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Natasha Wodak on her win at the 10K Championships in Ottawa, moving up to the marathon, coach selection, Upcoming Marathon World Championships Budapest 2023 and doing what works for you.
221 Plays2 years ago
So much of enjoying endurance sports is learning from others. We learn from people's triumphs and their failures. It is what makes each athlete's journeys unique and special.
Today on Just In Stride we’ll learn from one of the best Canadian distance runners to ever do it. National marathon record holder and Olympian, Natasha Wodak.
She’s coming off her third 10K Championship win in Ottawa just a few weeks ago. From World Championships to the Olympics, Natasha continues to perform at the highest level and represent her country with pride. But what we all can appreciate is her openness and honesty about her personal experience in the sport and the importance of trusting your own path, even though it may be different from others.
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Offer from Xact Nutrition: This episode is presented by our friends at Xact Nutrition and they are offering you 15% OFF your order when you use the code JUSTINSTRIDE. So head to xactnutrition.com and fuel your goals today! Now shipping in Canada and the U.S.
Thanks for tuning in to the Just In Stride Podcast. I truly appreciate you taking the time to listen and I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. Please take a minute after this to rate and review our show on Apple Podcasts. With your feedback we’ll be able to make the show even better and it’ll help us reach new listeners too. You can also find us on Instagram @justinstridepod and YouTube @justinstridepod for all the latest episodes and updates. Glad you came along for the ride with Just In Stride!EP004
Transcript
Introduction to Endurance Sports Podcast
00:00:06
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Justin's Drive podcast. I'm your host, Justin Puleze. If you love endurance sports, you've definitely come to the right place.
Justin Puleze's Journey in Distance Running
00:00:15
Speaker
On this show, we'll talk to athletes, coaches, and professionals who can help us reach our true potential. Being a student of distance running for over 10 years and interviewing people in the sport for the last five, I've learned a ton, but there's always more to discover. Everyone has a story, and I know you'll resonate with each of our guests as we embark on this new journey together.
00:00:36
Speaker
Join us at home, on the road, or while you run. Together, we'll have some fun.
Follow and Support on Instagram
00:00:42
Speaker
So follow along on Instagram at justinstridepod and your favorite podcast platform and prepare to be inspired. Come along for the ride with Justin Stride.
00:00:53
Speaker
This episode is presented by our friends at Exact Nutrition, a tasty and healthy way for you to fuel your body before, during, and after a solid training session. I can't leave the house without a few fruit bars in my pocket and they never make it back home. Exact is offering you 50% off your order when you use the code justinstride. So head to exactnutrition.com and fuel your goals today. So much of enjoying endurance sports is learning from others.
00:01:20
Speaker
We learn from people's triumphs and their failures. It's what makes each athlete's journey unique and special.
Interview with Natasha Wodak
00:01:27
Speaker
Today on Justin Stride, we'll learn from one of the best Canadian distance runners to ever do it. National marathon record holder and Olympian, Natasha Wodak. She's coming off her third 10K championship win in Ottawa just a few weeks ago.
00:01:41
Speaker
From world championships to the Olympics, Natasha continues to perform at the highest level and represent her country with pride. But what we all can appreciate is her openness and honesty about her personal experience in the sport and the importance of trusting your own path, even though it may be different from others. Welcome to Justin's Drive, Tasha. Thanks for taking the time here. It's a pleasure to be here and talk to you again. Yeah, I mean, some pretty exciting times for you.
00:02:10
Speaker
I met you in Ottawa years back now, and we did an interview back then. You had quite the weekend. I mean, I always tell people this story because it's hilarious, but we actually spoke like a couple hours before your race that day, and then you went on to win it. So it's not your first time winning that race, the 10K champs, but maybe let us know how you feel about this one.
Natasha's Reflections on Past Experiences
00:02:31
Speaker
Yeah, that was back in 2019. I remember that well. That was actually the first year that I won.
00:02:38
Speaker
And so maybe you were good luck. Yeah. Um, yeah. And so then of course, 2020 was the pandemic. In 2021, they moved it to Toronto and that was in the fall, the Canadian 10K champs and right after the, um, right after the Olympics. And I did not fare well there. I think it was like third or fourth. I can't remember. I didn't win. That's all I know. And yeah, the last couple of years, things have been good. Timing has been good and.
00:03:08
Speaker
And, uh, been back. It was so good to be back in Ottawa. Like the city is just so vibrant in the summer and the people are out cheering and they got their sprinklers going. And it's so nice. Cause it's a night race. I feel like that, that gets a lot more people out. Um, yeah, it was, it was really cool. Obviously to be able to win is always fun. So yeah, I'm, I'm really happy I'm home now and, uh, just recovering from the weekend and, uh,
00:03:38
Speaker
little tired, you know, the Saturday night, we went for some drinks after and got up really early the next day to cheer on the marathon. And so, um, yeah, back to training and onwards to the, to the summer. It's an exciting summer ahead. Yeah, for sure. And I mean, I remember you were supposed to run London or you were documenting that a little bit as London was coming, was approaching, you're facing some, some challenges. So I'm sure this was like a nice,
00:04:04
Speaker
I don't know if this was in the plan, was it or was it a consolation prize kind of? Pretty much a consolation prize. Like, um, it was only, I believe five weeks after London. So I had it on the schedule, but knowing how I usually recover from marathons, it was going to be a pretty, uh, far fetched for me to win it. Like I could have perhaps gone to Ottawa and adjusted my goals to maybe be top five, but
00:04:34
Speaker
I don't really want to go to a national championships and participate. I'm either going to go to and be fit and ready to win or I'm not really going at all, I guess. So, um, yeah, definitely with, with pulling out from London, it was, you know, it sucked. I was really sad, but the silver lining is that I got to go to Ottawa. I got to go to the national championships. I'm going to raise the Canadian 10,000 meter championships in three weeks and I'm in a much better place recovery wise going into Budapest.
Transitioning to Marathons
00:05:03
Speaker
So.
00:05:03
Speaker
There was a silver lining from not racing the London marathon. And I'm not looking back and just focusing on what's ahead of me and staying positive. So. Right. Yeah. Cause you're known for the shorter distances. I mean, when we spoke years back, we were kind of laughing at the marathon. We were saying like, will you ever run a marathon? And I find it hilarious now that after the, all those years that have passed, maybe it's been like four years or something that you're just like embracing that distance and
00:05:33
Speaker
taking the speed from the 10K and shorter stuff and really attacking the marathon and being really competitive. It's awesome. Yeah, it's been a really fun transition. I didn't realize how much I was going to like it, but I'm just in a totally different place in my life than I was in 2013 when I ran a marathon.
00:05:57
Speaker
Yeah, when we trained for Arizona in 2020, during the pandemic, um, I really enjoyed the training. I enjoyed the challenge. I enjoyed, um, just like doing new workouts and you know, when you've been in the same sport for a really long time and doing this, the same event, essentially.
00:06:15
Speaker
Um, it was a nice change and I enjoyed challenging myself for these bigger workouts and like seeing what I could do. And, um, I was a little tentative because I didn't know if my body could handle it was like going to get injured, but it was a risk I was willing to take at that point in my career. And you know, we, we added in a lot more cross training than some runners do. And I do a little bit less mileage and.
