How To Comeback From Injury

On NYE 2019, I was attacked by a large breed dog during a long run in the Altadena residential community. I made an animal report and hoped I was ok; however, the next day, I was in an extreme amount of pain bruised in colors I hadn't seen before and bodily shock with skin reactions. I took myself to the ER on NYD 2020 and spent the entire day at the hospital going through tests.  

My physical wounds of torn and punctured tissues caused extreme physical pain. Additionally, I began to suffer night terrors severely disrupting my sleep like I had never experienced before. I developed a deep ingrained fear of German Shepards, even though I love dogs and animals to this day. I respect all breeds and their personal space. The topical wounds healed, the deeper wounds took longer and left biomechanical imbalances. The psychological wounds were a more complex story and worsened as more trauma collected throughout 2020. The combination of trauma physical injury and psychological injury took its toll on my body and nervous system. 

I was determined with rehab, physical therapy, modified training to return to racing and in March 2020, I came back to the LA Marathon to run my fastest marathon in seven years. I finished in 3:17 as 44th female in a field of 22,000-- my 75th Boston Qualifier and 145th marathon. With my physical therapist and sports med professionals, it was a grind for three months to arrive to the start line relatively healthy. Then and now, I am eternally grateful for every step I take.

There are two main causes of injuries in sport: overuse or trauma. The most important approach to come back from an injury is: 1) allow the injury to fully heal, 2) maintain a plan of movement, strength, and recovery strategies with your coach, PT, manual therapist, etc, and 3) listen to the cues from your body to return gradually from injury to not re-injure the same injury.

There are many ways to approach endurance training as we are inspired by what our peers and professionals accomplish in their training or races. It is great to be inspired by our community. However, it is important to remember there is only one YOU. Your body and mind are unique. There is a unique formula on how to train your body type, your lifestyle, and your mind to reach your goals.


THREE PRINCIPLES TO AVOID INJURY

At age 12, I started running as conditioning for my first sport: boxing. At age 14, I ran my first marathon then ran competitively in high school. Adolescence and 20s are amazing for exploring performance with maximal recovery rates. My body did some amazing things in those sixteen years. When I turned 30, it was like I ran into a brick wall. I needed to adapt if I wanted to keep up with my athletic ambitions.

Each year and decade, the human body goes through a variety of physiological changes, especially at age 30. Some cellular processes do not operate at the level as they do in our younger years. This is partly why we need more time between harder sessions, need more sleep, need to be more mindful of our daily nutrition, etc. The beauty of the human body is there are ways to adapt in order to evolve into a stronger, newer form. With endurance sports, the body can go the distance for years and potentially decades to come with the proper adaptations. As we have observed, we can also find our peak performances in endurance later in life. We need to accept if we want to be in this sport for a lifetime, we must be: PATIENT.

How one cares for the body outside of the sport tremendously impacts how the body recovers, rebuilds, and gets stronger. We need to be more mindful of our quality of sleep, biorhythms, recovery strategies, eating lifestyle, mobility practice, cross training, strength training, meditation, mental visualization, stress and emotional management regularly. Who has time for all that other than professional athletes? The secret is finding a rhythm where we can be mindful of each of these components by taking small steps for each one until we create habits and then it becomes a lifestyle. The beautiful thing is when we take care of these things, we are actually investing in our longevity. We need: BALANCE. 

As an athlete, educator, and coach, I aim to balance the needs of my body and mind in small ways each day. The more we invest in these aspects of ourselves, the more we have to offer in our relationships, family, and work life. When we strengthen ourselves, we are better equipped to be of service for others. The greatest distance reached, the fastest runner, the strongest triathlete, all started with a first step. What got them to their big goal was they kept going, even when times got difficult. The third principle is we must be: CONSISTENT.

TIPS IF YOU HAVE AN INJURY

1) STOP running if you're having any continuous joint or muscular pain (outside of minor muscle soreness), especially if it begins to exceeds a 4 on pain scale from 1 to 10. Get it checked out by a medical professional such as your physical therapist, sports medicine chiropractor, or GP. Ignoring it or hoping it will go away may not allow it to heal properly. I have some athletes come to me with injuries from the past that we need to address and work through before I help coach them to reach their goals. 

