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.
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:
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.
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?
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
Another distance checked off my bucket list!
Warning: this is a bit long so grab a coffee or beer and get comfy! It took me longer to write this blog than to do the race!
Seriously, WHO AM I? If you would’ve told me 10 years ago that I would be doing 100 miles, I would say you’re crazy! One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from running is “Never Say Never”
But why 100 miles?! 🙄🤣
Let’s tackle this question first. I have two major Why’s:
The longest distance I’ve done so far is a 100K (62 miles) at one time and 120 miles in 6 days at the TransRockies stage race. Every time I go up a distance, and feel good after finishing it, I wonder….can I do the next one? In most trail races, distances jump from 100K to 100 miles…..which is about 38 miles. That’s a lot more miles! But I got it in my head that I wanted to try it. My original goal was to do this race in 2020 going into 2021 as I entered my 50th birthday year. But this race was canceled last year due to COVID so I changed it to this New Year. I purchased the 48 hour option (more on this below). I decided I would do my longest distance on the first day, go take a shower and sleep a bit (Greg’s Mom lives 10 minutes away from the race venue!) and then come back and finish the rest on 12/31 so I could ring in the New Year doing something epic!
This might be the first time I put this in writing. I’ve started saying it out loud because this 100 miler was the first test for me. In 2020, Aravaipa announced a new race: Cocodona 250. That’s right…250 mile race! I remember reading all about it and watching the video….thinking what an amazing event to do in 2021 (the inaugural year) when I turn 50. Then, reality set in. I just became one of the new owners of the ChiRunning company and let’s face it, I was definitely not prepared to tackle this distance yet. I loved the idea of running through most of the state of Arizona.! I was lucky enough to get to volunteer and pace my friend Andre in May this year. The seed was planted but they have a requirement that you have at least one 100 mile race under your belt and their cutoffs were definitely out of my league. So, I figured, getting this 100 miler done would be the first step to deciding whether doing a longer distance was even something that I wanted to do. I’ll admit it, I think I’m addicted to longer distances! My next step will be to do another 100 miler or two but not until 2023. While I am excited at the possibility of Cocodona, I need to be realistic about my work load as well as my training and experience. I don’t want to rush into anything so right now it’s on the 2-4 year plan.
I remember when I first heard of it from one of my ChiRunners. Sounded ridiculous to me! It’s a 1.05 mile loop and you basically go around in circles for hours…or days! Wait…what?! You read that right!
I’ll admit it, it’s definitely not my favorite type of race. I’m a trail girl at heart. However, there is something about this race that is truly special.
I remember the first time I went to just check it out. It was years ago. Some of my ChiRunners from Prescott were doing it and they invited me to come and visit and do some laps with them. Again, not my cup of tea but I totally could see how this type of race would work for a lot of people and a lot of reasons. After this experience, I decided to start volunteering. The Running University now fills the entire volunteer shift from 9am on New Year’s Eve to 9am on New Year’s Day. It’s my favorite way to spend this holiday!. Of course, every time I volunteered, I got more and more intrigued. I had the chance to run the race several times due to my volunteering but I never choose to do the full 24 hours. I would only do what my training plan called for. (One of the dangers about these types of events is that you get caught up in adding the mileage and it’s easy to get injured when you haven’t trained for the distance).
Some crazy distances are covered by athletes of all ages at this race! If you want to check out some of the results, click here. For example, the winner of the 10 day race, did 690.471 miles!
When I decided I was doing my first 100 miler, I had to pick which race. I knew it had to be an Aravaipa race. I did my first 50K and 100K with Aravaipa Running. They are one of our local trail racing companies and they put on amazing races. I basically “grew up” and became a trail runner and ultra runner through their races. I also considered the difficulty of a trail 100 miler and after lots of thought, I decided Across The Years would allow me to ease into it, do it over 48 hours, it would be a great social race as I always know a lot of people who are either running or volunteering, and my team would be there on my last day volunteering.
