How Natalie Miano Leveled up her Performance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full Transcript

[00:00:06] Rich Ryan: [00:00:06] today, we have Natalie Miano who is a Spartan pro team member who is fresh, a fresh off of a podium finish at the only sport newest national series race this year in Jacksonville. So we do a deep dive on how she has prepared herself to level up her performance. We talk about the mindset of the pros during COVID, and we talk about how to navigate the stages of injuries and how to create a positive distractions.

[00:00:31] Since Natalie has found herself. In that there was injuries, sages posts, Jacksonville. So it was a great conversation. She has a ton of positive energy and delivers an awesome message. So let’s just dive right in Natalie

[00:00:48] and we are on Natalie Miano is here. What’s going on, Natalie? How are

[00:00:51] Natalie Miano: [00:00:51] you? I’m doing good. Thanks for having me on Rachel. I appreciate it.

[00:00:54] Rich Ryan: [00:00:54] Of course. Thanks for taking the time. So I feel like you have a lot of great value to bring from like a mindset perspective and just your improvement as an athlete and, kind of how to juggle everything with being a mother.

[00:01:05] And I do want to touch on that, but first I have some random questions for you. We call it the rapport round. Are you ready? I’m ready. All right. Cool. So you are a basketball player, you’re a Hooper. So what is your biggest strength on the

[00:01:16] Natalie Miano: [00:01:16] court? gosh, you know what I was, well, I say what is, because I’m not playing basketball much anymore.

[00:01:22]but I was really, really well rounded, but I was probably agility fast, like super fast, defensively. I was a monster. Like I used to play pickup games and. I was always the one guarding Diana Taurasi. Like I, this is, I was what’d you like, it was, it was my thing. And I mean, I was a ball handler point guard, but when really awesome thing, I always look back to and think like, gosh, I should have used it way more, but I was, really, really, really strong lefthanded.

[00:01:55] Like even though I’m a, I’m a right hand, right. My off hand was super strong. My dad and I developed it, like when I was younger and I probably, I did. 500 left-handed shots a day. That was like, just, that’s how I finished like eight hours of training a day. And I’m so 500 like, well, my, my dad always said like, you know, you can develop the left and you would be so strong.

[00:02:17] Cause I mean, we know you can go, right? We know you can shoot, you can do all this available. My last was incredible. I’d be popping like, you know, Like a foot behind the three point line, like I’d be popping three pointers left tangent be good guard me. Yeah. So, that was cool. I mean being five, five, two on a good day.

[00:02:36]I wasn’t, that was definitely like the, the thing that, Oh, that was working against me height, you know? but yeah, I made up for it with that strong lift. Yeah. Because I mean, you know, you, can’t, it’s hard to guard somebody and make them go right. And make them go, you know, what are you going to do?

[00:02:50] So, yeah. Yeah. Make me go. Right. I used to love that. So.

[00:02:53] Rich Ryan: [00:02:53] So they, so you would, would they play you straight up then? Or would you show them right to start and then go left? Or was there strategy behind that? Or were you

[00:03:01] Natalie Miano: [00:03:01] just like, whatever, she, it was like a straight up, like you choose it’s your choice and it, they always chose make them go make me go left.

[00:03:09] And it was like, so now I look back and I think, you know, I kind of feel like I was a little bit mentally. I don’t know. Like I tried to, instead of like letting the game come to me more, I think one of my weaknesses was like, I went to try to control how I thought the game should go. And I was like pressured in a lot of ways because I had like, my whole, like, my teams were very weak.

[00:03:33] My coaches were weak. Like everything was just weak, weak, weak, and, I kind of felt like I was like, I don’t want to look like I’m like shooting every shot. And now I look back, I’m like, I should have shot every shot. Like, why was the ball not in my hands 24? Like, you know what I mean? Like the whole or whatever I got the whole event.

[00:03:48] And so each quarter it’s like, I should have had the, like, you know, the, the guts to shoot. Left-handed more because then I think about it and I’m like, dude, I, I was, Actually probably way more consistent lefthanded. and, but I always felt like people would like people in the stands, coaches, newspapers, whoever like anybody who is like judging, it would make me feel like I was like, Frivolous, I guess, because I’ll be like, what is she doing?

[00:04:16] You know, it was her left handed, running shot. It’s like, you know, but I would, I would think that was like all day. And I used to, I used to, I stop myself from like shooting them because I feel like nervous that people would say that I’m like, you know, I’m, I’m like clean, Like a basket case or something, like, look at her, she’s just browse over the place and shooting left handed.

[00:04:37] It’s like, but now I think that what an idiot, you know, why did I think these things are, and

[00:04:41] Rich Ryan: [00:04:41] like a, a really tough stigma that gets put on, like the best players would be like a ball hog, right? Like that’s one, right. And like, or selfish. It’s like, well, Again, people might see that as shooting left and right.

[00:04:54] Natalie Miano: [00:04:54] It, it was like, you know, what do they, what do they say, why am I drawing a blank? Like, I’m not a ball. How, you know, they say like a, crown or something, you know, you’re kind of like, I forgot. Like, I dunno, you know, people will say like, you’re, You know, just like people who do like tricks and stuff, like, cause I used to do tricks too.

[00:05:13] I already had that stigma that I was like the fall handler, like the one that’s like, you know,

[00:05:19] Rich Ryan: [00:05:19] globe Trotter type stuff.

[00:05:21] Natalie Miano: [00:05:21] Yeah. So I always felt like I was like, I wanted to be so straight up. I wanted to be so, refined as a basketball player, but I really didn’t have a refined style. I had like

[00:05:30] Rich Ryan: [00:05:30] the opposite.

[00:05:31] Natalie Miano: [00:05:31] Yeah. So now I think back and I go, gosh, you know what? I should just spend like rolling with it and shooting like left-handed all the time and not thinking I was so afraid people would call me, you know, call me out as being a, a ball hug or like a, a basket case. Right.

[00:05:47] Rich Ryan: [00:05:47] I totally get that. And that, and even like, you know, the NBA players, the WNBL players, the best players in the world, I’m sure they have this skill to do similar things and, and work on both hands and, and shoot with a ratio with the left.

[00:05:58] And they still don’t. Right. Like even like the. They they’ll go that way, but pretty much everybody shoots one particular way. So I’m sure that was hard to like wrap your head around. It’s like, well, like, can I do this? No one else in the world really does.

[00:06:09] Natalie Miano: [00:06:09] I still did. I mean, I still would knock down a couple of like, left-hand three pointers, like every game, just because it would then push me laughed and I’d be like, well fine.

[00:06:16] You’re pushing me left. I’m shooting lefthanded. And I wouldn’t get, you know, people would say things and it always bothered me. Like, you know, I mean, and then at the same time, people would be like, Holy crazy. I got in it and I was cool too. So

[00:06:29] Rich Ryan: [00:06:29] imagine as a defender lining up against somebody and preparing to come across my body to defend a shot, and then they pull up a weft, it would just be, you wouldn’t be able to respond in time ever from a good jump shot.

