Frustrated that your running (or hiking, biking, etc.) times haven’t improved after a year of training? 

You might be making a common mistake—running too fast! 

In this episode, I share why so many endurance athletes get tripped up by the numbers. 

We'll also break down the science to learn how slowing down can actually help you speed up. 

Key Takeaways:

• Why most recreational runners (especially us perfectionists!) are trying to go too fast.
• The dreaded Zone X (dead zone) and how to stay out of it.
• Why most elite athletes do 80–90% of their endurance training at an easy pace.
• How the 80/20 approach can help you win at endurance training ... and life.
• Why your perfectionist brain violent resists running slow and what to do about it.

Ready to learn how to train smarter, not harder? Tune in to hear more!

COACH WITH SARAH:

• Email questions to [email protected] OR
• Schedule a free discovery call

QUANTUM COACH ACADEMY FREE WORKSHOP

• Register

COACH WITH SARAH:

• Email questions to [email protected] OR
• Schedule a free discovery call

QUANTUM COACH ACADEMY FREE WORKSHOP

• Register

After taking a year off due to long COVID, I was excited to make 2024 my most epic summer yet!

Things started off well. I finished a trail marathon in May and was gunning for my first post-Covid 50K in June.

And then bam. Setbacks!

COVID struck again, followed by a drug-resistant UTI. June became a wash, and I found myself off for the entire month. 

When July arrived, I tried to ease back into hiking and trail running and realized I had lost a lot of conditioning. 

It was heart-breaking. I had so many epic hikes and climbs planned with so many people! 

And now I was going to be SUPER SLOW. If I could do it at all.

This week's episode of the Climb Your Mountain Podcast is the story of how I fucking did it anyway.

Slowly.
With people. 
With self-compassion.
With self-trust.

We'll cover:

• Why being undertrained isn't always a bad thing (especially for us pressured perfectionists).
• The magic of focusing on one activity at a time.
• How to listen to and trust your body.
• Ways to focus on your whole health during recovery (not just fitness).
• Thoughts that foster self-compassion.

Work With Me:

If you’re a pressured perfectionist who'd not where you want to be with your health and fitness, I’d love to help you shift into a kinder and more sustainable approach.

Click here to schedule a discovery call, and let’s start working together on a more empowered and compassionate version of yourself!

In this episode, we dive deep into the psychology of perfectionism, exploring its impact on mental health, stress levels, and self-worth. 

Key Quotes:

• “Perfectionism is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgment, and shame." – Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection
• "Perfectionists feel every bump in the road. They’re quite stress-sensitive.” – Andrew Hill
• “Perfectionists are pretty much awash with stress. Even when it’s not stressful, they’ll typically find a way to make it stressful.” – Gordon Flett
• “Socially prescribed perfectionism, characterized by the feeling that others have high demands, is the most strongly correlated with serious mental illness.” – Thomas Curran

We'll cover:

• Common traits and challenges faced by perfectionists, including the constant need to meet high expectations—both self-imposed and socially prescribed.
• My own journey as an only child and high academic achiever, grappling with the intense family pressure of being the "perfect" daughter. 
• How I recently navigated my deepest inner critic after making a mistake.
• Some of my favorite tools for taming critical self-talk and fostering self-compassion.
• The five-step self-restitution process I've been using for 15 years as a self-forgiveness practice.
• What to do with the anger you feel toward yourself after making a mistake (and what not to do.)

Remember, it’s okay to be imperfect—and more importantly, it’s human. Take small steps toward self-compassion and give yourself the grace to make mistakes along the way.

Follow Me: For tips on self-compassion, nervous system regulation, and healthy living, follow me on Instagram.

Coach With Sarah: For prices and packaging, email the word PANTS to [email protected]

OR click here to schedule a free discovery call.

In this week's episode of the Climb Your Mountain podcast, we dive into a common struggle for perfectionists and athletes alike: missed workouts. 

Whether you’re training for an endurance event like a marathon or just exercising to look and feel better, skipping a workout can send you into a spiral of panic and guilt. 

I know this firsthand, having transitioned from a personal trainer for outdoor endurance athletes (hiking, mountaineering, trail running) to a health and wellness coach for pressured perfectionists.

What We Cover:

• What we make missed workouts mean versus reality
• The truth about deconditioning — and why most of us worry way too much about losing fitness.
• How panic over missed workouts can actually set your fitness back further.
• Why missed workouts may actually be a blessing in disguise for overachieving athletes.
• My personal story of running a half marathon PR after missing all my peak training.
• Practical tips to help you ease back into fitness the smart way after a week off.

Are You a Pressured Perfectionist Ready to Train Smarter, Not Harder? 

If you're done with overtraining and exhausting yourself, I can help you bring balance to your active lifestyle. 

• Click here to schedule a discovery call, and let’s start working together on a more empowered and compassionate version of yourself!
• Let’s stay connected! Follow me on Instagram for more tips on fitness, endurance training, and how to thrive as a perfectionist.