Training for races is important to me. LOL that’s one of the reasons I’m a running coach. Not conditioning yourself for a race, especially a long one, is an injury waiting to happen. Unfortunately I knew I wouldn’t be able to train the way I would’ve normally done for this type of race. At one point in early November, I almost considered canceling it. I circled back to my why and it was really important for me to reach this milestone during my 50th birthday year. At that point I decided to buckle down and I was able to increase my training mileage and get a few long runs in. One day I even did a 50K in loops around the Kiwanis park lake. I did that several times for some 10 and 20 milers. Although I still wasn’t sufficiently trained, I felt better about it. Of course, knowing ChiRunning/ChiWalking technique is a huge asset!
My plan was to take it easy. I had a few calculations in my head as far as my pace but I knew I would be doing lots of walk/run intervals and I wanted to be realistic. My goal was to do my longest mileage on Day 1 so I could get that PR under my belt and then finish up later on 12/31 when all my peeps were volunteering.
It’s weird to me that I wasn’t really nervous before the start. It wasn’t a trail race, there was an aid station on the 1 mile course and there was no risk of getting lost in the middle of nowhere (this is usually my biggest stressor on a trail race). The mileage was intimidating but I also knew I was in a very safe space. As usual, the weather was my biggest concern…I was refreshing my Weather app on my phone constantly the whole week leading up to it. It was supposed to rain on both days…and in typical fashion, it kept changing. It looked like Thursday was going to be the better day which was good since I decided I was going to do the most mileage this day.
I found Lori’s tent (one of my trail wives and BFFs). She was also doing 100 miles but as a different race. She had the AZ flag on her tent like we do for our TransRockies camping. Although I had my car as home base, Lori’s tent was right off the track so would take less time to get things when I needed them. She let me keep my stuff there. I headed to the start line…..race start was 9am on 12/30. The 1st 24 hours was 9am-9am.
There were several reasons for that. When I’m planning a big mileage event, especially out of my comfort zone, I always like to raise money. I used to be a Board Member for our local chapter. I love this charity because I wish I had this when I was growing up. I started running late in my life so I love to see how GOTR makes such a big impact on these girls. As a matter of fact, as a running coach, I do the same thing for women only at a later stage in their lives. Running is such a great sport and we can learn so much from it. I love helping transform peoples lives with running and walking. I wish I had it as a kid! I also decided I wanted to walk in memory of Ila Brandli and Bob Hanson.
From my fundraising page! https://www.gotrmc.org/fundraiser/Coach-Lisa-The-Running-University
They were both big Girls On The Run supporters and passed away in the last few years. I would see Bob and his wife Cindy volunteering at aid stations during XTerra trail races (they support GOTR!). He had one of the best smiles and was always so positive.
Miles and smiles for Bob ❤ I wore this for both days
Ila used to raise money for GOTR too and used to do Across The years as well. As a matter of fact, she was one of the record breakers there! I wrote a blog about her in 2016 because she was such an amazing lady! I kept the cape on most of the first day. It ended up serving as a great conversation piece too! One girl ran by me and said she used to be a participant of the GOTR program and that’s how she became a runner! This made my day! Several people commented saying their daughter was in the program. Then, I made a new friend from Germany, Simi. I am bummed that we didn’t get a picture together because we had some great conversations! She’s doing some great things with women runners where she lives and it was fun to swap stories about how we motivate our athletes.
