Run With Sheri

When you choose to train for a PR attempt does it mean you fail if you don’t hit your PR? In our society we are taught that the answer to that question is yes. If we have objective measures, that is how we determine our achievement. I used to believe this too as I’ve always liked obvious answers. But in my years of training and coaching I’ve learned that objective answers do not tell the whole story.

I believe that as we set these big goals they are there for the purpose of helping us change what we do in our everyday lives to give us the opportunity to achieve our goal. This is true with any athletic endeavor, school or professional career. If in pursuit of our goal we run more days, do more speed work, strength train, clean up our diet, prioritize recovery or add yoga over course of 14-20 weeks, regardless if we hit our goal we have won. We have proven that we can do more, we can utilize tools around us to be better and never give up. Whether we hit that PR or not, we have new tools in our toolbox we can utilize forever. That is way more useful than any PR, straight A report card or promotion at work.

This last weekend I set out to try and PR the half marathon. I was not nervous going into the race nor did I have any clue if it would happen or not. But I knew I put in the work and I know how to race a half marathon based on my abilities on that day, on that course with that weather. No PR for me which didn’t bother me in the slightest because I knew I gave it my all. And I’ll continue to train to PR because I love the process of pushing myself and seeing where it all leads.

And if you are interested in seeing how you can transform your mindset around goals and achievements, pm me as I would love to work with you.

Three years ago I started to work with Durai. He came to me lost in his battle of letting times define his identity as a runner. He was a prior sub 2 half marathoner and chasing his dream of a sub 4 marathon. As he continued his chase before working with me, he developed race anxiety, a loss of love for the sport and ultimately his race times were taking giant hits. Gone were the days of sub 2 half’s and marathons sounded down right horrible to him. We spent years working on his mindset and his relationship with the sport. He battled injury through some recent training cycles too which makes one’s relationship with the sport of running that much harder.

But this past training cycle for Tokyo marathon everything started to click. His training was smooth, he was getting stronger and faster and no more race anxiety! He was loving the journey no matter what the paces said or dictated. When I had to give the bad news that he needed to adjust his Tokyo marathon pacing due to the heat predicted, he just said, done! He knew that although he wouldn’t be able to let his fitness shine in this race his day would come. And if it didn’t, he still had a blast challenging himself in the sport he loves.

Luckily the stars aligned for a local half marathon he signed up for 9 weeks post marathon.
We had our pre race call and discussed how to pace this race. We discussed numbers but most importantly we discussed the mind and body connection. I told him let the numbers be information, your body is your guide.

After many years of chasing PRs it took him relaxing about the process and loving his journey to hit his half marathon PR by 45 seconds. A PR which stood since 2018.

Race anxiety is real. Getting sucked into time goals being your identity is real. But you can over come all these odds and love your journey if you have the right tools and guide to help you.

If you are looking for that edge in your running career, reach out as I would love to Coach you through your personal journey.

Www.rws-endurance.com

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I’ve spent time in other posts talking about how goals should align with your purpose so I’m going to share a goal of mine with you for this next training block. One of my goals is to rotate through 3 different pairs and types of running shoes each week. How does this align with my purpose? Curiosity and knowledge are core values of mine so this fits in quite nicely.

Why do I want to try this? Studies show that switching between various types of shoes can help prevent injury by promoting different muscle groups to kick in and ultimately cause those muscles to get stronger. Also, the foam in running shoes generally needs 24/48 hours to decompress and get back to original form ultimately helping you to have the proper support you are paying for and giving your shoes more longevity.

For my easy / recovery run days I’ll be using the ASICS Novablast which is a trainer. For my speed days I’ll be using the Saucony Elite which is also my racing shoe. (Which version 2 is currently on sale). And for my long run days and runs with strides I’ll be using the Saucony Speed which is almost a cross between a racing shoe and a trainer.

I’m hoping that rotating my shoes will keep my feet and legs more fresh and allow me to keep my shoes longer in a training cycle. And having different shoes brings an element a fun each time you lace up. Do you rotate your shoes? What’s your go to shoe?

This is an update on the RWS Athlete, Jessie. As you may remember, Jessie hit her big 5 min marathon PR last November at Indy Marathon in which she was only 6 minutes away from a BQ since she is turning 40 this year. So we decided to buckle up and go after that BQ.

I know what you are thinking, we must have been running crazy volume, 5 to 6 days a week right? Nope! Jessie got her BQ and an additional 8+ minute PR at this past weekend off of 4 days of running.

Yes, one needs a large aerobic capacity to be able to run a marathon well as well as a musculoskeletal system that can withstand the duration of the race. However, this doesn't all need to happen in one training cycle. I've been working with Jessie for 6 years now and every training cycle we have we make all of these systems stronger. It's like laying the bricks to make a beautiful home every training cycle.

Also, we have done higher volume training cycles off of 5 days of running in the past. Frankly, she was struggling to recover properly from all of that training in addition to being a mom of two young children, a teacher, a wife and a friend.

Stop asking yourself the question, "How much more can I cram into my schedule" and start asking yourself, "Can I recover from all I want to do?" And if you are unsure how to appropriately do this and are looking for someone to help you lay out your plan to train to your best ability, I would be honored to be your coach.

Big time congratulations Jessie! Next up, Hopkinton!

Www.rws-endurance.com

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As you become more competitive with yourself as a runner or athlete, it is so easy to lose your sense of identity. You become more fixated on paces and time goals and suddenly your life is fully only about running. All of a sudden, the joy of running is now gone and it's a chore or you get injured and you are deeply depressed because you cannot run or you miss your time goal and think why am I doing this?

It's so important as a runner to have other interests in your life. I enjoy playing tennis, riding my bike, hiking, drinking good wine, reading, going out with friends, watching movies and cooking. Whatever your other interests are, make time for them in your life. It's so important to have a round sense of identity so that when things are not going your way in your running life, you are ok because you are more than just a runner.

Looking for a coach to help you find balance and joy in your running life? I would be honored to work with you!

Www.rws-endurance.com

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