Dedicated Runner Goes the Distance for Online Training

Notes from Chris

Episode 1347

Jason Fitzgerald began running as a freshman in high school back in 1998. He continued to train and compete for over a decade until he graduated college in 2006. Over that time, he became an expert in the art of putting one foot in front of the other.

His obsession with the sport became somewhat of a running joke among his friends. He’d read all the books, had multiple trainers, and was always looking ahead at how he could be stronger, faster and better.

Around the same time he started his career, he started exploring the new world of online communities. For the first time, Jason realized it was possible to build an online business based on your passion. He became determined to do just that, and registered the domain StrengthRunning.com—not quite sure at that stage what he’d do with it.

In the end, it was a running injury that gave him the sole motivation to get started...

Jason set a goal of running the New York marathon. The training went well, as did the race itself. Afterward though, he developed an ITB injury that put him out of action for six months.

It was tough, but the injury had a silver lining. He used the time to assess what went wrong, and he was determined to never let it happen again. That led to him developing new training techniques and workout routines. His training eventually became less demanding but produced better results.

After seeing his own improvement, he devised a plan for his Strength Running website. He’d convert the dormant domain name into a blog sharing tips and strategies to help runners avoid injury.

With a WordPress theme and a free Mailchimp account, Jason launched the site in April 2010 for less than two hundred dollars. He was off and racing.

He didn’t want his site to end up at the back of the pack, so from the very beginning he worked to avoid that fate. First, he made sure to write articles based on keywords that people actually search for. He used Google’s research tools to help with this. For example, instead of titling an article “My Gym Routine,” he’d call it “Gym Workouts for Runners: Functional Strength.”

He spent the next year running reps: more content, more guest posts, and more traffic. A year later he put together a training product as a joint venture with a colleague which sold well. Incredibly, after just one more year, Jason was making enough money through the site to quit his job and go full time. He’d gone from government contractor, to side hustler to full-time blogger in just two short years. A new PR!

Still, Jason didn’t stop there. After realizing the value in selling his own products, he continued creating more of them. Now, through StrengthRunning.com, he sells guides on Mental Toughness, Strength, Nutrition and more. All aimed at runners who want to improve their performance without getting injured.

Combining affiliate sales with product sales brings in multiple six figures in profit from his website every year. It’s safe to say he’s taken the lead in the strength running marathon.

 

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Learn more about Jason and his business at his blog, StrengthRunning.com.

SEE ALSO:

• Marathon Runner Earns Full-Time Income Trying On Shoes: A decade-long “marathon distance” project earns six-figures in affiliate commissions for this patient runner.
• Hair Salon Owner Designs Mittens for Cold Runners: An avid runner has a difficult time finding gloves or mittens that feel comfortable enough for running while also keep her fingers warm in the winter. She decides to make her own and pursues a patent for her idea.
• Shoe Designer Runs After $1 Million Challenge: “Why can’t dress shoes look great and perform well at the same time?” This runner and industrial designer was irritated, so he set out to find the sole solution.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,