MINI FEATURE | Kelly Babcock: Q+A
Photo courtesy of Kelly Babcock
Kelly Babcock started training with Boulder Underground, remotely under Nicole Bush, in the winter of 2020. She’s decided to cross-train more and run less this winter to combat seasonal depression as she trains through another Michigan winter.
Why personalized coaching?
After years of getting into cycles of disordered exercising/eating habits, I decided that having a personalized coach to hold me accountable would be incredibly beneficial to my overall health and longevity as an athlete.
How did you find the Boulder Underground?
I found Boulder Underground through a friend who has been training under Nicole’s coaching for a long time (s/o S. Brewer).
What was on your mind when you talked with Nicole for the first time?
Honestly, I was super excited and a little nervous. I was just coming off an injury that has taken me out of running for about 3 months and I had no idea how my body was going to react; so talking about running/goals was exciting but also intimidating.
What were your expectations?
I expected her to be super down to earth and informative (which she was). I went into the conversation as an opportunity to start fresh with my training/habits.
How do you like being coached by Nicole?
Being coached by Nicole has been a game-changer for me. Life gets busy and stressful, Nicole has always found a way to adjust my training to accommodate and conquer training goals during my most hectic weeks.
What’s your favorite part of being coached by Nicole with Boulder Underground?
I love how personalized Nicole’s / Boulder Underground’s training is. Nicole has a sound training philosophy, and she can adapt that philosophy into my schedule week after week. I always feel like I’m working in the right direction towards my goals.
What growth have you seen in the past year+?
I think the bulk of my growth has come with learning how to manage/change my mindset when it came to over running/exercising. That’s an area I have struggled with in the past, which lead to a lot of setbacks. Over the past year I’ve learned to value rest days without feeling anxious or guilty about taking them. That’s major.
What has been challenging?
I have never really trained based on heart rate, that definitely was a challenge and took some getting used to.
What are you looking forward to over the next year?
I’m really excited to just keep building and gaining fitness. With no races on the horizon (due to COVID), we changed my training a bit to reflect that. I think gaining fitness and strength will be the mindset until racing returns.
How have you handled training through COVID so far?
It comes in waves - some weeks I feel like I’m handling it really well and revel in the fact that I can “just train” without races in mind. Other weeks it gets super monotonous and I feel “blah”. I think that’s really normal for all athletes right now.
What gets you through?
So far the good weeks have outweighed the “blah” weeks. When I’m feeling less optimistic I try to emphasize (to myself) that I just need to get out the door. Those are the weeks that I find myself hitting trails or new places to run, it ends up being about exploring rather than running. That has made a huge difference.
What’s your least favorite part of no races?
I really miss competing! That’s definitely my least favorite part about no races, not having those moments to compete. A very close second to least favorite is the racing atmosphere, I miss that a lot too.
But what’s your favorite part of no races?
I have really enjoyed letting go of the “deadline” mindset when it comes to my training/fitness. I feel like I’ve been able to enjoy getting fit over the last 6 months without feeling rushed or pressured by an upcoming race.
What do your winter training plans look like and why?
After talking it over with Nicole, I decided that training by minutes, as well as working out in ways other than just running (etc indoor biking, cross country skiing) is going to be best for me this winter. I’ve run through the last 7 winters and by Spring I’ve felt worn out mentally and physically. I figured I might as well try something new this winter to avoid that springtime slump.
What’s your favorite type of training day (easy day, recovery day, workout day, long run day, double day, etc.)?
I love double days!
What are you looking forward to in the next couple of months?
I’m really looking forward to seeing how my winter training goes and how it carries over to my running fitness come springtime!
Anything else you’d like to add?
Training with Nicole / BU has been a game-changer. If you’re someone who is looking for a personalized program, definitely go check them out!
You can follow Kelly and her running stories on Instagram @its_babss.