Runner’s World+ Member: Justin Froning
Justin is a Runner’s World+ member. Join him and thousands of others chasing their goals with day-by-day training plans, expert advice from editors and coaches, and unlimited digital access. We regularly feature members online and in print!
Six years ago, I destroyed my ankle in a ditch during an evening run and it didn’t heal properly. Over the years, I lost trust in my appendage, stopped running completely, and began to question how well I’d be able to play with my kids in the coming years.
Enter physical therapy in 2018. Over time, and through some pain, I could feel strength returning. Could it be that I might actually be able to run again? I started slowly, and did my research. I fought my tendency to do too much too soon, and took joy in the small victories. One mile. Two miles. My first 5K. Five miles. My first time to win my age group in a 5K race. Six miles. Eight miles. Ten miles — I never thought I’d run again, much less 10 miles.
There are so many talented runners where I live, and while I don’t pretend to count myself among the elite, I have very much enjoyed the impact that running has had on my life. I ran my first two half marathons this year, and though exhausting, I had to smile because, for a while, it wasn’t even an option.
I love the community aspect and hearing the stories and triumphs of so many people. I’m a gear nerd, so I like the solid reviews. I’m a design nerd, so I appreciate the excellent typography and layouts.
I think the fact that I couldn’t run for so long makes me enjoy it that much more. Even when I have a garbage run, it’s still a bit of a victory over my past.
It’s therapeutic for me. With a heavy workload and two young children, it’s my only time alone to reflect and decompress. As a creative, it’s where I can check out and formulate new ideas. As a competitor, it allows me to strive for better results.
I want to run further. I want to run faster.
Most of the time, that means when the kiddos are sleeping. My typical strategy is after I put them down for bed at night and my wife falls asleep, but my favorites are the nap time mid-day runs on the weekends.
There’s a route on the Razorback Greenway Trail that I like a lot. It’s nice, but there’s nothing remarkable about it. For me, though, it’s where I was first running after gaining some confidence in my ankle again. I remember wrestling with the death of my grandfather as I ran on that trail. I celebrated and processed the birth of my daughter by PRing out there. I did my first 10 mile run on that trail. It’s special to me.
When I was younger, my older brother handed down a red pair of Asics Tigers from the 80s. I wore them until they fell apart. After trying quite a few pairs of running shoes, I stumbled across a pair of bright yellow Nike Lunarspider R6s. The Nike Structure 21s are my daily trainers, but the Moon Spiders are my race day faves. I feel so fast in them.
I lost 35 pounds when I started running last year. While I’d like to keep that off, my current major focus is to hit a sub-20 minute 5K. You bet I’m using my Runner’s World Training Plan.
You Might Also Like
