Running Life: A Fitness Protection Production

Coach Nikkia discusses what we think is inspirational and some of the reasons behind it. She asks whether we understand that there is another human on the other side of those stories. Links: https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2019/11/29/how-to-avoid-inspiration-porn/?sh=67d562535b3d  

This year, there's no Tiger King to save us...so what do we do? How do we train for the rest of the year?   At the time of recording, the mask mandate had just been lifted nationwide, with the promise that small group gatherings may be possible by July 4th. Though there are signs that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, we are still a long ways away from pre-Covid racing conditions. Coach MK used to work in reinsurance, covering big events (like sports and marathons) and her thoughts on the business side of racing can be too boring to process, so she brings in Coach and Sponsored Athlete Nikkia Young, who happens to be the President of Richmond RRCA. The two discuss what they expect, and what signs they will be looking for to be confident things are shifting.    Then, Coach MK speaks with Dr. Dietz on how she interpreted those statements and how she will be preparing, as a medical professional and as a runner, for the rest of the year.    At the end of the day, a runner without a race is like a fish without a bicycle. At Fitness Protection we know that races are not the reason to get up and go....yet racing seasons have always provided structure to our running. This episode helps runners navigate no-man's land while we wait out the uncertainty of 2021.  

From Coach Nikkia:  This is my podcast, passion project, sounding board, and my gift to those that want to listen. Everybody has got a podcast, tons of topics, a whole bunch of hosts, and lots of people who are probably way more eloquent than I am but I have something to say and this is why you should listen to your girl *Kia Rae*   To subscribe:  @Talkingpointswkiarae

Coach MK livestreams the #WeeklyWins and answers the questions of Fitness Protection members each week. They are a lot of fun, super informative! This week, Coach MK talks about cold weather running gear and the outlook for 2021 races.    #WeeklyWins - 3:10 Runner Interrupted ReBuild Char Gore woke up to pouring rain, but decided she wasn’t going to let that stop her from getting her run in.  Managed 3 miles with her pup in the rain. Char Gore has 2 wins this week!  She had her 3 month post cancer treatment appointment and all signs point to it being completely gone! She was able to start running again in October and said “she can feel the strength coming back - I even love tackling hills because it is a tangible sign that I am stronger.  In 2021 I'm excited to be a beast!” Maintain Brenda Haskill had some great cross country skiing lately.  She said she hit 33 miles of skiing this week for my staycation holiday! Crazy and fun.  I’ll be back to running Monday-Friday due to work and skiing on the weekend. HR training with FPP all year sure made my ski season a lot better and I adapted to it so fast. I’m skiing uphill like a beast right now! 😀 Amy Wilson got creative and added studs to an old pair of running shoes for her winter running.  She was a beast and ran 8.7 miles in the snow! Trisha Thorme ran 600 miles in 2020.   Questions - 5:37 ReBuild - 5:50 Hi Coach, I’m struggling to get in a cold weather running groove.  I find myself way over layering trying to stay comfortable when I set out and then end up annoyed with all the clothes I am discarding 10 min in when I get overly warm.  If I only wear what I’m happy in 10 minutes in, I find that I can’t seem to get warmed up and am miserable the whole run.  Any suggestions for clothing/warmth management.  Maintain - 9:50 My social media feeds are filled with adverts for these post workout leg compression devices. Any thoughts on these? Here's an example https://photos.app.goo.gl/w86JrhMK9fBtZkW28 What’s your take on the racing outlook for 2021?  Do you think it makes sense to start building for an early fall marathon.     Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams the #WeeklyWins and answers the questions of Fitness Protection members each week. They are a lot of fun, super informative! This week, Coach MK talks about Romjul and more details about Slow Buring starting in January.   #WeeklyWins - 13:18 Runner Interrupted ReBuild Brenda Haskill has had some huge Personal accomplishments for 2020 she : 🌟Worked with a therapist for 1st time 🌟started Prozac 🌟shed 25 lbs of excess baggage 🌟most important: made my health a priority; especially my mental health 💪 Alicia Budd said “As tough as this year has been in a lot of ways, it’s been a good one for personal growth. I took charge of my physical and mental health and finally learned (out of necessity) how to take one day at a time.” Christine Lancaster prioritized movement this year even when she had many factors working against her. Maintain Daniel Faltyn won his 10k race Corina Terry had some great holiday runs.  She has been happy with her progress this year in Maintain.  She is stronger and happier now than when she started and is amazed by all the things she is capable of doing.   Questions- 16:04 ReBuild  Hi coach, I’m really excited to start Slow Burn.  