Category Archives: First Experiences

Race Report

TransRockies 2021 Stage 2: Iconic Hope Pass!

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

This was possibly the day I was most excited for! We were doing Hope Pass! “Only” a 13 mile day but a tough one!

Hope Pass is known as the iconic climb of the Leadville Trail 100 Race. Those runners have to do the race up and over and then back again as part of the 100 mile course.  It’s at 12,508 feet of elevation, steep climb on both sides (Outbound runners tackle 3,200 feet of elevation gain over 4 miles, and an average grade of 15%. Inbound runners will face 2,400 feet of elevation gain over 2.5 miles for an average grade of 20%~from the Leadville Race Series Facebook page), with promises of outstanding views.

Thankfully we “only” had to do it once….but the weather was not good that day and there was concern about lightening and safety for runners.

Stage 2: Sponsored by Elevation Culture (they made our buckles!)
13 miles/21km with 3300 FT/1000m of elevation gain.
The elevation gain was all in the first 2.5 miles so an average grade of 20% (you can see this in the picture within the picture at the bottom).  I have a few quick short videos in my photo gallery.

Course map of Stage 2

My ONLY goal for TransRockies Run was to finish ALL the mileage. I wasn’t worried about how fast I would be but I wanted to do all 120 miles of the race. This plan failed on Stage 2. 😥 But it was a decision that I made mindfully so even though I was bummed making it, it was for good reason.
I planned to do the early start already because they were really worried about the weather/lightening and the first 2.5 miles are the hardest and take the longest. I was good with that but then I found out that they were dropping the Dawn Patrol people (early start) 1.7 miles into the course already so we would start on the trail right away. This meant I was missing that mileage of the race.
My ego was crushed. It may not sound like a big deal, it’s only 1.7 miles but since speed was not my goal, and my only goal was doing ALL the mileage, this really bummed me out. At first I debated doing the regular start but that was at least an hour later putting me at higher risk of hitting the worst weather. Then I thought, maybe I’d have them let me start 1.7 miles before the trailhead because they drove back some early start people to let them do that. I could hear and feel my ego getting in the way (I thank my meditation practice for this “superpower”! I always say self awareness is a bitch but it’s always for good reason.) I went through the pros and cons and tried to be as detached from the outcome as possible. Then I let it all go and really listened to my gut while trying to put my ego aside. Hard to do but then it hit me like a slap in the face!

“What was I thinking?! 1.7 miles? Come on Pozzoni, I would get that mileage just walking around camp….and did it really matter? It was 1.7 miles of road and I was still doing epic shit!
So off we went…….
My other faux pas of the day, more importantly, was since I was so preoccupied about the issue above, I didn’t put 2+2 together. The first aid station was at mile 1.7 before the big climb….duh, it wasn’t ready yet because we did the early start (we are told to provide for ourselves so my bad here!) so I didn’t have enough fuel with me.  Thankfully there are always friends on the trail willing to share so I was able to get more food in me but that could’ve been a dangerous situation between the weather and difficulty of the trail.

I share more here with my awesome pictures and a few videos of the course!

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! 🎉🍾

Race Report

TransRockies 2021: Stage 0 & 1 Shenanigans

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

I am so excited! I think I figured out the best way for me to do this….and I figured it out all by myself!  🤣

I have too many pictures to upload here so I am creating albums in my Google Photo and I can add text in those albums making it much easier to follow my journey!

So I’ll share a few things in this blog but you’ll find my pictures and stories here!

Stage 1 was changed from the previous years. I am not sure exactly why but we moved the start location.

Stage 1:
19.5 miles/31.5 kilometres & 2300 ft/700 m gain. Note the elevation profile at the bottom of the picture. Great visual of the course from a few views.Before we started the race on Monday though, we had a few days in Buena Vista. We learned it’s not pronounced the way you would say it in Spanish but ““BEW-na Vista”. The town’s name has been pronounced “BEW-na Vista” instead of the Spanish “BWAY-na Vista” ever since it was founded.” Apparently this is still debate about this but….we learned this because every night after the race briefing, we’d get to hear the history of the stage we were doing the next day. I loved this!

We got to do a shake out run with Trail Sisters and hang out with Gina (the founder), get all of our goodies at the expo and then pack all of our stuff in our TransRockies duffle.
Tents were our home away from home for 5 nights to add more challenge to the run.

