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Tara Postnikoff | Coach, Nutritionist, Triathlete

@healtoronto

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Integrated coaching + nutrition for your best performance
For runners & triathletes who want more!
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For athletes who want more from their training than a finish line!

Your 2027 goals don’t start on January 1. They start with the decisions you make now.

Whether you’re looking for 1:1 coaching + nutrition, a focused consultation, or a training camp to take your preparation to the next level, let’s build a plan that brings your training, nutrition and recovery into sync.

Let’s talk about what you want to accomplish in 2027. by @healtoronto

With HEAL celebrating its 20th anniversary this month, it felt like the perfect time to properly introduce myself for everyone who's joined this community over the years.

I'm Tara, founder of HEAL.

What started as saying yes to training for a half marathon with a friend eventually became a career helping others discover what they're capable of.

Twenty years ago, after dealing with two herniated discs and leaving my job, I took a leap of faith and launched HEAL. I had no idea where it would lead.

Since then I've had the privilege of helping thousands of athletes and active adults improve their health, train for their first races, qualify for championships, complete marathon, and accomplish goals they once thought were out of reach.

But what I'm most proud of isn't the races.
It's the community that's been built along the way.

To every athlete, client, camp participant, workshop attendee and supporter—thank you! Your trust has allowed me to spend the last 20 years doing work that I genuinely love.

And the best part?

I'm just as excited about the next chapter as I was about the first.

Thank you for being part of the HEAL story. 💖

I'd love to hear your story too. How did your endurance journey begin? Or, if we've worked together over the years, what's one moment or accomplishment you'll always remember? Leave a comment below.

If you're curious about the full HEAL story, I've linked it in my bio. by @healtoronto

Medal Monday! @kcarlin123
Another reminder that it's about so much more than the race. 🗽🏃‍♀️

Congratulations to Kim on completing the New York City Marathon for the second time!

Kim is one of those athletes who gets the work done. She's consistent, disciplined and incredibly dedicated to her goals. Even a sudden treadmill stop and the knee injury that followed couldn't derail her determination. When that knee flared up again on race day, she dug deep, stayed focused and kept moving forward until she reached that finish line.

But what I love most about Kim's running journey is her WHY.

As recently featured in the Toronto Star, Kim isn't chasing podiums. She's chasing the opportunity to make an impact on her own life and inspire the women around her.
What started 20 years ago as a way to get healthy has grown into something much bigger: community, mentorship, personal growth and joy.

And that's what makes this journey so powerful. It's not just about what you accomplish for yourself, but the people you inspire along the way.

Kim, congratulations on another NYC Marathon. Thank you for showing other women what's possible and reminding us that the impact we make can be just as meaningful as the finish lines we cross.

Here's to running with purpose, inspiring others and always finding joy in the journey! ❤️ by @healtoronto

Its another marathon weekend for the HEAL team. @kimcarlin is off to NYCh to run in the BIG APPLE. It's her second time running this event (first time was 10 years ago!)
Have a great race Kim and enjoy the apple at the finish line! by @healtoronto

Knowledge is power.

When it comes to hydration, guessing isn't a strategy. Your sweat contains valuable information that can help you make smarter decisions about how much fluid and sodium you need to replace during training and racing. But here's the thing: your sweat losses are unique to you.

Three athletes. Three testimonials. Three examples of how understanding your individual sweat sodium concentration can help take the guesswork out of your hydration strategy.

Because when you know more about what you're losing, you can make more informed decisions about what you need. Curious about your own sweat sodium levels?

How salty are you? 🧂 🧂 🧂

Book your sweat test with HEAL and start personalizing your hydration strategy.

🔗 Link in bio for details. by @healtoronto

Before you plan your next season, look back at the one you just finished.

As endurance athletes, it's easy to move straight from the final race of the season into planning the next big goal.

But before you set new targets, take time to reflect on what worked, what didn't, and what you learned along the way.

If you're an endurance athlete, here are 5 questions to ask yourself:
1. What are you most proud of this season, and why?
2. Where did you make the most progress?
3. What challenges or setbacks did you face, and what did you learn from them?
4. How well did your training and lifestyle work together?
5. What would you change to keep progressing?

Your race results tell part of the story. Your training consistency, nutrition, recovery, and ability to balance sport with the rest of your life tell the rest.

The goal isn't to dwell on what went wrong. It's to understand what you can build on.

Because your next season shouldn't just be about doing more. It's about figuring out what will help you move forward.