My goal for the first day was to do the highest distance I’d ever done. This happens to be the Black Canyon 100K (62 miles) but according to my Garmin, it was actually 63.06 so I had to get at least 63.5 done before going to shower and rest. I didn’t really have a strategy other than trying to keep between a 12-18 minute mile between running and walking intervals. They weren’t set intervals and I just body sensed when I felt like walking or running. I tried to run a bit more up front knowing that I would get more tired later. I knew quite a bit of people that were either participating or volunteering so it was a fun way to catch up with friends. (2 min Instagram Live at my start)
At one point, my friend Joshua handed me Ila’s In Memoriam race bib which I wore this for several miles. If you ever do this race, once you get a bib number, it’s yours for life! Many people come back year after year and you get swag for hitting milestones too. If you pass away, an In Memoriam bib is made and participants are able to wear them during the race. (3:46 min Instagram Live at mile 25)
Ila’s bib ❤
I got a visit from Melissa and Miggie and they even came back with a Cafe Americano for me because I knew it was going to be a long night!
Melissa did a lap with me!
Outside of the weather, the other mindfuck was the actual distance covered on each lap. While I had my Garmin on, the official race lap count did not match it. This is because the course is 1.05 miles and of course I wasn’t on the exact trajectory of when the course was measured. The path was pretty wide in some parts and there were bathroom breaks slightly off course, etc. I tried not to look at it but as I was getting closer to my daily goal, I was off by 2-3 miles. The hardest part of the entire race for me was the night of Day 1. I wanted to be done but was too tired to run so it was taking longer to do laps. I never ever thought of quitting but there was a lot of self talk and pumping sunshine 🤪there were fewer people on the course as people going for days would take longer breaks at night in their tents or RVs.
Gritting it out at night with Lisa Lee!
It all became a blur. The highlight of that early morning, was some food at the aid station. You pass it on every lap and you definitely don’t need to stop at every mile. At that point I was getting hungry and was about to grab a bag of potato chips, when Jon, the aid station captain, said, “we have tater tots!” Wait, what?! Keep in mind they make some great meals for us like hamburgers, pancakes, etc. I wasn’t expecting tater tots but they were the best thing EVER at 3am!
Finally I was getting closer….at first I wanted to reach the 64 miles on the race lap count…but when I was at mile 63 on my Garmin and still at 61 on the race count, I was over it! I did my last lap and hit the 64 miles on my Garmin and called it a night. I knew I had to get the official time for the total 100 miles but I would deal with that the next day. I think I left the race about 330ish. I went to my boyfriends’ Mom’s house which is about 6 minutes away, took a hot shower and went to sleep.
Ringing the PR Bell and feeling bad because it was 3am and people were sleeping in tents nearby.
I slept for about 4.5 hours and then starting getting ready for Day 2, New Year’s Eve. I was jazzed up because I “only” had 37 more miles to go. My plan was to end within an hour of midnight and 1am on New Year’s Day. Many of my TRU TRIBE members were volunteering on this day, including Greg, my boyfriend. I knew this was going to be an easier day.
Started Day 2 with Kisha!
TRU TRIBE after their volunteer shift doing a lap with me!
AND I had a few ChiRunning Instructors joining me on this day! Master Instructor Vince Vaccaro, one of the four co-owners of ChiRunning with me and Laurel Flax, a Certified Instructor in NH. These timed events are right up her ally and this was going to be her longest. Vince was going 24 hours and she was doing 72 hours. I didn’t get there until 12:30ish and I tried to find them first right away. I tried keeping up with Vince for a bit but he was fresh (well jet lagged from the late flight the night before) but fresher than me!
Some of my ChiRunning family! Vince and Laurel 😁
Long story short, this day started out better than I expected physically and mentally. I had to stay focused though because I’d get caught up at the aid station talking to friends. I had plenty of time as far as the cutoff of 9am the next day but I really wanted to finish right after midnight. I had more company this time around but I was also mostly walking at this point. I am pretty sure that I walked most of the 2nd day. My sister and my friend RJ came out to do a few laps with me. Alina, one of my TRU TRIBE members from Tucson, drove in a crazy storm to come out and walk with me too.