[00:06:43] That’s that’s pretty wild. There’s you use that as your advantage on defense too, because a lefthanded defender has an advantage from right-handed shooter. Cause they can just get their hand and place to use both off hands on, on defense too. Or did you kind of come across as like straight, typical?

[00:06:56] Natalie Miano: [00:06:56] So I think, I, I think I was more like, yeah, like straight, so I’m probably not at all on defense, so,

[00:07:03] Rich Ryan: [00:07:03] Hmm.

[00:07:03] Natalie Miano: [00:07:03] That’s interesting. I was training back then. Like, this is how I got into running, by the way, like I never thought I didn’t even know what cross-country was like. I actually thought cross country was lacrosse. So, and that’s how much that’s how much I knew about running and nobody in my family runs or ever thought about running.

[00:07:23] It was just like, not even a thing. I do recall as a kid. We would like drive to my grandma’s house and she lives actually close to where I live right now. But, she used to live, by Cal poly, which is where I went to college and we’d drive from Cal poly to like cut across the freeway when there was traffic.

[00:07:37] And we would drive straight down to her house, which was like all horse trails. And I mean, that was the extent of trails, you know, that I had ever seen. And I used to look at them way before I was a runner and way before I ever even thought of. Running being a thing other than something somebody did to lose weight or something.

[00:07:54] I would look at those trailers and like dream of running on him, even though I never ran and didn’t know what running was. I’d just be like, wow. That would be so cool to just run on those trails, just run the whole trail. And so it was funny, cause I thought it was like something that was like that people can’t do that though.

[00:08:13] That’s how, like that’s how much I was raised way out of the realm of what we do,

[00:08:19] Rich Ryan: [00:08:19] but like to the standard person, they would, no one would ever think that. Right. And that’s how most people are. They wouldn’t even think about running on trails. It would probably even just not even consider that. An option, like kinda how you were saying.

[00:08:29] It’s like the majority of people,

[00:08:31] Natalie Miano: [00:08:31] people were crazy, like so much. And I was like, I was training, like I said, eight hours plus a day, except during school. And even during school was probably putting like, Or five a day, but, the summer, it was eight hours. Plus a day of, of training. We had a regiment, like we started at 6:00 AM.

[00:08:46] We went six to nine and then there was, there was different, you know, workouts we did from six to nine. And then, you know, probably went home, got, you know, fed and then came back to the gym at like 12 or one and did like one to three was the weight room. And then like four to eight or four to seven was pickup games.

[00:09:07] So that was my day. And, the three hours in the morning, the first hour was plyometrics straight every single day. Like Monday, Friday for sure. Saturday and Sunday. And I didn’t miss a day of training over a years. Like you can go, I can look at yours. And I literally did not take a day off for over 365 days each year.

[00:09:26] Like it would not even like Christmas, we did something on Christmas, you know? So we were kind of like, obsessive, but that’s how like well-trained I was, and so that’s why I became such a defensive monster. And I think now you lose a lot of that stuff. I mean, I did plyometrics every single day. So for an hour, I was the kind of fitness I had back then.

[00:09:48] I don’t even think, I mean, I couldn’t even, I don’t even know. What that would feel like right now, it sounds like that would be amazing, but I just don’t have the time to dedicate to something like that. And I mean, you get, you kind of like have to do that every day. If you want to train like that. I mean, it’s, your body gets used to it.

[00:10:03] It’s not like where you had to like have, That’s only running where you have to have, like, you have to build in de-load periods or you have to, you know, you obviously have to, your training has to have a variation, so you can’t just run 10 miles every day at six minute pace. I mean, obviously that would be like horrible training for running.

[00:10:21]but in basketball, the way you train, you can be very much like that. Like I, like you said, you could do, I could do pliers and I could do like speed drills every single day. so you get like, so used to it, Mark, you look naked right now.

[00:10:34] Rich Ryan: [00:10:34] And make your Mark.

[00:10:38] Natalie Miano: [00:10:38] Oh yeah, that’s great though. There are people listening. Can’t see. Well, Mark just walked by,

[00:10:43] Rich Ryan: [00:10:43] like, yes.

[00:10:46]Natalie Miano: [00:10:46] anyway, that’s what I was doing. I mean, I was doing those, that kind of training and the funniest thing is I, I got, we kind of connected with like one of the, one of the. I guess like guy, a guy who was really like, collaborated a lot with like the local high school.

[00:11:03] And we had like a championship cross country team. And, he, you know, was a local who was kinda like a standout runner. And he was like a little bit past his prime, but I mean, he was, he was, Yeah, just still coaching. He was bringing kids up and getting them ready for the high school team. And our high school team was like state champions, like so many years in a row.

[00:11:21] And so he was, it was really like, the guy who was kind of like, I don’t want to say recruiting, but he was, he was just working with young kids a lot and he, you know, started working with me. I remember our first run. He took me out on a three mile run. I think it was. And I had been doing like at least a mile on, you know, of here and there.

[00:11:41] So I was already like, okay, I can do a three mile run. So we did three miles. And I remember when we got back to like the community center where we started, I lost it when he liked to, when he like waved and said, I’m going to keep going, see you later. And I just was like, and this is a person, eight hours a day.

[00:11:59] Like I was, I was working my butt off and I, but I couldn’t fathom running. More than I just ran. I was running more. So how funny is that? I mean, it’s just so, so down. I’m like, you know, five miles in one day. So

[00:12:18] Rich Ryan: [00:12:18] just what, what is, what is normal and, and being able to kind of transition into that. What was that like?

[00:12:24] Because I mean, you obviously came from a background of training, not necessarily for endurance, but then when it came from kind of taking that. Focus. And just like the understanding that it’s the, the, the effort over time that is going to get you the big results. Like, was that pretty seamless for you to then kind of move it to endurance?

[00:12:41] Or was it, was it like that like, Oh my God, like 20 minutes is plenty for me. And like then, or how did that kind of transition over into endurance?

[00:12:50] Natalie Miano: [00:12:50] Okay. So the transition to like running endurance type running happened so fast, I almost can’t even recall like. Either being a transition. Like I just remember being like, Oh my God, you’re going out for more miles.

[00:13:03] How, you know? And then maybe like a couple months later I was running eight miles with the cross country team. And I was like, you know, so I don’t think it would took that long. I mean, I was so fit that like, honestly it probably was just a coordination and like mechanics thing, like it was just like running, getting coordinated and used to running.

[00:13:20] Like it was like, you’re not changing your stride a little bit to be like a little bit less, of a. Shorten, you know, like, cause they probably have, I probably had more of a, like more of a sprinter or like mixed as middle distance, like, you know, running. Like tendencies. I would say, I would say that’s like my thing, but I definitely wouldn’t say like, that’s what it was used to because I’ve spent eight hours a day in a basketball court when you’re not doing a, you know, a relaxed, like distance stride on a basketball court.

[00:13:52] So I would, that’s what I probably did. but anyway, yeah, I remember just jumping right in with the cross country team by like, you know, my fresh Fitbit, you know, Like from the time I ran with my, what my trainer back then to the time I like ran cross country, I was already like running eight, eight, eight mile runs probably me, I don’t know about longer than eight, maybe, maybe 10, but I doubt that.

