There's this romantic notion out there that we should be always be perfectly in tune with our bodies. We're told by the influencers to "listen to our body" to know exactly how to train, eat, and recover. As if there is some clear, gentle voice saying, "of course I'd rather have brussels sprouts than french fries!" or "mile 23 of the marathon feels incredible!" (if that's your inner voice, I'm impressed. Skip ahead.) If it were really that simple, that you could just listen to your body, the...
25 days ago • 3 min read
What if I told you that there was a way to get faster, to improve your running form, quicken your feet, better prepare for a race, and have some fun, all in less than 90 seconds of work? I’d say sign me up. The good news that such a thing actually exists. It’s called the stride. Or striders, or accelerations, or stride-outs. Lots of names for the same awesome skill. But what it’s not is a sprint or a surge. On Instagram this week, I shared this reel talking about the difference. (And also...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Happy Thanksgiving! I am grateful for you, one of the thousands of runners who reads this newsletter each week. I hope that you find my work helpful to your running, your mindset and your life. Whether you are turkey trotting today (or tofurky trotting!), taking a well-deserved rest day, or simply running your usual route, I hope you can take a moment to be thankful for all that running has given you! Make those long, cold runs more fun with audio books! Special offer just for Planted...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
It's probably not a big surprise if I admit that I'm a planner. I theme my workdays and Wednesdays are for private coaching calls and writing this newsletter. It was not in my plan for my home internet to decide to throw a tantrum on newsletter day. After spending way too long troubleshooting, I waved the white flag. And like any good runner who can roll with the unexpected, I packed up the laptop and headed to a nearby coffee shop... ...where the internet was out. Not to turn me away, the...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Becky is a 68-year-old woman in my 7am strength training class. We started training about the same time and we seemed to be pretty matched in what we could lift. One day, we started chatting about nutrition. "Oh, I never eat before I come here," Becky said. "It's too early and I'm just not hungry." (I bet you know where this is going.) Of course, I had to offer my unsolicited advice. I told Becky that she really should try eating a little something before working out. "Why?" she asked....
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Watching the New York City marathon last Sunday, I was was fascinated by the way the top 3 women ran. These are three of the fastest humans on the planet and yet, their form couldn't be more different. Helen Obiri's heels rise almost up to her glutes with each stride, while Sheila Chepkirui and Sharon Lokedi's feet never get much higher than parallel. The differences keep going from there. Their arms swings are different. The lean of their torsos are different. Even how they hold their hands...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
I have to admit, one of the most dreaded questions I get these days from my kids is, "what's for dinner?" As a busy mom and business owner, I wish I had time to plan and cook a perfectly healthy and delicious meal every single day. But some days, it's the last thing I want to do. Yet we somehow manage to get through each day without starving. (Can you relate? Reply and let me know!) Looking back, it's actually pretty amazing that the whole "plant-based thing" even stuck with me. Because I was...
2 months ago • 4 min read
When you are dripping with sweat on hot and humid summer runs, you know you need to hydrate. But what about in cooler weather? Is it really that important if you're not really sweating that much? Yes. But your fall hydration plan isn't going to be exactly like what you need in the summer. Clearly, if you are sweating less, you need to drink less to replace less fluid lost. But how much less? Figuring out the answer for you is done the same way as it is in the summer, using your thirst and...
2 months ago • 4 min read
This morning, I had a coaching call with a client. "Whenever I run by people in my neighborhood," she said, "I just know they are thinking, 'what does this old, fat lady think she's doing out here running?' " Over the past year, life had gotten busy, running had taken a back seat, and her fitness was nowhere near where she wanted it to be. She was determined to turn things around, but she was struggling with negative self-talk on her runs. I asked her to flip the script. "What would you be...
3 months ago • 4 min read