Simple Strength for Runners

One of the most important things you can do as a runner is strength training. Strength training will help you become a life long runner and run faster, farther, and with better form. It’s better to do something small than to do nothing at all, so don’t think you need a gym membership and 3 hours/week to start strength training.

What to strengthen?

For most runners, the most important areas to strengthen are your posterior chain (the back of your body - hamstrings, glutes, and back), core, hips, and shoulders. Strengthening these muscles will improve your form and therefore make you a more durable runner.

How to start a simple strength routine

Try taking 10-15 minutes 2-3 days/week for “prehabilitation” - preventative strength training specific for runners. You can do these exercises before or after your runs, and you don’t need any equipment. 

As you do these exercises - try to practice proper core engagement, which does not involve “sucking it in” as most people would have you believe! 

Repeat for 10-15 minutes, or 2-3 sets of: 

• 10-15 each side: Step Dangles

• 10-15 each side: Drinking Birds

• 10-20 each side: Dead Bug 

• 1 minute of Crawling, multiple directions 

• 45-60 seconds: Forearm or Straight Arm Plank 

Want even more strength ideas? Check out our full video library or learn more about a custom strength training plan.

Pause for Reflection: Optimizing your Day

What is one time of day that is particularly challenging for you? This could be a time of day you are most stressed, tired, anxious, etc… Perhaps it is your morning routine, the hour after lunch, the transition period between work and home ... 

Why do you think this time of day is so challenging?

What are 2-3 things you can do to make this part of the day easier? Be very specific so you can make these changes possible. 

Some ideas to consider:

• Stop for 30 seconds - close your eyes, take 5-10 breaths. 

• Make a list of things to do. Then do the easiest thing first.

• Listen to a favorite song and dance it out.

• Have a moment alone before starting a meeting or call. 

Mental Training for Runners

Most of us recognize that running is a mental sport, but how many of us actually have a mental training plan? Just as there are many ways to train for a marathon, there are many ways to train mentally. The most important part is having a clear goal and a plan to reach it. 

Here’s how you can focus on your mental training:

1. Pick one mental area you want to work on - such as finding motivation to run, sticking with it when the pace gets hard, being grateful for your body, or letting go of comparison habits.

2. Develop one or two strategies to practice during your runs. Write down these strategies in your training log, calendar, or planner so you will remember to not only practice them, but also reflect on how it went after. Stick to the same strategies for at least one month, if not two.

3. Record and reflect on how your mental training is going, in the same way you log your miles.

Example:

1. Goal: I want to go on a run even when I’m tired and don’t feel motivated.

2. Strategy: I will commit to running for at least ten minutes on the days that I’m tired. If that’s all I do, that’s fine! If I choose to go longer, great! (The trick here is that often once you’re out the door, you’ll be motivated to keep going).

3. Reflection: Each day that you planned to run, write down if you went or not. Whether you ran or not, reflect on how you were feeling at the time you were supposed to run, and how it felt to run or not run. Don’t beat yourself up or judge yourself here, simply take this information in to help you better understand what motivates you.

Here are a few strategies you can consider for your mental training plan: 

Goal: Finding Motivation to Run

Strategies to get you there:

• It’s often said that the hardest part of your run is getting past the mailbox - aka just getting out the door! Make at least starting to run non-negotiable and pre-planned: have your runs in your calendar, lay out clothing ahead of time, have snacks ready if needed for before or after, and tell yourself, “Just get out the door.” If you end up coming home after 10 minutes, that’s okay.

• Pick a favorite podcast or playlist that you only listen to when running

• End your run at a favorite cafe, restaurant, bookstore, thrift shop etc. 

• Make running an adventure - try a new trail or route! 

• Go with a friend or plan to meet a friend after your run

• Find an accountability partner who you can text before and/or after your runs 

Goal: Staying Engaged and Present while Running

Strategies to get you there:

• Notice your breathing, how your body feels, and the scenery around you - tune into all of your senses

• Re-frame what may feel like “pain” when you’re tired (not when you’re actually injured) as “a sensation” - it doesn’t need to be good or bad. It’s just a sensation. Let it be neutral.

• Try not to look at your watch too often - you could instead set a timer to go off when you should turn around, or plan a route in advance and leave your watch at home. 

• Think about what you’re grateful for when things get tough, and then smile. 

• Have an idea you’re trying to brainstorm or work through? Think about it on your run! 

• Celebrate small accomplishments throughout your run - like getting up a hill, saying positive thoughts, or waving hello to fellow runners 

• “Run the mile you’re in.” - All you can focus on is the step you’re taking now, without hesitation or anticipation of what’s ahead. Don’t start worrying that you can’t make it any longer, just take one step at a time.

