Category Archives: How I Run

How I Run: November Project’s Laura McCloskey

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You may have heard me mention November Project™ before — it’s a FREE fitness movement that was born in Boston as a way to stay in shape during cold New England months. Now present in multiple cities in across four time zones in North America, the movement uses a simple sense of accountability (verbal) to motivate and encourage people of all ages, shapes, sizes and fitness levels to get out of their beds and get moving.

That’s the official definition. The unofficial one — my definition — is that November Project is simply “my people.” And if you consistently show up, smile and sweat with ’em, they’ll quickly become your people, too.

After living in the Bay Area for almost a decade, it wasn’t until I found this group that I truly felt at home. They’ll greet you with open arms (literally, get ready for an all-out, hips-in hugfest at the beginning of each workout), you’ll cheer each other on ’til your throats are hoarse, go on some crazy adventures, challenge one another to better your best, and top it all off with a victory tunnel at the end of each workout. If that’s not a good excuse to get out of bed ass-early and get moving, I don’t know what is.

And the ringleader of San Francisco’s “gang of yahoos?” Well, that’s Laura McCloskey. She’s a former Northeastern University track standout with a Boston Marathon “problem” — that is, she keeps qualifying year after year. I sat down with McCloskey to talk about what makes her tick when it comes to motivating herself — and up to 200 others — to #JustShowUp week after week.

1. What’s your favorite route? Nothing makes me happier than trails in the early fall. No route, but just enough of a grasp on the trails so I don’t get completely lost, forcing me to spend the night eating wood chips and fighting off mountain lions. Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but trails are the perfect cure for a cluttered mind.

2. What shoes do you wear? Asics Gel Nimbus. Discovered them when I was 15 years old and never looked back.

3. What other run gear can’t you live without? Do bags of ice count as running gear?

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4. What’s your best time-saver or “runhack?” Early run? Sleep in your running clothes. The first few miles fly by because you are still in your REM cycle. Also, putting your alarm clock in your running shoes on the other side of the room has gotten me out of bed on those freezing, dark mornings.

5. What running-related thing are you better at than anyone else? Blacking out. Maybe that came out wrong. But I tend to run long runs alone because I can mentally check out and check back in 15 miles later, impressed with how far I have come! If only my work day was like that…

6. What do you listen to while running? All depends on the goal of the run. Sometimes your body needs those chill, relaxed runs, and I will slow the music down to keep the tempo contained. When I am trying to get after it, the beat is fast, the genre is pop, and the air drums I play with my hands are on point.

7. What are you currently training for? I am planning on toeing the line for the Boston Marathon again this spring (if all training goes well). But in general, I am training to just keep up with the fast people I call my friends.

8. What are your recovery & sleep routines like? All nutrition nuts look away; I binge on ice cream and cinnamon buns post marathons. In the general sense of recovery from long runs or a long week of high intensity workouts, I use yoga as my active recovery. I truly believe in the power of taking time away from running, for both the body and the mind. Even if it is only a couple of days, you need to hit the reset button sometimes. Also, never underestimate the power of a bottle of wine. I hear it cures cancer.

When it comes to sleeping, I am a log. And if I get less than 8-9 hours a night, I consider calling in sick to work the next day. Just kidding. But no, really.

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9. What’s the best running advice you’ve ever received? I used to race competitively and my coach always kept us in check. You are running a race, you are not fighting a war. Stay competitive and fight for every second, but don’t ever take the sport so seriously that you stop having fun. Because if you’re not smiling at the end of the race, what is the point?

10. What’s your favorite running-related memory? When I was 14, I won the NYS cross country championship in the pouring rain and knee-high mud. I only won by the hair on my chin, not even a full second. My Dad was right at the finish line with tears in his eyes. I was too young to really appreciate that day, but now when I look back on it I can’t help but get a rush of adrenaline. It’s a funny thing, pulling inspiration from a former version of yourself. But that 14 year-old girl was one bad ass chick. I hope I am making her proud today.

11. Fill in the blank: I’d love to go on a run with: Ellen Degeneres. Followed immediately after with a push-up contest against Michelle Obama.

