Podcasts about coach mk fleming

Coach MK livestreams the #WeeklyWins and answers the questions of Fitness Protection members each week. They are a lot of fun, super informative! This week, Coach MK talks about cold weather running gear and the outlook for 2021 races.    #WeeklyWins - 3:10 Runner Interrupted ReBuild Char Gore woke up to pouring rain, but decided she wasn’t going to let that stop her from getting her run in.  Managed 3 miles with her pup in the rain. Char Gore has 2 wins this week!  She had her 3 month post cancer treatment appointment and all signs point to it being completely gone! She was able to start running again in October and said “she can feel the strength coming back - I even love tackling hills because it is a tangible sign that I am stronger.  In 2021 I'm excited to be a beast!” Maintain Brenda Haskill had some great cross country skiing lately.  She said she hit 33 miles of skiing this week for my staycation holiday! Crazy and fun.  I’ll be back to running Monday-Friday due to work and skiing on the weekend. HR training with FPP all year sure made my ski season a lot better and I adapted to it so fast. I’m skiing uphill like a beast right now!

Coach MK livestreams the #WeeklyWins and answers the questions of Fitness Protection members each week. They are a lot of fun, super informative! This week, Coach MK talks about Romjul and more details about Slow Buring starting in January.   #WeeklyWins - 13:18 Runner Interrupted ReBuild Brenda Haskill has had some huge Personal accomplishments for 2020 she :

Coach MK livestreams the #WeeklyWins and answers the questions of Fitness Protection members each week. They are a lot of fun, super informative! This week, Coach MK talks about Slow Burn starting in January.    #WeeklyWins - 9:35 Runner Interrupted ReBuild Christine Lancaster felt good about the amount of running she was able to get in during the month of November. Brenda Haskill found her run helpful in shaking off the anxiety caused by a bad dream. Beth Hobson has been a badass at work and is excited about turning her badassery towards her running since her work is calming down. Maintain Corina Terry had a great run where she listened to Christmas music while she ran.

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK talks about FPP during the holidays.    #WeeklyWins - 8:57 Runner Interrupted ReBuild Alicia Budd, ran a virtual 10k today. She said “it didn’t feel great but I am so happy that almost exactly 4 months after major surgery I ran a 10k. 2020 won’t get the best of me!!!!” Char Gore listened to her body.  Her mind wanted to run an hour but her body said 45 minutes was enough and she honored that! Kristen Frazier said “I LOVE starting thanksgiving with a run, and as it’s only once been with an official turkey race it’s no big deal to do a 5k on my own!  The sun finally came out today after a week of grey, Rainey grossness, and my daughter decided to join me!  It’s been weeks since I really ran, so the fact that I pulled off a 5k with relatively little waking was a MASSIVE win!  (Kept my heart rate under 140 to be smart). All good.” Maintain Corina Terry had a great long run.  She said “ Yes! I felt so good today! I almost made it the full 2 hours I was going to run, but cut it short by 11min. That’s okay. I hit a hill on my run 2ce, so I feel like that kinda makes up for it” Daniel Faltyn did a Thanksgiving virtual half and found that Alice’s Restaurant made the perfect running song for him that day! Trisha Thome ran a virtual turkey trot and said it was great fun to pick up the pace for a little bit as she’s been slowly returning to running after her broken toe.   Questions - 13:42 ReBuild - 13:42 For the Return to Hope event on the 3rd - what time will that be? What time zone? Can Mr. MK share another holiday drink recipe this year? Maintain - 15:08 I feel really sluggish when I get my period. Any tips for putting the pep back in my step? Are you even thinking about racing this year?   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK answers a question about if there is any correlation to feeling horny after a run.     #WeeklyWins - 26:17 Runner Interrupted ReBuild Amanda Bailey’s husband is taking some time off to help with their kids who are out of school again because of the pandemic.  This time means more breathing room for both of them and more sleep and running for Amanda. Kristen Frazier is making space for more boundaries with her loved ones which have been good for her mental state Melissa Yakuzo is back and rebuilding Maintain Sara Seeburg has been having to do more inside runs but the treadmill is growing on her   Questions - 30:28 ReBuild - 30:28 Is there a foam rolling move for the hamstrings? Mine feel tight/sore so was wondering if I could torture (I mean help) them with some foam rolling. I can’t believe I’m asking for more foam rolling! Starting back from scratch - run/walk keeping my heart rate down. If only one glute is tight what strength is the most important for me to be doing? ❤️ Melissa Maintain - 35:27 Please answer in your best Dr. Ruth voice...so sex...there seems to be a positive correlation with me. After a strong good run, I have a strong good, well evening? I mean most of the time I'm already lubed up so I've got that going for me. Not sure there is a real question here, just a topic for conversation. Thanx. It’s not taking me as long to warm up even with the temperatures dropping, can I cut my warm-up shorter?   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK talks about returning to hope snd not returning to crazy expectations.    #WeeklyWins - 30:06 Runner Interrupted Char Gore is planning on A Turkey Trot as her post-cancer goal race. She said “ since our local one is canceled my family and I are doing our own too! I am trying to do matching bibs so we'll see how that goes.  And my mom is crocheting our dog a Turkey coat!” ReBuild Brenda Haskills husband had a much-needed surgery and after a couple of rough nights, she and he both slept! Her Hubby slept and actually didn’t flop around because his nerve pain is gone and meds are helping with procedure pain. The next day she had a beautiful run in stellar sunshine. Stride sandwich for me! Amazing how you feel after a proper restful night. Alicia Budd had a great run this Saturday. She said she’s “Still working back up after surgery in July and today felt like a “real” run for the first time since then. I’m doing run/walk intervals and they’re feeling great. It was also wonderful to smell bacon and laundry. Somehow those smells just make me smile.” Maintain Coach Nikkia ran a half marathon this morning!   Questions - 35:14 ReBuild - 35:14 Hi, I’m unfortunately in a place with my body where I’m more of a runner interrupted than a runner.  I’ve started doing some Pilates at home (we can’t go to the studio where I am right now) and it is going well.  I know you have experience with it and wondered if you had any suggestions for how to have the best experience. I’m needing some encouragement.  I’m in a season in life where the most running I can get most days is 20-30 minutes and while I love it it’s not easy to even carve out that time.  I’m feeling like I’m not getting enough running to make any real positive impact.  Is there any benefit to continuing to work to find 20 minutes of running? Maintain - 44:14 I ran a race today and as I woke up from my nap, I realized I had totally gotten out of any kind of recovery routine.  Can I get a refresher on race/hard effort recovery! I’ve been a one-shoe runner for most of my running life, but am thinking about getting a lighter less cushioned pair for races and faster runs and keeping my regular pair for everyday training.  Is there a benefit to this and what do I need to consider if I go this route? Thanks!   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