When will the website portal be open to start checking out the content? Maintain  Hi Coach and Merry Christmas! I’d like to tackle strength more seriously before Slow Burn starts. Would it be possible to have written instructions for the strength exercises when we have a new set in January? I understand why posting the strength videos doesn’t work now but could use some explanation of the moves. Thanks for all of your work! Hi Coach, in-person races are starting to come back where I am but I’m nervous.  Any thoughts on if it’s possible to participate safely?  I really want to but my gut tells me no.   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams the #WeeklyWins and answers the questions of Fitness Protection members each week. They are a lot of fun, super informative! This week, Coach MK talks about Slow Burn starting in January.    #WeeklyWins - 9:35 Runner Interrupted ReBuild Christine Lancaster felt good about the amount of running she was able to get in during the month of November. Brenda Haskill found her run helpful in shaking off the anxiety caused by a bad dream. Beth Hobson has been a badass at work and is excited about turning her badassery towards her running since her work is calming down. Maintain Corina Terry had a great run where she listened to Christmas music while she ran. 🎶 🎄 ❄️ she said, “ It was fun & brought back lots of Christmas memories. Made me happy”. 😊 Sara Seeburg picked snuggles with kiddo over running!   Francine Sheller is proud of having been super consistent with her strength in the month of November.   Questions - 13:24 ReBuild - 13:24 Can you talk about layering for cold weather running?  I’m usually a winter weenie and run on the treadmill, but I don’t have one at home, and the gym is closed again, so it looks like if I want to run, it’s going to be outside. Can you talk through or demo the strength moves for this month? I’m at a loss without the extra guidance. Thanks! Maintain - 22:32 Hi there. So this is sort of a visual question. I'm going to include a link to 2 different runs. One is Friday's stride sandwich. The other is Saturday's long run. Succinctly, for both of these runs, is my goal to get my heart rate back down to 140 as quickly as possible? For me, I typically do a two-mile warm-up, then one mile with 30 seconds fast, one minute slow. A lot of times, that one minute slow, really isn't that slow. I'm not sure if I should be slowing down a lot more to get my heart rate down. I'm happy with how it's working out for me; the other graph there is Saturday's long run, where I have a lot more time to get the heart rate down after the pickup. Lastly, I'm still lobbying to have this run renamed the Monty Burns because the graph looks like his fingers. Anyway, thanks for listening. https://photos.app.goo.gl/y3Hd7rzFi5HeJnHp8 I’d like to know a little more about the slow burn program.  For more information and hear from past Slow Burn "graduates," listen to this FPP "Slow Burn"  episode from November 17, 2019. Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK talks about FPP during the holidays.    #WeeklyWins - 8:57 Runner Interrupted ReBuild Alicia Budd, ran a virtual 10k today. She said “it didn’t feel great but I am so happy that almost exactly 4 months after major surgery I ran a 10k. 2020 won’t get the best of me!!!!” Char Gore listened to her body.  Her mind wanted to run an hour but her body said 45 minutes was enough and she honored that! Kristen Frazier said “I LOVE starting thanksgiving with a run, and as it’s only once been with an official turkey race it’s no big deal to do a 5k on my own!  The sun finally came out today after a week of grey, Rainey grossness, and my daughter decided to join me!  It’s been weeks since I really ran, so the fact that I pulled off a 5k with relatively little waking was a MASSIVE win!  (Kept my heart rate under 140 to be smart). All good.” Maintain Corina Terry had a great long run.  She said “ Yes! I felt so good today! I almost made it the full 2 hours I was going to run, but cut it short by 11min. That’s okay. I hit a hill on my run 2ce, so I feel like that kinda makes up for it” Daniel Faltyn did a Thanksgiving virtual half and found that Alice’s Restaurant made the perfect running song for him that day! Trisha Thome ran a virtual turkey trot and said it was great fun to pick up the pace for a little bit as she’s been slowly returning to running after her broken toe.   Questions - 13:42 ReBuild - 13:42 For the Return to Hope event on the 3rd - what time will that be? What time zone? Can Mr. MK share another holiday drink recipe this year? Maintain - 15:08 I feel really sluggish when I get my period. Any tips for putting the pep back in my step? Are you even thinking about racing this year?   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK answers a question about if there is any correlation to feeling horny after a run.     #WeeklyWins - 26:17 Runner Interrupted ReBuild Amanda Bailey’s husband is taking some time off to help with their kids who are out of school again because of the pandemic.  