00:06:42
Speaker
It's worked out well. I mean, I've gone through four successful marathon builds since 2020 and gotten to the start line, 100% healthy, which is, I think amazing. It wasn't until London that I did not make it to the start line, but I didn't have a big significant injury that took me out, you know, like for, you know, six to eight weeks or anything like that. It was just a whole bunch of little niggles and things like that that
00:07:09
Speaker
added up to me not being able to go to London, but yeah. And so I am excited to get back on the track. It's been four years since I raised the 10,000 on the track. I cannot believe that it has been that long. Uh, you know, there was a pandemic in there, but, um, I had, I have the site, the super spikes. So, uh, I haven't raised in those yet. So I'm hoping they can give me, um, a little, uh, extra edge. Yeah, for sure.
00:07:40
Speaker
Yeah. Um, is it hard to go back to the, like the 10 K after having so much success in the, in the marathon? Like I feel like, you know, as runners, we make this progression to like longer distances and then we kind of never come back. It's like you, you, maybe you run half marathons, marathons, and then you go to ultras and you just, you just don't come back to the short stuff. Like is, was it challenging for you to go back to that? Is it, is that a strategic move on your part? I'm just curious about that.
00:08:08
Speaker
Yeah, we've just, um, we've just started getting back
Training Adjustments and Cross-Training
00:08:12
Speaker
into the 10 K training. We started when I got back from London. Um, so I've only really done like three, three and a half weeks. And so we'll have another three weeks of training and it's a bit of a shock to the system. Honestly, when you're going from.
00:08:26
Speaker
half marathon marathon, um, more threshold types, getting into that VO two max that you get a little more than 10 K. So, um, I'm trying not to get discouraged when I'm seeing some of my splits on the track and comparing them to what I used to do. Um, I think I can get back there, but that's also not my goal anymore. My goal is not to go and run.
00:08:47
Speaker
Olympic standard in the 10,000. Um, Michael is to run a strong 10,000, build some, some speed, get that 10 K speed and use that towards my marathon. So that's our objective of, of doing 10 K's and 10 thousands right now. And then I'll start my marathon build in a couple of weeks and we'll transition right into the marathon, but I'll have that nice 10 K work in me. So hopefully the marathon stuff feels a little easier.
00:09:16
Speaker
Yeah, and maybe recovery too, right? A little easier to recover from and come back and get back into training. Cause I know you mentioned like being aware of how long it takes to recover from a marathon and you know, everybody's different. So how long does it take you to recover from a marathon? Let's say like, when do you know when it's time to get back in there? Yeah. So Berlin was,
00:09:45
Speaker
really, really difficult on my body. Uh, I actually got COVID right after the Berlin marathon. It was the first time I had got COVID and I was like, thank God I got it like now and not before that was my biggest fear was to fly to Berlin, um, and get COVID because of the, you know, the flight people weren't wearing masks and like, I was just terrified of that. And then of course I got it like right after. So
00:10:12
Speaker
I think that took a toll as well. So instead of me taking like, you know, a week or 10 days off running, I took two full weeks and.
00:10:21
Speaker
I have a lot of tendonitis issues and osteitis pubis. And when you're sort of stagnant like that for two solid weeks, like not doing any cross training or anything, it just is that much harder to get back at it. So when I started running again, it was like my whole body like freaked out. It just hurt to jog. And it took me a good six weeks before I was able to do my first workout. Like I had to just go day by day, um,
00:10:48
Speaker
just constant communication with my coach. Like it was sort of like two steps forward, one step back. And that's how it goes sometimes. I put my, I put my body through, like I push it to its limits and you need to respect that and you cannot make it recover any faster than it wants to. And so, um, as frustrating as it was to see other girls like already racing before I had even done a workout. Um, I was like, that's,
00:11:18
Speaker
not my path and I have to just do what works for me. And, you know, ultimately I wasn't able to, you know, race again until February, I think, or January.
Overcoming Injuries and Staying Motivated
00:11:29
Speaker
Yeah. And that's okay. It was worth it. I had that race and I took the time to do what my body needed. Also understanding that like, I'm not a spring chicken, you know, I'm 41 now. My body takes longer to recover and that's okay. So, um, you can't push it when it's not ready. So
00:11:45
Speaker
Yeah, we're pretty good. We let it recover. Yeah, exactly. And, and you had like a hell of a race there, right? Like you had the race of your life. I was in Berlin. I was in Berlin that year. So I, I couldn't watch you do it, but just seeing the after and the, the, you know, the, you know, after what had happened, you know, you usually see that, you know, like kept yoga and then, you know, you check all the Canadians and how they did and.
00:12:12
Speaker
I mean, what an amazing day for you. Is that like one of your highlights, one of the highlights of your career, would you say? Oh, absolutely. People are like, oh, will you be upset when your record's broken? And I'm like, no, because nobody can take away from me that day and that moment when I broke the record, that feeling, that celebration, being with my parents and my partner and my brother and just like,
00:12:41
Speaker
Achieving that goal and you know, I will get broken. I have no doubt and that's okay because I had that and That will always be special to me. And so yeah, it was a pretty incredible day, you know and and to be 40 to do it, you know and
00:12:57
Speaker
It was pretty cool. I mean, it's so inspiring to see that, you know, I'm, I'm approaching 40 and I'm like, Oh, like maybe I can get better. You know, this is what you kind of, you kind of see, and you're like, you're just hopeful, you know, you want to get the best out of yourself no matter what, no matter what the distance or, or what you're doing, even, it doesn't have to be running. It could be anything, anything at all, you know, does it make it like more special? Cause you're, you know, Elmore, I think you
00:13:24
Speaker
Elmore held the record before you guys are clearly, you know, you train together and your friends didn't make it special in a sense that like passing the torch or is there, you know, like you guys are friendly, but you're super competitive going to the Olympics together, running that race and. Yeah, I was. I was a little nervous because I.
00:13:49
Speaker
I look up to Melindy so much and I, she's my friend and I have so much admiration for her and so I was a little tentative like, oh, how's she going to feel? But of course she was like very happy for me. And I still like, it's funny because even though I have the marathon record now, I still like
00:14:12
Speaker
look at Melindy like she's faster than me like I always am like oh it's Melindy and I you know because she's always been one year older I've always looked up to her since since high school we've been racing each other since high school so it doesn't it doesn't matter I see her in that light and
00:14:28
Speaker
I know how fit that she is and will be again, and I know that she's going to come after that record. And if the day is right, I am pretty damn sure she's going to get it. But you know, I'm pretty damn sure I can run to 22. So I love that we
00:14:47
Speaker
We bring out the best in each other and it's fun. It is a fun battle.
Inspiring Younger Runners
00:14:51
Speaker
And I was in Ottawa when she raised her marathon and I was cheering with every bit I had. And I, I honestly, 100% wanted her to run that Olympic standard so badly. Like there was not one part of me that was like, Oh, well, it really doesn't run it. Like there's another spot for you. I just, I'm like, no, we're both going. We're both going to run the standard and, um,
00:15:11
Speaker
Yeah. So we, we cheer each other on, but you know, if we're in the same race together, like, yeah, we're going to battle it out. But at the same time, I think we would love to work together to both get that standard to go to Paris together.
00:15:23
Speaker
Of course. It makes it special too. Is there a special feeling you get knowing that you're part of such an amazing group of female marathoners? You guys are pushing the limits, pushing the boundaries, breaking these records, and it's exciting for the sport. What does it mean to be part of that? It's really exciting. This weekend, I got to be around a lot of the younger generation of women in Ottawa.
00:15:50
Speaker
You know, they were just seeing them run fast and seeing them be sort of like inspired and like a little bit shy to come and talk to me sometimes. And like, it was, you know, it was really cool. And I, I, I feel like I have played part of that. And that's so amazing to feel like you've inspired another generation to like want to run marathons, because I know, you know, 10 years ago, it was, you know, like Melindi and Krista were.