Goal: Being Grateful for your Body

Strategies to get you there:

• Replace negative thoughts about yourself or your body with neutral thoughts such as, “I have a body.” “My body can walk/run.” “I may not see it, but my body is gaining strength each week.” The reason to choose a neutral statement and not a positive one is because your mind may struggle to make such a big leap in thinking. Start neutral, and overtime you’ll transition to positive thoughts such as, “My body is strong,” and “I am proud of what my body can do.”

• Write down one thing before and after each run that you are grateful for as relates to yourself or your body.

• When you start to doubt yourself mid-run, take 5 breaths as you keep moving, and think of one thing you are grateful for as relates to you or your body, such as, “I’m out here doing the work.”

General Life Mindset Tips

• You can also elevate your mental training by developing or strengthening an existing meditation practice. My biggest advice: Start small!

  • Start with just one minute/day and increase by one minute every week/month until you reach your desired amount. You don’t need to meditate for an hour or twenty minutes - five minutes might be plenty for you.

  • Find a time in your day when you’ll have a “cue” to remind you to meditate - such as a before you have your morning coffee/tea, right after you brush your teeth, before you eat a certain meal, etc.

  • You don’t need to “know how” to meditate. Simply sit in stillness, letting thoughts come and go, and focusing as best you can on your breathing. Some good beginner strategies are to count your breaths, repeat a word or phrase to yourself, try a strategy called square breathing, or picture a certain place/image.

  • You can simply set a timer and sit in stillness, or use an app like Insight Timer, which has a nice sounding chime timer and guided meditations.

Snap Pea Salad with Mint & Mozzarella

It’s easy to get bored with the same old salads and veggie sides. Here’s a fun way to enjoy crunchy, fresh sugar snap peas and radishes.

Ingredients

Serves 3-4 as side

1/2 lb sugar snap peas, tough strings removed

1.5 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp whole-grain or regular Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp minced shallot

1/2 lb fresh ciliegine mozzarella cheese (cherry-sized mozzarella balls), halved

1/2 small bunch radishes, thinly sliced

1.5 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves

Salt & Pepper to taste

Steps

1. Remove tough strings from snap peas and chop to desired size.

2. Blanch the snap peas. Here’s how: Add snap peas to already boiling water, cook for 1-2 minutes. Immediately drain and put snap peas in bowl of ice.

3. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, mustard, and shallot in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper as needed.

4. Combine snap peas, mozzarella, radishes, and mint. Then add dressing and mix.

5. Best enjoyed fresh, and can be stored covered in fridge up to 3 days.

Recipe adapted from The Kitchn.

Pause for Reflection: Proud

What are 3 (or more!) things about yourself that you are proud of? Try to think of qualities and characteristics more than accomplishments. 

Recall specific stories showing how you exemplify these qualities. 

Lastly, how can you practice and show these qualities today?  

Why Run: Trail Marathoner Elizabeth L.

At the end of March I ran the Golden Gate Headlands Marathon, which is a beautiful trail marathon in the Marin Headlands with views like this every step.

The course had 5,000 ft of elevation gain which is about the same as running half way up Mt. Hood - aka a lot. When I learned that the winning woman finished in 3:34 I was incredibly impressed and wanted to talk to her, so, I found and called up Elizabeth and got to learn all about the story behind such an amazing finish!

Elizabeth grew up in the Bay Area and played lots of sports as a kid, eventually focusing on lightweight crew in high school. She competed with the lightweight crew team at Harvard where she became a Two Time All American and her team won Nationals her senior year (2014).

She recalls the team’s fall training “triathlon” - erg 7.5k, run 6 miles, then finish with a full tour of the Harvard stadium steps. Besides this they didn’t run very much as a team but she has always loved running, and remembers running before school sometimes in elementary school just for the enjoyment of it.

After graduating, like most collegiate athletes, she wasn’t sure what her new athletic life would look like, and soon took up running. She had moved back to San Francisco to work as a consultant in the life sciences/biotech industry, and she had some of the world’s best trails and parks out her back door. She ran the San Francisco Marathon in 2015 (3:31) and the Boston Marathon in 2016 (3:25).

Elizabeth with the race’s signature trophy - a rubber chicken.

Megan and David Roche’s book, “The Happy Runner” has really changed Elizabeth’s perspective on training since college. She has come to truly love and enjoy the process of training each day. I haven’t read this book, but in hearing about it, I share the philosophy of enjoying and being grateful for your training, instead of being taken over by the pressure of it.

This marathon was her first trail race, and she started training with a loose plan in mind on January 1. She generally ran 50 miles/week, with one day of 45 second hill repeats, a medium long run on Thursdays (10-12 miles), a long trail run on the weekends, regular runs the rest of the week, and Mondays off. She would also do pilates or yoga on the weekends as what she called her “insurance policy” for injuries. Well said!