2) STOP the negative self-talk. This is challenging because our joy to move pain-free is gone. Reframe this as an opportunity where you can focus on strength exercises, mobility, drills, cross training, etc. Our emotions are highly tied to our physicality of moving. Everyday will not be easy. Allow yourself the time to release the negative energy in a healthy manner then refocus your mind into a positive space. The positivity is what will help you remain patient and consistent.  

3) START rehab, recovery, and strengthening strategies guided by your coach, physical therapist, sports med chiro, etc. Rehab then becomes prehab--adopt the philosophy that your body deserves to have these regular recovery and strengthening modalities. It is about prevention as much as maintenance to help you remain balanced. 

4) START cross training once cleared by your medical practitioner. Cross training includes non impact cardio, strength circuits, mobility, core, yoga, etc. These in the end will help you become an overall balanced and more powerful runner. Then the guidance of an endurance coach can help guide you through the proper training cycles that are periodized for your body and lifestyle. You don't need a coach; however, a coach is here to do all the leg work for you and optimize your time with their experience, care, and scientific knowledge. You may hear often others say to the injured: "Rest and you will come back stronger." This is partly true. The complete statement is: Rest from what caused the injury, while you work on your weaknesses/imbalances then you will come back stronger.

5) START a customized training plan and training log. A plan will help you create a rhythm to be balanced in your training. I tell my athletes who want to achieve their goals: there is a difference between working out and training each day. Training each day usually has a very clear performance goal; therefore, you should follow a training plan that fits your body and lifestyle. 

A training log will help you reflect what is working and what is not. Whether you have a specific time goal, qualify for Boston, or rediscover a new fitness routine while avoiding injury, a plan and log will help you reach it in a balanced and consistent way. If a results-oriented training plan is too time consuming to create, hire a coach to help you. A coach can help you create the right habits, achieve results, and provide accountability on what to do, when to do it, and in what doses for an optimal performance for you. No matter what: give yourself the gift of movement of at least 30 minutes / day for your health. A walk is better than none at all.

***

An injury can be extremely difficult emotionally. We become afraid of the injury to resurface. We become deflated throughout the healing process. Be patient, balanced, and positive. That is what will get you out the door, even when it's hard. Need the guidance and accountability to you get there? Email me your three goals and let's get started on your journey to health, clarity, and mental growth to your dream fitness goals. 

How to Run Stronger

10 Strategies to Your Next PR or BQ

Whether it be your first or 10th marathon, runners ask: how can I run faster? Once you get a taste of a PR, you know exactly how the feeling of improvement makes you excited for what's possibly next. The simple answer is if you want to improve, a runner needs to train strategically and practice healthy habits. Let's look at the elites from sprinter to marathoner: their days are designed to improve at their distance by training AND following healthy habits. Below are my 10 strategies that have helped me run over 145 marathons in a strong effort. It's a lifestyle I love as I try to balance work, family, and friends. None are a secret; none are relatively new; but collectively they could be the answer to carry you to your next breakthrough. 

1. Find Your Personal Purpose

Before embarking on anything that will test you like you have never been tested, you need to ask yourself: why am I doing this? What is my motivation? What will it mean to me as I pursue my goals and, more importantly, what will it mean once I achieve it? You need to search and reflect deep inside why is it that you do what you do. If you can only find a superficial answer, you will find that you may lack motivation. However, once you find that deep powerful purpose then nothing else matters. You don't even need to share the purpose because it is only meaningful to you, but it is so powerful that it will drive you everyday. Every single day, remind yourself of this deep reason why you do what you do. You are not here to simply exist. You are here to be extraordinary. Everyone has the ability to find their inner extraordinary. Living a life pursuing this purpose means you are driving towards your passion. When you reflect on your purpose, you will never run out of the drive to succeed. Your motivation becomes endless. I found my purpose when I was little prior to becoming an athlete. That purpose has been redefined several times at different stages of my life as I have matured; it has given me the insatiable hunger to always drive and motivate myself to be better today than I was yesterday. 

