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Run Coaching + Resilience Training

@itsjennymaier

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💻 Athlete Lab Virtual Studio
🏃🏼‍♀️ Coach + Movement Specialist for Runners
✌🏼 personal: @jennymaier
✈️ @run.together.retreats
💚 trainer @lagree_hd

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What’s the point if you aren’t having any fun?

Gave this some thought lately. Sure there is that aspect of challenging yourself, working for and reaching goals and staying fit. But training can be grueling. We have to constantly remind ourselves that we chose this. It is optional. And each day we choose to continue is like a re-dedication to the sport.

But it should be something you enjoy and want to do (at least some of the time). So lately I’ve been trying to remind myself that this is something I love and it brings me so much joy. And as a coach, I’ve seen that there is a high correlation between those that enjoy the process and are having FUN getting out there and training and those that continue to do so and are successful. Yes we need discipline to train well. But if your heart isn’t in it, neither will the rest of your body.

Here are some of my personal tips to stay mentally engaged and finding fun as a runner:

❤️ run events that speak to you. Whether that’s a Bay2Breakers centipede, a stage race through the mountains or a destination marathon, training for something you actually look forward to is hugely important in staying motivated.

❤️ stay connected to the community through running local races, maybe even the same ones every year so you see the same faces. Attend local events, talks and seminars. Join a group run or a running retreat. Volunteer. For me, volunteering at the @dipsearace is something I treasure so much. See you all soon!

❤️ Don’t take it so seriously. Have fun out there. See a snow patch? Roll around in it. A funny sign? Take a photo of it. Frolic. Smile. Running in the rain or climbing up a giant hill in 90 degree weather? Take glee in how much of a badass you are. Missed a run because life was happening? It’s just running.

❤️ Do you like things other than running? Maybe you want to do regular strength training classes or like riding your bike on the weekends. One of the biggest perks of having a running coach is being able to balance everything you love to do outside of running with effective training.

Or…just steal my uphill running mantra “you’ll like it a lot more if you stop hating it” 😉 by @itsjennymaier

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a year ago

After 8 years running Javelina, I have no plans to stop the streak any time soon. I 🌵 this crazy race.

Over a decade ago when I started running longer ultras with tells goal of getting into and running Western States, never in my wildest dreams did I think it would take this long 🤦🏼‍♀️. It’s been an endurance journey in and of itself. But just like the old saying says about enjoying the journey not the destination, I’ve found a race I look forward to more and more each year as my desire to run Western States takes more of a backseat. What started off as a means to an end, ended up being the main event.

With 128 tickets in the lottery this year, I’ll have a decent (but not guaranteed in the least) chance. And if I get chosen and finish States, it will be a dream realized. But I’ll still need to figure out how to make my way back to the desert in October.

📍 my favorite bench IYKYK
Thanks @yankerman for the snap 📸

@javelinajundred by @itsjennymaier

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a year ago

I’m glad we didn’t listen, look at what we would be missin’

Even after decades in the sport, there’s still nothing I’d rather do more than run. You’re still the one 😘✌🏼

Much love even though I have no toenails left. by @itsjennymaier

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2 years ago

I volunteered at the @daybreakracing Bachelor Ascent last weekend. 🦘🇦🇺 🐍 🏃‍♀️ 🐨

I was having a conversation the other day with someone in the trail running community and was trying to explain why I think volunteering is so important (beyond the fact that many races couldn’t exist at all without volunteers).

One of the biggest and most obvious reasons to volunteer is to give back. That goes without saying. If you’re a runner who benefits from good race support, it should really be a 1:1 ratio of times where you are on the other side of the aid station table. There’s very little keeping local races from closing shop or charging more if volunteer support did not exist so by you providing a half day of your time you are creating greater accessibility for the community to these events.

But another reason why I show up consistently is community. You are part of a larger community. Communal resources, community support, community connection. All of that stuff matters when you’re racing. It also matters in the long term context of you being a member of said community. You meet others. They meet you. You see familiar faces. They see you. You are no longer strangers. You have the ability to create positive experiences for those entering the trail or ultra community for first time as a racer or a fellow volunteer. One of the reasons why I love volunteering at local races in Bend is because if you are coming from out of town and this is your first experience in our community, we want you to leave it feeling like it was a good one and you would return. I feel a responsibility as a runner here in Bend to make it known that we care about others, our trails and want you to have a good experience.

