I coach runners because running and helping other runners is my passion. I love encouraging my runners, helping them reach new levels of fitness they never imagined possible, and guiding them along the path to a lifelong love of running. I love runners who love to run and want to work hard, regardless of ability level. I want to help other runners reach their full potential. I both love and hate when someone tells me they could, "never run a marathon/half marathon/5k!". I hate to hear someone limit their own potential. But it's also a window into their soul; a chance to see if they're open to the opportunity to find out what they're made of. Running, training, is a time to challenge yourself. A time to hold yourself accountable and address complacency, whatever that means in your life. A time to dig deep and find the best version of yourself.
I believe my athletes deserve attention to detail, personalization, and responsiveness from and access to their coach. A successful running plan addresses:
For my runners, I work with them to understand their goals and starting point. I plan out an overall roadmap for their training, culminating with their goal race. Then I assign weekly workouts. This includes mileage, types of runs, paces, cross training, rest days, etc. The key is specific feedback. My runners tell me, in detail, how the workouts are going and how they feel. I take that feedback, the data I see in Garmin Connect (MapMyRun, Nike+, etc.), and the big picture, and adjust the plan as needed. For some people, this looks like a lot of notes back and forth in their Google Sheet (where we program) each week, texting, and emailing. Some people prefer to keep it more simple. I also help with race day planning, which includes race pacing, food/clothes prep., etc. I help my runners track down resources and send them to professionals for more complicated issues (injuries, advanced nutrition, etc.).
When trying to chose a name for my coaching program, my husband asked me to describe what scares me about running. My responses were 1. Not running to my full potential and 2. Quitting when it gets hard. He also asked me to list three things I most need. I wrote 1. Time to run and enjoy the miles, 2. Supportive people when I need encouragement and positivity, and 3. Races. Time to hold myself accountable and challenge complacency. Running empowers me to be vulnerable enough to experience fear and inadequacy and face it head on. Whatever you fear, identify it, find the resources to go to battle with it, and run towards it. That is Brave Running.
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