2. To Race strong, Train smart

I'm a huge advocate of quality over quantity. Pressed for time? Reduce the "junk" miles and make every mile you run count. Make every training session have a purpose. Tempo runs, intervals, timed repeats, fartleks, hill repeats, mountain climbing, etc. They will give you the training stimuli necessary to take you to that next level. Every distance runner will benefit from pushing themselves at different distances. Now what's the perfect combo? Depending on your goals and level of commitment, a coach can safely guide you. Do too much, too soon, too fast, and you increase your risk of an overuse injury. Listening to your body is key.

3. Hydrate and Eat Wholesomely

One of the most crucial elements in my life is to aim to nourish my body with the most wholesome micro and macro nutrients. Many endurance athletes have allowed themselves to justify that if I workout or race for this long then I can eat whatever I want. Essentially, yes in terms of the energy question, calorie out equals calorie in for weight not to fluctuate. However, what many have missed is why not make every calorie in be a nutritious one that will actually benefit your body other than just hit a craving. Hunger is physiological. Cravings are psychological. You may perform already at a great level with a particular malnourished diet, but imagine what your body can do if you were to give it every macro and micro nutrient it needs for vital health. If we demand more of our body, we should give more to it in the foods we eat. My daily eating regimen is NOT perfect; however, I try to eat wholesomely at least 5-6 days/week. This will probably be the most difficult point to incorporate into endurance athletes because let's face it, we love food. The great thing about how the body works is the more you feed it super-foods, the more satiated it is, the less cravings you have, and the more energetic you feel. Change is very hard. But the rewards are insurmountable in a higher quality of life. How bad do you want it?

4. Find the Right Mileage for You

Runners come in all shapes and sizes. In an optimal world, we would love to train like the elites or those who run 100 mile+ weeks, but in reality many of us do not run for a living instead as a hobby. Additionally, as the participation of marathoning continues to increase in popularity, the average runner does not have the body frame as many elites do. I don't. My suggestion is find the weekly mileage that is right for your body type. If you are smaller framed, your body will be able to withstand higher mileage. If you are larger framed, higher mileage may increase your risk of injury substantially. Find the right balance of mileage and cross training that works for you. 

Photo: Crossfit Ganbatte

5. Indulge in Cross Training

If you eliminate junk miles, you will find that there is much more room to fill your training with other activities. Indulge and enjoy it! Other forms of exercises strengthen and emphasize other muscle groups, which will support your primary muscles. Back in high school, there were only a couple top track female athletes who were allowed to train with the Varsity Football team in the weight room. I was one of them. We lifted and lifted heavy. Cross train right and it will benefit your primary sport of choice. If you strengthen your body as a whole, you become a stronger runner. Bike, swim, weight lift, hike, ski, rock climb, and/or take a fitness class are a few options. I am a competitive runner and triathlete; however, I see myself more as an outdoor enthusiast. I have found my greatest joy is when I just keep moving. 

6. Periodize Your Training

Any professional runner and other competitive athletes in any sport train in seasons. The body can be active all year long. In order to improve, you must train in macro and micro-cycles. Macro-cycles would be your season. Optimally, you would like to peak if well trained 2-3 times per year to avoid any complication with overuse injury. Micro-cycles would be typically your months. You build for a number of weeks and then incorporate active rest weeks at the end of a micro-cycle. The concise science explanation behind this is that your body builds and improves during rest, which is why sleep is so essential. Chemical factors are released during rest and sleep, so allow the body to flourish in them. Finding the most effective combo takes experimentation and research or you can also hire a coach to find what best formula fits your needs.

2013 HRC 5K - 1st FOA

7. Use Races as Training [Sparingly]

Races and timed trials are a great opportunity to tap into your next level performance. Think of them as a test for yourself and also a celebration of your training. In high school and college, in order to become a better test taker, you practice with test after test. Similarly, to become a better racer, you need to practice with races. If you are not strategic on how you race, you are increasing your risk of injury and defeating the purpose of attempting to reap the benefits from a smart training cycle. Aim to peak 1-2 periods per year at the end of your season, maybe three periods at most. Talent is nothing without hard work. Finding what works for you and how to improve strategically takes practice. You race too many races too hard, too often, too soon and it increases your risk for injury. Know what your body can withstand and learn how to build gradually. 

