Glorious, imperfect, sometimes messy, sometimes forgetful, tired, busy, funny, kind, YOU.
Over the next three days, I’m gonna teach you how.
What I’ll share with you is just a snippet of what I’ve shared with the women inside my ten week running program Run with Turia.
I’ve carefully pulled out some of the key lessons from that program, and turned them into three tasks for you to complete this week.
I am so pumped for this week together!
This challenge is gonna kickstart you into some movement, help shift your perspective and help you get back into this year feeling GOOD about your body and everything it can do (yes, the body you have right now).
But … we’re not going to start running straight away.
See, sometimes when we try to do something new, or jump back into an old routine, we’re so excited that we get a little …. impatient.
We jump straight in, expectations sky-high, because we just want to get started!
You know what I mean, yeah? You might want to start eating a little healthier, and instead of just adding an extra piece of fruit at breakfast or drinking an extra glass of water, you create a whole big meal plan, and decide you’re going to start having green smoothies for breakfast, and go gluten free and attempt to make pizza bases out of sunflower seeds…. and in two days, you’re exhausted.
I love that we get excited about new things. It’s fun!
But it doesn’t always make change sustainable. And I want running to become a real part of your life.
So, we’re gonna start slow.
Over the next few days we’re gonna walk through some teeny, tiny changes to your routine that will make your attempt back into running more successful, and more sustainable overall.
You know the joy running can bring into your life, BUT let’s not rush there, OK?
I want this to be sustainable.
Sound good??
Let’s get started.
Your daily tasks
Every day from Monday April 3 – Wednesday April 6, we’ll release your new task here.
All I want you to do is make two small changes to your normal evening “routine”.
Here’s what to do:
1. Set up your station Tonight, before you go to bed, you’re gonna lay out everything you’d need if you were going to go for a walk or run in the morning.
Get your favourite tights, your sneakers, socks, headphones, a hair tie…..absolutely EVERYTHING you’d need. Fill your water bottle, get your car keys and make sure your headphones are charged.
Put it all together, and place it somewhere easy to access in the morning – in the bathroom, on your bedside table, in the lounge room. This is now your prep station!
Now, if you’re already in the habit of organising your clothes like this, have a think about how you can level things up. Could you set out your morning coffee stuff or queue up a playlist or podcast?
Ask yourself: “What would make getting up tomorrow even easier?” and then take a minute to set it up.
2. Set your alarm Next, you’re going to set your alarm 20 minutes earlier than you would normally get up. That’s it, just 20 minutes!
Hint: If you’re not the earliest little bird, try putting your phone or alarm away from your bed, or in another room (where you can still hear it!). Getting out of bed to physically turn off your alarm can help to wake you up. That’s one of the things that helped me become an elusive “morning person”.
That’s it!
So, what’s next?
Well, it’s this easy: Tomorrow morning, when that alarm goes off, I want you to get up. And before you start scrolling on that phone, STOP!
Put. It. Down.
Instead, you’re gonna walk over to your prep station, get dressed and then….
Don’t go anywhere!
Make a cup of tea or coffee, pop yourself somewhere cosy, take a big exhale, and open tomorrow’s email from me (I’ll send it super early so you’ll have it in time). Use those 20 minutes to do tomorrow’s task.
Once you’re done, if you feel like going for a walk around the block and getting some fresh air, awesome! Get out there. You’ve got your sneakers and your tights on already – get amongst it.
But you don’t have to.
Drink your coffee, pop on the playlist I made for you, revel in this small window of “me time” and congratulate yourself for taking this tiny step forward today.
Now, if you’ve done one of my challenges, you’ll know that I love to start with this task. Why? Because sometimes, even the most experienced and most motivated people still need to come back to the basics.
Sustainable change always comes down to the little changes we make – the tiny actions we take consistently.
Because here’s the thing, my friend:
Building a self care habit like running is actually pretty simple.
There’s not much involved.
That’s why I created Run with Turia with Mums (and busy non-Mums!) in mind. Because you don’t need to drive anywhere or wait for a gym class to start. You don’t need fancy gear. All you need is a pair of sneakers and a 20 minute window to get out the door and have a crack.
