Category Archives: AHA Moments

Why I Walk During My Runs & Still Call Myself a Runner!

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

Can You Still Call Yourself a Runner, If You Walk During Your Runs??

By the end of this video, you’ll be totally fine walking during your runs AND still fine calling yourself a runner! 

Walking Has a Bad Reputation… and I’m Here to Change That!

Are you considered ‘a real runner’ if you walk during your runs? For some reason, walking has a bad reputation for those who want to be ‘runners’. I’ve known people who actually stop their Garmin watches when they take walk breaks. I’ve also known people who say they label people who walk, ‘not real runners.’ But, you know what??? Excuse my french, but that’s bull%&*!!  

First of all, I’m not going to win the race, okay? So, for me, personally, it really doesn’t matter when I get to the finish line, if I have no goals to have a personal record at a race. I’m not going to win the race or get a special medal for not walking, so honestly it’s just an easy decision for me. Now, unless I’m trying to have a personal record at an event, or I am running a race for speed, which is a whole different situation. 

But honestly, who cares if I walk or if I’m running? It doesn’t matter! It doesn’t matter, so just get that out of your head right now and know that it’s totally okay to walk sometimes. Sure, I might get there a little faster if I run (lol or maybe not!), but it really doesn’t matter in the long run. Actually,  there’s a method called ‘The Galloway Method’ that is called ‘a run/walk system’ and I absolutely love that system! I do things a little bit differently, but they’re actually planned interval walks in the middle of your run, and you’ll see different types of times that you would do this. So maybe you run for 30 seconds and then you walk for 30 seconds, but they’re basically timed intervals and it’s actually a great way to do a run. I don’t personally use The Galloway Method, because I’m a Chi Runner and a Chi Walker. The way that I go about doing it is I do it strictly by body-sensing. For example, I’ll be in the middle of my run and, if I start thinking that I might want to walk, then what I might do is to go through a couple of form focuses to see if I really need to walk. Maybe I’ll slow my run down just a little bit more, but IF I decide I need to take a walk, then I’ll take a little walk break. I always say you know I stop running when I’m tired or whenever I feel like I need to stop. And then when I feel guilty from walking too long or too far, then I just start running again. In this way, I try to keep those walk breaks short, for sure, but basically, that’s how I do it.  As soon as my heart rate comes back to normal, or as soon as I maybe see the pole that I said I was going to start running again – I’ll do that sometimes… I’ll look ahead and I’ll say, “Okay. I’m going to start running again at that pole,” and so I gave myself a quick break between here and there. 

Another reason why I love putting walk breaks in the middle of my run is just because it feels good! It just feels easier on my body. Running does have a high injury rate (of course, if you’re a Chi Runner or a Chi Walker, your chances of getting injured are going to be way less 😉😁 ), so I just like to include the walking in there. 

I love walking! It feels good to walk, so why would I NOT just choose to walk a little bit in the middle of my runs?? 

Another reason why you might decide to walk (and maybe even walk MORE than running in your runs) is maybe you’re coming back from an injury. Maybe you’re starting back running again. Maybe you’re a beginner runner and it takes a while to get used to that aerobic capacity? So just go ahead and just say that you’re going to walk during your runs. It’s OK! It really is, I swear! Sometimes, planning ahead to walk for a bit really helps me look forward to that little walk that I’m gonna take, so it’s just something that’s  gonna make me feel good. I might be in the middle of my run doing intervals or whatever, and I decide to take little walk breaks. I really just gives me something to look forward to. 

Walking also changes things up a little bit, right? I’m an ultra runner, so honestly, there’s no way that I would run an entire ultra WITHOUT walking part of it! I very rarely even run 5Ks without some walking. It just depends on what works for you, but, for me, taking quick walking breaks breaks up the monotony a bit for me. 

I’m on the trail a lot, so there are definitely times during during my run where, maybe I’m going up a hill, so if I decide that it’s easier for me to Chi Hike really fast up the hill (which might even be literally faster than me running up the hill! lol), I’ll choose to do that instead. It’s definitely necessary to add walk breaks the longer you go! I find that it’s a great way for me to better manage my energy. I don’t want to get to the finish line puking and uncomfortable. I want to get to the finish line feeling super good and still having some energy left, so maybe now I can have that beer at the beer garden. 🍻🍺🍻  

Another great reason is because, when you’re walking, you’re actually building your aerobic capacity! There’s a lot of evidence that shows when you’re in that Zone 2 or Zone 1 in your aerobic capacity, you’ll actually lose more weight, since you burn more body fat that way. Now there are a lot of other things that play into that, so I’m just listing that as one potential reason. Another thing for me is that I do also just like to bring my heart rate down once in a while and walking during a run is a great way for me to do that. 

Honestly, walking just makes you a better runner. It really does! I don’t know why it has such a bad reputation and common misconception that walking is not for runners, but, hey, take it from me……

I’m an ultra runner… I’m a coach… Walking… is totally… OK. 

The Story Behind My Mascot

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

The Story Behind My Mascot

The Backstory

What in the world does a monkey have to do with running? People alike to ask me  questions about how I came up with my business ideas. So, a couple of years ago I was trying to figure out a mascot for my TRU TRIBE. This is my online community of women. We learn together, grow together and train together. I was trying to come up with something running related. There are so many animals out there in the running world that are really overdone: turtles, snails and sloths to name a few. I really just wanted something different.
One day we were hanging out after a run, surely beer was involved. 😂 We were tossing this idea around and somehow the monkey came up. I started researching what they represented and thought, this is perfect!