[00:14:13] I mean, I think most of my long runs were like eight. Well, you know, I was good. It was consistent. So it was good.

[00:14:19] Rich Ryan: [00:14:19] That’s a long run. Just, just getting started. Yeah. You probably already prejudiced had to like slow down a little bit, but like you’re, you’re so conditioned to like fast Twitch over and over.

[00:14:27] Do you feel like you respond well to speed work now? Or are you better with longer duration stuff? Because I found that sometimes if someone does they come from basketball or soccer or something, they do better with 204 hundreds, even if it’s for a longer distance event. Then someone who might be just like this, your typical cross country runner, who just needs to be out there with tempo runs and threshold stuff.

[00:14:51] Have you found that in yourself or do you just kind of try to mix it all in?

[00:14:54] Natalie Miano: [00:14:54] No, absolutely. Like my, with my training, there’s definitely like, we, we look at like what I guess, like what. Is the most effective, like style training for me. And then again, I mean, I’m choosing the races I’m choosing to do probably aren’t the most well suited for like my background or for my, my ability.

[00:15:15] It doesn’t matter. But like definitely I respond different to train than someone like Mark. I mean, we’re complete almost completely opposite somewhere along the way. What do you think, like, do you think my. Well, my, my oldest son right now we could see is like also the nominal runner. I mean, the kid is, is got the most gorgeous stride I’ve ever seen in my life.

[00:15:32] Like, it’s amazing. But I wonder like how much of a mix is he got from mom and dad? Does he have like my anaerobic, you know, mom’s anaerobic. Like max or does he have dad’s like interns. Cause Mark is definitely like way more slow Twitch.

[00:15:50] Rich Ryan: [00:15:50] Right? And like, if you guys that isn’t the question. Right. Because even if, what if you guys like even shifted backgrounds, like if Mark was the basketball player and you were like the distance runner, both having like equal success, say like, would it still be the same or like, is the training, what creates it or is it.

[00:16:06] Are you inherently that way? So that’s an interesting study with you.

[00:16:10] Natalie Miano: [00:16:10] Mark is like, Oh my gosh, she’s so great with kids. Like, and he’s pretty well versed on like, development. So like, what kind of like speed development and like, you know, your muscle fiber development and, all the, Even like the, neural, like, you know,

[00:16:26] Rich Ryan: [00:16:26] he likes to know how things work.

[00:16:27] He like you can tell them.

[00:16:29] Natalie Miano: [00:16:29] Yeah, yeah. Yeah. He, and he has a good, great history coaching kids, but one of the things that he’s just like, so he coaches, our, youth came here now, granted they’ve been off since March. So yes, since March with the quarantine, of course they are there. And that there’s no end in sight, at least for now, at least where we live in Claremont.

[00:16:47] It’s very liberal and, You know, like

[00:16:49] Rich Ryan: [00:16:49] just lock down,

[00:16:51] Natalie Miano: [00:16:51] lock down. Absolutely. Like California in general is like, not really, like, I don’t know. I feel like life is still pretty normal, but definitely those kids aren’t going to meet. So probably like next year, at least in this area there they’re really strict about it.

[00:17:06] They don’t have any playgrounds open or anything. So I doubt the cross country team is going to able to be able to meet the, he is the youth coach here in and the youth development is. So much on pure speed and it has to do with their development at a young age. And it’s funny because we probably come across more.

[00:17:24] Like we don’t the guy who started the team is a hundred percent. Mark is the coach. I like, I’m so happy to have Mark as a coach. And most of the kids, parents are, all of them are like, heck yeah, like we got this great coach, let him do whatever he does. But nobody seems to be like, Aye everybody’s in agreement.

[00:17:42] Cause he says, let’s do it. Let’s do it. Nope. Nobody’s like fighting him on it. But most people come to table like, Hey, why aren’t these kids running like five miles? And Mark’s like, no, these are kids. So with

[00:17:52] Rich Ryan: [00:17:52] eight little

[00:17:53] Natalie Miano: [00:17:53] kids, this is how you train an eight year old kid, like an eight year old kid. Does speed.

[00:17:58] Speed, speed, speed, speed. And like the distance really? It comes in just the vol the volume, which is like really small. It comes mostly from. Like just the workout itself, like, you know, like, as it adds up. but anyway, I mean, so I mean, these kids run anywhere from probably a mile and a half to maybe two, maybe two and a half on like a longer, but most of what they do is pure speed.

[00:18:22] Drills. I mean, drills, drills, drills, and that’s how you, that’s how you develop those. And my son, I just say, does it come from just training or if it has, does it come genetically? He seems to genetically have diff you know what I mean? Like different abilities than like, let’s say dad. So like, I don’t want to, you know, I mean, he definitely.

[00:18:45] Looks more like Mark when he runs. And I mean, he looks like he’s going to be a distance runner, but he’s got more speed than like, I mean, you know, according to Mark then Mark’s ever had, and that’s just like right out of the gate, like just the way he turns over. so, I mean, that has to be genetic. I don’t know about training because there’s not been like a lot.

[00:19:05] We don’t really don’t really like train him yet. So

[00:19:09] Rich Ryan: [00:19:09] I like that idea of like the drills and like working on mechanics young, because that’s what, you know, working with adults trying to undo running form is like really. Difficult. It’s like really hard to unwire those things for people who weren’t trained when they were younger and they just go out and run a mile in gym class, but this is just how I run.

[00:19:25] And now I’m trying to run a marathon. So I love that idea.

[00:19:28] Natalie Miano: [00:19:28] Yeah, you can just because you prescribed drills,

[00:19:32] Rich Ryan: [00:19:32] sometimes you

[00:19:33] Natalie Miano: [00:19:33] remote coaching. I am. Yeah. See that’s what Mark is doing too. And, and I, you know, we have our business MTV racing and, I help him with it and I’m not really like. He’s definitely way more of the coach than I am.

[00:19:46]I bring something to the table, but he’s definitely way more than a coach, but one of the things that he’s pretty big on is like drills strides. and I mean, everything is like pretty basic, but it’s pretty much like daily. And one of the things that I noticed is that our athletes who are. Really adamant about following the prescribed workout, where they’re like, I do my warmup, I do my Joseph.

[00:20:11] We’re not talking about like anything crazy. We’re talking about like five minutes. It’s like nothing. Right. It’s very, very, very effective for like gait you panics and coordination and building power and turnover and things like that. And, They, they, there’s probably a good portion of them who probably don’t do it.

[00:20:29] And you can probably tell, you know what I mean? It’s like, it’s hard to say because we’re doing a lot of remote stuff, but, I mean, we’re all remote, so,

[00:20:36] Rich Ryan: [00:20:36] and that’s kind of what I’ve found with like prescribing drills and running form things it’s that there needs to be a certain buy-in, on their end and to what it’s going to do.

[00:20:44] And. Wants to make those changes. cause it was just like prescribed. They’re just going to be like, well, how far do I have to run? And then there’ll be that kind of an afterthought. So I’ll do my drills later. And they just won’t. So like before I started just like pro like prescribing drills to people, there needs to be that like conversation behind it, from what I’ve found, because then it’s like, Oh, you’re doing a show.