8. Taper Intelligently

If you target 3-4 races per year to be your A-races, you must effectively taper in order to maximally race those races at an all out effort. Physiologically, the body stores nutrients and regenerates tissues during rest much more efficiently than when you are taxing it. Anyone who says the taper doesn't work for them is simply not doing it right. Ask any experienced coach: the taper IS essential for top performance. There are a variety of ways to taper effectively depending on the race distance. 

Horseshoe Lake 8955' elevation

9. Rest, then Rest Some More

Complete rest, active rest, and sleep are all essential to allow your body to improve. Regardless if you have found yourself to be functional with minimal rest and sleep, functionality and peak performance are not the same thing. 

Allow your mind to be fully engaged into the activity in front of you. Turn off the tube, pick up a book, have dinner with someone while looking/interacting with the person(s) the entire time, cuddle, meditate (which we do not do enough of), and hit the sheets early. Your potential can be much higher if done right. 

10. Mentally Train

Even after following our training plans perfectly, it can all be lost on race day if you have not trained your mind. You can be in the best shape of your life or the most fit athlete when you toe the line, but if your mental game is not on point, you end up giving in the last third of a race at any distance and end up conceptualizing an "excuse" as to why you didn't hit your mark. I've seen it done hundreds of times over the past decades. 

A game or a race is a test. It's a test and celebration of ourselves. We can't win every time. We can't PR every time. To truly learn how to be a champion within yourself you have to learn how to fail. Reflect and accept your mistakes. That makes a champion every single time. Don't create an excuse before, during, or after because it serves you no purpose. Instead, allow that reflection to fuel you for your next attempt that way the journey truly becomes your reward. The win, PR, or BQ then just becomes the icing on the cake. Create a race day routine, strategy, and execute. Execution is the final key to achieve the desired goal. If you have faith in yourself and your purpose, you can be unstoppable. The power of the mind, as my father has always taught me, is by far the most powerful tool you can ever utilize to become your own champion every single day. 

2014 Ridgecrest 50K - 3rd FOA 

*****

Over my years of experience as a competitive athlete, coach and speaker, I've learned that we can always improve. We can always have the fire to be better than we were yesterday in our sport, relationships, career, and life. It takes failing, it takes hitting rock bottom to realize and learn how to pick yourself up and become your own champion of life. The possibilities to your personal achievements are endless at any age. It begins by believing in yourself and reminding yourself daily you have purpose. THANK YOU for reading and please feel free to share or contact me with your goals if you're ready to train with purpose. 

How to Train Your Dog to Run

Dogs are a gift to humankind. They offer a unique companionship. My dogs fill my days with little joys from following my shadow around the house, to jumping for joy every time I come home, to the enthusiastic nonstop good morning kisses. It is what I look forward to each morning lately. If you're a runner or an outdoor enthusiast, your dog can be an amazing companion who will want to go however far you go, however long you go, and whatever time of day you go -- most of the time. Being a responsible pet parent is being prepared so they can enjoy these moments with you. 

Learning about Jane Goodall in grade school, I was always intrigued by animal behavior and animal psychology. The beautiful thing about many animal species is they innately will strive for love, protection, and survival within their communities. Dogs, just like humans, are designed to be innately active, some more capable than others. It's our responsibly to prepare them so they can be a healthy fitness partner. Below is an article I wrote for a company asking me how I trained my pups and I share with you in hopes to inspire you to be patient with your companion as you train your pup with love, consistency, and structure. 

1. What are the benefits of running with your dog?

Seeing their energy and joy is absolutely contagious. A calm walk watching them playfully wag their tails and watch their surroundings can sooth your soul. It can also be an excited run in circles chasing after the birds or their own tail that simply makes your soul smile. These joys give you the energy and gratitude to go the distance, faster, or sometimes just get out the door. Running alone is hard for many, especially if we have to do it for long periods of time. A dog's endearing eyes excited reminds you that it's important to "play." We often forget the importance of play as we grow older. Dogs give us the space to remind us of this important principle: there is great joy in simple things. Go run, walk, play.

