We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Pozzoni and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
It’s not running that causes pain but HOW you run! AND Beginners need coaches just as much if not more than elite athletes!

So many people either don’t try running because they hear the horror stories about knee pain, etc or they try to do it, get hurt and assume it’s them or the running. People assume you put one foot in front of the other and what could go wrong? A lot of things! This is why learning running (and good walking technique) can keep you from getting injured and help you enjoy it so much more!

Running is such a great sport and it can be for everyone! I have coached women who started running in their 60’s complete their first 50k trail race (31.1 miles)! A running coach will help learn the various aspects involved from technique, to how many times a week to run, etc depending on your individual needs. While there is a lot of information out there on the internet and in facebook groups, making sure you are getting information from legitimate resources is key to having a successful lifelong running journey.
 
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I swore I would never run a day in my life…and now I am a running coach!

I still pinch myself because I swore I would never run (I just did a 100 mile race) AND I’m a running coach. 😀 What?!

It took me a lot of trial and error to get to where I am now but I am loving every minute of it. I get to help people celebrate finish lines they never thought possible! There is nothing like training a group of women for months and then watching them cross that finish line with joy!

Running can be scary and there is so much information out there that is not true. I am on a mission to change the bad reputation that running has! Running doesn’t hurt your body HOW you run does!

My business started out solely as a personal training company. I used to go to people’s houses and train them in their own environment. Then I started dabbling into running. One of my clients gave me the ChiRunning book and the rest is history!

Once I learned ChiRunning and how technique can make or break your experience with running, I decided to become a running coach! I went from saying “I’ll never run” to where I am today!

One of my biggest learning lessons was to find my ideal client. At first I wanted to help out all the runners! I knew that learning technique could have a huge impact on running performance and the overall experience. Then I worked with a business coach who helped me focus on my ideal client.

Who is that person? Someone like me 😊: a 40+ woman who either started running later in her life or is restarting again. She is worried about hurting herself and how slow she will be. She thinks she is too overweight or too old to run. She has either tried and given up or is too scared to try.

All of this led me to creating my TRU (The Running University) Tribe Team. We are an interactive, supportive, online community of women walkers and runners who want to learn, train and grow together.

We are women walkers & runners of ALL shapes and sizes.
We are women walkers & runners of ALL ages .
We are women walkers & runners of ALL levels, from Age Group Award Winners to back of the packers.
We are women walkers and runners who want to lift each other up, keep doing what we love and celebrate finish lines we never thought possible……for the rest of our lives.

If this is you, reach out to me!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love being outside especially in our gorgeous weather most of the year! We would go hiking/trail running every day at a different park: Papago, South Mountain, and then hit some of our regional parks: McDowell Mountain, San Tan and Cave Creek. After each hike/run we would go visit sit on the patio at one of our local restaurants/breweries. I would go to Local First AZ website to find some if I didn’t have any ideas.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many! This was hard for me to nail down. I have to give a big shout out to Aravaipa Running. They are a local trail running race company. I started trail running and doing races with them because many of their events are for all levels of runners from beginner to elite. They have a great community and offer free group runs on a weekly basis on different trails around the valley. Most of my first time distances were completed at their races.

They originally contracted me out to coach a Ladies Training Program for one of their races. Over several years this evolved. Now I’m coaching women and turning them on to their first trail races and ultra races with Aravaipa Running! Since most of their race cutoffs are generous, I get to watch ladies celebrate finish lines they never thought possible! I’ve got 60 year olds doing their first 50K races! (31 miles!)

Website: https://www.therunninguniversity.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunninguniversity/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRunningUniversity

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/therunninguniversity

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.