[00:21:04] I was like, Oh no, I didn’t know. They were important. It’s like, Oh shit, like,

[00:21:08] Natalie Miano: [00:21:08] right, right. Yeah. It definitely so much better when you can meet with them. You know, the athletes, you know, face to face, if you even get the chance. And that’s been really helpful, at least at races, he’s been able to do that where he like meets up with people and that’s where it like sinks in.

[00:21:24] It’s like, you know, stuff like that. But I know just being, just being a mom now or working mom, this whole thing, it’s like, you know, adding just, you know, five minutes here, five minutes, there are clothes drills. This, that stretching. You know, foam rolling. It’s like so much of that stuff gets like cans because you’re like, I have time for Myron and the rest of the day

[00:21:48] Rich Ryan: [00:21:48] and drills and mobility.

[00:21:49] You can’t like, see or feel any immediate benefit. You go for a run, you know, you did something like lift or something. You’re like, okay, cool. Like there’s like this chemical change in how you felt. I feel now if you’re like doing some. Form drills. You’re like, this is boring. I’ve stuffed to do so much stuff going on.

[00:22:09] Natalie Miano: [00:22:09] Yeah. That’s and then there’s, there’s a mindset divide. So, there’s that, and that’s something that’s come up a lot during this quarantine. Like, I feel like, I’ve. I’ve heard people say it. They’ve noticed it and thought it so much. Wow. Guys to is everyone take a look at the divide, take a look at the, you want to see the difference between the pros and like the age group.

[00:22:32] This is the time to see it now I don’t count because I’m injured so that doesn’t count. I’m like holding back right now so bad. I’m dying, but I can see it. And I mean, you can literally scroll through social media and see. It’s like, it’s like the pros are, are in it. And they have, they probably have had their share of mental breakdown and very bad days, because this is just such a, Oh, overused word here.

[00:22:59] But, Unprecedented,

[00:23:04] it’s just out of the blue and what the heck is happening. So that’s very, that’s hard for anybody to deal with. And I’m sure even like financially and things like that, you know, depending on your situation straps or, or professional athletes, I’m sure are who’s relying on racing. I mean, I’m sure it brings its own stresses.

[00:23:20] However you want to just look at it from a training perspective. dude, pro athletes are licking their chops over a year of just putting in base monster base work a year. You want to get me a year of base work, I’ll take it. But, I, and getting better or improving are finding somewhere where I can, you know, a year without racing, no problem.

[00:23:40] But, you know, that’s where you see the falloff in the competitive or age group, or even like open wave people where it’s like. Nope. I’m out. Like, they’re just like, Hey, just have time off. I guess I’m tired of this. Like when races come back, I’ll start training again. And that is, that’s the divide right there.

[00:23:57] And I’m like, that’s the difference between you and the pro it’s like, you know, not, not that that’s definitely like, you know, I’m. Definitely oversimplifying it. But, but,

[00:24:07] Rich Ryan: [00:24:07] but you’re right. It’s like, and I’m curious as to what that comes from, if it is just the understanding of training and just seeing improvement, you know, year after year, week after week that you know, that the, that the pros of have made because they didn’t start that way.

[00:24:23] You know, they didn’t start. On the podium, like they got to where they are now over years and months, weeks, years of work. And maybe the person who’s just starting out hasn’t necessarily seen that type of improvement yet. So they might not understand that. Yes. Like a year of just training is actually amazing.

[00:24:38] Like what do you think it is? Like, what do you think that like separates the two different, like mindset, like perspectives.

[00:24:48] Natalie Miano: [00:24:48] Oh, do you know what? I don’t know. and I mean, I hate, I also think like, Busy working parents are in another, you know? Yeah. That’s exactly. I mean, that’s different even this time. No Mark and I have both been injured, so we’ve, we’ve been dealing with quite a bit, in terms of like training, he, we’ve almost been like pushed to chill for awhile, which has been almost more frustrating.

[00:25:15] I mean, then you would think it would be cool, but it’s like not, it’s been frustrating, but, You know, given the circumstances with the way things are and the virus and everything in the quarantine or whatever. we, we have, you know, with the injuries, we’ve, we’ve also been like, you know, maybe we should just take a step back and really focus more on being parents and being athletes right now.

[00:25:37] And I think so I think that came sort of naturally. so it definitely not, not placing any judgment anywhere to any athletes who are like taking a break right now, because if you need a break, he has the time to take it, if you, but, but what I do think is when you see the motivation loss now, why is that happening?

[00:25:53] That I don’t, that I don’t really know. No, what’s the difference between, you know, Nicole and, you know, the girl who got, you know, fourth in an age group championship, like what’s the diamond, you know, what’s the difference, you know, is. Why is Nicole or Lindsey or, and I mean, they’re chilling right now, too in their training, but they’re still putting in work and, Rebecca or whoever, you know what I mean?

[00:26:16] What’s the difference? Like why, why are they so, you know, inclined to maybe it’s because they’ve done it before they say, or maybe it’s because they have an understanding of the way that. You know, you develop aerobically, right.

[00:26:31] Rich Ryan: [00:26:31] For sure. And there’s like this process that comes along with training. Right.

[00:26:36] And, and the races, the races are always the outcome, right? Like, and that’s, if you’re training and you’re doing things just to get to the race, like in your training, more for the outcome where it’s like, how you’re saying, like great a year of training, that’s more time for this process. And I’m all in, on, on the process.

[00:26:52] Part of it. so, so what’s been going on with, with the injury what’d you what’d you have going on because you had a phenomenal race, you know, coming podium, international series races. Amazing. And then,

[00:27:04] Natalie Miano: [00:27:04] and Lowe’s Whoa, dude. Whoa. It was just, Oh, it’s, I’m trying to be positive. I mean, it has to like remind myself to be positive, like weekly, at least, because I’m having a really hard time, but Oh wow.

[00:27:16] Talk about highs and lows. I went from Jacksonville and I mean, I didn’t even feel like I was like, I definitely wasn’t peaking for Jacksonville. Like w I was on my way up, like, you know, and so feeling like I was just leveling up, like becoming another athlete, like I was just, it was just, you know what I mean?

[00:27:36] I was there. I was like, I have arrived. Like it is, it’s going to happen this year. And, I got 30 Jacksonville and then I really don’t think I had a great race. I mean, there were a lot of like little, little. Places inside the race, especially in the first mile, mile and a half where I fell back quite a bit, just like that, that carry through the mud.

[00:27:58] A lot of like, you know, a little ankle breaking holes and stick mud kind of took the wind out of my sails and we got what I kind of got. Mixed up with some girls that were like behind earlier. And so basically I was like, huh, mile and a half in, I was sitting in like six or seven and, and, you know, at that point, that’s when I that’s, when I was able to open up because the terrain sorta just like.

[00:28:22] That’s where the good running sort of started. And then it was like, boom, from there, it was just me and Lee and we were gone. which was cool, but, and then fight it, battling it out with me with Leanne was awesome. Like we, you know, we had, it was just cool. I was like, she’s, she’s amazing. So for me to even be in it with her.

