Athleti-Ventures 🤠

Racing Resurgence: Returning to the Track After 10-Year Hiatus 😱

Sporting buns for the first time resurfaced lingering body image worries.

• Positive body image isn't a prerequisite for recovery. In fact, insisting on it can be harmful. Body image ebbs and flows with emotions, it’s constantly changing. Let's break the notion that one must feel a certain way about their body. Instead, prioritize sustainable self-care regardless of feelings.

Pre-race anxiety is universal, even for the most composed.

• Choosing to smile (a practice foreign to me prior to this race), welcoming the chance to compete, appreciating the ability to stand on a start line healthy, and acknowledging my privilege made all the difference.

Reminding yourself of what you're capable of really comes through when the race plan suddenly shifts.

• When races start off slow, it's up to you to take charge if you want to keep things honest and perform at your best. Even if it means leading for a big chunk of the race > be f*ing brave!

Grit never dies, but sometimes your finishing speed does 😅

• AND that’s okay! It's not just about the W. It's about how you responded to the challenge, stayed engaged, and had the courage to start in the first place.

It took me a whole decade to finally learn how to truly detach my self-worth from the outcome of a race.

• And you know what? I had FUN! Imagine that?! 😝

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Training Among Beasts: Embracing Humility 👊

It's truly humbling to consistently get your a$$ whooped day after day when you're training with folks who are on a whole other level.

• So, why expect anything different when you're starting from square one? If you want progress, set aside your ego and any preconceived notions of what you once were.

Even on the toughest days, sharing the struggle can make it a little less miserable. 🤝

• When you have people in your corner going through the same process of being broken down before being built back up, hold on tight to their tails and don't let go!

Being just like everyone else is the last thing you want to be.

• Once you recognize that everyone has their own set of strengths and weaknesses, you'll realize the importance of seeking out those whose strengths align with what you aspire to achieve.

With age comes the ability to endure a whole hell of a lot more!

• I might not be as speedy as I once was, but I can sure ride out that pain train like nobody's business, come hell or high water 🤣

Having perspective is pretty sweet...

• It's so easy to get wrapped up and overwhelmed when the little things in training don't go as planned. Parker Valby really nailed it when she said, "Just have fun with running, because in the end, we're running in circles like hamsters.” 🐹

Mama Still Got It: Sub-60 400m 🏎️💨

It's not about always being at your absolute best, but more about consistently putting in your best effort.

• My top performance wasn't in the 1500m at UBC. It was the combined effort I put in throughout the other six days of the week. Remember to value all your hard work throughout the week. A single race doesn't always show the full picture, and that's perfectly fine. 💖

When things are out of your control, it's so easy to find a scapegoat.

• Despite the weather and feeling worn out, I found myself making excuses to skip the 400m after my 1500m race. But what kept me going was realizing that even if I didn't perform well in the 400m on tired legs, the mental practice of pushing through was just as important as the physical aspect of another race.

So, turns out, sticking to that strategy paid off...

• I clocked a sub 60 400m. Not bad for someone who hasn't raced from blocks in a whole decade! Just because one race doesn't go your way, don't deny yourself a second opportunity to redeem yourself.

Ultimately, if you've got someone who's there for you at the finish line, loving you regardless of the result, that's what truly counts.

• Shoutout to my little rugrats who never fail to remind me that all this sports stuff doesn't even register on their "Important Things" radar. Gotta love their perspective! 😂

Embracing Discomfort & Weaknesses: Endless Threshold Repeats 🔃

You ever notice how as soon as you start making excuses for something, that's usually when you realize that little voice of "resistance" is trying to mess with you and get in your way?

• Whenever I dive into a workout that feels daunting—maybe it's a workout that feels beyond my abilities or unfamiliar—I remind myself it's just coming from the fear of not measuring up. But honestly, when you think about it, it's kinda funny. If we were scared of not being good enough all the time, we'd never even bother trying in the first place. What's the point in that, right? Instead of pushing away resistance, get curious about it. Realize it's just fear. Dive into it, understand it, and don't try to run from it. 

It's great to stick with what your body knows and loves when it comes to workouts, but don't forget to mix things up and experiment every now and then.

• I've always considered myself a 400m/800m runner, sticking to under 30 miles a week and focusing on quality speed sessions, weight training, and lots of anaerobic work. But recently, I decided to shake things up a bit. I've started adding some easy morning miles before my twice-weekly track sessions, and I've been throwing in some threshold reps during workouts. And you know what? I think I might be onto something here!

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Free to Thrive: Shedding Expectations, Embracing Fun ✌

When you're halfway decent at something, suddenly everyone's got an opinion and wants to share their two cents.

• It's natural to feel pumped when you see a friend crushing it, but trust me, don't make the mistake of projecting your own goals and expectations onto them.

• I've got a knack for setting expectations, but sometimes I take it too far. I'm great at laying out goals, but not so great at acknowledging the progress I make toward them. When I jumped back into racing after a 10-year break, I did it with zero expectations. My main focus was on having fun and recovering from the toll college sports took on my body. So, you can imagine my surprise when it seemed like everyone was suddenly talking season goals with me after just a couple of races back.

• This situation immediately triggered my anxiety, and that unhealthy pressure to excel started creeping back in. It's totally okay to set boundaries with people and let them know that you'd rather focus on celebrating the present rather than dwell on what's next.

What if I put in all this effort and still don't PR? Then what?