00:16:16
Speaker
starting this marathon trend and no one was really running marathons, right? And so now we are. And I think we're going to see a lot of these young women, you know, like Brandon McDougall, she's in her, you know, young mid twenties, early twenties, and she ran into, you know, two 28 last year. And I think we're going to see some big things from these young women. And I'm really excited about it. And, you know, I, I know I'm, I don't have that much time left.
00:16:43
Speaker
at this level of the sport. I'm not saying I'm going to retire next year, but let's be honest, biology, it happens. I don't have another 10 years. I'm really excited to see these young women coming up and doing their thing and wanting to run the marathon. You don't have to be in your 30s to run a marathon. It always used to be this idea like, oh, you'll run a marathon in your 30s.
00:17:07
Speaker
You see the men running their marathon in their 20s. Women can do it too. So yeah, it's cool to see.
00:17:13
Speaker
That's
Keys to Success: Recovery and Nutrition
00:17:14
Speaker
amazing. Yeah. And it's, it's fun when you get to interact with these runners too, you know, they come up to you and, and talk to you and like a bit starstruck. I'm sure like you are with, with Melinda, but, um, you know, it's special to at the same time and, uh, and fun, you know, and it gives you something back to you. You know, you don't always realize what you're doing or what kind of impact you're having on people unless you actually speak to them. And I'm sure you get tons of messages and stuff like that from,
00:17:40
Speaker
proud Canadians or I'm sure people all over the world just kind of cheering you on and want to see how you do, you know. So what would you say like, like how do you keep improving? Like I always see like whenever you toe the line, and I know you toe the line when you're ready to go, you know, I know when
00:17:59
Speaker
you're going to show up to a race that you're going to give it your 110%. How has that progression looked for you over the years and been able to maintain and keep such consistency, do you feel? Yeah, consistency is key, that we always say. And like, COVID stays the healthiest, the longest runs the fastest. So I think it's, like you said right there, being consistent day in and day out,
00:18:29
Speaker
Keeping on top of the little things like sleep is so important. It's something so simple, you know, but like making sure you're getting good sleep every night, making sure you're having regular physio and Cairo and keeping on top of your strength training, your Pilates, having really good communication with my coach. So he like.
00:18:51
Speaker
If you're not communicating properly with your coach, you might end up doing workouts when you're like really fatigued or dealing with a niggle. And so I think with Trent and I, and with Lynn before Trent, we've been able to navigate through what could have been a big injury by me communicating, Hey, something's not right today. Hey, I'm really fatigued. Okay. Let's, let's pivot. Let's do this. Let's do that. And I think that has really saved me from getting any.
00:19:16
Speaker
really significant injuries. So, um, yeah. And just, you know, and of course, like a little bit of luck in there helps that I've been able to, and I have, my partner is an orthopedic surgeon. So that helps that I basically have my own sports, my doctor in house. Um, yeah. And that's really, you know, that has been a pretty much a game changer because he takes really good care of me and,
00:19:41
Speaker
If I need imaging done, he can help me get that right away. In Canada, it's not always easy to get an MRI or CT. You may end up running on a stress fracture or something a lot longer than you should have or whatever.
00:19:59
Speaker
Yeah, and I think also just making sure to eat properly is a big one as well, feeling properly, not staying at too low of a weight. That's a danger for a lot. When you get really fit, and I compete all year round, right? You get really fit, and so you drop weight, and then you're like, oh, this feels really good.
00:20:21
Speaker
And you're tempted to stay there because you're so fit and you're lean is great, but it's really dangerous. And so, um, we make sure that sort of like more in my off season in the winter, especially we gain a little bit more weight so that I am a little more sturdy withhold, you know, the injuries and things like that. So that's been important as well in my, um, longevity in the sport. And I think why I continue to improve. Yeah. And, and.
00:20:46
Speaker
You kind of prove that, you know, by backing off when you're feeling something and then implementing some other ways to keep the strength. Like I wanted to ask you about that. How do you maintain the fitness when you're not necessarily running? Yeah. So for example, in the build up towards the London marathon, um,
00:21:10
Speaker
About seven weeks out, I, seven weeks out or six weeks out, I strained my glute. Um, nothing major, but either way I had to take two days of cross training and yeah, I get on the cross trainer, I get in the pool, I work hard. You know, you, you do some intervals in there, you keep your heart rate up and you can maintain fitness that way. Like it's a little harder if you're like four weeks of doing that, but you, you can still maintain a good base if you're cross training properly.
00:21:40
Speaker
Um, so did that and then, you know, was able to only miss a few days of training and then was able to jump back into workouts, but navigating with adding in more cross-training and not worrying that like, and believing in it, believing that like, okay. I had, and then I had my post him blew up like four weeks out from London. And that was a really tough few weeks because I had 85 K week and an 86 K week.
00:22:08
Speaker
four weeks and three weeks out because I was doing a lot of cross training. I was trying to navigate between cross training and doing, I could do the hard workouts and then my easy stuff was cross training and really believing that that still had value. And it was still, you know, not, not necessarily as good, but it was maintaining, right? And that's all I needed to do at that point was sort of maintain the fitness that I had, I'd built. Um, and without getting,
00:22:36
Speaker
overly injured without pissing off my posts ever too much. So yeah. Um, yeah, really believing in the cross training, um, getting in the intervals on the cross trainer really helps too. Instead of just sort of like getting on there and like watching TV or reading a book, like making sure you're getting your heart rate out. Like that's really important. So that's my tip for cross training. Yeah. Cause it's like, it's so hard. Like I, like I just, I mentioned to you, I was going through this ankle thing and it's like,
00:23:04
Speaker
Then you feel, and I'm sure a lot of people feel like, oh, I'm going to lose fitness because I can't run. Then maybe you try running on it. And then like you think, cause you're not running that you're not getting, keeping the fitness, but I think that's to hear from you, you know, like, you know, people see you winning stuff and, and I think it's a really good tip. You know, you could bike, you can do cross trainer, you can do elliptical angle you like to do. Um, so that's like.
00:23:27
Speaker
a really valuable piece of information I think everybody can benefit from. And I saw one of your posts too that I really liked about your own path. You listed like six or seven things that people say to you, like as a marathon runner. And I had to laugh, you know, because, you know, people will say whatever they want to say, but not the same thing works for everyone, you know, and you have your own way
00:23:56
Speaker
of doing things. Is that kind of where that post
Personalizing Training Regimens
00:24:00
Speaker
came from? I like how much you share with people about and open you are about that stuff. Yeah, I think some of that was kind of my own insecurities a bit, but also I hear what people say in the background. I hear what's being said, the chatter
00:24:19
Speaker
in the background like before. And I think Berlin kind of shut a lot of people, a lot of people up with, you know, Oh, she's taking another day off. Or like, Oh, like, wow, another elliptical or, you know, just those sorts of things. And it was really good to be able to go out, run the Canadian record and say, yes, you can cross train, um, twice a week during American built instead of extra runs. You can.
00:24:48
Speaker
take rest days every 10 days and still like do this. Like, so I hope that I inspired some other people to really think about recovery more. And it's always just like ideal idea in the marathon. You really have to like grind yourself into the ground. You always have to run on tired legs and like, you always have to feel like a bag of shit. Like no, I'm here to say there's other way to do it. Like,
00:25:18
Speaker
In my Berlin build, I can tell you like, yes, there were days that I was tired, but I cannot recall a day where I was like, I'm so exhausted. Like I, I just can't do it. Like I never got to that point because we would take a day off before I got there. And I still, like I was working hard. I was fatigued, but I wasn't to the point where I hear a lot of people think that they need to be like this, just like, Oh, like this is so hard. This is what I need to train for. So when I get to the end of the marathon, I know like,
00:25:47
Speaker
sure that could work for some people that I didn't, I didn't, didn't work for me. And what I did worked and I loved my marathon bill. I had so much fun. I felt great. Um, it was a good time all around.