At one point, I started having lower shin pain. I knew there would be a possibility that something like this could happen because I didn’t really train as much as I wanted to. I told myself that I would stop if it was bad enough that it may take me out of commission for awhile but it never got that bad (so I thought). Of course I was even more hyper-focused on my technique but the overuse injury was starting to set in. I never take ibuprofen but did this time. I would normally drink alcohol but believe it or not, I drank none at all while I was on the course! First of all it was too cold! Second of all, I didn’t want to mess with how good I was feeling. Outside of the shin pain, I was in great spirits and people commented on that quite often.
This is actually a huge part of my mental strategy. I say this over and over again but due to my daily meditation practice, I am able to be self aware and mindful of attitudes and emotions as they are happening to me. I purposely pump myself up mentally before any big race with as many positive things that I can. I got myself so excited to finally get started on this bucket list race! I knew it would “only” be 2 tough days and I can do hard things! I can also tell when my mind wants to take me down the rabbit hole in a bad place. I usually catch this early enough so I can change it. The first thing that I do to get out of my head is a Technique Body Scan (start at the bottom with my foot placement and then go through each area to see if I’m in good form). I can’t be in my head judging myself if I’m doing this! I usually follow that with a 5 Senses Meditation (learned from Danny and you can find it here!). Same concept though…if I’m focusing on my senses, I’m not in my head going down the rabbit hole.
The thing bumming me out the most was that I was slowing down and had to take more breaks than I expected. This meant that I wouldn’t be finishing close to midnight anymore (which is when the volunteer shift ends and several of my friends (and boyfriend) would be done volunteering. I had to get over this and not let it bother me. My other ways to get distracted were to listen to music or podcasts. Between that and the company, it went better than I expected.
It was finally midnight and we got to ring in the New Year together! The whole race stops, everyone gets together at the start line, we have a champagne toast and everyone does a loop together. Most of the people I knew left after the celebration. I can’t remember how many miles I had to go at this point but I think it was a few more hours. (2:47 Instagram Live at mile 91)
I got to spend several more miles with Simi. Vince decided to stay with me and keep me company. The weather had held out most of the day and go figure, at 1am, it started down pouring. I was pissed! So freaking close to being finished…and my Garmin was 3 miles ahead of the official timer….but I kept pushing through with Vince. Then all of the sudden, I saw Elaine coming towards us! I can’t remember if it was my last lap or 2nd to last lap but it was so good to see her face! Elaine was one of the first people to get me into trail running, helped me train for my first night race and ultra, is one of my trusted pacers, and one of my besties!
With Elaine! Photo taken after the finish. Alina brought me those balloons. She risked her life coming up from Tucson in a crazy storm with these balloons in the back of her car! All I could think about after my race is “don’t let me forget my balloons”. Elaine made sure I didn’t. (as of 1/25/22 they are still floating around in my living room!)
It was finally over! I turned right for the final stretch, I started running because you just have to cross a finish line running! I went through the aid station, rang the PR bell (and didn’t care about waking people up this time!), crossed that finish line and got my buckle! Thanks to Jan for getting this video of me!
As of today 1/28/22, I am taking a little break from running as I heal. I am going to see Jody from Longevity Wellness Clinic of AZ for my 3rd acupuncture appointment in 2 weeks.
As of today 1/28/22, I still can’t believe I did it! If you made it this far, thank you so much! It seriously took me longer to put this together than it did to run it!
The final numbers!!
Race Director Julie 😊
Race Director Jubilee 💜
OF course I wore my buckle the first chance I had at the Aravaipa Group Trail Run the following Wednesday!
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!
Every Saturday we highlight one of our members inTRU Tribe Running Club . Meet Mellie! If we can do it, so can you!
Mellie’s 1st 50K!
Why did you start running?
I started running for health reasons. I was diagnosed with COPD and Chronic Pancreatitis in the same year and wanted to do something to be able to keep breathing!
What age did you start running?
50
How old are you now? (to inspire the others! but you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to)
52
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far from your running journey?
You can’t finish if you don’t start, and it is ok to be DFL! (Dead F*&n Last)
What advice would you give a beginner runner?