[00:28:39]is no joke, like there’s no fake enough. So I was like, cool. You know, I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m definitely saw myself leveling up and I could see this year was going to be, you know, something special, although we

[00:28:51] Rich Ryan: [00:28:51] can we, can we talk about that a little bit? Cause that, that was interesting. It’s like that, was it just a byproduct of the race itself?

[00:28:57] Or was it something that you had, you done different mindset shift? Like what, like, and it sounds like you obviously were ready, like in one capacity or another physically or mentally. So like what. Led to you feeling that way, going into that race. And you’re like, okay, I’m a different athlete this year.

[00:29:11] Like, let’s go.

[00:29:12] Natalie Miano: [00:29:12] I think like all of 20. 18 2018 was a big building year for me, it went into continuing healthy into 2019. So I like build my myself up and I, I sort of, you know what I mean? You do this in like different training blocks. So each block I sort of like. Update a little bit. And I, and I was, I was I’m getting good or with each block, so, and healthy, no injuries, no reason to take any time off.

[00:29:39] So it was perfect. And I was kind of had a great year in 2019, even though my series races in my, my world championships was trash. But, you know, even though those races sort of like fell apart, for whatever reason, it was like, I was, you could tell based on my races that I was like, that I was. Like coming up, you know, that I, I definitely, so it’s not like it just popped out of nowhere and Jacksonville.

[00:30:01] So definitely I was competing at a higher level. I’m competing with faster girls, like staying in it longer with, you know, the likes of, and I’m not saying I was anywhere near them, but, you know, with the likes of Nicole and, you know, because we do, I, I do get the chance to raise the whole a lot more because, she comes out to like the local races out here.

[00:30:21] So, so. You know, just comparing myself to her because that was, that was a good one for me to say, like, how close was it, Nicole in 2017? How close was I to Nicole in 2018? And this is like, well, while she is improving as well, and you notice you like in 2019, she’s like, okay, now you’re, you know, even she would tell me like, Yeah.

[00:30:39] You’re like up there with me for like a lot of the race, you know, or, you know, like a, like you’re right. You’re definitely harder to beat now than you were like a year ago. So, you know, so there’s that. So I get to, since I get to raise her more, that’s a good, like, you know, I guess like area to look at, like, I was like, okay, how was I compared to these people?

[00:30:56] Gospel racing is not like road running or track running where you can like compare your times like to another. So you do want to look at where you are versus competition, because then you can say like the more, especially if it’s somebody you race frequently, then you can say like, well, how close was I depended?

[00:31:10] Did I compete with it? You know what I mean? So that’s kind of why I say that. Anyhow. I was really coming up and my training was super consistent. another mindset, the mindset had shifted in 2018, so it’s not like the mindset, the mindset shifted and Jacksonville. It was a long time coming. I was always to be completely honest in 2019, I could have been a podium contender or a top five contender in a series race.

[00:31:40] You know what I mean? and that not be. not the out of the question. It would have had to all like, you know, I, everything would have had to favor me in the race, but it wouldn’t be out of the question. So I don’t think, that Jacksonville was like, you know, like

[00:31:59] Rich Ryan: [00:31:59] I don’t normally, it wasn’t something

[00:32:00] Natalie Miano: [00:32:00] that just, I like that.

[00:32:01]I am, I actually given the field, I expected to be in the hunt for a podium, so that wasn’t like, I mean, I think, Scott Davis asked me, like, interviewed me the day before, like, Oh, do you think a Miriam’s here? Do you think you could beat her? And I was like, yeah. And he looked at me like, huh, that’s funny.

[00:32:19] And I was like, Oh God, this is so embarrassing. But how do you ask anyone? Do you think it could be a whole, yeah. It’s

[00:32:25] Rich Ryan: [00:32:25] like what kind of question is that? It’s like, yeah, I’m, I’m here to compete and to stay home.

[00:32:29] Natalie Miano: [00:32:29] Telling myself like, Oh, you’re suck. Why are you in here? So, yeah, and again, the sprint, back to my, you know, my, natural abilities, what favors me?

[00:32:40] My, definitely my, my type of racing would be that distance like that anywhere from like, you know, two miles to, to. 5k 10 K maybe max for first sparked. Nice is way better for me than seven, eight, 10, 12. So the longer, you know, the less it is in my favor. So short race.

[00:33:04] Rich Ryan: [00:33:04] Yeah. I like the idea that you went in and realistically you’re like, no, like if everything goes well, like this is where I should be.

[00:33:10] Not even just like a pipe dream, you know? Cause I think there are, there are those athletes and you know, I’ve never been there before. It’s like, I be like trying to a, will yourself into just a good performance and it just doesn’t work that way. You

[00:33:20] Natalie Miano: [00:33:20] know, there is like, you know, there’s and that’s funny, we were talking about that.

[00:33:25] That’s so right. And that’s something, I think people don’t recognize that in training, like, you know, There’s like a self efficacy, like, you know, component and you need to know, you can do something for your mind to be like, yeah, I can do that. You can’t just say, look in the mirror and say some cool quote.

[00:33:44] To make you think, like I can do it. that doesn’t mean that’s

[00:33:48] Rich Ryan: [00:33:48] nice. You feel good, but it does not work.

[00:33:49] Natalie Miano: [00:33:49] Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So, so, training, racing, those are, you know, those help the part of your brain that says, like, I’ve done this before. This is nothing new. And, do it again, you know? So, so definitely in training, you need to.

[00:34:06] You know, I mean, you there’s variability in the training, there’s a plan there’s there is stimulus to achieve with each session and with each program, you know, workout. But there is, that component where you need to, hurt, you know, you need the pain, cave, whatever you want to call it, like you need to go there.

[00:34:27] Rich Ryan: [00:34:27] And is that something? Yeah, because. Yeah, I think of it in terms of like trust, right. And like, trusting that you can accomplish what you set out to do, whether that is get on the podium or, or run a certain time or, or compete a certain core. So in training, on your end, like, is there something that you need to see from yourself or experience?

[00:34:46] Is it just getting to a point of, of the pancakes and continuing to go that you can go into it? Yeah. And be like, okay, I know I can keep going when it, when it’s down or. Is it just kind of a culmination of, of all of the training over the course of however long that makes you feel

[00:35:01] Natalie Miano: [00:35:01] ready? I think that it’s definitely a combination of, of both of those I made there has to be, but I suppose for some racers that they are, or, race.

[00:35:15] Like oriented, they’re more race. you know, I mean, did they just ha they can click over and they can just go in and another, another, take it to another level in a race. I don’t know if you’ve seen that. I mean, you know, you see that with athletes all the time, and then you have your athletes who, You know, and then you have people and I probably am.

[00:35:31] The people like probably am more the athlete who wastes more in training than I do in racing. Not as much this last few years, because they have a coach and because I have a program and because I’m. Watched over and I’m not like, you know, Mark has a saying, cause because he, he’s pretty, he’s a little bit more loose as a coach.

[00:35:52] I think then, I don’t, I don’t know who, I wouldn’t point the finger at another coach, but then let’s just say other coaches who focus, who, who really control, Each and every workout, Mark does control a lot of the training and he does, we do everything for me on effort base. So, I do look at my heart rate and I do have all that information and we do track it and we look at it, but we use it for other things.