This time means more breathing room for both of them and more sleep and running for Amanda. Kristen Frazier is making space for more boundaries with her loved ones which have been good for her mental state Melissa Yakuzo is back and rebuilding Maintain Sara Seeburg has been having to do more inside runs but the treadmill is growing on her   Questions - 30:28 ReBuild - 30:28 Is there a foam rolling move for the hamstrings? Mine feel tight/sore so was wondering if I could torture (I mean help) them with some foam rolling. I can’t believe I’m asking for more foam rolling! Starting back from scratch - run/walk keeping my heart rate down. If only one glute is tight what strength is the most important for me to be doing? ❤️ Melissa Maintain - 35:27 Please answer in your best Dr. Ruth voice...so sex...there seems to be a positive correlation with me. After a strong good run, I have a strong good, well evening? I mean most of the time I'm already lubed up so I've got that going for me. Not sure there is a real question here, just a topic for conversation. Thanx. It’s not taking me as long to warm up even with the temperatures dropping, can I cut my warm-up shorter?   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK talks about returning to hope snd not returning to crazy expectations.    #WeeklyWins - 30:06 Runner Interrupted Char Gore is planning on A Turkey Trot as her post-cancer goal race. She said “ since our local one is canceled my family and I are doing our own too! I am trying to do matching bibs so we'll see how that goes.  And my mom is crocheting our dog a Turkey coat!” ReBuild Brenda Haskills husband had a much-needed surgery and after a couple of rough nights, she and he both slept! Her Hubby slept and actually didn’t flop around because his nerve pain is gone and meds are helping with procedure pain. The next day she had a beautiful run in stellar sunshine. Stride sandwich for me! Amazing how you feel after a proper restful night. Alicia Budd had a great run this Saturday. She said she’s “Still working back up after surgery in July and today felt like a “real” run for the first time since then. I’m doing run/walk intervals and they’re feeling great. It was also wonderful to smell bacon and laundry. Somehow those smells just make me smile.” Maintain Coach Nikkia ran a half marathon this morning!   Questions - 35:14 ReBuild - 35:14 Hi, I’m unfortunately in a place with my body where I’m more of a runner interrupted than a runner.  I’ve started doing some Pilates at home (we can’t go to the studio where I am right now) and it is going well.  I know you have experience with it and wondered if you had any suggestions for how to have the best experience. I’m needing some encouragement.  I’m in a season in life where the most running I can get most days is 20-30 minutes and while I love it it’s not easy to even carve out that time.  I’m feeling like I’m not getting enough running to make any real positive impact.  Is there any benefit to continuing to work to find 20 minutes of running? Maintain - 44:14 I ran a race today and as I woke up from my nap, I realized I had totally gotten out of any kind of recovery routine.  Can I get a refresher on race/hard effort recovery! I’ve been a one-shoe runner for most of my running life, but am thinking about getting a lighter less cushioned pair for races and faster runs and keeping my regular pair for everyday training.  Is there a benefit to this and what do I need to consider if I go this route? Thanks!   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK talks about...so, now what?    #WeeklyWins 25:57 ReBuild Brenda Haskill had a great 6 mile run on a local rail trail Andrea Loeffler is running again! She had an easy, comforting, but still challenging avocado toast run. Said IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!! And Feels great to be "back" Allison Melley Got up and ran in the dark and cold because it was the only time she could go. As she was leaving she said to herself over and over “I want to run outside this winter. If I can do today, 46 degrees, I can keep going colder.” Was peeling off layers as I went. I can do this! Erin White had some hill success and conquered two hills she was previously unable to finish! 💪🏼 Maintain Trisha Thome ran 5 miles for the first time since August! Corina Terry Ran the half marathon She was signed up for, with a slightly varied route. She was sad the race was canceled, but it turned out even better than She thought. She said “I was nervous, but shouldn’t have been. It was a beautiful course & I was even MORE prepared for this half than the one in August, thanks to you guys & Fitness Protection Program Maintain. 👍🏼 Thank you! 💕”   Questions - 30:39 ReBuild - 30:39 With the icy rain and snow today (already?!) I am looking for alternatives to my run when I can't safely or comfortably get outside. We have an exercise bike that I tested out today. I was able to get my heart rate up, do some faster and slower intervals, and generally felt that I got out of it what I do from my runs. However, I am wondering how this will affect my "time and forward motion on my feet" since it is a different position and a lot less weight-bearing. I still intend to get out as much as possible, but if there is a long stretch when I am inside should I supplement the bike with more strength training? Would I be better off just playing some active video games up on my feet? Or is it worth it to get a treadmill? It took a lot to build up to my current time and I don't want to feel like I'm starting back at square one in the spring! Thank you!! Hi, I’ve been having trouble getting past the 45-minute mark with my runs.  