Running Life: A Fitness Protection Production

Coach MK (Fleming) is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLC. She is a run coach not life coach, but we're never really talking about the running! She isn't afraid to call out, and push back against, Diet Culture and its impact on her runners. She is committed to ensuring that no runner discounts their own badassery while combatting fatphobia and sizeism in the fitness industry. This podcast is geared towards every runner who won’t lose their home or health insurance if they show up to the corral with a hangover (though we do not advise it!). Whether you are a marathoner or a hobbyjogger, you will find something to enjoy when the coaches start talking as we run through this marathon of life, together.

InSpiRaTiOnAl 08/11/2021

No Man's Land: Fall Racing in 2021 05/03/2021

No Is A Complete Sentence 02/08/2021

Cold Weather Running and The Outlook For 2021 Races 01/04/2021

Cold Weather Running and The Outlook For 2021 Races 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 What’s your take on the racing outlook for 2021? Do you think it makes sense to start building for an early fall marathon. to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/17445143

ROMJUL ROAR into 2021 12/28/2020

ROMJUL ROAR into 2021 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. to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/17346950

Slow Burn 12/07/2020

Slow Burn 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. 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 "" episode from November 17, 2019. to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/17112920

Fitness Protection Program: Your Light During The Holidays 11/30/2020

Fitness Protection Program: Your Light During The Holidays Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , and 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? to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/17021321

Do you ever feel horny after a run? *asking for a friend... 11/23/2020

Returning to Hope Not, Returning to Crazy Expectations 11/16/2020

Returning to Hope Not, Returning to Crazy Expectations Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , and 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! to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/16892480

...so, now what? 11/09/2020

...so, now what? Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , and 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 to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/16786412

Easy Effort Pace, Muscle Cramps, & the BOSU Booty Workout 10/25/2020

Easy Effort Pace, Muscle Cramps, & the BOSU Booty Workout Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , and 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 - to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/16558028

The Dan F. DIY Half Marathon 10/18/2020

The Dan F. DIY Half Marathon #AskAway 10/18/20 Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , and 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 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 to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/16457384

Fall Racing Season, Strength, & Trail Running 10/04/2020

Fall Racing Season, Strength, & Trail Running Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , and 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! to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/16331168

Body Love with Lindley Ashline 09/30/2020

Body Love with Lindley Ashline 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 . To watch the live recording click /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/16184408

Runner Safety, Anemia, & Canceled Races 09/27/2020

Overstress, SAD, and the Cortisol Connection 09/13/2020

Running After an Injury, Guided DIY Coaching , & Building Running Endurance 08/30/2020

Running After an Injury, Guided DIY Coaching , & Building Running Endurance Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , , , and 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! to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/15827780

Chafing, Foam Rolling, & Broken Toes 08/23/2020

Chafing, Foam Rolling, & Broken Toes Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , and 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! to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/15723371

Heavy Legs, IT Bands, and Heart Rate Running For Teens. 08/16/2020

Heavy Legs, IT Bands, and Heart Rate Running For Teens. Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , , and now on Twitter, , 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 to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/15633527

Toe Yoga, Dedicated AF, and Ramp Rates 08/09/2020

Toe Yoga, Dedicated AF, and Ramp Rates Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , , and 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 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. to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/15546134