The Meaning

Here are some things that really resonated with me:

  • Monkeys are playful, joyful and they love to have fun. One of my taglines is “Put the fun in your run”
  • They can be silly, carefree and they’re very social. Whether we are in person or on zoom (we have members around the county!), we are socializing!
  • Monkeys help us remember not to take life too seriously. This is our philosophy with our running too. Sure we can be serious about it but we mostly do this for fun.
  • They are curious. Remember Curious George? I always encourage them to be curious and encourage them to have first time experiences. This could be their first trail run, night trail run, ultra marathon or anything that will get them out of their comfort zone.
  • Monkeys form strong bonds. While our community is about running, it’s really about connecting with other like minded women. We do this in person and online!
  • They are wise! Remember Raffiki from The Lion King? We learn together, train together and grow together to be the best runners/humans we can be.

This is us!

The History

But wait, there’s more! LOL My nickname in high school was Monkey. My best friend RJ gave it to me at the time. I don’t really remember why but it was one more good reason!
Monkeys also seem to like me. I remember vividly being at a zoo in Italy with my family when I was younger and as soon as I got to the, they started getting all crazy. Like I was one of them and why I was out of the cage? 😂

The Reveal

Finally……DRUMROLL please 🥁 …..(sounds effects are much better in the video!)

and here she is:

If you are interested in checking us out, click here and you may win 3 Free Months with us!

2022 Goals & Midyear Review

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

9/2 update August

If you’ve been in my circle for awhile, you know I started this practice a few years ago after reading Atomic Habits. James Clear, the author, does this annually and he inspired me to do the same.  This is my annual “performance” review based on goals that I set for myself at the beginning of 2021 as well as my 2022 goals.

James mentions in his last annual review that’s it’s uncomfortable to “brag” about himself and his business and to be so vulnerable by sharing some uncomfortable information.  I agree but I figure it’s part of my personal growth process and if it inspires others to do the same, then great!  So here it goes!

2022 Goals 
I realized I set way too many goals for myself last year, mainly because I turned 50 so this year I’m scaling back:
    • Start Video Academy Strategy Course live on 2/28/22 and relaunch my You Tube by 8/22 started on 3/2
      • Midyear Review: started dropping videos on 4/4/22 and I’ve released a new video every week since (missed one the week of TransRockies and I’m OK with it)
    • Online Digital Course Bootcamp with Amy Porterfield 9/1
    • Create at least 3 different opt ins for my newsletter by 8/22. When I changed platforms last year, I couldn’t use the same one so I haven’t had one for awhile. These may include ebooks and/or quizzes. As of 6/5, created Monthly Raffle for Video Analysis and TRU TRIBE 3 months free
      • Midyear Review: High on my 3rd Q To Do list
    • Delve in deeper to the Membership Academy. There is a lot of content for membership owners.
      • Midyear review: I’ve used to find specific things I need
    • Continue making the TRU TRIBE my priority. I already have guest speakers lined up through June. I will continue creating good content and courses for them. Not sure yet if I’ll have any goals for increasing membership this year. My ultimate goal (no deadline yet) is to make this 80% of my income. I am taking my time. I am on the Mighty Network Product Council and we looked at my Insights a few weeks ago. Happy to report that they said I have one of the most engaged memberships they’ve seen!
      • Midyear review: working on 2nd half of the year. Will be rolling out the new TRU TRIBE Plus which will replace the Ladies Training Programs.
    • Get efficient at having a monthly and quarterly Content Calendars for both of my businesses for social media and the online communities. I’m getting better at weekly scheduling. My goal is to have this nailed down by 5/22
      • Midyear review: getting better but still not as streamlined as I’d like it to be
    • Deliver 5 speeches in my Toastmaster club by the end of the year
      • Midyear review:
        • 1st one completed 4/7: 20-25 minutes Online Webinar. 2nd one scheduled for 7/21
        • as of 9/2 I’ve done 2
    • Copy this blog post and update it monthly
      • Midyear review: been on top of it
    • Spend more focused time with family:
      • Greg: Monthly Day Date on calendar
        • Midyear review: not as formalized yet. Added to our morning routine though
      • Mom and Dad: see them at least 1x a week
        • Midyear review: have been pretty good with this
    • Meditate daily
      • Since 7/18 (when I started with Insight Timer app), I’ve hit a milestone of 1,000 days with a session in 5/22
      • Reports don’t show midyear but I had 324 sessions in the last 12 months which is 162 for 6 months. Close enough.
    • No running goals this year! I am recovering from an injury and have decided this year I need to spend more time on my businesses (I don’t mention that much here but the ChiRunning business takes up a lot of my time too!). I do have an ultimate goal to do the Cocodona 250 but that will be on the 3-5 year plan. This year I’ll focus on strength training and technique (always!) and then I’ll get back to longer distances in 2023. As of 6/5 I’ve kicked off my 8 week training for TRR to get to 50 miles a week.
      • Midyear review: on track
    • Strength train/Mobility work at least 2x a week with a stretch goal of 3x (starting 3/1 since I’m writing this on 2/25). Need to schedule on calendar for accountability.
      • Midyear review: Been doing it more but not as consistent as I’d like to be yet

 

