Here's Dan Fitzgerald, Chief Heartbreaker, Head Coach, & co-founder of Heartbreak on why he founded the Heartbreakers team:
"Whenever I explain the benefits of the Heartbreaker team, I come back to the same thing - the team itself. The people make it what it is. There's a long list of membership benefits here, but this team can't be summed up in an outline of services. Culture defines us. Our welcoming & supportive environment breads success & connection. Our athletes range from top 20 in the world majors to 10+ hour marathoners, from sub-14 5K killers to terrified first-ever road racers. We can support this diversity in ability because we engage as people first, then we connect and move forward as athletes. It's in the mission statement: Groundbreakers, Pace-makers, Shot-takes, Heartbreakers. We are people who run.
Running happens in the midst of everything that encompasses a life and my goal is to make sure it remains a bright spot. I truly believe that getting people to feel excited about running, making it fun and engaging, will pay the biggest dividends. When done right, every day becomes an opportunity to do that thing you're excited about, to get a little better, to connect with yourself & your teammates. Over time, commitment to the craft yields results. This is when it gets interesting. As athletes redefine their capacity in sport, their renewed confidence bleeds into other areas of life: career, relationships, and social situations.
My running journey started in high school. I was a 3 sport athlete (soccer, basketball, outdoor track) whose only viable future as a division 1 athlete was in track & field. I earned a scholarship to Boston College where I focused on the 800m. I had a challenging start due to some injuries & poor training decisions. In my junior year a new coach took over the middle distance group. Training under an active professional runner (and even alongside her as she prepared for the 2000 Olympic Trials) unlocked so much potential. It also opened my eyes to the value of good coaching, a calling I followed immediately after graduation when I filled her role overseeing the middle distance group at Boston College.
While running excellence was my ultimate pursuit at that time, what defined my formative running experience was my crew, the people with whom I trained every day. The bonds forged on that team remain as some of the most important in my life. My Heartbreak co-founder, Justin Burdon, was co-captain of the team with me. My ride-or-die friends all rode together through the Newton hills as BC athletes first, then through the ups and downs of 2 decades of life since.
Heartbreaker training is much like a university system. The tools are all here. Nothing is secret. What you decide to make of the experience is up to you. It is not personal coaching in the same way that an undergraduate degree isn't one-on-one instruction. You'll be surrounded by resources and people who will lift you up, push you hard, let you be yourself, celebrate your wins, acknowledge and understand your failures, and most importantly, be right there with you every step. We're here to unlock a lifelong athletic journey through the power of connection & elite level training principles. This is the antidote to quippy coach-isms you'll find online.
If you've never been on a team, this experience will be empowering. If you have, it'll feel familiar. What you can be sure of is this: we'll meet you where are and run with you through everything plus you'll get invited to all the cool parties."
Learn more about the team and its benefits here: heartbreak.run/team.