The Multifaceted Athlete with Coaching Klutz

JK is BACK for another crossover episode! In true JK and Kelly fashion, we had a loose plan of what we wanted to talk about that was taken off the rails by many tangents and stories.

Here's what we covered:

- what is an influencer?

- are we influencers?

- dealing with gymtimidation 

- gym layouts

- intimidation around running groups

- how to find running groups

- that one time JK ran a half marathon

- considerations for training while traveling

- vacation travel vs work travel vs visiting family

- running in an unfamiliar area 

- 75 hard

and so much more.

Enjoy!

Long time no talk! It's been over 2 months since our last What's What with Klutz episode, so it was time for a catch up episode.

This week I’m ecstatic to be joined by my friend, Lauren Clement. Lauren came on the podcast to share her story of her last year: from training hard for CIM to breaking her ankle in a freak accident to running at the Boston marathon.

Whether you’re currently injured or have been before, Lauren’s story is sure to inspire you.

We chat about:

Why she got into marathons

What the heck happened to her ankle

Reflecting on the cause of the break

Staying positive through injury

Mentally dealing with a broken ankle

Staying in the present

How her first run/walk post injury felt

Leaning on positivity, gratitude and curiosity

Training for Boston while returning from injury

The Boston Marathon experience

Adjusting training to optimize recovery

This week on the podcast I’m delighted to be joined by Jason Fitzgerald of Strength Running to chat more about one of my favorite topics - strength training!

Jason and I dive into:

How Jason discovered the benefits of strength training

Sandwiching runs with a dynamic warmup and core/strength work

How strength training helps injury prone runners

Why warming up for your runs behooves you

Simplifying your strength routine

Shifting mindset from runner to athlete that specializes in running

When to sacrifice time running for strength training

Using hills to supplement strength

Thinking long term instead of short term

The importance of strength training for longevity

Groups that may need to strength train more than others

What it means to be a performance oriented runner

Minimum equipment for strength at home

What does “heavy weightlifting” mean

Periodization for weightlifting

Plyometrics for higher cadence & running economy

How strength may differ for road vs trail athletes

Tips for when you’re dreading your long run

Jason’s new performance training journal

and more!

Enjoy!

This week, I have a very special guest! I invited one of my athletes, Mack Nia, on to the podcast to share her story of going from struggling to complete couch to 5k in 2020 to completing multiple ultramarathons. I think Mack's story is so inspiring and think you will too.

We chatted about:

- how her fascination with running started

- attempting couch to 5k multiple times

- making couch to 5k stick

- what being a runner means to her

- running her first 5k, 10k and half marathon

- jumping from the half marathon to the 50k

- finding a coach (me!)

- running Zion 50k

- finishing her first ultra

- her latest 12 hour race

- switching from ultras to shorter distances and speed

- how she deals with Tiktok haters

- why she continues to run

and so much more!

CONNECT WITH MACK:

Guess who ran another 5k this past weekend?! This is the final 5k to wrap up my winter of 5k training, and I was so excited going into this race. Race day was the day before my last day in corporate, so it felt serendipitous for 5k training and corporate work to end at the same time.

I was aiming, yet again, to run a sub 24 after running 24:04 in January in Carlsbad and 25:03 in December at the same course as the Donut Dash.

Race day, however, did not go how I wanted. This episode I recap the race, the struggles, how I prepared mentally for it, how to bounce back from a bad race result, and more.

Enjoy!

The long awaited story of how I got into coaching is here! Just kidding, this isn't long awaited, but at least one of you did request this!

The seed that would become my running coaching business was planted back in grad school, morphed into a baking business, and somehow we ended up here. Listen in for the full story and some questions from you! I talk about how I prepared to go full time in coaching, how I knew I was ready/that it was time, my coaching offers, how many athletes I'm aiming to acquire, and the biggest mindset shift from going from salaried to self employed.

Enjoy!

Iiiiiiiiit's time for another What's What with Klutz episode!!!