00:26:02
Speaker
And yeah, it looked that way. You even bought the photos from the race. Yeah, my partner bought the race photo package. That was cute. I was so tempted. They were amazing shots. But good for you for doing it your way. I think everybody should do that. And the mileage thing, you never know.
00:26:25
Speaker
you know, some people run 200 and some people run 150 and some people run it like 100. And yeah, that's, I'm not, I'm not here to say that like running 200 K a week doesn't work. Course it works. Dozens and dozens and hundreds of marathoners run the big kilometers and they run really well. And that's great. But I, that's not what I do. And that's,
00:26:49
Speaker
Okay. You know, there's okay to have different training. We all have different trainings. So of course. Yeah. Was, was it harder than you thought marathon training? Um, no, I think that the hardest marathon bill I did was the one for Toronto back in 2013. Um, and so that's what I had in my mind, but that was also because I was, you know,
00:27:16
Speaker
going through a lot of transitions in my life, going through a divorce, moving, new coach, it was a lot. And so I had all that emotional and mental struggle going on. And so that really physically, you know, it affected me very physically as well. And so I had a difficult time in that marathon. So this time, yeah, like, is it hard? Yes. Is it any harder than like training for 10K? I mean, no, you're just sort of running more, but I really loved the
00:27:45
Speaker
the long marathon sessions. Like I thought it was a lot of fun and very challenging and I enjoyed being out there. It's a different hurt than being on the track and pushing yourself. It's yeah. So they both are hard. It's just, you know, you're running a little bit more now, but a lot of it's, you know, just like
00:28:03
Speaker
easy running the trails with friends, which I really enjoy. You make it sound so nice. I'm okay with running slow. I feel like I'm one of the slowest fast girls in Vancouver, to call myself. I have no problem going out and running five minute case in the trails.
00:28:19
Speaker
I know that for a lot of people that's not slow, but when your marathon pace is 324, you do the math. That's significantly slower and I take my recovery days seriously. I'm out there jogging so I can let my body be ready for the big days. Right, exactly. For the hard training days because those are race simulations.
00:28:41
Speaker
It can all work well and it can all go perfect on race day. But if you don't practice those days and don't practice those efforts when you're training, then you'll never get there. So yeah, running slow. And I think they recommend even 90 seconds, up to 90 seconds for slow pace, like off your marathon pace, let's say.
00:29:02
Speaker
your numbers totally make sense and they're all relative, right? Like you say, I don't mind going out and running slow kilometers and that's what it's there for. It's so your body can recover. Did coach Lynn take you into that marathoning build? Do I have that right or yeah? And so like I wanted to talk to you maybe a little bit about now you have a different coach. It's not coach Lynn. All I saw was you having an amazing time with
00:29:31
Speaker
with Lynn and can you talk about how important it is to make the right choices at the right times for coaching and how do you select a coach and maybe shed some light on that a little? Yeah, I'm glad you asked me that because I actually had someone reach out to me yesterday, another professional athlete that was going through a coaching change.
00:29:52
Speaker
And sort of asking me, how do you navigate this process? Because it is a lot like it's, it's like going through a breakup with your partner. Like, and then, then you find a new partner and you have to have, it has, you have to have a chemistry. It has to work. There has to be so much that goes into it. Um, and so yeah, it is a difficult transition. And when Lynn called me, she was actually in Switzerland where you are now, uh, her partner lives in Switzerland.
00:30:20
Speaker
And it was last, you know, the September after the Olympics and she FaceTime me and I knew right away something was off. And she told me that she was retiring and I had no idea. And that she was not going to be able to coach me anymore. And, but that she would like help in the transition and find me a new coach, but I was falling. I was so upset. I just, I just was floored.
00:30:46
Speaker
And my partner was like, is everything okay? Like did Lynn die or something? Cause I was like, anyways, um, I was like, you know, she doesn't kick. Yeah. So I was pretty distraught. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I mean, I was turning 40. I, I was not going to go and join a group in the U S I'm not about to move. I'm very happy at home.
00:31:13
Speaker
But there's a very limited number of coaches and the West coast that I would have, that I would consider like, if any at all. And I knew that my number one coach choice was Trent Stellingworth, but I also knew he was only coaching Melissa Bishop. Um, and so I was like, I don't know if he's wants to take on more athletes or whatever. So yeah. Um, I gave him a call and.
00:31:39
Speaker
He was like let me think about it and he talked to land which is so nice like that's a huge part of why the transition went so well is because when was so involved she
Transition to a New Coach
00:31:49
Speaker
was communicating with trend about me and what i needed and she still does. And so that was a huge part is that they talk to each other to make it an easy transition there's a lot of trust a lot of communication.
00:32:03
Speaker
And ultimately trying to set yes he would take me on and he lives in victoria which is on the island so it's like an hour and a half very which i get over there about every six to eight weeks which is great.
00:32:17
Speaker
And I've known Trent from before. So we already had a previous sort of relationship, which was great. And the transition went really well. He really respected everything that Lynn had to say, and he didn't make a lot of big changes. And, um, he really also respected my input as a senior athlete and what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do things. And so that was great. I love that I still have input, of course. And, um,
00:32:44
Speaker
Yeah. Try and communicate super, super well. And I have, so I trust him, you know, he's, he's so smart. He has a PhD in exercise physiology and he knows so, and he's been involved in the sport for years and years and years. And, and now he coaches, you know, Gabriella Stafford, who is our, you know, our just fifth place at the Olympics and the 1500. And so, um, yeah, he, it's been a good transition, but you, you know, I think one thing that's really important, I tell a lot of athletes is like, you
00:33:14
Speaker
You've got to have honesty and communication. It's so important. Um, when you're starting with a new coach, because like, if, if you're not honest, like you could end up doing workouts that you don't like, or that could injure you or yeah. Like, just be honest, tell them what you like, what you don't like, things like that. And yeah. And you'll, you'll know within six months, it's not a good fit. Don't force it. You can always move on. And.
00:33:41
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Cause that's, yeah, it's a, it's a tricky thing, right? Cause I think, you know, when you go out and do workouts too, you want to, I felt at times that you want to impress the coach, you know, you want to show them you can do it or her that she can, that you can do it. And I think that's always a challenge, but I think if you can be honest with yourself and also the coach, it just makes that.
00:34:04
Speaker
process so much better and they can fine tune things to really, um, specifically get in there and make something that's special for you, you know, and, and that'll help you reach your potential, right? Yeah, absolutely. Like I remember in the beginning, I was nervous to like sort of text back things like,
00:34:28
Speaker
feedback on workouts that I didn't necessarily want to do. And, and cause I didn't want him to think that I didn't trust him or whatever. And so I'd be like, Oh, I was wondering if we could tweak this or that and like no offense or anything. And he would come back and be like, no, I love it. Thank you so much for the input. I love that you want to be involved in your training and we would work around that. So, um, yeah, I was very, I mean, I'm very fortunate that Trent is that way and he wants
00:34:52
Speaker
He's not like at some coaches are like, no, my way or the highway. And that would never work for me. And so I'm fortunate that I have Trent and now I can easily like message him anytime and say, I'd really like to do this workout. And he'll, you know, say yes or, or no, or let's see how we can work around it. But, uh, yeah, it's been two years, almost two years now. And, um, it's been a lot of fun. He's a great coach. So what, which ones do you not like to do?
