Shannon Hogan

Meet your VERT.RUN COACH

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Where's Shannon from?

I grew up in central Minnesota. There are a lot of beautiful lakes and forests, but it’s mostly flat, without a lot of access to trails. In 2020 I moved to the Duluth/Superior area on the north shore of Lake Superior, which surprisingly features a ton of trails, particularly technical trails with a lot of rocks and roots. I love it here.

How she started running?

I started running in my late 20’s as a way to relieve stress, stay active, and get out into nature. In 2019, when I was visiting Duluth/Superior (my home now), I saw an ad at a sandwich place for a trail half marathon. I had run a few marathons and several halfs by that time, so I signed up. I showed up to the starting line with no idea what I was getting myself into. It was so much harder than I expected, nothing like the road running I was used to. But it was so beautiful, the community was amazing, and I felt a new sense of purpose in the woods, and immediately fell in love. Since then, I’ve switched primarily over to trails and ultras, and haven’t looked back.

After secretly training for and completing my first marathon, however, it became obvious that running was actually improving my balance, jumping, and stamina. With that, I took to the trails, backed by the conviction that it was making me a better athlete. After hours in a studio striving for perfection, the trails became my escape, a quiet place where I was free to just run til my lungs ached. The honesty and raw human-ness of trail running hooked me immediately; nobody cares if you’re covered in mud, crying, or puking…in that moment, it’s just about you existing in nature and doing the most innately human thing- moving forward

Favorite Train in the whole world?

My favorite trail is my local trail, the Superior Hiking Trail. It runs from the western border of Wisconsin up the North Shore to the Canadian Border. It’s the best of both worlds; it’s just as scenic as the trails in the western U.S.A. and as technical with as much elevation (even if the hills are a lot smaller) as the trails on the east coast. There are actually quite a few races run on the SHT, with the most renowned being the Superior 100 (the ninth oldest 100 miler in the country).

Post Run Go to food and drink?

I don’t really have a favorite post race food. I’m not picky, I’ll eat pretty much anything. So, usually I want my crew to make the post race food decision.

Coaching philosophy

My coaching philosophy centers around these main questions:

Why? What’s the purpose?
Why do you want to be an endurance runner (finding your purpose)?
Why are you interested in working with a coach (determining my purpose)?
Why are we setting up training this way/doing these workouts/focusing on these adaptations (establishing the purpose of the workout/block/intensity)?

My passion is to help you find the answers to those whys, while remaining true to your purpose. There are so many reasons why people pursue this crazy endurance sport. Your purpose is highly individual and can evolve and change over time, and that’s where flexibility comes in. We’ll work together to balance your training, your career, and your family, no matter what season of life you are currently moving through. The focus will not only be on attaining your endurance goals, but hopefully on falling in love with the process as well; developing, strengthening, and sustaining a lifelong running habit. After all, running should not only add miles to your life, but meaning!