Category Archives: Beginner Runner

READY FOR LP REVIEW – Who Is The Best Beginner Runner? It’s NOT Who You Think!

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

So, Who Is Really The Best Beginner Runner? It Might NOT Be Who You’d Think!

ARE 20 YEAR OLDS BETTER AT BEGINNING RUNNING?

Have you always had the desire to become a runner, but you’re 50+ and you think there’s no way that that’s probably going to happen? Well, think again! haha I call BS on that!

I think I’m pretty much an expert on this topic, not because of me my personal experience. I started running in my late 30s, just so you know, and that’s not that old! I hate to even use the word ‘old’.

If I think about it, I know that 20-year-olds sound like they’d be ‘the perfect beginner runner,’ right? Because they’re young, they’re fresh, and they can do pretty much whatever they want with their bodies. But that’s one of the reasons I think they’re not the best.

ARE 50+ YEAR OLDS BETTER AT BEGINNING RUNNING?

So let me tell you some of the reasons why I think a 50+ year old (woman, especially) is perfect to become a beginner runner. I’m a running coach – and again, I started a little later in my life, not quite in my 50s, but close – and the people I coach are mostly 50+.  As a matter of fact, I had one of my runners, who is now 64, do her first 100K last month! (A 100K is 62 miles, btw!) Now, okay, that’s a little bit out of control in the sense that, if you’ve never even thought about running, I know that sounds crazy to you! But that’s what happens when you actually get into a community of women who help support you and want you to do whatever you want and whatever feels good for you.
So let me tell you why I think again that we 50+ women are the best candidates to become beginner runners.

ASKING FOR HELP

First of all, we’re generally not afraid to ask for help. I teach ChiRunning – a running technique I think is a hugely beneficial skill for anybody starting to run, but especially as we get older! Learning technique is huge.In my ChiRunning workshops, I’d guess about 80 percent of the people who show up are women mainly 50+. I’ll get a couple of younger women, or maybe even a couple of guys, but I think as women in this age group, we’re just not afraid to ask for help. By the time you reach this age, if you need some help you’re going to look and you’re going to try to figure out the best way to find it.

MORE SELF-AWARE OF OUR BODIES AND PAIN

Another important thing is that we’re more aware of our bodies as they are aging. We want to make sure that we’re doing things the right way to avoid injury.

In my workshops you’ll learn how to run and get technique tips that will make your running easier and more efficient. As opposed to somebody who’s younger – and even though I’m stereotyping here – stereotypes are there for a reason. You’d probably agree that someone who is younger is maybe not as open to getting help or guidance, and is more likely to try to push through any pain or potential problems.

They might think, ‘Oh, this shin pain is probably normal’ or ‘This knee pain is normal. I’m just going to keep pushing through without really thinking about the consequences that are going to be there in 20 years or so.’

I think, as as we age, we’re just more aware of this. So, if you really think about those two things and what what that actually means or what they have in common – and I think this is just something I feel I’ve learned about myself as I’ve gotten older and wiser – is that we tend to drop the ego. Running can be a very egocentric sport. You see it all the time with people comparing their paces and how fast are you and as soon as you get done with a 5k or any distance. You’ve probably had people asking you, ‘What was your time?’ so it can be a very egocentric sport.

CARING LESS ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK OF US

As we age, we kind of really start caring less about what people think. Don’t get me wrong, this is still probably one of the biggest mindset things that I work with with my TRU Tribe ladies, but at the same time, I think we’re much more open to the fact that we have to let our egos go, right? So if that’s the case, then you’re going to be more likely to learn how to run (and, hey, I can definitely help you out with that! 😉 )

SURROUNDING OURSELVES WITH A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY

Then the other thing is, I think as women and as we get older, we tend to find other women that we can bond with around things that we enjoy. And that’s really pretty much exactly what my TRU TRIBE (this is my online community of women) is all about!

