My relationship with running has alway been a bit complicated.  I ran winter track in high school. I was a mediocre middle distance runner who stuck it out because I loved the camaraderie and the structure.  I also learned quite young that running was magical for combatting the melancholy that came with cold short days. I ran in college to keep my weight in check and as a young mother to relieve the postpartum anxiety that crippled me after my son’s premature birth.  I have run trails with my best friends and around the park with my dog, Penny. There have been times when it has consumed by thoughts and dreams, and just as many when I have been burned, betrayed and injured. I have run in races and fantasized about going farther. Running has been my fickle mistress and we are together again.

So here I am, creeping up on my 40th birthday and the spark is real.  I resumed a regular practice a while back and it has stuck. I am definitely a more mature runner; I am a bit more careful, but I am also a lot more consistent.  I am proud of the progress that I am making and look forward to how much more I can do.

Coaches Tips:

• Don’t be afraid to let people help you succeed.  Running is primal and intuitive, but there is also a tremendous amount of skill involved (posture, cadence, foot strike…) that will allow you to enjoy it even more… and hopefully stay injury free.

• Running alone is fantastic.  It’s meditative and healing, but so is running with other people.  Relationships that grow over the miles are beautiful and real. Enjoy a mix of both.

• TrueForm treadmills rule!  If you can’t get outside due to inclement weather or schedule, this is the absolute best way to go.  They are completely responsive to your body and running on this beautiful piece of equipment will make you a better athlete.

• If you haven’t already, read Christopher McDougall’s best seller, Born to Run.  It’s one of my absolute favorites!

• You don’t have to participate in structured races, but they are fun and give you concrete goals to work towards. “The reason we race isn’t so much to beat each other but to be with each other.”

I look forward to seeing you in the studio or on the road!

xoAngela