#AskAway 10/18/20 Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK talks with Dan Faeltyn about his half marathon and answers questions about winter running.    #WeeklyWins - 18:56 Runner interrupted Char Gore says “October is my month! I just finished nearly one year of cancer treatment.  Chemo, radiation,  and surgery are all behind me now. The last few weeks of treatment were horrible. I was weak and sick. Build ReBuild Amanda Bailey is Happy to report she’s been able to get my early morning running mojo back this week and ran Tues, Weds, and Thurs in the dark. She said she’d been struggling to get up for the last few months so was really glad she could do it this week and It always helps her day be better.  Kristen Frazier went on a trail run and wanted to keep going when she hit the halfway point rather than turning around. She’s been really happy with how her running is going lately Maintain Sara Seeburg got in a 90 minute run with her BRFs. She said “Running with these two, as hard as it is some days, always does my soul good!”   Questions - 23:29 Maintain - 25:32 I'm planning to do a Yeti type challenge on November 21 (so 6 weeks from now), doing a 5k 6 times in 24 hours. I've been following maintain and completing 90%+ of my runs since May. Is there anything extra I should be doing to prepare for this? Thanks! Build - 29:48 Hi coach. I've noticed my knees have been achier on runs in the mornings and the weather gets colder. Is this normal, and are there any preventative measures I should include? Hey! I'm ready to start talking about winter running. My morning runs are getting quite cold (sometimes below freezing) and I have been layering up successfully to keep my core a nice temperature. The problem is my hands. They never seem to get warm and the only mitts I have are designed for cold Canadian winters. Do runners wear special gloves? Also, do people wear the same shoes when the snow comes? ReBuild   MK's Would Of Been Email -  39:49   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!  Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK talks about Runner safety, anemia, and canceled races.    #WeeklyWins - 8:16 Build ReBuild Erin White was excited to get in a lunch break walk on a Gorgeous day because of a work cancellation Amanda Bailey got in her 30 min ee in some rain, but actually enjoys dark, warm, rainy runs Christine Lancaster is still getting her lane 1 workouts in even though she is having a flare-up and is in pain! Maintain Sara Seeburg did her first strength class in a LONG time and is feeling the burn! Daniel Faltyn’s move is finally official.  The movers brought his things from NYC Trisha Thorme celebrated her kid's 15th birthday!   Questions - 13:03 Build ReBuild - 13:33 I just found out that I am slightly anemic. I’ve started an iron supplement regimen but was wondering if you had any advice on how to handle my workouts until my levels are back to normal. Thank you!   Maintain - 16:19 Thank you for the feedback last week about running schedules.  I’ve been thinking about it and here is how I think I would best like to structure my week.  Run Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and off Friday and Sunday.  With my work schedule, Saturday is the only day I can run longer than 60 minutes in one shot and still meet all of my family obligations.  How do you suggest I organize the workouts for the rest of the days.   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK talks about overstress, SAD, and the cortisol connection.    #WeeklyWins Happy Birthday Nicole Uhle Links-  Fitness Protection QuarantTeam Dr. Bruce Rabin Videos Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, Twitter, and Twitch simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK answers questions about running after an injury, guided DIY coaching, and building running endurance.   #WeeklyWins - 20:08 Runner Interrupted Build JJ Jensen managed a longish run despite the extreme heat ReBuild Kristen Frazier’s knee is improving and she is slowly working back into movement Kim Lachane got some great movement in this week despite some health setbacks Maintain Daniel Faltyn has officially reached the running gear requires its own suitcase level of runner! Corina Terry had a great in-person half marathon  From Erin Nason “I can't even call it a weekly win, but more of a life win! My little guy, who is 10, has low muscle tone and developmental delays. He's the best.  When he was teeny tiny, I was so worried about whether or not he would ever walk, talk, or do anything neurotypical. He is amazing at a balance bike. One of the plusses of this quarantine is that we discovered he loves riding his bike on trails and he's actually pretty good at the easy trails. I have a hard time keeping up with him when I'm walking.  Well, we did our first "run" together.  We went 2.5 miles on the trails and have done it a few times since. I wasn't sure if we would ever be able to actively share this activity together (he's a champ at riding in the stroller!). It wasn't the fastest, and it wasn't the furthest, but it was definitely THE BEST run I've ever done!”   Questions - 22:57 Build - 22:57 How do I know when it’s time to switch programs? I’ve been in Build since May, although I’ve downloaded the Rebuild plan for the last two months. I feel like I’m maybe ready for a little more work, but I’m not sure if I'm quite ready for Maintain.  I’ve gone back to square one (or maybe square -37) fitness-wise over the course of the pandemic.  I’m ready to rebuild but the idea of running for 30 minutes non stop right now is intimidating.  Do you have any suggestions for how to build from a minute or 2 of running and lots of running back to a 30-minute easy effort? ReBuild - 29:54 Coach MK and other coaches, thank you for all you do in the FPP and beyond. You inspire me to also use my voice! Will slow burn be offered again in 2020? I loved it in the winter when I did the strength only as I was recovering from injury and I’d like to do the strength again. Maintain - 31:26 Not a question but more of a thank you/situation update. Made 2 small modifications this week with great success. Switched to a pair of kicks that were less fabric, more summer. The ON's I had were TOTALLY for winter. They were great big sponges of clam chowder (ewe I know but it's accurate.) Also, got a pair of Injinji toe socks. Did a beach run and the toe soup was MUCH less than last week. Irritation/Blisters on the piggies were a lot better too. Thanx!   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK answers questions about chafing, foam rolling, and broken toes.    #WeeklyWins - 6:38 Runner Interrupted Char Gore says she feels good when she reads Amy’s posts and watches her videos   Build Barbara Puckett Celebrated her firstborn grandson's 23rd birthday this week. ReBuild Kristen Frazier was able to finally get one of the last plants on her wishlist, the Swiss-cheese plant. Annie Jennings took a couple of days off this week while getting ready for the start of school. She Went back out today for a walk and said: “it felt great to know that taking a break didn't (and won't) mean quitting!”  Maintain Daniel Faltyn Rocked the SSS. He is On one of the marathon plans so He did a few extras. “There is something so satisfying to me seeing the graphs play out as I planned”.   Questions - 10:00 Build ReBuild Maintain - 10:05 Regarding chafing, the advice I've been given is             "But she don't use butter And she don't use cheese She don't use jelly Or any of these, She uses Vaseline I’ve found the right amount of vaseline on any part of my body that moves is statistically a shit metric ton for the long runs. That seems to avoid any unpleasantness post-run. Any reason to switch to something other than vaseline? Hi there. Post long run question. How soon after the run should I consider having my big bertha take my legs on a foam rolling date? Immediately? Within an hour? Wait a bit?  Thanxxxx I was doing too much at once and broke a toe on the stairs the other day. Any exercise tips?  How does aqua jogging work, do you jog on the bottom, or is it more like treading water? ( I am not much of a swimmer.)  How soon do folks typically get back to running after a broken toe? It is the end of the third toe if that matters. Thanks for everything and sorry for the novel!   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!  Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and now on Twitter,  @CoachMKFleming, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK answers questions about heavy legs, IT bands, and heart rate running for teens.   #WeeklyWins - 15:15 Runner Interrupted Happy Birthday Coach Amy!!! Build JJ Jensen has been hitting her strength goals all month in July ReBuild Kristen Frazier has a better idea as to why her running has been feeling off and some good ideas as to how to improve. Annie Jenkins got to try out her new heart rate monitor on my walk today. She’s been able to go a little longer without feeling sore the past couple days and today She went further than She has been able to in a while, so is celebrating that!  Maintain Nikkia Raedawn got to go back to the gym for the first time since February.   Questions - 22:17 Build -  ReBuild - 22:42 I am (happily!) here on a recommendation from my intuitive eating nutritionist since we both decided I was ready to begin movement again. I am not a total beginner with running, but I do worry that a lot of what I "know" comes from a diet/punishment mindset. That said, here is my question: How long after eating should I aim to run? Is it best to run after a balanced snack or would I be better fueled after a meal? In the past I ran first thing in the morning or after a long fast, but for reasons that were strictly weight loss based. Schedule-wise that might be what works best for me, but I want to make sure I am nourishing my body in a way that lets me get the most enjoyment out of my exercise. Thank you! - Annie Hi, I know our plan is supposed to be a guided DIY and it’s ok if I don’t do all the workouts but I’m feeling like I’m failing.  I’m not training for anything in particular and my running has been super hit or miss.  Can you give us some guidance on the minimum necessary to “train for life” (ie not be a total slug) My runs have felt pretty good despite the heat and humidity but towards the end of my runs this week my legs are feeling very heavy. Is it the heat? Should I just slow down more? Maintain - 46:09 Hi there! Last week I mentioned I paused my run b/c my knee was sore. The day after the knee started to click a lot. Since I earned my M.D. by googling oh, damn torn meniscus I diagnosed myself with. Taking your advice, I lined up an Ortho and PT. Fortunately, it turned out to just be some IT band tightness and irritation. Anyways, I'll leave this question as more of a thank you. Thank you for really being a coach and seeing beyond my topical question last week, and recommending I establish a medical support system...real questions coming up :-) Ok, so IT Band tightness. Mine flared up last week after a 20miles/4 hour run. Both the PT and the Ortho said that given my age (44m) it was not surprising. The PT put me on the treadmill and made some minor adjustments to my form and said generally I looked good. To alleviate the immediate tightness, he asked if I wanted to try dry needling, and I took him up on the offer. It worked really well on me; the whole leg really really relaxed after that. Wondering if you had any thoughts on that procedure; dry needling. The long term treatment plan for me was hip exercises, foam rolling, and some form correction. However, for a quick release, this was pretty good. Thoughts? Ok, last question if you have time to sneak this one in; easy one I promise. What is up with swamp ass of the toes? Given the humid climate here (Durham) my shoes are SOAKING wet within an hour. It's like walking around in two bowls of chowder an hour in. I have not tried wicking socks and I'm not sure they would even help. After the run, I'm putting on anti-fungal ointment as I see some brown and wearing flip flops. I've had friends lose toenails. Damn it these piggies are keeping their house. Thoughts? My 14-year-old son is showing an interest in running thanks to PE in virtual schooling.  He's finally understanding pacing rather than sprint, stop, and repeat.  Is heart rate training something that could help him? Is there a different HR cap he would use given his age? Will the monthly strengths demos by Coach MK come back? I miss them a lot. While the daily FB routines are nice, they are not a substitute at all. Plus given how FB works, they are not always in my feed. Comments - 1:11:13   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page and The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, a very tired Coach MK lets it fly, telling you what she REALLY thinks about The Olympics, introduces the August workouts, and apologizes for not having the physical strength to demo the strength moves yet.   August Workouts: Maintain - 17:15 ReBuild - 19:13   MK's Deep Thought Of The Week  - 24:35 Coach MK tells a very personal story about letting others lead...to give you running motivation.   Links - Stress Management Tianna Bee Achilles International The Colorado Freedom Fund (CFF)   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast!   In this bonus episode, Chief Nutrition Officer Dalia Kinsey and Coach Nikkia Young take over the stream in order to continue to give Coach MK some time for a much-needed family vacation!  They answer questions about warm-ups/cool-downs, and also discuss other topics like wearing masks and the Sarahan dust cloud.   Tools needed for stress management - counter damage https://black-joy-summit.heysummit.com/tickets/ ally learning track available; support summit; share free access with POC in need of support 7.31-8.2 Fitness Protection Partnership    Each week we highlighting the amazing work and successes of the runners in each of our programs.  We start with the runners not running in our runner interrupted program and then our participants in the build, rebuild, and maintain programs   Questions - 3:10 Build ReBuild - 3:10 How do we access the plans each month?  Do we buy them through training peaks or is included in our subscription? What are accelerators and what does the (20/40) mean when I see them in my plan? How do I keep track of all of the different intervals?  This is so confusing! When I do the warm-ups and cool-downs am I supposed to keep it under 140?  Like, stop and walk??   Maintain   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast!   This week Chief Nutrition Officer Dalia Kinsey, is taking over the stream in order to give Coach MK some time for a much needed family vacation!  We have questions about getting your body to warm, the friendliness of southern runners, as well as nutrition/hydration needs as the humidity starts to climb. What to do in lieu of asking someone if they are ok right now. The pressure to just say yes  The world is on fire  Tools needed for stress management - counter damage https://black-joy-summit.heysummit.com/tickets/ ally learning track available; support summit; share free access with POC in need of support 7.31-8.2 Fitness Protection Partnership    Each week we highlight the amazing work and successes of the runners in each of our programs.  We start with the runners not running in our runner interrupted program and then our participants in the build, rebuild, and maintain programs   #WeeklyWins - 10:55 Runner Interrupted Erin Harkness has found herself back in the runner interrupted crew with a broken foot but is proud of herself for focusing on what she can do, cycling and strength.  Build Barbara Puckett has been tenacious AF managing running and work as she returns to in-person work for the first time since March ReBuild Kristen Frazier was winning last week because she had a plan with her doctor to help her get her back on track and feeling better.  She is still winning this week because her plan is working and she is seeing great effects from her new medication. Karen Sutton’s 12-year-old daughter Danda did her first long run!  She is so proud of herself keeping going for an hour! She has been following rebuild for 2 weeks and is loving it! She has never been a sporty kid, is very worried about her size, and has little confidence in her physical ability  Which is a shame because today we covered 4.2 miles! When she finished she said she felt amazing!! This was a brilliant moment! So I let her wear my FPP T-shirt. And she wanted to wear it all day! Thank you Mary-Katherine Brooks Fleming from the bottom of my heart for the gift of physical confidence for my daughter. Stephanie Hornans daughter was accepted into a dance group that she had to audition for via zoom earlier in the pandemic! Leslie O’Berry has been made an amazing entry into the Rebuild group and is all ready to move to lane 2 after only being part of Rebuild for 2 weeks! Any Sczerbowicz is doing an amazing job of listening to her body and is rebuilding on her terms.  She is in no rush to hurry up and get back to where she was, she just wants to make sure she is healthy and fit. Amanda Bailey is getting back into the consistent running habit and ran 3 days in a row this week. Katie Hansen hasn’t been able to be too active in the Facebook group lately because of how much energy her job as a doctor has been taking,  but she reports that she has been able to keep running 3-4 days per week even with all the craziness. Maintain Nicole Uhl did a 2:15 LR today on the track. She comes to us from Galloway and has never run more than 5 min at any one given time.  She felt pretty good during her run so I was like, "let's see If I can make it around the track". She did and still felt good. So I thought "well maybe I can do a mile nonstop". AND SHE DID! She reports that it was slow but she kept her HR under 140 and felt amazing. She was so proud because she has NEVER run a mile nonstop. Nicole’s win gets better. She finishes out hour one with run/walk intervals, whatever felt good. Hour two she thought, "that mile felt pretty good, wonder how far I could go?" SHE RAN THE WHOLE SECOND HOUR! 60 minutes without stopping. She has never done that before and didn't think it was possible.  She has chronic fatigue from a slew of medical issues and thought she must tire easily and that's why she couldn't sustain a run for longer than a couple of minutes at a time. Well, she learned she WAS WRONG! And just hadn't been slow enough to be considered easy effort. She is so freaking excited to see what I can do now. Thank you! Corina Terry has been having some less than stellar sleep lately but is still managing to get her runs in.  Way to be tenacious AF! Trisha Thorme’s family is excited to be starting a new tradition of summer movie clubs at their house Questions - 19:51 Build ReBuild Maintain - 19:51 Hello, it’s beginning to get very hot and humid where I live.  Can you talk about fueling in the warmer weather? How far in advance of my run should I start drinking at what sort of volume? (assume I properly hydrated overnight.) Related question, on the run, any advice on frequency/volume? Are there signs to look for that I may be drinking too little vs just having a crappy run? Hi Coach, I’m feeling very sluggish on my runs and needing to walk a lot.  Summers here so it’s hot and humid and my guess is they are related.   Is there anything I can do food/drink wise to help perform my best in these conditions. I don’t feel like I’m acclimating as well as I usually do to the summer heat.  Is there anything I can do to help me feel better. I feel constantly thirsty and dehydrated, but I pass the pee test so I know I’m drinking enough (also for reference, I’m not diabetic and have had my sugar checked - no issue there) is there anything that would help me to feel more hydrated. Hey Coach! I’m noticing it’s taking me more like 20-30 min or so into my run to actually warm-up. Is there a safe way to speed up the warm-up process or should I just follow my body’s lead on this? Less of a question but more of a since you have this platform...can we talk about communication on the trail? Here's the deal, I'm an almost ex-New Yorker moving to the South. In New York, we just go about our business. However, in light of what's going on in the world, or perhaps bc this is a new area for me, everyone is getting a hello on the trail. It may be verbal, some times it's the sign language love sign, sometimes the peace sign, sometimes its the 2 fingers "Keep the rubber side down" (as I fatigue that is my order as it gets easier ha.) Again maybe just the hardened New Yorker in me but I've seen a lot of smiles from people when doing this. Can we make this a thing? Hi MK, I am so grateful for your plans right now. As you know my 12-year-old daughter completed her first long run yesterday. She managed over 4 miles and still is keen to go again next week. Following the rebuild plan lane, 1 has been amazing for her in a way that couch 2 5k wasn’t. Your plans don’t make her nervous about achieving the next level. I am so proud. I am hoping you will give her a podcast shout out. She has heard your podcasts for maybe 1/3 of her life whilst I have been chopping veg and making dinner. She knows your voice. I am sure it would mean the world to her to hear you say how well she is doing  Thank you so much. Her name is Danda   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast!   This week, we take questions about low hemoglobins, comfortable running attire, and & the physiological reason for doing strides. #WeeklyWins 6:10 Runner Interrupted Coach Amy has got her running mojo back and is rebuilding her running habit! Megan Ruyuke bought herself a membership at a SUP/kayak place and has gone every damn weekend. Build Pat Humes managed to her run in early and made 55 min with 6 accelerators. Patricia Luna went for a run on her rest day because she wanted to not because she had to! ReBuild Kristen Frazier had a great appointment with her doctor and had a solid plan to help her feel better. Maintain Karen Sutton is still running 5 times a week even though things have been really challenging. She started couch to 5k to support her 12 year old who was having her own struggles with the situation. But after week 6 the continuous 20 minutes running was too tough for her so they moved over to rebuild which she finds more fun on Monday Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday and Saturday, Karen is doing Maintain as written Alone. On Saturday she did 9 miles and really enjoyed it. It was her longest run since February. She says thank you for the tether to the tribe. I have not posted in the group much but I felt happy knowing you are all there. #coachedandloved. Corina Terry celebrated her 50th birthday this week, she is also doing a great job moving runs around to make the plan work for her. Helen Foley has had a major mental shift.  Instead of waking up thinking “I can’t believe I have to run again” she wakes up and thinks “why wouldn’t I run today?  It’ll be fun” Nichole Ule has found her shuffle!! And did a 2 hour long run on the treadmill. Cara Gerard is Going to take her PTO!!   Questions - 13:47 Build - 13:47 Hi coach MK! I thought I was more tired than usual due to the stress of the pandemic, but it turns out my hemoglobin is low. I switched a few months ago to a mostly vegetarian diet and this might have something to do with it. I had noticed my runs seemed to be getting harder rather than easier and required more walking, or occasionally skipping altogether. Do you have any ideas or thoughts on how to keep improving my running habit while I sort all this out? ReBuild - 16:20 I may be your lamest client ever, but what I crave is boringness. A plan where I literally don’t have to think about what I’m doing because it’s nearly the same every day. How can I modify so the workouts and strength so it’s more repetition and less thinking? Signed, Task Initiation Challenged. I’ve been feeling pretty crappy lately and I’m certain it’s a combination of stress, not sleeping well, and eating choices that have lots of room for improvement.  I’m slowly working on all of those things, but I’ve noticed I’ve gotten in a vicious cycle of not feeling well thereby skipping my run which makes me feel worse.  Any suggestions on breaking the cycle. I can’t find running attire that I like how they fit, feel comfortable, and look good.  Have you ever thought about designing a line of running gear that fits real people (I.e not overweight, but not super toned athlete’s body)??  I know you have a lot on your plate but I enjoy running a lot more if there were clothes that fit well and I wasn’t constantly tugging on!  For reference, I’ve tried all the major brands and some lady specific ones and nothing seems to fit quite right  During my Avocado Toast run, I could feel my calves aching as I ran up hills. I thought this meant I was not using my glutes appropriately, so I started concentrating on that. But then, it felt like I was sashaying side to side too much. Maybe it's my big "glutes", or maybe I'm not running properly. I came home and foam rolled, front and back of legs, but still feeling a little sore a day later. Any correction tips?   Maintain - 29:20 Hi! Can you explain the physiologic reason for the strides during an otherwise easy effort run or long run? Is it ever ok to just not do them and keeping it all easy, or are there disadvantages to that? What's the easiest way to access the rebuild strength when I'm in maintain (I want to do both) without having two training plans in training peaks? Okay MK, I've been locked up like a tiger in a cage. Not so much a Carol Baskin tiger, more like a Daniel tiger. But still. So I want to start increasing my long runs on Saturday. I feel like I want to do a three to three and a half-hour run. Any specific modifications I should make to the plan? For example, should I take Thursday off? Should I back off 10% on all the runs that week? Thanks.   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, we take questions about transitioning into summer running as well as transitioning back to work.    #WeeklyWins - 6:48   Runner Interrupted Char Gore is still feeling well enough to get her shuffle on!   Build Coach Nikkia celebrated her birthday this week!! Sharla Manglass also celebrated her birthday and got in a birthday run with fellow build teammate Barbara Puckett ReBuild Christine Lancaster has her highest mileage week since her injury Amy Sczerbowicz has been running consistently and feeling good! Jennifer Sutton is making the move to maintain.  After trying out the runs for a couple of weeks she feels ready to make the switch.  We are excited for her, but will miss her in rebuild! Kristen Frazier broke out her spinning wheel this week!  She is a woman of many talents.   Maintain Elyn Macek was excited to get a chance to sing with her favorite quartet at church for the first time since March.   Amy Loukous has a great 10 mile run with BRF’s and got a great breakfast as a finish Trisha Thorne has discovered that throwing in pickups make an amazing way to social distances when needed on the run. Nicole Uhl has run more miles this week than any other week that didnt include a race AND she doesn’t  hate herself physically or mentally. She has found her running family here and is grateful to be here! She notes “ who knew you didnt have to go hard all the time to feel accomplished” Carissa Hatlig finished her quarantine 26.2!!! Erin Nason did a 5k time trial for fun on the track and beat her EAT predicted time by 35 seconds even though it was way hotter now than when she did her EAT.  Also her sister joined rebuild!! Lisa Anderson celebrated her birthday this week with a birthday run with her husband and daughter. Daniel Faltyn moved his run to the morning and was able to keep his heart rate exactly where he needed too.   Questions - 14:48   Build - 14:48 What does it mean to be a sponsored athlete? How do you become one? I’m struggling with transitioning back to work now that my state is opening back up.  Any sage thoughts or encouraging ideas?   ReBuild - 24:34 Can you talk about VO2 max.  My watch calculates it and I was excited about seeing it go up as I’ve been rebuilding consistently, but it’s suddenly dropped like a rock.  Any ideas what happened? I don’t seem to be adapting to the heat as well as I do normally.  Do you have any suggestions on how to help speed the adaptations along?   Maintain - 29:00 Evening MK. Can you touch on fueling in the context of the warmer weather? How far in advance of my run should I start drinking at what sort of volume? (assume I properly hydrated overnight.) Related question, on the run, any advice on frequency/volume? Any signs to look for that I may be drinking too little vs just having a crappy run? The following worked for me on Sats long run: 30 mins prior 16oz caffeine water, during the run had a total of 8oz of gatorade starting 45 mins in, finishing it all up by 100 mins in. Seemed to work for me. Could I do anything better? Evening MK. Can you touch on stretching/warm up/cool down? In the context of Sats long run, what would be a reasonable stretching/warm up routine duration before and after? Is it more important to stretch before or after or are both important. Thanx in advance. Hi MK, I’ve been running regularly since August, it something happened in the past two weeks and my running care to a screaching halt. I’ve been mixing your maintain work outs with peloton app treadmill runs and hit my highest monthly mileage in April. I’ve felt great from a running stand point. Until about two weeks ago. All of a sudden, I just didn’t want to go anymore. Running and meditation are my stress relievers and it certainly has been a stress relief during these hard months. I am so tired. I have t slept well since Jan. I’ve tried melatonin, L-theonine and Magnesium, but still struggle to sleep. I’m sure this is part of it. But now my HR is high during the day, just walking around the house. This morning while I was cooking my HR was 97! My resting HR for reference is low 50s, sometimes ever high 40s. My 140 pace is about 11min/mi. But now it’s waaaay up. Any idea what’s going on? I feel like I’ve been running on adrenaline for months and now have a big crash. But would this cause my HR to be elevated like this? I am hydrated. Any tips to recover from this and find my groove again would be much appreciated. Also, for sleeping, I’ve controlled all of the variable I can, even when I have a perfect sleep set up, I will fall asleep easily, but wake up just a few hours later and then struggle to fall back asleep. Are there any slow burn classes going on this year? 1) I am currently going on the assumption that 3DATF is likely not to happen in October; however, if it is and we have recently completed the 100 mi training cycle, what should the plan be to ramp back up for 3DATF 48hr event?  2) If 3DATF is not going to happen, I still have a code (buried somewhere in email) for Slow Burn from last year's fund raiser. Is there a plan for Slow Burn to run sometime this fall? It seems like a great alternative to Ultra training. After 3 months of working from home in quarantine I’m finding that I don’t like how I look in my clothes and I’m feeling kinda sluggish. I’d like to loose some weight so my clothes fit again do you have any tips of better ways to loose weight. Normally I would do some sort of 30 day super healthy restrictive thing, but from listening to you and Dalia is seems like that may not be the best option. What do you do when you’ve wanted to loose the last few pounds of baby weight?   General Heart Rate Group - 47:12 Is there a way to purchase a monthly plan on Training Peaks without subscribing to Fitness Protection?   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