Today I talk about:
- my big news!!
- can you run a race for fun?
- can you walk for a run streak?
- thoughts on coaches having sponsors
- thoughts on coaches calling out other coaches on socials
- tips we can take from Sally McRae

Enjoy!

I'm so excited for you to listen to this week's episode with RD Alyssa Leib.

Alyssa is a climber and runner (she comes to the group runs most months!) and a registered dietician who works with athletes. The bulk of our conversation centers around intuitive eating: what it is, the 10 principles that guide intuitive eating, what it isn't, why Alyssa recommends it for everyone, and how athletes can utilize this. We end the podcast by musing about what we've seen in the climbing and running spaces related to diet culture and disordered eating, how this isn't just something that the pros deal with, and encouraging others to share their stories.

We do talk about eating disorders and share parts of our own experiences in this episode, so take care if that is hard for you.

This week I'm delighted to be joined by fellow running coach, Bertrand Newson (aka Coach B) for an amazing conversation.

We talk about:
* how Coach B got into running later in life
* getting into coaching
* the importance of community
* dealing with a running rut
* falling back in love with running
* his annual sabbatical
* the importance of his brother to his running

and so much more.

This is a very genuine, sometimes raw, conversation that I think you'll love.

Enjoy!

Let's answer some questions that I got on my recent survey!

I answered questions about my training/coaching philosophy, how I incorporate strength training with running (which included an update on my personal training), which strength training exercises I would choose at the top 5 for runners, my goals with coaching, and what I've learned as a coach so far.

Enjoy!

Can you believe we're already at 50 episodes?! 

I've been in San Diego for the better part of the past week at the Endeavorun running retreat and running my second 5k race of the winter! Listen in to hear about the San Diego Endeavorun retreat (my second Endeavorun retreat), my comparison between my 2 experiences at the retreat and how my 5k went.

Welcome to season 3 and the first WWWK of the year! Top of mind for me on this episode is how I'm approaching 2023, how I came up with my words for this year, and more content that I'm not loving (inspired by the news).

Goodbye 2022, and goodbye season 2!

For this final episode of 2022, it's another What's What with Klutz episode, featuring a follow up discussion on burn out with running, my break from social media/content I'm currently hating, and my 2 cents on New Years Resolutions.

See y'all next year for season 3!

Welcome to the first episode of the What's What with Klutz series!

This series will be just as the name says - random things that are going on in my brain at the time of recording (similar to the Friday Four on the Help Me Understand podcast with JK McLeod if you're familiar - hi JK!).

On my mind this week has been 2 main topics:

1. Feeling resistance to running lately
2. Seeing people focus on chasing marginal gains instead of focusing on the basics (specifically my thoughts around syncing your training to your menstrual cycle)

Enjoy!

CONNECT WITH ME:

This past weekend (12/11), Kelly ran her favorite 5k race - the Jingle Bell Run in Denver! Listen as she recaps her training leading up to the race, how she felt going into race day, her goal, and what actually happened.

If you're enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a rating and review and sharing with your friends! Tag @coachingklutz if you share on Instagram!

Tis the season for catching a cold! How do you adjust your training when you catch something? What about getting back into training once you feel better?

JK and Kelly chat all about what they take into consideration for themselves and their athletes when thinking about these questions.

Enjoy!

This week on the podcast, Kelly had the pleasure of chatting with pro runner Grayson Murphy all about her training log business!

Grayson has been creating training logs + planners since 2018 and has seen her business grow and evolve over the past 4 years. Her training log + planner is now on its FIFTH edition and is finally available in some book and running stores!

Kelly and Grayson chat all about Grayson’s entrepreneurial journey, how she even got started with making a physical product, what she’s learned along the way, how she hopes her product helps runners, and so much more.

This episode is great for anyone who 1) loves Grayson, 2) is interested in becoming an entrepreneur (especially in merchandising), or 3) wants to hear about other aspects of a pro runner’s life.

Consider this your reminder as well to support small businesses like Grayson’s this holiday season and throughout the year!

