Who is Dr. Metzl and why should you believe him? Well, pull up a chair and I’ll tell you.
Dr. Metzl is a badass. Not because he’s a doctor but because he’s an athlete, and athletes make the best doctors by the way. Now, when I say ‘athlete’ I don’t mean he runs an occasional 5K, I mean he is an Ironman 12 times over (12!) and has dominated 32 marathons.
This is him, biking though what looks like a monsoon, at an IM in Lake Placid.
Now do you believe he has the key to a happy running life? I thought so.
Wanna know where the key is? It’s in your butt. Dead serious.
Through my relationship with Runner’s World I was given a copy of Dr. Metzl’s new book Running Strong to preview and tell you what I think of it. Sadly there was no compensation involved and I’m forced to tell you the honest truth. Bummer.
I know you may be rolling your eyes at the thought of yet another running book but, this one has two very distinct things that set it apart and will guarantee your running longevity, if you fill your prescription and follow doctors orders:
1. It reads like a reference manual for runners. It’s broken into body parts (tell me where it hurts!) which the doc discusses exactly what may be going on and why. The best part? He tells you exactly what to do about it, including when to see your own doctor. Included at the end of each section are stretches and foam rolling techniques for each unique pain or strain.
It’s quite literally a step by step guide to every ache and pain you can think of. I fell in love.
2. Ever heard of Blippar? Me either, until I read this book. Blippar is an app you download to your smart phone. There are symbols in the book where you can use this app to actually watch video of Dr. Metzl explaining certain complicated issues or see demonstrations of stretches, foam rolling or exercises. In the above image, you can see it in the top right of the page.
I cannot tell you how amazing and beneficial this is to see when you’re reading along.
Here’s a video of me demonstrating the ease and magic of Blippar:
After Dr. Metzl explains each and every running injury he has come across in his tenure, and tells you how to treat and/or prevent them (including case studies), he gets right to the point of running longevity:
“If there’s one phrase you will hear over and over from me, it’s this: A strong butt is key to a happy running life.”
That’s right. The key to your running happiness has been with you all along. Now you just have to activate it!
This brings us to Dr. Metzl’s IronStrength workout. Now, if you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I love a good challenge. I also think I’m in pretty good shape, especially right now as I’m weeks away from running 26.2. I decided to try this workout in lieu of my normal strength training day last week, and OMG my ass was screaming at me, as well as several other body parts. It was a wake-up call that I need to do a lot more work if I want to keep running into my 80s. Yes, that’s my plan.
It starts off with a warm-up and then he gets right to it with 6 sets of 15 squat jumps. I couldn’t do 6 sets so I did 3.
The workout only lasted 35 minutes, I modified quite a bit, and was toasted by the end of it. And yes, I plan to do it weekly! It’s everything runners need and Dr. Metzl’s guide is very encouraging, offering every possible modification and guidelines for improvement, as well as a Blippar video.
And, if you’re lucky enough to live in NYC, he holds FREE IronStrength classes.
The entire book is broken into five parts:
Part I: Nuts and Bolts – overview of the body and how bone, ligaments, tendons and muscle are connected…or not.
Part II: Uh-Oh! What’s That Pain? – this is where all your aches and pains are explained and remedied.
Part III: Getting the Most from Your Machine – including your biggest weapon (your brain) and the neglected super hero (sleep).
Part IV: Tools of the Trade – food, shoes and clothing. Ah the simplicity of running.
Part V: His and Hers – because we’re different and it’s awesome.
If all of that isn’t enough to convince you that you need this book in your life, there are also running training plans for every distance imaginable, designed by Runner’s World very own Coach Budd Coates. BOOM!
If you’re a runner, buy this book. If you know a runner, give them this book as a gift. Doctors orders!*
*I’m not a doctor but I write about one on my blog.
[Tweet “@drjordametzl holds key to a happy running life! Read all about it #RunningStrong #ironstrength”]
Have you ever heard of Blippar?
Do you own any running books or other reference/guide books?
Do you want to try the IronStrength workout?
Not a runner as you know, but have a few runners in my life that I will most definitely share his book with them. So thanks, Allie for sharing about his book here today.
Absolutely! This is a great gift!!
I wonder if they have my butt pain issue that has seemed to allude doctors and health professionals in that book. I will have to check it out and thank you for sharing.
Yes it does!! It seriously has EVERY issue and what to do about it. I figure out two of my nagging injuries I’ve had during marathon training. It’s awesome like that…
Well…great minds today, huh? And you did a much better review than I did! ; )
Hahaha!! Thanks Amanda.
I have heard so many great things about this book, I definitely need to check it out. My butt is my weakness and after Paris, I’m about to start focusing on getting it stronger before MCM training starts. Plyometrics are bad for me though as it aggravates my bad calf, so I need to find another alternative. Have a great weekend Allie!
You should definitely check it out as there are MANY alternatives offered. He gives so many different ways to strengthen your butt. You should gift it to yourself after Paris 🙂
The booty is where I need the most help!
heading out to get it today-funny I have realized working with a trainer, how weak my backside is…so I am anxious to read this! Thanks my friend!
I know you will love it, and then we can compare notes!
Allie, if you had to modify “quite a bit”, I’m likely toast. But I know that many of my running issues stem from lack of core/ glute strength so this might be something to look into…
As does every runner’s issues! I would be happy to do it with you at the gym one of these days!!
This is awesome!! I feel like this could be great for me to have just in general–sometimes I just the weirdest pains, they come and they go and I would love to have a book like this for reference purposes!
Exactly! It’s the perfect reference manual for runners 🙂
This sounds awesome and I totally agree that getting the glutes working properly can only do amazing things for your running! Now I want to get this book. 🙂
Seriously get it. You will not be disappointed and you could use it with your clients as well!!
COOL!!! Totally getting it!!!! I am reading Advanced Marathoning right now. I have never heard of Blipper but I am usually a little slow in picking up the latest and greatest technology 🙂
The Blippar thing totally blew me away! You would love this book Jen – it’s perfect for any runner!!
oooh Id add a HAPPY RUNNING LIFE AND RACE WALKING LIFE!
YES!!!
This is one that I would be interested in getting! Thanks for the info!
He’s a beast!! I will def be investing in this book. In a nerd and love to read all things health, fitness, anatomy, and running related things. Thank you for sharing the Doc with us!
Total beast and the IronStrength workout is no joke!! I hope you love it as much as I do.