12. Anything else you want to add? At the end of the day, running is the only thing that keeps my mind steady and my life sane. It has been the most consistent component of my life and connected me to the best people I know.

Thanks for playing, Laura! I couldn’t agree more. 

Wanna watch Laura in action? Click here to see an amazing video she created during her recent “funemployment”/”runcation” in Europe!

Runner friends, please email me — info (at) kineticfix.com — if you’d like to be featured. 

How I Run: Ultra-mama Sarah Evans

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Can’t you just feel the pure joy radiating from that photo above?! Not only is Sarah Evans an amazingly-inspiring social media pal from the Bay Area, but she’s also one of my very favorite runners to interview because her attitude toward life — and running — is positively awesome…and infectious.

We chatted on two previous occasions (about bouncing back after a baby and how she balances a growing baby with mounting mileage), but I wanted to include her in my new “How I Run” interview series to get her take on the questions below.

Read on for details on a few of Sarah’s favorite things, as well as this ultra-mama’s plans to tackle a “mother” of a distance (50 miles!) come December:

1. What’s your favorite route? I love a Mt. Tam summit (2,400 feet over 4.5 miles) or any trail in the Marin Headlands; there’s nothing like the view coming down Diaz Ridge switchbacks with the Pacific Ocean spanning in front of you…then knowing you have one heck of a climb back up and over!

2. What shoes do you wear? Asics Gel Nimbus forever!

3. What other run gear can’t you live without? As a Type A runner, my Garmin Forerunner 620. And my Headsweats visor!

4. What’s your best time-saver or “runhack?” Literally ‘running’ my errands to get in a run. Or if I want to get out for some fresh air instead of going for a walk with my daughter, I’ll run (you get more places, faster that way anyways!). I also always lay out my clothes and program the coffee maker for all my early-morning runs. It’s harder to make excuses with the smell of coffee and a trail of clothes waiting for you at 5am!

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5. What running-related thing are you better at than anyone else? Consistency. I have a strong mental game about not giving in or up. And maintenance. If you don’t do the maintenance work, you won’t stay healthy. Do the work ‘behind the scenes’ (meaning rolling, stretching, hip/glute strengthening, yoga, etc.) and your running will remain and continue to get stronger.

6. What do you listen to while running? A lot of relaxing streaming music (mixed with a few pop/upbeat songs) or my own thoughts and daydreams 🙂

7. What are you currently training for? Chicago Marathon in October (update: she PR’d with a 3:18!), then the NorthFace 50-miler in December.

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8. What are your recovery & sleep routines like? Compression socks, lots of hydration and legs-up-the-wall pose all help with recovery…plus, a burrito the size of my head doesn’t hurt either! I try to get at least eight hours of sleep a night — yes, this takes effort and work in itself to get enough sleep, but it’s just as important for a healthy being as anything else. I try to be in bed by 9:30 with no electronics, and a TV isn’t allowed in the bedroom. I value sleep!

9. What’s the best running advice you’ve ever received? First, if it feels ‘good,’ you’re not maxing out your potential or running hard enough…during a race it should ‘hurt so good!’ Second, run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, just never stop moving forward (this particularly pertains to Ultra running). Third, fuel and hydrate early and often.

10. What’s your favorite running-related memory? Running during my pregnancy is a time in my life that is full of some of my favorite running memories. And not because I was breaking personal records or climbing the highest peaks, but because I felt strong, happy, relaxed and excited to share my love for running with my little one so early.

I enjoyed every last step of each run because I knew my time would become limited once baby arrived, so I didn’t take the freedom to run for granted. I ran some memorable races while pregnant, including a marathon the day I found out I was pregnant, and crossing the finish line at Boston marathon in 2013 only 10 minutes before the tragic bombing events, which put a lot into perspective.

I realized my full love and potential for running during my pregnancy, so it has to go down as a time of favorite running-related memory!

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11. Fill in the blank: I’d love to go on a run with __________. Kara Goucher and Lauren Fleshman, two amazing women who are moms, Oiselle pros and inspire me to be a strong mom, woman and runner!