2022 Personal and Professional Review
  • Running:
    • Live Races:
    • Races Virtual:
    • Random:
  • Travel:
    • February: Rocky Point for my Birthday weekend
    • March: Crown King to support my TRU TRIBE
    • April: Ladies Training Program weekend in Prescott for Whiskey Basin race
    • June: LTP weekend in Flagstaff; Trip to Portland
    • July: LTP in Silverton CO
    • August: Buena Vista to Beaver Creek: TransRockies; Rocky Point with Greg
  • The Running University 
    • Certified ChiRunners/ChiWalkers :
      • Privates: 11+9 new CR/CW, 6 ChiRefreshers with Alumni
      • CRCW workshops:
        • Jan 30 (11)
        • 5/21 (9 mine only)
        • 9/3 – 15 mine
      • Free Clinics:
        • Aravaipa (1st Wed of Jan)
        • 2/27 Sole Sports Tempe with Dr. Emily
        • 3/10 Sole Sports Arcadia for Tri for the Cure packet pickup
        • 3/18 Strive PT
        • 8/24 Sole Sports Tempe
    • TRU TRIBE

2022 Vision Board

My 2022 Vision Board is to the left of me in my office space so I see it constantly.
My phrase of the year is: Embrace My Space. By space I mean: physical, emotional, spiritual, mental…I want to be better about setting boundaries and taking care of me. You can see that a lot of the right side of my vision board is about that. I need to keep working smarter not harder and keep streamlining some of my processes and keep things simple. The top left is about our home space. We’ve been in a one bedroom apartment in Tempe (love the location and we are minimalists so the space works too). Not sure what we will do this year with the economy the way it is but I want to keep a good home space for 2022 which could also mean staying put where we are (I just want my honey to have a good garden space though!). The bottom left is all about my summer plans! I’ll be volunteering at TransRockies (summer camp!) again this year with my besties! Excited to say that we are Dawn Patrol which means taking care of the Back of the Pack group! Last but not least the bottom middle is about spending more time meal planning and cooking. Because of my work load I tend to resort to quick fixes (still mostly healthy ones) but I’d like to make more time for planning and preparing food. Also a good way to spend quality time with Greg 🥰

If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read through it! 🥰 This is a time consuming process but well worth it!

What do you do with your arms?!

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni
Not too many people talk about arms when discussing running. The assumption is that running is all about your legs. This couldn’t be further than the truth. In ChiRunning we learn the importance of using all of our body to maximize running efficiency.
𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧?
The more energy you use unnecessarily, the harder you are making it for yourself.
 
𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥:
⭐ Make running easier when you are doing it
⭐ Help you recover quicker so you can do it more often
⭐ Help you get faster
⭐ Help you go longer
In this video I share a few tips that will help you use your arms so you can be more efficient.
 
𝙎𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜?

ChiRunners VS Runners: What’s the difference?

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

Why are ChiRunners different than other runners?

Since I’m the Community Manager of our Online ChiRunning/ChiWalking Community which is all ChiRunners and ChiWalkers, I definitely see that we have a different mindset than most other runners. Add that to reading some of these posts in running facebook groups and sometimes I can’t help but cringe at some of the questions and advice given there!

Then I remembered that Danny Dreyer, the founder of ChiRunning, had addressed this in the ChiMarathon book.  Here is what he shared on page 11:

The difference between ChiRunners and Runners

In this video I combine a few and add my own spin to them but here it is in a nutshell:

  1. Mind WITH body, not mind OVER body: we don’t push through pain. We are our own body detectives. If we feel pain while running, our body talks to our mind, we reach into our toolbox to figure out why that pain may be happening, and then make adjustments in our technique to help the pain go away. You learn how to listen to your body and body sense.
  2. Intelligent movement vs physical exertion: our goal is to maximize running economy. Yes we do hill repeats, speed workouts etc. But we have a different spin: we try to figure how we can “push” our bodies but without increasing physical effort. How can the movement be more efficient? How can we maximize gravity, balance and relaxation vs powering through?
  3. Conserve energy vs burning it: as mentioned in the last one, this is a priority. Instead of pushing through to go faster or longer, we listen to our bodies, take into account external and internal factors and work from there.
  4. Core strength vs leg strength: we prefer not to use our legs for propulsion. This is a good way to get injured as well as wasting a lot of unnecessary energy. Most runners use their legs to propel forward. We use good postural alignment, which requires core strength, and gravity to help us move forward. When your legs aren’t working so hard, you’re less likely to hurt yourself and running is more effortless because you are not using all the muscle to push you through.
  5. Learn and listen TO our bodies, we don’t test or push: our bodies have the answers. Too many times people push through pain hoping it will go away or they will get over it. I’ve had too many people come to my ChiRunning workshops who have said, “I wish I knew this information before my {insert injury issue/surgery here}. If you are in pain, your body is telling you something. Ignoring it can possibly make it worse.

Who wants to be sidelined with another running injury? Not us!

Who wants running to be exhausting and hard? Not us!

Who wants to feel like crap right after a race or the next day? Not us!

Who wants to keep running in a way that your likelihood of injury is so much lower, where running can be easier and you can have a joyful, sustainable running practice for the rest of your life? That’s us!

Click here to win a free online gait analysis of your running form

To find out more about running technique visit ChiRunning

Is Sitting Really The New Smoking?

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni
They say sitting is the new smoking. What we do with our bodies all day effects us when we are walking and running.⁠
⁠
In my latest video, I give you a quick tip on how you can maximize the time you spend sitting on your butt all day in under 2 minutes.

When you first start lifting from the crown of your head, make sure you do this for small periods of time. You are working out your core muscles with this practice so you want to do it gradually. I recommend setting a phone reminder or alarm every hour to mindfully practice this for a minute or two to get used to it.

