Track & Field

Running

How has your weight training evolved over the years to support your running?

Evolving Weight Training: From Basic to Specific for Running

So when I started strength training, when I was in high school for running, you know, it's basically like your classic like, okay we're going to go on the gym and we're going to do squats, we're going to do lunges. We're going to do deadlifts and calf raises. So I don't think that was wrong. I think it really set up a good foundation for me. And then as I went to college, you know, in those days, I don't actually don't know how it is right now. I hope it's changed. But the football coach or the football strength, trainer writes everyone's work out. So, basically you get a dumbed down version of what the football players do, which is better than nothing. You know, we were in the gym. We were loading our skeleton, but it was very not thought out for runners, right? As I graduated college, I started studying strength training myself. I started to make it a little bit more Dynamic, and I think it made it a little bit more functional for running. It was still very heavy. I did Olympic lifts to work on coordination and explosive power. And as I got more serious about running, the last couple of years, I've really tapered my strength training down, so not as heavy because I want to focus on my running and make sure I'm not taking away from my running workouts, but I do think the only reason I Do this and like maintain my strength is because I have such a big foundation of it and now my strength, when I go on the gym it's a very focused on running specific specific issues. So we do a lot with supination and pronation of the foot. We make sure that's really strong. We make sure my knee is as robust as possible so that it can move freely. You know, we do. Very thought out running oriented, you know, less intense. So it's taking less of my energy. Although we do lift heavy about once a week, will do heavy deadlifts but that's about it.

I started strength training in high school to help with my running. When I went to college, the football strength trainer wrote everyone's workout. After college I studied strength training more and made it more dynamic to become more functional for running. As I got more serious about running, I tapered down my strength training so it wouldn't take away from my running workouts, but still maintain my strength. Now when I go to the gym, I focus on running-specific issues like supination and pronation of the foot and making sure my knee is as robust as possible. We also lift heavy once a week.

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My weight training for running has evolved over the years to better support my performance. In high school, I started with classic exercises like squats, lunges, deadlifts, and calf raises, which provided a solid foundation. In college, the strength training program was a simplified version of what the football players did, but it still helped load my skeleton and was better than nothing.

After college, I took it upon myself to study strength training and made it more dynamic and functional for running. I incorporated Olympic lifts to improve coordination and explosive power. However, as I became more serious about running in recent years, I have scaled back my strength training to avoid detracting from my running workouts. I still maintain my strength because of the strong foundation I built.

Now, my strength training is focused on addressing specific running-related issues. We prioritize exercises that strengthen foot supination and pronation, as well as ensuring the robustness of my knees for optimal freedom of movement. The workouts are thoughtfully designed to be less intense and energy-consuming, although we still incorporate heavy lifting once a week, particularly with deadlifts.

Before Grandma's Marathon, were you doing something different in training that led you to PR by three minutes?

From Jogging to PR: How Experience and Minor Adjustments Led to a Three-Minute Marathon Improvement

So before Grandma's Marathon that so that was only my second marathon. And I think the reason I did PR by three minutes is because my first marathon was see, I am I basically went into it just like thinking, okay? I want to learn what a marathon is what it feels like. If I even like it, am I good at it and then go from there. So, I jogged the first half of see IM my first That's on actually got faster every single 5K. So I think there was a lot of potential left after after that one, like I finished. And I was like, that was awesome and I know I can go faster. So I think leading into Grandma's we basically were like, okay, he did really well at say, I am, let's take that same schedule, basically. And maybe since you're a little more experienced, you know, maybe add one more 20-mile run, instead of for we're going to do five. You know, maybe go a little bit faster on each interval, but no, it basically kept it very similar to see IM with a little bit, may be bumped up the mileage 10 miles a week because I was doing very low mileage at Sea. I am, and I got more serious going into grandma's. So, yeah, I think mostly it was the experience of doing my first marathon and then just knowing what I was capable of. Love.

My PR at Grandma's Marathon was due to the experience I gained from my first marathon and adjusting my training schedule with increased mileage.

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Before Grandma's Marathon, I had only completed one marathon prior. My approach to that first marathon was more about learning and experiencing the event rather than aiming for a personal record. I jogged the first half and gradually increased my pace with each 5K. After finishing, I realized there was still untapped potential and knew I could go faster.

