Road vs trail, squad goals and aligning the planets

Fourteen years ago, I ran a 50K where everything clicked. My body showed up, my training showed up, my mind showed up. I ran beyond my expectations and set a big PR. It was a rare alignment of the planets.
And yet, out of 60+ races I have done in my racing life, that day stands out.
There’s one 100-miler I’m deeply proud of. One marathon where I still think, “was that even me?” But then there is the race where I panicked because I didn’t have enough water and watched my “good time” dissolve in real time. The too many races where I moved so slowly it felt like I had stopped mid-race to knit a sweater. And then there are the many, many races that fall into that forgettable middle ground of fine, meh, unremarkable.

If you are an endurance athlete, this may sound familiar.

Most of the athletes I coach carry similar stories. A few shiny happy highs, a handful of real bummers, and a long stretch of unremarkable races that didn’t quite meet expectations. And the thing is, when you choose a sport/life/hobby like running and you pair it with a personality that is driven/focused/perfectionist, satisfaction becomes elusive.

When you train so hard and for so long it makes expectations rise. Mistakes feel less acceptable. And then what for many people and even for you in the past would have been the raddest day ever becomes the "oh whatever". You don’t just want to just finish, you want to SHINE! And most days, it doesn’t all come together because the thing we are doing is so damn hard.

So, if your next race feels meh or your time seems like you stopped midrace to bake a cake, you’re not doing it wrong. You’re doing a TOUGH sport. Keep chasing the alignment of the planets!

And keep chasing strength. Join me on Wednesday night for Strength Training for Runners. Live to your screen and always free. Stay home, get strong. 

ROAD VS TRAIL
Love this graphic from Semi-rad on road vs trail. ROAD: "I am going to eat a big meal after my race." TRAIL: "I am going to eat a big meal during my race." 

SQUAD GOALS
Growing up women's sports had a every woman for themselves feel to me. It seemed like women had to fight each other for a small piece of a pie that was not made for them. While there are so many examples of how that has changed in recent years, this brought me to tears watching it, reflecting on it and I am still cutting onions the day after. Yeah, Jordan Chiles is incredible BUT the WHOLE TEAM behind her with her routine memorized, doing the moves and cheering her on, THAT is the energy I hope you are all bringing to your group runs and to your friend's A-races.

FIX YOUR FEET
Some resources that will really help when it is time to fix your feet or prep them for a long race. 

• https://www.wser.org/foot-care/ Great videos for correctly taping feet. 
• Salty britches ointment for chaffing is pretty great. 
• But in desert places, I like to use Two Toms Blistershield. 

NEW PRODUCT ALERTS

• Skyflasks from HydraPak. For fast fueling in a handheld. 
• These Peak Performance layers are new to me and seem effective. 
• I used a Mountain Hardware Airmesh hoodie in Sweden and I have never had such a light yet warm layer, the only thing I brought that wasn't wool. 
• Potatoes, in a bag for endurance endeavors. 
• A mother-daughter team is reinventing the gaiter. But it is puffy? Seems more for a hiker who lived through the aerobics craze and wants to go back there. But it is a new concept for sure!