Finding Your Own Queer Spiritual Path 08/07/2020

August Workouts, Motivation, & The Olympics 08/02/2020

“Silly Toes” Warm-up, Fueling, and Knee Pain 07/27/2020

“Silly Toes” Warm-up, Fueling, and Knee Pain Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , , and , 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 “Silly Toes” Warm-up, Fueling, and Knee Pain. #WeeklyWins - 3:10 Runner Interrupted Build ReBuild Kristen Frazier’s daughter had a successful appendectomy and is home safe from the hospital Christine Lancaster did a virtual 5k with her kids. She might have overdone it a little on the running but honored her child’s desired pace. Her son was proud of what he accomplished so it was totally worth it. Kim LaChance has a lot of progress to be proud of! She has gone from being winded walking up stairs 6 months ago to consistently doing all the runs in rebuild! Phyllis Caunt is increasing the amount of time she can jog continuously. Even with the heat, she is up to 20-30 minutes continuous! Maintain Daniel Faltyn did a 3:20 long run and covered 19.5 miles Trisha Thorme has been getting her runs in with her kiddos as part of a virtual cross country family camp that her children’s middle school coach put on! Questions - 10:20 Build - 11:05 I will be training for a half marathon next April and wondered if it would be better to repeat build or go into Maintain this Sept? What's the biggest difference in the two programs? ReBuild - 17:34 Is there somewhere to find silly toes instructions? Good evening ladies. Recovery fueling question. I'm stretching things out and doing the Dedicated training plan...ok I stretched things out today, passed go, did not collect $200, and went to week 4 and did 19 in 3:20. 140-ish for 14 miles, 160 by the end. As per your advice last week, I started going carb heavy on Tuesday. I was perfectly fueled, had great energy throughout, recovered pretty quickly. But now I'm on my couch 4 hours after the run and I'm eating everything I can my hands on. Blueberry protein shake? Gone before I put the straw in it. That leftover saag paneer from Wed? Yup, gone. That bag of Cheetos in the back of the closet? Same fate. Next Saturday’s run is just around the corner. Should I be thinking about a smarter recovery-fuel plan? I am struggling to keep my HR under 150 while running at a slower-than-usual pace these days. I think the reasons are multifactorial - I haven't been running as consistently this last 4 weeks (because, life), and while I have been walking a lot and keeping up with strength, there isn't anything like running to keep up that kind of fitness. And also, it is hot and humid, which seems to make my HR climb as well. So my question is, where should I aim to keep my HR for the warm-up and cool-down portions of the running workouts? and for the accelerators r brief sprints, my HR tends to climb to 160 or so, and then takes a minute or two to get back to low 150's or high 140's.... is this when I should be walking to get it back down faster? thanks! I feel as though I need an HR training refresher! I have a sore left knee... 😔😔 It's achy and will ease up once I am warmed up. My shoes are in good shape. I'm thinking it's surrounding muscles that need strengthening. I did fall on this knee about 5 years ago. No real issue until now. The Knee is generally achy each day, doesn’t seem to better or worse based on runs back to back vs rest day in between. It’s achy all over with some pain concentrated at the front. Help! Please & thank you. Maintain Links - to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/15400823

