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.
The last three months of the year is the best time to get serious about goal setting. You can fall into change with S.M.A.R.T goals to rock the holidays. Finish the year strong with end-of-year goals. In this blog post, I’ll help you set smart goals and provide helpful tips for reaching all your goals as we close out the year.
If you've been running for a while and it seems like you're not improving I may be able to help you to pinpoint the culprit. There a few reasons that you may not be improving in running.
If you've spent any time on this site you know I am a huge proponent of strength training for runners. When you run you only move in one direction - forward, which can lead to muscle imbalances and weaknesses. You don't have to spend hours in the gym, but working in some quick strength and flexibility training in all planes of motion will go a long way in helping you improve and remain injury free.
If you want to be a better runner, you have to run more. You have to consistently put in the work over time. If you are inconsistent or only running once or twice a week then improvements will come slow or not at all. Commit to a running/training plan and follow through. If you need a coach to guide you through, I'm here to help.
If you run at the same pace every day you are training your body to conserve calories and glycogen (carbs) in the muscles. This is good for long distance running because this is why you're able to cross the finish line. However, if you want to improve and run faster you'll need to train to run faster by adding in intervals, fartleks and/or hills into your training. The key is to have a variety of workouts that train the different exergy systems. Slow runs have an important place in your schedule but they should not be the only workouts that you do.
I'd argue that rest days are one of the most important parts of your training plan. You body adapts and improves during rest, not during the workout. So if you don't rest, you don't allow your body the recovery it needs to repair and rebuild. You can't beat your body into submission. Work hard, rest hard. Plan one or two full rest days (or more if you need it) in your training schedule each week for best results.
Take a look at your lifestyle including your sleeping habits, nutrition and stress. Lack of sleep, poor nutrition, excessive alcohol intake and stress can all be factors in a poor or stagnant performance. Consider your lifestyle outside of running and evaluate if you need to make improvements. A good night sleep and proper nutrition can make a world of difference in your training.
Take a good hard look at these factors to determine if you should make some adjustments in order to improve in your running. Work hard, rest hard, be consistent. You'll get there.
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Have questions? I'd love to help! Ask in the comments or join the conversation and "Ask the Trainer" for your question to be featured in a future blog post.
I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help.
While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.
I posted a joke about my toxic running trait on Threads and immediately got hit with unsolicited running advice. It was a funny reminder that people love giving “helpful” information out of context. Here is what that comment section reminded me about health coaching, behavior change, and the human impulse to fix things.
Is it just me, or does summer running amnesia hit every single year? Here we are re-learning those summer running lessons again. If you've ever found yourself bargaining for a breeze or wondering if your PR days are officially behind you, this one is for you. A tongue-in-cheek look at the 5 stages of summer running grief, and a gentle reminder of how to work with the heat instead of fighting it.
When Nike put up a sign in Boston saying Runners Welcome, Walkers Tolerated, the internet freaked out. Many saw it as elitist. I thought it was a joke. But the reaction proves something deeper about how we tie our identity to external validation. If this offended you, I’d love for you to read my perspective on why you are the boss of your own running journey.
A lot of nutrition guides for half marathon training are overly complicated and aimed at elite athletes, which can be intimidating for the average runner. This blog post is about taking the pressure off by treating your fueling as a personal, no-math-required experiment throughout your 12-to-16-week training cycle. As a health coach and personal trainer, my goal is to give you simple, straightforward guidelines so you can figure out what works best for your body, ensuring you have the energy needed to train well, recover fully, and cross the finish line feeling strong.
Run/walk intervals have been my go-to this summer for staying consistent in the Texas heat. They let me keep my heart rate in check, extend my time on my feet, and build endurance without overreaching. Whether I’m using timed segments, going by feel, or following my heart rate, the flexibility helps me adapt to the conditions and train in a way that’s sustainable. This approach works for anyone navigating challenging weather, rebuilding fitness, or simply wanting running to feel good!
When you train to run a marathon, it may require the development of new skills. Running is a skill, but are you considering the other skills that may need to be cultivated? I highlighted some important skills needed for marathon training: Time management, moving often, moving well, eating enough nutrients, getting enough sleep, having a growth mindset, and tolerating stress. What can you improve in your lifestyle to elevate your training?
