Favorites

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Spring Favorites

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These past few months I’ve been ... 

Enjoying

  • Reading these novels:

    • Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline: What if your husband went missing and a year later you find him as a revival-tent preacher and he has no idea who you are? 

    • Eden Mine by S.M. Hulse: What if you wake up and find out your brother is not who you thought he was? 

    • The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: What if you could experience all the other lives you *almost* lived, if you had made different choices in your past? 

  • TV: 

    • Heartstopper on Netflix: The sweetest high school love story you’ve ever seen  

    • Hacks on HBO: The baddest comedian bitches you’ve ever seen  

  • Music: 

  • Podcasts

    • I haven’t been listening to too many podcasts recently, but I have been enjoying making one! Check out Don’t Talk To Me Unless It’s About This - the podcast of my musical, literary, and topical obsessions. 

    • Mind Over Miles is temporarily on hold, but if you haven’t listened to the first round of interviews I released with some incredible mother runners, check them out here! 

Growing & Being 

  • I find myself toeing the line between always wanting to learn and grow as a person, and letting myself just be who I am. My beloved life coach Darla helps me find that balance, her thing is all about “befriending your brain.” We don’t need to fight against ourselves, but we can befriend ourselves in the process of personal growth. Darla is a rock in my life and I’m excited to share that she has (a) written a book (!!) and (b) is hosting small coaching groups, so if you or anyone you know has ever wanted to dabble in life coaching, personal growth work, or any kind of therapy-esque journey, check this out! 

Eating

Moving

  • It’s summer which means it’s open water swimming season! If you’re in Portland, The River Huggers puts on a great group swim and can teach you everything you need to know about open water swimming. 

  • I’ve been trying to look at the seasons of the year more in relation to my running. I’m realizing I like having an early spring goal so that I *lovingly* force myself to run through the rainy winter, and the summer is actually a good time of year for less running, because there’s so much else I want to do - hike, swim, SUP, bike, etc. It’s healthy to have variety throughout the year, so I’d encourage you to think of the seasonality of your running! 

What’s going on at Tend Athletics

  • I love the clients I get to work with, they are always learning and growing so much as runners and humans. You are all so cool! If you want to be notified when I have new coaching spots open, you can sign up for my waitlist here. 

My April Favorites

This month I’ve been ... 

Enjoying

 
 

  • I was obsessed with Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and I think that was the fastest I’ve ever read a book 

  • I reread Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney and it was just as thought provoking the second time around 

  • This episode of “We Can Do Hard Things” that was technically about the enneagram, but in actuality was a mind-opening look at the difference between treating people how you want to be treated VS treating people how they want to be treated 

  • Two self exploration resources:

    • Ceremony Space by April Jay - A free community for people interested in a range of healing and reflective practices like seasonal ceremonies, creative workshops, guided meditations, and more 

    • The Befriend Your Brain workbook and group coaching programs by Darla Millstein - both of which start with the premise that you don’t need to be fixed

  • The Oregon Tulip Festival in Woodburn:

 
 


Eating

  • Chicken, Leek, and Rice Soup - simple and delicious 

  • Carrots with Labneh - I haven’t actually made this and it frankly looks pretty involved, but I had it at a restaurant recently and it was so delicious! I’m going to try one of these (one) (two) recipes. 

  • I’m in a bit of a cooking slump, so if you’ve got any favorite recipes to share, please send them to me! I’ll share any out in the next monthly wrap up newsletter. 


Moving

  • I have 3 more weeks until I run the Smith Rock Ascent 25K, which is the race I’ve been training for since the fall. My goal is to purely enjoy it. I’ve been very flexible in my training this month to adjust for travel or working out with friends/family who’ve been visiting, and it feels good to not hold too rigidly to a schedule. I’m taking a few days off of running right now because my foot’s been hurting. I’m nervous about that and at the same time telling myself what I tell my clients all the time - It pays off to be conservative early on with aches/pains, and try to find some joy in the variety of cross training in the meantime! 


What’s new at Tend Athletics 

  • If there’s one thing I want you to know about it’s ​The Runner’s Mastermind. I’m really excited about this small group mental training program that I’ll be running throughout the year, with the first cohort starting in June. The mental side of running is where all the interesting stuff happens!

 
 

  • ​You can find one of my Mental Training Plans for sale on Final Surge: use code TENDATH25 for 25% off 

  • I wrote this article for The Trail Sisters blog and this is the first time I’ve had my writing shared on another site so that feels exciting for me! 

  • The Mind Over Miles Podcast:

    • Alisa Harvey: It’s All Just An Experiment. Lessons from a Masters Runner with multiple World Records! 