Need some ideas for the runner in your life (or maybe yourself 😉)? Kelly’s gotchu. Listen along for her favorite items for runners from apparel to gear to fuel to books. Included in the spreadsheet are any discount codes that Kelly has when applicable and notes of any current sales going on (it is Black Friday tomorrow, after all).

Disclaimer: all of the items in these lists are items Kelly owns and uses. Just because she like them does not mean you will (namely the apparel and shoes), but hopefully this will help with any ideas you need. If you are listening past the week of Thanksgiving, the sales notes may or may not still apply.

Here is the spreadsheet with all the products Kelly talks about, links and her personal notes:

Thinking about the impending winter and how you're going to train through it (or if you should)? Kelly has some ideas and tips for running through the winter for you this week.

Meet Cait Keen. She’s a runner but also a dog mom, career woman, Tiktok creator (go follow her), and all around badass.

Some of her running accomplishments include qualifying for the 2020 Olympic marathon trials and winning the Cincinnati Flying Pig marathon…. twice.

Kelly was so excited to get to talk with Cait after following her journey for over a year on social media.

Cait and Kelly chatted all about:

Her running journey
Importance of trusting your coach
Planning for the long term
Striving for the Olympic marathon trials
The value of long term fitness
Being able to draw upon previous training experience
The appeal of the marathon distance
Working full time while training
How it felt qualifying for the Olympic trials in 2018
Dealing with an unsupportive partner
Her relationship this time around
Her dog, Jet
Mental health struggles during 2020 & 2021
Finding herself again after a hard year
Benefits of working with a sports therapist
The importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people
Utilizing non running friends to get a different perspective
Reminding ourselves that we as runners are not the norm
There is more in life than running
How it feels trying to qualify for the second time with the new standard

and so much more.

Meet Coach JK McLeod, host of the Help Me Understand podcast and certified neurotype training coach.

If you've been wanting to add strength to your training plan, this episode is for you!

In this episode, Kelly dives into more specifics about how you would build your own strength program to complement your running. As she mentioned in last episode, these 2 episodes (eps 38 and 39) are only a drop in the bucket of all of the ins and outs of strength training, but this should be a good starting point.

Kelly also answers some of the questions she received from her IG audience around the topic.

It’s no secret that Kelly personally loves strength training and thinks it is a vital part of a training routine. There are lots of discussions within the running space about whether strength training is beneficial for running or not. In her opinion, these discussions take a very narrow focus when most of us should be thinking broader.

In this episode, Kelly dives into:

Stay tuned for the next strength training episode with more specifics about how to incorporate strength and what to actually do in your sessions.

This week on the podcast, Kelly recaps her 32nd birthday weekend challenge! Kelly talks about why she chose this challenge, how it went, what she took away from it and answered your questions from instagram.

Enjoy!

This week I have a very important conversation with fellow trail and ultra coach, Jessica Schnier, about diversity (or the lack of) in trail and ultra running. 

Jess and I chatted all about:

How she got into running and ultrarunning
Coaches of Color Initiative
Safety & accessibility of trail running
UTMB coverage & issues
Representation in the media and with brands
What we’d like to see from brands
Lack of diversity follow through since 2020
Recognizing our privilege
Making everyone feel welcome at races & on trails
How races could increase diversity
The need to gather and share data about diversity in races
Why language matters for inclusion
Calling out some BS we’ve seen
What we all can do to help

and so much more.

This conversation is just one of many that need to be had, and we hope it’ll be the start of many more.

This week on the podcast I have a really special conversation for you. I got to talk to someone I met at the Endeavorun retreat a few weeks ago who is just a great human.

Meet Diane Miller: the “unlikely athlete”.

Diane and I chatted all about:

In this solo pod, Kelly talks about something that's been on her mind lately - grappling with the label of 'ultrarunner' when you've run an ultra before but aren't currently training for one. She also touches a bit on what she IS training for and what her current running goals are.

Enjoy this short stream of consciousness episode!

