Having searched years for a truly successful fitness routine, I kept finding my performance peaking or plateauing . Whether I was exercising alone, at local gyms, or with personal trainers, something was holding me back. I was often cast as a body type, or told I was just a big guy. I felt as though I was being fed excuses for why I wasn’t successful instead of being motivated to really make progress with my athletic goals.
Formula ended this trend. Not only was the support and motivation incredible, I found myself treated the same as world class athletes and weekend worriers alike. I never considered myself a runner, or someone who enjoyed group classes, but found myself addicted to not only the results I was having, but the community and new friends I had found.
Ann works on the all important mental aspect of running as well. Phrases like “get comfortable with being uncomfortable” and “stay relaxed up top” have a way of getting rooted in your mind so that you can pull them out later during hard runs and races. Just last November, for instance, I PR’d in a 5k after five years of running 5k’s. What makes Ann’s approach even more effective is that she is both an accomplished coach and runner. She really knows what she is talking about when she creates a custom training plan, which includes a weekly pattern of easy miles, quality workouts, long runs, and time for recovery.
The combo of the training plan and the classes did wonders for my running performance. My long run pace improved by over one minute per mile faster. Hilly routes that used to fill me with dread became easier and more manageable. Running friends commented on my pace and my improving performance. I’ll never be fast but I certainly got faster and stronger.
“That is when the light came on and I reached out to Ann as I knew she not only would be a great motivator, supporter, and running buddy, I felt that I had the flexibility to try something new and mix up my training a bit. I not only had Ann beside me in my early morning workouts at the track and around Charlottesville, I added another element into my training and incorporated a couple fitness classes a week at Formula.”
Emily provided a non-judgmental space to discuss both my goals and my obstacles, and the plan I came up with to achieve a better balance is effective, yet easy to work into my daily routine. No matter what your personal goals might be, I would highly recommend working with her and seeing how health coaching can give you the tools to feel your best both physically and mentally!
Above the physical gains, both measurable and those not so easily quantified, I’ve improved my attitude (becoming comfortable being uncomfortable as we’ve heard from Jason) and my confidence as a runner. Pushing the pace to 12.0 - 12.5 MPH on the Woodway for a final surge or two was beyond laughable a short-time ago, now it’s a reality…most days.
Before long, I started noticing subtle things: my heart rate didn’t get as high when we got into faster paces. I started recovering more quickly at my “easy pace” between intervals. When I took my running to the hilly streets in my neighborhood, I found that hills that used to intimidate me were now surprisingly easy, as I seemed to float to the crest fueled by my strong glutes thanks to RDLs and kettlebell swings.