And yes I volunteer at Dipsea every year too because I love that race and think it represents something so special to our sport. Plus, you cannot compete with the stellar team I get to volunteer with and spend the day with each June.

Bottom line : community matters. You matter. When you’re racing, how you treat other competitors matters. And when you are part of a smaller running community, it matters how you show up. But the first step is just showing up. taken in Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort, Oregon by @itsjennymaier

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a month ago

I’ve always said Lagree is one of the best exercises I’ve ever done which has helped me stay healthy as a runner. But here are 5 more things you can do that can also be beneficial!

⚡️the exercises your PT gives you to do before EVERY SINGLE RUN (5-15 minutes 4-6x a week)

⚡️heavy lifting with free weights or a barbell with a 75/25 split focusing a little more on eccentric strength movements (30-45 minutes 2-3x a week)

⚡️ basic postnatal core exercises, breathing exercises plus spinal and hip mobility work every morning or evening (5-10 minutes 6-7x a week)

⚡️ toe yoga and foot and calf strength exercises while at your standing desk or shower (3-5 minutes, 1-2x a day, 4-5 days a week)

⚡️ mixing trail running and hiking with vert into your runs if you normally keep it flat or on the road. Helps introduce ankle strength, lateral movement resilience, uphill and downhill strength and a potentially softer surface for less impact. If you’re mostly on the treadmill, add rolling inclines and don’t forget supplemental foot, ankle and hip stability work before or after.

Or just try Lagree bc that’s great too.

There’s no secret formula and most of us aren’t professional athletes and don’t have time to train all day so we have to pick and choose what works not only best but most efficiently. I’ve honestly found that adding in a little bit every day works better for most people than devoting a huge chunk of time to longer sessions or commuting to a group fitness class or gym. So if you’re strapped for time, know that there are things you can do, ways for you to multitask and options that work with your schedule.

Got more specific questions? DM me and let’s chat! by @itsjennymaier

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2 months ago

I’m finding myself super motivated and inspired after this last week in the Alps soaking in all the pre-UTMB excitement. You can’t help but look at this terrain, the people choosing to challenge themselves on it and putting in the hard work in training and on race day without finding that little spark within yourself too.

If you are feeling as inspired and motivated as I am after this weekend, I’m happy to announce I have 4 coaching spots available starting this fall. If you’re thinking about how to channel all that love for this sport that you feel on the livestreams and the stories of resilience from everyday athletes choosing to do hard things, a coach can help guide you in a safe and productive way.

Part of what makes my job so amazing is connecting with athletes who believe anything is possible and are willing to work to make magic happen together. Rachel Entrekin once asked herself “Why not you” ahead of her Cocodona 250 win. Next time you want to tackle something big and scary ask yourself the same question and while we all can’t be Rachel 👑, we can all be that version of ourselves that seeks to see what we can do if we are brave enough to try. taken in Val Ferret - Mont Blanc by @itsjennymaier

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2 months ago

OOO

I’ll be back on the mic on the 30th @lagree_hd central. Thank you to my wonderful subs for holding down the fort while I’m away. by @itsjennymaier

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2 months ago

Patience has never been my strongest suit. For better or worse, I prefer action to waiting and am not particularly good at letting things run their course on due time.

But not everything is controllable. Some things take time. A plant can’t grow from a seed to flower overnight no matter how much water, nutrients and sunlight you give it. A cake doesn’t bake faster because you crank up the oven. Maybe there are reasons why I am not a gardener or a baker. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Though just because I don’t gravitate towards those things doesn’t mean I can’t eventually see value in growing a bit of acceptance and appreciation beyond just tolerance for the things that take time.

Healing my broken rib is definitely one of those things. Trying to get into Western States 100 has been another one — a journey so far of over a decade for me. If I’m being literal, waiting for my coffee from Still Vibrato each morning has also been challenging 😂. I’ve always seen the value in slowing down, taking pause. But patience is not just slowing down. It’s also not just waiting. It’s working towards something that can’t be rushed. It’s allowing the things that take time to take time. It’s not cranking up the oven thinking it’s going to bake a cake faster. Or that if it does, that faster is always better.

