Abigail Lock Sports Nutrition & Wellness Coaching

🫀Heart rate training is the practice of using specific heart rate zones to guide the intensity and duration of workouts to improve fitness and performance. 💪

As a follow up to the article I wrote, I’ll break down a few key points in separate posts 🔑 👇

I think it’s important to recognize that heart rate training isn’t for everyone! It’s one method of training, but certainly not the only one.

Some food for thought if you decide to embrace heart rate training:

1️⃣ Some runs will take longer to complete. You will probably find that you need to slow down–particularly on your easy runs in zones 1 and 2.

2️⃣You’ll need to be patient. Aerobic development takes time; it’s not a game of days and weeks, but rather months and years. Your fitness improvements won’t be dramatic overnight changes, and training response will vary from person to person.
But you might start to notice your heart rate getting a bit lower for the same paces after a couple of months.

Curious about how you might implement heart rate training or another method of monitoring training stress? Let’s chat! 💬

I offer personalized, 1:1 monthly endurance and/or sports nutrition coaching to help you chase your goals, and of course, the thrill of running ⛰️🫶

When to do strength work, and when to prioritize running…this is the question. 🤔

Honestly, there is no straightforward, blanket answer that will apply to everyone, but it’s safe to say that you should keep your easy days easy, so that means you should avoid smashing yourself in the gym on a recovery day.

Targeting one hard running workout each week, uncompromised from lifting, is one of the best ways to balance heavy lifting and high run volume/intensity.

The rest of your running workouts? Well, the reality is that you’re going to have to tough it out and be sore. 🤷‍♀️ There’s no shortcut around it. If you’re not always progressing your lifting program, your body will grow accustomed to the load over time…but that period of time is different for everyone, and it can take a while.😳

In general, try to keep your short and spicy intervals or sprints on the fresh side of your week. Conversely, long intervals, tempo runs, long runs, and easy runs can be done with lingering muscle soreness.

To better manage muscle damage, be sure you’re eating enough protein throughout the day and post-workout. Eating enough in general also promotes better recovery between sessions!

How do you balance lifting and running? No strength work in your program? Let’s chat. 💬

⛰️Uphill running—you either love it or hate it! But either way, becoming a better uphill runner will only benefit your performance.

These are just a few basic tips I’d give to someone who is trying to improve their uphill skills. 💪

What do you prefer? Uphill ⬆️ or down ⬇️

Do you resonate with these? ⛰️🏃‍♀️

Really loving this trend in the running space on social media! 🏃🏻‍♀️⛰️

If I’m honest, there’s an endless list of advice I’d love to give to new runners (and my past self), but these ideas came to mind first. 👇

1️⃣ Weight loss and peak performance do not go hand in hand. If your goals are to be the best runner you can be, weight loss shouldn’t be a focus in your training program. My clients who want to improve body composition have my support through the process during the appropriate time of year.

2️⃣ Lifting heavy is not only great for injury prevention, but it also can improve your hormonal health and bone density. Load your spine, don’t be afraid of heavy weights (with the appropriate progression, of course)! All of my endurance clients receive strength programs complimentary to their running goals. 💪

3️⃣ Running the same workout and pace everyday—whether slow or fast— will eventually lead to a plateau. But running too hard (even if it’s within your aerobic heart rate range) will also hamper your recovery, opening the door for injury risk. Even if you are adhering to Zone 2 training but you’re running fast, it might be time to consider polarizing with some Z1 and higher intensity.

4️⃣ Endurance sports will probably make and break your heart. But as with anything in life, the lows make the highs even sweeter. This lesson is ongoing, and one that even seasoned runners wrestle with. It can take time to figure out coping strategies for the lows (particularly times where you can’t run). Once you start making peace with—and eventually embracing—the ebb and flow, your experience enriches. ☺️

Save and share if one of these nuggets resonate! If you’re wondering about any of these ideas, DM me and we can discuss! 🙌

Swipe for some thoughts 👉 👉

Inspired by ‘s recent post, this my take on looking like vs. being an athlete.

On a more personal note, this simple mindset shift has been incredibly powerful. In the past couple of years, I’ve put in more volume, run faster times, and explored more beautiful places on foot than I ever could have previously. Why? 👇

Because I’ve shifted my own internal narrative. Instead of “I need to look like a runner,” I’ve been telling myself “I’m an athlete and I need to fuel like one.” 🔥

The last time I weighed myself was October 15th, 2023 and I plan on taking a full year off from the scale—maybe even longer. ⚖️

None of this is to say that body composition doesn’t impact athletic performance. It does. BUT it is not the sole determinant or even, dare I say, one of the main factors involved.

