Imagining More

Last week, I had the privilege of being part of Shannon Rowbury’s Imagining More Running Camp. As an incredibly accomplished Olympian runner, Shannon founded Imagining More as a way to give back to the running community that she says gave her so much.

Held at San Domenico, this week-long camp brought together middle and high school athletes who explored the scenic trails of Marin and dove into topics like the mindset required to compete at the Olympic level, how to use food as fuel, setting meaningful goals, and navigating the college recruiting process.

The mission of Imagining More — “to empower athletes to achieve their dreams regardless of background and socioeconomic status by supporting athletes through athletic, educational, and professional journeys” — is something I resonate with deeply. I’m a firm believer in empowerment through sport, and I’m grateful to have been part of such an inspiring week.

I led a session on the why behind strength training for runners, followed by some practice in the weight room. Even though it’s more common for kids to be exposed to the gym at younger ages these days, it can still be an intimidating environment. But learning proper movement patterns and building healthy habits early on can make a lasting difference — not just in their athletic careers, but in their overall healthspan.

We covered the seasonality of strength training, what types of lifts are recommended, and how much volume makes sense based on individual experience and personal goals. While I’m a strong advocate for runners getting in the gym, there are important nuances around timing and load to make sure it supports performance rather than interfering with training or increasing risk of overtraining injuries. It brought my great joy to see the athletes get excited and cheer each other on when back squatting - what a wonderful community to be a part of!