In a way, patience is the way of endurance runners. We aren’t redlining from the start. We know the race is a long one and we know that pacing ourselves is rewarded. There’s no sense in winning the first 10k of a 100k race. So maybe it’s been in me all along and just as we grow out of things as we age, it just took some time to recognize it. Maybe it’s a bit ironic that in my younger years, I ran track and was a sprinter and in my older age, I run ultras.

So to the people in my life who continue to support my crazy ideas and tolerate my very poor gardening skills (in both the literal and metaphorical sense). Thanks for being patient with me too.

📸 track is actually a place where faster is better 😜 by @itsjennymaier

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3 months ago

It’s been nearly 7 weeks since I broke my rib by slipping off a counter (and landing on the edge of said counter) in my van before Memorial Day Weekend. The recovery has been both quicker and slower than I anticipated

Within a week and a half after I broke my rib, I was able to do a very modified Lagree class (no planking, pushing, side lying or rotations) and felt about 7/10 normal on my easy short runs. This was promising! I also did daily sauna and cold plunge. The sauna did nothing for me but the cold plunge definitely helped.

By three weeks, I was able to sweep Dipsea and get in some very short trail runs and hikes with a light pack and breathing deeply felt less painful. I had regular PT appointments and tried to focus on rehab as much as possible. After a month, I was feeling like this is going so well. I felt optimistic that I’d be back at it at no time.

Then came the dreaded diminishing returns. The last 10-20% of recovery has been like a slow fading half life each tiny step of progress getting smaller and further apart.

I’m 7 weeks out. I still have a boney lump on the side of my rib where the break was that is sensitive to touch. I still can’t breathe super deeply while running therefore my heart rate on said runs has been abnormally high. I’m finally able to hold a plank on my hands and toes for 30 seconds without pain and can do push ups on my knees. I can do weighted rotation but things like lat flys or any pushing or pulling heavy motion where my elbows are away from my body are sort of dicey. At Lagree, I don’t do any core at the back. I still can’t run with poles effectively or carry a fully loaded pack.

When they said 6-10 weeks, I think it meant 6 weeks to returning to normal activity and those last 4 weeks are the variable final 10%-20%.

I’m honestly so grateful to know as much as I do about my body and have the resources to rehab this properly. It put a huge kink in my race schedule but all in all I’m very thankful things seem to be chugging along. This process has taught me so much patience and given me a mental reset that probably should have been taken a long time ago but the universe works in magical ways like that. by @itsjennymaier

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3 months ago

Thanks to @mtmackers and @sfrunco we are getting the flock back together again for fun runs, race meetups and more.

If you were a former BayBird back in that 2014-2017 era and you want to reconnect with others on the team as well as new members in the community, send me a DM. Even if you aren’t local anymore, we would love to hear from you.

📸: 2016 birds by @itsjennymaier

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7 months ago

I could say something really motivating for the new year to match this Rocky-esque photo. But this is what I’m going to say instead —

When it comes to your training, you’re going to have good years and you’re going to have bad years. You’re going to have good moments in bad years and bad moments in good years. We live in a world where things ebb and flow constantly. There’s no such thing as a constant upward trajectory. Nor should there be. So whatever you thought about the year you had, take it for what it was, accept it, learn from it and celebrate it. Look back just enough to sit with it and then get amnesia. Let yourself evolve and not dwell too hard on shortcomings or failures and not lean into too much complacency when it comes to successes.

Successes, failures, wins, losses and even the very ho hum moments in between are ephemeral. And while we can often feel like we are at the top of the mountain or the low of the valley, we are usually somewhere where our own view cheats us out of true perspective.

So as you move into the new year, do so with bravery, humility and sometimes realizing that we are exactly where we need to be, even when it doesn’t feel like it.

Ok, I guess that feels motivating enough. Happy New Year! by @itsjennymaier

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10 months ago

Recipe for happiness: friendship, trails and sunshine. by @itsjennymaier

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10 months ago