Sarah LaCourse

09/07/2023

Have you fallen into the trap of believing that in order for exercise/movement to “count” (that it’s actually helping you reach your goal) that it needs to be hard or inflict pain?

I have.

And it’s easy to shift into this mindset. Thanks fitness industry, the “no pain, no gain” saying, diet culture, comparison… we get all these messages to push, push, push. To do, do, do.

Aaaaaaand it’s kind of BS. No, I’m not saying it will always feel easy or good. There will be moments that feel hard. But we don’t need to crush our bodies to get where we want to go.

To be honest, a gentler approach is often beneficial because it lets us develop a strong AF foundation over time, allows for the body to adapt and consistently progress, and it’s probably way more enjoyable.

I deeply understand that the doing is fun and the pushing is another form of fun. Let’s maybe keep them fun? There’s a fine line between doing and pushing because it’s helping us get stronger and we love it and doing and pushing to the level of reducing “gains” and performance that can lead to full burnout or injury.

Let’s practice moving our bodies in a way where we push them but also support them 💪🏼

16/02/2023

But, is it sustainable?

This is the golden ticket question I consider when writing programming, strength coaching, and nutrition coaching. Aaaand real talk: it’s one of the questions I ask myself when I want something to be a part of my life long-term.

I love hiking, trail running, and weightlifting. Deeply love. So, naturally I want these things to be sustainable so that I can KEEP.DOING.THEM. Not only keep doing them, but to keep them feeling good too.

Not over-taxing.
Not creating burnout (physical or mental).
Not burning the candle at both ends.
Not dealing with constant nagging injuries.

I’m not saying don’t push the edge to see what’s possible, because this is part of the fun especially if you’re a competitive athlete. But, this needs to be done appropriately and trained for. And/or time needs to be carved out afterwards to rest/restore.

So, what makes something sustainable? Speaking in terms of endurance and strength pursuits:
→ you truly enjoy it
→ there is appropriate rest
→ there are cycles of intensity/load/volume
→ you’re not “crushing it” every single day/week/month (because this isn’t actually sustainable long-term)
→ you find joy in other parts of your life
→ you’re engaging in things which support your body to be able to sustain endurance activity (strength training/“prehab”, sleep, hydration and nutrition, mobility)
→ not pushing through an injury because “it’ll be ok”
etc...

Our bodies are our homes. We want them to be (and stay) healthy and strong — especially if using them at high levels on the trail/road.

Stay healthy + strong friends 💪🏼🏃🏼‍♀️⛰

31/01/2023

Let’s chat fueling on adventure days and having a long-game approach to nutrition.

YES there is the concept of “fueling for performance” from a sports nutrition approach. From this perspective we are eating in a way that optimally “fuels” us aka feeds our bodies so that we can achieve a desired goal/performance outcome. This can be both day to day and during/around (pre/intra/post) activity.

AND ALSO
Wearing my sports nutritionist hat here: I full-heartedly believe that we literally cannot *optimize* nutrition for performance until we have a sustainable relationship and long-game mentality when it comes to nutrition. There needs to be a base level consistent practice of providing our bodies with what they need on the daily regardless of what we are doing activity wise.

The relationship we have with our bodies has years and decades to evolve, so long-game. And both movement and nutrition are tied into this because both are HUGE factors contributing towards or away from overall health and functioning of the body.

First approaching nutrition through the lens of figuring out what works for your unique human body long-term and feels s u s t a i n a b l e for your life and body. Then determine how to optimize for performance.

AND ALSO
Remember that how you feel about what you eat matters too. Please please please actually like your own choices. They are yours. This is how that sustainability piece begins.

14/12/2022

YES you sure can lift heavy things AND be someone who primarily endurance trains.

It’s doesn’t need to be one or the other. There is space for both.
There are seasons for both.

Does wanting to strength train automatically mean that you will lift heavy? No.
Can it? Absolutely.

It’s a process like all else, but it’s a dang fun process (in my humble opinion)!

02/12/2022

Small biz Saturday came and went but I’m still offering discounts on coaching and programs through December 3rd (or December 10th for podcast listeners so peep episode 24 🙃)

What’s up for grabs?
✺ save $15 off Winter Strength (usually $80) and $15 off “Pick my brain” consults (usually $90) using code “smallbiz” at checkout

✺ get $30 off first two months of 1:1 coaching through Functional Foundation (strength coaching membership) or Fed & Fueled (nutrition coaching membership)
*VERY limited spots*

✺ $10 off trail nutrition which drops early December when you get on the waitlist

✺ get Functional Foundation base for $28.50/mo for the first two months vs $57/mo. Doors open again December 26th and program begins January 9th!