On June 2nd the internet celebrated blackout day, a social media promoted event focused on posting content from people of color and creating features centered on people of color. Sometimes it just doesn't seem appropriate for the show to just go on as though everything is normal when things are absolutely not normal. #blackout #theshowmustpause  Tuesday was a day promoted by activists to mourn the death of George Floyd and demand policy change to put a stop to state sanctioned murders of BIPOC. Though systemic racism has been an issue in this country since its inception, this is still news to a lot of Americans.  People who have been tacitly benefiting from systemic racism don't often notice that it exists.  On 6/2 we invited Fitness Protection’s Chief Nutrition Officer and black American, Dalia Kinsey to discuss her experience of living in a world that constantly demonstrates what it thinks of black skin while being surrounded by white Americans that claim to be color-blind. People flinch when they hear the term white privilege, because there is a misconception that white privilege implies that white people don't have any problems. Obviously that isn't true.  The entire country has major problems right now. We have economic problems. We have pandemic problems. But if you're Black and American you don't get to just have those problems. Black Americans are coping with that shared national stress plus the stress of systemic racism, including everything from daily microaggressions, unequal access to healthcare regardless of income levels, to fearing attack from police officers.   Being a witness to state-sanctioned violence against people of color while being told that we live in a post-racial society and constantly being shown by the media and in daily interactions that people elevate white as the default is the draining emotional place that black people existed in prior to current events.  Now a lot of well-meaning white people are just accepting the memo that racism exists in the United States. The tendency to suppress black voices and to not believe BIPOC when they report incidences of racism made it difficult for many white Americans to accept the memo prior to now.  Now that acts of blatant racism can be recorded and shared online, white Americans are slowly starting to face the reality that black Americans have been living with for hundred of years. As an anti-racist and an accomplice to the black liberation movement this wasn't news to Coach MK. As a person that has been black since 1981 this was not news to Dalia.  Fighting systemic racism is a marathon not a sprint. We didn't get here in a day.  Things may look bleak right now but progress is being made. In this conversation we look at what it takes to be brave enough to take an honest look at yourself and purge bias and white supremacy from your consciousness. It's an ongoing process since white supremacy is literally in the air that we breathe.  Attacking other white people who are trying to do the right thing but perhaps stumbling, doing it awkwardly and maybe coming off as insincere is not productive. Becoming an anti-racist is a process. The goal is progress not perfection. It's okay to make mistakes. We just have to keep picking ourselves up and trying to be better. Today we discuss dealing with compound levels of stress, feelings of isolation related to living in a racist environment, the overlap between the experience of sexism and racism, learning how to have difficult conversations, understanding how truly pervasive white supremacy is, actively trying to dismantle systems of oppression vs virtue signaling and performing wokeness. Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

  Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast!   This week, we take questions about ballet, knee tracking, and humidity.     Pride Gear is HERE!!!!! Donate to Cavilyn and get a 1:1 chat with Coach MK! TWO generous folks are matching donations!     #WeeklyWins -9:26    Runner Interrupted Amy Trujillo bought herself a new car!!   Build Barbara runs at a local nature center so has been enjoying seeing lots of wildlife on her runs. This week she got to see a turtle. Pat Kokolus Humes had her best run day in a long time. She went 3.2 miles on her run and got to enjoy and iced coffee treat afterwards. Bea Witzel mommed like a boss. She wasn’t able to get any alone time to run so she got her time in walking with her little one strapped to her back ReBuild Brenda Haskills husband was finally able to have an important medical procedure that can help reduce his pain levels!! Procedure was a success and he is improving. Maintain Happy Birthday Cavilyn!! Cavilyn is raising money to support girls on the run. She is a girl’s on the run coach and has seen this organization have a strong positive impact on her daughter. Karen Schulter completed the Yeti Challenge by finishing 31.2 miles in 24 hours!! She didn’t ever think she would go more than 26.2 and has been excited to tell people who ask how she trained for it that she didn’t train the maintained.   Questions - 15:20   ReBuild -  I’ve started taking online ballet lessons for the first time since taking lessons for a few years as a child. I’m noticing a huge improvement in my glute activation and reduction in my overall pain levels in my back and hips!! Is there anything I need to be cognizant of when doing this to make I don’t cause any negative impacts on my running? Hi Coach, I’ve been noticing that I have difficultly with getting my knees to track straight over my toes when I squat. Is there anything I can to help this? If I’m coming from maintain are there any adaptations I need to make to the rebuild plan for pregnancy? Hello! I’m noticing as I extend my longer run (over an hour or so) that my mid/upper back (around my ribs)and shoulders are fatiguing as I go longer and then everything kinda starts falling apart. Will this get better with time as I get more used to longer times or do I need to do some kind of specific strength to improve it? Maintain My body has only been wanting to do avacado toast lately. What am I sacrificing by not doing the harder efforts? Would I still be able to run a marathon in 10 weeks as long as I don’t have a time goal? I’ve been struggling with motivation to get out on my run. I look forward to my runs, once I’m running i really enjoy it so I don’t know what give. Any thoughts or suggestions to make the process of starting less awful? How do I keep my heart rate down in this awful humidity? It’s like 80-90% here. Build Is it okay to run on an empty stomach? How soon after a run do we meet to eat? Can the time of day that you run affect your heart rate readings? If I do silly toes and warm ups at home, then drive 15 minutes to a park for my run, is my warm up not as effective?     Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!    

