Welcome to Planted Life Coaching
Hi, I’m Amanda, a plant-based vegan ultra-endurance runner who thrives in 100km run distances and hurts in 5km park runs. I am also the head run coach at Planted Life.
Since my endurance journey started back in 2015, I have run over 20 hundred-kilometre races and just as many 50-70 kilometre races. The ultra-endurance runs that I race are on the trails, in the mountains or coastal areas. The terrain is as brutal as it is beautiful and each race challenges me differently both physically and mentally.
We are all unique individuals, but it takes a certain uniqueness to run ultra-distances. You are reading this blog because you are a) either that unique individuals or b) have a desire to become one. Whichever it is, its lovely to have you in this space with me.
As a runner, racer, and coach I have identified certain traits that are to be considered and thought about as you move through the landscape of the ultra-endurance word. Here are a few of my thoughts.
Mental health and wellbeing
As an ultra-endurance athlete, the training and races require you to continually nurture your mental health and wellbeing and its these two attributes that are important to all of us as athletes. The need to understand how to focus on controlling the controllables and not worrying about everything else is fundamental to self-care. It’s also about reading how you react to a situation, managing your inner dialogue and how you are received and perceived by others.
High level of confidence
Don’t confuse confidence with ego; confidence comes from management of a healthy ego, one that is fearless, mindful and most importantly present. Don’t let confidence come across as an unhealthy belief in your own importance; yes, aspire to be better, continue to learn, congratulate and recognise success equality as much as you do failure and never give up, self-belief is a powerful tool. It’s a daily practice.
Feeling unmotivated
Where the head goes the body follows. How do you motivate yourself to train when feeling neither good or bad? Check in with yourself, what’s going on outside of training to have you feeling flat? Can you set that aside and change up the energy, change your thought pattern?
Find something that will help change your thoughts if you can’t change it with thoughts alone; use a visual or auditory aid such as a You Tube clip, favourite song or podcast to help ‘change the channel’ in your mind and get your head in the game.
Let go of mistakes
How do you expect to learn and grow if you don’t make mistakes? Trying things is the answer to finding your talent; it’s about expanding your range to master a skill, trying and mistakes teaches us resilience, graces us with strength and shows others that despite setbacks, you will always push forward because this is well known where the magic happens.
It’s hard to let go of a mistake – you have a choice, let it sit with you or let it go.
Criticism/Constructive feedback from a coach
No one can make you feel inferior unless you consent to them doing so, so be willing to learn, to adjust, abandon previous goals and then change direction entirely if you have too. Listen to your gut, take criticism but don’t let it eat away at you, you may not understand the words at that moment but at some point, you will. Don’t let feedback weaken you, use it as your fuel, your fire to live and learn by.
Manage time and strategies when under pressure
Feeling the pressure? Adopt a time management schedule; break your day into segments; allocate time for each task whether that be work/studies/training and stick to it. Start each task with a rested mind and clarity of focus, this is the key to productivity for each task and will help reduce any unnecessary pressure when it all feels like it’s becoming too much.
Importance of goals
Setting SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) goals whether big or small; are an important driver in self-improvement, time management and ultimately greater performance. They are markers helping map your progress which are developed through consistency giving you a long-term vision and short-term motivation.
Goals allow you to work with others to create an individual plan helping unlock your inner potential. I would not be able to run the distances and races that I do without goal setting; it my accountability plan.
Congratulate
Congratulations is for identifying and nourishing your mental wellbeing every session, every week, every race and for looking into joining the Planted Life tribe.
Final message
Be your greatest asset. Not your greatest enemy. Planted Life Run coaching was born to help uncover in you that you can’t see in yourself. Nothing is impossible, join the Planted Life on-line coaching tribe who will help you find your limitless possibilities.
