· By Sarah Conklin
49: Your Future, Aging, + Tips for Running Hills
Juggling work-life balance can be a real three-ring circus, which Lauren & Jesse know first hand. Led by listener questions, the Work, Play, Love Podcast is all about sports, biz, and family. [ASK YOUR QUESTION]
49: Preparing For Future Athletic Goals, Aging, Supporting Your Partner, Race-Day Clothes, Hilly Runs
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Description:
In your athletic career and in life, keeping your eye on the horizon can take on a few meanings. When you’re balancing your busy life today, how can you stay prepared for athletic goals in the future? How do you come to terms with an aging body on and off the field? Lauren and Jesse jump in to a fast and action-packed episode to answer these questions and more. You’ll also hear about how to support your partner through a tough time, some recommendations for race-day apparel, and how to handle hilly runs.
What's Goin' Onnnn?!
What’s going on? Great energy and good vibes, that’s what’s goin’ on. Lauren is about to dive into a Wilder and is feeling exciting about the upcoming retreat. It doesn’t hurt that Little Wing athletes are achieving great things on the field, and Lauren gives some coaching shout outs and race results from recent competitions.
Jesse’s just back from a great trip in Portland, OR where he met with investors and advisors about the future of Picky Bars and is feeling awesome about the trip. He also shares progress on the hunt for a sales leader at Picky.
Tasty Bites
6:04 – What are some of your favorite books you've read?
It’s been said before, but it bears repeating that Jesse loves post-apocalyptic, dystopian-future child-prodigy-hero novels.
Here are a few Jesse’s bookshelf:
And some book recommendations from Lauren Fleshman:
Lauren’s also been checking out the Conscious Kid. A subscription book service that serves up storytelling from diverse backgrounds each month. Check it out!
9:54 - Any advice on how to manage effort and pace on longer hilly runs?
The key is to throw pace out the window. Run by feel—try going after an easy-run feel, but know that your heartrate will be elevated above a “normal” easy effort, and sometimes it will fall below that. This can help you maintain consistency across longer runs.
11:21 - What is your opinion on running shoes?
Wear ‘em! Running shoes are awesome.
I have been running in shoes I really like for a long time, but I’m wondering if I should try to experiment and run in different shoes for different work outs. Thoughts?
If you’ve found a shoe that works for you for most of your running workouts, that’s awesome and you should stick with what you love. But if you want to mix it up, try getting a shoe for your faster workouts into rotation and wear them minimally. Lauren recommends Adidas Adizero Tempos.
13:08 - Do you think more kids are in your future?
Lauren and Jesse love their kids, but they’re not planning to have any more!
13:36 - Lauren, what did you wear from Oiselle for the Shamrock Run and the Eugene Half Marathon? Any recommendations for racing apparel?
Lauren wears (and highly recommends) Oiselle Pocket Joggers. For tops, she suggests the Oiselle Strappy Bra or Ballard Bra and something like the Flyte Tank as a good race-day combo.
Meat & Potatoes
15:08 – What’s the best way to lay a foundation for achieving future athletic goals?
When you’re balancing a busy life today, it can be tough to know how to work towards athletic goals that may be a few years away. Here are some tips:
- Keep running or doing your favorite athletic activity in a way that’s sustainable for you now. Not because you have to but because it brings balance to your life.
- Foot and ankle stability is key, so get a program to keep your strength up. This can even be a balance board at home. You’ll reduce risk of injury when you start training harder in the future.
- When you have breaks in your schedule—over the summer or during holidays—give yourself a small dose of what you’re working towards! Go on an adventure and have fun with your sport so you can stay inspired.
21:19 - What is the secret to coming to terms with your body as you age? I mean this in both the aesthetic as well as the performance sense.
Lauren and Jesse both share how they feel about aging and here are some of the advice they offer:
- Getting older means diminishing physical abilities, but it also means more experience each year, which is also very valuable.
- At any age, you can challenge yourself or compete in ways you never have before, so there’s always an opportunity to be your best at something new.
- Reinforce positive views of aging by following people who you admire who exist confidently in their aging bodies.
27:24 - How do you support your partner when they’re having a tough time?
It’s really challenging to see your partner going through a hard time, and it can be a natural reflex to try and fix their problems for them. But what your partner probably needs more is just to be heard and witnessed during this time. Here are some things that work for Lauren and Jesse:
- Use reflective listening—listen to what your partner says and reflect what you’re hearing back to them.
- Build them back up by making them feel supported and safe in how they’re feeling
- Wait for their signal that they want input or help
- Leave the door open by offering to help if and when they want it
32:46 – Follow-Ups
On Racing Bibs and Elite Athletes
In Boston, elite athletes wear two bibs. A name bib on the front for media coverage, and a number bib on the back that reflects seeding. There's a neat discussion of this in Mario Fraoli's recent interview with Scott Fauble on Episode 62 of The Morning Shakeout Podcast.
33:34 - On “Mom Guilt”
A dad writes in to share his experience with “Dad Guilt.” For him, the guilt is less about how much time he spends with his kids and more about whether he feels like he’s providing for his family.
34:38 - On vacations for active couples
A listener writes in and suggests heading to a national park for a great mix of relaxation and opportunities to be active.
35:39 - On hating the sound of your voice
A singer and speaker writes in about hating the sound of your voice, and shares how the feeling, for them, went away over time.
As always, submit your work/play/love question at pickybars.com/workplaylove - Thanks for listening!
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