Bringing women together into a community is what I do! We have an online community and that’s exactly what we do there. Pretty much everybody’s about 50+ and at all different levels. I have people who have just completed their first 5Ks, and I have somebody who just did her first 100K!

does this sound like YOU??  

  • Do you feel comfortable asking for help?
  • Do you feel more self-aware of your body and avoiding the aches and pains?
  • Are you less worried about what others may think of you as you get older?
  • Do you enjoy the company and camaraderie of other women who feel like you do and are looking for more ways to enjoy their lives?

This is us! This is our TRU Tribe community! 

JOIN US TODAY

If you are even in the slightest bit interested in joining an awesome community of 50+ women, just send me an email Lisa@TheRunningUniversity.com and say, ‘Hey I saw your your video and I’m interested in a 30-day free trial in your TRU Tribe!’ I’d love to have you come in check it out. 😊

My favorite speed (or hill) workout 😁

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

Depending on your running goals, you may find yourself doing speed and hill workouts. Just about every training plan will have these types of workouts. There are definitely many ways to do these. Just google hill or speed workout and you’ll get ideas.  Although I don’t recommend that. I always recommend working with a coach who can you help you become the best runner you can be because they have the knowledge and experience to help you. Any of the free plans you find online are generic and may not fit you, your lifestyle or goals. If you’re not sure if you need a running coach, read this!

This is one of my favorite speed and hill workouts, especially when done with a group. I stole the idea from Danny Dreyer, the founder of ChiRunning. He played it with us one year at an Instructor weekend and I added my own twist:

Please make sure to follow the directions!
Don’t do speed work if you don’t have a base.
Don’t do speedwork if you are not warmed up.
Make sure to cool down as well.

A few extra tips:

  • After your first set, make sure to drop your 2nd Emoji (hopefully not too far from the first one) and then pick up your first one. Every set you will repeat dropping the one in your hand and picking up the one you left on the last set.
  • You can change the timeframes. I usually like to double the recovery time.
  • Depending on your current level, be realistic about how long the intervals are. This one takes a few sets to start feeling your heart rate creep up so make sure to listen to your body and pace yourself!

I hope you enjoy this one!

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!

An Open Letter to People Who Don’t Train for Races

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

Dear People Who Don’t Train For Races,

Sorry not sorry for picking on you today🤣 ….but as a running coach, this is one of my biggest peeves!  I really want to understand you!

This seems to be a big thing as it feels like there are more of you that don’t train for races than people who do. These two groups couldn’t be any more different. I read about this in online forums, hear people talking about it after races…like it’s actually cool to go just run a half marathon (or any distance) without any training?  I am really surprised at how so many of you “brag” about this??  We all run for different reasons so maybe you just really like to just show up on race day, hope for the best and see what your body/mind can do with no training?!  🤷‍♀️ I still don’t get it….

NOOOOOOO! Running is NOT hard, it’s NOT painful, it’s NOT unenjoyable!

I have never not trained for a race.  Mind you, that my idea of racing is different than most people but for the purposes of this letter, let’s go with the meaning of the race in the true sense of the word. Dictionary.com describes a race as: a contest of speed, as in running, riding, driving, or sailing.

Before I give you some food for thought on why you should train for a race, the first and foremost reason is:

Crossing that finish line will have an entirely
different meaning if you train for it!

We may all get the same swag and medal at the end of any race but I guarantee you, the experience will be entirely different!

Why?  Imagine you have a half marathon in 3 months that you train for……this half marathon program has you running 4 days a week with long runs on the weekend…..