For more pictures and info about our Stage 0 & Stage 1 experience, click here!

The AZ Girls home away from home. We camped in 4 different locations as we moved across the Rockies in Stages.

Start line Stage 1 picture!

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! 🎉🍾

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!)

My first DNF: Did Not Finish 🙄

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

Who celebrates a DNF with a shot of Fireball?  THIS girl!

DNF stands for Did Not Finish and can be a runners worst nightmare.  

Some runners put a lot of time into training for an event, money into gear, traveling etc. Making a call to DNF can seem like you’re making a decision to QUIT.

Depending on what race it is, a DNF shows on your “official” record and drops your overall “score”down.  Some sponsored athletes are “forced” to DNF if it looks like they won’t place well at a race because it may make the company they are representing look bad.

So there are a lot of negative emotions around DNFing.

Several of my athletes have DNFd races before.  Some were “valid” reason while some were not (in my opinion).

Making the decision to DNF is a big one because it could be construed as quitting and most people don’t like to be quitters.

While the reason to DNF is personal, here  are a few reasons why it would be a consideration in the middle of a race:

  • you got injured during the race and continuing to run could cause surgery or not running again for awhile 
  • you’re not feeling good (sick to stomach, etc) and you could be in further danger of hurting yourself 
  • you’re putting yourself in harms way 
  • you die (morbid idea but possible!)
  • at some point you decide it’s ok to make the call to quit because you’re not having fun anymore, it’s not your A race or it just doesn’t matter and the world won’t end because you have a  DNF 😃 (THIS!!)

I went into this race knowing the very top of it was going to be a big challenge for me. A few friends did it last year and the last 500 so feet is scrambling on hands and knees to the very top. I have no problem scrambling but it was at high elevation and I’m deathly afraid of heights. 

Heading to the top of that mountain behind us! 3500 feet of elevation gain in 6 miles!

I signed up for this race because it was perfect timing for some altitude and elevation training for TransRockies (my bucket list and A race of the year!). I had never done it before. One of my #trurribeteam members Jan, did it last year and said it was the hardest yet best thing she had ever done.  I decided to make it a Ladies Training Program and a few of us decided to get out of our comfort zone. 

When I picked up my race bib, it was number 252. This is a special number for Greg and I. It was our first apartment number. When we moved into it, we found 2 quarters and 2 pennies! (coincidentally Sunset Point of the I-17 is Exit #252 too)

Anyways….it was a lucky number for me.

As I started climbing up, I had the voice in the back of my head whispering about that final scramble.  From the start, this race was no joke.  First of all I was tired from my cumulative training which included doing the 2nd hardest race I’ve ever done the day before (Silverton Alpine Marathon).  Add the altitude and hard climb and I was averaging 35-45 min miles.  I checked the cutoff the day before and say that I had 5.5 hours to complete it.  The higher I climbed, the less likely it looked like I could finish in that time.  Mind you, it was an out and back so the return would be downhill but it was also a pretty steep downhill so not as runnable for me. I finally got the “top” and was greeted by 2 of my friends who were volunteering at the aid station.  I looked at the scramble and my first thought was:

I told them I was thinking of DNFing right away.  They encouraged me to go so I figured I’d put in my big grill panties and suck it up.  While I looked up at everyone on their hands and knees scrambling on loose rock, my heart was pounding as I made the attempt. My feet kept slipping and I really wanted to be one of those people doing it….but I realized I was completely miserable in that moment, was not having fun, I was more than likely not going to finish on the 530 hrs AND my A race was happening in 3 weeks!

I laid there for a few minutes with my face inches from the dirt, got really present and debated sucking it up or DNFing. 

One of the things I ask my athletes right away when they are signing up for a race is what’s your Why?  My why for this race was strictly getting a good training run in.

TRR has been in my bucket list for years, I volunteered a few years ago and was supposed to run it last year but Covid…there was no way in hell I was letting this race get in the way.  Anything could’ve happened and I wasn’t about to really to take the risk.