Ready to make your next season your best one yet? Book a coaching consultation with HEAL to talk about your goals and how integrated training and nutrition coaching can help you get there. by @healtoronto

Psst--> The training you do now matters!
You don't have to wait until January to start working towards your 2027 goals. Starting now gives you a head start.

It's time to work on your weaknesses, build your aerobic base, develop strength, durability and resilience, and establish the habits that will support your training when things get more demanding.

It's also an opportunity to practise fuelling, try new products, prioritize sleep and recovery and make adjustments without the pressure of an upcoming race.

You don't need to be doing more. But you should be intentional about what you're doing.

Because the work you put in now can make a difference when it's time to build, sharpen and race next season.

Starting now is also about putting yourself first. Making time for your goals instead of waiting for the perfect day, the perfect schedule or the new year to roll around.

Your 2027 season doesn't start in January. The groundwork starts now.

Ready to get started? If you're looking for support with your training, nutrition or both, send me a DM.
Let's talk about your goals for 2027 and how we can work towards them together.

HEAL | Nourish. Perform. Accomplish. by @healtoronto

I know it’s only Monday but I’m sure you’re thinking of the weekend already because we gain an hour of sleep this Sunday… right? 😴⏰. The clocks fall back, but that extra hour doesn't guarantee better sleep. Changes to our sleep schedule can disrupt sleep timing and quality.

Athletes sleeping less than 8 hours per night were 1.7x more likely to sustain a sports injury than those sleeping 8+ hours. When sleep duration decreased while training load increased, one study found a 2.25x increase in injury hazard.

Sleep is an important part of managing training stress and supporting recovery. For athletes, sleep isn’t just downtime. It’s when recovery, adaptation and performance happen. Too little sleep or poor-quality sleep can affect energy, mood, reaction time, training quality, perception of effort and recovery.

A few reminders for the week ahead:
💤 Keep your sleep and wake times consistent.
🌞 Get natural light early in the day.
☕ Be mindful of late-day caffeine.
🏋️ Pay attention to how you feel before pushing intensity.

You can't out-train poor recovery. Protect your sleep, support your adaptation, and give your body the opportunity to get stronger.

How do you protect your sleep? by @healtoronto

Wheeling into the weekend like… 🚴‍♀️💨

Good roads. Big climbs. Long descents. And six days of riding in one of the best cycling destinations in the world.

That’s Girona camp. 🇪🇸

Five rides. About 6,000 m of climbing. Swims. Runs, Chats. Great food.

A crew of like-minded athletes. And the kind of experience that stays with you long after you’re home.

Girona Camp 2027 is calling.

Who’s ready to ride? 👀 by @healtoronto

Think a sweat test means another exercise test? Think again.

At HEAL, the sweat sodium testing is simple & straightforward.

Here's what to expect:
💧 First we stimulate your forearm to produce sweat ~5 mins
⏱️ You'll sit comfortably for approximately 10–30 minutes while the sample is collected.
🔬 Your sweat sodium concentration is analyzed by medical grade equipment
📊 We'll review your sodium sweat concentration result and discuss what it means for your hydration and sodium strategy.

No needles. No exercise. No need to show up sweaty from a workout.

It's a simple way to get information about your own physiology and start making more informed decisions about hydration.

Ready to find out your number? Reach out, and we’ll find out how salty are you? by @healtoronto

Just like training, nutrition gains are made NOW.

Your training likely doesn't look like it did in the summer, and your nutrition shouldn't either.

If you're done racing and cutting back on overall training volume, your nutrition needs to adjust, too.

With more free time on your hands, it's an excellent opportunity to focus on:

🥗 Meal prep to make consistent, balanced meals easier.

🌈 Food diversity by including a wider variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.

🥦 Getting more veggies (think 2 cups with meals as a starting point).

🍳 Prioritizing protein especially if you are restricting calories for body re-composition purposes

⚡ Matching your fuelling to your training. Not every workout needs a high-carb sports drink or gel, but long and intense sessions still deserve appropriate fuel.

🔍 Addressing nutritional gaps and building habits that support your health, not just your performance.

Use this time to build a solid nutrition foundation, so you're not scrambling to make changes when training ramps up again. You don’t have to tackle all 6 right now. Pick 1, max 2 habits at a time for best success.

The work you do now can help set you up for next season success.

Where do you think you struggle this time of year?

Need help? Reach out, we’re here to assist you in your nutrition and training goals!

Now is the time to make use of your extended health care benefits! by @healtoronto