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 thinking," I asked, "if you saw a woman older and bigger than you running in your neighborhood?"

"I would say that's awesome and go for it!" she said.

That's because comparison is only a thief of joy in one direction--when we compare ourselves to those who we believe have something we want.

We criticize ourselves for not measuring up, but rarely look behind us to see how far we've come.

The reality is, if you can run, you have something to celebrate. And if you really want to be an awesome runner, all it takes is a shift in perspective

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ask me anything

Q:

I had a great race in Chicago and in a few weeks, I'm running New York. How do I handle the short turn around? I know I need to recover, but I also don't want to be undertrained for NYC.

A:

Congrats on your successful race in Chicago! I hope that you are resting, eating, and recovering well.

The honest truth is that with only 3 weeks in between races, it is highly unlikely that you will be any more physically fit in New York than you were in Chicago.

This is especially true if you ran Chicago to the best of your ability, but even if you held back, you still ran 26.2 miles.

I always recommend seven days off running after a marathon. Your brain and your body need a break from the pounding of running to heal and repair.

That doesn't mean you should lie on the couch for a week. Aim for light movement like walking, swimming, or slow biking.

In the second week, you can add in some jogging, but nothing too far or fast. Again, you need to repair before you can build, so a hard tempo or track workout isn't ideal.

In the final week before NYC, I recommend repeating the race week plan you had for Chicago. For my athletes, the week begins with a "short" long run and includes about 3 miles or 5k of marathon-paced work about 5 days out.

The rest of the week is easy or rest and the day before is a light 15-minute shake out jog.

When in doubt, less is more!

Running two marathons three weeks apart is not ideal from a performance perpective, but consider yourself lucky to experience two marathon majors in one season!

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podcast

If you want to maintain or even improve your running fitness all year round, you’re either going to make friends with the treadmill or you’ll have to find a way to make peace with the cold and dark this fall and winter.

I'll show you how.

On today’s Planted Runner Podcast, we are going to explore how you can get ready for fall and winter running.

You’ll learn:

• Tips to stay motivated and run safely in the dark
• Exactly how to dress in any kind of weather for any kind of run, and
• I’ll share my personal experience with a condition that many runners face this time of year, especially women.

Even if you’re like me, a die-hard summer lover, you’ll be completely prepared for any condition Mother Nature can throw at you.

And of course, don’t forget to stay tuned all the way to the end of the conversation for another Mental Strength Minute. Fortify your mind in 60 seconds or less.

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inspo

“And one has to understand that braveness is not the absence of fear but rather the strength to keep on going forward despite the fear.”

— Paulo Coelho

Have a great run today, Coach Claire

P.S. You've trained your body. But what about your mind? If you are ready to turn race anxiety into calm confidence, it's time to Find Your Flow State, my brand new 4-part audio series. It's more affordable than you think. Click here before race day!

Thank you for being a part of the Planted Runner community!

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My mission is to help runners just like you reach goals they never dreamed possible through science-backed training and plant-based nutrition.

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Since 2016, I've helped thousands of every day runners become fitter, faster, and stronger with truly customized training and coaching.

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I also love to share what I have learned from my own journey starting as a non-runner to a 2:58 marathoner at age 42, as well what I have learned coaching runners, completely FREE. I do that every week in this newsletter and on the Planted Runner Podcast.

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Being a part of this email community ensures that you first access to everything we have coming up – from free running and nutrition guides, to events like workshops and retreats, and so much more to help you get results.

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I'm so glad you're here and my inbox is always open. Feel free to reply with questions or feedback!

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