I can get to 45 minutes ok (it never feels great) but after 45 minutes the wheels fall off and I just feel awful. I’ve not been as consistent as I should over the course of the pandemic, my running varies from 1-5 days per week, but I was having this issue even before all the craziness of 2020.   I’m coming from a background of easily running 1.5 hours on a weekday and 2-3 hour long runs but had knee surgery (ACL reconstruction) 2 years ago and just haven’t been able to get back in a groove.  I find that after 45 minutes both my knee/shin hurt (however my doctor and pt assured me my knee is fine) and I just get exhausted.   Any thoughts on how to find my way back. Maintain - 40:47 I’d like to add an intense boxing workout to my week. I’ve been using Thursdays for extra strength/lifting weights. What day would you suggest I do boxing and should I change anything about the runs in Maintain? Thanks for everything!! ❤️   Okay, so why does my right glute med and hamstring always feel tight and the left doesn't? This is not a new issue, but it seems to get a bit better and then get worse again. I haven't run much in the last couple of months but started weight training slowly while I could in a gym. While lifting, I am still doing very low weights with the intent of simply building overall strength, I don't feel imbalanced or that one leg is straining or putting in more than the other. But when I go to run, the leg feels tight and almost like a minor strain.   Any ideas? Should I try to work more on that side or just continue to build overall strength? We have gone back into a lockdown so I am not sure if I can get into a PT or massage therapist for another month so any suggestions for home-based work would be awesome.  Thanks, Coach!  Kristy    Coach MK's Final Thoughts - 45:28   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK talks about easy effort pace, muscle cramps, and the BOSU Booty workout.    #WeeklyWins - 4:37 Runner interrupted Build JJ Jensen ran/walked the MCM.  ReBuild Brenda Haskill had a great run that she said felt so easy.  She said it’s amazing what good sleep can do for you!   Maintain Sara Seeburg got up early enough to run outside this morning!  And had no walk breaks for 40 minutes!  That's HUGE!!! Corina Terry has been having good runs and is excited because supposedly the last hot day of the year in her area has passed. Emily Sorensen Just finished day 3 of a stacked race challenge: 5k Friday, 10k Saturday, and a 15k today! It was her first-ever 15k, so She set a new PR 😁    Questions - 9:48 Build ReBuild - 9:48 Hi Coach! I'm brand new to Fitness Protection so I have a lot of questions, sorry!   First, as background, I've recently recovered from disordered eating and through my recovery, my body has changed A LOT (but I'm mentally so much better!). My cardiovascular fitness currently is not great because I had to stop exercising for almost a year until I could get to a better place with my relationship with food and exercise. I started FPP this week and walked all of the workouts, trying to keep my HR under 140, but my pace is super slow-- like 20+ minutes a mile. Is that okay for now?    Secondly, the only HR monitor I currently have access to is on my Apple Watch, and I don't know how accurate that is. What type of HR monitor is most accurate, or will do the job well enough?    Last, I'm not sure if you can help me with this, but I've been having some issues with muscle cramping. My calves feel tight when I'm walking, and some movements in the strength circuits cause my muscles to cramp up. Sometimes when I'm just moving when I'm not exercising my muscles will cramp up suddenly too. I'm pretty good about keeping hydrated throughout the day. I've tried working with my PCP but haven't been able to figure out a root cause yet. Is there anything you suggest? Maintain - 22:20 Is there a place where we can find your old Bosu series?  I’ve been wanting to dust the BOSU off and get back on it.     Coach MK's Deep Thought of the Week - 23:56   Links -  Bosu Booty 1 - https://youtu.be/M7ujZS5jKWI Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

#AskAway 10/18/20 Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK talks with Dan Faeltyn about his half marathon and answers questions about winter running.    #WeeklyWins - 18:56 Runner interrupted Char Gore says “October is my month! I just finished nearly one year of cancer treatment.  Chemo, radiation,  and surgery are all behind me now. The last few weeks of treatment were horrible. I was weak and sick. Build ReBuild Amanda Bailey is Happy to report she’s been able to get my early morning running mojo back this week and ran Tues, Weds, and Thurs in the dark. She said she’d been struggling to get up for the last few months so was really glad she could do it this week and It always helps her day be better.  Kristen Frazier went on a trail run and wanted to keep going when she hit the halfway point rather than turning around. She’s been really happy with how her running is going lately Maintain Sara Seeburg got in a 90 minute run with her BRFs. She said “Running with these two, as hard as it is some days, always does my soul good!”   