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast!   This week, we take questions about long runs, foam rolling, and the value of walking.       Intro Before we begin, let me just say, “HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!!” If this is your favoritest day of the year, AWESOME! Take a minute to use the bathroom while I talk to everyone else.     #WeeklyWins-  6:37 Runner Interrupted Char Gore is enjoying the freedom of waking up without an alarm clock   Build Andrea Yagodich completed her first avocado toast Patricia Luna has had a great perspective shift that has helped her find the workouts more manageable Heidi Staddon is feeling great after her runs and feeling very motivated to make positive changes! ReBuild Jennifer Sutton ran an 80 min avocado toast in a rare May snow squall. Brenda Haskills back is back to feeling 100% and she has been easing back into running Kristen Frazier’s daughter is home from the hospital and recovering. She has still been managing to get runs in this week even with all the craziness. Beth Hobson is finally able to start building back her running endurance since tax season is over. Maintain Amanda Williams completed a virtual marathon!! Francine Scheller decides to do the 24 hour yeti challenge on a whim Amy Wilson celebrated her birthday this week and participated in a quest to complete 49 miles this week! Carissa Hatling completed her longest run ever - 16.69 miles Trisha Thome celebrated her birthday with a run and baking bread     Questions     Maintain - 20:45 Would you remind us of the ‘minimum’ long runs? Is it 90 min? Why? Hi Coach, I know you recommend using a pvc pipe for foam rolling. I will admit that I started with the “pool noodle” foam roller I already had and since it hurt really bad I figured I would keep using it till I acclimated then move to something more firm. I’m really now, do you have recommendations for the length and diameter to get. Also what do I cover it with? Could I glue a yoga mat to it? Thank you! My office gym is not open so running at lunch isn’t really an prion, but I try to walk 20-30 min outside a few days per week. What should I consider or focus on to get the most benefit? Engage core? What else?     Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!    

  Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, we take questions about our newest program, Build, after taking questions about Diet Culture, Hustle Culture, marathon ramps, zero drop shoes, and Coach MK's competence.       #WeeklyWins - 12:26   ReBuild Robin Murphy is back in ReBuild after a break up with running. She has been working on her strength during her time away and is excited to get back to running Sarah Deets has graduated from runner interrupted and is back in rebuild! Katie Hansen is celebrating her 3 year anniversary of running by HRT. She is able to see that progress that she has made Any Rhyno is getting back in the running habit after quarantine life grabbed her by the face. Ann Rich has been doing a great job of listening to her body and doing the level of work that her body and spirit can handle   Maintain Alicia Budd- Just finished my first week of 5 days of running since February. Woo hoo!!! ViMark Askey - celebrated her 2 year running anniversary Emily Sorenson - Ran her longest run since November today. She also has an awesome week, ran 5x and did all her strength! Woo hoo! Nicole Wood - Had a great long run, her longest without taking a walk break in over a year. Nikkia Raedawn - earned her TRX certification Trishia Thorme - was struggling with the emotional demands of her work and was able to ask a colleague for some help and they stepped in to share the load!     Questions     ReBuild - 22:36 I'm recovering from a hamstring injury (beginning of Feb). I've been increasing my running interval times, working on inclines on the treadmill and on the trails without pain. How do we know when it's ok to restart short bursts of speed like in the dog run for Monday? I am wanting to switch from my regular running shoes (brooks glycerin) to a zero drop option. Most of my everyday shoes are zero drop and they feel much better on my feet. What do I need to be cognizant of to lessen the likelihood of injury when making the change. How long should I take to try and transition?   Maintain - 31:01 I'm on the Dedicated AF 10 week marathon ramp. I'm choosing to not do the EAT, so I won't have an A pace to use for the M2 workout. How would I plan that workout based on my EE pace? Thank you!     Questions about Build - 36:17 I have experiences with running; none have been good. Would Build be right for me? Is it okay to not have goals? What’s the #1 thing you tell your runners they need to do if they want to see real improvement? I listened to one of your podcasts, I don’t know what Diet Culture and Hustle Culture is. You’re not gonna tell me that I need to love my body or some inane shit, are you? You lost me at Intuitive Eating. You sound like you’re trying to convince us to settle for not getting faster because you don’t know how to get us there. Why should I have to change my goals because you aren’t a good coach? Ever think about that?   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!        

It’s been 5 weeks since most of the nation entered some form of “Stay Home” and “if you must go outside, wear a mask!” It’s clearly getting to us- my social media feeds have been covered with call-outs, shaming rule-breakers, especially runners. “Why doesn't everyone just comply already? It's the safe and unselfish thing to do! Stay HOME unless you NEED to be outside, but be SURE you go outside every day to exercise or you will become 15 pounds LESS HEALTHY, so stay inside unless you exercise and wear a mask WHENEVER you go outside unless you exercise but don’t do that unless you really NEED TO and everyone NEEDS TO. How is this not clear??? JUST DO IT DON’T BE SELFISH!” Shame isn’t an effective form of behavior modification, but calling someone out can produce a much-needed dopamine surge in a bad moment. People who pride themselves on being overachievers, planners, or givers-of-only-right-answers are feeling an extra layer of anxiety right now when the ‘right answer’ isn’t always obvious or clear. It’s easier to do nothing than face a public shaming for doing something obviously wrong or selfish in a time of crisis, but what do you do when all of the advice is conflicting and confusing? We asked three of our clients, who happen to be doctors, to talk us through their own decision-making processes to help us figure out what’s safe for us as well as for others right now.   Intro On April 13 a long dormant group text chain started lighting up. “Did you see what someone did to Heather?” Later, when the story was shared by multiple people in my social media feed, I realized the Heather in question lives in Centennial, CO, where my former run program was based.  Heather is a 911 dispatcher with three young children. Her neighbors didn’t know this, and sent her a nasty note shaming her for leaving the house during a pandemic and proceeded to make a LOT of incorrect assumptions about her life and the choices she makes. It was nasty, unneighborly, and Heather is far more gracious than I would be about it. The world is changing quickly, and even those of us who were relatively unaffected at the beginning are really starting to feel the strain of doing everything from home. Though I still think it’s bad form, I can totally understand the forces that would have one homebound person watching another out her window coming and going at will, and snap. HOW SELFISH. YOU ARE THE REASON THIS IS GOING ON SO LONG! IT’S NOT FAIR YOU JUST COME AND GO AS YOU PLEASE! If you have been conditioned to fear giving a wrong answer or doing the wrong thing, the constant cries of “SELFISH!” can be as paralyzing as the looks you get for running without a mask. It can be hard to think clearly, especially when the directions conflict. “Stay indoors, unless you need to go outdoors because if you don’t go outdoors to exercise you’ll go crazy AND GET FAT not sure which is worse? But one thing is CERTAIN: healthy is indoors unless it’s outdoors. And FOOD that is indoors is safe unless it’s been outdoors then it’s exposed…” you get the picture.  So, what does safe look like? We discussed skin coverings and skin colorings last week in Part 1 of this series, in Part 2 we are going to ask our Fitness Protection Program Participant doctors whether they run in masks and if we should start.   Questions Do I need to run in a mask? How do I "support" my immune system? Will running 5 hours with a heart rate under 140 compromise my immune system? Where is the line, when does the compromise begin? Should I run with a mask of any sorts if my only contact is overtaking (ok let's be real being overtaken ha) for 2/3 seconds? When I am coming up on another person, am I safer if I hold my breath for a few seconds? Is there a such thing as too much running outdoors? I'm outside jogging nearly daily, and my long jogs top out at 6 hours. I live in the suburbs of NJ: my state has the second-highest number of cases in the country. I'm hearing advice that runs the gamut: all of it includes social distancing, but after that it gets confusing: can I stick to my long outdoor training sessions, or is there a transmission.-related reason to make my jogs shorter?  Does sunlight kill the virus? I realize different living situations may call for different behaviors, but it's hard to know what the best course of action is. Thank you!   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Fitness Protection: Running Life is available on iTunes, Castbox, and your favorite podcast player.   Of all activities a person can do to improve their fitness, running is one of the simplest. You don’t need expensive equipment, a membership, a per-session fee, or the expertise of a 1:1 coach to get started.   So why doesn't everyone do it?   Starting is easy. Sticking around is more complicated.   Until now, there hasn’t been a place for new runners to receive positive reinforcement and personalized support that doesn’t push you dangerously past your very real limits, the stuff that keeps you going.   That’s why I created Build.   Build will meet you where you are at and support you as you move forward, making running a lifestyle you choose day after day.   In this podcast, we will introduce Build, our newest Fitness Protection Program, and introduce you to our coaches. For even more information, join our free training on April 30: www.fitnessprotection.com/build-training     Intro I’m Coach MK, Founder of The Fitness Protection Program. I’ve been running for 35 years, I’ve been coaching for 7….and I still don’t think of myself as an athlete. Perhaps that’s because I learned to run in my father’s cardio rehab clinic instead of a team sport at school, but I think the truth is much more interesting than that:   Athletes are extraordinary people. Runners are ordinary people with an extraordinary hobby.   Some of us are weekend warriors, hitting the trails the minute work ends. Others squeeze in what we can in hopes that it will be enough that our next half-marathon doesn’t hurt too much. Some of my favorite runners don’t care for training at all, they are here for the party at the finish line, especially when that finish line is in Walt Disney World.   People come to running for all kinds of reasons, but they all enter through the same door: a “couch-to-5k” program or app. They enter alone, and work alone, searching the internet for answers to their questions. If they don’t hate it, maybe they’ll sign up for a race to have a reason to keep going. Alone. Or, they’ll join a running club and take their questions to the most approachable person there….which isn’t much different than searching the internet, and even if the advice doesn’t suck it still isn’t personalized.   One door makes it easy to join the party but won’t make you want to stick around. That’s why I created Build.   In this podcast, you’re going to learn about Build and how our Guided DIY approach will give you the tools to tailor this program to your individual needs as well as all the support we offer.   Whether you think of yourself as an athlete or not, you WILL think of yourself as a runner when you finish this program, and you won’t need a reason to keep going. You’ll already have everything you need.   While the intro music plays, please go to www.fitnessprotection.com/build-training and register for our free training on April 30.   Special thanks to Coach Lovey and Coach Nikkia for participating in this podcast!     Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast!   This week, Chief Nutrition Officer Dalia Kinsey joins Coach MK to discuss what the "public figure" designation means on Instagram before tackling questions about communicating with children about snacks and money, nutrition for an HCP working 12-hour shifts in the ER with no ability to eat or drink during each shift, and finally strides, long runs and pep talks.   Announcements BUILD Training Session this week (https://www.fitnessprotection.com/build-training) Fitness Protection Support for charity runners Neck Gaiters back in stock! https://www.fitnessprotection.com/online-store   “MK, thank you for mentioning the ‘public figure’ thing last week when you answered the TMI question. I had seen that on your IG and thought you were aggrandizing yourself! I GET IT NOW! Sorry for the things I said about it.”   Food & Justice - 28:50 Dalia, loved your suggestion last week about leaving apples out so the kids can get their own snacks. How do we tell them to stop asking for other things in ways that don’t make them think of apples as ‘good food’? They want cheese sticks and goldfish crackers ALL THE TIME and I don’t want to talk about how much they cost because I don’t want them to know how worried we are about money right now. Coaches, I am really struggling. Things at home are tense, on good days we are still pretty far from our best selves, and it’s hard. At the same time I feel guilty about this because we have stable employment and stable finances while so many are facing much bigger issues that can make home life dangerous as well as tense. You say that privilege isn’t something we can feel guilty about because we can’t share it or give it away, so what do we do? I guess this is a nutrition question because I’m eating my feelings and hate myself for it because so many cannot buy food.     #WeeklyWins - 48:10   ReBuild Kristen Frazier - was consistent with running at least 4 days per week this month up from her usual 2-3. This has doubled her monthly mileage. She also had a great meeting with her supervisor who is pleased with her work and managed to find time to knit a mermaid tail for a sheep!! Amanda K Blockinger Bailey - Ran her furthest/longest run since 2018 today and felt really strong and steady. Feels glad that her feet are feeling well these days and that She got to run 9 lovely miles. Jennifer has had a great month of rebuilding without knee pain and is looking forward to lane 2 next month Kathleen Hardeen has run 48 miles so far this month with 3-4 days of running left in the month. This will be her highest mileage month since November 2013 (53 miles) Melissa Yaccuzo celebrated her birthday on Saturday with a family zoom party   Maintain Francine Reynolds Scheller finished her training for a 48 hour event even though the event was cancelled. She’s been consistently running doubles and 10 hour weekends throughout the quarantine. Nikkia RaeDawn celebrated her nieces birthday by playing the part of a unicorn! Katie Fry celebrated her birthday with an outdoor adventure breaking her areas quarantine Elizabeth Tomlinson ran a virtual half marathon last weekend Becky Horn celebrated her 48th birthday this week and got to see her pt via telehealth which seems to be helping her knee Vi Askey remembered Coach's training to listen to and believe my body as she runs. That engrained muscle memory from runs has bled over to real life and helped her these last two weeks when life grabbed her by the face and hasn't let go yet. She’s trying hard to listen to her body and believe it thru her current storm. Nicole Wood is trying to stick with the Maintain plan as written as much as she can. She’s been struggling on the long runs the past few weeks, but having some great midweek runs, so she’s being kind to my quarantine self and just playing things by ear - She absolutely loves walking outside when the weather is nice, so if the run is miserable, she’ll put in more walk breaks or just bag the run and walk the rest of the time. Sara Seeburg cut both her sons’ and her husband’s hair and there were no bowls involved!     Questions     ReBuild - 1:03:40 Hi! I’m finding that I really enjoy my weekday runs. However, I don’t really enjoy running long on the weekends outside of training for an event. What would the trade off be if I ran Monday - Friday and then did a long hike or bike on the weekend? Is it better to try to do my long run sometime during the week?   Maintain - 1:07:00 Sara S. : I know we’ve had these discussions before…. I’ve been doing some pretty intense strength classes via zoom a couple (3-5) days per week. The doing roughly 30 min easy runs 3 days per week with one longer one (60-90) minutes. Is that enough to maintain running fitness? I ran a PR half-marathon 4 months ago, but a virtual 5K yesterday that was 3 min off my PR…. So I’m worried and am thinking I need to up the running so I don’t lose more…. Hello! I need a little pep talk. I have kept up with training for my cancelled race which is a 50k on May 16th. This was the last heavy load week and my mental health has consumed me which meant missed runs including my last long run. I am making adjustments to my medications (per my doctor) but want to make sure I am going to be okay to do my own race in a few weeks! I know you guys have so much love and encouragement so I hope you can cheer me along as I move forward. Love you both! I’m looking for my first pair of trail runners. Something light and flexible and good for narrow feet. Do you have any suggestions? Nutrition Question: I am struggling with how to eat and hydrate during my 12 hour shift as a nurse. I work 9a-930p. I was floated to the ER which means 12 hours in a mask and face shield and no eating or drinking at the nurses station. Before 'Rona came and ruined everything, I would sneak in dinner around 5 or 6 having taken my lunch break around 12 or 1. Now, I am often getting my break between 2 or 3 and not eating or drinking again until I am off at 930. I am ravenous by that time and often over eat because I am so hungry and thirsty. And then, I have trouble getting to sleep. I have tried just eating a protein bar for dinner, but the lack of calories and fluid during the day end up making the next morning's run tough. Do you have any suggestions? I am good at eating breakfast and lunch and getting fluid in at those times, but I struggle with the late night meal. I had a really really slow warmup for a stride sandwich and it got me thinking- strides at the end are Avocado toast, strides in the middle are a stride sandwich- would we ever put strides at the beginning of a workout? why or why not? (LOVE YOU MK!!!)       Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!   Chief Nutrition Officer Dalia Kinsey is also The School Nutrition Dietitian utilizing a background in public health and school nutrition in preventative health care.  

