Self doubt can be an athlete’s worst nightmare. It can impact your workouts, keep you up at night, and taunt you on race day. At some point, all athletes will experience some form of self doubt in their career, and it's important to learn to fight these feelings so they don't debilitate us. As I always say, mental toughness isn't something athletes are born with it's something they learn over time and something there is ALWAYS room for growth in. Below are some tips when you are experiencing self doubt.

Nutrition and hydration – two of my favorite topics! #saidnooneever But as a registered dietitian (and coach!), I will say, nutrition and hydration actually “excite” me. They are two variables that you have 100% control over. You cannot say this about many things on race day! You can’t control the weather, you can’t control the competition, you can’t even control (to some extent) how your body will feel. But you CAN control what you put in your mouth to fuel you for the race distance of your choice. So, let me share a little of my excitement with you!

Jesse Kropelnicki, founder of QT2 Systems LLC and it’s multiple brands, has always sung the praises of hiking. He often talks about hiking for a faster Ironman finish. I submit to you the idea that hiking won’t just improve your Ironman time, but also better prepare you for an ultramarathon (talk about specificity here!), a marathon, an endurance cycling event and even, when all is said and done, life in general. In other words, if you haven’t already, take a hike!

Figuring out exactly what you want to achieve is the first and most important step. Do you want to run faster, a podium finish? Or just feel fitter at the end? Or just finish? When setting goals, there are 2 types of goals. Outcome goals are a result you’d like to achieve, and process goals as the processes you will need to repeatedly follow to achieve that result. Both are equally important in having a good race.

Racing the Vermont 100 this year? Our Run Formula coach and Vermont 100 race director gives you some tips on how to set up your ideal race calendar to get there!

Ok, you’ve been working on getting in the miles and building your base for your upcoming races. What else could you be doing? How about some strength work!! Distance runners need to acquire a sizeable level of general strength in both the legs and the upper body to be successful. Just running doesn’t work all the muscles needed to get this strength and can cause an imbalance. With the proper strength program, workloads of greater intensity can be managed more easily.

While July warmth and humidity may be hard to imagine when you’re blasted with sub-zero temperatures, snow, ice and 20 mph winds; it really is important that you get creative and disciplined with your training now to ensure that you’re ready for race day. Here are a few guidelines and strategies to build fitness and durability to handle more run training when the snow melts.

Tis the season for hot cocoa, warm fires, fleece lined boots and snowmen. And darkness. Lots and lots of darkness. And very few available daylight hours. Which can definitely put a damper on your outdoor running.

One of the most oft asked questions that I get as a running coach, is about run cadence. Most especially since the popularity of watches that track cadence, has grown. What should it be? How do I improve it? WHY should I improve it?

Looking for a delicious, low-fat, high-fiber snack? These muffins are healthy and perfect for an on-the-go athlete in the thick of marathon training!