Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Mann.
Nicole, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a competitive runner, I would travel to race destinations outside Chicago. Often times, the race courses would be hilly and, as we all know, Chicago is flat. I would have a goal completion time for the race, but with little opportunity for hill training, my race times would be slower than expected because I could not train effectively in Chicago for the hills. As time went on (and after several running injuries) I started racing triathlons of all distances, Olympic, Half Ironman, Full Ironman. Training for the bike portion of a triathlon, I started to use a tool commonly referred to as Computrainer. Essentially, a triathlete sets the back wheel of his or her tri-bike into a trainer that is hooked to a computer, and Computrainer adjusts the resistance on the triathlete’s bike so that the resistance mimics the hills of the actual course for which the triathlete is training. This tool is incredibly effective in preparing triathletes for the bike portion of a triathlon course; instead of riding flat for 112 miles, the triathlete can incorporate hill work specific to the course he or she will bike come race day. I wondered, why doesn’t this concept/tool exist for runners? I searched high and low and found nothing similar. So, I decided to create it myself. RunBetter does for runners what Computrainer does for cyclists. A key difference is that RunBetter is in the form of an App now available in the App Store, and no special equipment (other than a treadmill with an incline function, which you can find at any gym . . . if not in your own basement) is required. How it works is this: a runner downloads the RunBetter App, sets his or her phone on the treadmill, picks a course, and starts running. The App then alerts the runner when to adjust the incline or decline on the treadmill to mimic the course. The RunBetter App has over 20 courses now, ranging from half marathons to full marathons (e.g., Boston, New York, Chicago, London, Tokyo), and also includes the run portion of several half Ironman and full Ironman courses (e.g., Kona, Challenge Roth, Oceanside). The RunBetter App also offers marathon training programs. The RunBetter App is not just for runners or triathletes (who race or do not race), but also for walkers. The inclines on some of the courses can get rather steep and can be a great way to mix up workouts and take the boredom out of treadmill running.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has smooth in parts, but definitely has presented with numerous challenges along the way. I am 47 and a lawyer, so my exposure to social media prior to creating RunBetter was pretty nonexistent. I used email, but that’s about it. No Facebook, no Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, etc. The learning curve here has been incredibly high. I also knew little to nothing about app development and never anticipated the countless details and decisions that needed to be made to produce a quality and effective product. Financially this was challenging because it was a significant investment in an unknown. Although I have faith in this product, I could not predict how it would sell. But, I decided that I would have a harder time living with myself not taking the plunge, and forever wondering what might have come of it. My two partners are my running coach (also a lawyer, and a two-time Olympic trials marathon qualifier) and my husband (a physician, and a super competitive triathlete). We all have faith in RunBetter and what it can offer to runners and walkers of all kinds, and that extends far, far beyond just running better. Everyone who we have spoken to about RunBetter thinks it is a great product, and we are gaining users daily. I think the biggest struggle I have faced is getting the word out and reaching our intended audience. I have crawled out of my comfort zone and have approached all kinds of people to let them know about RunBetter, but it’s tough to get people’s attention. While we currently have users in the US, Canada, the UK, and Brazil, so few people know about this product. We launched very late in November 2017, so we are very new. I think those have been the key “strugges” – learning about and having to now use social media, leaning about the app industry when I am not tech savvy, and trying to be persistent and patient when telling the world about RunBetter. Fortunately, I have been blessed with two great partners who share my vision, and that has helped to maintain some endurance through these struggles.
Please tell us about RunBetter.
We are about helping runners not only run better, but to achieve goals they never imagined possible and, from that, gain confidence not only in running but in every aspect of their lives. We want to help people run better, be better, and feel better. We also want to help to build and connect the running community in the US and beyond, so that runners can share their stores and accomplishments. We’d like to connect elite runners to age groupers (we have a lot of ideas for that, but they have yet to be implemented). Essentially, I would like to see others benefit from running in the way it has benefitted me. Before I met my coach, I was just your every day casual runner. After a year with my coach, I was hanging out in elite tents pre-race, winning my age group, if not races outright, and I broke 3:00 in the marathon. Never in a million years did I think I could do that. My running experiences have given me the confidence to try new things (e.g., learn how to swim at age 39) and take on new challenges I never ever could have considered just a year prior (e.g., complete an Ironman!?). The confidence and happiness I have gained through running have permeated into all aspects of my life – how I perform at work, how I approach challenges, my drive and determination, and my relationships with friends, family, and strangers. It has changed my life for the better, and I would love to see others to have the same experience.
What sets RunBetter apart from others is that there is no other product that is remotely similar to it, and it is available to anyone with an iPhone (Android hopefully is coming) and a treadmill.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Spending time with my grandmother, the most loving, selfless, patient, kind and generous person I have ever known. She was my angel and continues to visit me in my dreams regularly.
Pricing:
- Acces to our entire library of race courses (over 20 now, and growing every week) for $4.99/month.
- Acces to our entire library of race courses (over 20 now, and growing every week) for $49.99/year.
- 18-week marathon coaching programs specifically designed for the marathon the runner will run for $119.99.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.runbetterapp.com
- Phone: 312.218.8619
- Email: runbetterllc@gmail.com
- Instagram: RunBetter @runbetterapp
- Facebook: RunBetter LLC @RunBetterApp
- Twitter: nicole mann @runbetterllc
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