Coach Sydney w/ Run Through The Wall

10/22/2024

03/06/2024

Love this! I can’t believe it’s already March. Are you on track to reach your goals? Is there more you could be doing to close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be? Are you setting yourself up for success?

📆 As March begins, it's time to pause and reflect on our fitness and health journey thus far in 2024. Let's use this moment to assess our progress, celebrate our victories, and recommit to our goals! As spring approaches, let's ignite that inner fire and keep the momentum going strong! 🔥 What are some of your fitness goals for this year? Share them with us in the comments below and let's inspire each other to reach new heights! 🌟

03/06/2024

Go for that run!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4JMcpFvd93/?igsh=MWFqNHN1bjN1YTNjMQ==

03/03/2024

While we are celebrating a lot of PRs this weekend, we all know that is not always the case. It's fun to chase PRs and age group awards, but remember that research shows us that it is more beneficial to focus on the process rather than the outcome. Results are never guaranteed. Falling short of our goals or experiencing setbacks sucks, but when you have a strong sense of purpose, it makes it easier to stay on track. To grind. To overcome. To persevere. Dare to dream, but enjoy the process.

02/27/2024

From 2018-2021, I had 9 bone stress injuries (either stress fractures or stress reactions) diagnosed by MRI. I have noticed a pattern in runners where after one major injury, we can get stuck in a cycle of injury. It is not uncommon to see runners get injured shorty after coming back from a different injury. This issue is multifactorial and ill probably get into that later, but for now, Ill just say that I am so grateful to be out of that cycle and to say that I have been injury free for over 2 years now. I ran 4,400 miles last year alone. These are the 3 most important things I’ve learned to stay injury free.

1. Rest and recovery are just as important as the hard workout days.
2. Eating and sleeping enough are the most powerful tool for performance.
3. We have to move our bodies along multiple planes and take care of them through massage and movement to heal and strengthen.

If I could add a few honorable mentions, it would be hydration, shoe variety and rotation, patience, and holding back rather than trying to beat workouts.

02/26/2024

I dont think I have ever been more inspired by anyone. "Have kids and dreams."

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2-rFc4hl2z/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

02/26/2024

https://www.saucony.com/en/endorphin-speed-3/52956M.html

Here is my unpaid/unsolicited PSO! My favorite running shoe is on sale and I feel like everyone needs to give this shoe a try at least once.

I dare you to name a better shoe than the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3.

I honestly don't think that there is a more versatile shoe out there that also has the same durability. It's light enough for tempos and speed-work but cushioned and supportive enough for long runs and easy miles. I feel like this shoe does what you want it to. It can be an easy/recovery shoe or it can go fast. I am probably on my 20th pair of the Speed and will continue to buy this shoe until they no longer make it.

I know the new Speed 4 is getting released 2/29 and that is a truly amazing shoe, but it feels like more of a performance shoe than its predecessor and costs a bit more so I cant see it becoming my daily trainer like the 3's.

https://www.saucony.com/en/endorphin-speed-3/52956M.html

Work harder. Run faster. Want to feel faster? Meet the Endorphin Speed 3—a shoe that’s the definition of swift. Designed with a new winged plate

02/15/2024

Manifesting this for myself this training cycle. Trying to break some bad habits and build some new good habits. I am done “hoping” things workout. I’m ready to start taking a more proactive role. 💪🏻

02/14/2024

02/12/2024

The marathon can be a real B****! I say it all the time, and I'll keep saying it so I don't forget, "the marathon owes you nothing." Running a marathon is hard. We know this. And we don't train to make it easy, we train to tolerate the hard. But sometimes the marathon is cruel. There are always variables that just can't be controlled. Like this past weekend at the Mesa Marathon in AZ.

Hebah was ready to run 3:20 this past Saturday. The fitness was there. She showed up to the line healthy and fit. But as fate would have it, the uncontrollable interfered. The late start, the weather, and maybe a lack of adequate hydration had Hebah racing for the Port-a-john line in the second half rather than the finish line. One bathroom stop wont derail a race, but when the unimaginable happens (IYKYK) and you have no choice but to keep running, that takes some serious willpower.

It is "easy" to run a marathon when everything is going right, but what about when you realize that your goals are slipping out of reach and your body is failing you when you need it most? Will you have the heart or grit to finish?

I am so proud of Hebah for getting to that finish line. I know how hard it is to keep pushing when your body is screaming at you to stop.

She may not have hit her marathon PB this past weekend, but I can't wait to see what she does at Western States this year!! The McKirdy Trained family will be cheering you on!

02/11/2024

You just never know when you might have your day! Rachel has battles terrible weather and back to back bouts of illness that has left her training inconsistent. We didn't know what to expect from this hilly 5K, but Rachel is a warrior when it comes to racing and she pulled of not only a PR and second place AG finish, but she also ran a race she was really proud of! People always push too hard on the uphills, needing to use the downhill to recover. Rachel used the downhill to pass runners less savvy. She took second place with a monster kick in the last 200m and I couldn't be more proud.

01/26/2024

For the past few months (and maybe actually a lot longer?), I have been struggling with the mental side of training and racing. Somewhere along the way, maybe due to injury, experience, and/or failures, I lost something essential to performance: belief in myself. Chasing big goals and racing usually excites me, but lately, more often than not, it scares me. Fear of failure has replaced curiosity and I have been working to get back to that place where I believe in myself again. Something that I have found helpful, is listening to podcasts on the mental side of performance. If you have been struggling with the mental side of running, you are not alone. I imagine that self doubt, performance anxiety, fear, etc. plague every runner from time to time, but there are tools and resources that can help.

Train Your Brain for Success- Evie Serventi
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/train-your-brain-for-success-evie-serventi/id535203893?i=1000381902235

Grit over Gift with Cindra Kampoff
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grit-over-gift-with-dr-cindra-kamphoff/id535203893?i=1000394824612

Most Common Mental Blocks for runners and How to Hurdle Them
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-common-mental-blocks-for-runners-how-to-hurdle/id535203893?i=1000391630513