Nutrition, Gut Health, and Stress 07/19/2020

Nutrition, Gut Health, and Stress Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , , and , 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 and Chief Nutrition Officer, Dalia Kinsey discuss vacation, nutrition, gut health, and stress. Coach MK answers questions about transitioning between plans, general racing guidelines, and chafing. #WeeklyWins - 54:19 Runner Interrupted My win for the week is having given myself permission to take things slowly. Last week my attorney began divorce proceedings on my behalf and I am hopeful of getting to keep the house (and refinancing in my name only) as my ex is showing no interest in it, nor ever really have wanted to live in it. Slowly...there is so much I would like to do to with the space, but I am not in a hurry. I don’t want to trade one set of stressors (my ex) for a new set (perfection, speedy changes, and renovations). I’m going to enjoy the extra time at home as my job can be done almost completely remotely, the extra time I get with my son, and the warmth of the sun… Build Weekly win here! After battling high humidity here in the northeast for 3 weeks, We finally had a reprieve on Wednesday and I was able to jog for 30 minutes with no walk breaks and it felt great! ReBuild ran her First 5k in many many days. Super humid and hot too. She wore her FPP “Life is a marathon, please keep going” shirt and even though she wanted to stop at 2.5 miles, she chose to walk the last leg and keep her HR down. Tonight will also likely be a marathon of little to no sleep as she gets her 9mo old grandson overnight for the first time. It’s also his first night away from mom and dad - but- she’s been the only one to successfully get him to sleep at her house during the day —- sooo we shall see! Overslept accidentally so no run. But she took the boys to the beach for a day trip and it was sooooooooo lovely and soooooo needed by all of them. Unfortunately, she sunburned the tops of her feet, but not too bad as she was able to run the next day! didn’t run but had a telemedicine appointment with her psychiatrist over lunch. It's going to be a busy day, so she decided to sleep in a tiny bit and then start work early. This week she’s proud of how much laughter there is in her house. Her husband and her girls are really all she ever wanted in life, and they have a solid foundation...and laugh a lot! Just now, that's more important than ever! managed to jog for 20 minutes straight yesterday! It has been really hot here (for Colorado), so she decided to take it really slow and before she knew it, 20 minutes went by! She hasn’t run for that many minutes continuously since September. Maintain and her BRF got each other through what ended to be a 13.5 mile route. The start temp was 66 and HUMID. End temp was 76 with a feels like almost 90. It was horrible. Thankful for the stretches of shade when we had it. Did her long run AND successfully fixed her sewing machine. All it took was a glass of wine, two hours, a screwdriver, an impact driver, and a propane torch. Now she can finally make a bajillion things. But she thinks she likes fixing things more than sewing. is proud that despite a lot of challenges this week with hubby’s surgery and him falling in the shower at 3 am - she got decent sleep and nutrition was good. Working hard to make her health a priority. ran when it was 84 degrees with 90% humidity at 7 in the morning, and her stride sandwich had her heart rate jumping into the 170s. She’s been consistently chugging along, but... it's rough. On the plus side, she finished an 8-week Barre program and is feeling strong. is living her best life of being alone in her house for the first time since March! Her tween daughter is staying with her grandparents and her husband is out of town for work (obviously she doesn’t love that he is flying every two weeks), but she is taking this as a gift. It’s not all a win though since she ran over her ankle bringing the garbage in - swollen and bleeding - she’s glad she ran today so she can feel good about resting tomorrow. is back after a week hiatus with a short stride sandwich. Yes, she chose to come back on the day with the shortest run of the week. No pain, no injuries, she just needed a break and now it's good to be back. has never run on back to back days prior to FPP and now she doesn’t know the difference. decided to rage run today and let her heart rate fly a little (within reason). Doing this once a week has been key to maintaining (ha) her mental health lately. She’s continuing to work in more strength and mobility exercises a few times a week for the last few weeks, really happy about that! Also...she bought a mini-trampoline. 🤣🤣 Questions - 1:03:12 Build - 1:03:18 I love your quirky run names, but I can’t figure out, why is it called Bottleship?\ Is it ok to repeat a circuit when doing Bottleship? I went thru the workout and felt great, so I went through the circuit one more time before my cool down. I know you always say to listen to your body, but I just want to make sure I don’t push too hard! ReBuild - 1:06:09 I've been following Lane 2 in Rebuild for 2-3 months now and running pain-free (which is amazing). How do I know if I am ready to try Maintain? And how do I stop freaking out about the idea of running for more than 2 hours ( which is the longest run I've ever done)? Thanks so much, Fiona About heart rate! When it says not above 140 and/or 150, should I be trying to stay in a certain range? Thanks!! ❤ Maintain - 1:11:07 I have a race in August. (Half) I’ve been following training consistently for several months. How do you suggest I run it? Under 140 beats per min for the whole thing? Part of it? Or just run it? I’m a slow runner, so it’s not like I’m looking at under 2 hours (I wish!) or a PR. I know I’ll finish it. That’s not a concern. I want a suggestion as to what you have folks in Maintain normally do for a race. Thanks! Hope you are having a great summer! Hi there! Not so much a question just following up. Last month I asked about going longer. I've found the formula for me, take Thursday off, go light on Friday, carbs carbs carbs, water, water, water Friday night then out the door by 6 am Saturday. I've been able to break 3 hours no problem and keep my heart rate in check. I'm only extending these runs every 2-3 weeks. Though I recover by Monday usually, they do seem to take a toll physically so the following week, I stick to the program. Any other advice/thoughts? Hey Coach! I’m noticing it’s taking me more like 20-30 min or so into my run to actually warm-up. Is there a safe way to speed up the warm-up process or should I just follow my body’s lead on this? General Heart Rate Group - 1:16:05 Looking into heart rate monitors. Thinking about wahoo ticker x. Does anyone have one or other suggestions? Need some help from the larger chested girls and/or those who also live in the humid hot south. Any suggestions (beyond body glide) for between boob (boob on boob) chafing? Running 5 days a week, and can't even wear a real bra as the result! (asking for a friend) Links - Dalia Kinsey, CNO - links about gut health: Coach MK - to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/15348602

Warm-up/Cool-downs, Wearing Masks & The Saharan Dust Cloud 06/30/2020

Getting Your Body to Warm, The Friendliness of Southern Runners & Nutrition/Hydration Needs as the Humidity Start to Climb 06/28/2020