Leading up to Grandma's Marathon, we decided to follow a similar training schedule as the previous marathon, but with a few adjustments. Since I had gained more experience, we added an extra 20-mile run and slightly increased the intensity of each interval. Additionally, I bumped up my weekly mileage by around 10 miles as I became more serious about my training.

Overall, I believe the improvement in my performance at Grandma's Marathon by three minutes was primarily due to the experience gained from my first marathon and the realization of my capabilities.

Discover the Perfect Shoes for Training and Racing

Hi Patsy. Um, I trained in. Well, I run my easy runs in the Hoka Clifton's and then I do a lot of my speed workouts in the alpha flies from Nike and I race in the off of flies as well. But I am, you know, trying to try out new shoes and see what else I like. I truly believe that every show is different for each person. On their stride and their foot. So I encourage you to try as many shoes as you can to know what works for you.

I run my easy runs in the Hoka Clifton's, do speed workouts in Nike Alpha Fly's, and race in Nike Off Fly's. However, every shoe is different for each person so it's best to try out many shoes to find what works best for you.

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Hi Patsy! When it comes to training and racing, I have a few go-to shoes. For my easy runs, I prefer the Hoka Clifton's. They provide a comfortable and cushioned ride. When it comes to speed workouts, I opt for the Nike Alpha Flies. These shoes offer great responsiveness and help me push the pace. I also race in the Nike Alpha Flies as they give me an extra edge. However, I'm always open to trying out new shoes and exploring different options. I believe that each person's stride and foot are unique, so it's important to find the shoes that work best for you. I encourage you to experiment with different shoes and see what feels right for your training and racing needs.

Did you always know you were going to continue running after college?

From Burnout to Revitalization: The Unexpected Journey of a Post-College Runner

No, I did not know I was going to run after college. I was basically burnt out my senior year I qualified for regionals and going into the regional and in the Steeplechase going into the regional race. I was like I don't want to qualify for Nationals like I really hope this doesn't happen because I really just didn't want to train for another two weeks. So, after after college, I was kind of You know, and then my dad was like, do you want to try Triathlon and that ree-ree motivated, me. And I was like, yeah, that sounds awesome. Like, I get to train hard like it to add, some more Sports to the mix. It kind of like, revitalized my, my spirit for competing. And then after I was done with that, like I think that left me and great aerobic shape to come back and continue my running career. But But if you were to ask me in college, if I were to, if I even had the potential to run after college, I would have said no. If you would have asked me my senior year, if I wanted to, I would have said, no, I remember one of my teammates asked me if I wanted to, like, join her post-collegiate Elite group and I thought she was insane. I actually didn't even know what she meant, but I was like, I don't even know what that is, but know, so yeah.

I did not know that I was going to run after college. After college, my dad suggested trying triathlon and it revitalized my spirit for competing. Afterwards, I felt in great aerobic shape and decided to continue my running career. If someone had asked me during college if I wanted to pursue running post-collegiate, I would have said no.

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No, I didn't always know that I was going to continue running after college. In fact, during my senior year, I was feeling burnt out. I had qualified for regionals and going into the race, I remember thinking that I didn't want to qualify for Nationals because I didn't want to train for another two weeks. I just didn't have the motivation at that time.

After college, my dad suggested that I try triathlon, and that reignited my passion for training and competing. I thought it sounded awesome to add another sport to the mix and it revitalized my spirit. After my triathlon experience, I was in great aerobic shape, which allowed me to come back and continue my running career.

But if you had asked me during college if I had the potential to run after college, I would have said no. Even in my senior year, when a teammate asked me to join a post-collegiate elite group, I thought she was crazy. I didn't even know what that meant at the time, but I was certain that it wasn't something I wanted to pursue. So, it's interesting how things can change.

How can early success in running affect the mental health of young girls during puberty?

The Psychological Toll of Early Running Success on Young Girls

Hi Margie. Yeah, good question. You know, my dad and I who have coached High School Runners for you know the last 15 years. He's coached High School Runners for the last 50 years. But we always say like the one of the worst things that can happen to a freshman girl, is that she has a huge success or wins a big race, or because then she expects, All of this success. She she thinks people expected, she puts all this pressure on her and when she goes through puberty and she she can't have that success anymore. She gets super discouraged. And a lot of times what happens is when females go through puberty and they don't perform as well, they try harder, or they go to eating disorders or they over train. And that by the time, they're done with high school, they're completely, they're completely done, they're out, they're done with running, they're either injured because they've over trade or not eating, and then, you know, it all goes straight to your mental health. They get depressed. They, they, they think that's their identity. So, yeah, I think it's really hard and You know, it takes a lot of good coaches to not put that, you know, pressure on, on high school girls and a lot of good parents to also like, let them know that it's okay. And kind of explain the process to them and a lot of good Role Models out there to to help the female girls through it. But yeah, it's a really tough one. It's a really tough one. And as a coach I like to just, I honestly like like Look at the big picture and explain to them the big picture and then hold them back a little bit, you know, kind of like distract them with like other things, like skills or drills, things like that. But yeah, I hope that helps