[00:36:13] It’s not very accurate for me, for one probably the watches and accurate, but second, my heart rate in general has like a, a little junk. So none of the heart rates ever come out right. So, I mean, you can see it. It’s so ridiculous. Like the numbers that I get that it’s like, you mentioned, we’ll throw in the trash, but anyway, it’s all effort based.

[00:36:31] And, but he does have a saying where he says, let wild horses run wild. And there’s just this one thing where like, if the fact is to young athletes, like if you look back to the time when I was running cross country, like I would have never leveled up. If I wasn’t just the wild horse that was like, well, I’m going run with, you know, so our state championship boys team.

[00:36:50] And I was never even a runner and I was just like, well, they’re running up there. I’m gonna run up there too. That helped me. Yes. It wasn’t the way to train every single day because I was probably running in the gray zone too much or whatever. But there, there is a point where you have to like, well, I, I.

[00:37:07] To be Frank, like get some balls and train hard and put something out there and training. I see what you’re made of. so how many, you know, how many people out there are running? I mean, you can see it’s really, really like. You know, neat to see athletes come in, who are like, Oh, I have, and you know, with, come with Mark, start working with Mark, who, who have, who can run like 10, 30 minute miles consistently over like an eight mile run.

[00:37:34] Let’s just say, and they’re like, Oh, I run, like, you know, you’re running, like, let’s just say 10 30 minute miles. And then they do like a temple run and it’s like 10 Oh five pace. So. Now it’s like, no, we need to like, develops so much speed coordination and all this stuff, and they start to develop this stuff and start, you know, I mean, maybe one day they hit like a seven 30 minute mile on the track and I mean, it might be something.

[00:37:56] Like a one and done like a mile or a two mile time trial, but wow. Like you had a seven minute mile in you and that means you probably can totally 30 pays for a while. You know? So it’s kind of funny because it’s like, If you, if you never tried to hit, if you’re always doing these like long runs, I’ll say eight miles or six miles or whatever, 12 miles.

[00:38:20] And you’re just doing Roswell long, slow, long, slow, long, slow. It’s like, you know, you’re never going to see like, and, and I’m, I’m really saying this for like, Runner people who’ve gotten into sport in their, in their like adult years, you know? So like someone who never ran before and they’re like, you know, 40 or 36 or 45.

[00:38:39] And they’re like, I just came out for, to try running and I like it, you know? So it’s just like, it’s kind of more what I’m talking about, but it’s like when you’re young, You know, you’re pushed into the situation. If you’re on like a team in college or in high school where you’re well pushed because you’ve got a group to stay with and you’re like, Oh, got to run with the group.

[00:38:58] Yeah. Right. And

[00:39:01] Rich Ryan: [00:39:01] there’s competition there. Right. Like it’s just heard of it, but when you’re just coming into

[00:39:06] it.

[00:39:06] Natalie Miano: [00:39:06] Yeah. That’s growing from that is all I’m saying. I’m not saying it’s the way to train, but I’m saying there is some growth in that. So don’t, you know,

[00:39:13] Rich Ryan: [00:39:13] A hundred percent, a hundred percent like able to kind of push into that.

[00:39:17] Unknown and then just sustain it, even if it is for a mile, like I, a coach woman who almost had the identical experience that you were saying, like, she would get like too far into something and be like, Oh, I’m uncomfortable. I got to bail. Or, and then keep it really slow. And, but she just like popped off an awesome mile and just opened up all these doors.

[00:39:35] It’s like, You’re getting it right. Like you’re figuring out like where, where you can go and what, what, what you can push into. So, is it, are there things designed in your training that help you put that into, into yourself? Like, or, or do you kinda have to pull yourself back? Cause, and also just to kind of double back a little bit more about the watch thing, I love that you mentioned that because it, people can be an absolute slave to the watch.

[00:39:56] They can just like, Oh, if my heart rate is not this, Oh, my pace says this. Or even if it’s just like the workout from. That’s like training peaks. Didn’t sync to my watch. Right? My whole workout screwed up or like, it’s not that complicated or it’s like, okay, go out and run and make it feel hard. And then just.

[00:40:12] Keep going. Is that a lot of

[00:40:15] Natalie Miano: [00:40:15] what it is? Yeah. Yeah. There’s a, there’s a standout, a college runner who runs here in our actually it’s like right next to my house. And, he’s like a 13 high five K runner. I mean, he’s really, really good runs with Timex Noah GPS. He’s like so old fashioned because he’s like that age well generation.

[00:40:33] Is that like, Mark? What does that generally? this is college

[00:40:37] Rich Ryan: [00:40:37] gen

[00:40:38] Natalie Miano: [00:40:38] Z. Yeah. Okay. Whatever, like going through this whole thing where they’re like, Ooh, it’s cool to, you know yeah. You know what I mean? So, so he’s right in that mix of like the kids who listened to like eighties music and use Timex watches.

[00:40:53] But anyway, but he

[00:40:53] Rich Ryan: [00:40:53] used to

[00:40:56] Natalie Miano: [00:40:56] not buy into the whole GPS thing. Doesn’t want to see his heart rate. And I was like, Hmm. Like he’s a 13 minute gay guy, so shoot. Yeah.

[00:41:04] Rich Ryan: [00:41:04] Right. It doesn’t, it doesn’t change anything. It’s just like

[00:41:07] Natalie Miano: [00:41:07] got, what is that? A metronome? Like he’s got a clock inside his head and he’s like, he’s, he’s on it, dude.

[00:41:13] I’m pretty cool. But I, I think, there’s, there’s a lot of variability in the watch. you know, picking up the heart rate unless you have like a really reliable strap. I those the garments, I just don’t see it. I’m sorry. But I just don’t. I think that variability is, is too too much and there’s, there’s weird little things.

[00:41:35] It picks up. I, I have, I’ve seen it. Tell me that like, The easiest, easiest front I’ve done is like all, all of a sudden my heart is like one 70 something. And I’m like, well, that’s not right. I’m like not even breathing. And then, another time it’s told me, you know, that my heart rate’s like one 35 and I’m like doing a, you know, all out mile or tempo.

[00:41:58] It’s super goofy. Sometimes what I get the numbers I got from it. So it’s just. I see it with other people too.

[00:42:04] Rich Ryan: [00:42:04] No, no, I, I have similar experiences. Like, yeah, one time I was warming up to do like a threshold workout. And my heart rate during my warmup was like 20 beats higher than my heart rate during the actual threshold repeats, I was like, Oh, okay.

[00:42:15] That might not be right. But like, it’s the, Tech’s just not there. And like being, and just trying to follow it so much and do something that is not quite a finished product yet. It just it’s helpful for some things. But I agree with you. I don’t think it’s

[00:42:27] Natalie Miano: [00:42:27] do you like it for looking at like, Kind of looking at like when your heart rate is sorta like higher in the morning or something like that.

[00:42:37] So things like that where you can start to, you can maybe get a lead or a head up on a potential over-training or potential. Fatigue onset of fatigue and you can back off or you can, you know, you know what I mean? So there’s just, there’s, it’s kind of useful that one of the coaches here have all I own.

[00:42:57] No, it wasn’t. Cal poly was probably one of my girlfriends is like a really fast five K runner too. She, she was telling me her coach used it just for like pre and post workout. They wouldn’t even use it in the workout, but that’s how they gauged. Are these girls healthy enough right now to run? And I loved it because.

[00:43:14] There was he promoted the, from what she said is the way he promoted, it was more balance and healthy. And are you eating well and are you sleeping well and are you moving straining and what’s your cycle like and how can we do your workouts around your cycle? What a great coach for, you know, young 20 something or 18 to 20 something year old women, because that is just such a weird time.

[00:43:37] And for college runners, it’s like such a, it could be such a detriment to like your future. You know, longevity of your, you know, your ability to run or, you know, because you get injuries that are like, you know, are longterm or, so detrimental and yeah. Eating disorders and things like that. And I mean, do you really need, if you’re a coach, you need to keep an eye.

[00:43:58] I was like, this is a bit, this is your life. Like you could keep take care of these girls. I really thought that was a great way to, to incorporate that the heart rate,

[00:44:07] Rich Ryan: [00:44:07] right. There’s definitely a place for them. And that’s interesting to mention those things because a lot of times. The coaches are very, you know, science-based right.

[00:44:16] They’re like, okay, this like what, what, what turns out what they saw in the lab was this and this, but almost all studies are done on like college aged boys and never really, anything directly toward women. So it’s good to have those types of things in place to really help with the, with the thing, like the way the hormones work throughout the cycle and making sure they’re eating enough.

[00:44:35] God, cause that’s you’re right. Like people have these terrible injuries and they blame it on running when it’s really like, they haven’t done all the things that they needed to do to make sure. They’re healthy enough to keep things going,

[00:44:43] Natalie Miano: [00:44:43] but, okay. I’m pleased to be speaking to my injury. Were you going to say that

[00:44:46] Rich Ryan: [00:44:46] I was just going to say that

[00:44:49] Natalie Miano: [00:44:49] injuries, typical overused injury.

[00:44:53] And I, and I go to the doctors and they just look at me like, yup, yup. 70 miles a week. That’s it. That’s what he did it. And I’m like, okay, well, no, you know, I know you’re gonna probably sound like I’m just this hard headed athlete, but I’ve got a situation where that is exactly happened. And I think about these girls who go in and they maybe have eating disorders, they haven’t slept well, they’re stressed out.

[00:45:15] They’re not sleeping, whatever it is. And it’s like, you know, Oh, you run, you run every day. Oh, that’s why you’re injured. I’m so not looking at the big picture of things. So for me, the big picture, I did nothing to do with eating because I eat a lot and you know, and I’m a big fan of food. So I couldn’t say that’s a problem, but I did have now after Jacksonville, I had scheduled a, skin cancer removal, and I actually had a matching on both ankles.

[00:45:41] Don’t ask me how, I guess, coincidentally, I had a insight too. Squamous cell carcinoma on both ankles. So almost in the same spot. So. But I knew it was a tough place. It’s like right on the ankle where, you know, the flection happens like dorsal, flection, or plantarflexion of your ankle. So it’s right in that crease.

[00:46:02] Right. And I knew it was a tough spot and I was back and forth back in, you know, late, 2019. I was like, do I get it removed? Do I, cause I did have it like biopsied and if in the biopsy they said margins clear. So I thought, well, you know, I was told without seeing a dermatologist because Kaiser, my insurance company is like, Oh, backwards, apparently or whatever.

[00:46:27] Dumb it without seeing a dermatologist, I’m just talking to like a nurse on the phone and they’re trying to lay it out for me, my options, which are like, get an excision and make sure it’s gone. And I try to do my own research and see insights. You could, it is on the surface, but it could have like branched out or it could be, we’ll have sort of gone further in.

[00:46:47] And, or you could do like a topical treatment, which you, you really don’t know if it’s working, but you, you can kind of monitoring it with it then. So I’m here super unfamiliar with this. And I think to myself, well, be safe, better, be safe than, sorry. Let’s get the excisions. And I tried to schedule it around my racing schedule.

[00:47:07] So of course I have Jacksonville. And then after Jacksonville, I scheduled like that week. So I finished Jacksonville, got home and that Wednesday I was in the surgery surgery and got the excisions done the excisions. Give me stitches and tell me, no, this is after I just got their place at Jacksonville.

[00:47:25] So I’m rocking and rolling. I didn’t think I’m having this season going to have the best season I’ve ever had. I. Do not want to hear you can’t train right now. So the doctor tells me, well, you’re not supposed to train for two weeks, so, but he’s, but if you feel good running later, like not now, but you know, maybe kind of, kind of put it out there, like in a week or so, if you feel good to run, that’s fine.

[00:47:46] As long as you don’t feel anything in the stitches, like if you don’t feel any pain or you don’t feel pulling, then you’re fine. So sure enough, I run and, You know, after a few days of resting it and I feel right, like my stitches healed beautifully. There was no, no. Now doctors now are telling me, well, you probably ran.

[00:48:04] Yeah. And, and messed up the stitches. But I think it was just that they were into Bon. So after two weeks they were in and they should have been out, but they got infected. So. Now I have a huge infection in my ankle. Both of them are like softballs and I’m like, Oh my God. So I go basically to urgent care, I get the stitches out and I get antibiotics and the antibiotics worked pretty quick to take the swelling pretty much down.

[00:48:27] And I think I started running maybe before all the swelling was gone, but I wasn’t feeling any discomfort. So here we are with my rent doctor running too soon, but, I go and do running. And then within like a week I have this, like, you know, I have this well at the time. I didn’t know, but you know, tears in my, posterior tibial tendon.

[00:48:46] So the tendon that runs alongside the medial malleolus of your ankle bone. So, yeah, and it was really out of nowhere. It mean. It’s less than an hour. It’s probably about an inch from the stitches, the side of the stitches, the side of the infection. so there’s all kinds of. Oh, like, you know, it’s not reaching, there’s all kinds of speculation of what were the infection chin could have caused.

[00:49:13] My MRI shows, you know, tennis synovitis through the flexor tendons, through the joint, all around that, all around that scar area. So there’s scar tissue there’s and the scar was horrible. After infection. The scar tissues all bundled up around my ankle. I mean, you could feel it like it was like a big, huge thick.

[00:49:31] Bundle of tissue tight. Painful tissue a month and a half after the surgery. So, I mean, did that cause the injury? Well, yeah, that caused the injury. I’ve been running on it, probably not, but I was definitely not an overuse injury. The problem I have is that I go in to see doctors and they’re just like, well, you know, It’s basically, it’s like, yeah, you ran 70 miles a week.

[00:49:56] So yeah. You’re injured because you were running and I’m like, no fallen arches. I have the injury of posterior tibial, tendon dysfunction, which is like flat feet, no arch, you know, and I, my arches are fine. Yeah. Even the doctors that looked at, and while you do have arches, you’re fine there. So it’s just been a really tough injury to deal with, but what I’m learning and there’s always a takeaway.