Head on over to sarahlacourse.com or peep the link in my bio to find pages for each offer/sign up 🤸🏼‍♀️🥳

Thanks y’all for supporting zee biz! Looking forward to see what 2023 has in store ❤️

26/10/2022

First off, lets add some air quotes around “mistakes”. Zero judgement. Also this is not an exhaustive list, rather the biggest offenders I see in my 1:1 coaching. Presenting to hopefully create a 💡 moment and help you feel more confident reaching your goals!

1️⃣ Not taking rest days/weeks/deloads:
Time off from training has benefits that are equally important as the training itself. Rest is where adaptations occur and we get stronger. Amount needed will depend on your training history, goals, training season you’re in, and life outside of training.

2️⃣ Not resting appropriately between sets:
We want to recover between sets in order to perform at the desired intensity, not compromise form, and optimize strength and muscle gains. Physiologically the body needs rest in order to maximize being able to output energy during the next set and this is based on our energy systems.

3️⃣ Doing too much too soon:
Too much overall volume, lifting too heavy without proper form, simultaneously increasing lifting AND running volume, etc. Pushing too much before the body is ready. It might feel productive, but this only hinders performance and increases likelihood of injury or burnout.

4️⃣ Going through the motions without intention:
Simply doing what is on paper for the given day with no body awareness or intention on form or mechanics. Some days we might be distracted but still finding a way to tune into the body and the feedback that it’s giving will be so beneficial in the long term.

5️⃣ Not warming up:
Warm ups literally prepare your tissues for load and movement. Warm-ups will look different depending on the activity but they are beneficial across-the-board. A warm up might include dynamic stretching, mobility specific to the training session, cardio. Also hi, injury prevention!

Resting is productive, being aware of our bodies and the feedback they are giving us is beneficial data, warm-ups and appropriate training volume helps performance and injury prevention. All gooooood things. We love efficient/ safe training that takes care of the bod and helps us reach our goals 🫶🏼

Want more deets on these “mistakes”? Check our episode 20 of the Pursuing Endurance Podcast!

18/10/2022

Winter strength is back 💪❄️

Winter strength is an eight week progressive strength training program specifically created for winter/four-season hikers and trail runners. The workouts programmed are also appropriate for those who partake in nordic and backcountry skiing.

The intention of the program is to help you develop a stronger and more resilient foundation. This ultimately helps with overall performance and injury prevention. Having a solid foundation also helps our bodies manage the increased demands of winter such as carrying a heavier pack and having snowshoes/skies attached to our feet.

A few more tidbits of info:
→ It’s beginner friendly and also welcomes folks with a background in strength training
→ Equipment needs are minimal — more deets on the website!
→ Repeatable and info on options for repeating
→ All workouts have clickable links for each movement with demonstration and voiceover for form
→Information around rest, additional core & stability work, and more!

You can learn all the details by clicking the link in my bio or heading over to https://sarahlacourse.com/winterstrength/

Sarah LaCourse CPT, CSN shared a post on Instagram: "Winter strength is back 💪❄️ Winter strength is an eight week progressive strength training program specifically created for winter/four-season hikers and trail runners. The workouts programmed are also appropriate for those who partake in n...

16/10/2022

Summer 2022 ended up being a rather chill hiking season for me.

Summer (and early fall) is usually a period of time where I’m up high doing big mile and vert days on the regular. Yes, I had some of these days but not the “usual Sarah amount”. It has been a season of less overall miles, vert, time on trail. As of early 2022 I had every intention for this to be a big summer. I had some specific routes on my agenda and a “big ticket” hike goal but it wasn’t the year.

Why am I sharing this? To remind anyone who needs it that things don’t always go per plan and this is ok. That life throws curveballs. That all parts of our lives are important to give attention to.

After having surgery in March 2022 for endometriosis, my body hasn’t felt like my body. I imagined I’d bounce back quick from surgery, which overall I did but not to the level I’m used to. Instead it’s been a process of learning when it’s time to press the gas and when it’s time to take my foot off the pedal and cruise.

As a coach, I’m always promoting sustainability in training, nutrition, and life. And while I was used to practicing this already, this season has been a teacher in even deeper learning and understanding of what this means. Learning to manage a chronic health condition that sometimes flares up at random and on a pattern other times. Figuring out how to make this cohesive with the other parts of my life.

Hiking is a huge part of my life but it isn’t my life. Endo is a huge part of my life but it isn’t my life. There are so many other parts.