Lighten UP! Is a recurring special series of the Running Life Podcast. This month we had intended to tackle complicated feelings around spring break, holiday candy and "vacation eating"; instead it felt more apt to discuss "vacation eating" in a different context as "extended Spring Breaks" in metropolitan areas have turned into Shelter-In-Place extensions as late as mid-June. Though many of us are holding hope that we can resume small group gatherings like family dinners book clubs or birthday parties, large gatherings may not happen until we have a vaccine or widespread serology testing. Many of us have turned to distracti-baking and comfort food during this period, and our feelings about elastic waistbands and the consequences of weight gain are valid. Never fear, The Big Guns are HERE to tell us how to LIGHTEN UP! as our Spring Break turns the rest of the year into a big ol' slice of Minnie's special pie.    March 11, 2020 was a turning point in the United States, the day statewide efforts to flatten the COVD curve began in earnest. Up till that point, we had able to keep an eye on the news and hold on to hope that it wouldn’t affect us very much. Doing so was hardly naive, it’s self-care. It wasn’t yet time to panic, and efforts to flatten the curve, if effective, would prevent us from getting there.  Another thing that happened on March 11- the BAA announced the Boston Marathon, the oldest in the country, would be postponed for the first time since inception in 1897. Most of us grieved, then let go of, our Spring plans...or totally distracted ourselves with the immediate challenges of working via Shelter-In-Place orders while monitoring distance learning. “It’s just for a few weeks” we thought and told ourselves we’d do it come fall.  This coming Monday is the third Monday in April. Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts, and Boston Marathon Day to the rest of the country. The economy is expected to open back up with the worst of the curve behind us by late May, but large group gatherings like sporting events, parades, concerts and races are unlikely to resume until we have a vaccine. We need to prepare ourselves for the very real possibility that Boston, or any other thing we’ve been planning for the fall, is unlikely to happen. That’s a scary thought, I know. It feels unfair, like realizing you’re at mile 5 instead of mile 21 of the marathon you’ve been running. The headlines are still scary and depressing, and I for one am still actively avoiding the news for the sake of my mental health. How in the WORLD are we supposed to Lighten Up right now? The same way we always do! By bringing in THE BIG GUNS!!!! All of whom, by the way, are wearing sweatpants AND NOTHING ELSE. Dalia Kinsey is The School Nutrition Dietitian, and Jummy Olawale is a Gottman Method Therapist. I’m Coach mK, Founder of The Fitness Protection Program. We hate Diet Culture ALMOST as much as we hate Hustle Culture and Productivity Culture, and we’re gonna tell you all about it, and give you persepctve in hopes we can all LIGHTEN UP! Just a little bit so we can preserve ourselves for the long haul and serve our best selves up when the people we love need us to do so.   HELLO LADIES! How are you doing?   Jummy, what concerns or themes are dominating your therapy sessions lately?  Dalia, is your district prepared to meet the dietary needs of vulnerable populations through the summer? What’s the current outlook? Jummy- tell us what we need to do or consider in order to prepare for a much longer haul than we originally anticipated. Dalia, many of us have been ‘vacation eating’, telling ourselves this would only be 6-8 weeks of disruption. Now that we realize it could be much longer, should our thinking shift? Both of you- Weight gain is a real source of anxiety and stress for many people, especially since we are moving less on top of our disrupted schedules. Vapid or not, it’s on our minds and weighing heavily on our souls as ‘failure’ or something else we wil have to ‘fix’ later. What do we do?   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! Dalia Kinsey is The School Nutrition Dietitian utilizing a background in public health and school nutrition in preventative health care. Jummy Olawale is a Gottman Method Therapist; she helps couples rebuild healthy, shame-free relationships by re-framing difficult conversations.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control recommended that everyone cover their faces each time they leave the house. The reasoning is that covering noses and mouths to keep droplets in will assist in flattening the curve. My social media feeds have been covered with call-outs, shaming anyone who violates this simple rule, especially runners. Why doesn't everyone just comply already? It's the safe and unselfish thing to do!   People of color think about safety more than many of us ever will. Face coverings don't make the (white) people around them feel more safe, which in turn makes POCs LESS safe. The further a body attached to a covered face diverges from bystander perceptions of what a runner looks like, the greater the danger that runner may face. It's a calculus people of color have to make every time they leave their house, "does my outfit SCREAM 'athlete' loud enough that people will think I'm training instead of running away?"    We subtly referenced this reality in our store with a simple t-shirt that says, "THIS IS WHAT A RUNNER LOOKS LIKE!", but that isn't enough to convince some people that a runner with dark skin jogging before the sun comes up isn't casing the neighborhood. Today, we have invited Sara and Misasha of the Dear White Women podcast (subscribe to their newsletter here!) to moderate a discussion with Sponsored Athlete Nikkia Young, ReBuild Coach Lovey Roundtree Oliff, and our beloved Dalia Kinsey of The School Nutrition Dietitian Podcast and the Body Liberation RD Instagram account to discuss how our feelings are, and have always been, directly tied to their safety.   We are not truly #inthistogether, which is why conversations about different experiences are vital.  To be clear, these are three college-educated, skilled women with considerable economic privilege; all three live in predominantly white neighborhoods...some POCs face even more challenges. We invite you to listen in spite of any discomfort you may feel, that is where real, lasting change begins.     Follow Our Guests!   Dear White Women Podcast IG   Nikkia R. Young, Sponsored Athlete of Fitness Protection Program IG   The School Nutrition Dietitian Podcast Podcast IG   Lovey Oliff, ReBuild Coach, Fitness Protection Program Podcast FB   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast!   Announcements: Buy a Social Distancing Neck Gaiter in our online store! Quantities limited! While you're there, combine with a THIS IS WHAT A RUNNER LOOKS LIKE tee to ensure there are no questions about your mission. Unisex and women's cuts available! Three Days at the Fair is postponed until October, as of now FPP still plans to attend. We still plan to attend in May 2021 as well.    ADHD question: 10:12 Coach MK, thank you for being so open about your ADHD and how you work with it. My child received the diagnosis a few years ago, and we are struggling with distance learning. How would you explain the importance of a schedule to him? Runner, Interrupted - 22:20 My oncologist finally said it was time to slowly reintroduce running (6 weeks post Whipple) and I had 3 very successful 30/30 run walks. They said it should make this next round of chemo easier to tolerate so I'm all over it! My win for the week is ... clean sheets on the bed and sheet masks every other night!   ReBuild - 26:35 Hi MK, I’m slowly getting back at it. Right now I can’t handle any failure, so I’m aiming at just getting out the door more days than not. I’d like to say I’m in lane one of rebuild, but the reality is I’m not yet their. Aside from refocusing I’m just rebuilding my habit what is your recommendation for the most important thing for me to do in regards to running? As always...gratefully coached and loved ❤️Melissa Okay, Coach, I am jumping back in, for at least the next few days:) I have not been able to keep up with daily strength and have been doing more running than strength - I know this isn't good, and I need to do more strength (balance!). My question is, can I do two days of strength at once, to catch up a bit, or is it better just to follow along and do 2 or three reps of the same strength sets each day? Thanks for taking our questions - I appreciate the heck out of you!   Maintain - 35:51 I would like to set more realistic HR Zones for Garmin and Training Peaks which have their own, and very different, zones they have set for me. I found an intriguing calculation that uses resting heart rate as well as max (they used 220-age) to calculate your Heart Rate Reserve, but this gave me an anaerobic zone that tops at 173. Knowing that my max HR is 182 (from several EATS ages ago, as well as the more recent Slow Burn Beta) is there a best way to use that peak HR to set more realistic zones? For reference: My Garmin zones are so high I rarely get out of Zone 1 (up to 152!), with a Zone 5 of >193 (I'll never get there). Training Peaks are super low with Zone 1 145! I'm not sure how either program chose to set these for me, but clearly neither is appropriate. Hello, I have been working to transition for rebuild into maintain and I am struggling with both the extra effort plus the extra distance. Do you have a suggestion for the best way to modify the gap between the 2 plans as I continue to build up my strength and endurance? Should I keep the harder efforts but do shorter runs or stick with the longer runs but just make them easier? Thanks so much! Since my running has been hit and miss lately, I seem to have mis-placed my EE pace. Walking is frustrating and my HR seems to be all over. I know with mediocre at best sleep and the stress of everything it's probably normal, but looking for your two cents and some encouragement....   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast!   This week we didn't expect many questions so were planned a Tiger King Netflix party with Dalia Kinsey....but a last-minute question changed the course of the evening.    A listener asked about the safety of running in a mask as per the new CDC guidelines, and Coach MK invited Sponsored Athlete Nikkia Young to join Dalia in explaining why masks may actually be dangerous for some people.      #WeeklyWins Jennifer is prioritizing her mental health Christine Lancaster's birthday was Friday - Happy Birthday Christine Brenda Lancaster - a full-time caretaker of adult family members, she is showing up for herself and taking care of herself, too.  Melissa Yacuzzo is re-establishing her running habit after 6 months of not running regularly. Erin O'Berry Nason's spring race was cancelled but she ran her own 16 mile race anyways.  Her family joined her for her last few miles and her friends made signs and cheered for her. Tricia Mitchell - ran a virtual 5k this week Amy Trujillo took care of herself by heading home to be with her family, she is now getting back in the running groove      QUESTIONS Hi Coach! I've been heart rate training for 3 years and now that races are cancelled, I want to focus on my easy effort pace...which hasn't changed much since I started HRT. Is it safe to run in a mask? Hi MK, I’m slowly getting back at it. Right now I can’t handle any failure, so I’m aiming at just getting out the door more days than not. I’d like to say I’m in lane one of rebuild, but the reality is I’m not yet their. Aside from refocusing I’m just rebuilding my habit what is your recommendation for the most important thing for me to do in regards to running? As always...gratefully coached and loved ❤️Melissa   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! Dalia Kinsey is The School Nutrition Dietitian utilizing a background in public health and school nutrition in preventative health care.

