It's Flashback Friday, and each week I dig in the blog archives and share a post that you may have missed the first time around because after more than five years, surely there is a post you missed along the way. As we enter into a new year and a new decade, many people are setting lofty new year resolutions!
When I think about the typical resolutions that runners may make, such as to race a new distance, to increase speed, to get up earlier to work out, to start strength training, to eat healthier, or lose fat, I realized I have a blog post that can help you achieve those goals.
As you consider your new year resolutions and begin to put together your action plans for success, may I make some recommendations with these blog posts that can help you reach all your running goals?
RUNNERS RESOLUTIONS
START STRENGTH TRAINING
SET GOALS YOU CAN ACHIEVE
A FASTER 5K
GET UP EARLY TO WORK OUT
START MEAL PREPPING TO EAT HEALTHIER
REDUCE SCREEN TIME
MAKE NUTRITIONAL CHANGES TO EAT HEALTHIER
RUN A HALF MARATHON
LOSE FAT
RUN A 5K
This 30-day strength training for runners challenge is meant to help you develop the habit of performing daily low-intensity strength exercises to improve your running performance and longevity in the sport. Are you up for the challenge?
Follow along with the framework that I use with my running coaching clients to set running goals that you can achieve in 2020. Reflection, goal setting, problem-solving, planning, and executing are essential elements to reach any goal or new year resolution.
Learn the strategies to improve your 5K running time with these five ways to a faster 5K finish.
The best time to workout is the time you can stay most consistent. For some people that time is in the early mornings. Learn about my quest to get up early to workout with helpful tips to wake up early to exercise when you’ve tried before and failed.
Meal prep doesn’t have to be complicated. Learn how to prep healthy meals in three categories: Easy, Easier, and Easiest. Even the most cooking inept can find meal prep solutions.
Do you need a digital intervention? Too much screen time can lead to health problems, poor relationships, and diminished focus. In this blog post I suggest ten ways to decrease your screen time for a healthier balance. Don’t worry, I won’t take away your run selfies or Instagram meals.
We know how to live healthier, we just don’t always do it. Take my healthy lifestyle quiz and see how you score, then learn how to begin to bridge the gap between knowing and doing.
Strength training isn’t cross training, it’s as important to your run training programing as the long run and intervals. Not sure where to start? Incorporate these five strength training moves into your next workout to build the runner-specific strength that will help you improve your run.
If you can run a 10K and have been consistently running for last six weeks, you’re ready to start training for a half marathon in eight weeks. Follow these exact steps to build your half marathon training schedule like a running coach, or download my free half marathon training plan for free.
I spent a decade yo-yo dieting, then four years ago lost the weight once and for all. During my journey I learned there are certain fundamentals of permanent fat loss. Before you spend another dollar on a program, a diet book, exercise equipment or supplements, make sure have the basics covered first. You may have to act and think differently than in the past to get better results in the future.
RUN COACHING TO REACH YOUR GOALS
Do you need a coach to help you reach your specific goals? A coach can provide a clear road map to reach your goal, accountability, fill in gaps of knowledge, minimize the learning curve, help to overcome obstacles and give objective feedback so that you can reach new levels.
I am opening up a few more spots in my online run coaching. Coaching is for runners looking to improve with a structured training plan built specifically for you and your abilities, runner-specific strength training to run stronger, and nutrition habits help you to get most out of your training.
You must be willing to:
Put in the work. Coaching doesn't work unless you do.
Accept and apply feedback to your training.
Have an open mind and be prepared to try new things.
Communicate how you're feeling throughout the process. Coaching is a collaborative process; I don't know how you are feeling or what you think unless you tell me.
Make healthy changes to your lifestyle, including sleep, nutrition to get the most out of your training.
My coaching is not for you if:
Need a drill sergeant to motivate you; this is not my coaching style.
If you are an advanced runner looking to qualify for Boston, run an ultra-marathon, or aiming for a significant PR on your full marathon.
You are not willing to change the way you currently train.
I am most effective with runners who want to achieve their first or fastest 5K, 10K, or half marathon. If this sounds like you, I'd love to hear from you! How can I help you reach your goals?
Start here for an online assessment to see if we will be a good fit.
Let's make the most of the new year together! Even if coaching is not for you, I love sharing running tips, runner-specific strength training, and nutrition habits on the blog, so thank you for following along.
Happy new year! Wishing you all health and happiness as you pursue your fitness goals.
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Questions? I’d love to help.
I’ve always said I’m a better writer than a talker because writing allows for reflection. For years, I told myself I just wasn’t good at public speaking, but I've realized that the stories we tell ourselves can often hold us back. For the last couple of years, I’ve been more intentional, most recently practicing with my Toastmasters club. I’m learning to challenge those old stories and develop new skills. I recently performed a five-minute speech on this very topic, and I’d love for you to check it out.
If you’ve ever clicked on articles about how to get 6-pack abs or how to lose 15 lbs in two months, but never took any action towards those goals, it might be time to reevaluate your relationship with movement and exercise. That lack of action is likely just a mismatch between what you’re told you should care about and what is actually important to you. Hustle culture is everywhere, but what if you viewed movement as a resource to manage stress, improve focus, build resilience, and gain energy? In today’s blog, we talk about changing our perspective about exercise can give us the best results.
Most people only think about nutrition or changing their diets when they want to lose weight. What we often miss is that how we eat is a resource that can improve life in many meaningful ways, even if the number on the scale never moves. Today's post cover three reasons to improve your diet that have nothing to do with weight loss.
Most of us are stuck in habits and thought patterns that we didn’t even realize we were practicing. Whether it’s negative self-talk on loop, the trap of thinking every workout has to be a high-intensity suffer-fest, or being so obsessed with the scale that we miss the small meaningful wins, these mindsets can sabotage our progress. In this blog, we look at how to identify these traps, give ourselves some grace, and start choosing a new way to think about health and consistency.
Before and after photos make it seem like the middle is just something to endure until you reach the end. The reality is that there isn’t really an after picture. The real magic happens in the messy middle. It is found in getting through a tough Tuesday when you’re tired and the fridge is empty. Here is why the middle is where your real life happens and how to find meaning in the journey.
I spent a whole Saturday flipping around on Netflix and scrolling my phone thinking I was relaxing. By the end of the day, I felt sluggish and cranky. It turns out that what we think of as resting is often just junk miles for our brain. Here is why your weekend didn't recharge you and how to find true recovery instead.
I don’t know about you, but I get motivated at the start of the year only to have that energy fade by February. On January 1st, it feels like this will finally be the year everything clicks. Then reality sets in. For many, an ice storm and a week of shoveling snow put out the spark. But what if falling off track isn't a failure? What if it's actually the data you need to start smarter? Let's talk about the dimmer switch method and how to build habits that survive your real, messy life.
I titled this the Dieting Toolkit, but really, it is the anti-diet approach you have been looking for. We break down the messy math of calorie deficits, why restriction almost always backfires, and how to use the continuum to get results without being perfect.
We spent years demonizing carbs, but the conversation is finally shifting from restriction to fiber. It is time to stop fearing fruit and vegetables and start fueling your body. Here is what the rebrand means for your diet.
Stop letting your hormones run the show. Learn how your mindset and environment influence your cortisol levels and the simple, one-minute recovery practices you can start today to find your balance again.
