Issue 3

The Agenda

1. Exclusive Interview with Brian Barazza 🧠

2. New Partnership 🏋

3. Training Tip of the Month 💁‍♀️

4. Training Plan of the Month 🗓️

5. Monthly Giveaway! 🆓

Interview with Coach Brian Barazza

Q: Brian! What’s up man? How are you doing this Holiday season?

Austin, my dude! I'm good. I've been able to see my family a lot more in the past couple of months than I usually do and it's been delightful. The holiday season is always an interesting time when it comes to balancing life outside of sport with the demands of training.

Q: In addition to running, tell us a little about yourself. What are you doing when you’re not training? Feel free to show us a few things

Running is a relatively small part of who I am, all things considered. I'm a relentlessly curious individual with passions centered on movement, understanding, and connection.

Recently I've been:

Rock climbing

I'm pretty new to the sport, but it's been a nice form of supplemental strength work that increases my body awareness and provides a great opportunity to work on mental strategies. I'm working on getting my lead certification.

Creating art (peep the new work 👀)

I've been watching videos on YouTube that have really helped me push myself artistically. Getting more energy and life into my pieces when I used to keep them very flat and static. I've been enjoying the more painterly feel. For those interested, here's the channel that's made the biggest impact on me.

Reading

I'm set to finish my 28th book of 2022. My top 3 nonfiction books I read this year were:- Johnathan Haidt's "The Righteous Mind", Brad Stulburgs "The Practice of Groundedness", and Eric Barker's "Plays Well With Others". Each has interesting perspectives on consciousness, cultures, communities, presence, and connectedness. My top 3 Fiction books were all in The Sun Eater Series by Christopher Rouccio. I describe these books as "Dune if Dune weren't so slow"*

*Gotta show respect to Dune as a groundbreaking piece for its time, but I didn't enjoy it all that much and I only read the first book as a result. Take this with a grain of salt 😂

Learning about myself and how I relate to the world around me

I've been journaling, meditating, having conversations, and consuming content (books, videos, and podcasts mainly) pretty consistently. Doing this challenges me to examine what I think about concepts and upgrade the frameworks I use to navigate the world. Shoutout to my friend Meredith Sorenson for getting me absolutely hooked on the Finding Mastery podcast. A lot of this work I believe has real effects on how I show up in the world, including how I show up in running.

Putting a lot of energy into building the relationships that are important to me

I mentioned earlier that I've seen my parents more than I usually do and this is partially why. But I've also been focusing on deepening my close personal relationships as well as my relationship with the running community. Part of my personal mission in the sport is to break down the perceived barriers between the community. I want folks to feel like they can reach out to me as they would any of their homies. (Shoot me a message anytime you wanna chat and I'll get back to you as best I can. Doesn't matter what it's about. @brazzledazzle5k)

In addition, I'm also working on some community-centered projects for TME that I'm really excited about. 

Coaching

I've really been enjoying investing in the lives and the running journeys of the athletes I work with. They've been a source of joy for me. I've been able to stay in touch with some of the most beautiful aspects of the sport through their eyes even when training load increases in my own career. It not only keeps things light for me, but I truly enjoy sharing the knowledge I've learned in my 20 years running. Click here to apply for a spot with Brian.

Q: You had a big year last year. 7:45 for 3k, 8:19 for 3k steeple (WCS), and 13:17 for 5k. Were you happy with that, or did you want more?

In running there's always this tendency to push for more. If you run a good race you think to yourself "well it wasn't a PR". But if you PR there's a voice in the back of your mind saying "well it wasn't by that much". If you PR by a large margin, that voice will say "but I didn't break this record". And you know the cycle repeats.

There's also a subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) leaning into the future. Where immediately after your race you're thinking about the next one, regardless of if you're looking to build off what you just did or you're looking for redemption. In this way races become seasons, seasons become years, and years become a career.

I address both these tendencies in myself by doubling down on my process orientation. I frame my mindset around good results as "content but never complacent". There will always be more work to be done. I'll always have more to learn about the sport and myself. The process never ends and you never really "arrive".

Even when races don't go my way, the thing that determines if it was a "bad" race is if I couldn't execute the plan. This is where goal setting becomes really important. I try to internalize goals that are inherently controllable, like "get to 2 miles then relax your shoulders and go to work". Regardless of where I find myself in the pack I can always control that.

At bedrock, all you can really do is be a good steward of the opportunity. To not squander the chance to do something that impacts the people around you. This is all a long-winded way of saying I'm stoked with what I was able to do last year, but I'm definitely excited to push myself to my limits.

Q: So, you’re doing the Houston Half-Marathon in January. What the hell is that about?!

