Good Fit Coaching

It’s that time of year, planning your race calendar! It’s particularly important to map out half and full marathons, and if they’re spring races it’s time to start training. Send Good Fit Coaching a message or give me a call at 707-483-3072 and let’s chat. (Coaching spots are limited.)

Pictured are some of our current and recent coaching clients at the San Francisco Hot Chocolate run. The ladies all took 2nd in their age groups, and the gentleman took 3rd! You don’t have to be fast to have a coach, but so far every GFC coached athlete has improved their performance!

Off to the race next weekend — the Chicago Marathon! Good luck ladies! You’re ready!!

A challenging and successful day for a few of our runners yesterday at Brazen Racing’s Dirty Dozen! One team ran the six hour relay, the other the twelve, both in the two person division — and they both took first! Diana and her son were in second much of the day but persevered and came back for the win with 71.6 miles. The six hour team with Ashleigh and Chris managed 44.21 miles, gritting it out through some gut issues. Congratulations to everyone who participated and thanks to Brazen for such an awesome event!

Athlete Profile: Michael

Mike came to me about three years ago to help him get going with distance running -- initially a half marathon I believe, but that quickly spiraled out of control. We began with a running form assessment and an online program with constant updates. He has gone on to complete much longer distances with 50K, 50 mile and 100K finishes under his belt. The first picture is from the Mammoth lakes area on a very challenging course (doesn't he look happy?!) Mike has since elected to self-coach and we stay in touch, with Good Fit Coaching wishing him all the best.

Michael's Age Group: 40-45

Good Fit Coaching: When did you start running and why?

Michael: We all start running but then we stop but then I started again once I realized I didn’t have large swath of time to exercise against parenting. There was a joy in lacing up and running out the door. It maximized my time. I suppose it was a limiting belief at the time because as I’ve continued to run I’ve come to find time in all kinds of creative ways which has made me a better human, husband, and father.

GFC: What's your favorite race and favorite distance?

Michael: I think my favorite ‘race’ if you want to call it that is the Point Reyes FKT (Fastest Known Time) which is a 36 mile loop through the most pristine California coast. At the moment I have the fastest unassisted time but plan to keep running that loop as a training loop / FKT attempt for other longer races. I just love being in Point Reyes for a day of running

GFC: What's the best thing about having a coach?

Michael: Being able to simply execute the training. We are all busy so trusting your coach will get you to the finish line feeling fresh and having fitness is a great feeling. It’s also helpful to share with your coach how you’re feeling week to week and adjusting as needed to life’s circumstances.

GFC: What's your most memorable achievement as a runner? (Or a cherished memory.)

Michael: Running with Dean Karnazes (and my training mate Daniel Voit) for 5 miles at the Golden Gate Trail Classic 50k. At some point Dean pulled off the trail. I guess we out ran him? Also, running my first 50k, 50 miler, and 100k.

GFC: What has running given you that you don't get from other parts of your life?

Michael: Connecting mindfully with a body that still has life to it. It’s a joy to move, be healthy, and connect to my inner athlete.

If you want to bring your running to the next level, hit that PR, maybe qualify for Boston, give me a call! Can't promise you'll end up running 100 kilometers at several thousand feet of elevation, but...maybe! 707-483-3072

Fantastic group of runners this morning at the Windsor Half, 10k and 5k races. A perfect California day for running, low 50s at the start, no wind, and overcast that burned off just in time for the after party! Woo hoo! It’s a pleasure to coach these athletes.

These two ladies are running buddies in the truest sense, always there for each other, on and off the road. Their consistency is inspirational, running year round in all kinds of weather, and not letting work get in the way of self-care. It's been an honor to be a part of their training!

Good Fit Coaching: What age group are you in?

Kelly, 55, Diane, 57. We like it when we’re not in the same age group. 😃

GFC: When did you start running? More importantly, when did you start running together?

Kelly – I was one of those people who was convinced that I could not run. Due to some major life changes, I needed to add something healthy to my routine so, in 2013, I signed up for the Fleet Feet Couch to 5k and gave running a try. It didn’t kill me, so I signed up for the 10k Training Group. After the 10k I realized that running was incredibly therapeutic and was keeping me in shape without having to go to a gym. The next race I signed up for was the Nike Women’s Half Marathon and joined the Fleet Feet Training Group to get me prepared.


Diane - I started to run short distances by myself in 2010, mostly around Spring Lake. In 2014, I signed up for my first race. My daughter asked me to run with her in the Nike Women’s Half Marathon. This race was a lottery system. My daughter got in because she was a college student. I didn't get chosen in the lottery, so I joined the Fleet Feet training group for a guaranteed spot in the race. This is where Kelly and I met.

In this training group, we would always end up in the middle of the pack. We were a little shy so we would stay a safe distance away from each other. During a mid-week training run, Coach Patrick said to us “you two have the same pace; why don’t you run together?” We’ve been inseparable ever since!

GFC: What’s your favorite race and distance?