I turned around and told my friends I was making the call.  They were so sweet.  They tried to convince me not to DNF and offered to help me up the mountain but I had already made up my mind.  I was making a very mindful choice to take the DNF. Once the decision was made, a weight was lifted off my shoulders and I could relax.  I “celebrated” with an Instagram live and a shot of fireball and starts climbing back down.  Good news is that I wasn’t swept off the mountain so I only missed about .4 miles of the 12 and still got a great day of training done.

I won’t lie and say I was a little bit disappointed in myself…. however Kendall Mtn was not my A race and I truly believe that I made the right decision. 

The key was getting present, think about my WHY, being mindful and not letting my ego get the best of me!

I remember listening to a podcast from Trail Runner Nation awhile ago and one thing stuck in my head. Coach Jimmy Dean Freeman used these words instead for the acronym: Do Nothing Foolish.

I am super proud of myself for not doing anything foolish and at the end of the day, I still had an epic weekend of training mileage at altitude with elevation gain so I’d say it was a success in my book!

 

Race Report

Every Damn Street Race Report

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

The only thing that should surprise us is that there are still some things that can surprise us.      Francois de la Rochefoucauld

Who would’ve ever thought that this race would motivate me as much as it did?  DEFINITELY NOT ME!

We all know what a crazy year 2020 was. Virtual races became all the rage for many runners. Not only was this a good way to stay in training mode but it also gave us the opportunity to support some of our favorite race companies that were being effected financially by the pandemic.  Honestly, I didn’t do that many of them because I don’t race for medals or swag (well, sometimes 🤣). I picked my races this year very strategically.

When I heard about Every Damn Street (and Every Damn Trail), I was intrigued.  You can read more about it here. I was immediately attracted to the idea of running in my community. I love the idea the race was built on.  I also love first time experiences.

From the Aravaipa website:
“inspired by Ricky Gates’ Every Single Street project where he toured the streets of San Francisco, we are asking runners everywhere to connect to each other by sharing their hometown with this virtual community.”

If you know me, you know I am not a big fan of road running. However, I had a plan to run my first 100 mile race over 2 days on 12/30 & 12/31 at Across The Years as we entered 2021 (the year I turn 50!) This race is flat, mostly road and a 1 mile loop.  I figured Every Damn Street would be a great way for me to get road miles in as training for my 100 miler.  Bonus:  the logo and feel of the race swag was Sesame Street, which was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid.  It was a 3 month challenge and my goal was to run my 85283 zip code. I started out not thinking that I would do the whole thing because it looked like A LOT.   But the more I kept chipping away at each section of my zip code, I could start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  At the end of November, I decided I was going to run every damn street in my zip code.

Love the swag!

I decided to document my journey via Instagram Stories.  I actually had to create a Part 2 in my Highlights because apparently you can only have 100 stories in each one.🤪  I may have got a bit carried away with them but this was a fun part of the challenge for me.  Not sure if you need to have an Instagram account to view them or not but here is EDS Part 1 and EDS Part 2  (you can use your arrow keys to scroll forward).

Here are some things I learned in the last few months while doing this race:

  • Strategy was more important than I anticipated: From Day 1, this was all about strategy.  My first run was Labor Day weekend and I wasn’t sure what the best way to start was. Greg (my BF), suggest to start out with the perimeter of the 85283 zip code.