Questions - 23:29 Maintain - 25:32 I'm planning to do a Yeti type challenge on November 21 (so 6 weeks from now), doing a 5k 6 times in 24 hours. I've been following maintain and completing 90%+ of my runs since May. Is there anything extra I should be doing to prepare for this? Thanks! Build - 29:48 Hi coach. I've noticed my knees have been achier on runs in the mornings and the weather gets colder. Is this normal, and are there any preventative measures I should include? Hey! I'm ready to start talking about winter running. My morning runs are getting quite cold (sometimes below freezing) and I have been layering up successfully to keep my core a nice temperature. The problem is my hands. They never seem to get warm and the only mitts I have are designed for cold Canadian winters. Do runners wear special gloves? Also, do people wear the same shoes when the snow comes? ReBuild   MK's Would Of Been Email -  39:49   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!  Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK talks about the fall race season, strength, and trail running.    #WeeklyWins -13:39 Runner interrupted Char Gore says “October is my month! I just finished nearly one year of cancer treatment.  Chemo, radiation,  and surgery are all behind me now. The last few weeks of treatment were horrible. I was weak and sick. But I am 2 weeks out from that and stronger every day. I hope to slowly start strength and walking and then running.  I think of October as my new birth month!” Build JJ Jensen participated in the virtual London Marathon ReBuild Alicia Budd has been cleared by her doctor to run again! Maintain Trisha Thorme’s broken toe has finally healed and she is ready to run again Sara Seeburg signed up for a challenge to run 87 miles by Election Day in honor of RBG. Corina Hall Terry has finally reached the point where running for 2 hours does not wipe her out. Emily Sorenson did her first-ever virtual trail race.  She also realized she has been the most consistent with her running that she ever been when not training for something specific.   Questions - 23:02 Build ReBuild - 23:02 Maybe I missed this somewhere, but why the mixture of 150 BPM and 140 BPM heart rate caps in ReBuild? e.g., Avocado Toast is <150 in ReBuild but <140 in Maintain. Is there any reason not to use 140 instead of 150 as a cap in ReBuild? I am coming back from a broken toe (seems all healed up, I didn’t run on it for six weeks), and don’t understand Monday’s workout in Rebuild. Should I not run the 1 minute part or just not the 10-second push part? Any other tips you have for me would be much appreciated! Thank you for everything.   Maintain - 28:28 I completed my first trail run this week! I was so busy navigating the trail I didn't pay attention to my heart rate, but after 2 years I feel like I have a good handle on what easy effort feels like. I shuffled and walked some with my average pace being considerably slower than on the road which I am fine with. If my average heart rate stays in the 140s am I still going easy enough even if the trail feels harder? This run was 148 for my average heart rate. As a side note, trails might be my new favorite!   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

When you think of a runner, what image pops in your head? Most of us come back to the same image informed by the stock photos we see and use papers, magazines, and the books we read. Looking for images that deviate from that one in our mind can be a little bit tricky. Like that time I was searching through stock photos for anything to use on our episode about running while black, it was hard to find a black runner, much less a black runner that didn't look like a bodybuilder. And see, that's the problem with representation, the further you are from that image, that stock photo in your mind, the more aspirational fitness becomes the less that you feel like you fit in that universe. The less inclined you are to try the thing you already didn't fit before you started. This is why Lindley Ashline is so important to me in doing Google searches. I found the world's largest repository of really happy people who just happened to not be too thin to function, doing things that I like doing, the kind of stuff like me and my husband and my employees, and my friends.  Lindley Ashline is a Seattle based photographer, author, cat, mom, fat art curator, musician, and fat acceptance activist. She is also the creator of Body Love Shop, a curated resource for body positive and fat positive artwork, crafts, books, goods, and accessories. Like us, Lindley is taking a stand by refusing to be defined by conventional beauty standards. People who are free of self-loathing have grown in their sense of self so much. They don't just live in their bodies, they celebrate them. I think that means they count their wins. Just like we do here at the fitness protection program, through her work, people who don't see bodies like theirs represented anywhere else, get to reclaim their self-image, and join the party. She's our kind of people and we are thrilled to host this conversation with her today.   Bio - Lindley Ashline (pronounced LIN-lee, she/her) creates photographs that celebrates the unique beauty of bodies that fall outside conventional "beauty" standards. She is also the creator of Body Liberation Stock and the Body Love Shop, a curated resource for body-friendly products and artwork. Find Lindley's work and get her free weekly Body Liberation Guide at http://bit.ly/bodyliberationguide. To watch the live recording click here!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK talks about Runner safety, anemia, and canceled races.    #WeeklyWins - 8:16 Build ReBuild Erin White was excited to get in a lunch break walk on a Gorgeous day because of a work cancellation Amanda Bailey got in her 30 min ee in some rain, but actually enjoys dark, warm, rainy runs Christine Lancaster is still getting her lane 1 workouts in even though she is having a flare-up and is in pain! Maintain Sara Seeburg did her first strength class in a LONG time and is feeling the burn! Daniel Faltyn’s move is finally official.  The movers brought his things from NYC Trisha Thorme celebrated her kid's 15th birthday!   Questions - 13:03 Build ReBuild - 13:33 I just found out that I am slightly anemic. I’ve started an iron supplement regimen but was wondering if you had any advice on how to handle my workouts until my levels are back to normal. Thank you!   Maintain - 16:19 Thank you for the feedback last week about running schedules.  I’ve been thinking about it and here is how I think I would best like to structure my week.  Run Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and off Friday and Sunday.  With my work schedule, Saturday is the only day I can run longer than 60 minutes in one shot and still meet all of my family obligations.  How do you suggest I organize the workouts for the rest of the days.   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection  Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK talks about overstress, SAD, and the cortisol connection.    #WeeklyWins Happy Birthday Nicole Uhle Links-  Fitness Protection QuarantTeam Dr. Bruce Rabin Videos Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, Twitter, and Twitch simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK answers questions about running after an injury, guided DIY coaching, and building running endurance.   #WeeklyWins - 20:08 Runner Interrupted Build JJ Jensen managed a longish run despite the extreme heat ReBuild Kristen Frazier’s knee is improving and she is slowly working back into movement Kim Lachane got some great movement in this week despite some health setbacks Maintain Daniel Faltyn has officially reached the running gear requires its own suitcase level of runner! Corina Terry had a great in-person half marathon  From Erin Nason “I can't even call it a weekly win, but more of a life win! My little guy, who is 10, has low muscle tone and developmental delays. He's the best.  When he was teeny tiny, I was so worried about whether or not he would ever walk, talk, or do anything neurotypical. He is amazing at a balance bike. One of the plusses of this quarantine is that we discovered he loves riding his bike on trails and he's actually pretty good at the easy trails. I have a hard time keeping up with him when I'm walking.  Well, we did our first "run" together.  We went 2.5 miles on the trails and have done it a few times since. I wasn't sure if we would ever be able to actively share this activity together (he's a champ at riding in the stroller!). It wasn't the fastest, and it wasn't the furthest, but it was definitely THE BEST run I've ever done!”   Questions - 22:57 Build - 22:57 How do I know when it’s time to switch programs? I’ve been in Build since May, although I’ve downloaded the Rebuild plan for the last two months. I feel like I’m maybe ready for a little more work, but I’m not sure if I'm quite ready for Maintain.  I’ve gone back to square one (or maybe square -37) fitness-wise over the course of the pandemic.  I’m ready to rebuild but the idea of running for 30 minutes non stop right now is intimidating.  Do you have any suggestions for how to build from a minute or 2 of running and lots of running back to a 30-minute easy effort? ReBuild - 29:54 Coach MK and other coaches, thank you for all you do in the FPP and beyond. You inspire me to also use my voice! Will slow burn be offered again in 2020? I loved it in the winter when I did the strength only as I was recovering from injury and I’d like to do the strength again. Maintain - 31:26 Not a question but more of a thank you/situation update. Made 2 small modifications this week with great success. Switched to a pair of kicks that were less fabric, more summer. The ON's I had were TOTALLY for winter. They were great big sponges of clam chowder (ewe I know but it's accurate.) Also, got a pair of Injinji toe socks. Did a beach run and the toe soup was MUCH less than last week. Irritation/Blisters on the piggies were a lot better too. Thanx!   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, and The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK answers questions about chafing, foam rolling, and broken toes.    #WeeklyWins - 6:38 Runner Interrupted Char Gore says she feels good when she reads Amy’s posts and watches her videos   Build Barbara Puckett Celebrated her firstborn grandson's 23rd birthday this week. ReBuild Kristen Frazier was able to finally get one of the last plants on her wishlist, the Swiss-cheese plant. Annie Jennings took a couple of days off this week while getting ready for the start of school. She Went back out today for a walk and said: “it felt great to know that taking a break didn't (and won't) mean quitting!”  Maintain Daniel Faltyn Rocked the SSS. He is On one of the marathon plans so He did a few extras. “There is something so satisfying to me seeing the graphs play out as I planned”.   