The lowest points of my life have always preceded the biggest upswings. In 2011 I hit my first big low point as a wife and parent and realized how integral running was to my life before taking aggressive steps to reclaim its space in my life. 2013 brought a second low point when I looked for help and couldn't find it, so I decided to become the coach I was looking for. In 2014 I spent $300 of our emergency funds to get my RRCA certification, and got my first coaching job the very next day.

That job was a 25-minute drive each way and paid $70 per week and cost $80 in babysitter money and pizza for the kids, but I came alive again. I LIVED for Wednesday nights; I never wanted Saturday mornings to end, staying as late as 1pm to make sure all of my runners felt #coachedandloved and totally foam-rolled before heading home. I traveled with my runners. I tracked every single race. I was ALL IN ALL THE TIME. I knew the pace I had set wasn't sustainable, but I also didn't know if the job would last so I savored every minute of the happiness I'd fought so hard for.

I tell you that to tell you this: I never, ever expected to monetize my habit much less turn it into a career. I still don't think of myself as an athlete and honestly probably didn't think of myself as a 'runner' until 2011. What I needed was a purpose outside my home and a tether to the running community, something beyond liking or commenting on a Facebook page but what I got was something else entirely. I found my voice, my true self, and I'm never gonna let her go.

That said, something has to give. I have 4 children now and can't drive 25 minutes away anymore. I can't travel as much as I used to, and when I'm with my kids they need me to be all-in not checking my phone every 5 minutes to respond to workout notifications. Letting go of the role and so many of the people who changed me is BEYOND hard, and I'm still hyper-aware that it could all be gone tomorrow so I'm savoring the happiness, cherishing the memories and aligning my best next step with my secret goals.

Next week, The Amazing Dr. Coach Sarah Axelrod will take over the #CoachedandLoved brand and community while I work on creating and growing its parent company, Fitness Protection. CoachedandLoved is the antidote to all the abusive nonsense that permeates our culture: your body does NOT need to be beaten into submission, it is not a problem to be solved. We work hard and take credit for that work. We celebrate our wins. No shame. No judgment. Not ever. That ethos will reverberate throughout every community under the FPP banner, you will be #coachedandloved everywhere you go in Fitness Protection, even if you don't want to wear the super awesome ampersand-heart logo on your chest.

As FPP grows and adds new communities and brands under its tentpole, the coaching and our approach to fitness will never change. We will never segregate on the basis of pace. We will not sit idly by when you discount your own badassery. We will meet you where you are at and help you determine your best next step, free from shame and unnecessary pressure, at every stage in your fitness journey. We see you, we know what you are capable of, and we cannot WAIT to show you.

You are Coached. You are Loved. And you ARE winning at life. If everything is gone tomorrow, we will always be profoundly grateful that you were here with us today. May the low point of 2018 precede the biggest upswing YET!

xoxoxoxo

Coach MK

Over the past 5 years, I have developed two distinct voices and approaches for the two very different audiences I was serving. Starting September 1, each voice will warrant its own brand. As such, there will be two newsletters: this one, CoachedandLoved from Coach Sarah, and Fitness Protection from Coach MK. You may subscribe to either or neither or both, depending on which voice is the best fit for you. Watch for the FPP Newsletter in your inbox with opt-in instructions.