This week’s Tuesdays on the Run Linkup is going over to the “other” side of running. Most of us obsess with the physical aspects of training for a race but may not pay enough attention to what’s going on upstairs in our head. The mental aspects of running are what we’re talking about this week [Read More]
Cultivating Resilience: How Bad Do You Want It?
We know by now that running…and most things…..are more mental than anything else. Many of us tend to be masters of standing in our own way. Of drinking the Koolaid the suck monkeys are dishing out and letting mediocrity prevail, or even worse, not trying at all. Thanks to my spot on the awesome RocknBlog [Read More]
What to Do When Races Get Hard
We’re in the midst of peak racing season. What better time to talk about strategies for those late, hopefully really late miles when the wheels feel like they’re about to come off? Wait, let’s hope it never gets that hard. But who am I kidding? Sometimes it does. Confession: I may have written this for [Read More]
Excuse-Proof Your Workouts
It’s been a tough summer. As a running coach, I hear all kinds of excuses. Races are fun. There’s music, cheering spectators, food and swag. We get to go on Facebook and Instagram with our finish line shots. Training? Not so much fun. You often have to get up before the sun to get [Read More]
How to Silence Your Inner Critic
Last week I was at the pool going through the motions of trying to swim when a coach approached. The Aquatic Director and Triathlon Swim Coach, actually. We talked about my goals (survive my first tri) and she asked to see my stroke. I swam out and most of the way back before I wigged [Read More]
My Worst Race
Today’s Tuesdays on the Run linkup poses the question: What was your worst race? Ouch. Bad races? I’ve had a few. Mostly my races have gone bad due to weather. I’ve had more than my share of heat, rain, hurricanes and the like. The most extreme are detailed here. But the absolute worst race? That distinction [Read More]
How to Stay Strong Mentally During a Long Run
Since we’re in the thick of race season and not a week goes by that I don’t get an email asking for tips on how to stay positive mentally when the going gets tough, I thought I’d share some things you can do to head off a race-time wig out. Know the course: Drive it [Read More]
Melt Mental Flab
Lately I’ve been whining about physical flab, aka weight gain. After overcoming my inner suck monkey the other day and getting out for an unscheduled yet satisfying mid-week 10 miler, I realized that my biggest enemy was the ‘flab’ in my head. Could it be that our lack of mental fitness is the very thing [Read More]
5 Coping Strategies for Inadequate Race Training
My over-dramatization of the impending Marine Corps Marathon is on the downswing. It’s been almost 24 hours now since the last (hopefully final, but no guarantee) crying jag. I went to one final spin class yesterday and our previously demeaning instructor seems to have gotten the memo and was much more encouraging–she went so far [Read More]