My dad and I have been coaching high school runners for the last 15 years, and we believe that the worst thing that can happen to a freshman girl is having huge success early on. This can lead to them putting too much pressure on themselves when they go through puberty and can't sustain that level of success. To help prevent this, coaches need to be mindful of the pressure they put on the girls, parents need to explain the process to them, and role models need to be available to help them through it.

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Early success in running can have a significant impact on the mental health of young girls during puberty. When a freshman girl experiences a major success or wins a significant race, she may develop high expectations for herself. This can lead to immense pressure and discouragement when she goes through puberty and is unable to maintain the same level of success.

In response to this perceived failure, some girls may try harder, develop eating disorders, or overtrain. By the time they reach the end of high school, they may be completely burnt out, injured, or struggling with their mental health. They may feel depressed and believe that their identity is tied solely to their running performance.

To mitigate these challenges, it is crucial to have supportive coaches, understanding parents, and positive role models who can guide young girls through this process. Coaches should avoid placing excessive pressure on high school girls and instead focus on the bigger picture. Distracting them with other aspects of the sport, such as skills and drills, can help alleviate some of the performance-related stress.

Overall, it is essential to provide young girls with a supportive environment that emphasizes their overall well-being and helps them navigate the challenges of early success in running during puberty.

What is so special about training in Boulder?

Boulder: A Runner's Paradise with Unmatched Community Support

So for me, I feel very lucky because I'm from Boulder. So a lot of people have probably have different experiences because a lot of Runners move to Boulder to train so it's kind of like a training camp for them. You know obviously there's amazing Trails, it's a beautiful place we're at altitude, it's pretty great weather all year we can run outside all year. It's very sunny but for me what makes it so special? Is that I have like an amazing community that I know supports me, and I think just having that behind me, you know, going into races and training. Like I can lean on them if I need to which, you know, lets me just kind of relax more and be able to train and be confident. So and I have friends and family here, so it's like The Best of Both Worlds. Of course, it comes, As with other things, like I have a lot of friends that aren't Runners here. So I get sucked into going to concerts or, you know, doing things that like don't really support like my Marathon build or training. So I need to get better at saying. No sometimes which I am learning. So yeah.

I'm lucky to be from Boulder because it has great weather, Trails, and an amazing running community that supports me. I need to get better at saying no sometimes when I want to do something that doesn't support my training.

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Training in Boulder holds a special significance for me because I am fortunate to be from there. Many runners choose to move to Boulder for training, turning it into a sort of training camp. The city offers incredible trails, beautiful scenery, and the advantage of training at altitude. The weather is generally great throughout the year, allowing for outdoor running all year round. 

What truly makes Boulder special for me is the amazing community that supports me. Having that support system behind me during races and training gives me a sense of comfort and confidence. Additionally, I have the privilege of having friends and family in Boulder, which creates a perfect balance for me. 

However, there can be distractions too. I have friends who are not runners, and sometimes I get caught up in activities like going to concerts that may not align with my marathon training. I am learning to say no and prioritize my training better. Overall, training in Boulder is a unique experience that combines a supportive community, stunning surroundings, and the opportunity to excel in my running pursuits.

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Nell Rojas is a professional marathon runner for Nike and founder of RISE Boulder. She grew up in Boulder, CO with two older brothers and her dog Starblaze. She walked onto the Northern Arizona Cross Country and Track and Field team and got her B.S. in Exercise Science. After college, she became a professional triathlete and began coaching with her dad Ric Rojas. She discovered marathons when she finished 7th at the 2018 marathon national championships in a time of 2:31. She recently placed 5th at the 2021 Boston Marathon, 10th at the 2022 Boston Marathon, and 10th at the 2022 NYC Marathon. She is the 2021 10 mile national champion. She is well known for her strength training for runners.