There are really two parts to this for me. I was reflecting on what worked well for me last year and felt that the increased emphasis on strength from jumping in with Reed during the fall, coupled with the increased mileage all season, was essential. I thought about what would help me get the most out of strength work and decided having my own half-marathon build to focus on would do the trick. Houston is perfectly timed so I can recover and hammer track work to get into shape for the outdoor season, building off this foundation. It's also something of a homecoming for me because I went to college at UH and would watch the marathon every year with my friends, many of whom will be there when I'm racing this year.

The second part stems from the length of my career in running. I've run many of the same races for years now, succumbing to the ease of following the same schedule because it's what I've always done. The half is something that I find exciting and more than a little intimidating. This gives my training an additional sense of purpose and levity. I'm sure this is how Sam felt when he was chasing Delaware's first sub-4, it's just a liiiiiiitle bit longer.

Q: How have you grown as an athlete since you began running for Tinman Elite? Are you doing anything differently now?

This is a tricky one for me to answer, not because I don't believe I've grown, but because I'm such a strong believer in the idea that nothing exists in a vacuum. Who you are as an athlete is who you are as a person and vice versa. The things you learn and the growth you experience flow freely from one domain to the other.

I've grown an incredible amount as a person since joining Tinman Elite. I have a better grasp on who I am and I feel comfortable being that person. I carry myself in a way that is authentic to who I am and holds space for others. I recognize the power I have to connect with people, build community, and make people feel seen. On the strength of these convictions, I've grown less concerned with how others see me and more concerned with how I show up for myself and those closest to me.

I do a lot of things differently now. I protect time for meditation or contemplation and I approach the work (physical and mental) with as few preconceived notions as I can. I journal consistently. I live more mindfully. And I take myself wayyyyy less seriously than I used to.

I also run higher weekly mileage. I try to hover between 85-95 as best I can. A lot of longer long runs in the neighborhood of 18 miles with quality in them. I've stopped counting myself out of workouts just because they're strength-based or look intimidating.

Q: You’ve been in Boulder for a few years now. Have you ever thought about doing something different? Why have you stayed?

Honestly, no. I'm absolutely enamored with Boulder. The running, the mountains, the community, the food. And did I mention the mountains? Having a place of imposing natural beauty helps put me in direct contact with reality, instead of allowing me to be caught up in the whirlwind of thought.

But, the biggest part of why I've stayed is the team. Some of the people I'm closest to in the world live here. Not only that, but I feel like I'm just getting started with the work I'm really passionate about with TME and I'm slowly putting all the pieces together. On a performance, personal, and organizational level. At the end of the day, I think there's so much more that Boulder has to teach me about running, myself, and life.

To me, that's a hell of an opportunity to steward.

THIS EDITION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY 2BEFORE

Hammer & Axe is proud to present our new partnership with 2before. 

2before Performance Nutrition is a New Zealand-based start-up on a mission to help elite and everyday athletes thrive in their chosen sporting endeavors through the power of one smart berry, the New Zealand Blackcurrant. Scientifically proven to aid cardiovascular endurance, speed up muscle recovery and strengthen immunity. Clean, simple, plant-based pre-workout that helps you get more out of the work you put in.

Our coaches have been all over this product, using both the non-caffeinated and caffeinated versions before lifts, long runs, track workouts, and even post-run for the recovery benefits! Scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter for details on a 2before giveaway!

Use code HAX10 for $10 off your purchase

Training Tip of the Month!

Training Tip: Find a good time to fuel up before workouts

Fueling is reallllly important and is something that a lot of athletes place little importance on. It's vital to find a time that works for you to eat before workouts and long runs. I'd suggest ~ an hour prior, but if you have a sensitive stomach, it might be better to eat sooner. The staple fueling option for me is peanut butter toast with a banana and honey, but really anything with a nice blend of easily digestible carbs will do. (I'm not a dietician, this is just what works for me) - Coach Brian

Something to try:

I've been using 2before's caffeinated blend of pre-workout before long runs and workouts. I love the caffeine boost and also find it digestible and easy on my GI. It's hard to find products that accomplish both of those things. The caffeine boost is comparable to the Maurten CAF Gels that I was using before and the price point is a bit lower - Austin

Training Plan of The Month!

Training Plan: Intermediate Marathon 5-6x/wk by Brian Barraza

This plan assumes you have experience running 5-6 times each week with workouts and long runs. The program will build up training volumes and intensities to help you develop aerobic capacity, muscular fitness, and familiarity with running hard on tired legs. One major difference from the more introductory programs is the introduction of a strength program.

Pay attention to the rhythms and patterns that emerge from week to week. And check every entry for a note. This is an educational program that coaches towards autonomy. If you know what you’re doing and why it helps you navigate and explore the running world.

To get the most out of this plan, focus on running the assigned efforts, and don’t worry too much about the paces or mileage you actually cover. Focus on your sleep, nutrition, and hydration. These all play into your body’s ability to recover from the training load and be better prepared for the next effort.

GIVEAWAY!

Last Month's Winner: Miles J Malloy

Congrats on winning the prize pack. We'll be emailing you shortly so you can claim your winnings!

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