Every once in a while, I end up in the middle of an “industry debate” I never asked for. It usually starts with a post — maybe something about running form or hormones or fueling — and before long, someone swoops in with an absolute take. You know the type: never change your form unless you’re injured, or just run more, or it’s always calories in, calories out.
On the surface, it looks confident. Clean. Like they’ve solved the puzzle. But the longer I’ve been in this space, the more I see what’s really happening underneath: it’s not about helping athletes. It’s about controlling the narrative.
What most runners don’t realize is that so much of this jockeying happens out of sight. You don’t see the DMs, the story rants, the subtle digs at “influencers” or “grifters.” You don’t see how quickly curiosity gets traded for control when someone feels their authority is being questioned. Coaches and clinicians love to look like they’re inviting dialogue, but the second you poke at an absolute, the walls go up.
And here’s the thing: athletes are the ones who pay the price for all of this. Because when professionals fight to be right, you’re left wading through the noise, trying to figure out whether to run more, run less, fix your stride, ignore your stride, eat the carbs, cut the carbs, or stand on one leg while the moon is in retrograde.
I’ve worked with runners long enough to know that the truth doesn’t live in absolutes. Some people need form cues before they’re injured. Some don’t. Some need more volume. Some need less. Most need a mix of strength, recovery, and small tweaks to the way they move. It’s never just one thing, and it’s never as clean as a soundbite on Instagram.
That’s why I don’t waste energy fighting on the internet. My job isn’t to win debates or screenshot DMs to prove I’m right. My job is to make sure you run stronger, longer, and with less injury risk. My job is to listen, to look at the big picture, and to offer tools that make sense for you, not just for a textbook or a reel.
So if you ever catch yourself wondering why the experts can’t agree, or why your feed feels like a tug of war between absolutes, just know this: a lot of what you’re not seeing is ego. And you don’t need more ego in your training. You need clarity. You need context. You need coaching that respects your lived experience and doesn’t reduce you to a slogan.
That’s where I plant my flag. Not in the drama. Not in the noise. Right here, with you, building something sustainable that will last a lot longer than the latest internet fight.
If you’re ready to step out of the noise and into coaching that puts you first, let’s talk. My workshops and coaching programs are built on prevention, efficiency, and sustainability — so you can run for life, not just for likes.