Common Mistakes Part One.

MISTAKES

First off, any mistake I write about- y’all know I’ve made it at some point throughout my 30 plus year competitive career- so NO SHAME here. Remember- lose and learn.

1. Thinking consistency means running as much as we can at too hard an effort day in and day out leading to injury, burnout, LEA, and possible mental health struggles.

Consistency means doing what the plan/coach says (unless injured!) on a given day- train hrad, recover, rinse, repeat.

Runners love data, numbers, feedback, and structure!

Let’s face it, we love the feeling of a daily run - it's like a shot of energy, life, and accomplishment during and after the run.

The run puts us in a challenging situation first thing in the morning (or whenever you run!)- and when we keep our promise to ourselves by showing up to that run, we immediately are sending a message to ourselves and the universe that we are important, we matter, and we can tackle anything the day or life brings. I often come up with my best ideas or solutions for my athletes during my own runs.

Running has the power to change a whole day, week, life- and this magic has a way of infecting those around you!

That is why, when a runner is injured- it feels like his or her life has been turned upside down. What was once a positive, grateful, energetic human-in some cases- briefly morphs into a self doubting, loathing energy sucking pity party- ouch yah that was once me. I HATE being a victim- I love finding solutions!

So, until we get sick of ourselves and really look at what got us to this place in the first place- we are STUCK! I don’t know about you but that is not ok with me as a runner or a human. I think one of my biggest fears is being stuck or not being able to move freely- so this attitude is a misalignment with my values and the vision I have for myself i this one precious life that may just add something good to this world.

Here’s the deal- we need to recognize this: ok this might hurt a little.

The problem is you- not your doctor, your coach, your body, it was me, you, us the whole time.

It really was You. Ok we got that out of the way.

Now, if you want to get better and not end up I the same place after a brief rally!- get CURIOUS- REALLY REALLY HONEST AND CURIOUS.

Every time your brain tries to blame something else- stop- own it- where can you learn and THEN communicate this with your support team - collaborate to fly.

Sorry but if you want to do cool hard spectacular shit in life- you’re gonna have to keep learning and growing. If you’re tired of this- well you need acceptance.

Accept and get cozy comfy in this place that you're in cause that’s where you’re staying! We have one certainty in this life and that's death- the great equalizer- ha! Again, if you're good here- stay- enjoy- but if your expectation of self has different visions and goals - you're gonna suffer and suffer big.

Again, you may have brief rallies that your brain will swear everything was working, but in reality- your same decisions and behaviors are going to show consequences. I mean- you don’t get lung cancer from smoking one cigarette-and you don’t get diabetes by eating a donut– you don't get a gut from drinking one beer with a buddy each week- it is happening with consistent behavior over time. You have to change something; and it's not going to be easy.

Stop looking AROUND you for answers or JUDGING some part of you that failed; you didn't fail- you lived and breathed and hit a roadblock now rewrite the script: Accept that as evolving beings we will fail, say and do studpid shit and that’s totally great, NOW use it!

Use it as an opportunity to really grow yourself not only in running but in your entire life. Honestly, you owe it to your spouse, family, friends, neighbors, and the community. We need you. We really really do.

Hey, I'm not at all finger wagging!!! Don't misconstrue. This is very relatable and understandable. So, how can we ensure we don’t reach these broken, burnout stages in our running or any passion careers? I think- its through periodization and having grace with ourselves that even small progress is progress. My best performances happened when I least expected after several years of disappointment, trial and error and always some progress- even if the mistake and the learning was the progress!

Struggling? GET OFF SOCIAL MEDIA PLEASE!

I’ve taken breaks when I have needed them- I feel no sense of obligation. I am NOW self aware enough to know when I am vulnerable and need to find real STRENGTH through real life humans who know my trends, patterns, and personality. If you are in a shit place - get off the phone.

What we see online, social media, tic toc, and even when viewing small fragments of another persons life such as an elite or professional runner, we are only getting a small glimpse of a much bigger picture.

We get inspired by the Shalane Flannagens and the Molly Seidels when we see these badass women breaking the tape at the New York , Boston, or Olympic Marathons.

But what, we don’t see or focus on are the unromantic sides of training- such as injury or consequences of misfires in training or such fatigue and tiredness that- like Flannagan once shared: she had a hard time just lifting the dishes from the dishwasher to the cabinet in the midst of marathon training. Deena Kastor spent years sleeping 12 hours plus a nap mid day between training sessions just to recover. Or, that Molly is suffering from injuries and mental health struggles after coming down from some amazing training blocks. She announced she had to limit her social media presence to heal herself and reset: she recently reported having to leave Strava for privacy and healing. . What Molly I am sure is learning like Flanagan has known for a long time (which is what awarded her such a stellar career) is that the in-between time from race to race is just as if not more important than the actual training.

I myself learned this from my first coach who was coached by a native Kenyan - his philosophy was to run EASY on all runs except for her Tuesday and Saturday efforts where she ran HARD. Hard didn’t mean force. Hard meant- correct passing for the duration of the workout.

I then started doing this and finding great results. If I showed up tired and dead legged to a Tuesday or Saturday session, well, I knew, I ran too hard in between days delaying my recovery and stealing from my very important key session. But then, I learned to practice this and then tried to do it better the next week. I wasn't always perfect, but that’s why we practice.

Less Judgment and More Perspective: The answer is inside of you.

That being said, view your workouts not as reassurance that you truly are good enough but as practice for pacing and executing your training with intention.

Less judgment and more perspective.

Without this perspective, you will not get close to your potential and no coach can do this for you.

This is something inside you. Your values, beliefs, and faith. If you are struggling, don’t keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results, do something radical -go see a therapist, or talk with a trusted friend.

But, make restoring your body and mind the number one thing. Stop trying to find more and more distractions - you will not find the answer online, at a yoga class, or through a conference or webinar. The answer is inside of you.

Stop the Obsessiveness that you have to run to feel good or have to meet a certain pace or number to feel ok that day.

Show yourself that in recovery, you repair, get stronger, and restore a body and mind that worked so hard for you during your race and the preceding build up.

So, you think you are so tough and disciplined?

Well- show me you can focus hard on flexing your recovery muscle for these three weeks knowing that if you don’t you are stealing the energy, speed, focus, and health that will fuel your next big training cycle and goal. TAKE A STEP BACK! You have a lifetime. Do not let fear run you into the ground. This is why you hire a coach. Stick to the plan! And the plan says- fill your time with all the things in your life you didn’t have time to do when you were courageously chipping away at your goal.

When done correctly, this time can set you up to take your fitness level to a new level. Viewing this time as restorative instead of more break down, you can avoid plateau, burnout, and avoid injury.