    • Makenna Myler: Who Do I Want to Be When I’m Struggling? (my most listened to episode!) 

    • Claire Maxted: The Give and Take of Adventures and Business As a New Mom 

March Favorites

This March I’ve been.... 

Enjoying: 

Eating: 

Moving:

  • My long runs have been a looottt more enjoyable recently and I credit that to:

    • Planning new routes through parks and neighborhoods I don’t normally go to, or have never been to. The Strava Heatmap feature is great for seeing where people run and planning out your route. Some new places I’ve run in Portland are Scouters Mountain, Mt. Talbert, and Happy Valley Nature Park. 

    • I’ve been calling friends while I run! It keeps me running at an easy pace and I get to have a playdate while I run :) 

    • I take walk breaks whenever I need to - to refuel, check directions, just for a quick break.. It’s no big deal! 

  • Struggle to actually do your PT exercises? Me too! Until I started doing them as the warm up before my run. I consider myself a genius for this revelation that PT exercises are perfect warm up moves, and this is the most consistent I’ve ever been! I worked with a pelvic floor PT during pregnancy and in the first few months postpartum, and now I’m following a generic plan by Recore Fitness to maintain my core and pelvic floor strength. 

What’s New at Tend Athletics:

February Favorites

Here are some of my favorite things from this past month:

Moving:

  • I'm putting my Music + Movement recommendations in one place - you can try out my super quick strength routine or improv fartlek here.

  • I typically run 4 days/week, and on the mornings I don't run, I've been trying to get outside for a short walk with Ada in the stroller, sometimes just 5 minutes. It's not about exercise, but about starting the day outside.

Eating:

  • Things with cream! Somehow I've typically only made pastas with pesto or red sauce, how have I been missing this whole other world!? These two recipes are fairly similar but each uniquely delicious - One Pot Chicken with Creamed Kale and Basil Parmesan Pasta with Crispy Chicken.

  • I find most recipes don't seem to be a full meal on their own, but if I add either an extra carb (toasted sourdough, rice, pasta, potatoes), some roasted veggies (usually broccoli or cauliflower), protein (simply cooked meat, chickpeas, or pinto beans) or a salad, that's all it takes!

  • I got two new cookbooks this month - Cravings: Hungry for More (I was skeptical of a celebrity cookbook, but the best cook I know recommended it!) and Baked to Perfection for gluten free baked goods and breads.

Enjoying:

  • The book Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

  • Fiction podcasts! I can't listen to audiobooks, they go in one ear out the other, but I love being immersed in a story. I've been loving these for my long runs. My top 3 recs: Homecoming, The Left Right Game, and The Beautiful Liar

  • Non-fiction podcast: The Trojan Horse Affair

  • For a good laugh: Jeffrey Binney and Kendahl Landreth

  • Portland jewelry maker Natalie Joy, and she has an Earring of the Month feature with one beautiful pair on sale each month

  • Learning how to podcast! It's a steep learning curve but it feels good to be learning something new. The Tend Athletics podcast, Mind Over Miles, is about the mental lessons learned in life and running. The first two episodes are out now and I'll be sharing new episodes every Wednesday.

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Music + Movement Of The Week

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MUSIC:

Chelsea Jade’s album Personal Best. Her next album Soft Spot is out April 29!

MOVEMENT:

The only way I can get myself to do strength training is with a Tabata Timer. I use the free SmartWOD timer app, set a Tabata timer for 45 seconds work/15 seconds rest. Then I pick 5 exercises and go through them 1-3x. My strength work can happen in as little as 5 minutes, and never lasts more than 20.

Try these moves yourself:

  1. Shoulder Taps

  2. Single Leg Squat Side 1

  3. Single Leg Squat Side 2

  4. Crawl

  5. Basic Bridge

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Music + Movement of the Week

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Each week I recommend an artist to listen to and one idea for movement.

Movement:

Improv Fartlek!

You don’t need every workout to be so structured. Go out on a run of short to medium length for you, and try for 5 or 6 intervals in the middle of the run where you pick up the pace for about a minute. But don’t look at your watch! Just look in front of you and run to a certain house, telephone pole, or corner. Jog for a few minutes in between, but again, no need for a watch! Just be all like, whatever dude.

