Tag Archives: aha moments

4 Alternatives to New Year Resolutions

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni
For so many years, I did what everyone else was doing…making another unrealistic New Year Resolution. Before I lost weight and kept it off, that’s all they were about.  Lose x amount pounds by X.  I know I wasn’t alone in this goal.  I can’t tell you how many times I got excited, started eating good and working out like crazy…only to burn out a few weeks later.

LOL…side note, this is one of my favorite movies! ;

I can’t remember when I stopped making them but I never looked back.  Every year turned into a disappointment and beating myself up because I set unrealistic goals.  At the same time, I love the idea of “out with the old and in with the new”.  I think New Years is the perfect time to reflect back on the year before, celebrate the milestones, learn from the “failures” and get excited about new possibilities for the upcoming year. Birthdays are also great for this too!

All kidding aside, I do believe in reinventing or improving myself every year…and I love Robert Downey Jr. LOL

So instead of making traditional New Year Resolutions, here are a few different ideas on things you can to start out your New Year:

  • Create a First Time Experience list for the upcoming year.  What are some things that you’ve wanted to do but haven’t?  Maybe pick a different one to do every month.  It doesn’t have to be huge item either….maybe there is a specific kind of ethnic food that you’ve always wanted to try OR you’ve always wanted to run a race or a specific distance but have been too afraid to try it (you know I can help you with all of these!). I love first time experiences! They are scary and get you out of our comfort zone but it’s so rewarding once you’ve done it!  I have been training for my first 100K and excited to enter into new territory!
  • Follow a monthly 30 Day Challenge every month.  Here is a great list of ideas. Get a friend to join you for accountability purposes or start an event on social media to get others to join you.
  • Make a yearly challenge. Maybe you want to save $1000 over a year or walk/run a mile every single day of the year.  Chart your progress on a weekly or monthly basis.
  • Do a 365-Day Project.  Take a jar and write down something good that happened every day (then open it up at New Years Eve and read about the amazing year you had!).  Click here for more ideas.

Happy New Year!

I Gained 20 LBS & What I’m Doing About It

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

I know, I know! Hear me out…..

  1. This is not about how I look at all! As I age, I could care less. I am comfortable in my own skin even with the extra 20 lbs.
  2. No judgement on weight. Everyone is writing their own life and running story, you do you, I’m doing me
  3. It boils down to how my body feels right now
  4. This is my journey!

Since Across The Years at the beginning of this year, I had to stop running for several weeks due to my overuse injury. This turned into a few months of on and off running. I was also eating the same amount of calories that I would eat when I was training (big difference in calorie expenditure when you’re walking/running 40-50 miles a week 🙄).

I know a lot people can relate to this. That extra 10-20 lbs that sneaks up you.

I weighed myself in March and was up about 10 lbs. I knew I had to start thinking about doing something. I set a few goals but wasn’t serious about them so I’d start tracking my food for a few days and let it go. I’d start adding the running back in but wasn’t as motivated until I had to get serious about training for TransRockies. Even though I am not doing the full course, I figured out that to get all the Dawn Patrol people to the first Check Point (and complete the 2 shortest but hardest stages) it would be a 50 mile week.

It wasn’t until the other day when I was bitching about it …AGAIN…that one of my TRU TRIBERS reminded me “You’ve been saying this since January!” (Actually March but I got the message!)

As a personal trainer (and someone who has worked with 3 different nutrionists) I know what I need to do.

So I was out running the other day contemplating this and decided to record a video in the middle of my run.

I’m just putting myself out there because I think it will help others (and selfishly it will motivate me more if know people are following me 😂).

I have a plan and you can join me or follow my progress. :

  • When I get back from TransRockies, I will host an Instagram Live  on Mondays at 5:30pm Phoenix time. It will be 10-15 minutes of me sharing my goals for the upcoming week as well as recapping the week before. This will include updates on my progress and running training (starting to train for Jackass Night Trail Runs with my TRU TRIBE on 8/8)

Hope to inspire and motivate you too!

Your Biggest Cheerleader,
Coach Lisa

ChiWalking Self Video Analysis

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

The video doesn’t lie!

Even though I’ve been teaching ChiRunning/ChiWalking since 2010, reviewing my technique regularly helps me get better. This is my 1st Q 2022 review.

Walking is a great way to get your fitness on. I walk as cross-training and also walk quite a bit during my runs. ChiWalking was a gamechanger for me! Since there is still impact on your joints, walkers are also susceptible to common injuries like plantar fasciitis, knee problems, back pain, etc. In this video, I share a video analysis of me walking “normally” and ChiWalking.

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

Chi Walking® will help you:

  • improve your posture
  • strengthen crucial core muscles
  • relax tight and overused muscles
  • gain cardio and aerobic conditioning

Whether you are a fitness walker already, want to manage or release weight, are rehabilitating after illness or injury, or have signed up for a walking event and want support, Chi Walking will help you reach your personal goals, including looking and feeling better than ever.

The Chi Walking technique emphasizes the proper biomechanics of walking including: good  posture, loose joints, engaging one’s core muscles, and relaxing the peripheral muscles of the arms and legs. This approach makes walking easier on the body and helps improve and eliminate the aches, pains and discomfort of walking incorrectly.

The Five Mindful Steps are used throughout the book and program to reinforce the body-mind component inherent in each step.

The Chi Walking program offers 12 different types of walks to create a balanced and exciting health program. The “menu” of walks includes: a Cardio Walk, an Aerobic Walk, a Flexibility Walk, a Loosening Walk, a Focusing Walk, an Energizing Walk, a Walking Meditation and more. The walks are presented in the Chi Walking book in a detailed and understandable way, then summarized in an easy to read matrix which shows the key benefits of each walk.

Since walking is such a basic, every day movement, when your walking form is improved, the benefits are far reaching.

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

To find out more about walking technique visit ChiWalking

Get Your Free ChiWalk-Run Digital Booklet here

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

ChiRunning Self Video Analysis

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

The video doesn’t lie!

Even though I’ve been teaching ChiRunning since 2010, reviewing my technique regularly helps me get better. This is my 1st Q 2022 review. I will be posting these quarterly because practice makes progress.

Background:

I did my first 100 miler over New Year’s on a one mile loop course. While I trained as much as I could, I ended up injuring myself. I had to cancel 3 ultra events that were scheduled after this.

I’ve worked with Jody, my acupuncturist right after the injury. I’ve been focusing on shorter distances, strength training and stretching (not consistently though). I know focusing on that and my technique again will help get me ready for some bigger mileage goals that I have in the next 2-4 years. Gradual progress and patience have been key for me during this time.

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

Some of my key takeaways for this quarter:

  • Make strength training a priority minimum 2x a week but goal of 3x
  • Lower leg relaxation more specifically ankles. Will focus on more ankle mobility as well.
  • I continue to work on upper body rotation. It’s better but still some work to do there along with shoulder/upper body relaxation. I love rocking and doing Original Strength work to help with shoulder stabilization.
  • Drop my chin a bit more for a more neutral head position

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

To find out more about running technique visit ChiRunning

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!

 

 

My mental breakdown and what I did about it…

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

If you’ve been following me for awhile, you’ll know that I believe practicing meditation and mindfulness are a super power and the answer to all things in life. 😊 I just heard the phrase from Gaia during an audio session on Insight Timer this morning: Master Your Mind, Master Your Life.  Continue Reading →


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!