2. What are the best breeds for running?

Different breeds have different abilities and limitations on how far or fast they can run. Most breeds will want to run with you: how far and long will depend on their physiology and how well you train them. For example, short snouts can limit a dog on how well they can cool themselves. Dogs do not have sweat glands like humans and are limited to cooling off from their paw pads and panting. Therefore, shorter snouts makes it more of a challenge for dogs to run long distance. Size, shape, length of legs, length of snout, weight, and density of fur coat all influence the type of runner your dog can be. Dogs cooling mechanisms are key to understand when it comes to running so keep these factors in mind when training your dog to run. This isn't a complete list but here are some of the best breeds to keep in mind when choosing a running partner. 

According to Outside Magazine:

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Weimaraner

My three boys: Max, Bruno, Buster

Border Collie

Australian Shepard

German Shepard

Dalmation 

Alaskan Malamute

Vizsla

Airedale Terrier

Jack Russel Terrier

Poodle

Belgian Shepard

English Setter

Siberian Huskey

German Pointer

Brittany Spaniel

Boxer

Labrador Retriever

Australian Cattle Dog

American Staffordshire Terrier

3. What is the safe age for dogs to start running? 

Two factors need to be kept in mind: 1) size of breed and 2) age. We need to be more careful with younger and older dogs as they are either still developing into their adult physiology or are slower to heal/regenerate cells as they age. Smaller breeds tend to live longer; therefore, their rate of physiological maturity is slower than larger breeds. By keeping these two factors in mind, follow the key rule: don't do too much, too soon, too fast. Sound familiar? What applies to humans applies to dogs. Allow puppies to be puppies, especially during those first six months, don't do anything extreme. Focus more on dog commands (such as heel, sit, stay) rather than distance or speed. Commands and skills are important to incorporate into your dog training as it can save your dog's life on a run. The more you work on these commands and allow your dog to practice, the better they will become. 

Echo Mountain

For example, I adopted Max when he was six weeks old with the full intention he would be my running partner. Beginning at 2-3 months we would take casual 1-2 mile walks very early in the morning at the beach to avoid distractions. Puppies just like kids are VERY easily distracted so when training them aim to eliminate as many distractions as possible. We would practice commands on and off the leash and then I would allow him to splash around in the waves. By six months old, we started running 2-3 miles together only a couple times a week still focusing fully on the commands of him obeying on and off leash. From 6-12 months, I gradually extended the runs to 4-5 miles and started picking up the pace always listening to what his threshold was. After one year of training focusing primarily on commands and building mileage very gradually, you can build more and run more often always listening to how your dog responds. At his peak shape, Max was able to run 20-22mi trail runs at my pace and 7-8mi tempo runs at 6:00 min/mi pace. Anyone that has run with Max and I can attest how obedient he is when it comes to running out there. We usually opt for remote trails where there is less pedestrian traffic. He prefers cooler weather like his dog mom. 

Keep in mind that how well trained your dog becomes is very fluid. If you don't maintain it then they lose it and you shouldn't aim to have your dog aiming to kill mileage all year. Their bodies require rest and periodization too. Be patient with your dog and give yourself a year of gradual mileage build up. 

Sunrise at 10,064'

4. How far can dogs safely go? 

Just like humans, there is no magic number and every dog breed is different. With most dog breeds, you want to be mindful and not be selfish to push them too long. They will run till the end of earth for you, but you don't want to burn them out. I've taken Max on +20 milers on the trails during cool weather when he's very well trained, but we aren't doing this every weekend. It would be once every couple months. Labs tend to be prone to joint problems and hip dysplasia as they get older, especially due to being overweight. Therefore, I keep this in mind by giving him dog glucosamine supplements, aim to keep him at a lean body weight (be mindful of dog weight for healthy joints), and don't do the really long runs too often. When he's moderately trained, he can handle a 10-12 miler in the trails at my pace a couple times per week. I normally would not exceed 30-40 miles/week with Max, but then again I am a low mileage runner as well. I will admit he does fall a little out of shape when I train for an Ironman because I am running much less. It's always harder to train a dog (or even a human for that matter) to go faster than go longer. Treat your dog like a human. Listen to what their body is telling you. If they are starting to lag behind on the runs then back off the pace or cut the distance short. The human will need to be more patient than the dog when it comes to building mileage safely. 