Getting Your Body to Warm, The Friendliness of Southern Runners & Nutrition/Hydration Needs as the Humidity Start to Climb Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , , and , simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week Chief Nutrition Officer Dalia Kinsey, is taking over the stream in order to give Coach MK some time for a much needed family vacation! We have questions about getting your body to warm, the friendliness of southern runners, as well as nutrition/hydration needs as the humidity starts to climb. What to do in lieu of asking someone if they are ok right now. The pressure to just say yes The world is on fire Tools needed for stress management - counter damage ally learning track available; support summit; share free access with POC in need of support 7.31-8.2 Fitness Protection Partnership Each week we highlight the amazing work and successes of the runners in each of our programs. We start with the runners not running in our runner interrupted program and then our participants in the build, rebuild, and maintain programs #WeeklyWins - 10:55 Runner Interrupted Erin Harkness has found herself back in the runner interrupted crew with a broken foot but is proud of herself for focusing on what she can do, cycling and strength. Build Barbara Puckett has been tenacious AF managing running and work as she returns to in-person work for the first time since March ReBuild Kristen Frazier was winning last week because she had a plan with her doctor to help her get her back on track and feeling better. She is still winning this week because her plan is working and she is seeing great effects from her new medication. Karen Sutton’s 12-year-old daughter Danda did her first long run! She is so proud of herself keeping going for an hour! She has been following rebuild for 2 weeks and is loving it! She has never been a sporty kid, is very worried about her size, and has little confidence in her physical ability Which is a shame because today we covered 4.2 miles! When she finished she said she felt amazing!! This was a brilliant moment! So I let her wear my FPP T-shirt. And she wanted to wear it all day! Thank you Mary-Katherine Brooks Fleming from the bottom of my heart for the gift of physical confidence for my daughter. Stephanie Hornans daughter was accepted into a dance group that she had to audition for via zoom earlier in the pandemic! Leslie O’Berry has been made an amazing entry into the Rebuild group and is all ready to move to lane 2 after only being part of Rebuild for 2 weeks! Any Sczerbowicz is doing an amazing job of listening to her body and is rebuilding on her terms. She is in no rush to hurry up and get back to where she was, she just wants to make sure she is healthy and fit. Amanda Bailey is getting back into the consistent running habit and ran 3 days in a row this week. Katie Hansen hasn’t been able to be too active in the Facebook group lately because of how much energy her job as a doctor has been taking, but she reports that she has been able to keep running 3-4 days per week even with all the craziness. Maintain Nicole Uhl did a 2:15 LR today on the track. She comes to us from Galloway and has never run more than 5 min at any one given time. She felt pretty good during her run so I was like, "let's see If I can make it around the track". She did and still felt good. So I thought "well maybe I can do a mile nonstop". AND SHE DID! She reports that it was slow but she kept her HR under 140 and felt amazing. She was so proud because she has NEVER run a mile nonstop. Nicole’s win gets better. She finishes out hour one with run/walk intervals, whatever felt good. Hour two she thought, "that mile felt pretty good, wonder how far I could go?" SHE RAN THE WHOLE SECOND HOUR! 60 minutes without stopping. She has never done that before and didn't think it was possible. She has chronic fatigue from a slew of medical issues and thought she must tire easily and that's why she couldn't sustain a run for longer than a couple of minutes at a time. Well, she learned she WAS WRONG! And just hadn't been slow enough to be considered easy effort. She is so freaking excited to see what I can do now. Thank you! Corina Terry has been having some less than stellar sleep lately but is still managing to get her runs in. Way to be tenacious AF! Trisha Thorme’s family is excited to be starting a new tradition of summer movie clubs at their house Questions - 19:51 Build ReBuild Maintain - 19:51 Hello, it’s beginning to get very hot and humid where I live. Can you talk about fueling in the warmer weather? How far in advance of my run should I start drinking at what sort of volume? (assume I properly hydrated overnight.) Related question, on the run, any advice on frequency/volume? Are there signs to look for that I may be drinking too little vs just having a crappy run? Hi Coach, I’m feeling very sluggish on my runs and needing to walk a lot. Summers here so it’s hot and humid and my guess is they are related. Is there anything I can do food/drink wise to help perform my best in these conditions. I don’t feel like I’m acclimating as well as I usually do to the summer heat. Is there anything I can do to help me feel better. I feel constantly thirsty and dehydrated, but I pass the pee test so I know I’m drinking enough (also for reference, I’m not diabetic and have had my sugar checked - no issue there) is there anything that would help me to feel more hydrated. Hey Coach! I’m noticing it’s taking me more like 20-30 min or so into my run to actually warm-up. Is there a safe way to speed up the warm-up process or should I just follow my body’s lead on this? Less of a question but more of a since you have this platform...can we talk about communication on the trail? Here's the deal, I'm an almost ex-New Yorker moving to the South. In New York, we just go about our business. However, in light of what's going on in the world, or perhaps bc this is a new area for me, everyone is getting a hello on the trail. It may be verbal, some times it's the sign language love sign, sometimes the peace sign, sometimes its the 2 fingers "Keep the rubber side down" (as I fatigue that is my order as it gets easier ha.) Again maybe just the hardened New Yorker in me but I've seen a lot of smiles from people when doing this. Can we make this a thing? Hi MK, I am so grateful for your plans right now. As you know my 12-year-old daughter completed her first long run yesterday. She managed over 4 miles and still is keen to go again next week. Following the rebuild plan lane, 1 has been amazing for her in a way that couch 2 5k wasn’t. Your plans don’t make her nervous about achieving the next level. I am so proud. I am hoping you will give her a podcast shout out. She has heard your podcasts for maybe 1/3 of her life whilst I have been chopping veg and making dinner. She knows your voice. I am sure it would mean the world to her to hear you say how well she is doing Thank you so much. Her name is Danda to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/15024233

