Gear:

Before I dive into Gear, be warned- this could be a total rabbit hole you go down and if you want to go there, it’s quite fun down here ;)

In all seriousness though, you can take this as serious or as low key as you want, but there are a few basics to make sure that you are comfortable, safe, and taking the initiative to be injury-free.

Again- I make suggestions, you make decisions based on what is right for you!

Shoes

Shoes is probably the one type of Gear that you do not want to skimp on. The right pair of shoes for you can help your body feel awesomely supported and like you are flying, whereas the wrong type of shoe for you can make running very uncomfortable and even lead to injury. As someone who ran a marathon on ill-fitting shoes and the insoles they came with instead of custom and came out of that training cycle and race with Plantar Fasciitis, shoes can make a world of difference.

The best thing you can do is take yourself to a running store and have your gait analyzed by the pros. Most running stores have cameras to film how you walk and run on a treadmill and machines to take a scan of your foot.

Once you know the type of shoe that is best for you, normally falling under the Stability or Neutral categories, you then have the choice of cushion levels, heel drop and more.

A good store will have you try on multiple brands to see what feels good. I recommend try on a LOT of options. Take your time. Ask questions. Walk around in each shoe or hop on the treadmill if they let you, and really see what feels good & supportive for you.

Unless you are training for a race, you don’t need ‘super shoes’ (which normally have carbon fiber plates to propel you and massive cushioning) although they are pretty cool. Find a great shoe for working on your base and building your miles and then if a race approaches, we can chat alllllll things fancy shoes.

I also HIGHLY recommend you invest in a pair of custom insoles as well. They will be molded to your feet and normally run around $100- and are worth every single penny.

Fitness Trackers

I am a big believer in using data to learn more about the body, but using the information to inform your decisions, not to tell you what to do. The more you know about your sleep, your paces, your heart rate during a run and resting at night, the more you can dial in your training, perform better and I believe have more fun. Because when you know what your body is saying in your runs and in your life, you know how best to support her. And when your body is supported, you feel better which leads to more fun.

Garmin

Garmin is the gold standard in the running world and the watch that you will see most runners wearing. The GPS data is highly accurate, they provide a lot of data points depending on what you want to know about your runs, and the battery will last several days and get you through most marathons or ‘shorter’ ultra events (I realize how ridiculous that statement sounds).

If you decide to sleep with it on (I personally do) the data it provides about sleep, heart rate, HRV and more helps a ton especially when analyzing the effects your training is having on you to dial it in even more.

I also love their live-tracking feature that you can set up for family members to know exactly where you are at all times during a run (or any GPS tracked activity such as a walk or cycle) for safety as well as their Emergency Calling system in cases of distress. Once you activate this feature, those you list on your Emergency List will receive an email with a link to your live map to know exactly where you are while you are out on the road and will receive a call if you are in distress/ fall (it can sense a fall).

These features alone make switching to Garmin worth it in my option.

Apple

Apple Watch is another great option, though the battery life through a marathon is suspect. It does provide a lot of the same data as Garmin on your run, but I find the distance accuracy is not quite right and I’ve had the watch die on runs even when I left with it fully charged. If you have no plans to go for the longer distances the Apple Watch will work well.

Other

There are plenty of other tracker apps out there that can run through your phone- like Strava and Nike- or trackers like Whoop, Oura and more. Another watch is on the market called Coros which is hot in the ultra world as the battery lasts forever, but I have not tested one myself.

When in doubt, message me and I can guide you on what might be best for you, your goals and your budget.

Clothes

Just like shoes, we can go deeeeeeep down the rabbit hole on clothing. I’m working on resources for products I believe in and have tested myself and it will be released as a Blog post soon.

But the basics work here:

• A pair of shorts or tights that do not chafe and fit you and your unique body well. I love Lululemon shorts but there a ton of great, less expensive brands on the market and even on Amazon to try.

• Sports bras for the ladies. SheFit is the best in all my testing but find what works for you. I wear a SheFit with another sports bra or crop top over it for some extra support and fashion.

• Tank top/ t-shirt/ crop top- Wear what is comfortable to you! There are amazing running based brands out there now that use great materials built for running. I can give you specific examples if you let me know your preferences. Experimenting with materials is key and so individual- for example my husband only like t-shirts and would never run in a tank top or even no shirt, but I need the least amount of clothing as possible on my torso and under my arms as I tend to get heat rashes over long miles. Try a few different options to see what works for you.

• Socks- blisters are a runners worst enemy so find socks you love. This will take experimenting but some great brands include Feetures, Balega and Bombas. Trust me- investing in good socks will make your entire experience way more enjoyable.