12. Anything else you want to add? What running means to you will change in your life as time goes on; embrace that change and go with it. You may fall in and out of love with running, but it is always there for you when you need it. It’s a kind of therapy in itself and is the simplest, least expensive activity you can do anywhere!

Thanks, as always, Sarah! Runner friends, please email me — info (at) kineticfix.com — if you’d like to be featured 🙂

How I Run: SweatGuru founder and ultra-runner Jamie Walker

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Jamie Walker is the CEO and co-founder of both SweatGuru, an online marketplace for fitness (disclaimer: where I work!), and Fit Approach, a wildly popular San Francisco boot camp, blog and online community whose “Sweat Pink” motto has inspired more than 5,000 global members and 20,000 monthly visitors to lead healthier lifestyles.

But when she’s not busy being the boss, you will more than likely find Jamie out running the trails like one. She’s an accomplished ultra-marathoner, yogi, trainer and all-around athlete, and it was because of her that I signed up — and completed — my first 50K this year…a mere two weeks after she rocked a 100-mile race.

It’s pretty clear that Jamie’s passion for health extends into everything she does, so I figured it was only fitting that we kick off this brand new interview series by taking a look at what makes this ultra-awesome woman tick:

1. What’s your favorite route? My favorite route is anywhere with a good, long trail…and views. One of my favorite places to run is up on Mt. Tam. I love doing the East Peak Summit run, especially when it involves chasing sunrise.

2. What shoes do you wear? I rotate between Brooks Cascadias and Salomon Sense Mantras for trails and Asics Gel Kayanos for the road.

3. What other run gear can’t you live without? My Nathan hydration pack is my all-time favorite piece of running gear. I can pack everything I need and be a totally self-sufficient runner. Plus, it has been with me on some epic adventures (you can probably tell by the grime).

4. What’s your best time-saver or “runhack?” I am an ultra runner who believes that all training should be efficient. I don’t slog the “recommended” number of long miles every day or weekend, I do what I can when I can. Running isn’t my job and shouldn’t feel like one. I like to go get lost on the trails and am perfectly satisfied when I put miles in, however many I can.

I’m not a lazy runner, though. I keep a consistent base of fitness and challenge myself with interval training, strength training and yoga. I truly believe that if you build a strong body, you can put in the miles. And to build a strong body, you need to differentiate your workouts. This holds true for any sport.

5. What running-related thing are you better at than anyone else? I don’t know if I’m better than anyone at anything, in particular. But one thing I’m super proud of is my ability to shut it all out. I try not to get caught up in pace, splits, and other runner frenzy (anxiety). I run for me and find my zen through running.

6. What do you listen to while running? The sounds of nature and the voices in my head. 😉

7. What are you currently training for? I’m running Dick Collins Firetrails 50 Miler in about a month which is one of my all-time favorite races. I’m also doing another Ragnar Relay, which should be a blast.

8. What are your recovery & sleep routines like? Recovery…what’s that? I don’t have a specific training plan, as I said before. I try to keep a consistent base of fitness and listen to my body. I try to mix up my routine — between running, yoga, weights, bootcamp — and through that find a way to stay active without overdoing it! Sleep, well, let’s just say that’s something I’m really working on lately!

9. What’s the best running advice you’ve ever received? The best running advice I have ever received is “forward progress, just keep moving…” In fact, this has become my own personal mantra. It’s true for running, life and even my career. Everything is all about continuing to put one foot in front of the other.

10. What’s your favorite running-related memory? I think my fondest memory to-date is crossing the finish line at my first ultra – the Dick Collins 50 miler – I was in so much pain and barely hobbling towards the finish, but as soon as I saw it, my body allowed me to give it every last ounce and sprint in through the finish. It felt amazing. I remember laying down in the grass almost immediately and just relishing in my accomplishment.

11. Fill in the blank: I’d love to go on a run with ______. Kelly Ripa. She’s probably pretty fast and would be fun to talk to out on the trails.

Thanks for playing, Jamie! 

Runner friends, please give me a shout (info (at) kineticfix.com) if you’d like to be featured!