Lighten UP! is a special podcast series from Fitness Protection that addresses the dysfunction Diet Culture brings to our lives. A fitness expert, registered dietitian, and a trauma-informed therapist offer their perspectives and share tips and tools, so we can, "Lighten Up" and truly enjoy family, food, and fun. This month, we are discussing International Womxn's Day and corporatizing feminist messages before diving into the noxious culture of 30-day challenges that tell us 'swimsuit season' is coming, a shaming signal to start making our bodies smaller. Dalia Kinsey is The School Nutrition Dietitian utilizing a background in public health and school nutrition in preventative health care.  Jummy Olawale is a Gottman Method Therapist; she helps couples rebuild healthy, shame-free relationships by re-framing difficult conversations.  Download our most popular marathon training plan, Tenacious AF, free! Coach MK's Intro I lived abroad for 7 years, 9 if you count my time in undergrad and grad school; that’s a quarter of my life. The pressure to conform to a beach body ideal feels uniquely American to me. I’ve lived on island nations with beautiful beaches and never questioned how I looked or if my body belonged. I didn’t think twice about wearing, much less running or swimming in, whatever I wanted in those hot, humid climates. I am a small, white, femme-presenting cisgender woman, truly not THAT far from normative, and if I feel a million miles removed from this marketing, I have to wonder how much harm it could be causing to others.  Make no mistake, this messaging is harmful. We do not yet believe that all bodies are good bodies; many of us are aware how far we deviate from the societal ideal and feel shame and get defensive. That feeling grows as the temperature increases and our clothing decreases. Saying, “don’t let it get to you” is dismissive and doesn’t acknowledge the way other people respond to our bodies much less the messaging that we may be responding to even subconsciously when we see an advertisement for a 30-day challenge. The only thing that’s out of control is this notion that these airbrushed bodies in advertisements are aspirational, much less standards to which anyone should be held.  In today’s podcast, we are DEFINITELY not talking about running, but we ARE examining the forces that impact our dietary and fitness decisions this time of year. If you are thinking of doing a 30-day challenge of any sort or getting a head start on fall racing, it’s worth asking yourself why. I’m not here to tell you how to feel or how to deal, but I will never stop questioning what it is that you’re actually responding to. We know we can’t really love other people until we truly love bodies, but how do we do THAT exactly? We are calling in THE BIG GUNS! Dalia Kinsey is The School Nutrition Dietitian and Jummy Olawale is a Gottman Method Therapist. WELCOME TO THE GUN SHOW!   Post-Music Intro IT IS MARCH! This week has Mercury in retrograde, followed by a full moon, and ends on Friday the 13th. NO OMENS THERE! Something else that makes March difficult? Marketing. Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and frankly the co-opting of feminism rubs me the wrong way. I want a seat at the table and equal pay for athletes, Nike, not discount; that’s an excuse to give you more money. Plus, gendered holidays exclude a growing number of the population, which, to me, feels like the wrong direction because it reinforces societal gender norms so many do not identify with as well as their status as minorities. Coming right on the heels of that will be fitness industry messaging, reminding us exactly how FAR we are from those ideals, and encouraging us to DO SOMETHING about it since we are CLEARLY so out of control! Soon, we will be bombarded with messaging about “BEACH BODIES” and ‘getting ready for summer!”, selling us programs that will ensure accountability since we lack willpower and are SO OUT OF CONTROL.  And are we? I don’t think so. What’s out of control is this notion that these bodies in these advertisements are aspirational, much less standards to which anyone should be held. I am a small, white, femme-presenting cisgender woman, and if I feel a million miles removed from this marketing, I have to wonder how much harm it could be causing to others. Diet Culture impacts everyone differently, but it absolutely impacts everyone.   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, we bring in THE BIG GUNS to address a unique question from a runner currently living in a country on lockdown...with the ex who just hadn't gotten around to moving out before the pandemic hit. Then, we start a virtual tour of the US, meeting changemakers working year-round to close accessibility gaps and learning how we can support them before finally, FINALLY talking about running. In a time that is definitely not routine, it's fitting that this week's episode wouldn't be routine either! We will be checking in with #LockedInLisa each week until the ex leaves or the lockdown order lifts.   We interrupt our usual Sunday Night#AskAwaysession to address a viewer request that only The Big Guns can solve! A runner sent in the question below: "Coach MK, I need some advice from the Big Guns...I'm gonna need more than running right now. I broke up with my boyfriend five months ago. It seemed like it would be OK for him to move out when the lease is up in the summer. Yes, this seems crazy in retrospect, but he is not the most proactive person on the planet, and I travel a lot for work and he looks after the cats so it worked for us. Plot twist: COVID-19. You guessed it, we are now in isolation together. I am very lucky; he's a kind person, and I feel safe cohabitating with him. But FFS, the only reason living together worked post breakup (and, honestly, pre) is that he worked 150 miles away during the week. All the things that are annoying about him are NOT getting any less annoying, considering that we are now stuck together nearly 24/7. How do I do this without going losing my f****** ****? Help! Sincerely,#LockedInLisa" Our guests pile on the wisdom, and we learn exactly why you'd rather sit on a couch with them instead of Coach MK! Then, we start our Virtual Tour of the US, meeting the changemakers in different cities doing the hard work to close the accessibility gap year-round. Today's stop: Milwaukee, WI where we meet Tiff McDuffie of Purposeful Play and Emerald Mills of Diverse Dining.   Buy Tiffany's new children's book, Blurry Brown Eyes, HERE and support families who rely on Purposeful Play for childcare in the summer! We finally get to running questions towards the end of the broadcast, but it was a fun ride to get here! #Winning at Life Happy birthday Katie Hansen!!! Amy Wilson passed a wound care certification exam and is now an WCC CHRN She celebrated with totwaffles. WAY TO GO AMY! Erin - managed to avoid surgery with her poor dog’s bowel obstruction earlier this week but he’s not back to normal so they went on a hike before finishing up spring planting. Nikkia made a fancy breakfast!   ReBuild Can you talk a little about form. I know awhile ago you discussed and explained the hing at the hip but I've also heard we're supposed to keep the booty tucked to engage the glutes. Not sure how these can happen at the same time... I’m finding myself being much more sedentary than usual since I’ve been working from home. Do you have any suggestions of ways to incorporate more movement into my day? Can you talk a little about 'flexibility' in HR cap with all the stress etc of what's going on? I would suspect that there are days that a run at 150 is just what our minds/souls/bodies need. Training plan, HR cap etc be damned...especially as most of us don't have races coming up son anymore...     Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! Dalia Kinsey is The School Nutrition Dietitian utilizing a background in public health and school nutrition in preventative health care. Jummy Olawale is a Gottman Method Therapist; she helps couples rebuild healthy, shame-free relationships by re-framing difficult conversations.

Coach MK and Coach Sarah livestream question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK and Coach Sarah tackle questions about knees, tapers, reverse tapers, and race recommendations for folx who don't want to have to think about course closures (amongst other things!) 0:00 Before starting in on questions, though, MK chats with Kade Schuldt, Fitness Protection's third sponsored athlete of 2020! He supported Coach MK through a difficult transition and I am honored to support him through his. Now, I want to be clear: I’m not directly comparing our transitions. They aren’t the same AT ALL. This is the basis of empathy though: looking for similarities, saying, “I don’t know what it’s like to live with gender dysmorphia, but I sure know what it’s like to live in a body I hate, a body I wish I could change.” We chat a little with Kade and his kitty Blitz before heading over to New Jersey to talk with with Coach Jess of Enlighten Well LLC then finally hit all of the questions in #AskAway!   12:04 Coach Jess and Coach MK unpack a few stories that appeared in the news this week: Taylor Swift's 15-year struggle with disordered eating, Jessica Simpson's memoir detailing years 20 years of diet pills and over-exercising, and Billie Eilish's toxic relationship with her own body, which she spoke about publicly this week. These stories gave me pause because they underscored the importance of what we are doing here at Fitness Protection, unpacking how Diet Culture/societal pressures whatever you want to call it, absolutely impact our mental health. And physical wellness, physical fitness is useless without mental health. To download your free copy of our introduction to the anti-diet mindset (which means, "Eating and working out with ANY OTHER REASON than 'making your body smaller'"), head to www.fitnessprotection.com/antidiet. We aren’t anti-anything per se, we’re just making sure our actions are focused on our mental health and celebrating our bodies rather than eating and running with the sole goal of reducing its size.   Then, we dive right into it!   Runner Interrupted #WEEKLYWINS! 27:14 Every day is certainly a good day to tell the people you love all about it. And to recognize the love in yourself. I love that I am naturally optimistic. Without that trait, I’m not sure I would have survived the last 20 years, and definitely not the last 5 months 28:52 We love snowmen around here, but my "thing" has always been baking. For birthdays, I make the cake and my husband decorates. We just did our first 3-D cake for William's (my youngest) birthday. He requested one of our cats and made sure to tell us he had to have angry eyes (the cat is kind of a jerk). The inside is a marble rainbow cake. It's in the chest freezer right now, William doesn't want to cut into it! 29:46 I have an odd assortment of festive head gear, think unicorn horn, tiny elf hat, cat ears, etc. If I'm feeling blah, I will put something on and it definitely cheers me up and adds a little fun to my day. Since I work from home, no one sees how ridiculous I look.  ReBuild 31:07 Where to start? I'm back in Rebuild after 3 months off with rest and PT for a sore hamstring. I 'graduated' PT and the hamstring is starting to get a tiny bit tight again, so I am going to go back and ask about dry needling which my PT suggested if it still persists. But now....an every-once-in-a-while knee pain (going up stairs, getting up from seated - I am a preschool teacher so I am up and down CONSTANTLY) has become more of a consistent thing. I have to be very careful when doing the squats in the program to avoid pain in my kneecaps. My PT has remarked that I shouldn't ever run 2 days in a row, "too much pounding on your knees". Should I go to my PT for the knee issue? Find a new PT that understands running better? (She said she would give that advice about not running back-to-back to ANY runner, not just me, a 50-year old). I don't know if this is even a question. But I'm feeling very down about my running prospects right now. Note: make sure to listen to our podcast with physical therapist Alex Lanton for more on how to move forward when things with your current PT aren't working. Maintain 37:07 Hi coaches!!! I’m 2 weeks past my first marathon and nothing is on my race calendar until my Pike’s Peak Ascent in August. I’m not planning to add anything else, although might YOLO an in-town April half marathon. I need a break from planned running for a while, but will still try for a long-ish run every week or two, a few short runs each week, and still planning to do exercise most days, but I just got a Peloton bike so I’ll be doing a little more cycling and strength and a lot less running. I’m planning to use a marathon ramp for Pike’s Peak training again, but was thinking I’d not worry too much about resuming strict Maintain plans until probably April, if that’s okay. Was tentatively thinking I’d try Rebuild lane 2 for March, Maintain for April and May, with the 10 week ramp starting in June. I guess just wanting some reassurance that I can take a “break” in February and that my plan for getting back into things sounds okay! Thanks for getting through my first full marathon with so much support!! 41:50 Did a yoga class for the first time in forever yesterday. The good news: all the strength work I’ve been doing in Maintain is amazing for my balance and core strength. The bad news: my hip flexors are tighter than they’ve ever been in my life. I can’t even get my knee to 90 degrees in a standing position, and my hamstrings are super flexible which makes for a pretty big imbalance. Admittedly, I am not foam rolling as regularly as I should be (I do it on the weekends but rarely weekdays). My running is holistically the best it’s ever been in terms of form, endurance and no injuries. But should I be worried about my super tight hip flexors in regards to my non-running health? Anything you recommend adding in as a manageable addition to my weekday runs to help? 44:13 If I’m training for the flat 3 Days at the Fair course, will I benefit from running hilly routes? 46:18 What do we need to do to get faster? I’m not talking crazy faster, but just enough to be more efficient? 49:03 What are some non-gel fuel options you recommend? I’m going to practice with some real food choices. Do you have an electrolyte replacement you recommend other than nuun? 53:43 Ragnar is this Friday/Saturday. My runs are 4, 4 and 2 miles between 4pm and noon. Still questionable how much, if any, will be race effort. Thinking an easy run tomorrow, Tuesday, maybe Wednesday, then rest Thursday and Friday am. Since those miles will be over 20 hours, how would recovery/rest look? 56:42 Can you recommend some fall marathons that are friendly to back-of-the-packers? Links: https://nylon.com/billie-eilish-suicidal-thoughts-cbs https://www.eonline.com/news/1115584/jessica-simpson-reveals-she-took-diet-pills-for-20-years https://variety.com/2020/music/news/taylor-swift-eating-disorder-netflix-documentary-miss-americana-1203478047/ Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC where she trains her runners for $30 per month and gives marathon plans away for free.