00:35:25
Speaker
Well, there was a marathon workout that he gave me and instead of doing like just marathon pace, let's say the workout's like three by nine K, right? Marathon pace. And I just wanted to do that, like three by nine K marathon pace, but he was putting pace changes in there, which I didn't like. So in each nine K there would be like,
00:35:46
Speaker
like, okay, 2K at marathon, 1K at 10K, and then a little bit slower. And I was like, can I just do it all at marathon phase? Like little things like that. And so he'd be like, you could do the first one with the pace changes and the next two can be fully marathon. So there would be compromise, like things like that. That's the one I can think of off the top of my head.
00:36:08
Speaker
And I actually, I think, I know it was, it was three by 10 K. I was supposed to do it before London. And I was like, that is a monster workout. But he had a pace changes in there. And I was like, I never ended up getting to do it because my post-tip like blew up and we had to just like get rid of that workout. I was so sad. So I hope I get to do it this summer. Okay. Hopefully that's a big one. Right. Yeah. Yeah.
00:36:32
Speaker
That's so funny. Is it because of the math, maybe, that you have to think every, you know? No, I just want to get in the zone and run marathon games. I never do the same thing twice with Trent. I swear there'll be some workouts that are very similar, but I feel like we're always doing new stuff and sort of changing things around, which is a lot of fun. Okay.
00:36:59
Speaker
So when you're out there running, are you checking the watch or you, how do you, how do you get assessed the marathon pace? Are you just like temporarily check it? Do you run with a watch? Like what, how's that? Oh yeah. Yeah. Definitely run with the watch. Um, I try not to be a slave to my watch, but it is hard. And I remember last year.
00:37:17
Speaker
I had a, like a last six K marathon pace and I was not allowed to look at my watch. That was like the rule. You cannot look at your watch. And so that was so tough. I remember, and then I kind of cheated because I was Jim and Mary, like my, uh, dear friends that do a lot of biking with me when I run, I was asking them to let me know if I was running on pace. So they were like, you're good, you're good, you're good. And so of course I ended up running pretty much exactly on pace, but.
00:37:45
Speaker
Um, yeah, you don't want to be a slave to your watch. It's not the best thing, but it does help you from going out too hard, I think. Cause that's the other thing too, right? Like, is that okay? Would you say in, in like marathon training, do you, cause sometimes you don't want to go out too hard. Bad, bad, bad, bad. No, but I mean, I mean, maybe like it's a new, cause you know, you do switch it up so often, maybe it's a new workout and you, you can absolutely crush, you know,
00:38:13
Speaker
Maybe like, I don't know where you're running because you're obviously much faster than like a marathon pace, but if you're going beyond what the marathon pace should be, is that like a, like a bad, like really bad thing or, um, I would wait till the last few reps to do that. Yeah. We always try to keep it pretty conservative for the first bit and then work our way down.
00:38:39
Speaker
Um, and then it's okay. Like in the latter stages, if I'm ahead of like, obviously because last summer we were reaching, reaching new levels of fitness. So my marathon pace was no longer, you know, three 27, three 28. It was, we were hitting three 24, three 25. So, um, yeah. And so we worked with that, you know, and, and it was, it was fine, but.
00:39:01
Speaker
in the beginning, it was kind of like, Oh, am I going to blow up? And then I wasn't blowing up. So we would, yeah, I think that's where I was going with that. Cause like, if you go off a past number, like how will you ever achieve the next thing? And if you're like, you know, I'm trying to go from two 45 to two 40, for example, like I want to run with the, you know, what's going to get me to the two 40, you know,
00:39:24
Speaker
So it's like, okay, maybe I should run this a bit harder. And I know that's how I started my season. Um, I, whether that's right or not, but then my coach made some adjustments cause I was, he knew my, where my goals were. So yeah, I find that with it as, as you progress through the build and see where you're at. And we also use like a perceived effort score. And so, you know, he'll check in and be like, we don't want to be a nine right now. We need this to be an eight. And so, you know, you can tell where I'm at. If I'm, you know, hitting three 28 K's and I'm at a nine, well, then
00:39:54
Speaker
That's, you know, too hard already, but I was getting into those three 25s and I was staying at that, like, you know, not above an eight, which is, which was good. We were in control still. Um, which was good. Yeah.
00:40:11
Speaker
I mean, I, the way you reacted when I, when I was talking about Lynn, you know, and, uh, like you were really upset when, when she wasn't going to coach anymore. Like what made Lynn like so great? And I think it may be safe to say you might still be with her if she didn't take a step back. Oh yeah. Yeah. There was no way I would have changed coaches. Um, we had a, we still do have a very special relationship. She's family. Uh,
00:40:40
Speaker
And Lynn, one of the best, not the best things, but like an edge that Lynn will have over any other female coach, you know, sort of, is that she was a third place at the Olympics. Lynn has, for Canada, I don't, like, that's incredible. She has competed at the top, top level. She knows what it takes. And so I had that trust in her, like,
00:41:07
Speaker
Lynn knows how to compete. She knows how to tell me how to compete. She has felt it. She has felt all these things. And I knew when I was going through all these emotions before competitions, after competitions, she felt it so deeply with me. She would cry with me. She would be happy with me. And that is something that's really hard to find in a coach. Um, and, and she had that. And, but then she also has this incredible nurturing side, you know, she's a mother of four.
00:41:37
Speaker
And so we connected in that way and she really took care of my, you know, emotional and mental wellbeing. But then she also has like all her coaching courses and she knows all the science behind it. Like Lynn was the literally like the full package. I couldn't have asked for a better coach and we had so much fun together. Like every session, you know, we would get out there and Lynn's just like in a great mood. If you,
00:42:04
Speaker
ever had the privilege of meeting Lynn Kanuka, you will know she's just like this ball of energy and you can't help but be positive when you're around her, even when it's pouring rain and you're out there and it's zero degrees and it's pouring rain and she's making jokes about what a beautiful day it is. Yeah, she's, yeah, she is. She was pretty incredible and we, we did some great things together and
00:42:29
Speaker
She's still very involved in my training and she did a two hour and 20 minute, uh, bike run with me right before London. And, uh, you know, like for her to come out and sit on a bike for two and a half hours, essentially in the cold. It's pretty incredible. Yeah, exactly. And she's the person that, you know, besides Trent, I called her the day before I had to decide about going to London, you know, called her basically in tears and, and asked her, what do I do? So she's still.
00:42:59
Speaker
involved very much. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's, it sounds like a really unique and special relationship you had with her. And like, yeah, I loved seeing those training videos where she'd be rooting you on. Do you think that she brought out like the best in you? Like, I want to ask you like, how, like at what point in your career did you feel like maybe the strongest or took the biggest leap? You know, do you think that she unlocked something in you? Oh yeah, absolutely. Like I had been,
00:43:30
Speaker
dealing with a lot of, of stuff and whether or not I wanted to continue on the sport. I wasn't sure. And she came in in 2017 and, uh, you know, just sort of changed my outlook on it. And it was like, we want to have fun. We want to enjoy this. Like you only get one life and let's, let's do the things you want to do. And. Sort of changing that mindset and having a little more fun around it. And I think when I ran while world championships in 2017, I was like, we can do this.