It’s been a season of re-learning to let go and trust the process. Of allowing the ebb and flow of having the mental and physical capacity to push and knowing when it’s time to slow down.

Give yourself grace if you are in a process of learning, re-learning, or letting go of what you has expected.

There is space for all of it.

13/10/2022

Moving your body for the sake of joy is an excellent reason.

It could be strength, endurance related, or both. It could also be something else… like doing cartwheels around your kitchen 🤸🏼‍♀️

We don’t need a specific goal-oriented outcome or a health reason to move our bodies.

It’s not uncommon for people to ask what you’re training for when participating in strength and/or endurance related activities.

There doesn’t need to be something you’re training for.

Also not uncommon is to receive feedback that “you’re so healthy because you do X”, or to feel the need to move our bodies for the sake of health.

You can partake in activities for the sake of an outcome goal or health. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with these reasons. But these do not need to be reasons for you to be doing the activity either. And there’s nothing bad about not having these be your reasons.

Joyful movement is an experience that feels very flowy. Extremely innate. It’s something that energizes us on a soul level. It’s a mind-body connection.

As a personal trainer and strength coach, I firmly promote finding a movement practice that works for all parts of you and your experience. Most often joy will be a part of this, but it can also be the singular reason.

12/10/2022

Just a friendly reminder 🙃

Overall health entails so much beyond training and nutrition. And to be honest training and optimizing nutrition are kind of extras. They are not the foundation.

It’s easy to get swept into the mindset of prioritizing training and nutrition > other health aspects. This can be especially true if you have specific goals within these components of your life. And also… hello our society praises them on the reg so we are constantly bombarded with how *important* these are for us.

Here’s a reminder that overall health consists of the following (& more, this list isn’t exhaustive):
➡️ Stress management
➡️ Sleep
➡️ Movement (note: I didn’t say training)
➡️ Getting enough food and a mix of various macro & micronutrients
➡️ Mental health
➡️ Healthy relationships

Movement and nutrition are ABSOLUTELY components of health. “Dialing them in”, it depends.

Exercise is a stressor to the body. That is not inherently bad but depending on what else is going on in your life it might not be the best time to ramp it up or try to heavily focus on that one area. Nutrition is essential but if it’s creating additional stress and you are already in a season of stress then let’s figure out a way to reduce the stress when it comes to feeding your body not increase it.

There are seasons for more heavily prioritizing training and/or nutrition. Twelve months out of the year likely isn’t it.

Creating a solid foundation and also ebbing and flowing on what you are currently prioritizing based on the season of life that you are in and what else is going on will greatly benefit overall health.

Take care of your body, your mind, and your human experience as a whole.

👇🏼 What are your current priorities when it comes to your own health/experience?

09/06/2022

Are you a self-proclaimed queen/king of vert? (I am 🙃)

Summer and fall seasons are five-hundo my favorites because I love technical terrain with lots of rocks and roots.

Vert can be a favorite or a least favorite. It’s so person to person. Some of us love the ups, some the downs, and some both.

Whether or not you’re particularly a fan of the ups, they come with the territory of hiking and mountain running. So, let’s do a quick deep dive into the “ups” and factors to consider if you’re looking to make them a little more enjoyable and optimize efficiency.

1️⃣ monitor your heart rate: if it’s spiking up to zone 4 (80-90% of max HR) or 5 (90-100% of max HR) you’re going to feel gassed in a relatively short time period. Consider checking it and keeping it zone 2 (60-70% max) to moderate zone 3 (~75% max), this helps keep the climb more sustainable because it allows for better breathing, oxygen uptake, longer time to fatigue, and lower perceived effort.
2️⃣body mechanics: bent over forward? locking out at knees/hips? not recruiting hamstrings/glutes/calves as much as they could be used and relying more on quad power? Stand taller with a slight bend at the hips, knees soft, driving forward focusing on using all climbing muscles to their capacity not relying on the strongest players
3️⃣ don’t race your friend: pace yourself as you need to keep it feeling like a climb but one that you don’t need to stop every minute. I mean, hats off if you want to race your friends, but you don’t have to do this.
4️⃣ breathing: focus on getting full inhales and exhales instead of shallow ones. Allowing the diaphragm to expand and air to travel not only to your chest but into your belly too
5️⃣ overall endurance capacity at a cellular level: this is a trained thing and it will either improve, remain the same, or decline over time depending on the above and your overall load (time, miles, vert) of hiking/running PLUS ability to recover
6️⃣ mindset: tell yourself you sure as sh*t can do it 👏🏼👏🏼

What do you find helps and/or limits you the most with the uphill?! Let me know👇🏼