• It's such a thrill to grind week after week, fueled by the excitement and the anticipation of running a personal best soon. But what happens when all that hard work doesn't quite translate into that coveted PR? The thought of never hitting a personal best again on the track can be downright gut-wrenching. I've been wrestling with this, trying to shift my perspective. 🤔

• I'm reminding myself that every little step forward, no matter how tiny, is still progress toward something bigger. And that "something bigger" can mean a lot of things: proving to myself that my body is still strong and resilient, setting a positive example for my kids, sharing my experiences to help coach other athletes, and fostering a supportive environment for female athletes in this sport. The list goes on. We’ve really got to cut ourselves some slack and remember that there's more to us than just times and personal records. 💗

Back to Basics: Overcoming Foot Injury and Doubt 💔

"Injuries are like the unexpected guests who always show up at the worst possible time."

• I got invited to race the mile as an Alaska alum at The Dome in Anchorage, and I thought, why not make it a family trip? So, I packed up the kids for their Spring Break adventure. The thing is, I hadn't set foot in Alaska for 12 years, not since my dad passed away. All those memories came flooding back, trying to talk me out of going. I guess part of me was hesitant because back in the day, I was one of the top high school athletes in Alaska. But college was a different story—I didn't exactly set the world on fire on the track. There was definitely this pressure to perform, to show everyone from back home that I've still got it.

• Well, talk about a twist of fate—just when I was feeling great with some awesome workouts leading up to the race, two days before the big day, I found myself hobbling off the track with intense foot pain. I tried everything to nurse it back to health, but I had to make the tough call to sit this one out. 😭

• Turns out, my midfoot got super stiff, which threw everything else out of whack—tightening up those lateral plantar foot muscles and abductor digiti minimi muscles, which in turn started pulling on my cuboid bone, causing a lot of discomfort and pain in my foot. Timing couldn't be worse, especially with a big race on the horizon in April. But hey, sometimes these setbacks are just a reminder to stay diligent with the band work and foot strengthening.

• It's a common trap to fall into, feeling guilty and pointing fingers at ourselves when we get injured. For me, I've gotta keep reminding myself—I've only been back to consistent training for three months after a decade-long break from serious running. That quote, "One of the most common causes of injury is trying to make up for lost time," hits home hard. Am I pushing too hard to catch up too quickly? Am I being smart about it? It's so tempting to blame yourself, but sometimes you've just gotta toss all that blame out the window and flip the universe the bird 🖕

Almost Smashed my PR in a Race I Nearly Scratched 😳

If you find yourself entering a race with mental fatigue, just contribute to the best of your ability, regardless of whether you anticipate receiving something in exchange.

• 2:10.57 800m, just shy of my PR by less than a second. I almost withdrew from the race last minute, grappling with exhaustion and low spirits post Alaska trip/ foot injury. Weeks of minimal running, substituted with intense cross-training, left me feeling unprepared. But, I reminded myself that true competitors push through even when things look bleak. I told myself to cling to the back of the pack, and true to my word, that's where I found myself. With 250 meters remaining, I was firmly planted in last. I zigzagged all over, struggling to find my rhythm. But I pushed past it, fought my way up, and nearly clinched the win at the line, missing it by 0.03. I don't think I've ever even split an 800 like that before 🙈. I'm excited to bounce back, get back into the groove, and chase that PR all summer long, come hell or high water! My dwindling flame has been reignited and I'm excited to open my next 800m hard and fast and see what I'm capable of!

Running with Consistency Despite Delayed Rewards

Another 2:10 performance at the Portland Twilight some reflections on the importance of consistency:

• In the relentless pursuit of PRs and immediate gratification, it's so easy to overlook the profound value of consistent, incremental progress. The obsession with achieving peak performance in every race can overshadow the understanding that true growth and success in running, as in life, often require patience and perseverance.

• While PRs are exhilarating, they aren't the only measure of success. I'm really trying to embrace the journey of consistent training and understand that meaningful breakthroughs take time. Running a 2:10 after just four months of training made me believe my fitness had returned quickly, and that PRs would follow just as swiftly. Now, I'm beginning to realize that assessing my training progress is a more effective performance metric than focusing solely on race outcomes.

• Consistency in training is a better measure of progress because it reveals growth and potential beyond race day results. It's reflected in how you approach workouts, manage new training blocks, adapt to new paces, and maintain your mindset through the daily and weekly rigor of training.

Navigating Rocky Trails: Dodging Boulders and Cervical Disc Herniations

This summer was shaping up to be one of my best training seasons. I was averaging 40-50 miles a week and feeling stronger than ever—until my neck decided to throw a wrench in the works. Two trips to the ER later, I found myself immobile for weeks. After five years of dealing with cervicogenic dizziness, muscle spasms, and nerve issues, I finally realized it was time to focus on my health. An MRI revealed what I’d been fearing: spondylosis at C5-6 and C6-7, plus two herniated discs compressing my spinal nerves. No wonder I’ve been in so much pain.

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In the midst of all this, I’ve been working on a mental health traffic light system at WWU. While putting this together, I realized I’ve been living in the 'yellow' zone for way too long—pushing through my neck injury instead of addressing it. The Traffic Light Check-In is designed to help athletes reflect on their behaviors, symptoms, thoughts, and feelings, giving them a way to figure out if they’re on track or need a mental reset. By blending this with Ken Ravizza’s sports psychology approach, we get a comprehensive look at both mental health and performance mindset. Just like driving, green means go, yellow means caution, and red means stop. Unfortunately, many of us, myself included, see yellow as a signal to push harder, which often leads to setbacks.

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Recognizing these 'yellow' lights in my life has been a real wake-up call to pause and take action before things escalate to red. It’s a tough lesson, but tuning in to what my body is telling me is crucial for both recovery and well-being. Right now, I’ve hit pause on all training as I prepare for appointments with neuro-spine specialist to see if surgery is on the table. It's another reminder that health should ALWAYS come first—something I often preach but struggle to practice myself. 😫🤦❤️‍🩹