Low Hemoglobins, Comfortable Running Attire & The Physiological Reason For Doing Strides 06/21/2020

Low Hemoglobins, Comfortable Running Attire & The Physiological Reason For Doing Strides Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , , and , simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, we take questions about low hemoglobins, comfortable running attire, and & the physiological reason for doing strides. #WeeklyWins 6:10 Runner Interrupted Coach Amy has got her running mojo back and is rebuilding her running habit! Megan Ruyuke bought herself a membership at a SUP/kayak place and has gone every damn weekend. Build Pat Humes managed to her run in early and made 55 min with 6 accelerators. Patricia Luna went for a run on her rest day because she wanted to not because she had to! ReBuild Kristen Frazier had a great appointment with her doctor and had a solid plan to help her feel better. Maintain Karen Sutton is still running 5 times a week even though things have been really challenging. She started couch to 5k to support her 12 year old who was having her own struggles with the situation. But after week 6 the continuous 20 minutes running was too tough for her so they moved over to rebuild which she finds more fun on Monday Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday and Saturday, Karen is doing Maintain as written Alone. On Saturday she did 9 miles and really enjoyed it. It was her longest run since February. She says thank you for the tether to the tribe. I have not posted in the group much but I felt happy knowing you are all there. #coachedandloved. Corina Terry celebrated her 50th birthday this week, she is also doing a great job moving runs around to make the plan work for her. Helen Foley has had a major mental shift. Instead of waking up thinking “I can’t believe I have to run again” she wakes up and thinks “why wouldn’t I run today? It’ll be fun” Nichole Ule has found her shuffle!! And did a 2 hour long run on the treadmill. Cara Gerard is Going to take her PTO!! Questions - 13:47 Build - 13:47 Hi coach MK! I thought I was more tired than usual due to the stress of the pandemic, but it turns out my hemoglobin is low. I switched a few months ago to a mostly vegetarian diet and this might have something to do with it. I had noticed my runs seemed to be getting harder rather than easier and required more walking, or occasionally skipping altogether. Do you have any ideas or thoughts on how to keep improving my running habit while I sort all this out? ReBuild - 16:20 I may be your lamest client ever, but what I crave is boringness. A plan where I literally don’t have to think about what I’m doing because it’s nearly the same every day. How can I modify so the workouts and strength so it’s more repetition and less thinking? Signed, Task Initiation Challenged. I’ve been feeling pretty crappy lately and I’m certain it’s a combination of stress, not sleeping well, and eating choices that have lots of room for improvement. I’m slowly working on all of those things, but I’ve noticed I’ve gotten in a vicious cycle of not feeling well thereby skipping my run which makes me feel worse. Any suggestions on breaking the cycle. I can’t find running attire that I like how they fit, feel comfortable, and look good. Have you ever thought about designing a line of running gear that fits real people (I.e not overweight, but not super toned athlete’s body)?? I know you have a lot on your plate but I enjoy running a lot more if there were clothes that fit well and I wasn’t constantly tugging on! For reference, I’ve tried all the major brands and some lady specific ones and nothing seems to fit quite right During my Avocado Toast run, I could feel my calves aching as I ran up hills. I thought this meant I was not using my glutes appropriately, so I started concentrating on that. But then, it felt like I was sashaying side to side too much. Maybe it's my big "glutes", or maybe I'm not running properly. I came home and foam rolled, front and back of legs, but still feeling a little sore a day later. Any correction tips? Maintain - 29:20 Hi! Can you explain the physiologic reason for the strides during an otherwise easy effort run or long run? Is it ever ok to just not do them and keeping it all easy, or are there disadvantages to that? What's the easiest way to access the rebuild strength when I'm in maintain (I want to do both) without having two training plans in training peaks? Okay MK, I've been locked up like a tiger in a cage. Not so much a Carol Baskin tiger, more like a Daniel tiger. But still. So I want to start increasing my long runs on Saturday. I feel like I want to do a three to three and a half-hour run. Any specific modifications I should make to the plan? For example, should I take Thursday off? Should I back off 10% on all the runs that week? Thanks. to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/14936603