Today’s task makes taking that little 20 minute window for yourself a bit easier.
Let’s recap:
1. Organise an outfit for tomorrow morning 2. Set your morning alarm 20 minutes earlier than usual 3. Get up as soon as your alarm goes off, pop those clothes on and tackle tomorrow’s task!
Remember: big and sustainable changes come from taking small steps consistently.
Obviously, if you want to run, you’re gonna need to make space in your life ….and space in your head … yeah?
Time and attitude. Hot commodities!
We’re gonna look at both inside today’s task – which comes in two parts.
Read on to access Part One (and I’ll drop Part Two tonight!).
Part One: Say No!
Here’s the thing, my friend.
You might be successful in taking some time for yourself this week…. but how do you stop that from being a one-off?
In other words, if you want to make running a regular part of your life, how are you going to make time for it consistently?
Here’s how:
You’re going to say NO.
Yep, you’re gonna have to say no to something, if you want to say yes to making this time for yourself.
Now, I know you already know HOW to say no.
I say no about sixty thousand times a day …. mostly to my kids. “No, we don’t throw chicken wings at the window” “No, we don’t use your brother as a human race track”
But it’s not always easy to do, right?
Like, it’s not easy saying no to people like your boss or your sister in law. And so suddenly you’re hosting a Trivia Night for your second cousin’s 40th, instead of, you know, going for that run!
Now look, we’re all human, we all want to say yes to the things people ask of us. We want to be socially obliging, to be part of a team. We say yes because it’s easier than saying no.
And, to be honest, it feels kind to say yes.
But what if you ask yourself “kind for who?”
When you say yes to all those extra commitments, you pull your focus away from the things you actually want to spend your time and energy on.
Saying no isn’t selfish, it’s self-care, and we need to practise it more.
So, that’s what today’s challenge is all about.
Today, you’re going to: Say no.
In this little window of time you’ve carved out for yourself today, I want you to sit down with your calendar and have a look at next week.
If I were to ask you to pencil in 3 x 20 minute windows into next week, what would you have to say no to, in order to make that happen?
Do you need to say no to cooking dinner one night? Does your partner need to take the kids one morning for you? Do you need to ask a friend to meet you for walk catch up after your run, instead of a coffee?
Now, if you’ve done this task in one of my challenges before, you might have answers like:
I’m saying no to making the kids lunches every day.
I’m saying no to thinking “I can’t run”.
I’m saying no to staying back late at work.
I’m saying no to my partner and kids – they can make breakfast and hang out while I take time for myself.
Well, here’s a follow up question:
What kind of help will you need to make these new boundaries stick?
Do you need to ask your partner to cook dinner a few times a week? Do you need to ask if one of your friends would be interested in carpooling the kids to school? Do you need to set an alarm 15 minutes before the time you want to leave work (this awesome idea came from one of our challengers, Ash!). Do you need to re-communicate your working hours to your family?
I want to reiterate this:
You can do ANYTHING, but you can’t do everything.
Ask for help and say what you need.
Yeah?
Turia xx
PS – I know this can be hard, especially if you’re not used to making space for yourself. It’s why I dedicate a whole module of RUN with Turia to saying no.
So, be kind to yourself as you take on today’s task, OK?
And if you want to dive in a little deeper, well maybe RUN would be an awesome experience for you! The doors open this weekend!
PPS – Wondering why I haven’t got you running yet? Well, it’s because I want to set you up for success!
You can jump straight into running, sure! But most people miss these really crucial small steps when they get back into an old habit like running.
And if you don’t take this time to work through these small things, and prepare yourself for change, it’s not gonna stick. Mindset is everything, my friend. So stay with me, work through these baby steps, and watch the magic happen.
But, first, we have to take care of some business.
I’m gonna introduce you to the first rule inside Run with Turia.
This is one of the few rules that all of the women inside the program agree to before we start running.
And I want you to agree to it too.
So, here it is: Rule #1: Don’t be a d*ckhead to yourself!
What does that mean? Well, it means not listening to that little voice inside your head that says “I can’t do this”.
