Category: personal coaching

As athletes we are always looking for that edge to become better at our craft. One way we do exactly that is by eating a diet rich in whole plant foods such as fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and legumes.

This way of eating is very nutrient dense so our bodies are getting more out of each bite. The higher the nutrient content of food, the more available it is for our bodies to reap the benefits and also recover faster to go at it again the next day.

However, plants don’t want their seeds to be eaten before they have a chance to sprout. Plants contain phytate, which is like a self-protective coating for them to store phosphorus and other nutrients for when it’s time to sprout and grow. This can make some whole plant foods difficult to digest for some people.

We only are able to utilize what we assimilate so that’s why it’s important to use a supplement like Equal Access to ensure that every single nutrient is being utilized by our body. Equal Access  contains phytase, a digestive enzyme that helps our bodies to absorb important minerals like iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium. These minerals are otherwise bound in our food by an anti-nutrient called phytate which Equal Access counteracts.

We’ve been taking Equal Access for over a year and have noticed increased energy, better digestion, reduced PMS symptoms and an increase in all minerals on our blood panel results. Give it a try to see what Equal Access can do for you. Check out accessnutrients.org

Happy Running,

Coach Lindsey Hintz

Did you know recovery is just as important as training for optimal performance? Elite athletes focus on recovery for much of the day. The quicker you recover, the more you can train and the better you will run. I would like to share with you some tips on how to recover quicker so you can do more of what you love.

Nutrition

Your body is literally made of what you eat each and everyday. Additionally, every movement you make requires energy you can only get from the food you eat. What, when and how much you eat has a tremendous impact on how quickly you recover.

1. Focus on whole, plant-based foods. These foods are nutrient rich and provide anti-inflammatory benefits. Focus on foods such as oats, rice, beans, fruit, veggies, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
2. Make sure you are eating enough. If you aren’t eat enough food, your recovery will be delayed and eventually your will running suffer.
3. Hydration is also important. The best way to know if you’re drinking enough water is to make sure your urine is very pale yellow.

Sleep

We all know sleep is essential for a healthy lifestyle. Priortizing quality sleep will benefit your life in many ways.

1. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday. Your body will appreciate this consistency.
2. Shoot for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Elite runners often sleep more and take naps during the day. Everyone is busy but do your best to get sufficient sleep.
3. A dark, cool and quiet bedroom greatly enhances quality sleep. Find ways to make your bedroom an ideal place to rest.

Proper Training

When it comes to training, more isn’t always better. Our philosophy is ‘train smart, not harder’ to achieve optimal results.

1. Rest days are important for progress and to prevent stagnation in performance. Everyone is different but 1-2 rest days per week is ideal for most people.
2. Active recovery improves performance. Most of your runs should be ‘easy’. Running pace will be different for everyone, but your heart rate should fall between 120-155 bpm on ‘easy’ days. Another way to determine if you are running easy is that you should be able to hold a conversation if you needed to. If you can’t, you’re running too quickly.
3. Periodization is important for recovery and optimal performance. Your training should have variety from week to week and month to month. A good coach will help you periodize your training.

Additional Tips

1. Massage is fantastic for enhancing recovery. It’s difficult to afford regular massages so you can use foam rollers and massage guns to help flush your body and loosen muscles.
2. Light stretching, yoga and pre-hab exercises are really effective for keeping your body healthy.
3. Raise your legs up for 5-10 minutes each day. You can put them up against a wall or a chair to flush your legs and reduce inflammation.

For more specific info and tips to enhance your recovery and improve your running, contact Damian or sign up for Online Coaching

Quick & easy performance & recovery smoothie:

16 oz plant-based milk
1 T chia or flax seeds
1 scoop plant-based Hammer Vegan protein
1/4 inch slice of fresh turmeric
1 ripe banana
1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries
1/2 inch slice of fresh ginger
1 cup spinach or kale

Add ingredients, blend & enjoy!

We hope your summer and training is going well! We at Wholistic Running believe in a comprehensive, wholistic approach to health and fitness. Seeing results is all about marginal gains whether it be through nutrition, recovery, training, technique and mental strategies.

A comprehensive approach to achieving your goals is often most effective. Adjusting your training, nutrition or biomechanics – even if it’s just a slight improvement – leads to enormous gains over time. Our Online Coaching provides you with not just a training plan, but personalized tips that elite runners use to perform and feel their best. Find out more HERE.