Coach MK and Coach Sarah livestream question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast!   This week, Coach MK takes the helm and tackles questions about assessing and addressing, maintaining foundational strength in perimenopause, and getting ready to take on a trail race!   Before starting in on questions, though, MK chats with Nikkia Raedawn Young, one of Fitness Protection's sponsored athletes! We are SO PROUD to introduce you to this powerhouse, our second sponsored athlete of 2020! Our clients have described Nikkia as a ray of sunshine, which is TRUE- she is gorgeous and WILL BURN YOU!!!! We chat a little with Nikkia before pivoting to a little anti-diet talk with Coach Jess of Enlighten Well LLC then finally hit all of the questions in #AskAway! To download your free copy of our introduction to the anti-diet mindset (which means, "Eating and working out with ANY OTHER REASON than 'making your body smaller'"), head to www.fitnessprotection.com/antidiet.   Then, we dive right into it!   Runner Interrupted #WEEKLYWINS! 33:07 I taught today and didn’t die! And I SAT for most of it which is against my nature, but needed for my recovery. And I only worked a little before and a little after my class and didn’t stay the whole day. I did it all for me and for healing!!! 33:50 Ya know what I’m thankful for? Having learned about running from a knowledgable coach. I’m in other run groups on FB and I just want to pull my hair out with some of the disordered things people say and encourage in them. ‘I haven’t run in years, but I wanna do this half in three months that has an aggressive cut off time, can I do it?’ ‘Yes! Of course! You’ll be amazing!!!’ Or the other one ‘I haven’t run since yesterday and I’m hacking up a lung and I think my fitness is going to disappear over night, so I’m going to go for a run.’ COME ON PEOPLE! Grateful to MY coaches. ReBuild 35:33 Hello I need suggestions for dealing with well meaning but unhelpful loved ones in a kind way. My husbands and my times in races are not significantly different and he regularly asks to do training runs with me. I enjoy his company but his “training” pace and mine are nowhere close so the runs always end up disastrous. Mostly he complains about my pace the entire time while reminding me that there is no reason to run this slow if I can race so much faster, or I oblige and speed up and then end up miserable and killing myself. When I tell him no thank you he is hurt. Help appreciated! 42:25 Hello coaches! Is there an objective definition for “fatigue” for when it becomes a medical symptom? I’m still trying to figure out causes for my BP issues. Doing a sleep study to look for apnea is next up. But one of the last specialists I talked to dismissed autoimmunity as a cause because I didn’t mention fatigue as a symptom. This is an area where it seems the burden of proof is on a patient, and easily dismissed. I’m not falling asleep on my face in the afternoon, but I’m basically crashed out by 730pm. I don’t have much energy to spare. At what point does it rate “fatigue?” Maintain 50:35 I’m entering peri menopause at 44 years old. Everything I’ve been reading (mostly from Dr. Stacy Sims book ROAR- Women are not small men) says as we age not to focus on endurance but developing “fast twitch fibers” (I think that’s right) by focusing more on plyo, strength (lifting heavy shit) and running intervals/hills etc... as opposed to low intensity steady state cardio. She’s not saying to not do it if you enjoy it, but don’t focus on that. I only have so much time in my day- like everyone else- and there is so much information out there- how do you sort through all the information? I’m more wrapped up in this because my family doesn’t “age well“. Cancer took my dad at 56, my mom died at 49 of heart disease... I’m not scared of death- but I want to stay as mobile/healthy as I can for as long as I can 58:56 Another question about my trail 25k (it's in SE Kentucky and last year it was 70° and no sign of snow!). Since it's a 25k, do I need to do anything different with my long runs? I'll finish slow burn and then 3-4 weeks of maintain. Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC where she trains her runners for $30 per month and gives marathon plans away for free.

Coach MK and Coach Sarah livestream question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast!     This week, they tackle questions about changing your relationship with your Training Peaks compliance boxes, running through depression, and what it takes to go from low weekly mileage to race-ready.   First, COACH JESS of Enlighten Well LLC joins the podcast to talk about intuitive eating and the anti-diet challenge, which we are co-sponsoring along with SuperFitHero! Watch for her on this podcast over the next four weeks!   Then, we dive right into it!   Runner Interrupted #WEEKLYWINS!   16:00 I was cleared to start P.T. on Monday and I'm already seeing improvement in the mobility of my arm!   19:30 I went out with A FRIEND and drank WINE and ate OYSTERS and watched LITTLE WOMEN and it was great. I am a SELF.   21:30 I'm still in a weird place, but They Might Be Giants were fantastic! I thought of all my FPP people when I flipped off a Biggest Loser poster in the subway. Not sure that counts as a weekly win, but it sure felt good. I hated seeing those giant ads. FUCK THAT SHOW! Link to our podcast on the biggest loser: http://fitnessprotection.libsyn.com/the-biggest-loser-the-biggest-pile-of-garbage-on-tv-and-its-impact-on-runners   ReBuild   27:00 I use training peaks mostly on a desktop and it has been hard to get into the habit of updating. Some weeks I am behind on sleep, I am pretty good about daily strength (when I don't have to take care of kids in the morning), but honestly have not been able to get into the pattern of the rebuild workouts yet. I don't want to spend more money until I can do that. When I go into training peaks and see all red each week, how am I not supposed to feel like a failure?   34:20 Hi MK and Sarah! After several months of work and a few really bad weeks, I am now treating an episode of major depression. I’m on meds and I have a therapist, so I have a lot on my plate. What should I do about running? I had wanted to stay in Slow Burn for the fun and camaraderie (doing only the strength). But, I’m just a bit lost about my plan now. What are your thoughts on exercise and depression? Why should I keep the habit now? Can I stay in ReBuild?   43:30 How many weeks before a fun race should I switch from ReBuild to Maintain? Considering events for May and June. Haven’t run more than 12 miles a week in 18 months. Note: WE HOPE YOU ARE CONSIDERING 3DATF! https://www.fitnessprotection.com/event-details/going-the-distance-3-days-at-the-fair   MAINTAIN   48:18 Hi, I’m brand new to FPP and heart rate training. I have a half marathon at the end of April, and I have no goals other than to have fun and finish with a smile on my face. I’m a slow AF runner who has used intervals for my last few half marathons, with finish times over 3 hours. If I keep up with the workouts, will I be in half marathon shape by end of April? I’m getting in around 4 miles in an hour with keeping my HR around 140.   50:15 MARATHON SHOUTOUTS!!! Kris Zarnoch, Kara Mayes, and Nicole McCormick all ran the HOT AF Disney World Marathon today! (And Nicole finished the Dopey Challenge - WHOA!)   52:10 Ok, talk to me about hills. What is your advice on adjusting heart rate levels if you find yourself in hilly terrain? I'm a New Yorker..we don't "hill." Out in Pittsburgh this weekend it appears they go uphill in both directions regardless of your route. I found it quite hard to stay under 140 and run. I think I ended up around 155 bpm as my avg. How should I handle this going forward especially for runs like Sat which was quite long? Thanx y'all!!   54:45 I have to move my Monday workout to Sunday this week due to some work travel. Is it super important to keep the Monday runs on the same day as the Monday strength in Slow Burn? I am leaning towards doing strength as written and the runs adjusted this week.   56:30 I'm on the second week of slow burn. I'm doing a trail 25k at the beginning of April. I will be doing my long runs on trails, but could possibly do another day on the trails. Can I do the Billat 30/30 on a trail? I know my pace wouldn't be as fast, but how do I measure? Effort?   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC where she trains her runners for $30 per month and gives marathon plans away for free.  

Coach MK and Coach Sarah livestream question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast!   This week, Coach Sarah and Coach MK answer questions about whether an elliptical workout is as good as a run, how to adapt on the fly when your run schedule isn't getting ANY more predictable, and how to come back from a stomach bug without putting yourself at risk. Runner, Interrupted: the #weekly wins! 12:42 #weeklywins Second appointment with my PT and I graduated from clamshells only to clamshells, bridges, and dead bugs! ETA: plus I got to snowshoe with a good friend from college! 14:42 Throughout my chemo treatment I have made sure to also get massages and acupuncture - not running makes my muscles grumpy. 18:14 Mary Lenczewski’s car won’t start! FFS, WHEN is she going to run into some better luck? HINT: MK can see it coming in the stars! Rebuild 23:20 I am super excited for 2020, and my commitment to myself!! I will hold space for me each day- for fitness specifically. My question is, on the days when I cannot run (haven’t moved treadmill yet, and it’s too loud to use while others sleep where it is at present), will using an elliptical do the trick in terms of weight bearing cardio? Will it help with the micro adaptations in the body that support running? I am thinking that keeping that on a higher resistance level so it mimics an uphill path will result in more weight bearing..... or better to just try a walk on the treadmill that night? Thanks!! 26:30 Also, super conflicted about starting slow burn tomorrow vs waiting until February- it’s been quite a stretch for me, with few running days in recent weeks. I feel as though my fitness is truly at a low point. I am absolutely ready to recommit and find the time in these busy days.... but would you recommend doing that first, consistently, and *then* starting slow burn? Or just jumping in and following the plan? Maintain 32:32 I am loving the pace-based work in Maintain. It feels really good! After years of mostly 140-150 heart rate caps, I get palpitations when I look back over my data for a run. Is there a threshold heart rate I should be worried about? Is there a “too high”? 37:45 I do best when I run in the morning, but sometimes I don’t have time to get the full hour-ish workouts in. I will try to either shorten or just get out the door for 20 mins. My question is, if the stars align and I actually can fit in a run later in the day, should I do the full planned workout at that point, or truncate it, or some other approach? 41:45 Let’s talk about recovery from flu or other intestinal bug things. I know Coach MK had a bout of food poisoning last week and I am just getting over something myself. So a two part question... Generally can we talk about how to pick up on Maintain if we have been out for 4-5 days due to a stomach thing. And the second part is really more direct, I’m looking at Slow Burn plan for day 1 for tomorrow and the next few days and think they are doable, but see the third day turns it on a bit. I’m generally feeling better and think I’m going to try to start Monday, thoughts? 46:20 Doing Ragnar at the end of January. All three legs are roughly 4 miles and easy to moderate. What should I do to prepare other than some two-a-days? What should taper look like? What about recovery? (I’m not expecting this to be race effort) 51:04 Recovering from a hard workout…either intentional or unintentional. I misread yesterdays (maintain) run and did 95 mins with 2 minute pickups every mile at 10k pace rather than 1 minute pickups at 10k pace. What’s the best way to recover from that? Extra stretching? Roller? An extra day off? I’ve done the first 2. I **think** I’m ready for Monday’s run… NOTE: Here's a link to one of MK's foam rolling demos from 2019! An OFFICIAL version of this routine is coming soon!   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC where she trains her runners for $30 per month and gives marathon plans away for free.

