Karen Dunn
Running Coach, Personal Trainer and Owner of Strengthen Your Stride
Whether you want to qualify for the Boston Marathon or get through that plateau and run your best again – I can help you. My running clients are both the competitive and the recreational runner – even those who want to get started running for the first time.
I am a VDOT and RRCA (Road Runners Club of America) certified distance running coach. I consider the VDOT certification my specialty! This is where I utilize specific strategies that have been developed as a result of extensive physiological research by Dr. Jack Daniel’s. These strategies have been tested over time and yield great results. I use his methods to success in my own marathon training. After various marathon training cycles using the VDOT methodology I have continued to get faster with each race – entering many as an elite master’s runner.
I take pride in knowing what it takes to be your best. I say this because I am not just a coach, I am an athlete as well. I am out there completing workouts and long training cycles so I too can perform at a high caliber. This means I know the highs and lows of training firsthand. This adds great depth to my coaching.
My personal training clients come to me with a range of goals including to – increase strength and fitness, lose weight, change physique, gain mobility, or reduce the symptoms of chronic disease. I also use strength training with my running athletes to enhance performance and mitigate injury.
Jack Daniel’s VDOT training
Meeting Dr. Jack Daniel’s at the VDOT Running Clinic
As a VDOT distance running coach, I consider this to be what sets me apart from the other coaches out there, besides my background in personal training. We all want to get faster. Using the VDOT training approach will put you on the path to faster running at any distance.
I had the opportunity to attend Jack Daniel’s VDOT Running Clinic in New York. He spoke about the science of running and his research in physiology that spans more than 2 decades. As a result of his extensive research, he has created what he calls VDOT.
VDOT is a number that represents a runner’s current level of fitness and has specific training paces associated with it.
Refer to the”Training Tips & Videos” link on this site to learn:
- Why training using the VDOT approach will help you get faster!
- What your VDOT number is.
- What your training paces should be.
My Background
Here are some of my proudest accomplishments
I have a long history of running that started back in the 7th grade! I was a talented middle and high school runner. I secured course records, claimed my high school’s cross country championship title 3 years in a row, qualified for states by placing well in districts, and earned a college scholarship for running.
Running has been a lifelong passion for me. More recently I’ve turned my focus to the half and full marathon.
Here are some of my more recent and rewarding moments:
- Qualified for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials and secured 3rd Women’s Master at the 2019 Chicago Marathon! I’m very excited about this!
- Trained for various marathons using Jack Daniel’s VDOT Formula. As a result, I have continued to lower my time with each race to a current PR of 2:43.
- Secured an elite women’s start at 2018 Boston Marathon where I toed the line with Deena Kastor, Des Linden, Shalane Flanagan, Molly Huddle, and other great women runners.
- Champion of the 2015 Bucks County Half Marathon, 2016 Bird in Hand Half Marathon, 2017 and 2018 Philly Run Fest Half Marathon, 2016 and 2017 God’s Country Marathon.