“I just ran my fastest marathon with the help of Damian’s coaching. His plan is easy to follow and I learned so much about running and training that I didn’t know existed.” – Jenny S., Salt Lake City, UT

-Damian Stoy, coach and founder of Wholistic Running

Are you looking for motivation or inspiration? How about the know-how to run faster, recover quicker and prevent injuries?

I was fortunate enough to be asked onto the Finding your Five podcast with Jen and Drena. It was so much fun to discuss running and nutrition but more importantly: how to thrive in life. I share stories of my travels throughout the world both coaching and racing and I also share tips on how simple it can be to enjoy life and feel amazing.

Click here to listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts

Click here to listen to the episode on Stitcher

Click here to listen to the episode on the Finding Your Five website

What AND when you eat before a run is important especially if it’s a workout or race. Digestive problems are an all too common issue for runners during a run. That’s the last thing you want especially during a race! Needing to go to the bathroom, nausea and cramping can all be prevented if you eat correctly and you especially if you combine it with a high quality enzyme supplement like Equal Access.

Your meal needs to be easy to digest, familiar to your body, timed correctly and provide the proper nutrients for you to run well.

An ‘athlete inspired’ smoothie can be the perfect pre-run choice because it is easy to digest and provides a high amount of complex carbohydrates to fuel your run. Ideally, you want to eat your meal at least 2-3 hours before your run to allow your body time to process what you eat. Make sure you try out any new recipe well in advance of a race to make sure it is compatible with your body. Finally, adding specific ingredients to your meal can help you improve your performance.

Give our ‘athlete inspired’ pre-race smoothie recipe a try before your next run and feel how it improves your performance. It’s quick and easy to digest and gives you the energy you need for your run. The beets provide nitrates that are scientifically proven to enhance performance. The berries and optional ginger and turmeric provide anti-oxidants and decrease inflammation.

12 oz water or almond milk
1/4 cup fresh beet chopped
2 medium bananas
1 cup fresh or frozen berries
1/4 inch slice of fresh ginger
1/4 inch slice of fresh turmeric (optional)

Put ingredients in blender until thoroughly blended and enjoy 2 hours before your run. Combine with Equal Access for optimal results.

So what is Equal Access?

Equal Access is a nutritional enzyme, phytase, designed to give you access to more of the nutrients in food you eat. The micronutrients zinc, iron, magnesium and calcium are bound in foods by phytate, a powerful anti-nutrient that blocks your access to these critical nutrients. With Equal Access, you regain access to these nutrients. Studies show that phytase use can decrease iron deficiency by 75% and zinc deficiency by more than 36%. You can find out more about Equal Access HERE. 

Many of you know that we wouldn’t recommend something we haven’t tried ourselves AND received long term, consistent results with. Also, we don’t recommend anything that isn’t supported by science and research. To read more about the science showing the benefits of phytase use, click HERE.

If you’re looking for more energy, quicker recovery or enhanced digestion, give Equal Access a try.  For 10% OFF, use the code ‘WHOLISTICRUNNING’ at checkout.

Happy Running,

Lindsey Hintz, M.S. Nutrition for Sports Performance

You’ve heard the saying “you are what you eat.” But more accurately, you are what you digest and assimilate. When you eat a nutrient dense diet AND absorb nutrients more efficiently, you’ll maximize improvements in your training and daily life.

Coach Lindsey Hintz loves pushing her body to her limits. She works with a sports performance doctor who has recommended she increase her ferritin levels (stored iron) to compete at a higher level. For two years she has tried just about everything and the only thing that has helped raise her ferritin levels significantly are iron infusions which are costly and not a sustainable long term answer. Fortunately, we came across Equal Access, a supplement that shows promising research in increasing blood iron levels as well as other micronutrients.

Both of us were pretty skeptical at first but after using Equal Access for over 6 months, Lindsey can confidently say Equal Access helped significantly raise and maintain her ferritin levels at similar levels to iron infusions but without the drop in between infusions. She gets blood tests monthly and her ferritin has increased from 22 ng/ml to 74 ng/ml in less than 6 months. Along with increased ferritin, Lindsey’s recovery is quicker, she has more sustained energy during the day and her average running pace has increased nearly 25 seconds per mile.