Elizabeth plans to run more marathons this year - both trail and road - with the hopes of getting a Boston qualifier on the roads. I have no doubt she will! Long term she’d love to do more mountain running and ultras. She will be moving to Hanover, NH in the fall to attend Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, and will have a whole new terrain of trails to explore there.

So why run? For Elizabeth, she loves how happy running makes her feel in the moment and when she’s finished, saying, “You’ll never feel worse after a run.”

Podcast Roundup 6: Recovery, Pain, and Scandal

This week’s podcast selections includes some not-sports related listens that were just so fascinating I wanted to include them too!

Work Play Love: Injuries, Stress Management, Biz Marketing: Lauren and Jesse answer questions about deciding when to change course and when to push through in the face of an athletic challenge, managing global life stress, marketing for a new business, and planning for starting a family.

Purple Patch Fitness: Develop a Recovery Mindset: We all hear that recovery is valuable, but what does that really mean? Matt Dixon offers several case studies to show the nuances of incorporating athletic and overall recovery into your life. Recovery will look different for every individual, and this podcast will give you some ideas for how you can practice recovery in your life.

Invisibilia: The Fifth Vital Sign: This episode looks at our culture’s reaction to pain and a unique pain management program to help teenage girls with something known as “amplified pain syndrome.”

The Dropout: The Story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos: This is a fascinating series recounting the entire Theranos journey, which we all know has ended in great scandal.

Hidden Brain: Emma, Carrie, Vivian: Less than 100 years ago, many US doctors were preaching eugenics and practicing forced sterilization across the country. This seems like a practice that shouldn’t have existed so recently, and yet it did - this episode tells that history.

Recover like an Athlete

You’ve maybe  said it yourself:

“I’m not flexible enough to do yoga”

“I don’t have time to do yoga”

“I’m not good at yoga”

There is no such thing as being GOOD at yoga, or stretching. You just do it, or you don’t. I believe an intentional “restorative movement” practice is essential to pursuing any athletic goal.

Not every yoga practice is beneficial for endurance athletes. Some classes are too physically challenging, so when people go to yoga as “a rest day,” they don’t end up resting. Some classes are too focused on intricate poses that won’t help you reach your goal of finishing your first 10k or setting a PR in your next marathon.

Anyone can work hard, but can you do what it takes to be truly ready for the next hard session? Most athletes are under-recovered and therefore under-performing. If you don’t let yourself fully reset, you can’t push it all the way on the hard days, and you end up training at a consistently mediocre level.

Try this weekly reset after a hard week of training in any endurance sport - especially running, biking, and/or swimming.

Pause for Reflection: Belonging

A question for daily journaling …

What would change if you accepted that you belong?

What is one thing that might have felt different in your day if you had truly believed you belonged at that moment?

...That you belong at work, that you belong in your workouts, that you belong in your event, that you belong in your city, that you belong in your family, that you belong in this universe ...

Podcast Roundup 5: Examining Addiction

Addiction can creep into many of our lives in seemingly benign ways. It’s not just drugs that are addicting - it’s social media, food, fitness and diet culture, chasing podium finishes ... Where is the line between a passion and an addiction?

Purple Patch Fitness: Matt Hurley - from Prison to Podiums: Triathlon coach Matt Hurley bravely shares about his history with addiction and how he has found healing through sport, family support, and realizing it’s more important for him to show up with 80% effort every single day, than to need to chase that 100%.

Work Play Love: DNF, Emotional Labor, Athlete Sponsorship: Lauren and Jesse answer listener questions and discuss finding a lasting intrinsic motivation to race, balancing life changes and training, and what to consider if you’d like to pursue an athletic sponsorship.

RD Real Talk: How to Use Intuitive Eating in Collegiate Sports: Intuitive eating is a mindset intended to create a healthy and positive relationship with food (read more here). Rachel Manor, sports dietician at UNC Chapel Hill, discusses how she helps college athletes adopt this mindset and improve their performance and connection to sport.  

Call Your Girlfriend: Instagram Anxiety: While this may not clearly relate to sports, I would argue that the way we interact with social media does affect our mindset and this in turn affects our athletic potential. Hosts Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman are best friends who call each other to discuss a new topic about work, politics, personal life, or pop culture each week.  

This American Life: Wartime Radio: If you listen to podcasts, you likely know how incredible the stories told by This American Life are. This episode traces the story of an American-supported radio station in Syria and a US podcast led by two recovering addicts called Dopey. It’s no accident that this is the second podcast I listened to in a week about addiction and recovery - I find these stories important, thought-provoking, and yes, also heart-wrenching. I think as a society we have a long way to go to truly understand addiction and how to support those who suffer from it.