00:43:59
Speaker
and have fun. And yeah, it just went up from there and things went really well. And then of course, like Tokyo was, she was in Gifu with me at the training camp in Japan. And that was really, really special. And to have had the marathon builds go so well and have her there with me. Unfortunately, she couldn't be in support for the actual race, but yeah, we, that was very special. I don't know, like there's many special moments that Lynn and I had together, but
00:44:29
Speaker
Yeah. And that was a unique race too, right? Tokyo. Cause it was kind of fresh out of the, the pandemic and everything. And it was still very much, what am I wrong in saying that it was pretty much like still separate or like the, there was a lot of transportation and. Oh, we were completely quarantined. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We, we're not allowed to leave the hotel unless we were in a bus going to the 900 meter loop, uh,
00:44:58
Speaker
Training course. Yeah. Yeah. I remember, I remember seeing that and was like, wow, that's a unique experience I'd say, right? Yes. Very unique. Still a good one though. There was, you know, the, you guys raced super well and you guys finished, you and Melindi both finished top, like top Canadians and, um, you know, really enjoyed that experience still, you know, at the end of the day. So that's, yeah, I mean, Melindi was ninth, I was 13. Um,
00:45:28
Speaker
couldn't have asked for a better day. We pretty much had our dream races. Yeah, it would have been nice to be in the top 10. But I was just like, if I can place the top 20, I'll be over the moon. So to get 13th was pretty incredible. And then to do it on a hot day, yeah, it was great. And then we got to go to the village. The next day, we flew into Tokyo and had one night.
00:45:56
Speaker
in the village for the closing ceremony. So that was a lot of fun because there was a lot more freedom in the village. Like we could actually like talk to people and like, you know, do things. So that was great. We have a security guard on our floor. Like we didn't support the hotel. Yeah. It was a scorcher there, right? Like I remember that. Like it was a carnage, I think. Yeah. It was very, very hot. But we, we trained for that. So we were well-prepared.
00:46:24
Speaker
Amazing. So yeah, I guess they kept you locked down. So nothing with no contamination or anything before the race. And then you can kind of like enjoy yourself a little bit more after. Yeah. I mean, there was still, you know, masks rules and all this stuff, but, uh, yeah, the village was a lot more free than the hotel and support for sure. Okay. Awesome. Um, how do you stay motivated now? You know, I find myself asking the questions like,
00:46:53
Speaker
Okay. I'm getting up there now. Like is it, is it time to hit the woods? Like just do your trail running, but no, I want to continue to do half marathons, marathons and stuff. Like do you find it challenging after doing it for so many years, like to really have that hunger and have that fire? Uh, it's harder in the winter when it's like cold and rainy and windy. Um, but not really like I.
Balancing Fun and Competition
00:47:20
Speaker
I have big goals I constantly have big goals I think that's one thing that helps us to have gold races on the calendar and we say that have something in there so you have something to train for.
00:47:31
Speaker
I realize what I do is such a privilege. I get to run for a living. This is my job, which is so cool. I get paid to run and exercise and strength train. So that mindset really keeps me motivated. This is your job. It's what you get to do. I get to travel for races. It's a lot of fun. So that keeps me motivated. And that I continue to race well is also very motivating.
00:48:03
Speaker
And even when I had those minor injuries, I was very motivated to heal them and get through it. I can see how if you're in a cycle of injuries for a year, which I have been, it can be
00:48:17
Speaker
I don't want to do this anymore. It's not fun, right? Um, so I get that. Uh, but I, I'm super, super fortunate that I have been pretty healthy for the past, you know, seven years without a significant injury taking me out for longer than basically like two weeks. So it's easy to stay motivated when things are going your way. So yeah, yeah. And the results are there too. So that's, that always helps, right? Yeah. And like keep
00:48:46
Speaker
You know, making sure to keep fun races on your schedule. And I'm grateful for trying for allowing me to, to pop in some fun races, even though they might not necessarily fit in the schedule. Like he did not want me to do the New York half on route to London. And I was like, I really want to go to New York.
00:49:03
Speaker
The girls I coach are going, I want to go. It's a good race opportunity. It's fun. Alan's going to come with me like, please. And then he said a happy Natasha is a fast Natasha. He agreed to let me go. And I think that's also really, it's, it's important to do the things that you want to do and the races that you want to do. So.
00:49:24
Speaker
Yeah, not having that rigidity in the schedule. I think it really helps, right? Like I've, yeah, I do something stupid where I run my age every, every year, like in kilometers. So this year is 39. And so that lands in November. Fortunately, there's not many races around that, that time unless you're running a CIM in California. But, um, you know, it's like coach, I'm doing it. And he's like, okay, knock yourself out in November, I should say. Right. You know what? I feel like this year I should do that because.
00:49:53
Speaker
40 and turning 42, which is a marathon. Yes. So maybe if I run a marathon in January or February, that would be my birthday. Yeah, go for it. Yeah. So what would you say? Looking back now, you must have learned so, so much. What were some earliest mistakes that you look back and you're like, man, why? Why did I go there?
00:50:23
Speaker
I mean, I was young and dumb. And so I think that I had a few too many party nights, too close to races. And I wish I could look back at young Natasha and be like, why didn't you take it a little more seriously? I think that didn't help my recovery and things like that. But, you know, that's life. You live and learn. And I also had a lot of fun. Yeah.
00:50:50
Speaker
Otherwise, yeah, like it's every sort of mistake that you made or whatever has a purpose because I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't made those decisions or made those mistakes. So I can't think of anything that's standing out at me right now. Right.
00:51:10
Speaker
But maybe in your coaching, you mentioned you're coaching some athletes now, you know, what are maybe some things that you pass along to them or, um, you know, you, you know, we say like, oh yeah, you go out too hard in your training or, um, you know, there's specific things that, that you might like pass on or questions you might get from them. So like, is there any advice that, that you share? Oh, well, lots of me. Um,
00:51:37
Speaker
I think one thing is, is really like the emphasis on recovery. Uh, everybody wants to run more all the time. It's like a thing with us runners. Like we want to skip all of the strength training and all of the little things and just run more. And so really like emphasizing how important it is sometimes to sleep rather than getting an extra run.
00:52:04
Speaker
Rest is so, so important or that you can elliptical or bike instead of running. Sometimes it's okay. Like those sorts of things, I think, um, are my biggest piece of advice for a lot of athletes is to really, um, realize that recovery will help you run faster. It's not being lazy. It's not, um, like, yeah, do it.
00:52:30
Speaker
recover well, take a day off, days off are so important. So yeah, those are what I, my biggest piece of advice for my athletes are. Are they following your, your, your advice? Like, are they? Yeah, they're great. Okay. Yeah. Like my, the girls that I coach have been fantastic and they, uh, you know, they communicate really well and they are all improving so much and it's really exciting to see. And it makes me feel good to know that like what I'm telling them to do is working.
00:53:00
Speaker
And so it's great to see them like smashing workouts and PBing and all their races. And, um, and yeah, and they're still taking that day off every week and cost training when I put it on their schedule. And yes, that's great to see. Amazing. So in your next build here, uh, as you prepare for your next thing, like what are some new things that you're, you're trying here?
00:53:23
Speaker
I don't think we're gonna try much, anything new going into Budapest. I think we're just gonna buckle down and train all summer.
00:53:33
Speaker
I don't have any away races planned for the next three months. Like we're just going to be here in July and August and we are going to do what works. We're going to train in Glen Valley where I love to run. I'm going to be at home getting physio with Mary Lou, seeing my car, seeing my RMT, being here with Alan and my cats and just really getting it done and doing workouts that we know work, um, getting my strength training in and then showing up in Budapest.