So what is Equal Access?

Equal Access is a nutritional enzyme, phytase, designed to give you access to more of the nutrients in food you eat. The micronutrients zinc, iron, magnesium and calcium are bound in foods by phytate, a powerful anti-nutrient that blocks your access to these critical nutrients. With Equal Access, you regain access to these nutrients. Studies show that phytase use can decrease iron deficiency by 75% and zinc deficiency by more than 36%. You can find out more about Equal Access HERE.

Many of you know that we wouldn’t recommend something we haven’t tried ourselves AND received long term, consistent results with. Also, we don’t recommend anything that isn’t supported by science and research. To read more about the science showing the benefits of phytase use, click HERE.

If you’re looking for more energy, quicker recovery or enhanced digestion, give Equal Access a try.  For 10% OFF, use the code ‘WHOLISTICRUNNING’ at checkout.

Happy Running,

Damian Stoy, founder of Wholistic Running

Wholistic Running is a proud sponsor for the first ever Fox Trot 5K walk/run to raise money for the Micheal J. Fox Foundation (MJFF).

Everyone can help end Parkinson’s disease. More than six million people worldwide live with Parkinson’s today. It is the second most common neurological disorder. In the United States, approximately 60,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year alone. There is no known cure. Together we can change this! Our ultimate finish line is finding a cure for Parkinson’s Disease!

Sign up for a fun 5k supporting a great cause on October 17th! 100% of the proceeds will go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Prizes will be awarded! Being a VIRTUAL RUNNER is an option!

REGISTER HERE

Runners,

I hope you and your families are doing well and staying healthy. These can be challenging times and if there is anything I can do to help out, don’t hesitate to contact me.

We are still offering private lessons, workshops, coaching and nutritional consulting following all Summit County Health Department and Utah Department of Health guidelines. For more information, please visit our website.

If you are interested in any of these, please contact me at anytime. Be safe, stay healthy and I hope your training is going well.

Happy Running,
Damian Stoy

www.WholisticRunning.com

I’d like to share with you how to run faster, farther & with fewer injuries by simply improving your running technique. Down below I’ll share with you an easy tip to get started right away.

We now offer gift certificates that can be used at anytime. Buy one for yourself or for someone you love. They may be used for any of our services including Coaching, Training Plans, Workshops, Nutritional Coaching or Private Lessons. Support small businesses and share health & happiness by purchasing a Wholistic Running gift certificate here…

Every sport practices technique. Why would running be any different? The better your running technique is the more efficient you will run. You’ll have fewer injuries, run faster and be able to run farther.

As a biomechanics and running technique specialist, when I watch kids run they run completely different from most adults. Yes, we are born to run. Unfortunately, we ‘forget’ how. The reasons are many. We are taught to overstride, we lose core engagement because we sit so much, many of us have poor posture and alignment and most shoes promote an excessive heel strike. Fortunately we can break these poor habits and create new efficient ones fairly easily.

What improving your running technique will do for you:

1. Fewer injuries, less pain and decreased fatigue: Improving your technique will reduce impact and improve alignment.
2. Run faster: You will run more efficiently and you’ll save energy.
3. Enjoy running more: Running is easier and more fun.
4. Run farther: You’ll be able to train more frequently with less fatigue, fewer injuries and quicker recovery time.
5. Hills: Run uphill easier and downhill without less pain.

Give this tip a try on your next run:

Finding your optimal running cadence (steps per minute) has been found to quickly improve running biomechanics. Your optimal cadence depends on many variables and the individual runner. In general, the shorter you are (or more accurately, the shorter your legs are), the higher your cadence is relative to other runners. Most runners have an optimal cadence of 170-180 steps per minute which will slightly vary with your running pace. Unfortunately, most adult runners have too low of a running cadence resulting in poor running technique.

How to practice higher cadence?

The focus is to SHORTEN your stride, not to run faster. Be sure to open up your stride BEHIND you and not out in front of you. You can download a metronome app on your phone or many GPS watches nowadays have cadence features. Play with your cadence shooting for around 170-180 steps per minute. At first, it may feel awkward and like you are taking short steps, but this will feel better and very beneficial after some practice. Over time, you’ll notice less impact on your joints, faster recovery and a quicker pace with more ease.

Happy Running,
Damian Stoy