  • Your body won’t hurt and/or you won’t get injured.  Running 13.1 miles with little to no training could have some serious consequences on your body. I’ve heard of people getting injured to the point that they won’t get to run ever again. Outside of learning running technique (like ChiRunning), training for a race gets your body prepared for it.  Your muscles, joints, ligaments get used to the load that you add incrementally making race day so much more enjoyable!  I love to hear my athletes say the day after a race how surprised they are that their body feels so good! Enough to get out dancing that same evening or another hike/run the next day.
  • You will be mentally stronger.  When you have to get up 3-4 days a week to train, there will be plenty of days that you won’t want to for so many reasons: “it’s too early”, “I didn’t get enough sleep”,” it’s too hot”…… But guess what, every day that you go out and follow your training plan when you don’t want to, you are building your mental toughness muscle.  Your mind, like your body, needs to be “worked”. You can pushing through on race day one time vs having 3 months worth of days of pushing through….seems pretty obvious who will be mentally stronger. When you build your mental strength muscle, not only does it make you stronger for running but you are able to use these same skills in your life!
  • You are more likely to make running more of a lifestyle than a fad.  Habits build with consistency.  If you get into a habit of training for a race, you are burning more calories on a daily basis, getting healthier….I really don’t need to list all the many benefits of running/exercising consistently vs not.  I see it happen too many times.  You half ass or don’t train for a race, have a miserable time and say running must not be for me and quit after that one experience….or you are a masochist and just like to run races every once in awhile with little to no training. Hopefully you are getting physical and mental exercise in other ways.
  • You are missing the journey!  As cliche as this sounds, the race is the goal….what’s the point of getting to the destination if you don’t have all the struggles, wins and learning experiences from the journey?  Feels like an easy way out…like you’re cheating yourself of so many experiences…
  • You are missing the camaraderie!  You can certainly train for a race by yourself. This is better than not training for a race!  In my case, I do Ladies Training Programs so part of the training, means going out on group runs together. We explore new locations together, we get to know each other better, have way more fun, support and encourage each other.  It’s better together!
  • COVID-19 won’t impact your running journey.  If you are reading this now, all races have been canceled for the last 3 months….many of them continue to get canceled.  I’ve had a few of my Ladies Training Program start and continue during these times even if we knew the race may not even happen. As a matter of fact, we went and made our own race last weekend in Flagstaff.
  • Start the race confident and prepared. There is no better feeling than showing up for a race being prepared. I always say some good nervous excitement is a good thing (I love this video from Simon Sinek on this subject). I love being at the start line feeling confident that I have trained the miles and I am ready for whatever will happen that day. Since we get that mental toughness training for months, we are more likely to handle anything thrown our way with more grace and mindfulness on race day.

Bottom line:  You will grow in so many more ways
that will impact your running and life!  

I always say, you do you when it comes to running (and life).  If running a race with little to no training works for you, keep doing you!  But if you want to have an entirely different experience, get a coach and train for a race!

Worst Running Advice Ever…..

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

I thought I’d heard them all but yesterday, I almost spit out my drink when I read this tip! It’s in a training log of all places! Are you kidding me?

From a training log! 😡

We are having a 7-Day Photo Challenge in my TRU TRIBE Run Team this week. The challenge is to take a photo each day and describe what feelings you are having at that moment (part of our focus on Mental Health Awareness month).  One of my members, who happens to be a personal trainer as well, posted this picture along with this comment: “Dismayed! I saw this in my runner’s log book. Don’t they know about Lisa?”

Or any other running coaches?!

If any running population needs a coach, beginners would be the first group I would recommend get one! Running keeps becoming more and more popular. Although it seems like putting one foot in front of the other is all you need to know, there wouldn’t be a 65% injury rate if that were true! (I don’t know what it is exactly but numbers I see range from 60-70%)

What’s one of the first things someone tells you when they find out you are going to start running or are a runner?  You shouldn’t run…it’s bad for your knees (or name any other body part.)  RUNNING DOESN’T HURT YOUR BODY, HOW YOU RUN HURTS YOUR BODY! What you do with your body when you are not running has an impact on how you run too (for example, sitting at your desk all day).

We take golf, swimming and tennis lessons, cooking classes, but rarely do people consider taking a class to learn how to run…or at least find a coach that can help them with this.  As much as I love social media, that’s a whole other blog post for another day.  I’m all for people sharing their experiences in facebook groups but I’ve seen some of the worst advice given about running there too.  Just because people run, it doesn’t make them experts.

