Running 101: Progress not Perfection
Running on Happy
by Rachel
2y ago
Measuring progress, not perfection, is a key component to becoming a successful runner.  A sometimes difficult concept to master for a lot of runners is the idea of measuring progress and not perfection. It happens to the best of us — we wake up one morning and think to ourselves, “I’m going to start running today.” Or, “I think I’ll run really far today.” And sometimes maybe even “I’m going to get faster today.” Those thoughts are all well and good, and the idea behind the goals is certainly admirable. Where the trouble comes in, though, is the classic runner’s folly of flawed thinking ..read more
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Running 101: Summer Training — Why Does It Feel So Difficult?
Running on Happy
by Rachel
2y ago
Summer training may feel difficult, but training through hot and humid conditions will make fall racing a breeze. Dew Point Humidity Temperature Heat Index What do all these things have in common? Why, summer training of course! Endurance runners run through all sorts of weather. Snow, sleet, polar vortices… Right now, most notably, we’re running in heat and humidity. It can seem incredibly hard to run when it’s hot and humid, and it can be discouraging at times, too. And sometimes, it can even become dangerous. Let’s dig into those weather terms, what they mean, and how to successfully train ..read more
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Running 101: Base Building (It’s All About that Base)
Running on Happy
by Rachel
2y ago
All runners can benefit from base building. How long it takes to build (or reinforce) that strong base is very individual and based on a multitude of factors. But it shouldn’t be overlooked by even the most experienced of athletes. Base building is a critical time of any runner’s training program. Adult, youth, Olympic — it doesn’t matter. All athletes benefit from base building. I don’t know one coach that would disagree. Naturally, that’s where we’re starting our cross country conditioning. I want to set my kids up for success heading into this season, and I also want them to understand why ..read more
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Goals for Cross Country Season
Running on Happy
by Rachel
2y ago
In my last post, I re-introduced myself and told you I’m a running coach. And I also mentioned that I’m now the head coach for cross country at my alma mater. That part might have taken you by surprise since as of last season, I was only an assistant and I hadn’t even been blogging at that point. A lot has happened! Anyway — I interviewed for the job late fall and found out I got it during very early winter. I’ve been working toward the head coach gig for a few years. I’m super jazzed and really excited to get started with the team. After the 2020 season, I know I have my work cut out for me ..read more
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Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself
Running on Happy
by Rachel
3y ago
Hi! I’m a blogger and running coach. Please allow me to introduce myself… My name is Rachel. I’m a runner, a running coach, a fitness trainer, and a blogger. I’m a running coach based in Cleveland, Ohio. I coach runners of all abilities, ages, and walks of life. My youngest runners are kindergarteners while my oldest runners tend to be in their 70s. In addition to private coaching, I’m also the head coach of a high school cross country team. My certifications include USATF Level 2 Endurance, RRCA, and NASM-CPT. And just for fun, I’m a NESTA certified kettlebell coach. Love me some kettlebell ..read more
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Childhood Unplugged: Spending Time in the Woods
Running on Happy
by Rachel
3y ago
River walks, beach days, time in the woods. Playing with the dogs, running in the sprinkler, even tie-dye shirts. This is childhood unplugged. Last week my husband and I decided to officially unplug. We headed to the woods and took two FULL days away from social media, emails, and even family phone calls. We turned off our phones and took advantage of spending time with the kids. And it was the most magical two days of my life. The first night of our trip didn’t go as planned. Not even a little bit. When we arrived, it was threatening to storm. I had planned out our entire 5-meal menu and on o ..read more
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Deep Thoughts from the Long Run
Running on Happy
by Rachel
3y ago
I took notes during my last long run, just to be able to bring you a glimpse into the brain of a runner. Today I’m sharing those deep thoughts. Enjoy! Running is a funny thing. On the one hand, it’s really fun and refreshing. On the other hand, it can be daunting, arduous, and sometimes even distressing. And more often than not, on a long run, it can be all those things combined. And that’s what I love the most about running. You never know what you’re gonna get. My last long run was a mash-up of elation and aggravation. Let me set the stage: I was running solo. I had tunes, podcasts, snacks ..read more
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Balance Work and Stability for Runners
Running on Happy
by Rachel
3y ago
Balance work and stability are important for runners. Not only will balance help you as an athlete, but it’s an important skill for life. If you haven’t heard by now, I took a nasty spill on a trail adventure with my son about a week ago. I was tired from leading a challenging bootcamp that morning. It was hot and humid. And we chose a challenging trail, climbing 168 feet within the first 6 minutes and 40 seconds of our run. As you can imagine, I was already not at the top of my game. Despite the challenging conditions, we had fun, and after exploring the top of the ridge for close to 35 minut ..read more
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50K Training in 2020
Running on Happy
by Rachel
3y ago
I’ve enjoyed 50k training these last couple months. I hope my race is still a go at the end of August but seemingly anything can (and will) happen in 2020. In 2019 I completed my first 50k. It was long, and it was physically demanding and mentally taxing. But the finish line was the sweetest one I’ve crossed yet. 50K Training in 2020 My finish time was nothing to write home about, unfortunately. And my last couple loops were extremely challenging as I battled a nagging IT band injury. You can read the full recap here! I never had much doubt that I would finish, but I wasn’t too thrilled with ..read more
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Staying Grounded with Running and Fitness in 2020
Running on Happy
by Rachel
3y ago
The one thing keeping me grounded and sane through 2020 has been running and teaching my fitness classes online. They’ve been sanity-savers! Fact: life as we know it has been turned upside down since March 2020. Parents suddenly became teachers. Teachers abruptly took their classrooms online. And workers not used to working from home quickly learned the self-discipline necessary to stay on task when it would become easy to be distracted. Others of us lost jobs and went on unemployment. And that was just March… Here we are, now a full three months later, and despite our country (and the world ..read more
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