00:54:02
Speaker
ready to go. And what's the goal there? I want to get in the top eight. Yeah. Like I know that's, that's a big goal, but I, um, you know, I was 13 at the Olympics and I think the world championships are a little easier to place better because especially the year before the Olympics, a lot of top athletes are opting not to race and doing a fall marathon instead. So, um,
00:54:29
Speaker
Yeah, I think if I'm really fit, like Berlin fit, I think I can take a shot at that top eight. And if it's not a scorcher of a day, I might be able to squeak in that Olympic standard too, of 226.50. Yeah. Yeah. We hope for that for sure. Is it hard to come off like a big race like Berlin and set up your expectations properly? Like, because you ran so fast. I know now you're saying top eight, but like,
00:54:58
Speaker
Is it you're really competing against the field or would you rather go for the time or how does that, how do you strategize that? Yeah. London was going to be going solely for the time in the Olympic standard. And so it's really obviously disappointing that I didn't get that opportunity to sort of secure my Olympic standard and Budapest was always about competing.
00:55:21
Speaker
um, going in and competing for that top eight spot. And it's, it's good to get in that practice because when you go to the Olympics, you're competing. You're not going to Paris to try and run faster. You're going to Paris, the Olympics to compete. And so I, I'm going to Budapest to get that experience again and, and see what I can do. And if I'm not able to get the Olympic standard, I still have another, you know, nine months to get in another marathon to get that Olympic standard. So.
00:55:50
Speaker
Um, yeah, that's, that's the plan and I'm excited about it. And because last year I, I did, I skipped world championships marathon to run Berlin. Um, I haven't been on a national team since the Olympics. So, um, it's always such a privilege to be on team Canada and you got to go. We have a training camp in Barcelona first. So I'm really excited to just like be with the team and train with the team and then go.
00:56:16
Speaker
and race world championships. It's a really fun experience. So I'm excited for that. What does it mean to represent your country in the sport that you love?
Representing Canada Internationally
00:56:28
Speaker
Oh, I mean, it's everything. It's why I do what I do. You don't become a distance runner to make money. Let's be real here. You do it so you can represent your country on the world stage. I'm so proud to be Canadian.
00:56:46
Speaker
We're in one of the best countries in the world. People might not agree with that, but they probably haven't traveled to many other countries. So, you know, I've been very fortunate to travel to many, many countries. And I'm, I always say we're so lucky to live in Canada. Um, and so to represent the country on the world stages is really, really cool.
00:57:06
Speaker
Yeah, no, for sure. I get chills every time I watch it and that goes for all sports, you know, like the Olympics and World Championships are fun to watch and seeing you guys out there and streaming it live on our computers and stuff. It's really great. So we can't wait for that. Tell us about this love of cats that you have. I'm very curious about it. My obsession you mean? Yeah, it's a little bit off the board here. I just wanted to...
00:57:36
Speaker
I'm always curious about it. You have two cats, I think you do volunteer work at a cat shelter too.
00:57:43
Speaker
Yes. I grew up with cats. I just love cats. They are. I don't know. They just, when they purr, calm you down. Like when they lie on you and they're purring, it's so nice. And you know, I don't have kids. I don't want kids. Kids are great if you want them, but that's not the path that we are following. So yeah, they're my kids. My cats are my kids. Yeah. I don't know. It's just.
00:58:10
Speaker
What I love, I love all animals, let's be real. So, you know, they're just so vulnerable. And so I like to be able to help, especially the cats and kittens in Vancouver. Like, you know, VOCA's mission is to end cat homelessness in Vancouver and overpopulation. And so it's a big problem, like,
00:58:31
Speaker
And Voker's made a big impact on like, you know, sterilizing a lot of cats so that they're not reproducing. So it was actually a big, uh, fundraising walk this weekend. So I'm involved in that and, uh, hopefully raise some money to continue the work that Voker does. Yeah, I know. That's great. No, it's good that you do something that you're passionate about other than running, you know, there's more to you than there's more to you than just the running, right? Like.
00:58:58
Speaker
Do you find like it's hard to maybe separate those things and say like, you know, I'm a real person too, you know?
Life Beyond Running
00:59:06
Speaker
You know, I have a really good group of girlfriends that are all non-runners. And so they keep me very grounded. Like I'm just Tash, like they, and now it's to the point where like, I think half of them don't, I don't even think they noticed that I race Ottawa 10K in one, like last weekend. It's like on the group chat as if like, you know, which is great. You know, I, I'm like, I won a national title and they didn't even notice because that I'm just their friend Tasha and
00:59:36
Speaker
that's important as well because I yes I run fast but I am like everybody else I'm just a normal person like yeah yeah so yeah that's great and Alan always bring that back down to earth very quickly like I was watching the broadcast of Ottawa
00:59:53
Speaker
uh yesterday and he came home he's like oh look at you watching yourself on tv and i was like i wanted to see how the race unfolded i want to see like cam and mo as well he's like okay so made me feel like a total arrogant asshole like it was it was very funny like yeah so he will definitely bring me back down very quickly if i ever get to like running running rah rah rah so yeah
01:00:23
Speaker
I'm going back to Ottawa now, but since you rewatched it, was that how you planned the race going the way it went? Because I think it's what I understood. It started out slow at a slow pace, right? And then you just
01:00:40
Speaker
You had none of that and you just, you know, uh, you know, the, the plan was to, to be conservative, but not more conservative than like three 18. So when I saw the first K it was like three 22, essentially I was like, Hey, well that's too slow. So I was like, I'm going to pick it up and, and just run my race. And if they want to come, then fine. And.
01:01:04
Speaker
know that I could run that pace and still pick it up. So yeah, I accidentally ran way too fast that kilometer. I think it was like a 305 or 306 and I saw the split and I was like, please don't bite me in the ass. I hope I didn't just kill myself.
01:01:26
Speaker
And then I settled back into, I think like it was a three 15 or three 16. And then the rest was like in that range. I think I hit a three 20, but I was able to close and like a three 15. So it works like it, it got me a 10 second gap and then they were never able to come any closer. And like, I went by, I think 21 seconds. So, um, you know, did I suffer? Yeah, but we all suffered. It was 28 degrees. Like would I have suffered less if I hadn't run that? I don't know.
01:01:55
Speaker
can't. It is what it is. It works. Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't necessarily the plan, but the plan was also not to just sit and kick if they weren't running fast
Strategic Approaches to Racing
01:02:04
Speaker
enough. Like we were going to run hard still. Push the pace and see who follows kind of thing. And I'm sure like all the experience that you have, just nobody can match that kind of thing. You know, so. Well, I knew Leslie, you know, had run 3219 at the Sunrun in April. So I knew that like,
01:02:23
Speaker
she was fed. I've seen her training. Um, but yeah, she, uh, she, you know, she said that she had a rough day. She wasn't feeling that great. So, um, I guess good for me. Sorry, Leslie. Yeah. Yeah. No, but you know, like you say, healthy competition is good too. And no one who's out there too, who can put up those numbers as well. That's a, that's really awesome. So yeah. And, um, yeah, I just want to ask you too, you know, like,
01:02:51
Speaker
After everything you've been through in your career, what's a message you'd like to share through your running with other runners or people looking to get into the sport or try a new distance?
Encouragement for Runners
01:03:05
Speaker
Yeah, it's never too late. Don't worry about if you have kids or if you're in your 40s.
