Rebecca Breslow – Manchester Center Running Coach
$125.00 / month and a $19.00 sign-up fee
I’m a running coach and sports med doc passionate about helping you run your best and healthiest so you can achieve your goals.
Description
Manchester Center, VT running coach and sports med doctor Rebecca Breslow has worked with athletes of all ages and abilities across the board, from Olympians, to age-groupers, charity team runners, weekend warriors, and high school and collegiate runners. Reach out to Rebecca below to get started!
LEVELS: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
TYPES: Road, Track, Trail
DISTANCES: 5k/10k/Half Marathon, Marathon
TRAINING PLATFORM: Final Surge
TRAINING PLAN: Individual, customized training plan
COMMUNICATION: Unlimited email, unlimited text
RESPONSE TIME: Within 24 hours
LOCATION: Manchester Center, VT
IN-PERSON SESSIONS: No, Online coaching only
SPECIALTIES
I’m passionate about helping runners of all ages and abilities empower themselves to achieve their running goals. I’m both a coach and a sports med doctor specializing in runners. I’ve worked with Olympians, age-groupers, charity team runners, weekend warriors, and high school and collegiate runners, and now I can help you. If you are training for a goal race, looking for general guidance with your training, returning to running after recovering from an injury, new to running and wanting to start safely, or hoping to reduce future injury risk, I can help.
PHILOSOPHY
I believe the key to achieving your running goals is consistency in training. Understanding your training – the purpose of each run or workout and its effect on your body and your fitness – is the first step. I like to explain what I program for you and why so, together, we can make informed decisions about when you can push forward, and when you might need to hold back. Helping you avoid missed training due to injury, illness, overtraining, etc. is one of my primary goals.
To be consistent in your training, you need to stay healthy. Supporting your running with tailored strength training and regular self-care is super important for reducing your risk of injury, and I will help you work these things into your daily routine. I’m also happy to help you troubleshoot your injuries. In my Team Run Run role, I’m your coach, not your doctor, but I can give you plenty of tips on navigating the inevitable aches and pains that come with purposeful training.
Finally, I will help you develop a positive and resilient mindset. Training is learning and experimentation to cultivate the very best version of you, both in running and in life. I will be there with you, guiding and cheering you on along the way.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
As a coach, I have coached individuals, teams, adults, youth, college, and high school athletes. I am a USA Track & Field Certified Coach and an NFHS Accredited Interscholastic Coach. I am also the former owner of Run Strong Studio in Brookline, Massachusetts, and a current cross-country running team coach for my local high school.
As a sports med doc, I specialized in runners. I served on the Sports Medicine and Science Committee of USA Track & Field and I was the team physician for the USATF National Team at the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2018, and the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in 2019. I have also been the team physician for the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Stepping Strong Marathon Team, the Nor-easter Elite Triathlon Team, and the Northeastern University Track & Field program.
Road race medicine is a special interest of mine, and I have been on the medical staff of the Boston Marathon, BAA Distance Medley races, Falmouth Road Race, Chase Corporate Challenge, Cambridge Half Marathon, Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50, and the New England Kids’ Triathlon.
I have also covered the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, the NEIAAA New England Track & Field College Championships, and the MIAA All-States Track & Field Championships.
ABOUT ME
I am a mom of 3 teenage kids, 2 black labrador retrievers, and 2 horses – so I get the challenges of fitting focused training into a busy life. After living in the Boston area and working at Harvard Medical School and its affiliated hospitals for 20+ years, I moved to Southern Vermont with my family several years ago. I love being outdoors, trail-running, hiking, and kayaking.
BIG INFLUENCES
The biggest influence on my running was my coach, Cathy Utzschneider. I ran lifetime personal bests (as a Masters runner) at 8 different distances under Coach Cathy, and it was because she believed in me as a runner, and as a person. Her mantra is “embrace the uncomfortable” – and in running you must be able to do this to make progress. I found that when I adopted this approach in running, it gave me inner strength to run at a higher level, and also to better handle many other things in life.