The Long Run: Talking with Our Black Friends about Allyship 06/20/2020

The Long Run: Talking with Our Black Friends about Allyship You’ve probably heard it said that “running is therapy.” Though we push back HARD against that idea, therapy is our therapy and nothing else comes close, we can see where this comes from. We see our running buddies every Saturday, more frequently than we see anyone else. My running buddies know a LOT about me, yet most of them have never met my colleagues, my coworkers, my spouse or my friends outside the running community. They exist totally separately. I tell you that to tell you THIS: conversations can get DEEP on long runs. The lack of connection to the rest of our lives means we can be more ourselves, speak more freely, talk more candidly. This is why a long run can be a safe place to ask dangerous questions. What is said on a run, stays on a run...so we thought it would be fun to host some of these free, TMI conversations on the podcast, covering topics as well as details that wouldn’t be appropriate to share anywhere else. Current events have been rather dramatic, and for many people, surprising. That fact alone is harmful, racism isn’t new, neither is police brutality- my dad has been specializing in this area of law since 1973. You don’t make friends doing this work, suing cops...I’ve never been able to call the police. They wouldn’t come to our house. We chose this….most people don’t. Specifically, communities of color didn’t choose this. For everyone else, we’ve been raised to believe that the police keep us safe. Our worst experience may have been a cop who bullied us at a traffic stop or incompetence in investigating a burglary, which underscores our privilege: it wasn’t a problem, because it wasn’t OUR problem. We as a nation are finally coming to understand that we have a very big problem indeed and aren’t sure what the best next step looks like. In the second installment of this series, we are bringing in three FPP employees, who happen to be Black, to answer all of the questions we have about what to do right now. Nikkia Young is the Coach of our Build Program Lovey Roundtree-Oliff is the Coach of our ReBuild Program Dalia Kinsey is our Chief Nutrition Officer For a deeper look into these issues, please subscribe to , hosted by Coach Lovey, and check out . /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/14900306