On the fifth day of Romjul, my coach gave to me, a live show with Dalia n’ Jummy!!!! HEY HEY! If you are here, and awake and have been checking email or following us on Facebook or Instagram, you know we are in the thick of ROMJUL!  For everyone else: Romjul is a Norwegian word that describes the last week of the year, i.e. the period between Christmas and New Year. I appropriated the hell out of this concept because that country is rich, seriously it has oil money out the wazoo, so those bitches can SHARE.  NOW, the reason I did this: I hate New Year’s Resolutions. The world doesn’t need a new you, especially if that by definition brings us LESS of you. We deserve MOAR. After reading a particularly powerful piece by Nadia Bolz-Weber about “the soul feeling its worth”, I was struck by the cruelty of our tradition of pivoting to pick ourselves apart to make New Year’s Resolutions, a tradition that makes me at least feel totally worthless. Worst of all- not having resolutions are like your two front teeth- not having them is AWKWARD, so I used to make things up to keep conversation going; this was not the time to speak my mind.  Now, no one can make me shut up. Social media has made it possible for me to enter your eyes and ears with my subversive message of ‘refusing to perform’ penance of any sort- you are fantastic just as you are. The only thing that needs to shift is your perspective. That is where the Romjul Roar comes in. In tonight’s livestream, we are helping our clients convert their resolutions into ROARS so we can run screaming into 2020 with pride. Since most New Year’s Resolutions involve fitness and nutrition and weight loss and attitude adjustments, we called in The Big Guns: Dalia Kinsey is The School Nutrition Dietitian, and Jummy Olawale is a Gottman Method therapist. For those of you who have no idea what’s going on right now, my name is Coach MK Fleming. I’m a run coach who knows that we’re never really talking about the running; at a coaching clinic someone called me The Patron Saint of Hobbyjoggers. He thought it was an insult. Bless his heart.  He wasn’t necessarily wrong though. My mission in life is to put the back of the pack front and CENTER and make sure good advice rooted in the latest science is delivered to the masses via conscientious coaching cues rather than click-baitey headlines. Which is a fancy way of saying, imma actually COACH you. I’m invested in your journey. “Try harder!” is neither encouragement nor an effective coaching cue. It’s judgey and lazy commentary from someone who doesn’t know what to say. It isn’t coaching. I see you. I see how hard you work.  I’m here to make sure you are #coachedandloved and remind you that you are #winningatlife, because you deserve nothing less than All The Big Guns, all the time. In the bonus materials for this episode, you’ll find a Fitness Protection Permission Slip (https://bit.ly/2SSAY95), which I want you to print and fill out with all the things you are going to give yourself MOAR of this year. Put it in a prominent place, somewhere you’ll see it every day. Let it remind you that you have permission from ME to seek, pursue, and make space for the things that bring you joy in this life. And on THAT NOTE, let’s ROAR! 1. 20:18: Last year had a lot of ups and downs. To be honest, a lot of downs. (Marriage stuff, work stuff, kid stuff, parent stuff, everything really.) I’m taking the time now every day to take care of myself just to get by. Next year, I hope that the roller coaster of life levels out a bit, but in case it doesn’t, any help with a roar to help me be kinder to myself all the time, not just when life really sucks?  2. 24:34: I am trying hard to ditch diet culture. But it is hard. I know i need a better relationship with food. I know the messages I receive are problematic. But as Coach MK says, “love yourself” isn’t instruction or a helpful coaching cue. I don’t know if there is a roar in here, but I am trying. Just not sure what I”m trying to do or how to take credit for something when I don’t know what success looks like. Will I ever not care? 3. 34:12: I have tried to run 1000 miles in a year for five years now, and haven’t done it- every year has had different things come up that kept me from running. But I’ve grown stronger and I am running often more than I thought I could. Rather than a number- based goal, what can I focus on? 4. 44:13: If I were to identify a Resolution for 2020, I would essentially be banging out some form of Taming the Monkey Mind. I would say something like: I am too scattered, I over commit, and constantly feel frantic about meeting commitments to others, at work, in my family, in my volunteering. Because I overcommit, I am frequently late or not meeting my intended commitments at all, which makes me feel like I am under-performing and I worry that I am letting others down. I need to be more strategic, follow-thru on my commitments, simplify, triage, and dedicate time to my relationships, my running, my creative endeavors, and the most important things. How do I turn this mess into a ROAR??? Help me! (“I’m not enough”) “pressure to be productive” 5. 53:24: I want to lose weight this year. I’ve gained this year, although I’m not sure how much because I’m afraid to step on the scale. It’s starting to affect my ability to do some things, and I’m just tired and feel sluggish (and just between us, it’s affecting my relationship with my husband because I don’t want him to see my stomach, to be clear this is a me hang up, he makes zero comments about my weight). In the past, I have set weight loss goals complete with rewards for getting to certain numbers. While that works initially, I ultimately get frustrated and the wheels fall off. I finally decided to stop punishing myself and will be spending NYE working on the medal hanger I’ve wanted to make myself for years but hadn’t because I hadn’t hit that magical number. I’ve worked extremely hard for those medals and deserve to display them regardless of the number on the scale. I want to spend 2020 nourishing my body with veggies and fruit and protein and healthy fats. I know that if I do that the weight will drop off, I will have more energy, and will just feel better all around, I’ve done it before! I want to commit myself to meal planning, cooking delicious, healthy meals at home, and maintaining. If I can do that, I think the weight loss will come. Please help me translate this to a roar, I want to start 2020 strong and abandon resolutions! 6. 1:11:52: I'm struggling with my roar for 2020. I had big goals but some family challenges has taken all of my focus. I don't think 2020 is going to be my year for big goals, and it's been discouraging. I was now thinking maybe a goal of running 80 miles per month? Or something to maintain my consistency. Can you help to reframe my perspective?  7. 1:22:17: This has to do with my husband and his health. He has chronic cardiac conditions (both electrical and plumbing - a fib/flutter that still plagues him and triple bypass 10 years ago at 36 years old). He does not consistently take good care of his health now and that causes me a lot of anxiety. I’m afraid of what his lack of care for his body now will mean for his future...and mine. But despite trying gentle and not so gentle ways of influencing  him in a healthy direction, he’s had no consistent efforts that way. My resolution is to let go of trying to get him to do healthy things he has to want to do himself and the fear that I have for what it means that he’s not. I want to do more to enjoy the moments now and stop worrying about what isn’t mine to control (him). But even typing this is so scary so any help you can give me to frame this more positively would be wonderful!! Thanks...for this and for everything you guys do all year long. I truly feel coached and loved!! 8. 1:33:27: I am struggling with turning these thoughts into a roar. It’s difficult some days to be an aging runner. I want to run like I did when I was in my mid 40’s. I know I’m doing some great things and I am blessed to be injury free and I’m grateful every day I can run. But it’s still hard....but at the same Time I feel so damn lucky. I know I am probably not making sense which is probably why I was hoping you could help. The comparison trap is hard too...anyhow....Thanks. 9. 1:37:39: Last year during Romjul I dug down and found that I needed to be brave.  I needed to speak truth and hold fast to my convictions. It was hard AF. I can’t go into too much detail -I was constantly challenged- disbelieved- even disrespected at times. It frankly sucked. In the end though, I was right. I won. I won BIG, in multiple ways. But you know how it is, in some contexts, even when you win, you lose. Even after the wins, I was still disbelieved before I was able to produce the result a second time.  As you can guess it was really soul sucking at times. I wouldn’t have changed the way I did things, but it was a hard year. This year I want to continue to be brave to speak up when my convictions are strong- but I feel a bit rudderless as to what this next year is supposed to be. I certainly didn’t plan my goal of bravery to play out how it did. I want this year to be about reaching for more- not a specific goal or outcome- but more happiness, more love, more fun, more of all of it.  (Maybe less shit and a little more recognition for doing the hard stuff-but I know it doesn’t always work that way). More time with people I love, more giving of myself to those who need help. So how do I make that into a ROAR for the year? 10. 1:50:35: If I were to come up with resolutions for 2020, they would be:  lose those pesky 15-20 lbs that really like to stick around, but I don't really need run 1,000 miles in 2020  (700-800 is much more realistic, because #life, but 20-25 miles per week is my sweet spot) Practice centering prayer at least 2-3 mornings and 2-3 evenings per week Schedule monthly date nights Focus on adult relationships and quality time with hubby (Okay, that's enough, I could totally keep going…) What I will really do is run consistently as much as I can, nourish my body in sensible ways, nourish my heart and soul even more, indulge within reason, snuggle my kids as much as they'll let me, love more, smile more and remember daily that I am blessed and I am enough!   11. 2:08:30: In Romjul Roar 2019, I proclaimed I was ditching diet culture, saying fuck off to all the diet crap in my life and focusing on what my body and soul needed.  It took the full year to feel comfortable ignoring all the diet messages that flood in daily but I have succeeded so well. I'm also super proud I finally found the mental and physical energy to seek and secure therapy to help me develop and use coping strategies for stress.  I've never been taught how to cope with any kind of stress and the past year of my husband's medical issues have taught me I must gain some skills. The process to find a therapist got so difficult I was assigned a case worker through my medical insurance who finally helped me crack the system. Having a professional help me with some strategies and talk through the shit-show I've been handed is invaluable.  I just started seeing the therapist in December and have been twice so far and I'm planning on monthly visits in 2020 since my insurance covers the visits with a minor copay. Well, there they are - my two big things from 2019. For me they are HUGE. Thank you for all you do, Coach MK and Coach Sarah. You have both lifted me from a dark and lonely place and given me a running community again.

Sarah and co-host Amanda Loudin are joined by Coach MK Fleming of the Train Like a Mother Club to discuss how to choose a great running race for you. The trio covers a variety of considerations, such as geography, weather, terrain, crowd size, corral policies, and more. Coach MK shares when it’s smart to adjust your expectations. The ladies’ opinions about downhill races might surprise you. Coach Amanda stresses the importance of knowing yourself and what kind of runner you are when it comes to tolerating inclement weather conditions. Laugh along with SBS at MK’s “ultraviolet sandwich” analogy. Learn that “good enough” is often pretty awesome, and find out why MK is a proponent of extra-long training plans. Garner valuable insight about some banner races, including NYC, Marine Corps, Big Sur, and Richmond marathons. Here are the two race-review sites SBS recommends: BibRave and RaceRaves. In the intro, Sarah and Amanda rehash Ogden Retreat memories (including karaoke!) and SBS talks TSwift concert. The trio dives into the choosing-a-race debate at 21:15. Save 10% off any mattress by visiting casper.com/savings. Special offer expires May 29, 2018. New Aaptiv members: Save 30% off annual membership by visiting aaptiv.com/AMR30 Get 50% off orders of $10 or more by using promo code MOTHERRUNNER at chosenfoods.com/amr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and Dimity unite to talk with Coach MK Fleming of the Train Like a Mother Club, and the trio jumps into a straight-talk discussion about setting realistic New Year resolutions. Realize why picking one big goal actually adds up to 1,000s of little tasks, and learn to not conflate optimism + attitude with progress. (Like we said: straight talk!) Numerous analogies to mastering a foreign language or to learning to play the piano abound. Coach MK talks about how to be smart in the goals you pursue, and she shares three small daily changes you need to embrace to meet your goals. Find out why Dimity feels “unbreakable” right now—and what her secret goal is. (And why 2022 might be a big year ‘round AMR parts…) A great reminder toward end of the episode: Enjoy the real joy in the journey. This week’s Nuun-drinking game: Take a swig every time Coach MK mentions the self-defense system of krav maga. Talk of resolutions starts at 19:40. To enjoy a free month of Bark Box with order of a 6- or 12-month subscription, visit barkbox.com/AMR For $20 off, visit Storyworth.com/AMR when you subscribe. Get 25% off your first order of RXBar Kids at RXbar.com/amr and use promo code AMR To see if you qualify, get your free quote today at healthiq.com/AMR or mention promo code AMR (or Another Mother Runner) when you talk to a Health IQ agent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coach MK Fleming and Dimity are back minding their beats again; this time, the duo chats with #motherrunners who have already been through a training cycle with heart rate. Lots of great MK advice ("PR's are built in the off season with strength") woven into planning schedules for 2018.

Sarah and co-host Dimity welcome a bevy of savvy, sassy guests: the coaches of the Train Like a Mother Club. The gals give a preview of the plans in 2017 (including an exciting triathlon announcement!) as well as some insight into their coaching perspectives. First up is Coach MK Fleming of the hugely popular heart rate training programs, who talks about the importance of believing in “the power of ‘yet’” for “future badassery!” Next on is Amanda Loudin, coach of the traditional programs (and occasional co-host of this podcast), who reveals how she stopped a string of injuries that plagued her for the better part of a decade. An intriguing conversation about track workouts (no, not an oxymoron!) evolves when Amanda talks about what her TLAM Club plans entail. Finally, Jenny Harrison, one of the two new triathlon coaches, empathizes about coming back after a pregnancy (in her case, a twin pregnancy that involved eight weeks of bed rest!). Jenny explains why she loves to coach beginners, whom she encourages... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices