Lisa Reichmann and Julie Sapper, Co-Founders of Run Farther & Faster.
About:
Lisa Reichmann and Julie Sapper are Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) certified running coaches and accomplished runners who have completed the Boston Marathon numerous times, in addition to many other marathons and shorter road races and triathlons. They are also moms and attorneys with five kids combined and understand the challenges of fitting in fitness with competing commitments and work with their runners to maintain consistency. Their goal is to make running fun and accessible to everyone. Lisa and Julie coach group running programs throughout the DC area and provide individual coaching through their virtual training programs. Run Farther & Faster's programs cater to runners of all levels, ranging from beginner runners training for their first 5K, to experienced runners aiming for a personal best at the marathon distance. They also coach workplace running programs and provide running-related presentations to help improve employee wellness and morale. In addition to adults, they enjoy coaching elementary-aged children and have designed and implemented youth running programs both in the school and community center setting.
Share a little about your fitness background. How did you become a fitness class instructor?
As kids, we hated running and thought of it as a punishment in gym class. Two decades later, we each found running as a means to relieve stress while attending law school and transitioned to Boston Marathoners and competitive runners a few years later. We obtained our certifications coincidentally in 2009, began working for the Jewish Community Center and the City of Rockville, and one year later in 2009, we formed Run Farther & Faster to provide personalized coaching in a group setting to runners in the DC area.
What makes your teaching style unique?
We offer the right combination of encouragement and tough love to support each of our runners to achieve their fullest potential. We pride ourselves on getting to know our runners, regardless of the size of their programs, to ensure that each runner achieves the personalized coaching that they deserve. Over the years, through this approach, we've helped hundreds of runners achieve milestones that initially seemed impossible.
Tell us a little about the classes you teach. Who are they geared toward?
We offer three types of Sunday morning group programs, the Winter Virtual Group Training Program, which targets the 10K and 10 Miler distances, the Summer Speed and Strength Program, which focuses on track-based work and core strength, and the Fall 10K/10 Miler and Beyond Program, which targets distances up to the half marathon. In addition to group runners, each week, we invite fitness experts and trainers to present and conduct training sessions with our runners. In addition to group programs, we coach runners all over the United States through private virtual coaching services, which is available to runners of all levels and has helped many achieve personal bests in all distances, including Boston qualifiers.
If you could change one behavior you see in class participants, what would it be?
The eradication of self-doubt! Persistence and consistency are key in sticking with any fitness program, but self-doubt can ruin the best-laid plans. We constantly remind runners of the Run Farther & Faster motto, "Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can!"
Briefly describe your weekly workout schedule. Is it seasonal? How many rest days do you take each week?
When training for marathons, we generally run four days a week, cross-train two days a week with cycling or swimming, and rest one day a week. In addition to cross-training and running, we strength train three times a week for at least 30 minutes to maintain a strong core and prevent injuries as a result of weaknesses. With the exception of weekly speed workouts, the remainder of our runs are at conversational pace to build and maintain endurance.
How do you recover from a tough workout?
Sleep and proper nutrition are key, along with foam rolling and stretching for recovery. We firmly believe in taking extra rest days when feeling worn down and taking time to recover fully after races before resuming training.
What is your favorite Washington D.C. area outdoor activity? Share a favorite hike or run.
Running anywhere outside of our typical weekday neighborhood routes is a treat. Some favorite spots for runs include the Capital Crescent Trail, the Mount Vernon Trail, Rock Creek Park, and anywhere near the National Mall.
What is your favorite place in DC to get a healthy meal?
Julie: Sweetgreen and Buredo (obsessed!). Lisa: Cava
What do you like most about teaching fitness classes?
We both love seeing runners reach new goals, whether that's running one more mile than the previous week, running a race for the first time, or qualifying for the Boston Marathon. We feel so fortunate to witness and share in our runners' accomplishments and often life-changing achievements.
Where and when can folks come take a class with you?
While DC area runners can participate in Run Farther & Faster's group programs, which take place in locations in Montgomery County on Sunday mornings at 8 am, runners all over the United States can take part in Run Farther & Faster's group or individual virtual training throughout the year.
In addition, each year, Run Farther & Faster co-hosts an event called RunFest with ProAction Physical Therapy, which brings together running and fitness experts all over the DC area for a morning of fitness, food, nutrition consultations, gait analysis, fitness classes, raffles and swag bags, all of which raises money for Memorial Sloan Kettering.
This year's RunFest will take place on February 7th from 8:30-1 at EVEN Hotels in Rockville and will feature keynote speaker, Tom Foreman, CNN Correspondent and author of the newly released book, My Year of Running Dangerously with My Daughter. Tickets are $40 until 1/7 and are limited to 150 people.
Read more:
Run Farther & Faster
RunFest 2016
Facebook Page
Interviews
Running