I’ve been teaching ChiRunning for 10 years and coached many runners of ALL levels. Bottom line, it’s worth the investment regardless of what level runner you are to have a coach! There are many different coaches out there and it’s important that you find one that works for YOU.  Here are some key things that I would look for when hiring a coach, in order of importance:

  • Education and credentials: Do they have the proper knowledge required to teach you how to run properly and increase your mileage safely? Being a runner isn’t enough.  Many of us have spent quite a bit of money for the education we have. There is a reason there are coaching agencies and certifications.
  • Experience: how long have they been coaching?  More experience means they’ve dealt with more scenarios and have more tools in their toolbox. What type/level of athlete do they coach?
  • Personality: are they a good match for you?  This is more important than you realize.  Some people like the hardcore, drill sergeant personality while others might prefer someone who is more of a cheerleader.

Does their speed matter? Absolutely not!  While there may be some great coaches out there that are fast runners, this is not something I would consider.  If you’re goal is to learn to run fast and they meet the qualifications above, great!

Does their “celebrity” status matter?  Absolutely not!  While there may be some great coaches out there that have a celebrity status because they are really good with social media, this is not something I would consider.  If they meet the qualifications above, great!

Will they give you a good hug at the finish line?  🥰 While there is nothing better than a good hug, this is not something I would take into consideration…unless they meet the qualifications above.

You don’t have to take this advice from me though!  Here are some of the answers to this question “What advice would you give a beginner runner?” from TRU TRIBE Run Team Member Spotlights:

“I had to start with alternating walking and running.  At the time I felt like I wasn’t a “runner.”  Now I realize that the moment I transitioned from a walk to a run, I became a runner!  So, I would advise a beginner to think of herself as a runner, regardless of speed, body type, age or experience.  I also recommend getting a running coach to help you with your mechanics.  You probably ran very naturally as a child, but as an adult you may need to re-learn good form.  It may be the key to staying injury-free.  Lastly, find a running group!  I love my time alone when I run, but I also love running with my Tribe!” Barbara B.

“Start with a good coach.  Learn the right form right out of the shoot. But most importantly, just start.” Andrea T

“Do not worry about your speed or what other people may think. Take your time, build up slowly, focus on your form, get some strength training in to smooth out any imbalances. Hire a coach to help you with all this so you don’t fall into bad (injury producing) habits!” Karla H

“Find a coach to help you with your running journey.  Learn the correct running form to prevent injuries along your way.  Strength training is such important element to help you get stronger, prevent injuries, and improves your performance as an athlete.” Sonia G

Guess what, Bill Gates thinks you should have a coach too! If you plan on making running a lifestyle, getting a coach is one of the best things you can do for yourself!                                         

 

Runners are slower and older now and that’s OK!

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

One of our ChiRunning Instructors just posted an interesting article in our Instructor faceook page.  I am rarely this motivated to write a blog post but I scanned the study and I was inspired immediately!  I haven’t even really read through the full thing but just picked out a few of things that really got me excited!

Something I’ll never forget from my Psychology 101 class in college is that most “studies” are really BS.  There are many variables required to have an effective study so it’s easy to believe every article in every magazine that claims the effectiveness of such study .  So truly most of the time they are BS. I actually just saw one yesterday that mentioned a study with a sample size of 8 people!  Hardly representative of any population!

The first sentence before the title of the article says: “This is the first mapping of Global running participation. The analysis covers 107.9 million race results from more than 70 thousand events from 1986 to 2018. This is by far the largest study of race results in history. “

hmmmm that sounds like a pretty decent sample size!