Questions - 10:00 Build ReBuild Maintain - 10:05 Regarding chafing, the advice I've been given is             "But she don't use butter And she don't use cheese She don't use jelly Or any of these, She uses Vaseline I’ve found the right amount of vaseline on any part of my body that moves is statistically a shit metric ton for the long runs. That seems to avoid any unpleasantness post-run. Any reason to switch to something other than vaseline? Hi there. Post long run question. How soon after the run should I consider having my big bertha take my legs on a foam rolling date? Immediately? Within an hour? Wait a bit?  Thanxxxx I was doing too much at once and broke a toe on the stairs the other day. Any exercise tips?  How does aqua jogging work, do you jog on the bottom, or is it more like treading water? ( I am not much of a swimmer.)  How soon do folks typically get back to running after a broken toe? It is the end of the third toe if that matters. Thanks for everything and sorry for the novel!   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!  Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and now on Twitter,  @CoachMKFleming, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK answers questions about heavy legs, IT bands, and heart rate running for teens.   #WeeklyWins - 15:15 Runner Interrupted Happy Birthday Coach Amy!!! Build JJ Jensen has been hitting her strength goals all month in July ReBuild Kristen Frazier has a better idea as to why her running has been feeling off and some good ideas as to how to improve. Annie Jenkins got to try out her new heart rate monitor on my walk today. She’s been able to go a little longer without feeling sore the past couple days and today She went further than She has been able to in a while, so is celebrating that!  Maintain Nikkia Raedawn got to go back to the gym for the first time since February.   Questions - 22:17 Build -  ReBuild - 22:42 I am (happily!) here on a recommendation from my intuitive eating nutritionist since we both decided I was ready to begin movement again. I am not a total beginner with running, but I do worry that a lot of what I "know" comes from a diet/punishment mindset. That said, here is my question: How long after eating should I aim to run? Is it best to run after a balanced snack or would I be better fueled after a meal? In the past I ran first thing in the morning or after a long fast, but for reasons that were strictly weight loss based. Schedule-wise that might be what works best for me, but I want to make sure I am nourishing my body in a way that lets me get the most enjoyment out of my exercise. Thank you! - Annie Hi, I know our plan is supposed to be a guided DIY and it’s ok if I don’t do all the workouts but I’m feeling like I’m failing.  I’m not training for anything in particular and my running has been super hit or miss.  Can you give us some guidance on the minimum necessary to “train for life” (ie not be a total slug) My runs have felt pretty good despite the heat and humidity but towards the end of my runs this week my legs are feeling very heavy. Is it the heat? Should I just slow down more? Maintain - 46:09 Hi there! Last week I mentioned I paused my run b/c my knee was sore. The day after the knee started to click a lot. Since I earned my M.D. by googling oh, damn torn meniscus I diagnosed myself with. Taking your advice, I lined up an Ortho and PT. Fortunately, it turned out to just be some IT band tightness and irritation. Anyways, I'll leave this question as more of a thank you. Thank you for really being a coach and seeing beyond my topical question last week, and recommending I establish a medical support system...real questions coming up :-) Ok, so IT Band tightness. Mine flared up last week after a 20miles/4 hour run. Both the PT and the Ortho said that given my age (44m) it was not surprising. The PT put me on the treadmill and made some minor adjustments to my form and said generally I looked good. To alleviate the immediate tightness, he asked if I wanted to try dry needling, and I took him up on the offer. It worked really well on me; the whole leg really really relaxed after that. Wondering if you had any thoughts on that procedure; dry needling. The long term treatment plan for me was hip exercises, foam rolling, and some form correction. However, for a quick release, this was pretty good. Thoughts? Ok, last question if you have time to sneak this one in; easy one I promise. What is up with swamp ass of the toes? Given the humid climate here (Durham) my shoes are SOAKING wet within an hour. It's like walking around in two bowls of chowder an hour in. I have not tried wicking socks and I'm not sure they would even help. After the run, I'm putting on anti-fungal ointment as I see some brown and wearing flip flops. I've had friends lose toenails. Damn it these piggies are keeping their house. Thoughts? My 14-year-old son is showing an interest in running thanks to PE in virtual schooling.  He's finally understanding pacing rather than sprint, stop, and repeat.  Is heart rate training something that could help him? Is there a different HR cap he would use given his age? Will the monthly strengths demos by Coach MK come back? I miss them a lot. While the daily FB routines are nice, they are not a substitute at all. Plus given how FB works, they are not always in my feed. Comments - 1:11:13   Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!

Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection, and Program YouTube Channel simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, Coach MK answers questions about Toe Yoga, Dedicated AF, and Ramp Rates.   #WeeklyWins - 11:39 Runner Interrupted Char Gore, I should be done with all chemo and radiation mid-September. I have set my "feel like a normal human" day as OCTOBER 1st. That is the day I hope all side effects are gone (specifically nausea, neuropathy, and fatigue) and I can safely start running again. Living for October 1st!   Build JJ Jensen has been hitting her strength goals all month in July ReBuild Dr. Amanda Bailey completed her 90 min of avocado toast while on call.  She managed to talk to worried parents while still completing her run. Kristen Frazier is really proud of all of the work her family did on their home this month. She said it “Feels like I'm finally comfortable in the house that we've lived in for almost 20 years. Amazing what some paint, junk purging, rearranging, and minor upgrades can do!” Christine Lancaster completed Lane 2, the whole month. This September makes 3 years from when she stopped running due to injury and it has been a long slow road back to hear. She said “The hardest part of Lane 2 was really all mental and the idea that I could run in blocks on time without walking. Anyway, I'm so pleased and proud of how the month has gone”.  Maintain Corina Terry is  Proud that she has stuck to her running & it’s paying off. She posted a picture of a hill she ran on vacation that is a real butt-kicker  & has been her nemesis since I started running almost 20 years ago. She has only been able to run it once before. The altitude up there is about 8,600 feet. She lives in Vegas at about 1,000 feet & runs in her flat neighborhood. (There is a decent hill about a mile away I hit every Saturday.) She went slow & steady & did it!  Brenda Haskill completed her first month in Maintain. To do that it meant she had to take good care of myself amidst all the stuff going on. She completed most runs according to plan. Susan DiLeo feels like she’s finally acclimated to the heat. She still detests it, mind you, but can hack it. Sometimes she doesn't call her run a run, though: She tells herself  “I'm "listening to an audiobook" or "catching up on a podcast".  Nicole Wood celebrated her daughter’s 13th birthday. Emily Sorenson finished her solo half marathon. She opted not to “race” it because of high heat and humidity forecasted but she managed her pace and made it through! She reports that “Running a half in July is HARD, but I did it! This was probably the hardest half I’ve run, but I’m so proud I hung in there and was smart about my expectations” and the very next week she managed to, complete all her runs, walked on Thursday, and not only did I do all her strength this week but actually did it on the scheduled day! And added in some extra loop work to boot! When she left for my run this Saturday her hubs asked how long she would be gone. “I told him for almost 2 hours, and he goes for 2 hours?! What are you training for now?! I said nothing, I’m maintaining”  Alicia Budd is proud of how diligent she’s been with running and strength amid all the craziness of life these days.   Questions - 23:16 Build - 23:32 My question is about breathing. When I'm going about my run and I get a bit distracted, my heart rate seems to be at its lowest. But then I notice I feel like I am shallow breathing. When I start to breath more intentionally, HR goes up. Is this normal?   ReBuild - 25:26 Toe Yoga - I can't do it, I try nothing happens, I look at my legs/toes/feet command the muscles to move, touch the muscles to try and activate them.  I don't know what else to do.I have scrapped, rolled, massaged to no avail (both feet and calves) Anything else you can think of?? I had a hysterectomy on July 28. Had my post-op appointment today and my doc gave me the ok to start walking for exercise. She suggested I hold off on running for 2 more weeks which is fine with me because the thought of bouncing around right now does not sound good. Pre-surgery I had been doing a hybrid of Maintain and rebuild - running with heart rate <140 for the times specified in Re-build, alternating lane 1 and 2 depending on how I felt any given day. To get started again I was thinking of walking the rebuild lane 1 time for the next 2 weeks and then start introducing running as tolerated, following the workouts as written for the first few weeks of August and jumping in full on for rebuild in September. All this while of course listening to my body and adjusting down if things don’t feel good. Does that sound like a good plan? I’m open to any suggestions. Thanks for the continued coaching and loving through all phases of life and exercise!!!   Alicia Budd   Maintain 30:47 I was lucky enough to spend some downtime, really spend downtime, on vacation last week. I was also able to get 4 deep tissue massages. Now however I feel every niggle and twinge that I am sure my over-stressed body was keeping tight in my shoulders, back, and hips, which I am sure is just because I am finally a bit more relaxed. What types of mobility work can I do (and of course I need to restart foam rolling) to keep some of the tension at bay? THANKS!  Kristy Thanks for the tip on the Maurten Hydrogel it really helped. As to the texture, I'd just like to give shout out to all the partners of men. Thank you. Ok now that I got the umm, goo comment out of the way, a question about heart rate. I'm on week 6 of the Dedicated AF plan, the 20/4: 00-hour run. I kept my HR avg at 145 up to 1:45. After that, I gradually averaged out at about 160 which I'm finding is normal for me. Around 3:30 my knee felt a little wonky so I stopped to stretch it out. I got back on the horse and felt fine but the HR went to 180. Since my goal here was to really keep the average below 150, I called it at 3:50 and finished up with an average of 157. As you've taught us here, listen to the body. But I'm not sure what my body was telling me here. Was my body telling me I'm close to being in danger here? Though I felt good, is this perhaps a sign I went a bit too hard, or long? Going from 140 to 160 I'm not too worried but 160 to 180 and climbing seemed to be a "Danger Will Robinson Danger moment." If I straight up walked at that point I'm sure I could have gotten it down but I decided to bag it then. I'd rather be at the pool wishing I was on the trail, then in the ER wishing, I backed off.     Click here to subscribe to our podcast, Running Life, and get more racing and training tips from the coaches!   Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. Click HERE to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free!