LEVELS: Beginner, Intermediate
TYPES: Road, Trail
DISTANCES: 5k/10k/Half Marathon, Marathon, Ultra
TRAINING PLATFORM: Google Docs
TRAINING PLAN: Individual, customized training plan
COMMUNICATION: Unlimited email, unlimited text, unlimited phone, weekly analysis email
RESPONSE TIME: Within 24 hours
LOCATION: Denver, CO

Finding a coach who is a great fit for you is really important. We encourage you to email your coach prior to signing up so you can connect, communicate, and ensure a good athlete/coach fit.

SPECIALTIES

I work to help runners to become a better version of themselves. Running further, running faster, reaching their weight loss goal, or simply building the confidence to run steeper trails and higher altitudes. I focus on teaching runners to train injury-free and how to balance their personal and professional lives with their running goals.

My specialties include:

Coaching first-time runners to the half marathon distance
Pushing to the marathon or ultra-marathon distance for the first time
Balancing strength training and muscle development goals with running training
Balancing work and life demands with running goals
Forging new habits and improving accountability

PHILOSOPHY

Low and slow: What makes great brisket coincidentally also makes a great runner. I will teach you how balancing low-intensity slow training and high-intensity training can both make you a better runner, and minimize the risk of injury.

The underlying approach I use with all of my students is to start with understanding the principles so that we can select the methods that cater to our personal strengths, weaknesses, and unique life situation.

With me, you will learn about developing your aerobic capacity, building joint and connective tissue strength, how to strength train as a runner, and how to optimize your running efficiency.

I emphasize distances and injury reduction over speed and PR’s, if your goal is to be the fastest runner you can be, I won’t be a great coach for you.

You’ll love working with me as your coach if:

Getting to your race day without getting injured is just as important to you as your race performance
Running further is more important than running faster
You’re trying to lose weight and aren’t sure how to avoid negatively impacting your progress as a runner goals
You’re struggling to balance strength or weight training with your running training and fatigue

COACHING EXPERIENCE

I am the author of “How to Learn to Run: The Best Way for Most People” on Guidery.com. While new to the professional coaching world, I’ve been coaching individuals informally for years for both running and weight loss.

I’ve coached myself for more than 10 years as I worked to transform myself into a runner, training for and racing every distance from 5k to Ultra Marathon. I’ve mastered the process of going from 0 to 1 through many long periods of consistent and inconsistent running. Overcoming the countless issues encountered along the way taught me valuable lessons that I can now pass on to you as a coach.

ABOUT ME

Before becoming a running coach and a writer, I was a startup executive. I helped build Hipcamp.com as the first employee and worked there throughout our first 5 years of rapid growth. I worked towards my dream of becoming an ultra trail runner at the same time, a decision that would force me to learn just about everything there is to know about prioritization, balance, and doing more with less.

During this time my wife and I also spent many years living “van life”, where I got many of the country’s best trails under my feet. Eventually, my passion for running and helping others would push me to leave Hipcamp and become a coach and a writer.

In addition to coaching running on Team RunRun, I run firstprinciples.cc where I teach readers to understand the principles behind weight loss, running, and improving your life.

BIG INFLUENCES

Ethan Newberry (AKA The Ginger Runner) inspired me to become an ultra trail runner. The path to realizing that goal would push me and challenge me in ways I never could have predicted, individuals like David Goggins and Rich Roll were transformative in proving to myself that I was capable of going further than I ever would have dreamed.

Matt Fitzgerald’s many books had the most profound impact on my style as a coach. His techniques and methods helped push my training from good to great.

Day to day I draw the most influence from Billy Yang and Sage Canaday whose videos never fail to stoke the fire and passion I have for the sport of running.