01:03:16
Speaker
You know, my Melissa, she's 45 and she is PBing and running faster than she ever has, um, mom of two. And so it's just so exciting to see this, like, don't limit yourself. Um, don't be afraid to try new distances. Like it's fun to try new things and new workouts and, and just go into it with an open mind. And, uh, yeah, remember to have fun along the way. That's the most important thing. Um, enjoy yourself, find running friends that
01:03:46
Speaker
you enjoy having brunch with after, uh, do the little things. Uh, and you know, to have the wine, have the chocolate. I always say that don't limit yourself. And that's another thing that I do is, you know, I always get asked what's your cheat, what's your cheat meal or what do you have to celebrate after? I'm like, I don't have to cheat because I never
01:04:10
Speaker
block myself from any food or anything like that. Like I'll have a glass of wine and ice cream the week of a race. Like it's, and so then I don't feel the need to like gorge on things afterwards. So yeah, have the ice cream. Yeah. And again, you share all that too. And I think that's, that's great, the wine and all that. And don't feel bad about it if that's what you enjoy because
01:04:35
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I'm not having a bottle of wine every night, but I enjoy having a glass of wine, a glass of rosé on my patio. It's beautiful today. You know, maybe after my second one, I'll sit out there with my partner and have a nice glass of rosé. Like, so, but yeah, by all means, I'm not saying like, I always have to say this, like,
01:04:53
Speaker
you know, alcohol, there's issues, people, you know, so you do what works for you and that you do not need to have a class of wine. But I do enjoy, in moderation, having a nice class of wine. Yeah, exactly. That's great. And it could be anything, right? It could be the ice cream, it could be Coca-Cola or, you know, whatever, whatever it is, like that cheat or that thing that you feel guilty about.
01:05:23
Speaker
You've got to have a healthy mental mental game. And, uh, Oh, can you talk a little bit about that? Maybe your mental game, you know, how do you stay like mentally focused and strong through builds, through tough times, through tough races even. Yeah. You know, just because it's a question of mine, going back to Ottawa, for example, um,
01:05:46
Speaker
You know, I was actually really nervous and I wasn't sure that we were 10 K sharp. I was starting to sort of doubt myself and you know, these, these young women that were coming off these fast five K's recently, like I didn't know how to fare against them. And I was, you know, starting to say like, well, I'm going to do the best that I can and hopefully that'll be good enough for top three. And, and my partner Allen texted me simply.
01:06:14
Speaker
He's a man of few words sometimes. Good luck, Tash. You are the best. No one can beat you. And I kind of laughed, but then I read it out loud and I said it out loud and it was like, I need to believe these things.
01:06:27
Speaker
If you don't believe them, if you don't say them out loud, you're not going to do it. I'm not going to win a race if you're sitting there like, Oh, well, I'll do the best I can. No. So like, as I, and you know, I know all these things, but you get into this nervous, you know, Oh, can I do it? And so that sort of changed my, my mental shift when I read his message was huge. Like I was like, no.
01:06:51
Speaker
I am winning this race. I am the best in the field. Am I going to go on social media and write that? Absolutely not. Or even say it out loud to anyone else. No, but I'm saying it to myself. I'm believing it in myself and that is what you need to do.
01:07:08
Speaker
In the race you know you're not thinking there's time time in the race where you're like okay are they coming back to me if they come back seconds okay like you go through those okay this is really hard i was not letting myself get that was like you're winning today if they come back on you you're fighting for first you will fight for first and
01:07:31
Speaker
you know, saying those things and when it started to get tough, I immediately can go into my positive affirmations, which for me is, yes, you can, yes, you can, yes, you can. And now it comes like second nature. So when it started to get really tough, I almost am saying it out loud at points, yes, you can, yes, you can, yes, you can. It's like a train in my head, like over that last K, I just was like, yes, you can, yes, you can, when it's hurting. And it makes such a big difference. So I always tell my athletes, another piece of advice is,
01:07:58
Speaker
to write something down to know what it is when it starts to get tough, what you're going to repeat over and over again in your head, because it really does make a difference when all you're hearing is yes, yes, yes, yes, I can do this. I'm tough, tough, tough, tough, like whatever it is that you need to hear and not allowing yourself to be like, Oh, well,
01:08:17
Speaker
You know, I'm not going to break 90 today in the half marathon. That's okay. I'll just break one hour 35. No, I'm breaking 90 today. That's what's happening. And so continuing to believe that when it gets tough is really important. I think it's really, yeah. I mean, that's amazing. I think, and like you say, everyone's got their words, their cues that help them push forward. Cause no matter what you're setting out to do,
01:08:43
Speaker
You're, if you're going to give it your all, you're going to face those, those blocks. Cause it's going to hurt, you know? Oh yeah. It's going to get tough. And that doesn't mean you're not fed or you're not ready. It just means that that's when you need to start fighting and you need to be prepared mentally for that, for that battle. So that's mostly the 10K cause 10Ks are like hard the whole way. So you're like, is this supposed to hurt? Like right now I'm only like 2K and yes, it is. It is supposed to hurt right now. So.
01:09:10
Speaker
I ran, I ran a 10K earlier this year to kind of get ready for the season. And it had been a while since I had ran one and I loved it. Like it's this perfect mix of like.
01:09:20
Speaker
uh, long distance running and, and pain and speed, you know, all that into one. So it's, uh, it was, it was interesting to go back and actually I plan to go back to like some shorter distances after marathon for a little while now. I think it's healthy to do that. And the recovery helps and it's shorter too. So that's, that's always great. Do you, for your, like in your goal setting, you mentioned goal setting and stuff. Do you write stuff down yourself? Like how do you, how do you set these goals for yourself? How do you process them?
01:09:50
Speaker
A trend has like a worksheet that we fill out at the beginning of the year with our goals and stuff. We also had like a little team get together in Victoria because his, his wife, Hillary also coaches and we're all one team. So, um, when we write down sort of what we want out of the season and what we want out of our teammates and things like that. So yeah, I write down my goals and what I, what I want, my goal races are and things like that. So.
01:10:18
Speaker
Okay. So you write like what you want out of Gabriella and what's important for you out of a teammate? What do you need out of a team? And so it was, that team meeting was really great. Um, and so we have a, we have a WhatsApp chat on our team and we're always supporting each other, which is, which is great. It's a great, a great crew. Yeah. I was running in Florence tomorrow in a diamond league. Oh, amazing. Yeah. Yeah. I got to check out some races out here because there's quite a few of them. Um,
01:10:47
Speaker
So yeah, I definitely have to do that. But to your point, like setting these, putting these goals out there, writing them on paper. I've done that in the past and you know, it's okay to think about your thoughts, but the minute you put it on paper, like that gets super scary. You know, they like, it becomes somewhat more official than it's in your mind or when you vocalize it to somebody you share with somebody. I think that's, that's a good point that you made. So Tasha.
01:11:13
Speaker
Thank you very much for coming on today. I loved having this chat with you years after our first one. And I wish you all the best. I really do. I love your spirit. I love that you show people that you have fun and you share your experience with others. And no doubt, you're helping people all the time and I hope people gain something from this chat today. No, thank you. It was a, it was a fun chat. Thanks so much. Take care.
01:11:42
Speaker
Thanks for tuning in to the Justin Stride Podcast. I truly appreciate you taking the time to listen and I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. Please take a minute after this to rate and review our show on Apple Podcasts. With your feedback, we'll be able to make the show even better and it'll help us reach new listeners too. You can also find us on Instagram at JustinStridePod for all the latest episodes and updates.
01:12:07
Speaker
Of course, this show wouldn't be possible without a solid team behind me. With logo and design by Vanessa Pugliese, as well as audio, music, and editing by Forrest McKay, a huge thank you goes out to both of them. Guest outreach, social media, writing, and advertising are handled by me, your host, Justin Pugliese. Finally, we'd like to thank you, our listeners, for coming along for the ride with Justin Strad.