My first run for this race

And so it began…

    • Tools: Aravaipa suggested using the Caltopo app. After every run, I could upload my Garmin file and it would continue to add my mileage as I went (see pic below).  I would keep this open in my browser on my phone so I could tell what I had done on previous runs.  I couldn’t see what I was doing real time though.  I finally figured out to use my All Trails app and record as I was running so it would capture what I had just done. It sounds crazy but when you start going in and out of streets, it’s easy to lose track of what you did.  I had to keep taking out my phone to see what I had done and where I was going next.  This was much more mentally challenging than I expected.
    • Brought to you by: 
      • I was an Altra sponsored athlete last year so every shoe I wore was theirs (they are the only brand I wear and love)
      • My Noxgear Tracer 360 vest for early morning and evenings helped me be visible and safe. My Noxgear 39G Bluetooth speaker kept me company with music, podcasts and audiobooks. I am also an Ambassador for them: use code RUNNINGU1 for 35% off
      • I am always focused on my technique and there is no way I would’ve been able to do all that mileage without ChiRunning and ChiWalking. No injuries in 7 years because of it! (and I walk/run a lot of miles! I averaged 31 miles a week in 2020! I never say this to brag but to really point out how much I avoid injuries because of good technique).
  • Miles flew by:  I was really surprised at how quickly I could get mileage done in a small space.  I would assume 3-4 miles and it would end up being double.  As much as I don’t like street running, I know I will use this in the future because time went by quickly.
    • I did anywhere from a 2 mile run to a 22 mile run for this project.
    • My total miles were: 202.95 in 23 runs!  I just totaled this up yesterday for this blog.  I would’ve been so mad if I ended at 199 on 12/31.  🤣 
    • Speed work goes by faster this way than on a track
    • I did 20 miles on Christmas Day since my family had decided to not get together
    • My boyfriend Greg joined me a few times for exercise dates!
    • In the last month, I felt like a drug addict having to get a fix.  I was obsessed and have never been that motivated to go out for runs on the road in my life before.
    • It was awesome to finish my last run on 12/31/20 with a rainbow!
  • I love my neighborhood: when I first moved to AZ as a freshman in HS, we were in  Tempe. I went to McClintock High School and I am an ASU alumni.  I have always loved this city but I have a much bigger appreciation for it after this experience.
    • There was a Little Free Library on just about every run I did!
    • Ironically Sesame Street was in my zip code and I loved seeing it every time. The theme song would come in my head and it would always make me smile.

    • So many treasures found!  From beautiful lakes and houses to funny election signs.  In one neighborhood I was staring at house all decked out with human rights signs and across the street there was a house full of Trump signs.  My favorite election sign was “In Dogs We Trust” “Dogs 2020 Because Humans Suck”🤣  From election signs to fun Halloween decorations to Christmas ones. At one point I even found a purple house!  (you all know this is my favorite color!).  I had no idea Mission chips was local and also found The Early Bird (have not checked them out) yet but I saw their cart parked in a driveway so I had to google it. I love supporting local businesses.

I challenge you to try something like this out.  Pick your immediate neighborhood and/or zip code and just start chipping away at it.  This blog post and my Instagram Stories don’t even do my experience justice.  As I rewatched my IG stories, I got fuzzy feelings of the memories I created with this event.  As a matter of fact, it ended 13 days ago and I still have weird withdrawals.  I know I can go out and run in the neighborhood (I am about to as soon as I get done writing this!) but it’s not the same without the deadline of the “finish line.”  This has given me a new appreciation for road running for training as canals get old after awhile.

Huge thank you to Aravaipa Running for giving me something new and fun to do in the crazy 2020 year.  I just thought this was going to be another virtual race but I had no idea that it would impact me the way it did. 🥰

The final map!

 

 

TRU TRIBE Team: Guest Speakers

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

I love to have guest speakers share their expertise in my TRU TRIBE Team.  My goal is to have one on a monthly basis.  I record the 30 minutes conversations for replay later in case they can’t make it. This is another perk for being a member.

Here is the list of guest speakers we’ve had so far:

  • September 2019: Anna Sparks on Heart Rate Training
  • October 2019: Katherine Dreyer on Aging Gracefully (we made this one public!)
    • Katherine Dreyer is co-founder of ChiRunning, ChiWalking and ChiLiving, and was previously president of New Hope Communications, the leading educator for the natural health and healing community.
  • January 2020: Mirna Valerio, The Mirnavator on Body Acceptance
  • February 2020: Jubilee Paige, Aravaipa Running Race Director
    • Race Director extraordinaire! She’s brought so much energy to some of the most prestigious Aravaipa races including: Black Canyon 100K, Javelina Jundred, Across The Years, among a few of them.
  • March 2020: Bri Collette of Brianne Collette Nutrition
    • Brianne Collette is a Registered Dietitian with a main focus on Intuitive Eating. She shared some great tips on this topic and on body respect.
  • April 2020: Nora Ellen, Women Starting Over Podcast
    • April’s theme was renewal and Nora shared her personal story and tips on starting over. Nora served as Chandler Vice Mayor, on several non-profit boards and City of Chandler Commissioner.
  • May 2020: Robin Afinowich
    •  A clinically trained Mental Health Counselor, Yogi, Shamanic practitioner, Arizona State University faculty member, entrepreneur, author, community advocate, mentor, and public speaker. Our theme in May was Mental Health Awareness and she shared some great tips on mindfulness and mental health.
  • June 2020: Courtney Dauwalter, one of the top women ultra runners in the world!
    • Courtney is an amazing utlra runner. Our theme this month was Mental Strength and I couldn’t think of anyone more qualified to talk about this subject.
  • August 2020: Jody Murray, AZ Spine Disc & Sport 
    • Jody is one of only a handful of practitioners nationwide to possess dual credentials in Acupuncture and Athletic Training, making her the premier Sports Medicine Acupuncturist in the area. Several of my athletes have had great success working with her.