Q&A With a Transgender Runner 06/15/2020

Q&A With a Transgender Runner Intro You’ve probably heard it said that “running is therapy.” Though we push back HARD against that idea, therapy is our therapy and nothing else comes close, we can see where this comes from. We see our running buddies every Saturday and rarely socialize in between. Most of my running friends have never met my colleagues, my coworkers, my spouse or my friends outside the running community. They exist totally separately. I tell you that to tell you THIS: conversations can get DEEP on long runs. The lack of connection to the rest of our lives means we can be more ourselves, speak more freely, talk more openly. It is a safe place to ask dangerous questions. What is said on a run, stays on a run...so we thought it would be fun to host some of these free, TMI conversations on the podcast, covering topics as well as details that wouldn’t be appropriate to share anywhere else. We are kicking off this series with one of our Sponsored Athletes, who also happens to be my running buddy, Kade, who is 9 months into his gender transition. It won’t take long to see why we’re friends- we are both loud, proud, and outspoken AF. When Kade posted about his new appendage arriving in the mail, my clients had QUESTIONS. Then, I realized I had questions, too; we hadn’t run together in awhile so we hadn’t yet a direct conversation about his transition. Kade, amazingly, agreed to have that conversation on our podcast. Come on now, you KNOW you’re curious! Get ready to be a fly on the wall for this amazing conversation where we learn everything I’ve ever wanted to know about Kade’s transition, questions I would only ever ask him on a run; which frankly is the only time and place for my totally ignorant and taboo questions, like, “do you ACTUALLY have a D^ck in a box?” and “is it like...a neuticle?” Note: We want to be exceptionally clear: the purpose of this podcast isn’t shock value, but there will be a lot of talk about anatomy. We are not exploiting Kade to expand our audience, we are trying to draw our audience closer to one of our Sponsored Athletes. All of the questions have been filtered by the team, and I’m proud to say nothing really needed to be edited, softened or changed. We have a really amazing community, and I’m proud that Kade is a part of it. Questions from MK OH MY GOD YOU ARE GONNA HAVE A PEE PIPE! So, it’s hard to know where to start- because I still fumble when I try to talk about us in the past tense! Like, “you aren’t dead, but you’re kinda like Voldemort! I can’t say your old name! When I slip, and we both know I do, does it hurt your feelings or make you not want to talk to me? So, is it like “deadnaming”? Can you give us a brief rundown on you, then tell us how would you describe yourself at the time we met? You’re the most confident human either of us have known, so this didn’t make sense to us, it really surprised us. To be clear: we love you and support you 100%, we just didn’t see this coming. Was it just us? Have others been surprised, or admitted they were surprised? Tell us a bit about your gender journey (is that how we describe it?) Because when we met, you struck me as SO sure of yourself. I realize the parts of you that I LOVE won’t be affected by the transition, how do you feel about the parts that ARE changing? Looking back, its hard to think that wasn’t 100% you, so how are you more you, now? So, once you realized it was time to transition, what does that look like? Is there an infographic, is it case by case? How did you decide where to start and what to do? Which surgeries do you NOT want to do and why? Which surgeries are the most important and why? Your transition has prompted some DEEP conversations with my therapist! I generally speaking don’t feel safe around white men! It took FOREVER to get there with my husband. I’m still working out how your pee-pipe will change our relationship….how do you think it will change us? How is it changing your other female friendships? How is it changing your male friendships? What is your best day ever, has it come yet or when will it be? How can I, as your friend, I as the founder of a media company with a platform, and everyone listening, support you as well as the community? Questions from FPP Clients Did MK pressure you into this? Why did you say yes, did you feel like you could say no? How has FPP made you feel #coachedandloved? Has running helped through your transition? You post a LOT about your t-shots. How do those feel, and what’s the recovery like? (separate, similar question): my son has type1 diabetes and has to give himself injections, is this anything like that? Are you injecting into your muscles or do you have to find a vein and change location each time? can Kade recall any reactions to his transition that were well-intended, but hurt his feelings? Or can good intentions make up for a stumble? Kade we greatly appreciate your openness about your experiences. It seems like people have a wide range of comfort levels with what they are willing to discuss. How is the best way to determine what’s appropriate to talk about with people in our social circle who may be transitioning. I cannot wait to hear more from Kade! I think it's so important to hear other perspectives. My question is what are the phases of transition and what happens during each phase. I'm hoping to better understand the journey and the struggles at each phase (I'm assuming each phase has a different struggle but could be wrong!) And what I could do to help support someone who is struggling! Thank you Kade for being so open and honest for us A lot of emphasis is put in the media on labels and pronouns. When we meet someone who we aren’t sure whether they are a male or female how is the best way to handle this respectfully if we are in a situation where typically a label or pronoun would be used. What’s the difference between gender fluid, gender non conforming, and transgendered?? How is this different from being a male or female who prefers things that might not be typical in the cultural archetype (I.e tomboy or boy who dances or does flag team?) How does Kade identify his sexuality currently and did this change when he began to transition. How does dating work as person who is transgendered. Do you tell potential dates that you are transgendered before you have a date, on the first date, etc? Kade said his appendage came in the mail (I.e prosthetic penis), will it work?? I mentioned this upcoming podcast to my neighbors because to them there is nothing off limits in any conversation and I thought they would have some good questions...and they did! I know Kade is having his top surgery, but they were interested in learning more about bottom surgery if Kade can give more information on it. Are you sure you want a penis as a runner?? I mean there jock rot and ball chafe, wearing cups, why would you want that mess? Given that you can’t change the underlying chromosomes that caused you to be born with female anatomy, do you think changing the outward appearance of your anatomy will clear your gender discomfort or do you think you will have feeling of discomfort even though you are living as a male? There seems to be some debate about whether health insurance should cover transition surgeries as a necessary medical procedure or if it is self covered as a cosmetic procedure. Are your surgeries covered and could you speak to why or why not they should be covered. Follow up - from my reading some people say that the procedures should be covered because the surgery will treat the extreme psychological discomfort that having the opposite sex parts causes to a person who is transgendered has. How is this discomfort different or more valid that the extreme discomfort caused by a biological woman who wants breast implants because her AAA breast’s cause her to feel not like a woman or someone who has extreme discomfort of because of other body features, birth marks, etc? Does Kade have any advice for parents raising children in our very gendered society? 100% of the proceeds from our will benefit , the organization that supported our Sponsored Athlete Kade Schuldt. /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/14745404