• A hat or visor- Protect your skin friends, especially on your face! Plus they make great sweat collectors for the saltier folks like myself.

• Sunglasses- If you have blue sensitive eyes like me, please wear sunglasses with a hat. Roka is by far my favorite sunglasses brand if you want to invest, but Goodr is fantastic and most are around $25.

• Hydration Vests or bottles- If you are running anything other an hour, I highly recommend you wear a hydration vest and fill it with electrolytes or water. It’s also handy to carry your gels and other goodies. I’m an ambassador for Orange Mud- use code FF15Blackstock for 15% off

TRAINING PEAKS

Included in your coaching is a basic athlete TRAINING PEAKS account where I will share your training calendar with you, make adjustments as we go and where we can message about your program. You do not need to upgrade to their custom option (they will ask you to) unless you want the extra features. We can discuss if you are in doubt.

I have sent you an invite through their platform for you to join and once you set up your account and accept, we can begin to build out your program. 

You can also link your Garmin or Apple Watch/Health App so that your workouts will sync up and I can view your data. More information about TRAINING PEAKS can be found below.

For Help setting up Garmin, click HERE

For Help setting up Apple Watch, click HERE

For both, please click the box to import your past data so I can see your recent workouts and begin developing a plan for you quicker.

IF you do not have Garmin or Apple, I highly suggest you review the Gear section above and make the investment in a tracker device. If you still don’t want to make the investment at this time, please be sure to run with an app like Strava running on your phone so you and I can view the data or if you run on a treadmill, take a picture of your metrics at the end and send to me. We can discuss specifics for you in your Welcome Call.

YOUR CALENDAR:

I will be adding all of your workouts and runs in TRAINING PEAKS. Depending on your fitness tracker (like Apple or Garmin) some workouts will be able to uploaded onto your watch to follow.

If you are training for a specific race, your training plan will be uploaded for the entire cycle within the first week or two of us working together and then we will customize as we go.

If you are not training for a specific goal or race, I will be releasing your training on a weekly basis and will have the next 1-2 weeks available for you to see ahead of time.

We will primarily use the messaging within the app to communicate especially if you have requests to change things up or something is not working in terms of life balance/ days of week/ etc but you can also text me at 760-642-8803 if you have major celebrations etc.  

Moving workouts:

There is a method to why we do certain runs and workouts when we do in the progression of the week, but sometimes we need to move things. That being said, sometimes life happens, and if you need to move a run to a Tuesday or strength train a different day message me to move it for you (unless you upgrade your account within Training Peaks to premium, then it will allow you to do so yourself).

My rule of thumb is this: Your runs are your PRIMARY goal each week and sticking to the schedule- especially the order I set for you for each run- is the first goal. Strength training, cross-training, walks and any other workout I may add are secondary to the running.

If you hit your runs every week and especially on the day assigned, amazing. If you are able to do any of the cross-training, that’s icing on the cake. (Unless we’ve discussed otherwise on your priorities)

Please though, do not double up on runs because you missed one (or more) and if I have a prescribed Rest Day for you, check with me first before adding a run to make up for anything. Missed runs are far preferable to over-training!

Messaging

Within the TRAINING PEAKS app we can comment on individual workouts- there is a pre-workout comment section and post-workout comment section within each workout when you open it.

This is perfect if you have a question about that particular workout, something happened on your run that you want me to be aware of, something with the programming felt great or did not feel great, etc. I’ll also check in with you on particular workouts via comments if I notice something in the data or I want to celebrate you!

You can see this on each workout in the app or in your dashboard on a computer.

We can also text me at 760-642-8803 and honestly this is the quickest and easiest way to keep in touch. I FAR prefer texting about bigger vision questions, celebrations, etc and we can use the comments when it’s something super specific to that particular workout.

Warm Up/ Cool Down

For the purposes of planning within TRAINING PEAKS, unless specifically noted, I expect you to do your own Warm Up and Cool Down in addition/ separately from the prescribed run or workout.

The reason for this is that everyone is different, time constraints vary by the day, and you are an adult and can determine what is right for your body on any given day.

Some days you may need a really long walking warm up before a run. Somedays you might need to just get it in and use the first mile of the run as a slower portion to warm things up. Some days an extra long cool down is necessary and some days you just might not be able to.

I PURPOSELY leave the discretion up to you as this is a part of finding what works for YOU, not for me or my other clients or anyone else.