5. How do you train your dog to drink/eat on the run?

Experiment with what works for your pup. Just like humans, you will need to train your dog to learn to drink from your hydration pack/bottle and eat while on the run. This is more important for long runs and not as necessary for shorter runs. If it's hot, carry more hydration for your dog and slow down the pace substantially. Dogs have a different cooling mechanism than humans do. As humans, we have a higher surface area of sweat glands that cool us off when sweat evaporates. Dogs do not have that luxury. Chill the pace or instead go for a swim with your pooch on very hot days.

Introduce drinking from your hydration bottle/pack very early in your walks or runs training the dog you will not go further until they take a drink. Certain dog breeds can be stubborn, but again training a dog takes a huge amount of patience since they will not get it the first try. Always praise your dog when they listen. A treat is nice, but don't get in the habit of allowing your dog to associate that every good deed will yield a treat. Train your dog to seek for your praise saying: good boy or good girl and massaging them behind the ears goes a very long way. 

There are certain foods that are safe for dogs so learn to carry dog safe foods and enough electrolytes for your dog and yourself for the long runs. Labs have voracious appetites so my Max will eat anything. I give him a snack every hour when we are running for two hours or longer on the trails. I give him a sip of hydration about every mile depending on the outside temperature. Here are some food items that are unsafe for dogs.

6. How does temperature affect a dog's run? 

Mt. Islip Summit

For heat: Dogs cooling mechanisms are different and less efficient than humans. They cool off only from their panting and paw pads so they will warm up quicker than you. Give them extra hydration, monitor they aren’t overheating, and slow the pace. 

For rain: they love it! Most at least. Dogs are like little kids at heart and they will play with you out there for hours. 

For cold/snow: Some breeds definitely can tolerate colder temps and are made for it. The colder it is, the longer and better they can run such as huskies. My lab absolutely loves it! My boxer is more cautious and not a huge fan of cooler temps so he wears dog shoes as his paw pads are more sensitive to cold. 

 7. Who should dictate the pace – the human or the dog? 

Mt. Baldy Summit

The human commands the direction of the run. The dog should influence the pace. This goes back to listening to what your dog can tolerate and what he/she is trained for. Dogs can be trained to go amazing distances or speeds, but the training must be gradual so they don’t get hurt. They will want to please you so they will go as long as you go, so make sure they are safely trained for it. I usually end up taking my dogs out on my long recovery runs so it is a run that is more for them than me. The human should always dictate the pace within the parameters and capabilities of their pup.  

The human is the alpha so the human needs to command the pace and direction of the run. If the dog learns that it can do whatever it wants and you follow him/her, it can lead to an unsafe situation for the dog. On leash, your dog needs to learn that it should not pull or tug on you rather run with you. When off leash, your dog needs to learn that there still is an invisible leash and should always stay within a certain distance of you as you run along together. 

8. What other issues are you likely to encounter when running with a dog? 

Dogs can have an off day. Learn to read their signs. If they just aren’t their energetic selves then call it early and shorten the run. If you’re running in populated areas, train your dog to listen to your commands because sometimes you might run into some humans who just don’t like to be close to dogs. Respect others' personal space unless invited.

Socialize your dog as early and often as possible. Take them to dog beaches and dog parks so they learn how to behave around a pack of other dogs and humans. Train them to travel with you. Train them to behave in different settings. So that when you take them on a run, they will just flow with you as if you both were one. I adore my dogs and am so grateful I can share the outdoors with them till their last breath.

 Your lovable, cuddly popcorn-smelling buddy will be an amazing running partner and every minute will be golden out there, human and dog together. 

Buster from 13 lbs at 8 weeks

To 65 lbs at 24 weeks

Bruno's 10th Birthday

Happy training!