I love sharing new experiences with my TRU TRIBE Team. If you are interested in being a guest speaker, please contact me at lisa@therunninguniversity.com

Congratulations to Me: 120 miles in 14 days!

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

I still can’t believe that I did it! In retrospect, I realize that this is the most miles I’ve ever done in this short period of time and the longest I’ve gone without taking a day off!  It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done and yesterday I turned 49 and 1/2!  GO ME!

8/16/20: As soon as I hit my 120 miles!

Quick background about this race (TransRockies Run: 120 miles in 6 days with 20,000 ft of elevation gain):

  • It’s been on my bucket list for about 5 years.  When I heard about it and saw the pictures, I wanted to do it. It’s not a cheap race though so I wasn’t sure when I’d ever have the chance.
  • Last year I had an opportunity to volunteer at the race which would help me get some credits to run it.  It was one of the most amazing experiences and you can read about that here.
  • This was my bucket list and A race this year.  (While I absolutely love what I do for a living as a running coach, I have learned that I need at least one major event a year for me). But then COVID19 happened…and of course they had to cancel the event.

They announced a virtual option for either 60 or 120 miles to be completed in the 15 days and I had to sign up!

My original plan was to do the 60 miles because I’m in the middle of a few big projects and I knew it would be hard for me to try to make 8 miles a day happen with the 120 miles.  However, the AZ Girls (last year’s volunteer crew) were all doing 120 miles and twisted my arm pretty quickly.  I also had been averaging 25 miles weeks and I wanted this to be a challenge….and IT WAS!

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I posted an IG Story for just about every walk/run of the challenge.  You can see the highlights here if you’re on IG.(tap on each story to move forward faster).

What did I learn while doing one of the?  Here are a few of my key takeaways….

  • I will be forever grateful for ChiRunning/ChiWalking.  I never recommend doing mileage you are not trained for…but if you do, having good technique under your belt makes a HUGE difference.  Although I walked about 60% of the mileage, I doubled my weekly mileage for 2 weeks.  While I could feel a bit of tension (I stretched just about every day too) and fatigue in my legs, my body felt great the entire time.
  • FOMO is real. I’ve blogged about this before too. Many of my TRU TRIBE teammates had signed up for the Great Race Across Tennessee (1000k to be finished from 5/1-8/31). I really really wanted to join them but I knew it would not be a good decision.  I had too much on my plate and I really didn’t want to burn myself out (which I’ve done before and learned from that experience!) before this virtual race as it was my priority this year and I didn’t want to get distracted.  I was planning on the 60 miles but as I mentioned before, between some arm twisting and a wee bit of FOMO, I decided to go for it.  I don’t regret it even though I had a breakdown on social media in the middle of the challenge.  (more on that below)
  • I had a plan and followed it.  As much as I would’ve liked to simulate the real race and do the 120 miles in 6 days, I knew that was unrealistic for many reasons. I planned to do 8 miles a day which was the daily average necessary to complete the challenge.  I looked at my calendar for the 2 weeks and saw some days where I’d get more in and vice versa.  I started tracking on my Fit Bit but that was using passive workouts which were not intentional and didn’t count.  I switched to tracking with my Garmin mid race to get more accurate results.  I was adding and averaging daily to see how much I had left as I progressed. This worked well for me. Although apparently on the TRR page, my totals ended at 118.3  because someone messaged me late on the last day to let me know this. I get in freak out mode but checked my Fitness Rankings totals.  I sent a FB message to Houda (the race director) with pics and he said I was fine! Phew!
  • Multi tasking and getting creative was necessary to get mileage done!  Managing my time was probably my biggest obstacle. I had to get creative to get my mileage in:
    • while I was walking, I used some of that time making phone calls and listening to podcasts
    • I was able to schedule some of my mileage with friends and my TRU TRIBE.  Some days I got one walk done and on some days I broke it up into 3 different workouts.
    • I woke up before my “work” group runs a few times and ran 1/4 mile loops in my apartment parking lot just so I could get it done before it was a bazillion degrees
  • It always boils down to mindset!  While I am not a believer of mind over body (I’ve seen too many people get injured with this mind frame), I do believe in mind with body. Another principle I’ve embraced from ChiRunning. There is a big difference between ignoring your body and pushing through until you get injured VS.  pushing through to overcome your mental setbacks.
    • We’ve had the hottest summer on record in Arizona and this challenge was from 8/3-8/17: prime summer heat.  I had to try and schedule runs early morning or after the sun went down.  This was not always possible. Although I could not make the heat disappear with my mindset, I could certainly embrace it and know that “it is what it is.”.  I had several days that I had to go out when the sun was beating down but I was safe by minimizing that time and being prepared for it and I embraced it. Constantly repeating how hot it is will not make it go away, as a matter of fact, it makes it worst. Accepting the heat and driving to my runs with my windows down rather than going from the AC cold car to the blazing heat really helped me acclimate.  Here is my recent blog about how and why to run in the heat. 