Maybe you didn’t quite get to yesterday’s challenge, and found yourself thinking “Great, I’ve already failed”.
Maybe you haven’t told your friends about this challenge because you think “It will be so embarrassing if I don’t stick with this”.
That voice is called the Inner Critic, and we don’t like her!
So, your challenge today:
Listen to what’s going on upstairs in your head when you think about running.
Are you saying things to yourself like “Wow, I’m really proud of you mate. This is gonna be tough but you’re having a go”, “You’ve got this!”, and “It’s OK to be a beginner. Keep at it!”?
Or are you thinking stuff like “I can’t do this”, “This is gonna be another thing I fail at”, “I should have never stopped going to the gym last year” and “I’ve let myself go”??
Be honest.
Which one sounds more like you?
If it’s the latter, you’re being a d*ckhead to yourself!
Now, in Run with Turia, I share lots of strategies to shut that inner voice down.
But for now, I have a strategy I want you to try:
Make a Plan.
So, when you’ve gone for a run in the past have you noticed that your inner critic gets louder when you’re fatigued? Or maybe on a more challenging training day you had the very best intentions to get out the door, but then, for whatever reason, you just didn’t?
Here’s what I want you to do:
Make a plan for when your inner critic, or dickhead voice is at its loudest. What will you do when that voice pops back into your head?
Do you need a mantra to repeat to yourself? Something like “I can do hard things” or “One foot in front of another”.
Or maybe you need a playlist of songs that just make you feel HAPPY.
Maybe you need an accountability buddy to make a date with? Or maybe you need to ask a friend to text you in the morning to check in?
Now, if you’ve just read that sentence, and had a complete brain melting freak out, don’t click out of this webpage just yet.
What you’re experiencing is what most members of RUN with Turia feel when they open their program for the first time too.
And without a doubt, it is the single most terrifying thing most of our members face when they join us. Because ten minutes is a really long time! And most of our members swear up and down that they just won’t be able to run for that long.
But, here’s what they learn inside RUN:
Running is actually doable when you have the right technique, when you’ve warmed up properly AND (most importantly) when you slow it down!
And when I say doable, I mean DOABLE.
I’ve had more than 2,500 women (of all ages and abilities) join my program, have this freak out, and then go on to successfully complete their first ten minute run (and hit 5, 10 or 21kms at the end!).
Now, on that page linked above, I’ve included a breakdown of the shuffle, a short running technique video, filmed by me and our running coach Bel, AND the pre-run activation exercises that our RUN with Turia physios recommend you do as a warm up.
Don’t freak out. Take a deep breath, go check out all those resources and have a crack. OK?
Remember, we’re not chasing perfection here. So, don’t be a d*ckhead to yourself, do what you can and back yourself to have a go! You are a badass.
And remember, when it gets hard, slow down! Keep slowing down. Slow is the go!
Now, if you’ve got some running experience already and you’re NOT too concerned about getting this ten minute run done, read on:
The thing about the shuffle is this: it works at any stage of your run journey.
If today is the first time you run for 10 minutes straight in a long while, give yourself permission to come back into the learning phase of your run journey. For whatever reason you haven’t been running (ahem, babies? Injury? life?) it’s OK to start again.
If you feel fabulous, and confident and you plan to run further – go you good thing! But remember, don’t go out too hard. Use the shuffle to make your run sustainable, use it when you aren’t feeling fabulous, use it when you feel yourself running out of steam.
Slow is the go!
ALSO: I’d love you to use the tips I share on the page (linked above) to really focus in on your technique.
Do the pre-run activation exercises, watch the technique video I share, and see if you can feel the difference.
OK, now before I let you go: A reminder that I’ll be going live tonight to answer your q’s and have a chat.
If you’ve got questions about what to do when this challenge ends, or if you just wanna have a chat about how you’re feeling and get some general advice from me …. I have good news. I’m gonna go live on Wednesday night with Grace and Jess from my team!
We’ll be live on our webinar platform (Demio) at 8pm AEST. That’s Wednesday April 5 at 8pm Sydney time.e.
Note: You have to register via that link above, and then Demio will send you your unique join link.