Music:

Kishi Bashi’s album 151a, start with Bright Whites:

And his album Lighght, start with Hahaha Pt 1 and Hahaha Pt 2:

January Favorites

Some of my favorite things from January…

Moving:

  • Jess Richburg Yoga: Simple cues and routines with no added chit chat - on Youtube for free or get more on her app

  • Quick and easy post-run strength: These take less than 5 minutes and I do them once/week right after a run

  • Forcing myself to roll out more - I aim for just 1 minute of rolling before and after runs, and if I watch a show at night I try to roll for at least a few minutes during! (Currently watching Ozark Season 4 and just finished rewatching all of Stranger Things)

Eating:

Enjoying:

  • I read State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (I almost didn’t get past the middle and WOW am I so happy I kept going)

  • I’m half way through Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason and I’m LOVING it

  • Everything Erin Azar does online - like honest accounts of cooking healthy food and running

  • Listening to Vampire Weekend’s first album, because throwback!

  • The Pop Up Pod by Nicole Antoinette: I have long loved Nicole’s interview skills and she’s got a new podcast that will explore one question per season. This season asks, “Should I get married?” which really means she’s talking to guests about the role of all of life’s relationships - with others and with ourselves.

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I'm writing a book, and i'd love your input!

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I’m writing a book about how runner mothers can use the tools of sports psychology to improve both their running and more importantly, their parenting, relationships, work, and life. 

There’s a lot of talk right now about the challenges of motherhood in general, and I think there is a place for that, but perhaps more for non-moms (aka their partners!) so they can understand the mother experience. For moms, I don’t think there’s enough emphasis on the superpowers that being a runner and a mom give you. There are countless lessons learned in running that lift up your parenting, and vice versa, and I want to highlight these stories.   

I’d love to get your input in this survey so I can learn more about what you’d like to see in this book!

The book will be a combination of:

• Stories from professional, elite, and recreational athletes, centered on common lessons learned in running and motherhood 

• Stories from partners or children of these mothers, sharing what superpowers they see in their partner/mom 

• How to use tenets of sports psychology in your daily life to improve not only your running but also your parenting and general outlook on life 

• Practical tips and advice on training, balancing a full life, and pregnancy/postpartum tips on topics like pelvic floor health

I want women to read this book and:

• Feel inspired by the stories shared and remember that they are capable of handling challenges and creating the attitude they want to have in life 

• Feel capable in using mental exercises based in sports psychology in their everyday lives 

• See themselves in the varying stories shared, while also learning from new perspectives

• Reflect on the challenges they've faced and how their running improves their parenting and vice versa  

• Feel educated and empowered to pursue their running in a healthy way physically and mentally 

• Laugh! Humor fuels my life, and who doesn’t love a good laugh?

One more time :) I’d love to get your input in this survey so I can learn more about what you’d like to see in this book. Thank you in advance if you share your thoughts!

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My Favorite Granola Recipe

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Ingredients:

Dry:

6 cups rolled oats

3-4 cups of any raw nuts - my favorites are a mix of slivered/sliced almonds and pecan halves

1.5 cups shredded coconut

2 tsp cinnamon

1.5 teaspoon salt

Wet:

2/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

2 egg whites (optional to make granola more clustered)

Etc:

2 cups golden raisins - to add after baking

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 250* F.

  2. Combine dry and wet ingredients separately first, and then together.

  3. Spread out in a thin layer on greased cookie sheets.

  4. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Mix every 20-30 minutes for even color and texture, or leave alone for more clustered texture.

  5. After cooled, add raisins.

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Runner's News Round Up

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This week, we’ve been thinking about the mental side of athletics, how we (do or do not) structure our days, and impending shifts in the sport of track and field. 

Mindset & Sport 

Why Optimism doesn’t mean “not being realistic,” and how you can start to change some of your pessimistic thought patterns. 

How a Growth Mindset can enhance your experience and performance as a runner. 

Chamique Holdsclaw, Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer, is hosting a new podcast called Tremendous Upside, where she interviews athletes about their challenges with mental health.   

Life Design 

Why does it seem every piece of advice is contradictory? And what you can do when you have no idea which voice is the right one to listen to. 

Deep down I think we all know it’s true, but often need to be reminded that life is not meant to be optimized or perfected. The human experience is messy and that’s okay.  

Speaking of messy, Madeleine Dore is a podcast host, writer, and creative community builder, and she shared some refreshing thoughts on creative routines in this interview. 

Mindset & Nutrition 

What is Intuitive Eating and How Runners Can Try It

Running Culture 

Sally Bergeson, Sarah Lesko, and Lauren Fleshman (pictured above) recorded a conversation about sponsorships in track and field - discussing the realities of it and their hopes for seeing it evolve. 

This article about how Love Languages Can Apply in the Workplace got us thinking about how coaches could use these “languages” to look at their team dynamics. 

 

 

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