Being a runner of a certain age is an image of a robust and confident runner in the best years of her life, aging actively to live her best life forward. With some planning, preparation, and a mindset shift, we can confidently be runners of a certain age!
Happy Friday, Friends. If you have been following along you know that I have been working on a blog series 'Running A-to-Z' where I cover a running-related topic in the order of the alphabet. Every Monday I publish a new Running A-to-Z post. It's been a great way for me to stay inspired week after week to provide you with helpful content. I hope you have been enjoying it.
As I worked on my weekly alphabet post I realized that after 26 weeks this series will be over. I just published Q is for Quotes -Motivational Running Quotes and only have nine shorts weeks before I reach the end of the alphabet.
I considered running (pun intended) through the alphabet again, this time choosing a new topic for each letter, but I thought it might be more fun to answer your questions each week.
ask the trainer
I'd love to know your fitness, strength training or running related problems or questions. What can I help you with? Each week I will choose a question and answer it in a blog post. If I use your question in a post, I will link back to your website, social media handle or you can choose to remain anonymous.
So, friends. Tell me. What are your burning questions? I would love to help! Fill in the form below or follow this link to ask your questions.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I can't wait to start answering your questions.
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I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help.
While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.
Welcome to another edition of Running A-to-Z. I am having a blast writing these posts each week, covering a running-related topic following the order of the alphabet. If you missed any past Running A-to-Z posts you can catch up on letters A-P in the archives.
In these posts we talk a lot about running technique, tips and tricks, but sometimes what we need is a dose of motivation. Q is for Quotes. I've compiled a list of my top 10 favorite running quotes and even included my own at the end.
“If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.”
“Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue. Your only recourse is to call on your spirit, which fortunately functions independently of logic.”
“I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me where I want to go.”
“I don’t run to add days to my life, I run to add life to my days.”
“But I also realize that winning doesn’t always mean getting first place; it means getting the best out of yourself.”
“Winning has nothing to do with racing. Most days don’t have races anyway. Winning is about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, ever, ever giving up.”
“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
“As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are”
“And, finally, I run because there’s no better way to see the sun rise and set.”
“I started running to lose a few pounds but I ended up finding myself. I set out to change my body but instead I changed my life. ”
What is your favorite running quote?
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I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help.
While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.
You know the feeling all too well. You did great last week. You worked out hard. Really hard. You worked out even when you didn't feel like it. Your food diary was glowing with good choices. You meal prepped like a boss. You skipped the lunch out with coworkers at the burger joint, packed a salad every day and ate a balanced healthy dinner every night. You skipped the candy jar and passed on the birthday cake. You killed it! But then you stepped on the scale and the number flashing up at you seemingly wasn't reflecting all your hard work from the week. Your heart sinks. What gives?
A healthy weight loss goal is 1-2 pounds per week on average over time. Any more than two pounds per week and you are likely losing muscle along with fat which can be detrimental to your metabolism.
A 1-2 pound per week goal doesn’t mean that you should expect to lose two pounds every single week. Weight loss rarely happens in a straight line. With exercise and a small reduction in calorie intake you can probably expect to lose between 12-20 pounds in 12 week period as an average. That doesn’t mean there won’t be weeks when you don’t lose any weight or even gain a pound on the scale. The important thing is to watch the downward trend over time rather than obsessing over the number week to week.
Practice patience and consistency. Life is not a 12 week challenge. This isn’t the Biggest Loser, this is your life. (News stories were reporting that most of those contestants put the weight back on anyway due to the unhealthy way they lost it.)
You focus too much on the number on the scale from week to week.
Be consistent with your healthy habits and lifestyle changes. Focus on the process. Give it time.
The problem with focusing too much on a goal weight is that the scale only tells one small piece of the story. A mistake that a lot of people make is that they focus on weight loss rather than fat loss. Muscle and fat weigh exactly the same, of course. One pound of fat = one pound of muscle. However, muscle is much more dense and takes up a lot less space in your body. If you are losing fat but gaining muscle, the number on the scale may stay the same, but you may wear a smaller pant size. Focus on fat loss and lean muscle gains. Alter your body compensation by exercising and eating healthful foods.
If you lose too much weight too quickly, you are almost certainly losing lean muscle along with fat. Someone who is too focused on scale weight may be thrilled to see a lower number but the truth is that it could be a bad thing if they are also losing muscle.