    • Once I had my mid race melt down, I was able to dig deep and remind myself of my Why.  This is a question I ask all the athletes before they start training for a race with me. Even more important now that we don’t know if races are happening. This was going to be my big bucket list A race this year and I would’ve been training for 4 months leading up to it.  That opportunity was taken away from me by COVID19 so I replaced it with the virtual event.  I was going to finish this race no matter what it was going to take.  Here is my IG post about my meltdown and the IGTV video that I did later that day.
    • One of the things I loved/hated about the challenge was trying to figure how I was going to get it all done.  It was so rewarding at the end to know that it all came together although I doubted myself several times!

Yesterday was 8/19, my half birthday.  I turned 49 1/2 and I’ve never felt better!  I know too many people that keep repeating how old they are, and how much harder things are….while some of this is fact that I can’t deny, mindset and how you take care of your body have a lot to do with this as well.

As I age, I keep surprising myself by doing things I never thought possible. This is a first time experience for me as far as number of miles in this short of time, without taking a day off….I have some pretty big goals as I prepare for my 50th year around the sun in 2021, and the real TransRockies Run is definitely on the list among a few other crazy endeavors…..stay tuned!

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!

TRU TRIBE: Member Spotlight Sonia Glover

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni
Every Saturday we highlight one of our members from the TRU Tribe Running Club . Meet Sonia!  If we can do it, so can you!

Sonia’s 1st 100K!

Why did you start running?
My grandma was into fitness and healthy eating. I was a chubby kid so my grandma would take me to the elementary track and make me run to lose weight. She thought I hated it, but I loved it.  Because of her I love to run.
What age did you start running?
I started when I was seven years old.
How old are you now? (to inspire the others! but you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to)
41 years old
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far from your running journey?How fast I run does NOT define me as a great runner.  It’s not all about speed.  It’s about doing your best and achieving your running goals.
What advice would you give a beginner runner?
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.
What would you do differently knowing what you know now?
I would have definitely done the following before I started to race: find a coach, taken a chi running workshop, and strength training to prevent all of the running injuries
What is your longest race distance and why?
My longest race was the Javalina Jundred 100k.  I like to challenge myself. Whenever I cross a finish line I know I CAN do more.
Do you have a bucket list race or distance?
I want to do a 100 miler at the Copper Canyons Endurance Run in Mexico.  I want to run with the Tarahumara my people.
What has been your favorite race and/or distance so far?
My favorite race has been the Javalina Jundred 100k and the New York City Marathon.
What is your favorite color?
I don’t have a favorite color.  🤓
What is your favorite post race food and drink?
I love coconut water and a good old bison burger.
Anything else you want to share with the TRU TRIBE 😀
I am so grateful for having you all in my running journey.  Thank you so much for all of your support.
Race Report

Canyon De Chelly Ultra 55K Race Report 2019

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

This race is one of the main reasons I love running!  This was my most favorite race experience that I’ve had to date! (so hard to say this as I’ve had so many but overall, this one takes it!)

First I have to thank Maria Walton.   Continue Reading →