Follow the strength and running blog written by a personal trainer and running coach from Dallas/Fort Worth for expert advice on running strength training and nutrition.
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STRENGTH AND RUNNING BLOG
Did you know how you talk to yourself can make it harder (or easier) to reach your goals? Are you self-compassionate enough? Can you have too much self-compassion? What the heck does poultry have to do with self-compassion?
What is involved in behavior change? We often don’t just decide to change then we do; it’s a process. It starts with our mindset and the stories we tell ourselves. Then, we must consider what skills we have and what needs to be developed, and then we can fine-tune our environment and social support for success. How can I generate the motivation I need to change?
When you train to run a marathon, it may require the development of new skills. Running is a skill, but are you considering the other skills that may need to be cultivated? I highlighted some important skills needed for marathon training: Time management, moving often, moving well, eating enough nutrients, getting enough sleep, having a growth mindset, and tolerating stress. What can you improve in your lifestyle to elevate your training?
Being a runner of a certain age is an image of a robust and confident runner in the best years of her life, aging actively to live her best life forward. With some planning, preparation, and a mindset shift, we can confidently be runners of a certain age!
Are you someone who feels the tension between what you should do and what you want to do and hopes to make better choices and decisions to enhance your long-term health? I will cover some tangible ways to revise your thinking, environment, situation, and habits for the best chances of success. People with greater self-control are more likely to achieve their goals
Before you start thinking about your goals for the new year, take some time to reflect on what worked (and what didn’t) in the year gone by with my quick start year-end reflection guide.
Join the nine-week healthy habits holiday challenge using discount code FREEFORFRIENDS.
Can I dig deep and find something to be grateful for in the midst of an injury that is preventing me from running?
What happened when I gave up alcohol for 1000 days? Spoiler alert: Everything got better.
Have you ever failed to achieve a health and fitness goal? Have you set your mind and intention toward a goal only to be derailed and let that goal fall to the wayside?
I'll show you how to set goals so you can always succeed if you stay committed to action. We'll discuss process vs. outcome goals and how to get the most out of both to overcome typical roadblocks and stay focused.
JANUARY 2020 STRENGTH AND RUNNING BLOG
Learn to avoid the comparison trap and to celebrate the P in PR by celebrating the small wins along your journey.
There are three steps to set up your environment for dieting success. 1. Clean out your pantry and fridge so the foods that are close at hand support your goals. 2. Go grocery shopping and buy the types of foods that help you achieve your nutrition plans. 3. Meal prep so that you have healthy foods convenient and available for when you are tired, late, stressed, and frazzled. Explore these blog posts for more tips for success.
You don’t have to overhaul your diet to see results and improvements in running performance. Instead, develop these habits to simplify your nutrition and diet strategy. 1. Eat minimally-processed foods. This alone will correct most issues with diets. 2. Eat adequate protein to support your goals. 3. Drink enough water. Simple enough to execute right away.
If you have questions about running and weight loss, I’ve rounded up the blog posts to help you with answers. Why do I gain weight during marathon training? What to do when your weight loss plateaus from running. Are you running for performance, or running for weight loss? And why it matters that you choose one. I finish my personal story of how I used running as part of my strategy for permanent fat loss.
Try this 30-minute speed-building ladder interval treadmill workout to increase your speed to train to run faster.
If you started running to lose weight, and it worked at first, but your results have stalled, this blog post can help you understand the reason why, and what to do about it to continue to see new weight loss results.
Most runners know that to improve performance and longevity in their sport, that strength training will help them run faster, get less fatigued, and help prevent injuries, but still, many don’t. I asked runners for their excuses so that I can help them overcome the obstacles that prevent them from doing runner-specific strength training. Follow along as I debunk common misconceptions about running and strength training.
If you have a couple of 5ks under your belt, it’s time to take your training to the next level. Follow this beginner 10K training schedule to progress from a 5K to a 10k in six weeks. The plan includes running workouts, runner-specific strength workouts, and rest and recovery days. If you’re willing to work for it you can cross the 10k finish line with confidence.
Often times, the thing that holds us back from achieving our goals is our own mind. Sometimes we hold limiting beliefs that block us from progressing forward. In this blog post learn to recognize limiting beliefs and overcome the resistance that holds you back. We are what we think. Is it true because I think it, act like it and make it so? “Whether you think you can or think you can’t…you’re right.”
Runners who strength train are stronger, faster, and have a reduced chance of injury. The five reasons runners need to strength train are to run faster, to run longer, to reduce injury risk, lose fat, and increase confidence. Learn more about runner-specific strength to improve performance
This 30-day strength training for runners challenge is meant to help you develop the habit of performing daily low-intensity strength exercises to improve your running performance and longevity in the sport. Are you up for the challenge?
Nutrition can be so confusing. One expert says to include fruit in your diet, and another says to eliminate it. If you are looking for a list of foods to avoid to stay healthy, the internet is full of them, but we should be listening to our bodies when deciding what makes us look, feel, and perform our best. Here is a list of foods you don’t have to avoid (if you don’t want to) to stay healthy. Learn to tune into your body’s feedback to determine which foods are best for you.
If you are a runner with big resolutions for the new year, I pulled together 10 blog posts that can help you reach your goals. Whether you want to run a faster 5K, your first 5K, or half marathon, get up earlier to work out, start strength training, or lose fat, I’ve got you covered! If you need more individualized run coaching, I am opening up a few more online spots.
Forget about cleanses and detoxes in the new year and instead make a sustainable resolution to build healthy habits over the next 31 days with this new year's challenge. No extreme behaviors required for successful completion.