Love/Hate

Reminder of my BIG UPDATES:
1) The hormone & injury avoidance workshop "Runner's Recovery" will be on February 10th and I believe it will be a free online webinar. Email me back if you're interested!
2) I'll be co-hosting my first in person event with my FAVORITE ​physical therapist​ called "Race Ready Strength". It was be a 4 workshop series: Feb 12 & 26, March 12 & 26 in Denver that helps runners prep to be strong and healthy (so that you can be FAST) for spring races.
If you're interested in either, please let me know.

Onward!
Do the thing you hate.
Hills make you feel weak?
Speed seems scary?
Fear strength training will make you sore?
Long runs seem daunting?
Stretching feels too boring to actually do?
OK, but, you likely want to become a better running right?
And that fitness is likely on the other side of the thing you hate.
No amount of speed work will make up for a lack of endurance or vice versa.
More hill work won't help if your form sucks bc you're tight AF.
This is the year to finally embrace the exposure therapy and do that thing.
For me, it's more tempo and threshold runs.
I loooooooooove flyyyying around a track and even charging up hills.
But clocking in at pace that isn't top speed, but just really uncomfortable, for longish bouts of time... ick.
But fun fact, guess what races are 🤣
Not only will adding in more of "the thing" into the rotation help my mental toughness, but my easy paces will get faster, lactate threshold improve, but I'll be able to crush those speedy intervals even more.
What will you work on? Reply back to this email.


Finally, I want to begin ending these posts with an exercise form tip.


If you have any suggestions, please let me know!


Squatting? Turn your toes out: I was taught to assess someone's squat with their toes completely forward. And if I was learning that in a professional setting, I assume you've probably heard it around too.


Well. It's outdated.


Sure, maybe both of your femurs (quad/thigh bones) fit perfectly straight into your pelvis. But, especially if your hips were made to give birth, that's likely not the case. AND having your toes forward in that situation would actually put a lot of stress on your knees.


So. What should you do?


Get a pelvic exam and measure the angle of Femoral Anteversion...
OR
Stand with feet together and pointed forward. Then, slightly pick up your toes (keep your heels together) and squeeze your butt cheeks.


You toes may even turn out at different angles. That's fine, internally we're not exactly evenly balanced anyways.
​

But that's the angle I'd recommend for your toes when you squat.