Bonus Tip: I work on this while I’m sitting in my car as well. I lift my rear view mirror up a little higher to keep my spine lengthened. I bring the back of the chair a little closer so I do allow the seat to help me but I’m still doing the work just with a bit of assistance.

There you have it! I am just relaunching my You Tube channel so head over to subscribe because I’ll be dropping a new video every week!

Let me know if you try these tips and they work for you!

3 RIDICULOUSLY EASY TIPS to Start Running!

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

Do you want to start running? Not sure where to start?

Or have you tried it a few times and given up because maybe “running is not for me”?

Even if you’re not a beginner runner, these tips will help make your running more enjoyable. Here are 3 quick running tips for you as a Beginner Beginner Runner™:

Always make sure to check with your Doctor before starting physical activity.

  1. Running is not just a physical sport. Mindset and mental training go hand in hand with being a runner. We are our own worst enemies when it comes to this though. It’s easy to compare ourselves to what other runners might be doing, we may judge ourselves thinking we are too overweight or too old. Running has a bad reputation and many people get into the “no pain no gain” mindset…..which isn’t how it should be! Running should be fun! If you like it too hurt and that’s part of your running story than I’m probably not the right person to be following. If you want to learn to enjoy running, the first thing you have to do is forget about all the negative things you’ve heard about running. You are writing your own running story! If you tried it and it’s still hard then maybe my next two tips will help you too!
  2. Learning how to run can make or break your experience not only as a beginner runner but all runners. Putting one foot in front of the other sounds logical but there wouldn’t be a 65% annual injury rate for runners. Of course I am biased to ChiRunning but I always encourage all my runners to investigate different options because at the end of the day, our bodies are all different. In the video above, I share a form tip that will make a difference!
  3. Get a coach! I think newbie runners assume that coaches are for elite athletes…this couldn’t be further than the truth! Just because people run, doesn’t mean they have all the answers. I’ve seen the worst advice given in facebook groups. I don’t care if it’s me or not, but find yourself a coach that can show you the ropes and help make the experience so much more enjoyable. Here is link to a blog I wrote about finding a running coach.

There you have it! I am just relaunching my You Tube channel so head over to subscribe because I’ll be dropping a new video every week!

Let me know if you try these tips and they work for you!

My Running Story

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni
Write your own running story!
This is my biggest message to my runners! Running is such a great sport but gets a bad rap because many people hurt themselves when they try it (I help you fix that by learning proper technique). Add insult to injury (pun intended) one of the first things people ask you about when you tell them you are a runner, always has something to do with speed. By nature, you start comparing yourself to everyone else….and down the rabbit hole you go. One of the things I preach in my TRU TRIBE is to not compare themselves to any other runner because everyone has their own story….just like they have theirs.
Learning to get over this as a runner, gives you more confidence in your ability to do this in other areas of your life!

Since yesterday was  National Write Your Story Day, I thought I’d share mine!

  • ⁠1st 5K in Italy in 6th grade? My parents were both runners. My Mommy placed in the top 3 women a lot⁠

Young me running!

  • Started running as an adult in 2006, mid 30s. Learned Pose Method but my life was changed when I was introduced to @ChiRunning⁠
  • 1st half marathon: Rock N Roll Pf Changs on 1/14/07⁠
  • 1st 5K as an adult was Iron Girl on 3/25/2007⁠
  • Certified ChiRunning/ChiWalking (CRCW) Instructor in 2010⁠

    • Hanging with Danny, our founder
  • 1st trail race was @AravaipaRunning 25K at Pass Mountain on 11/19/11 ⁠
  • 1st 10K (?) at Whiskey Row on 5/14/11 ⁠
  • 1st marathon was the Lost Dutchman on my 41st birthday 2/19/12⁠
  • Upleveled to CRCW Senior Instructor on 12/1/12⁠
  • Became the RFB Organizer in Tempe on 5/7/13⁠
  • First out of state trail run was the Chippewa Creek Trail Challenge in OH 8/7/13⁠
  • 1st 50K at Elephant Mountain on 2/22/14⁠

  • Finish line pic with my #1 supporter!

  • The Running University was founded on 2/27/14⁠
  • 1st night run at Adrenaline on 6/14/14⁠
  • 1st running injury: Plantar Fasciitis. An overuse injury that came from moving to Altra Running shoes and not giving my body enough time to get used to them. ⁠
  • 1st timed event: 7/12/14 with Solemates CYA (Cool Your Ass) 6 hours⁠
  • 1st Ragnar Relay Race in 11/14
  • Upleveled to CRCW Master Instructor on 11/11/14⁠
  • 1st 50 Miler at Antelope Canyon on 2/20/16⁠
  • 1st 100K at Black Canyon on 2/17/18⁠

  • CRCW Instructor of the Year in 11/18 (first one given by the company)⁠
  • 1st Double Down at Blackout/Big Pine on 6/8/19⁠
  • Became one of the CRCW company owners along with 3 fellow Master Instructors in May of 2020⁠
  • 1st Night 50K/ultra at Javelina Jangover on 9/25/21⁠
  • 1st Stage Race at @transrockiesrunning in 8/21⁠
  • 1st 100 miler at Across The Years on 1/1/22⁠
  • Second ever running injury now from the aftermath of not training enough for the 100 miler ⁠
  • Most miles logged in a year: 1904.10 miles⁠ in 2021⁠

⁠Thanks to Athlinks and Ultrasignup for making it easier to find most of this information!