This week Kelly is joined on the podcast by Jingyun Fan, cofounder of sleep startup Shuni. Jingyun's goal with Shuni is to help people sleep better!

Sleep is immensely important, especially for athletes. Kelly and Jingyun dive into how Jingyun became interested in sleep, the link between burnout and sleep, what Jingyun thinks about sleep tracker data, the 6 principles of good sleep, how Shuni helps those with insomnia, practical tips on how to improve your sleep quality and so much more.

Please consider leaving a rating and review if you're enjoying these interviews!

In this amazing conversation with nurse practitioner and health coach Elizabeth Knight, we talk all about health coaching: what it is, how it differs from the healthcare system, and how runners can benefit from it.

We also talk about how Elizabeth got into running (and ultrarunning!), the pros every runner needs in their corner, the 7 core areas of athletic health, inclusivity in healthcare, and so much more.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider leaving a review and rating wherever you listen to podcasts. I appreciate you!

This week, I had the pleasure of talking to one of my favorite running coaches who I’ve looked up to for years, Megan Roche.

You may know her from SWAP running or the SWAP podcast that she hosts with her husband, David Roche. Or maybe you know her from their book, The Happy Runner. And if you don’t know Megan, she is also an amazing runner herself, coach, MD, PHD candidate in epidemiology and one of the most positive, supportive people I’ve ever met.

Here are some of the topics you can expect in this episode:

Embracing your inner ninja
Injecting fun and play into your running
Building the aerobic base alongside reinforcing speed
Data free days
Learning to run by feel
Training for the long term & dreaming big
The importance of having a why
Balancing scientific studies and anecdotes
Open-mindedness and flexibility in coaching
Coach-athlete relationships & being fully yourself
Dealing with negativity
Coaching a diverse range of athletes
Her pregnancy journey

This conversation was the highlight of my week, and I hope y'all enjoy this as much as we did.

In this episode, I announce the winner of the giveaway (BIG THANKS to everyone who left a review - I love you all), talk about what’s been going on over here & what’s to come this summer, rant about social media, and go over a race recap of the Bolder Boulder from last week.

This week, I’m joined by DPT Sarah Ceschin of Boulder Sports Physic to answer all of your physical therapist questions!

We talk about what a physical therapist does, when you should see one, how to tell if a pain is normal or not, our opinions on some hot topics including stretching, foam rolling, ice baths and heel lifts/insoles, and so much more.

Enjoy my conversation with Sarah, and if you’re near Boulder and looking for a PT, go see her at PR Sports Labs!

Last week I talked about the first 6 training mistakes that I see from my list of 12 common mistakes, and today is the final 6!

Want to win one of my running programs, merch or a coaching call? Leave a review for this podcast by June 10 for your chance to win! I'll be announcing the winner on the podcast (likely June 15), so be sure to listen and see if you won.

I asked what you all wanted to hear about and overwhelmingly the response was the top training mistakes that I see as a coach and from being an athlete myself for years.

I narrowed it down to 12 common mistakes that I see (though I could probably extend this list tbh) and talk about the first 6 in this week’s episode. I procrastinated recording this and ran out of time, so you’ll have to wait until next week to hear the second 6. :)

This week, I’m joined by Mental Strength Coach & Sports Psychology Consultant Lucie Hanes from Inside Out Athlete.

We talk about the mental aspect of running, the value of mental strength, tips for dealing with the common running situations (injury, DNF/DNS, pain caves, etc), and the importance of viewing yourself as a whole human with respect to your sport(s) and your other passions.

This conversation is SO FREAKING GOOD, and I hope you love it as much as I do.

In part 1, we covered the basics of nutrition (make sure to listen to that one before this week’s!). In part 2, we dive into the specifics of fueling around long runs and races. You'll also hear about our obsession with pickles and which app we wish would go away forever. This episode is chock full of great information for all runners out there.

This week, I have my first guest, Caitlin Holmes, on the show! Caitlin is a certified nutrition specialist who works with athletes. I worked with her in 2021 on my nutrition while I was training for my 50k and can’t recommend her enough to anyone looking for help with their nutrition.