We have two favorites: The Hot Chocolate 15k in San Francisco and the Cloverdale Vineyard Race Half. These events are the ones that we have repeated year after year due to the beauty of the courses. The 2015 Hot Chocolate 15k was the first event that we did together outside of the organized training group. There have been so many more since then that we have lost count.

GFC: What’s the best thing about having a coach?

For us, the best things about having a coach are structure, motivation and having a knowledgeable person at our fingertips to ask questions. Although it’s cool to get a PR occasionally, we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We do feel that by participating in “Torture Tuesday” (hills and speed work), we have accidentally become better runners.

GFC: What are the best and worst memories from your running career?

Other than crippling soreness after an event, we can’t really recall any bad memories. We did miss the last shuttle from Emeryville to the Hot Chocolate 15k starting line in 2018. Neither one of us had the Uber app on our phone so we called a taxi service. The cab smelled bad, it cost us $50 and the driver’s San Francisco driving skills were terrifying! He got us to the start line with a couple minutes to spare and now it’s kind of a fun story.

Kelly – My best running memory was crossing the finish line at the Honolulu Marathon in 2019. Completing a marathon was on my bucket list and my plan was that it would be my one and only. Diane trained with me up to the 20 miler, so she was with me in spirit and I did fundraising for Team and Training/LLS so I was running with a purpose. It was hot and humid but the crowd support, thinking about people who can’t run due to illness and knowing my family was waiting for me at the finish kept me going. After crossing the finish line, I made a bee line for the shower and cried. My race time was nothing to write home about but the feeling of accomplishment was amazing!

Diane - It’s hard for me to choose my best race memory because all my races have been good. I run races just to finish, not to PR. My first half-marathon in 2014 was the Nike Women's Half Marathon. I ran it with my eldest daughter which was special and it made me want to do more.

In 2021, I completed my first and only marathon, the CIM. It was memorable to me because I got Kelly to run it with me and my kids came to cheer me on with a "Go Mom" sign. I was so happy to see them and the feeling of accomplishment after completing 26.2 miles was awesome! [Coach Patrick edit: Diane's only marathon SO FAR.]

GFC: If you could run with anyone, who would you like to go for an easy 5 miles with?

Each other, of course.

These four ladies completed the Avenue of the Giants Half Marathon this past weekend and had a great time. Avenue is in contention for the most beautiful race in the world, in my opinion, and is well worth the trip to Northern California!

Athlete profile: Ashleigh

Good Fit Coaching:
Age Group? 40-45

GFC: When did you start running?
I was "forced" to run for sports throughout high school, but didn't start enjoying it more until college where I played DIII lacrosse. I didn't have much time to run through medical school or residency, but I ran my first race, a 5K, in 2011 and my first half marathon in 2013. I didn't start seriously running until I started a 40 day run streak in 2017 which ended up lasting 900 days. I honestly never considered myself a serious runner until that streak.

GFC: Favorite race and favorite distance?
My favorite distance is the 10K because I am still fully functional after racing! The IPA 10K is probably my favorite race because it ends on an awesome downhill so you feel like you can finish strong. Plus, who doesn't like a good beer festival at the end of a race?

GFC: Best thing about having a coach?
There are so many things, but I think the accountability is a big one. I sometimes work crazy long, busy days so it can be easy to say "I am too tired" or "it's too late" to run, but the schedule coach gives me keeps me on target and focused. I also like that I get works outs I would never do on my own because they seem "too hard" or something I am not capable of. Coach knows how to push me when I need that added push, but he also knows when to tell me to slow down, relax, and not worry about pace or distances. I have become a much stronger, more consistent, and faster runner thanks to coach! I can't imagine not having a coach these days.

GFC: Most memorable achievement(s) as a runner?
Definitely getting my BQ at CIM in 2021. I trained insanely hard for the race, but knew it would be super close if I would make the cut off or not. When I started to tire towards the end of the race, I remember trying to do math to figure out how fast I still needed to run my last few miles in order to BQ. I came in with a 1 minute 1 second cushion and for months I worried it wouldn't be enough. What a relief when I found out I got in!

GFC: Ashleigh is accepted to the 2023 Boston Marathon, we'll have updates on how she did later!

Psyched to have not one but two training groups from come into Studio Fitness for some runner-specific strength exercises. Strengthen and protect those hips, and keep your core strong!

Medal Monday! Coach Patrick is extremely proud of his runners who ran yesterday! One came down with a cold the day before, and one has been dealing with an injury but everyone finished. Some first time marathoners, two massive PRs, and one Boston qualifier!! What a day, congratulations to all!

CIM 2022 runners waiting to start! They’ve followed their personal training plans and worked very hard to make their marathon a success, now they just have to run the thing! Great work team!

I volunteered at a local half marathon/10k/5k this morning and ran into Michael before the start. Michael went pretty much from the couch to running ultras just a few years later, and it’s been so fun to see his transformation and I’m honored to be a part of it. A road half is a little outside what he’s been training for lately, but he still killed it and placed 2nd in his AG! The race was Clo Cow which hopefully explains his outfit. 😁