We will discuss in your Welcome Session and of course can message about it to hone in on your sweet spot of Warm Up and Cool Down, but just know that when I program in a run, I am assuming that you are doing these on your own.

I’m a big believer in a simple warm up- either a walk around the block or doing your run after errands or another activity so your muscles are warm, then using the first 0.5 mile at a slower pace to warm things up further and do a full body scan to see how everything feels. If I notice something off, I use this as the chance to adjust the plan before getting into the core of the run. By that half mile marker, I have a good idea of the state of things in my entire body and try to be in the zone for the rest of the run.

Then Cool Down walk of a couple blocks or 0.5 mile, add stretching if that works for you. We can develop a stretch plan custom to you if you desire.

This is what I recommend for you, but find your own process. This is a big piece of the Coming Home to YOUR body is finding the processes that work for you.

Some runners find that stretching before or right after a run is heaven and helps ward off injury. Some runners find stretching before or right after a run is not right for them- I happen to be one of them with my hyper mobility. So I stretch, but not on running days. The current research is split on if stretching is beneficial or not, which to me indicates it’s a highly personal practice.

Find what works for you, message me, and we’ll find your sweet spot.

Common Terminology:

Some common terms you will see me use within your workouts/ training.

Easy Run

For purposes of our training, the bulk of your runs will likely be classified as Easy Runs. It is based on a simple Performance philosophy- Run easy most of the time, moderately hard sometimes and once in a while, take yourself to The Well to talk to God.

With the rise in popularity of running especially online, most people are spending way too much of their time in the latter two to have epic runs to post about, OR are singing the praises of Zone 2 Running but leaving out the harder work. Please ignore the noise online if you are following accounts and trust the training we are going to create FOR YOU.

The bulk of our training for ANY event will fall in the EASY.

Sometimes an Easy Run is based on pace, sometimes it’s based on Heart Rate, sometimes on Rate of Perceived Effort and sometimes it’s just about going out with a friend and being able to talk the whole time when you run.

I will specify in most of your runs what I want you to focus on as an exercise in getting to know your own body, but over time you will find what ‘metric’ to follow that works for you.

Tempo Run

The Tempo Run is where you can play in the moderately hard realm when it’s appropriate. Generally these are the speed work training sessions of longer distance races like half marathons and full marathons.

The science behind it is this is the pace you could hold for a full hour of racing (racing, not running) OR what you would race your 10k race in if faster than an hour.

It IS challenging. It WILL suck at times. You WILL hate me at first and then love me when get in the flow with them.

I will program these in for you often on a Tuesday or Wednesday as your first run of the week if you are training for a race or we are working on speed during a cycle in various formats.

Once we have a baseline from a prior race or a time trial I’ll have you complete, we’ll have your Tempo Pace target to hit.

A example Tempo Run could be a 3 mile run with 5 min tempo pace, 1 min easy pace, repeat until you reach 3 miles.

Or my favorite- .5 mile warm up, Tempo Pace steady until you reach 3 miles, jog or walk cool down. You’ve been warned :)

Race Pace Run or Pace Run

This is another form of speed work that is slower than tempo runs but faster than your easy runs. If you have recent races that feel indicative of your racing performance, please send to me so I can begin to determine your current fitness level with comparison to your race goals. From here, we will begin to work on dialing in your race pace.

These will be the runs where we will play with those paces, see where you are at, and build your fitness towards your goals.

Long Run

The Long Run is the backbone of most of my run programs- even if you are training for a shorter race like a 5k, the weekly Long Run is so important to build your fitness, work your aerobic system, get miles in the bank, and work through a lot of the mental challenges that arise from running and pushing past our barriers.

For many, running hard for shorter distances is actually way easier than running easy for long distances- it’s that mental toughness that the Long Run builds that will apply to almost all of you enrolled in a program (unless we have discussed otherwise).

So get ready- the Long Run is where we will be having most of our fun- and where YOU will be having many of your breakthroughs.

Speed Intervals

For most of you, Speed Intervals will not be a major portion of your programming unless you have easy access to a track to run.

Instead, we will likely do fun speed work type runs like Fartleks- which basically means fun with speed in my book. A great example might be on a Tuesday instead of a Tempo Run, I program a Fartlek to a high-energy playlist of your choosing where you pick up speed when the beat drops on your favorite songs then run easy in between or for a song, or doing hill repeats- push pace UP the hill, run easy down.

I like to make speed work FUN since it CAN be fun but also- it’s really hard ;) So keep an eye on your programming for interval work in fun and exciting ways. But if you have easy access to a track, let me know so we can add that in.

