Summary: Kaitlin Gregg is an elite distance runner specializing in the 10K. She competed in cross-country and track at Davis Senior High School in Davis, California under the watchful eye of her coach and father, Bill Gregg. Kaitlin attended college in her hometown and ran track and XC for 5 years at the University of California, Davis. There, she and teammate Kim Conley were the first UC Davis student-athletes to compete at the NCAA Division 1 Cross-Country National Championships. Kaitlin joined the New Balance Silicon Valley elite running team and for 2 years trained with her eye on the 2012 Olympic Trials. She achieved the Olympic Trials "B" Standard in the 10,000 meters, running 33:01, but came up just short of the "A" Standard (32:45) and narrowly missed a shot at competing in the Trials by just 16 seconds. Although she wasn't on the starting line at the 2012 Trials, Kaitlin is looking ahead to future US Championships on the track and on the roads and ultimately, the 2016 Olympic Trials. Her story is one that is sure to resonate with anyone still working everyday on achieving a running goal, trying, not quite getting there, but picking up and going at it again. In this episode, Kaitlin and I chat about: Her beginnings in the sport while focusing on many athletic pursuits The importance of putting out a big challenging goal and going public about it How to take seemingly impossible goals and put them within your reach How she personally keeps on track and the daily tactics she uses to stay motivated Where to draw the motivation to keep running during prolonged slumps What to do if you lose the joy of running How to break the cycle of bad workouts and races The pros and cons of training by yourself vs. training in a group The benefits of learning to run by feel and how it can improve your race results What is going through her mind during high stakes competition Kaitlin's mantra "running joyfully" and what it means We also chat about her perspective of approaching her marathon debut, and how similar the thoughts of an elite athlete are to anyone that signs up for a full 26.2 miles. You'll also hear how Kaitlin also faces the same challenges you do in getting out the door, holding herself accountable and remaining committed to the big picture. Quick Tip Tips to counteract the negative effects of being seated at a desk job all day on your posture and running. Links Mentioned in the Show RunningJoyfully.com - Kaitlin's Blog Runner Academy Podcast: Behind The Mic - Tour behind the scenes of the podcast Posture Exercises - Posture correcting exercises GeekDesk.com - Adjustable height desk used at Runner Academy Varidesk.com - Adjustable height desk
