Noodles and Updates.
I’m back and sorry for the delay…
Podcast on the way!
I’ve recorded four episodes of The Trail Mindset, now on to the hard and terrifying part of editing! I think I’ve said in every episode that they felt magical and truly are. I really enjoy talking to incredible people that are doing amazing work, whether they are a coach, mental performance consultant or athlete, their stories are something I am honored to dive into and excited to share with you. Hoping to have the first episode out in late June or July at the latest. The Trail Mindset is going to cover a variety of topics on mental health and performance from the perspective of trail and mountain sport athletes. If you’re interested in being on The Trail Mindset, please let me know!
Recovery
Last week during our continuing education at CTS we had Christie Aschwande speak to us about recovery. While I’ve heard her speak in the past have read her book Good to Go, it was heavily reinforced for me that the best and proven tools for recovery are good nutrition habits, sleep and managing stress. Those Normatec boots (oh, how I love mine!) don’t really do much according to the research out there, however they have me sitting still, and mmm falling asleep.
Sleep
Speaking of sleep. Sleep is a tough one I’m trying to get on top of. I know it’s a problem for a lot of people; aging may be playing a part of it but also other stressors including starting a business. A recent meta-analysis by Kong et al. (2025) hammered home that lack of sleep is going to tremendously effect performance as it plays an “essential role in restoring cognitive function, muscle recovery, and overall performance.” (Kong, et al, 2025). Here’s what I’m trying so far: really making an effort to stop screen time in the hours before bed and putting my phone in another room entirely. No caffeine after noon and no hard exercise before bed. Using earplugs has helped me tremendously as I’m very sensitive to sound. I’m also trying to get a little more protein in the form of a shake or yogurt in the hours before bed and sometimes Sleeptime tea. I also practice breathing exercises to slow my nervous system down, which seems to help tremendously. My biggest challenge at night isn’t rumination or worrying, it’s that my mind tends to be all over the board jumping from one subject to another…
Lead Challenge Training
Wow. Just wow. I had been hoping for a fitness bump for a while, even after the Colorado Marathon in early May I didn’t notice much of a jump, then this past week I went for an hour run and was amazed to feel so light and fast again! It was an easy run with strides, mostly those have been in the 9minute/mile range, but holy smokes this was a big jump to 8:17min/mile with the same heart rate. Several weeks prior I felt noticeably overreached. Legs were fatigued going up stairs, heart rate variability was consistently low for several days. Sleep was disturbed. Then…POW. I attribute the bump to increased overall volume and a bit more flexible approach to training. I’m adjusting things as I go and giving myself permission to take it down in notch in training if my legs aren’t cooperating. I’d also add that we’re emphasizing volume a bit more over intensity and what do ya know, it works well. So much for fancy workouts. Keep it simple…Next week I’ll start a bit of a taper for the Leadville Marathon, which will quickly be followed by the Silver Rush 50 Run. Race season is upon us.
Speaking of Permission
I hadn’t heard of Brene Browns “permission slips” idea in the past (in Dare to Lead) but I’m making a ton of them for my athletes. So many of us are bad at giving ourselves permission: to rest, to be kind to ourselves, to be proud even if we don’t PR, to not have to prove anything to anyone, to be tired without judging ourselves… and so many more. The idea is to short circuit shame and perfectionism and to make self-compassion a deliberate practice. It’s crucial to understand that a permission slip isn’t an excuse for bad behavior or slacking but a strategic tool for courage. It’s about intentionally choosing which unrealistic expectations to let go of, so you have the emotional and mental energy to show up for what truly matters.
Finally…
I caught myself the other day grumbling about the number of therapists, sport psychs and mental performance coaches that are here in the Front Range – an overwhelming number as populations go making it difficult to ‘stand out in the crowd’ and build a practice.
Then I asked myself “what would you tell an athlete in a similar predicament?” The answers is simple. Why did you get into this field? What about athlete mental health and mental performance gives you meaning? Just like what gives you meaning while running?
Sheesh, talk about a therapist making a therapist cry. I’m here because it brings me a lot of joy helping guide people to overcome incredible personal challenges. It’s the same feeling that I had when students summited a mountain while I worked for Outward Bound – they did it on their own, I helped them build the skills and provided a safety net to test those skills. It was the same when they guided the boats through Class III Rapids. So, who gives a shit how many of us are out here. The right people will find me, and I get to help people find that they have a little more inside themselves than they thought.
See you next week!