Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaci Wilson.
Hi Jaci, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story started when I fell in love with running because of how it made me feel and it gave my mind a rest from the constant thoughts rolling through my head with work, my Master’s degree and studying for the CPA exam. After running my first half marathon and feeling awful I KNEW I could do better. With a Master’s in Accounting, I’m driven by numbers and figuring out ways to improve numbers (or my time and pace in this case).
Through my own journey, I learned how much nutrition and strength training impacted running, YET at the time (2018), I rarely heard or saw anyone talking about the importance of them. I only heard “run more miles” or “run faster.” So I dove into the topics and learned as much as I could while also sharing with others. I started helping others with what I call “ALL THE THINGS” – strength training, nutrition, sleep, rest, life stress, mindset, mobility, etc. – all the things that impact running outside of a run. With the success that I personally had, as well as the success I was seeing from those who I shared the information, I started a business to continue to spread the word and help more runners.
In the beginning, I was focused on “ALL THE THINGS” outside of a training plan because that’s what I saw was missing – run coaches focused on the structured training plans and runs but not a lot helped with the other training principles (ALL THE THINGS). However, not all my clients had run coaches and were asking me for recommendations. I had an interest in creating training plans, so why not get certified?
I got my run coach certification from Road Runners of America (RRCA) and am now able to help more runners by offering a holistic approach to running and training. I build training plans for their goals and races (Although not all my clients are training for races. Some are new to running, some have no desire to race anymore, and some are focused on other things in life while using running to benefit their mental health. Every runner has a different focus with different goals.) – yet I still talk about “ALL THE THINGS,” I don’t just talk about the training plan – which days they have to run and how far. I make sure they are strength training and fueling their bodies properly. I help them understand how their stress level is playing into how they feel on their runs. I talk through different situations in life that may be trickling into their running/training so that we can address the root cause. I make sure they are prioritizing rest and recovery and working on their mindset. It all makes a difference. And this is where I’m at today. I absolutely love getting to know my clients and helping them understand the parallels between running and life – any lesson that pops up during training can be applied to life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
If the road is smooth, I’m leery of what is to come! There have been bumps and detours along the way but I think that there is a lesson to be learned in every situation and there is a meaning behind everything. Then it’s up to me to actually listen to the lesson being thrown at me by life and do something with it.
The biggest obstacle I’ve encountered has been burnout. Stress and lack of sleep while working in public accounting, studying for the CPA exam and training for a marathon, while also trying to keep up with all the other things in life, added up over the years and took its toll on my body in summer/fall 2019. That’s when I started trying to figure out what was actually wrong with all the symptoms that I had. Giving up running to allow my body to heal was one of the hardest things I had to do, BUT it also made me focus on the things that I COULD do.
Being out from running for 14 months helped me relate to runners who were out from running for “typical” injuries and share my story of focusing on ALL THE THINGS (except running). Focusing on sleep, nutrition, mindset, strength training, walking, reducing stress, changing lifestyle around my go-go-go personality, etc. helped me personally but the focus also helped me help other runners, both injured and healthy, realize that there is so much more to running than “just” running. I’ve been able to inspire and motivate other runners to work through obstacles, to never give up when life gets challenging, and to realize that there are so many things that they can do to become stronger, faster, healthier runners, whenever they are able to run again.
Not being able to run also made me quickly realize that my identity was only “a runner” – I felt lost without it and I had to learn that I’m so much more than “just a runner.” I had to relearn my worth in life and reconnect with hobbies like gardening, reading and walking. I’ve been able to help other runners realize this too, helping them reconnect with past hobbies or find new hobbies and things they enjoy doing outside of running. If/when running is taken away, you still can find joy in life.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Flawsome Running?
I help runners run smarter, stronger, faster and healthier by taking a holistic approach to training and running. I build training plans that consider the athlete’s season of life (married, kids, traveling, high-stress job, etc.), life stressors, short-term goals and long-term goals. Each training plan is different from athlete to athlete and also from training cycle to training cycle.
However, training plans don’t just include runs, we discuss “ALL THE THINGS” – strength training, nutrition, mindset, life stress, mental strength, warm-ups/running drills, mobility, sleep, rest, recovery, etc. It seems like a lot and it is, but I help athletes approach it in a way that is not overwhelming or creating a second full-time job for them. We want to build habits and routines that fit INTO life. Training is A PART of life and enhances life when life and training can blend together. That’s why so many people run – the mental health benefits, the physical benefits, the lessons that can be applied to life, and “doing life” is a little bit easier after a run (the obstacles thrown your way are a little bit easier to approach and tackle after a run).
The holistic approach of Flawsome Running is my favorite part of coaching and is what sets how I coach apart from other run coaches. There are amazing run coaches all across the country and world, but the majority of them will only mention these other training aspects – they won’t actually address them.
One of the biggest misconceptions of run coaching is “I’m not a professional/elite runner so I don’t need a coach.” False! Everyone can benefit from having a run coach regardless of age, experience with running, running paces/distances, or goals. Having a coach ensures that you are training properly (reducing your chance of injury or burnout), removes the thinking from training (you have a plan, you just need to do it!), gives you a listening ear, holds you accountable, helps you understand the WHY behind the training, and can make running more enjoyable, productive and fun!
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I think social media, specifically Instagram, can be a great place to network with others. I’ve used it to connect with mentors, clients and business partners. It’s pretty easy to figure out who someone is and what they are about by looking at their page and then starting a conversation – this is how I’ve been able to connect with others who are like-minded, have a service I can benefit from and/or seem like we would work well together.
Pricing:
- Basic Run Coaching $80/mo
- Premium Run Coaching $150/mo
- Premium Plus Run Coaching $250/mo
- Warm-Up for Runners Guide $10
- Off-Season 12-Week Training Plan $120
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jaciwilsonruns.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaci.wilson.runs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaci.ellingson/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpJ75J8dlLOHXU4iqi3rcLQ