Summer Running & Back to WORK! 06/14/2020

Summer Running & Back to WORK! Coach MK livestreams question and answer sessions each week on , , and , simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun, super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast! This week, we take questions about transitioning into summer running as well as transitioning back to work. #WeeklyWins - 6:48 Runner Interrupted Char Gore is still feeling well enough to get her shuffle on! Build Coach Nikkia celebrated her birthday this week!! Sharla Manglass also celebrated her birthday and got in a birthday run with fellow build teammate Barbara Puckett ReBuild Christine Lancaster has her highest mileage week since her injury Amy Sczerbowicz has been running consistently and feeling good! Jennifer Sutton is making the move to maintain. After trying out the runs for a couple of weeks she feels ready to make the switch. We are excited for her, but will miss her in rebuild! Kristen Frazier broke out her spinning wheel this week! She is a woman of many talents. Maintain Elyn Macek was excited to get a chance to sing with her favorite quartet at church for the first time since March. Amy Loukous has a great 10 mile run with BRF’s and got a great breakfast as a finish Trisha Thorne has discovered that throwing in pickups make an amazing way to social distances when needed on the run. Nicole Uhl has run more miles this week than any other week that didnt include a race AND she doesn’t hate herself physically or mentally. She has found her running family here and is grateful to be here! She notes “ who knew you didnt have to go hard all the time to feel accomplished” Carissa Hatlig finished her quarantine 26.2!!! Erin Nason did a 5k time trial for fun on the track and beat her EAT predicted time by 35 seconds even though it was way hotter now than when she did her EAT. Also her sister joined rebuild!! Lisa Anderson celebrated her birthday this week with a birthday run with her husband and daughter. Daniel Faltyn moved his run to the morning and was able to keep his heart rate exactly where he needed too. Questions - 14:48 Build - 14:48 What does it mean to be a sponsored athlete? How do you become one? I’m struggling with transitioning back to work now that my state is opening back up. Any sage thoughts or encouraging ideas? ReBuild - 24:34 Can you talk about VO2 max. My watch calculates it and I was excited about seeing it go up as I’ve been rebuilding consistently, but it’s suddenly dropped like a rock. Any ideas what happened? I don’t seem to be adapting to the heat as well as I do normally. Do you have any suggestions on how to help speed the adaptations along? Maintain - 29:00 Evening MK. Can you touch on fueling in the context of the warmer weather? How far in advance of my run should I start drinking at what sort of volume? (assume I properly hydrated overnight.) Related question, on the run, any advice on frequency/volume? Any signs to look for that I may be drinking too little vs just having a crappy run? The following worked for me on Sats long run: 30 mins prior 16oz caffeine water, during the run had a total of 8oz of gatorade starting 45 mins in, finishing it all up by 100 mins in. Seemed to work for me. Could I do anything better? Evening MK. Can you touch on stretching/warm up/cool down? In the context of Sats long run, what would be a reasonable stretching/warm up routine duration before and after? Is it more important to stretch before or after or are both important. Thanx in advance. Hi MK, I’ve been running regularly since August, it something happened in the past two weeks and my running care to a screaching halt. I’ve been mixing your maintain work outs with peloton app treadmill runs and hit my highest monthly mileage in April. I’ve felt great from a running stand point. Until about two weeks ago. All of a sudden, I just didn’t want to go anymore. Running and meditation are my stress relievers and it certainly has been a stress relief during these hard months. I am so tired. I have t slept well since Jan. I’ve tried melatonin, L-theonine and Magnesium, but still struggle to sleep. I’m sure this is part of it. But now my HR is high during the day, just walking around the house. This morning while I was cooking my HR was 97! My resting HR for reference is low 50s, sometimes ever high 40s. My 140 pace is about 11min/mi. But now it’s waaaay up. Any idea what’s going on? I feel like I’ve been running on adrenaline for months and now have a big crash. But would this cause my HR to be elevated like this? I am hydrated. Any tips to recover from this and find my groove again would be much appreciated. Also, for sleeping, I’ve controlled all of the variable I can, even when I have a perfect sleep set up, I will fall asleep easily, but wake up just a few hours later and then struggle to fall back asleep. Are there any slow burn classes going on this year? 1) I am currently going on the assumption that 3DATF is likely not to happen in October; however, if it is and we have recently completed the 100 mi training cycle, what should the plan be to ramp back up for 3DATF 48hr event? 2) If 3DATF is not going to happen, I still have a code (buried somewhere in email) for Slow Burn from last year's fund raiser. Is there a plan for Slow Burn to run sometime this fall? It seems like a great alternative to Ultra training. After 3 months of working from home in quarantine I’m finding that I don’t like how I look in my clothes and I’m feeling kinda sluggish. I’d like to loose some weight so my clothes fit again do you have any tips of better ways to loose weight. Normally I would do some sort of 30 day super healthy restrictive thing, but from listening to you and Dalia is seems like that may not be the best option. What do you do when you’ve wanted to loose the last few pounds of baby weight? General Heart Rate Group - 47:12 Is there a way to purchase a monthly plan on Training Peaks without subscribing to Fitness Protection? to subscribe to our podcast, , and get more racing and training tips from the coaches! Coach MK Fleming is the founder of . Click to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF, free! /episode/index/show/fitnessprotection/id/14833133

Running Life: A Fitness Protection Production

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