuel
• Injury prevention strategies Jason used to overcome years of setbacks
• The marathon training priorities that matter most
• Why consistency beats perfection every single time

📚 Jason Fitzgerald's Books
• 101 Simple Ways to Be a Better Runner
• Running for Health & Happiness
• The Performance Training Journal
📖 Jason's Recommended Reading
• Run Faster — Brad Hudson & Matt Fitzgerald
• Born to Run — Christopher McDougall
• Why We Run — Bernd Heinrich
🔗 Connect with Jason Fitzgerald
🌐 Website:
https://strengthrunning.com
🎙️ Strength Running Podcast:
https://strengthrunning.com/podcast/
📸 Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jasonfitz1/
▶️ YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@StrengthRunning
📘 Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/StrengthRunning
💼 Coaching:
https://strengthrunning.com/coaching/

If you're serious about becoming a healthier, stronger, and more resilient runner, this is an episode you'll want to save and revisit. Jason shares practical coaching advice that can benefit every runner—from beginners to experienced marathoners and ultrarunners.

If you enjoyed this conversation, please follow Running Miles with Heart Disease CHD, leave a review, and share this episode with another runner. Together we can build a stronger, healthier running community—one mile at a time.

Five Lessons Every Runner Should KnowWe Also DiscussBooks MentionedJason Fitzgerald's BooksJason's Recommended ReadingConnect with Jason Fitzgerald

Top 10 Best Things to Put on Your Schedule (50K to 200 Miles)

These apply whether you're training for a 50K, 100K, 100-mile, or 200-mile race.

The foundation of ultra running. Long runs build endurance, confidence, and race-specific fitness.

Fitness grows during recovery, not during the workout itself.

If there's one thing most runners underestimate, it's sleep. Recovery starts in bed.

Strong runners stay healthy longer and handle higher mileage better.

Practice fueling during training, not on race day.

One of the best ways to prepare for ultras without destroying your body.

A little mobility work consistently beats trying to fix problems after they start.

Your training should support your life, not take over your life.

Take 10–15 minutes each week to evaluate what's working and what isn't.

Learn how to handle setbacks, discomfort, boredom, bad weather, and self-doubt.

The fastest path to injury.

Many runners think more is always better. It isn't.

Easy days should be easy.

Their life, recovery, genetics, and goals are different from yours.

You can't out-train poor recovery.

Jumping from one training plan to another destroys consistency.

A classic ultra-running mistake.

Every race takes recovery time away from training.

Small injuries become big injuries when ignored.

Motivation comes and goes. A schedule should work even on days you don't feel like running.

1. Long Runs

2. Recovery Days

3. Sleep

4. Strength Training

5. Nutrition Practice

6. Back-to-Back Long Runs

7. Mobility and Stretching

8. Family and Personal Time

9. Weekly Schedule Reviews

10. Mental Training

Top 10 Worst Things to Put on Your Schedule

1. Too Much Mileage Too Soon

2. Skipping Recovery Days

3. Running Every Workout Hard

4. Comparing Your Schedule to Someone Else's

5. Ignoring Sleep

6. Constantly Changing the Plan

7. Testing New Nutrition on Race Day

8. Scheduling Too Many Races

9. Ignoring Warning Signs

10. Letting Motivation Run the Schedule