You have to start somewhere, set realistic goals, don’t be hard on yourself, surround yourself with positive, supportive people!
What would you do differently knowing what you know now?
Learn how to run the right way, so you don’t get injured!
What is your longest race distance and why?
Recently completed Javalina Jangover 50k with Cindy Richardson! I wanted to try a 50k, as my goal is to challenge myself continually, and defy the odds.
Do you have a bucket list race or distance?
The National Pancreas Foundation is currently a charity partner with the Marine Corps Marathon. The cutoff is 7 hours for the full, which will require some speed work for me to maintain that pace for 26 miles.
What has been your favorite race and/or distance so far?
I have many favorite races!! I love the challenge of the half marathon distance and my goal is to complete all the Vacation Races! My favorite was the Grand Teton Half, simply beautiful!
What is your favorite color?
I don’t have just one!
What is your favorite post race food and drink?
I love a juicy IPA after a run!! Love going out for breakfast after weekend runs
Anything else you want to share with the TRU TRIBE 😀
When you are surrounded with the right people, anything is possible. TRU TRIBE ladies are so inspiring!
Every Saturday we highlight one of our members inTRU Tribe Running Club . Meet Kisha! If we can do it, so can you!
Why did you start running?
A friend was doing a race and asked me if I wanted to do it too.
What age did you start running?
35
How old are you now?
46
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far from your running journey?
To enjoy the ups and persevere through the downs.
What advice would you give a beginner runner?
Find a supportive group to run with.
What would you do differently knowing what you know now?
Stretch more, rest more, cut myself some slack for hard runs
What is your longest race distance and why?
100k at Javelina Jundred….I volunteered at this event about 6 months after I started trail running and I saw “real” people with “real” bodies and thought if they could do it so could I. Made a 3 year goal to do it for my 45 birthday..
Do you have a bucket list race or distance?
I would like to get 100 miles at a timed event..
What has been your favorite race and/or distance so far?
I really enjoyed Punisher 30k….it’s a nice course at night. I also thought the Black Canyon Trail was beautiful (at least the 20 miles I saw 😜)
What is your favorite color?
Purple
What is your favorite post race food and drink?
Beer and pizza.
Anything else you want to share with the TRU TRIBE Online🥰
Thanks for being part of my journey!
Every Saturday we highlight one of our members inTRU Tribe Running Club . Cindy Richardson was our first one! Since she’s been a member, she’s crossed finish lines she never thought possible including her first 50K on 9/27/19!
Cindy and Mellie completing their first 50K..at night! They are still smiling at the finish even if the sunrise beat them to the finish 💜
Why did you start running?
I needed a new challenge in my life and running had always been something I was scared of.
What age did you start running?
58
How old are you now?
59
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far from your running journey?
Just start and quit thinking about it. Even if I have a setback, I need to work within my own limits but keep moving forward towards my goals.
What advice would you give a beginner runner?
Just start and quit thinking about it. Find a coach and stick to a workout schedule. Having an event as a goal will help keep you focused.
What would you do differently knowing what you know now?
I would try to be more consistent with my workouts.
What is your longest race distance and why?
50K – recently completed. It was a tough event but I finished within the cutoff time.
Do you have a bucket list race or distance?
Not any more. I am happy with the 50K, but may decide to do other 50K races.
What has been your favorite race and/or distance so far?
I really enjoyed my first night race, it was a 9K at San Tan and beautiful weather with full moon, and I ran with a companion Melinda the entire race.
What is your favorite color?
None really but wear lots of purple now.
What is your favorite post race food and drink?
Beer garden is always fun to sit and visit with group, beer and something salty for post race snack.
Anything else you want to share with the TRU TRIBE Online🥰
Having the TRU Tribe group as inspiration and companions is a great way to keep focused and have fun. Lisa is a great coach — working on technique, running workouts and auxilliary excercises plus cheering us on the entire time.
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!):
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.
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?
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!