You are more worried about weight loss than fat loss.
Forget weight loss and focus on fat loss. Track your fat loss progress by measuring your body fat percentage and taking body measurements. Perform weight bearing exercises to build and preserve lean muscle and do a mixture of moderate and high intensity cardiovascular exercises to burn fat.
Some people decide on an arbitrary number they want to reach on the scale and won’t be satisfied until they reach it, but you can’t bully your body into cooperating with your unrealistic goals. If we focus on fat loss and other non-scale victories then we can find success regardless of the number on the scale. How do you feel? How well are you sleeping? How do your clothes fit? How are your energy levels? How has your athletic performance improved in sports and in life? Can you carry the groceries from the car to the house without trouble? Can you chase the kids (or dogs) around the back yard or climb the stairs without getting winded? These are all non-scale victories that deserve to be celebrated. What if you had positive responses to all the above questions but your scale weight stayed the same? That would be great because it would prove that your hard work is paying off. You are now healthier, more athletic with improved body composition.
You can’t see past the scale to appreciate the successes in non-scale victories.
Keep track of non-scale improvements as diligently as you are watching your scale weight.
In the end the number doesn’t matter. It’s great to have fat loss goals and fitness goals, but picking a number that you think you should weigh and then going after it by any means necessary is unhealthy. A healthier alternative is to learn to love movement, healthy foods and find joy in the process and see where it takes you.
People who have a healthy relationship with the scale should continue to use it as one of the many tools they use to track progress. However, if you struggle with scale or become obsessed or discouraged with your scale weight, then I recommend you ditch the scale and never look back.
Any of this sound familiar? Any questions? Let me know in the comments.
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Would you like help losing fat and building muscle? Check out my personal training services page.
I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help.
While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.
A guy in my neighborhood runs only in the hottest part of the day, in the hottest months of the year. We call him Self-Inflicted-Pain-Guy. I laugh, but lately I’ve been wondering why I’m often Self-Inflicted-Pain-Girl myself. What if I’ve been mistaking discipline for structure?
I wrote on my gym white board this week “The journey is the destination; find joy in the process, and you will see results every day." But it isn't just an inspirational quote. This blog post is about how to put that mindset into practice so you can stop chasing outcomes and start winning daily.
I recently created a free guide called Coach Yourself to a Transformational Year to help you map out a loose structure for the months ahead. It treats your goals like a big experiment rather than a bunch of rigid rules to follow. Grab your copy on the blog before June 1st, and let me know if you have any questions!
In 2017, while working a corporate job I wrote a blog post dated five years into the future. I described my dream life in vivid detail, right down to the breakfast I'd eat and the way my business would feel. Then, I let it sit in my drafts for nearly a decade.
Reading it now in 2026 is surreal. While the timeline took longer than I imagined, the feeling of my life today is identical to that vision. I am sharing the unedited 2017 draft today as a lesson in the power of knowing your "why" and daring to write it down.
When progress feels slow or uncomfortable, it’s tempting to chase something shiny: a new diet, a new plan, a total overhaul. But what if the problem isn’t your plan? What if it’s just the part where it gets hard? In this post, I’m sharing the simple mindset trick I use to stay focused when distractions pop up, and how the same approach can help you stop starting over in your health and fitness goals.
You don’t have to wait for life to calm down to take care of your health. The people who stay consistent aren’t relying on perfect conditions. They build habits they can lean on when things get hectic. It’s not about finding more time, it’s about using the time you do have, five or ten minutes at a time, to stay connected to movement. That’s what keeps the momentum alive.
Discover the 5 stages of fitness progression—from building the habit to optimizing your routine. Learn how to stay consistent, make progress at your own pace, and create a sustainable fitness lifestyle without the pressure of perfection.
Are you someone who feels the tension between what you should do and what you want to do and hopes to make better choices and decisions to enhance your long-term health? I will cover some tangible ways to revise your thinking, environment, situation, and habits for the best chances of success. People with greater self-control are more likely to achieve their goals
What happened when I gave up alcohol for 1000 days? Spoiler alert: Everything got better.
Learn how to structure hill repeats safely, adapt workouts to your fitness level, and boost your flat running pace with Fort Worth running coach Lea Genders