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Sara Plumstead and Amy Haenick are friends who met through their shared passion for running and living healthy. And in recent time, they've become business partners -- the Detroit-area moms are behind Run Strong Project, which offers coaching and run-specific strength training. They join Heather on the show to talk about becoming friends (Sara also coaches Amy) and their interest in helping other athletes take their running and strength training to the next level. They also share solid tips for incorporating strength training into our routines and improving our running performance.

"Sara began coaching me as a runner about a year ago," Amy says. "We became fast friends and started Run Strong Project in January 2017. I absolutely love being a strength coach and helping others to become stronger and faster!" 

"I started running at the age of 30," Sara says, "after the birth of my second daughter. It was a wonderful stress relief as I adjusted to life as the parent of a special needs child who has a rare chromosome deletion. I ran my first half marathon in 2007, and my first marathon a year later, finishing in 3:31. Since then I have completed at least 20 marathons." As Sara "embarks on my 40s," she is attempting to lower her marathon PR from 3:04 to sub 3:00. She's also an ACE certified group fitness instructor and a VDOT O2 certified distance running coach. 

Amy says she's always loved fitness. "I grew up playing sports. In high school, I was a three-sport athlete participating in swimming, volleyball and softball." She was named Female Athlete of the Year of her high school and went on to Michigan State University and graduated with a degree in Recreational Therapy.  Amy talks about how during her freshman year of college she became anorexic. "It was a tough transition from high school to college and I felt a loss of control. Once I became healthy and recovered (still an ongoing struggle sometimes), I started running. Running helped me so much in my recovery," she says. She ran her first marathon in 1996 and qualified for Boston on her first try. She has since run 10 marathons, including Boston and holds a PR of 3:35.

Links:

Sara's blog (she is currently training for the Bayshore Marathon): Michigan Marathoner

Sara on Instagram: MichiganMarathoner

Amy on Instagram: AmyRunsDetroit

Run Strong Project