WHY AM I GETTING SLOWER? As coaches, this is a common question we we get, and Coach Amanda Brooks (@runtothefinish) and Coach Laura Norris, MS (@lauranorrisrunning), co-hosts of the Tread Lightly Podcast, are here to talk about it!

-When an athlete comes to you and says "help, I'm getting slower", what are the first things that come into your mind about what you want to know about the athlete?

-Detraining/time-off impacting fitness

-Supercompensation negative trends due to life stress, poor fueling, etc

-Overtraining and doing "too much" can actually take you backward

-Generally, how often do you see athletes completely miscalculate simply how much their life stress impacts their training tolerance?

-"Help, I think I'm getting faster but my races aren't reflecting that!"

-"Help, I’ve gone from running BQ marathons to barely being able to run 5 miles in the past 6 months!"

-"Help, I've started easy running but now I'm getting slower" - what are the possibles here?

-When is it time to start working with a coach, when you just need to stop panicking and stay the course, when it's time to see a medical professional, etc

Amanda Brooks is the author of the Run To The Finish: The Everyday Runner's Guide to Avoiding Injury, Ignoring the Clock and Loving the Run. With over 470 Amazon reviews declaring her advice is described as perfect for "middle of the pack runners that are trying to do the best for themselves, stay injury free, and train healthy while still living their lives." As a certified running coach and personal trainer, she's helped thousands of runners over the last 10 years, run over 26000 miles and believes running is more important now than ever before.

Laura Norris is the owner and coach behind Laura Norris Running. She recently earned her Master of Science in Applied Exercise Science. She is a certified personal trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, a certified sports nutritionist through the International Society of Sport Nutrition, and a certified running coach through RRCA and VDOT. She practices evidence-based coaching blended with a holistic treatment of the athlete as an individual. In her 7+ years of coaching, she's coached over 400 runners, from first-time racers to podium finishers. Her personal bests include a 1:34 half marathon and 3:29 marathon. She lives in Colorado with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. Laura's hobbies include running, gravel biking, learning German, daily Wordle, and sci-fi/action/fantasy movies and books.