Strength Training

Most runners hate strength training. Or maybe don’t hate it, but tend to avoid it especially in training cycles. Because let’s be real- running takes up a lot of time- especially in marathon cycles- and adding MORE can just feel like too much on already tired legs.

One of my objectives though is to get you running in a way that your legs do NOT feel like lead (like a lot of programs out there) so that you have the energy and capacity to strength train as well.

Strength training should be SIMPLE especially when in a run training cycle. It’s secondary to your runs and should compliment your training, not make you too tired or sore to do your runs.

We will discuss what is right for each of you individually to determine how Strength Training fits in for you.

Cross-Training

Same thing goes for Cross-training with a caveat- during a training cycle especially for a race, all cross-training should only be in sports that have you moving your body in a similar plane of motion as running. Things like tennis, pickle ball, basketball, soccer, football should all be avoided especially if you are training for a longer-distance like a marathon to protect your joints and ligaments from injury.

Great forms of cross training for running include cycling, swimming, equestrian, yoga (let’s discuss type though), stretching, pilates, mobility classes, water aerobics, etc.

When in doubt, message me and we’ll discuss.

Rest Days

Repeat after me- REST IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS YOUR RUNS.

I have programmed in Rest Days for you but here’s the plan- if you need more rest, take more rest.

Running is HARD on the body and especially if you are new to this or you are training for a big race, you WILL need rest. It is better to be undertrained than overtrained.

The catch here is getting to know your body so well that you can determine- is it an extra rest day I REALLY need, or am I trying to avoid the work? When in doubt, message me and we’ll figure it out.

Active Recovery

Some days I may say Active Recovery instead of full rest but you can almost always substitute an active recovery for a rest day. The reason I like this is that for situations like DOMS (soreness from lactic acid build up in the muscles) being active like going for walks, a light cycle on the bike or getting in the pool will actually HELP more than a total rest day will.

Use your discretion- sometimes we just need a day to veg on the couch and take it easy, but often we need to keep moving to keep moving. Listen to your body and trust her in what she tells you she needs.

Fueling:

This is another rabbit hole you can certainly go down and I highly suggest that you do. Fueling is EVERYTHING when it comes to running- especially if you plan to run any distance over a 5k.

There is so much science behind fueling that an eBook is in the works for you- so stay tuned.

This is super individual to each person and I have some wonderful accounts on Instagram I can refer you to to learn more, but my all time favorite is Featherstone Nutrition. She’s smart, she’s educated and she’s real. Check out her website HERE to learn her take on nutrition for runner.

As for what your caloric intake needs to be and your overall body/ body composition goals, this is something for us to discuss in your Welcome Session and any extra sessions you may have based on the package you enrolled in.

With regards to your runs though, a few simple rules:

• Don’t run fasted unless there is a specific reason you are doing so.

• Getting carbs before a run can significantly improve how you feel and perform on your run. Headed out for an easy 3 miler? 100 calories of graham crackers or toast or a banana might be perfect. Headed out for a long run? Something more in the range of 300-600 calories like a Bagel with almond butter or oatmeal is great

• Carb loading- Featherstone Nutrition has a whole section on this but basically, if you are running long, you want to carb load the night before. Not just for race day, but even during training. There is so much science behind that an eBook is in the works for you but for now, have some pasta the night before a long run, k?

• During the Run:

  • HYDRATION- I ALWAYS have water or an electrolyte mix with me- even on shorter runs of a mile or two. I tend to sweat A LOT, even when it’s cold, so I need to constantly replenish what I lose. Even if you don’t sweat, you need to be hydrating on yours run, before your runs, and after your runs. Water is great, electrolytes are fantastic. I personally use LMNT but other great options are NUUN and ScratchLabs.

  • GELS- look, they don’t taste great and aren’t the most palatable thing in the world, but they can absolutely save you on a run, give you the boost in energy you need by giving your body a hit of carbs, and can make the difference between a great race or a blow-out. Please fuel. Find a gel you love. Experiment. Message me. Let’s find the solution that works for you. General rule of thumb is a gel every 3-4 miles or every 30-45 minutes. Experimenting will help you find your sweet spot and we can text as much as you want about this to find what works for you.

  • POST-RUN- Eating post-run is key for replenishing what you lost and helping your muscles recover. Aim for a serving of carbs and 20-30 grams of protein. A smoothie works great for this- and is damn tasty after a hot summer run!

Again- fueling is a HUGE topic and an ebook is coming soon. But in the meantime, ASK ME ANYTHING and experiment to find what works for you and your stomach.