Tend Core Principle: Grow Within

Setting a goal and putting in work to reach it every day is a gift.

The path to our own success is not meant to be linear, and when we can embrace this we can find joy and flow in the process.

Athletic training provides an incredible opportunity to be reflective in all areas of life - relationships, work, hobbies, personal development...

All our athletes at Tend Athletics are supported as they go through the messy work of organizing their life to support their training, adjusting plans with purpose, and finding opportunities for growth amidst setbacks. All of these lessons can be learned in sport, and outside of it.

You may want to develop or deepen a meditation practice, begin journaling, build structures in your day to keep your energy and focus high, or find ways to appreciate your training instead of dreading it.

We take a holistic approach to coaching that is in reality a combination of running, life, nutrition and health coaching. We can’t imagine it any other way because if you’re not training the whole person, then who are you really training?

Tend Core Principle: Nourish & Fuel

While we may live in a world where people are more aware of the prevalence of eating disorders in a sport like running, this does not mean we’ve solved this issue. Many runners and athletes continue to struggle with an unhealthy relationship to food, confusion about healthy eating, and the challenge of eating well in a busy life.

You yourself may have felt overwhelmed by the flood of conflicting diet information coming out every day. “Go keto!” “Go paleo!” “Go vegan!” “Go sugar free!” ... there is A LOT to take in out there.

Many people can agree that nutrition advice can never be a “one size fits all” approach, and yet in the face of unsolicited advice and magical cures pushed in our faces, we forget that this is the truth and jump down the rabbit hole of the latest fad diet, eager to prove to ourselves that it works.

I work with every Tend athlete to examine not only their eating habits, but also their mindset around food. We cannot do one without the other. The food we eat affects our mood, energy, strength, immune system, capabilities, and more. I help runners make sure their food is supporting their training and bringing joy to their lives.

If you find yourself afraid of the kitchen, or time starved, I can help you develop habits and skills to get the food you want, how you want it.

Let food be a source of celebration and nourishment in your life and training.

If you want to learn more about forming a new relationship with food and moving away from diet culture and negative body image, check out:

Intuitive Eating

Burnt Toast

Health at Every Size

Maintenance Phase

Tend Core Principle: Optimize Recovery

Recovery is no doubt a hot topic today. There’s a new recovery technique invented seemingly every day, and someone is “swearing by” all of them. So how do you know what really works?

The truth is, there are few large-scale, comprehensive studies done on most recovery techniques that are specific to runners. The next time you see an article saying, “A new study shows...,” try to find the details of that study, and then decide if you still believe “studies show!”

What this means for you is that you get to rely on your own experiences as the best studies around. If you like to take a warm epsom salt bath after your long runs, and this makes you feel better, do it! If you know yoga makes you feel refreshed the day after a hard run, do it! All you need to know is if a recovery tactic helps you.

The even more refreshing news is that the simplest things will have the greatest impact on your recovery: sleep, a balanced diet, taking care of your mental well being, and most of all ... a smart, progressive training plan! The best training plans will keep your recovery in mind every step of the way by properly building speed, strength, and endurance within your current capabilities, while also gradually increasing those capabilities.

Recovery is both physical and mental, and in life we only have one “pot” of energy that we can draw from. So when work becomes hyper-demanding, this pulls from the same pot that we want to draw energy from for the run later that day. This can make training a bit of a song and dance, but one you can learn to embrace and appreciate.

As individuals, it can be nearly impossible to recognize our limits and acknowledge when we have overdrawn from our energy stores. This is where a third party like a coach, training partner, or good friend, can step in and help you take a look at the big picture.

When you keep the big picture in mind, you truly can optimize recovery. Instead of getting wrapped up in the latest supplement or rolling tool, you can appreciate the progress you are making in your training, prioritize sleep and nutrition, and make time for the things in life that fill you up and keep your mental well being high.

To learn more about these topics, I recommend the books Good to Go by Christie Aschwanden and Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker.

Boom, recovered.

Tend Core Principle: Vary Movement

You don’t need to run six days a week to call yourself “a runner,” and in fact, you stand to make great gains in your running by running less. To be a strong, resilient, life-long runner, it is essential to be a well rounded athlete first.

What does it mean to be an athlete?

Athletes move well, plain and simple. An athlete’s smart movement and intuitive connection with their body can only come through varied movement practices.

Training as an athlete could include weight lifting, swimming, barre, Crossfit, pilates, ice hockey, yoga, cycling, rock climbing, soccer ... the list goes on! You can and you should do more than just run.

All Tend Athletics training plans incorporate varied movement - some clients like to go to group fitness classes to get their variety, while others like to have a personalized routine they can do on their own, such as through weight lifting or swimming.