In this week's episode of Climb Your Mountain, I share the story of an unfortunate series of drink spills ... and the surprising lessons that came from them. 

From embarrassment and guilt to spiritual insight and self-kindness, this story goes deeper than just clumsiness. It’s about learning to be kinder to myself and embracing the imperfections we all have.

Key Takeaways:

• The spills: On vacation, after a long hike, I spilled a beer, red wine, and another beer in quick succession. Each time, I was met with generosity and kindness, rather than the scorn I expected.
• Emotional reaction: I was exhausted and embarrassed, but it also revealed my pattern of being hard on myself, feeling like I don’t deserve to take up space when I make mistakes.
• People-pleasing roots: Growing up as a people pleaser and peacemaker, I’ve always hated causing trouble, and these spills triggered that deep-seated discomfort.
• The universe’s message: Talking with a friend led me to see these spills as a spiritual lesson. The universe was offering me opportunities to learn self-compassion and release the need for perfection.
• Learning to be kinder: Through this experience, I realized that people might actually respond with generosity and understanding, even when I mess up.

Work With Me:

If you’re a pressured perfectionist who'd not where you want to be with your health and fitness, I’d love to help you shift into a kinder and more sustainable approach.

Click here to schedule a discovery call, and let’s start working together on a more empowered and compassionate version of yourself!

Tune in next time for more insights and stories about health, fitness, and the path to self-kindness.

You're focused on a goal like following a training plan, eating healthy, or meal prepping.

You do great for a week ... or sometimes a few weeks.

And then ... CRASH.

You just can't get yourself to step on that treadmill, log that sushi, or take out that slow cooker.

When you try to act, a brick wall of resistance comes up.

Is it because you're lazy?

Do you just need a kick in the pants?

Is the answer to scare yourself?

NOOOOOO.

On this week's episode of the Climb Your Mountain podcast, we dive into:

👉 The psychology of consistency
👉 Why efforting, shaming, and guilting your way there almost always backfire eventually
👉 And the mindset you need to do more with less struggle — and tear down that brick wall that's in your way.

COACH WITH SARAH:

• Email questions to [email protected] OR
• Schedule a free discovery call

I used to believe when it came to exercise, more was always more.

Especially for a multisport athlete who is running, backpacking, mountaineering and wanting to be ALWAYS READY TO ROLL at a moment's notice.

Also, as I cruised toward 50, I felt like I needed to work harder just to maintain a certain level of performance.

But this summer, I got tired of being exhausted.

Tired of grinding through my day job.

Tired of feeling irritated with every little thing. (Like I would knock over a can of Seltzer and fly into a rage.)

Tired of starting each weekend adventure exhausted from the last weekend adventure.

Tired of feeling spacey and not fully connected while coaching my clients. 

So I did a crazy thing.

😱 I actually cut back my workouts by 30%.

And you know what? 

I am absolutely loving the results! 

I feel like I'm actually performing BETTER on my adventures.

And having more time and energy for everyone else in my life.

In this week's episode of the Climb Your Mountain podcast, I'll pull back the curtain and share exactly how I started working out smarter and not harder.

We'll go through the full before and after.

(And also why I didn't do it sooner. I had a lot of insecurities about cutting back. But they were just lies my brain was telling me.)

I hope this gives you so much permission to stop grinding and create a more joyous and sustainable fitness life!

COACH WITH SARAH:

• Email questions to [email protected] OR
• Schedule a free discovery call

"I'm silly for feeling this way."

"Other people have it worse."

"Some people have war in their countries."

"Look at me and my first world problems."

Have you ever said things like these to yourself during times of stress or sadness?

If so, it's totally understandable!

We're all programmed to disregard our mental health by a capitalist society that benefits when we push through, grind it out, and shame ourselves for not having high vibes 100% of the time.

Well, no more!

In this week's episode, I'll share some of my own recent experiences with stress and mental health and how I finally realized I needed to stop gaslighting myself and take my own emotions seriously.

And I'll share some tips for breaking free of the matrix so you can create space and permission to regulate your nervous system and feel better.

COACH WITH SARAH:

• Email questions to [email protected] OR
• Schedule a free discovery call

Have you ever thought about signing up to hike the Inca Trail?

Or summit Mt. Rainier?

Or even join a pub run at your neighborhood bar?

And then stopped yourself, because you're worried about slowing the group down or getting left behind?

Friend, if you are feeling ashamed of your pace and worrying you won't fit in ...

I have a GOLDEN tip for you on this week's episode of Climb Your Mountain. 

We'll discuss:

⭐️ Why the fastest is not always the fittest (<- life changing shit alert!)
⭐️ How so many recreational athletes are missing out on life-changing experiences because of insecurities around being slow
⭐️ What other people really think about your pace
⭐️ What you need to believe to make joining group activities fun again
⭐️ Tips for enjoying group outings and trips when you're the slowest one (from personal experience!)

COACH WITH SARAH:

• Email questions to [email protected] OR
• Schedule a free discovery call