Another important influence was the physical therapist, Gray Cook, who created the Functional Movement Screen. Cook has extensively studied and written about movement patterns and how to address dysfunctional movement. Through learning from him and his colleague, Greg Rose, who created the Selective Functional Movement Assessment, I began to view overuse injuries as opportunities, instead of setbacks. The information they provide about gaps or errors in training is critical. They signify a need for change – improvement in running form, adjustment in training load, etc. By viewing them as information instead of as failure a runner truly can achieve greater consistency and forward progress.
RACING HISTORY
I have raced distances from the mile to the marathon, but my favorite distance (and the one I have raced the most) is the 5K. I love the structure of the 5K and how it unfolds. Trying to run a fast 5K is painful, but the pain is intense and over quickly, rather than long and drawn out, like the pain of running a marathon. Recovery from a hard 5K is relatively quick, so you can race frequently, providing many opportunities to improve.
I have often drawn strength from my running achievements. For example, I set a goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon while preparing for my Sports Medicine fellowship. Working through the arduous training program required to qualify for Boston – which I did at the Providence Marathon, shortly before starting my fellowship – helped me develop the mental fortitude needed to excel in my grueling, year-long fellowship program.
PRs
- 5K: 20:06 (2014, Cambridge Winter Classic 5K)
- 10K: 43:33 (2015, James Joyce Ramble)
- Half-marathon: 1:38:55 (2016; Hyannis Half Marathon)
- Marathon: 3:41:07 (2017; Providence Marathon)
CERTIFICATIONS
- USA Track & Field Level 1 Coach
- NFHS Accredited Interscholastic Coach
- NFHS Cross Country Coach Certification
- USA Track & Field, Principle of Endurance Training Certification
- Move2Perform, Y Balance Test Certification
- Functional Movement Systems, Selective Functional Movement Assessment Certification
- Functional Movement Systems, Functional Movement Screen Certification
CONTACT REBECCA
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.
PUBLICATIONS
Selected Blog Posts: (https://rebeccabreslowmd.com/
Can I Run Through It: https://rebeccabreslowmd.com/
Untangling the Running Shoe Knot: https://rebeccabreslowmd.com/
Recover Well, Prevent Injuries: https://rebeccabreslowmd.com/
Trail Racing Tips for Road Runners: https://rebeccabreslowmd.com/
My Brave Mile: https://rebeccabreslowmd.com/
Deadlift Dos and Don’ts for Runners: https://rebeccabreslowmd.com/
The Scoop on Static Stretching: https://rebeccabreslowmd.com/
Know More Than Squat About Squats: https://rebeccabreslowmd.com/
Selected Articles: (https://bryantviewhc.com/my-
The Boston Marathon: A Tale of Two Races: https://static1.squarespace.
The Burden of Injury and Illness in the Road Race Medical Tent: https://static1.squarespace.
Exertional Heat Stroke at the Boston Marathon: https://static1.squarespace.
Medical Tent Utilization at 10K Road Races: https://static1.squarespace.
SOCIAL
Laura Mosteller –
Rebecca has been great to work with. I’ve set a goal to finally complete a marathon and she has put together a plan to build up my endurance while reducing the risk of injury. She adjusts the plan if I have a crazy travel schedule with work. If I’ve run into something that is causing me an issue, she’s adjusted the plan to work through it. I’m looking forward to what the next couple of months bring as I get closer to my marathon in April. Because of Rebecca, this is the most consistent I’ve been with my running!
Christina danosi –
Rebecca is an awesome coach. She goes above and beyond to check in after important workouts, see how things are going, and adapt upcoming workouts if needed. She understands how to hit the perfect balance of pushing you to meet your goals while also keeping in mind you have other responsibilities that can keep in the way. The planned workouts are thoughtful and flexible to adapt to other things going on in life – all you have to do is let her know.
In my first ~3 months working with Rebecca, she helped me improve my marathon time by over 5 minutes. We also worked on some aspects of my running form that made my stride stronger and more efficient. She even called to give me a pep talk the day before the race to help me calm down and think strategically so I’d stay on track for my goals. I am so glad I started working with her, and am looking forward to pushing toward my next goal over the upcoming few months.