We actually recorded for so long in our interview that I had to split it up into two podcast episodes. This week in part 1 we go over the basics of nutrition and how it relates to running, focusing on protein, carbs, fats, and total calories.

I'M BAAAACK! This first week I go over tips on how to create and execute a good training plan. Enjoy!

Welcome back to season 2! Here is a little preview of what to expect this season, along with why I changed the name of the podcast from What's What with Klutz to The Multifaceted Athlete with Coaching Klutz. I'm so glad you're here!

I intended to record one more episode, but I’ve been putting it off for too long, so that's a wrap for season 1!

I'll be back with more episodes in the future for season 2, but in the meantime...

I wasn't planning on recording this episode, but I was FIRED UP from a post I saw on Instagram, insinuating that you had to be able to run a certain distance in order to train for another distance. Specifically, this post said you should "definitely run a marathon first" before running an ultra.

Let's talk about the issues with this advice and how to actually know if you're ready to train for a 50k.

This episode is a follow-up from last week's episode with Chelsea Murn. On this solo podcast, I dive into your questions around running and climbing, including how to schedule both in one week, how to maintain one while focusing on the other and my thoughts on rest day activities.

I mainly talk about running and climbing, but these concepts and advice can apply to any two sports that you're trying to plan into your training weeks and cycles.

If you like this episode, let me know, and share with your friends! Make sure to tag me on Instagram when you share.

In this episode, Chelsea of Lady Beta Coaching interviewed me about the parallels between running and climbing, training for a 50k, the importance of food & rest, and much more. Enjoy!

On this bonus episode, Kelly talks about the anxiety she's been dealing with lately around her wedding dress and trail running/being alone.

This episode is inspired by my newest program READY TO RUN and some questions that my friend Wendy had while reviewing the content!

Wendy was wondering if it's okay for newer runners to run on trails from the start, if trails are considered more advanced, when I would recommend running on trail vs road, how to know if a trail is technical, and the difference between surfaces for running.

You may be surprised to learn that there once was a time that I hated running with a burning passion.... and now I willingly sign up for ultras? Yup. This podcast is all about how I went from hating running and not being able to run a mile to falling in love with it and now running 31.

This week I talk about some mental hurdles in running based on some questions I’ve gotten.

The two main questions I address are how to mentally get yourself to keep running instead of stopping and how to deal with the mental hurdle of getting back into a routine when you're no longer at your peak. Enjoy!

In this episode, you'll learn how to approach fueling for a long run or race, considerations when choosing fuel and how to create a race day nutrition strategy!

If you're a runner (or just an athlete in general), you're probably pretty Type A with perfectionist tendencies. Here are 4 reasons to ditch perfectionism in your training in order to run longer and happier.

Connect with me:

Have you ever accomplished a big goal and then felt like you have this empty space inside of you now? I've been feeling something similar after completing my 50k, so today I wanted to muse about the "post goal blues" and why reflecting is important.

Today we talk all about coaches! I've broken it down into four parts:

1. Myths about hiring a coach
2. Reasons to hire a coach
3. How to choose a coach
4. When to break up with a coach

If you've considered hiring a coach (or breaking up with one), this episode is for you!

Do you consider yourself a runner? Why or why not?

Today I talk about what the label of "runner" means to me based on a discussion I had with one of my athletes about whether or not she's a "runner" and at which point that switch happens (spoiler: I consider her to be a runner).

We all know that we if our pace gets quicker, then we're progressing in our running. But what are some other ways to measure progress that aren't pace?

Today I talk about some of my favorite ways to measure progress that DON'T involve pace, which is especially helpful for my trail runners and my perfectionists.

If you're liking this podcast, please rate, subscribe and review to help others find the show!

In this episode, I talk about my recent race in Moab - the Amasa 15k - which I highly recommend to anyone who likes running in the desert. I also talk about some race day tips for the next time you toe the start line!