While these are the major milestones of my running story, I’ve learned and grown so much because of this sport! I’m blessed that I get to coach others do the same!

2021 Annual Review & 2022 Goals

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

If you’ve been in my circle for awhile, you know I started this practice a few years ago after reading Atomic Habits. James Clear, the author, does this annually and he inspired me to do the same.  This is my annual “performance” review based on goals that I set for myself at the beginning of 2021 as well as my 2022 goals.

James mentions in his last annual review that’s it’s uncomfortable to “brag” about himself and his business and to be so vulnerable by sharing some uncomfortable information.  I agree but I figure it’s part of my personal growth process and if it inspires others to do the same, then great!  So here it goes!

2021 Learning Lessons

Before I get into my learning lessons (because I am a sucker for constructive feedback and I was mainly focusing on that until I proofread this), I had a pretty darn epic 50th birthday year! From running distances I never thought possible to finally raising $1M with my Las Bombas 3-Day Team, I’m living my dash!

My biggest learning lesson last year was that I set too many goals in my personal and professional life. I quickly realized that many of those goals would not get accomplished. The biggest reason for this is that I underestimated the amount of training that I had ahead of me. I continuously reevaluated my work load and since it was my 50th birthday year, my running goals were non negotiable. I wanted to make sure I completed those running events as my top priority because you only turn 50 once!

The other big lesson I learned was that even though I love what I do so much, I can still burn out if I’m not taking the time to take care of me. I took it for granted and assumed that my running time could still be down time but it wasn’t enough. Between my mental state at Ragnar and my body shutting down on me at the Breast Cancer 3-Day event in San Diego, I knew I had to make some changes.

I made some changes already because of these epiphanies. I cut my group runs in half and I raised some of my prices (which I haven’t done in awhile).

It’s funny because I didn’t start my business to become a millionaire . Of course I need to pay my bills but the reasons I started my business were to change peoples’ lives and have a flexible schedule. Money has never been a motivator for me. As a matter of fact, my life mission is: “Do the things I love to do, with the people I love to do them with, whenever I want.” Whenever I want, implies needing money but I’m happy to say that I am fulfilling my mission just fine without being rich!  So when I had the aha moments above, I thought “Why am I trying to do so much when I really don’t “need” the money”.  I’m not raking it in but I’m happy as a clam with what I have now.

Now I have to remind myself of this as I move forward in 2022. I set my 2022 goals at the bottom of this post along with my phrase of the year and my vision board.

I’m excited to see how 2022 will unfold!

2021 Personal and Professional Review
  • Running:
    • Zero Injuries
    • Races:
      • Coldwater 52K in January: PRd by 50:56 minutes!
      • Black Canyon 100K on 2/13: PRd by 24:33. My goal was to PR by 1 hour which I may have been able to do if I had crew but I wasn’t allowed to have one due to COVID. Still happy with a 24 minute PR!
      • Mesquite Canyon 3/6: Half Marathon
      • Sinister 9K: placed 3rd female in the 50-59 age group
      • Adrenaline 25K on 5/22
      • Blackout 6K & Big Pine 13K on 6/11-12
      • 5 K Knight Race Series: 5/21, 6/18, 7/23
      • TransRockies Run! Bucket list item complete! 8/2-8/7: 120 miles over 6 days in 8K+ of altitude with 20K feet of elevation gain!
      • HotFoot Hamster: 12 hours: 32.9 miles
      • Jerome Hill Climb: annual tradition
      • Javelina Jangover 50K: First Night Trail 50K: 8:49:32
      • Jackass Night Trail Runs: 5:31:34
      • Ragnar Trail:done
      • Breast Cancer 3-Day: I got sick half way through the event but our team reached our $1 Million goal!  It took us 16 years but we finally did it!
      • December: First 100 miler at ATY on 12/30-12/31 (this will go into 2022 since it ended in this year)
    • Races Virtual:
      • Still I Run 5K: Running for Mental Health awareness
      • Girls On The Run 5K
      • Cocodona Virtual Experience-I knew going into it that I wouldn’t do 250 miles in 5 weeks but I wanted to be part of the first inaugural event somehow
      • Hashke Virtual Race
      • Javelina Jallucinations
    • Random:
      • On 5/7 I got to pace my friend Andre Lee for 17 miles during his Cocodona 250 mile race!
  • Travel:
    • April: Prescott for Whiskey Basin Race
    • June: Flagstaff for Blackout/Big Pine
    • July: Silverton/Kendall Mountain races, Boston to see a friend, VT to meet with my ChiLiving business partners, MA to see family
    • August: CO for TransRockies race
    • September: Jerome Hill Climb
    • October: 2 week trip back east: Boston>Omega Retreat>Pittsfield
    • November: San Diego for the Susan G Komen 3-Day