The State of Running 2019

You can go ahead and read the findings here: The State of Running 2019 by Jens Jakob Anderson

Here are the the key points that got me fired up with my 2 cents under them 😉

  • Runners have never been slower – male runners in particular. In 1986 the average finish time was 3:52:35, whereas today it’s 4:32:49 – a slowdown of 40 minutes and 14 seconds. (marathon)
    • Yeah!  It’s about time we don’t care about speed when it comes to running!
  • Runners have never been older aging from 35.2 in 1986 to 39.3 in 2018.
    • Based on the people I hang out with, this is actually still young!  Great to see people getting out of their comfort zones as they age!
  • For the first time in history, there are more female than male runners. In 2018, 50.24% of runners were female.
    • Yes! I am working on getting more women running first…then more women running trails…then more women running ultras 😉
  • Traveling to race has never been more popular than today.
    • Definitely something I started doing more for some of my races as well as my groups.  One of the reasons I love trail and ultra running is to getting to see new beautiful places.  Ladies Training Programs so far have been to Flagstaff (2x), Vail AZ, Tucson and Moab.  Future plans are to have more programs out of town.
  • The motives for participating in running are potentially changing from being achievement-focused to being psychological, health and socially focused, which in part can be proved by more people traveling to race, slower finish times and how milestone-ages (30, 40, 50) now are much less dominant than 15 and 30 years ago.
    • This makes me the happiest!  This is the kind of running I promote!
      • Learn how to do it right so you don’t hurt yourself as you age and you can run forever!
      • Be social! Make sure you are having fun by doing it with friends!
      • Travel!
      • Take your time, there is no rush!  Your pace, your race!
      • Run to eat, run to drink beers, run for cookies…or whatever floats your boat!

Doing all of this will make it so running can be part of your lifestyle!  This is how and why I run!

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)

Measuring Your Running Success: (HINT) Speed Has Nothing To Do With It

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

What?  Not use speed or pace to measure your running success???!!!  That’s just crazy talk…..

Maybe for some people but not for me!  First of all, let me put you at ease if you do measure your running success based on speed.  This is probably the most common way most runners do it.  Again, not a bad way but also not the only way.

As a running coach, I hear this all the time with beginner and recreational runners.  They are constantly deflated because they are not “fast” enough or “I’ll be the slowest runner out there” and apply a lot of pressure on themselves because speed is what everyone talks about when it comes to running. This could ultimately lead to big disappointments because they get injured from trying to get fast or just decide to quit because “running is not for me”.

WHAT IF……
What if there were other ways to measure your running success?  Guess what? There are! Here are some of the ways I measure my success after a race, not in any order as they are all equally important (for me!):

  1. FEEL GOOD FACTOR:  my goal for just about any race is to feel good the entire time. This goes against the competitive grain of “go all out” and “give it all you got”.  Again, nothing wrong with this at all, but this doesn’t sounds like a way I want to spend my time. When I can finish a race and feel like a million bucks, that is a GOOD race!  Don’t get me wrong, I like to push myself here and there.  But generally speaking, I like to get into my body when I’m running.  I like to have my mind and body connected so I can feel what is happening. I like to see what kind of adjustments I can make to make it more effortless and feel good.  I don’t understand this idea of “suffering” through a run that many people talk about.  I’ve learned to respect that every runner has different goals.  If I’m suffering, I’m not having fun and what’s the point?  My first 100K is a great example.  I used the word epic to describe it.  My goal the entire time was to feel good and have fun….and I did! (by the way a much easier goal to achieve than worrying about speed!)

    My 100K took me 19 hours and 46 minutes. The cutoff was 20 hours. And here I am still smiling at the end….affirming that I was going to have fun and feel good, and making it so, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! If I would’ve set a speed goal for this, it would’ve changed everything for me.

  2. FUN!:  If a race is not going to be fun for me, why bother.  Many people don’t consider running fun but I do (of course there is a love/hate relationship with it!). If I’m not going to have fun, why do it?  Strictly my opinion but pushing myself to a point of complete exhaustion doesn’t sounds fun to me at all.  This means I’ll stop and smell the roses. I love to take pictures, especially if I’m in a new location.  I’ve hung out with friends I haven’t seen in awhile volunteering at aid stations . Heck, I even stopped at an aid station for 20 minutes because they had some good alcohol!

    Crown King Scramble 50K, getting ready to climb a big hill…yes, I’ll hang out and have a few drinks before I do that. Some people say why, but I say why not?