As has wisely summed it up, “instead of running so you can eat, eat so you can run.” 🙌

One of the most valuable lessons any runner learn—and one that took me years to come to terms with! 👆

We are all on our own unique journeys in sport! And rather than getting stuck in the “why not me” mentality, we can reframe it.

How do you avoid comparison traps? ⛰️

You don't have to dig deep online to find the low vs. high carb debate. Both sides will use absolutes and definitives. But is tribalism really the best way to approach nutrition? Here's my take.
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Has the excessive intake of highly processed, highly palatable foods loaded with carbohydrates negatively impacted the health of the average American? Absolutely. Does that mean you should immediately cut carbs from your diet? Absolutely not.

I like to view carbohydrates as a tool instead of inherently healthy or unhealthy. Carbohydrate intake is essential for active individuals who want to optimize athletic performance. Carbs replenish muscle glycogen stores and enhance performance--particularly with moderate to high intensity activity.

Depending on your activity level and training load, your carbohydrate requirements will vary. A blanket, one-size-fits-all daily carbohydrate number is not going to get you the results you want.

The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (AND), Dietitians of Canada (DC), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that daily carbohydrate intakes should range from 3 g per kilogram of body weight per day (g/kg BM/day) for low-intensity activities all the way to 12 g/kg BM/day for endurance athletes with high training loads of 4–5 hours per day (Thomas et al., 2016).

Curious about how to optimize your carbohydrate intake for athletic performance and body composition? Send me a message. Let's chat.

Fueling your body for the work you ask of it is pivotal to both health and athletic performance.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the calories you’re burning during workouts, but that’s not the whole picture.

Your total daily energy expenditure includes your basal metabolic rate (BMR), Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT), and Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), and the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF).

🫁BMR: Accounts for 60-75% of your daily energy expenditure. This is the energy your organs, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue require to function. At rest, muscle tissue burns more energy than adipose tissue does! 💪

🏋️‍♀️EAT: This is the energy you use to fuel the fun stuff: structured workouts! Most models agree you burn 5% of your daily energy expenditure here.

🚶NEAT: This is the energy you burn from unstructured activity (I.e fidgeting, walking, standing, sitting). It accounts for roughly 15% of your energy expenditure each day.

🍗TEF: Meal composition matters! It takes energy to metabolize the food you eat. 10% of your daily energy expenditure is from digesting, absorbing, metabolizing, and storing macronutrients. Fat storage requires 3% of the meal’s energy and carb storage as glycogen requires 7% of the meal’s energy. The cost of synthesizing and breaking down protein tops the other two macros with 24% of a meal’s energy.

I used to STRUGGLE with gut health. Constantly feeling bloated and heavy as a highly active athlete is zero fun.

Here are 5 practices I regularly implement to support gut health and motility.

Curious about how you can address digestive issues in your daily routine, DM me!

Sardines might be at the bottom of the food chain in the ocean, but they really should be a dietary staple for all. With exceptional omega 3, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium content, sardines are a true “superfood”. Plus, since they only eat plankton, sardine mercury content is much lower than that of other fish.

I’ll admit that stand-alone sardines are rather off-putting. I dress them up with fresh veggies and a couple of eggs over easy.

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Fun fact:
depending on how you prepare this bowl and how many eggs you add, you can take in anywhere from 2g of EPA and DHA to 2.2g, and that is not including the ALA conversion from the chia and h**p! As a general guide, your average egg contains ~125mg of omega-3 fatty acids.

In the spirit of it seems appropriate to shed light on the reality of motivation.

Motivation only takes us so far in life; if we need constant motivation, we’re bound to burn out. It requires cultivating something deeper.

I’m reminded of the quote, “discipline is the cornerstone of freedom.” If we maintain consistency, we create habits, and those habits feed long term results. It may sound counterintuitive that routine facilitates freedom, but when you are constantly having to motivate yourself to make the right decisions for your health/fitness, you’re bound to fatigue eventually. Having discipline frees your mind and creativity to channel energy elsewhere.

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Thinking about trying a juice cleanse to kick off the new year? My advice…DON’T. 👎
Juice cleanses are largely a marketing ploy to convince you that buying expensive juices or juicing equipment is necessary to kickstart your health. While it may be tempting to try something novel and drastic, take a minute to consider these three points!
1.) Fruits and vegetables are largely composed of glucose and fructose (sugar). When you strip the fiber from plants in the juicing process, you are left with sugar and some vitamins. Unfortunately, sugar affects the body in the same way regardless of if you consume it via juice or soda. 🤷🏻‍♀️
2.) Juice cleanses are marketed as “detoxifying,” but unfortunately the science doesn’t agree. You’re better off adopting a whole-foods based diet and eliminating processed food. This will actually support your detoxification organs (kidneys, liver, skin, lungs, intestines) better than juicing will.
3.) Weight loss from juicing for multiple days is not magic. It is simply an extreme caloric deficit. It is a deficit that is not sustainable, and one that deprives the body of protein which is vital to the retention of lean body mass in weight loss phases ( caloric deficit).
Curious about what you should do instead of the juice cleanse? DM me! Let’s chat 💬

Avocados aren’t just a millennial craze. This nutrient-dense fruit, also known as the alligator pear, is a staple in my diet, and maybe yours too?
🥑Dietary fiber is not only helpful for your digestion, but it also reduces your risk for diabetes and heart disease.

🥑Lower in carbohydrates than most fruits, avocados are great for keto, paleo, and whole-food vegan diets. Plus the high fat content makes 🥑 a great catalyst for vitamin absorption!

🥑 You can use avocado in desserts or with savory dishes due to its neutral flavor.

🥑1/2 of an avocado has more potassium than a banana!
🥑Vitamin K supports bone health. 1 avocado has 32% of the daily value of vitamin K.

🥑Folate supports mood, cell function, and red blood cell formation.

🥑Avocados contain phytochemicals and carotenoids that may prevent cancer and age-related macular degeneration.

🥑Avocado oil has a smoke point of 520 degrees F, making it more ideal for cooking at higher temps than coconut oil or olive oil.
How do you use avocado in your meals? 🥑

The key is determining what kind of stress you’re experiencing. Acute stress lasts only a few days or so. You may feel wrecked by an event or experience, but the effect is rather fleeting. Long-term chronic stress is different. It lasts much longer and permeates your subconscious, disrupts sleep, and inhibits normal functioning.

What better opportunity to reintroduce myself than the first day of 2023?
Hi! My name is Abby and I'm the owner and founder of Vital Ascent Coaching. I specialize in sports nutrition combined with holistic health practices. I'm an endurance athlete passionate about supporting others in reaching their personal pinnacle of wellness and performance (their "Vital Ascent" if you will). In our modern world of convenience, we have sacrificed long-term health in the name of comfort and convenience. I'm of the belief that health is our greatest asset in life, so it is my role to advise clients as they navigate the greatest investment they will ever make: themselves.
#2023

Injury prevention through strength work is the best way to make sure you can make the most out of your long days on the mountain 🏔️

What recovery elements do you implement to be proactive rather than reactive?
DM me if you want to optimize your health and wellness in 2023!

The final B vitamins! Here are some food ideas for eating B6, B7, B9, and B12.
Did you miss the previous two posts on how to eat your vitamins? Check my page for those resources and save them for later!

Maybe you saw my post last week about eating your fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K)? Well, this week take a look at eating foods rich in 4 of the water-soluble B vitamins.
This is particularly important information for my friends!

The only diet that works is the one you’ll actually stick to. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Week-long cleanses, month-long resets, and pre-packaged food programs do not deliver long-term results. Diets that eliminate entire nutrient groups do not deliver long-term results (for most people).
Making change requires patience, creativity, and dedication. You CAN do this.

When I say I take a “food first approach,” this is what that means!
Here are some ideas for eating foods rich in the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Keep in mind that most Vitamin D is synthesized by your body when you expose skin to sunlight. It is difficult/likely impossible to fulfill your D3 needs from food alone.
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Whether you’re an athlete or someone who is seeking to improve your baseline fitness, these tips can help you through the winter months! These tips are applicable throughout the year, but especially important during winter.
As a general guide, maximize recovery and stress mitigation. Minimize controllable stressors. Cherish time spent with loved ones. Spend time and energy on reflection, enjoying the present, and planning for a successful new year.
Want support in your 2023 journey? I’m accepting new athlete and wellness clients now! Let’s schedule a FREE consultation.
#2023

I love this quote. What seems easy today might not serve our long-term vision. If we’re aligned with our goals at the heart level, daily distractions can’t pull us from our purpose.

Want to try dairy-free desserts? The holidays are the perfect time to experiment with homemade recipes. I’ll be sharing one of my favorites tomorrow!
Adding avocado as a base to desserts is a great way to get more balanced fats and fiber in your diet.