Professional

    • Copy this blog and update date it monthly starting February. 2/5/21 Done
    • Meditate daily: I should’ve got this number at the beginning of the year because it only gives me the last 12 months and it’s from 3/1. I complete 298 meditations with a daily average of 1.13. If you know me, this daily practice has been a game changer for me!
    • Toastmasters: Goal: 5 Speeches
      • 1 of 5 speeches on 6/24
      • High Performance Leadership Guidance Committee member for Xin Yin
    • The Membership Academy:
      • Set up a road map in the Membership Academy so I can get get clear on my TRU TRIBE goals and be accountable. Did not complete
    • Courses:
      • 2/28 Video Strategy Academy Course (Trena Little):
        • Increase my presence on Instagram and You Tube.  I don’t have goal numbers on this yet but hope to have them as I review this blog monthly. Goal is to re launch You Tube channel in August. Postponed to 2022
      • 6/9 List Builder Society Course (Amy Porterfield) – used info to work on my new newsletter platform
    • Change my newsletter platform-Started with Flodesk on 3/21 and transitioning on 5/17 (day Fitpro expires). Done on 5/17/21 
    • First kayak trip on Salt River for Sylvia’s birthday
    • Co-led my first ChiRunning/ChiWalking retreat at Omega Institute with my business partner Sarah Richardson
    • Met with Eric Deeter: ChiRunning Instructor in Training

Personal

    • Spend more focused time with family:
      • Greg: Monthly Day Date on calendar- better than 2021 but still not a regular practice
      • Mom and Dad: see them at least 1x a week. Started seeing them on Wednesdays once we all got vaccinated. Didn’t track but definitely making this a high priority and have been sticking to it as much as possible.
    • Create 2021 Vision Board on 2/7/21  Word of the Year: Ignite Done
    • Read 7 pages a day (I always say I want to read more but I don’t make it a priority. Following the idea of making it a daily habit rather than worrying about quantity of books). Finished 3 books
      • February: Finished Depression Hates A Moving Target
      • March: Grit & Grace by Tim McGraw
      • April: Let your Mind Run by Deena Kastor
    • Schedule a regular health check up, mammogram and other tests to be done at 50-Done!
  • The Running University 
    • Certified ChiRunners/ChiWalkers :
      • Privates: 11 new CR/CW, 4 ChiRefreshers with Alumni
      • CRCW workshops:
        • 10 graduates on 5/29
        • 9 graduates on 10/30
    • TRU TRIBE
      • Members: 81 (as of 2/21/22)
        • TRU TRIBE Team: Double membership by 12/31/21 to 132.  I was at 66 when I set this goal. In the 3rd quarter I decided I was happy with where I was. I finished the year with 76 members.
      • Guest Speakers:
        • January: Melissa Higdon Fit Focus Me: Building Healthy Habits Through Daily Reminders
        • April: Amy Burnett: Snakes on a Trail!
        • May: Robin Howell: Thoughts and Emotions
        • June: Jacqui Lombari: Hormones & Exercise Performance
        • July: Meg Coon: Goal Setting for Balance & Joy
        • July: Toni B: Intro to Yoga Nidra
        • September: Jacqui Lombari: Hydration & Electrolytes
        • October- Jenn Tarrant: Practical Strategies for Dealing With Grief
        • December- Celebrate with Chi with Sarah Chesterfield
      • Courses/Challenges rolled out:
        • Our Favorite Things: Big list of all of our favorite things from favorite kitchen utensil to favorite running socks
        • Spring Cleaning Challenge: Getting rid of one thing every day of the month
        • How to Pace Your Run: Learn why pacing is important, how to apply it to your training and your race.
        • Step Up Your Cadence in 30 Days: Course with specific drills and homework assignments to improve running cadence
        • Curiosity Challenge : a combination of having new experiences like trying a new recipe, workout and a scavenger hunt of finding the awesome features in Mighty Networks (platform for the TRU TRIBE)
      • Monthly Themes:
        • January: Habits/Goal Setting
        • February: ME!
        • March: Spring Cleaning
        • April: Grounding
        • May: Mental Health Awareness
        • June: New Experiences
        • July: Rest & Recover
        • August: Focus
        • September: Self Care Awareness Month
        • October: Emotional Wellness Month
        • November: Gratitude
        • December: Celebrate!
      • Ladies Training Programs (LTPs):
        • Spring Semester 2021
          • Havasu Half
            • 10 women
          • Dam Good Run
            • 8 women:
              • Two: 1st trail race (one of them is 67 years old!)
          • Whiskey Basin
            • 9 women
              • One: 1st trail race
              • One PR
          • Big Pine
            • 12 women
          • Silverton/Kendall Mountain
            • 6 women
        • Fall Semester 2021
          • 30 people total
          • Jackass Night Trail Runs: 8 total
            • 3 did their longest night trail race
            • 2 did their longest trail race and first night trail race
            • 1 DNF
          • Frenzy: 17 total
          • Goal: at least 10 new ultra runners. Actual: 5
            • 7 did their longest distance
            • 1 did her first trail race
            • 5 did their first 50K (and became ultra runners!)
            • 5 of the 8 50K finishers are over 60 years old! (First one for 3 of them!)
2022 Goals 
I realized I set way too many goals for myself last year, mainly because I turned 50 so this year I’m scaling back:
    • Start Video Academy Strategy Course live on 2/28/22 and relaunch my You Tube by 8/22.
    • Create at least 3 different opt ins for my newsletter by 8/22. When I changed platforms last year, I couldn’t use the same one so I haven’t had one for awhile. These may include ebooks and/or quizzes.
    • Delve in deeper to the Membership Academy. There is a lot of content for membership owners.
    • Continue making the TRU TRIBE my priority. I already have guest speakers lined up through June. I will continue creating good content and courses for them. Not sure yet if I’ll have any goals for increasing membership this year. My ultimate goal (no deadline yet) is to make this 80% of my income. I am taking my time. I am on the Mighty Network Product Council and we looked at my Insights a few weeks ago. Happy to report that they said I have one of the most engaged memberships they’ve seen!
    • Get efficient at having a monthly and quarterly Content Calendars for both of my businesses for social media and the online communities. I’m getting better at weekly scheduling. My goal is to have this nailed down by 5/22
    • Deliver 5 speeches in my Toastmaster club by the end of the year
    • Copy this blog post and update it monthly
    • Spend more focused time with family:
      • Greg: Monthly Day Date on calendar
      • Mom and Dad: see them at least 1x a week
    • Meditate daily
    • No running goals this year! I am recovering from an injury and have decided this year I need to spend more time on my businesses (I don’t mention that much here but the ChiRunning business takes up a lot of my time too!). I do have an ultimate goal to do the Cocodona 250 but that will be on the 3-5 year plan. This year I’ll focus on strength training and technique (always!) and then I’ll get back to longer distances in 2023.
    • Strength train/Mobility work at least 2x a week with a stretch goal of 3x (starting 3/1 since I’m writing this on 2/25)