RACING HISTORY

Los Peñasquitos Canyon 50k Ultramarathon
Sloan’s Lake Marathon
The Enchantments Traverse (While not technically a race, my proudest running event was a self-supported trail run of the famous 21-mile Enchantments Traverse in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness)
Sun Mountain 50k Ultramarathon (Winthrop, WA)
The Rut 12k (Big Sky, MT)
Cutthroat Classic (Mazama, WA)
California International Marathon (Sacramento, CA)
Estes Park Half Marathon (Estes Park, CO)
Lake Chelan Half Marathon (Chelan, WA)
4x Tough Mudder (Poconos, Tahoe, Temecula, and Seattle)

GET STARTED

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Jennifer North

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Alex is an amazing coach and has prepared me to run my first 50K! (Hopefully the first of many)
I have found him to be extremely knowledgeable and built a training plan that was flexible to my schedule. He adapted my plan several times as my training evolved. I especially appreciated his support when I was sidelined for a few weeks with an injury. He was able to keep me on track to run my ultra.
Alex was great at checking in and setting up connects to discuss next big milestones in training. He was awesome at answering questions and giving his input around nutrition and gear and how to be race ready.
I chose Alex because his philosophy on balancing life and running resonated with me. I went in to training saying I needed someone to understand that I love running, but also have other life obligations and he was able to support this and create a plan that worked for me.
Overall an awesome coach!
2 days ago
Devin Super

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So much thanks to coach Alex for making me a training program that was hard enough to push me and hold me accountable, but still manageable with work, two small kids, and every day life!
I knew he would be checking in on me, which pushed me to complete my weekly runs, and I really needed that accountability to someone other than myself to motivate me.
His training support helped me to find that running “groove” where everything comes together and the running feels enjoyable and I actually looked forward to it. Even though my actual race was cancelled due to covid, I decided to still run it on my own because I felt so strong and prepared for it. Highly recommended Alex!
6 months ago
Michael Ciavatta

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Alex is very knowledgeable about training principles and planning. He developed a well thought out plan for my “get back to running” goal. When I decided to switch focus to losing weight he immediately mentored me on nutrition and delivered another plan from scratch. Always available and very responsive.
6 months ago
Hans Minea

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In the past I was a swimmer and dabbled in team sports, but I was never a runner. When I started working with Alex I was not in shape and doubt I could’ve continuously run for a mile.

Over the past few months Alex has worked with me to set reasonable goals, create a personalized training program, and keep motivated. I’m now regularly running over 2.5 miles without stopping and I have goals to run even further, even faster in the future.

Although Alex is an in shape runner now, he has been where I was in the past. His ability to share and explain to me how he overcame his own obstacles in training has given me hope throughout my running journey.
7 months ago
Michael Laux

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I grew up playing team sports and really got into strength training during and after college. Now that I have started a family and don’t have consistent time for either of these, I chose running to maintain my fitness and quickly found out I knew next to nothing about sustainable running.

Alex has been a great coach and has helped me build a running program that reduces the risk of injury and fits my lifestyle. As a running novice, I appreciate how Alex responds to my questions with well researched answers, even when they’re not in his area of expertise. One example is that to manage my personal commitments with my fitness, I wanted to run with my dog or with my son in a jogging stroller. I asked Alex how I should do this (equipment, intensity of runs, etc.) and he reached out to his colleagues in the running community with experience in these areas to give me the best answers.

In 2 months, I have gone from running under 10 miles a week to the milestone of 20 miles a week. I am excited to continue working with Alex and to reach higher milstones in sustainable running.
8 months ago
Julie Hobbs

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Im a very casual runner. I have been running for a long time, about 5 years ago I started running half marathons. I got somewhat comfortable with that distance and somehow decided to train for a 50k. I really did not know how to go about building up to that distance so I googled running coach and found Team RunRun. I just mainly wanted help slowly building up my distance while still working full time.
Since im a casual runner, I felt kind of silly about getting a coach because Im not a fast hardcore runner. I just want to finish a 50k(even if I do it slowly lol). In 2 months working with him I feel like im a better runner already.
Alex has been quick to answer any questions I have had, even when im asking them for the 2nd or 3rd time. He is extremely knowledgeable on rest, recovery, hydration and helping me build up my mileage safely with out injury. I also have a somewhat crazy work schedule so im not able to do the traditional running schedule of long runs on the weekend. Alex has helped me work around that.
I still have a ways to go in training but with Alex’s help I feel confident i’ll be ready on race day!
8 months ago
Layton Wedgeworth

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Alex is the best! He whipped me into shape quickly by helping me setup a training plan, was responsive when I was working through the early discomforts of coming back from an injury, and made sure to keep me accountable. I hit my training goals (13.1mi) and was ready for race day even though it was cancelled due to COVID-19. Highly recommended!
10 months ago

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Alex Johnson – Denver Running Coach

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Alex Johnson – Denver Running Coach

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