  3. LACK OF INJURIES:  If I can run as much as I want, have fun and enjoy it, and not get injured too?  Well, that’s just the icing on the cake!   Now I can keep doing what I love to do and not get sidelined by injures.  Last time I had a running injury that kept me from running was in 2014.  Keep in mind that I’ve done one 100K, one 50 miler, one 40 miler and a bunch of marathons and 50Ks along with many miles since then.  I give the biggest credit to ChiRunning as it’s completely changed my life.  Poor running technique is one of the reasons runners (especially newer ones)  get injured.  Everyone assumes you put one foot in front of the other and you are good to go.  If that were true, 65% of runners wouldn’t be injured every year. It’s not running that causes injuries, it’s HOW you run that does!  I also stretch regularly, strength train and follow a training plan which are all factors in my running success.

    Writing this post on 5/9/18 and this is how long I’ve been running (ultra running) without injuries…

Running has always been a competitive sport due to speed.  No matter how long you go, there will always be a first place winner.  Technology doesn’t help either.  Now there are software programs/websites like Strava, Athlinks and UltraSignup that keep public records of your race performance.  I’ve seen people have to explain on Strava posts why their run might’ve been slower because they were running with someone slower than them.  Heck, Ultrasignup even ranks you and forecasts how you will finish based on past performances.  This is a lot of pressure for beginner and recreational runners and it doesn’t have to be this way!

Imagine going into a race with no major nervousness about how you’re going to perform?   Imagine going into it thinking about how much fun you’re going to have and how good it’s going to feel?  Huge weight lifted off the shoulders!   This is how I go into just about any race and it’s almost never failed me!  When I go into a race thinking about PRing (setting a personal record), it changes everything.

So how do I do it?

My number one strategy is detachment and making a conscious choice not to care about how fast I finish a race.  I first heard about the Law of Detachment when I started meditating.  Definitely not the easiest thing to do in the world but like everything else, it takes practice and is great because it effects all other areas in my life as well.  I basically go into a race being detached from any speed goals. I may say “I’d like to PR this race” but if it doesn’t happen, it’s not the end of the world and I’ll focus on celebrating what I did do well which usually ends up being the 3 bullet points above.  This just happened to me at the Sinister Night Runs.  I LOVE this course!  I figured I had plenty of training since ultra season just ended for me and I’ve been feeling great. I pulled up my stats for the last few years and knew what I had to finish with.  However I also decided I wasn’t going to look at my Garmin watch once to see where I was (I’ve done this before and it causes a lot of stress when you keep looking at your average pace and how far you still have to go.  Then I tense up, I’m not relaxed AND I’m not having any fun again).  I had one of the best races as far as Fun and Feel Good Factor!  I mean I felt so amazing the entire time!  Imagine my disappointment when I crossed the finish line 3 minutes later than my PR! Yes, I went there.  I started getting a little bummed. But according to the Law of Detachment, another factor is dealing with uncertainty.  Who would’ve known that I replaced my headlamp batteries with old ones so my light was so dim that I could barely see the ground (this was a night trail race).  I was grateful for other people’s headlamps and the full moon that night. I couldn’t account for that.  How many times do things not go as planned that you had no control over what so ever?  So even though I didn’t PR, and I started with a bit of disappointment, I knew that I had a fabulous race that night and did not let my speed (or lack thereof) bring me down and suck the fun out of it for me.

So if you measure your running success based on your speed, I challenge you to take your Garmin off and go on a run without caring about how far or how fast you go.  Just go run and see if any of the measures above work for you.

If you are a beginner or recreational runner, take a big sigh of relief now!  It’s your running story and you can do what you want.  I am a coach and say this! As someone who does this for a living and has finished DFL (Dead Effin Last) before and is a back of the pack runner in general, trust me, you can make our own rules!

I would love to hear how you measure your running success!  Please share!

(This post was inspired by one of my recent Facebook Lives called: Why I’ll Never Qualify for Boston)

I love this!

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)