2022 Vision Board

My 2022 Vision Board is to the left of me in my office space so I see it constantly.
My phrase of the year is: Embrace My Space. By space I mean: physical, emotional, spiritual, mental…I want to be better about setting boundaries and taking care of me. You can see that a lot of the right side of my vision board is about that. I need to keep working smarter not harder and keep streamlining some of my processes and keep things simple. The top left is about our home space. We’ve been in a one bedroom apartment in Tempe (love the location and we are minimalists so the space works too). Not sure what we will do this year with the economy the way it is but I want to keep a good home space for 2022 which could also mean staying put where we are (I just want my honey to have a good garden space though!). The bottom left is all about my summer plans! I’ll be volunteering at TransRockies (summer camp!) again this year with my besties! Excited to say that we are Dawn Patrol which means taking care of the Back of the Pack group! Last but not least the bottom middle is about spending more time meal planning and cooking. Because of my work load I tend to resort to quick fixes (still mostly healthy ones) but I’d like to make more time for planning and preparing food. Also a good way to spend quality time with Greg 🥰

If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read through it! 🥰 This is a time consuming process but well worth it!

TransRockies Run: View from the Back of the Pack

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

PINCH ME!
It’s been a week since I crossed the Stage 6 finish line and I still can’t believe I finally did it!

Finish line Stage 6!

What is the TransRockies run?
120 miles in 6 days, in over 8K+ feet of elevation with
20K+ feet of elevation gain!

“The route of the Run will take place at elevations between 7,400 and 12,600 feet above sea level. Based on the preliminary route proposal (subject to change and approval by the U.S. Forest Service), the percent of distance at various elevations is as follows:

  • 7,000′ to 8,000′ – 3%

  • 8,000′ to 9,000′ – 31%

  • 9,000′ to 10,000′ – 28%

  • 10,000′ to 11,000′ – 27%

  • 11,000′ to 12,000′ – 10%

  • 12,000′ to 13,000′ – 1%”

Here is the 6 day course!

This was one of the most epic and memorable experiences of my life!

Although I had it on my bucket list for years, it wasn’t until February of 2019 when it started becoming a reality. It was definitely out of my budget (totally worth every single penny!). My friend Joan sent me an email asking if I knew anything about this race. They needed volunteers for 6 days. I was beside myself as I would be able to get race credits for volunteering and finally do the race!  I wrote about my volunteer experience here. We were supposed to do the race in 2020 but….
COVID. 🙄
2020 came and went and it finally got approved for 2021!  It was finally happening! 😊

The AZ Girls (as Houda, the race director, nicknamed us while volunteering), started training in early April. We followed a plan that was recommended in the TransRockies Facebook Group. As you might imagine, the training was not easy. It was a decent amount of mileage but we also had to do it in the heat. Not only because we didn’t have a choice with our AZ summer but also because they recommend heat training to replace elevation if you don’t have it available.

Because this was a 6 day stage race, there are too many things to share and I don’t want this blog to be a bazillion words. I am recapping here. I plan on writing a blog series which will include a recap of each stage of the race over the next 6 weeks (hopefully! 🤞).

What went well….

I can’t believe how great I felt overall over the 6 days. We averaged 20 miles a day with some days being harder than other depending on the elevation gain and elevation we were in.  I attribute feeling great to:

  • ChiRunning/ChiWalking: Technique is always one of the biggest factors that contribute to MY running success. I am pretty sure I power hiked over 50% of the race due to the elevation gain but technique was always at my forefront. Not only does it make it easier to move when you are in proper form but your recovery time is less because you are moving more efficiently. I only took 4 Advil during the entire week. One of them was for a headache and 2 of them were on the last day when I could feel a twinge in my left knee (more on that below)
  • Training: This is not a race you can get by without training. We found a training plan and I was able to complete 86% of the mileage in the plan. Ideally this would be higher but happy that I was able to get this in considering my crazy schedule lately.
  • Poles: I’ve always thought of getting running poles but never did. They were recommended for this race so I finally got some and trained with them. These were a game changer. Poles definitely helped with efficiency. I also had some great technique aha moments with them. I can’t help it, I geek out on technique. 🤣 I didn’t have a great way to store them when I didn’t need them. I held them horizontally (still full length) and kept my arms at a 90 degree angle as I swung my elbows back. I couldn’t rotate my upper body (waste of energy and a lot of people do this) so my arms actually swung freely from my shoulders while staying stable. The length of the poles must’ve assisted in balancing my movement because I could really feel my pelvic rotation happening. This was fantastic for some fast ChiWalking but even more effective when running down hills.  I was flying! I used the Black Diamond DISTANCE FLZ TREKKING POLES – WOMEN’S.
  • Elevated Legs:  They were one of the race sponsors. I did some stretching in the evening but on I decided to use these on Day 3-5. I did 10 min on Day 3, 20 min on Day 4 and 30 min on Day 5. The idea is that the compression increases blood flow and helps to clear fatigue causing metabolites and reduce inflammation.
  • My Why?: I always have my athletes write down their Why? when they start training for an event. It’s important to know why you want to do something. It must be a strong Why too…..one that will help you get motivated when the going gets tough.  I had 2 major Whys. Both of these motivated me to complete that 86% of my training plan (I am sure it would’ve been a lower percentage) and also helped me through some rough spots while on the course:
    1. I wanted to see 120 miles of trails I’ve never been on before!
    2. I wanted to push outside my comfort zone. The longest I’ve ever done is 100K in one day but I’ve never done this much mileage at this high of elevation in this amount of time.
  • Altra Running Shoes: I am an ambassador and these are the only shoes I wear for all my running. I brought the Timps 3 (first time using this model and loved them!) and the Lone Peaks 5 (a regular shoe for trails). I love everything about my Altra shoes.
  • Daily strategy: I was not in a hurry to get through the day!  I had no to do list other than get the mileage done every day! It took me 46 hours, 18 minutes and 31 seconds. I came in 9th to last....and I don’t care! My plan was to enjoy all those miles of trails that I’ve never been on. I probably ChiWalked/Hiked 50% of the run (note it’s called the TransRockies Run and not Race. Although it is a race, they are strategic with that title). I have no interest in racing. As a matter of fact, 4 of the 6 days, I did Dawn Patrol. This was created for people (thank to Mirna the Mirnavator) who wanted some extra time. I was able to start earlier and not worry about the daily cutoff. I ran on flats and the downhills and ChiWalked the hills. I just wanted to enjoy this different nature landscape and I wasn’t in a hurry to get through it.

What I could’ve done better…

While I am very happy with how the week went because I felt so good, there is always room for improvement:

  • Specific Training: While I followed the mileage on the plan, and did a decent amount of hill training, I could’ve done a better job doing steeper hills (up and down).  On Day 5 I felt a slight twinge in my left knee. I am great at body sensing (we teach this in ChiRunning) and I knew exactly what it was. It was overuse of the steep downhill technique. Even though I had my poles and ChiRunning to help me, I didn’t do enough of this movement in my training so I wasn’t used to all of it. While I wasn’t able to get it to go away, I was able to alleviate it by focusing on my alignment, increasing my cadence and focusing on pelvic rotation. The training also called for Stairs. I did the elliptical a handful of times but could’ve used more hill work and stairs.
  • Strength Training: This is one of my weaknesses even though I am a personal trainer. I did more than usual but more wouldn’t hurt.
  • Camping Prep/Weather: Part of the race is camping out for all 5 nights (there is a hotel package option as well). While I enjoy camping, this added a level of difficulty.  It really wasn’t necessarily the camping but the weather during the 1st  few days. I managed to keep my stuff mostly dry but the grass was wet and cold. I didn’t sleep as well as I would’ve liked and waking up in the middle of the night to use the porta potties when the ground is wet and cold is no fun. But I sucked it all up because I was living my dash! 
  • Be more social? One of the things I love most in life (and about TransRockies) is community. I am an extrovert in general and I LOVE people. I got to see a lot of people I met in 2019 as well as meet some new friends. I used a question mark because this was fairly strategic for me too. I love running but it’s also what I do a for a living. I love cheering on my athletes and helping them celebrate finish lines they never thought possible. I issue a lot of energy with my job and this was my time to renew before my Fall programs started. This race was all about me and for me. I was in a much more self reflective mode during this week…I couldn’t believe it was finally happening. While I spent several miles with friends, I spent many miles alone. I didn’t listen to any music and tried to be  “in the moment” as much possible. These were some of my most enjoyable moments during the race.

Bottom line

This event helped me realize that I can do anything I put my mind to. I can’t even explain how driven I was every day to get out there and enjoy 7ish hours of new trails, even with bad weather! It was almost like I was in a weird trance.

This race strengthened my love for trails and endurance running. It’s one of the best well run events that I’ve been part of (as a volunteer and runner).  Huge props and thanks to the TransRockies team!  Kevin “Houda”, the Race Director, is one of the best leaders and coolest humans I know! Also a HUGE thanks to all the volunteers!

So the big question is……..  Will I do it again?  🤔

It’s honestly too early for me to say. 2022 is the 15th Anniversary and it’s already sold out!  I could still volunteer? I can’t really make any commitments right now but I am pretty sure that this year was not the last time I’ll be there…whether it’s as a volunteer or a runner, who knows but I am sure I’ll be back!

I am recapping my TransRockies Run Experience (titles are clickable links):
Behind the Scenes: TransRockies Run Volunteer Gig (2019)
TransRockies Run: View from the Back of the Pack (Recap)
TransRockies 2021: Stage 0 & 1 Shenanigans 
TransRockies Run Stage 2: Iconic Hope Pass!
TransRockies Run Stage 3: My favorite? 🤷🏽‍♀️
TransRockies Run Stage 4: Just Keep Swimming….
TransRockies Run Stage 5: One More Day 😥😁
TransRockies Run Stage 6: I did it! 🎉🍾

Stage 3: Leadville to Nova Guides (maybe my favorite stage? so hard to pick!)