Fun stuff to listen to this week.
New
What happens if you stuff it all up?
A three minute pep talk from me about failing.
Maybe you’ve got some big goals mapped out for yourself this year (um, you’re in this challenge, so yes, I know you do!), and maybe you’re feeling a bit afraid that you’re gonna stuff it up. Maybe you’re worried you’re gonna fail.
Totally normal, my friend. Doing something hard, like running, IS scary.
But I promise you it can be doable. I’m gonna show you how.
Stick with me over the next five days and I’ll get you started, OK?
Slow and steady, my friend!
Meet your coaches
Turia Pitt
Ahhhh, that’s me (You know me already, yeah?)
But let’s recap: I’m a Mum of two boys, a runner, Ironman, author and the creator of RUN with Turia – a running program I’ve created specifically for Mums (but anyone can join! Whether you’re a Mum or not, anyone who wants to learn how to carve out some “me time” is welcome to join!).
Coach Bel
I met Bel when I was slogging it out training for my first ever Ironman back in 2016. Bel took me under her wing, trained with me, and shared her deep passion for post-race hot chips with me. When I started planning Run with Turia, I knew she would make the perfect coach.
She’s a Level 1 Triathlon Coach , certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor and Remedial Massage Therapist who has worked in the health and fitness industry for over 15 years. She previously worked as running coach for Can Too, teaching beginners how to run and in turn, funding research to help cure cancer (so yeah, she’s a saint).
Bel designs all of the programs inside Run with Turia, and I’m stoked that she can share all of her wisdom (chip-related and non-chip related) with you!
Don’t think you’re a “runner”?
That’s what these women thought.
They joined my 10 week running program Run with Turia, and life as they knew it changed.
“Thanks to Turia, I feel like no matter what gets thrown at me, I now have the skills and mindset to get through it!”
– Cirsty
“I can’t adequately describe the shift that has occurred through this program. I always thought of runners as “others”. I now know I am a runner. Yes I am a mother, a friend, a worker but I am also a runner. I can do the hard things… because why not!”
– Eva
“Turia and the team are amazing, inspiring, motivating, kind and funny!You will love the program, the coaching and the Facebook page!Everyone is gorgeous and positive and generous with their feedback.Of course you will find many challenges but you will grow and feel stronger and more empowered every day! You can do this!”
– Angela
“Put your gym membership on hold and sign up to RUN. The feeling of achievement after each run is so worth it… and so is the time for yourself.”
– Lauren
“I went from being too scared to even run for short distances at the gym to actually enjoying running. It started small, made me challenge myself in a safe way and then gave me some quick wins. It was achievable and made me feel successful.”
– Jess
“The most fun, positive and just plain wonderful group exercise experience I’ve ever had in my life!! For a fraction of the cost of a yearly gym membership (or even some boot camps) you can gain fitness, skills and most importantly the best, biggest squad of cheerleaders ever. You’ll be set up to reach amazing goals (both now and in future)!”
– Linda
“Fun, challenging, exhausting but one of the best ‘fitness’ experiences I’ve had. This program works.”
– Chrissie
“I learnt that those distances I had run in the past (that I feared were slipping away from me) were still actually in me. I just needed to believe I could do it. Having Turia’s and Bel’s encouragement as well as this wonderful group of fellow runners helps prove to me that I’m not alone.”
– Sandy
“I’ve discovered just how much I need running – it’s the best head clearer there is. I’m proud that I’ve been able to push through mental and physical barriers, and am running further than I have in 8 years!”
– Amanda
“This is the first training program where I actually saw results and achieved the goal I set myself well ahead of time. The support, training tips and program is perfectly structured to ensure success.”
– Debbie
“Run with Turia is amazing! Fun, flexible and informative. I never thought I could enjoy running for over an hour! Amazed how this program has not only inspired me but my 9 year old (occasional) running buddy.”
– Yvonne
“Run with Turia gave me my sense of self back and gave me time to focus on just me”
– Christie
Got more questions?
Coach Bel and I answer all the most common questions we get about running, PLUS explore the 7 reasons we think stop most people from running in this live chat. Watch it below.
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