"I can tell there's something different about you since the last time we talked, Claire.

You have this new, calm energy."

That's what Matt Chittim, host of the Rambling Runner podcast told me as we were recording his show.

I told him that was just about the highest compliment I could receive.

Because I wasn't always like that.

I would get so nervous before my local half marathon that I would almost get sick. My nerves seemed to only escalate no matter how hard I tried to calm them down.

Once the race started and the adrenaline had somewhere to go, I would start to feel better. But as soon as the race got tough, the negative self talk got louder.

I knew if I was going to succeed in racing (and in life) I needed a better way to control my emotions, my reactivity, and my interal monologue.

My first step was to direct that energy to finding solutions. Just like my passion for learning everything I could about the marathon, I became fixated on "fixing" my performance nerves.

It turns out, there's nothing to fix. The feelings we tend to label "performance anxiety" are more accurately named "activation." Your body prepares you for action by raising your heartbeat, narrowing your focus, and releasing cortisol and adrenaline.

Exactly what you need to race well.

But knowing that intellectually and putting into practice when it counts are completely different things.

It takes practice, but you can change how you react to the feelings of pre-race nerves and actually get to the point where you welcome them.

How? Learn more in my interview with Matt.

listen on Apple

listen on Spotify

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from the team

When Dinesh joined the PR Team, his hamstring injury was long behind him.

At least physically.

Years earlier, he had gotten hurt during a track workout. He fully recovered, but every time he went back to the track, the fear was still there. What if it happened again?

So he held back in workouts and never went harder than about a medium effort.

The injury was gone, but the fear of getting injured again was still influencing how he trained.

For a long time, he kept those thoughts to himself.

Then one day, after another disappointing speed day, he shared what was really going on with the team.

"Guys, I know I can run harder. I just keep doubting myself."

Dinesh expected people to feel sorry for him. What surprised him was how many runners understood exactly what he was talking about. They had been through injuries, setbacks, and the fear that comes with trusting your body again. They shared what helped them rebuild confidence and reminded him that confidence doesn't return all at once.

It comes back one workout at a time.

Today, at 56 years old, Dinesh is running just as fast as he was years ago.

The biggest change wasn't his hamstring. It was learning to trust himself again.

That's the kind of work we do in the PR Team every day.

join us

*team names changed for privacy

planted practice

NEW!

Each week this season (and beyond?) I'd like to challenge you to one small action that I'm calling your Planted Practice.

You don't change the way you think by reading something cool in a newsletter. You change with small, daily work, just like training your body.

The first Planted Practice is simple, but might not be easy.

This week's challenge:

After every run, write down one thing that went well.

This sounds so simple, but you'll be surprised at what will come up if you do this every run for a week.

What you practice becomes stronger and noticing the good allows you to see more of it.

*extra credit: post about it on social and tag me!

#plantedpractice

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podcast

Do you actually completely relax on vacation? Or do you get stressed about fitting in your training while traveling?

What’s the right way to balance your training when you are traveling, especially if you have a family?

Let’s find out.

Today we’re going to tackle the topic of training on trips, specifically vacations with your loved ones.

You’ll learn:

• how to plan your vacation for the ideal time in your training cycle
• how to stay fit and healthy while still having fun, and if you do decide to skip training altogether,
• how much fitness, if any, you’ll lose while lounging by the pool

listen here

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inspo

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

—Aristotle

Have a great run today, Coach Claire

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

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

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

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.

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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