[00:50:19] I feel like there’s going to be lots of takeaways here. and maybe more later, you know, more to come on this because I’m still in the middle of it, but, respect the stages of injuries. That’s one thing I don’t think, I think you need to identify as an athlete cause we’re anybody, anyone of us who gets hurt, I mean, we were researching it so much that like we become, you know, like pseudo experts.

[00:50:40] Right. You know, so. It’s not like, I don’t know what I’m talking about now that I’ve looked at every single possible thing that could have been going on here. But the thing is, is that there are stages of different indifferent, different injuries have different stages. And one thing I’ve never had, and really Mark’s never dealt with too much is like a tendon tear or injury to tissue tendon.

[00:51:02]and, and initially I really went hard into. Rehab and physio for that injury for building the arch for strengthening that tendon. And perhaps it was too soon to strengthen a tendon that was like freshly torn. So, So that’s probably mistakes, mistake mistakes I made and running on it every time it sort of, so I’d go two weeks off.

[00:51:27] Feel pretty good. Start to run. Think that I was maybe initiating some healing to it because, you know, they say, especially now this is more new, but like new thought. But it’s like, if you do have an injury, as you’re towards healing, you want to. Promote blood flow to the area by giving it just a teensy bit of attention, you know?

[00:51:51] So a little bit of pain or a little bit of, you know, having that little like pain is okay. And because I would be running and be like, Oh, I’m on two on the pain scale, you know, I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong. So, so yeah, that’s my takeaway is really, really, sometimes there’s some injuries that you do need to stay the ass off of.

[00:52:09] And this was one of them.

[00:52:12] Rich Ryan: [00:52:12] And one post that you actually made a couple of weeks ago, maybe a couple of months ago was about, you know, having a plan and then just kind of having this like habitual nature to stay after it. Right. And like, now that you kind of have gone through this injury process and you know, I want to respect those stages, but when you’re still in like the training, it’s, it’s hard, right?

[00:52:32] It’s like, well, what if I take a day off? Like what happens to the next day, the next day? So it’s like, you almost just want to keep like, Pressing through and just hope nothing happens. So like what kind of like reminders would you give people or give to yourself? Even like, if you’re coming across something like this down the road where it’s like, just like, it’s, I need to say all of this.

[00:52:52] Natalie Miano: [00:52:52] Yeah. And my situation has been so tough because even the cross training, you know, things I can do. So biking, swimming have been. hurting the injury, so progressing it so biking, The days, I would say I’d wake up on a Monday morning and be like, that’s it, man. I’m going after it. And I can’t run. That’s fine, but I can do it in other ways.

[00:53:14] I can hit the weight room. I can buy it and, you know, whatever. Apparently I did too much. So whatever it was, I did, whether it was bite for, you know, 90 minutes or two hours hard because I’m not going to go easy on the bike. I’m going to go hard on the bike. Even then. I still felt like I didn’t go to work out, but.

[00:53:31] I, would, you know, hit like the weight room and I was trying to do stuff that way wouldn’t put impact on my foot, but because my, because that tendon is the, and that basically holds you up when you stand it’s like it was being overworked just by standing and just by doing, you know, two legged. Lots or standing whatever workouts I was doing.

[00:53:52] So now, and here I am, I’ve changed. So this isn’t really answering your question, but I’m just sort of still telling the story, but recently, whatever, John, as you’ve taken it another step and I’ve gone, I went in, to like almost two weeks ago and got a PRP injection to pretend it into the joint, into the, all the area, the flexor tendons and all that.

[00:54:10] So he got PRP done and part of the PRP process is like, It. Yes. You recover quite quickly from the, the injection, but the idea is that like the first two, it doesn’t even really start working apparently until like three to six weeks. So you won’t even notice a difference. If anything, you might even have like more pain in the first week or so, which is what I’ve experienced.

[00:54:32] It’s been like the same, a little bit of a hair, more pain. But, the idea is that what they do is, and I, for anybody who doesn’t know what peer he is, it’s like, they just draw your blood. And they take that blood and they put it into like a centrifuge and they separate the, you know, the, the, white blood cells, the red blood cells and other material.

[00:54:55] And, or matter, I should say, not material other matter. And all that’s left is like the platelet rich plasma or what’s left is that, and they take that. And they inject it into your injury site to promote healing and blood flows. These are like the, the healing. This is, this is the good shit. I guess, if you want to call it from your bladder, shit,

[00:55:17] Rich Ryan: [00:55:17] give me that good shit.

[00:55:18] That’s what I want.

[00:55:21] Natalie Miano: [00:55:21] And, and it takes like, it needs to like attach, it needs to like it’s like set. So that first week. And two weeks really has been completely off of it. so the first three days was like off, off, like I was sitting on the couch all day and I probably screwed that up a little bit, but after sure that it goes into the next phase, which is like two weeks of not like super easy, you know, if you’re going to exercise at all, it has to be like no resistance biking.

[00:55:50] So my workouts this past two weeks have been. Upper body sitting only. So no standing on upper body for my workouts. I stand to walk around and stuff and like cook and stuff, but I don’t stand for workouts. And like anything you can do in the upper body where you’re like not standing on it. So pull ups, pushups, whatever, all that stuff, all that stuff.

[00:56:10]and sitting so sitting down with weights and stuff. And then my, my aerobics, I say with close aerobic activity has been following Mark on his run. So I’m biking flat. Cause he’s been running just flat and I’m just biking next to him, which is like spinning. So it’s like no resistance at all. And, no, it’s not training.

[00:56:32] So it’s, so to answer your question. So as I’m telling my story, sort of answer your question. Wow. It’s been hard. Like nothing feels like trainings, me, like nothing. Is remotely hard and it’s like driving me nuts. Like I’m like, I don’t sweat. I feel like my hair is greasy. I feel like it’s like, nothing feels normal.

[00:56:50] I don’t sleep good at night. I just want to train. Like, I want to go balls out in a session on something. I don’t care what it is, but I can’t do it on a bike. And I can’t do it in a hole because that even hurts the tendon. And you’re just like, I’ve got nothing guys. Like, I’m sorry, but listen, you know, I don’t know.

[00:57:07] So I’m dying here. Bye. That, that is like, you know, been hard for me. So for me right now, it’s been a struggle to, you know, to sort of cope with the, I don’t want to say on any more uncertainty cause they feel like it’s, I don’t feel as uncertain about everything with the COVID stuff as I did before, but, but just still the.

[00:57:34] Blandness of like what’s going on around us. Like no racist, no entertainment, no, this, no that no playgrounds. So, you know, it’s just one thing I just, I told Mark this morning, I just want to stand on top of mountain. Like, I just want to see what it feels like. I just want to feel it again. I’m sorry. But I was just like, I need it.

[00:57:52] I want to be on top of a Hill and I want to look down and be like, I just call him this or fight it or do something, but I can’t. And, and it’s driving me insane. And it’s hard because, you know, I guess like when I look at other pro athletes, they they’ve sort of like, it’s like how they overcome the challenges of the injury or whatever.

[00:58:16]like Lindsey biked for a whole month prior to the world championship and came out and got second at Tahoe. and it’s like, she’s like, well, she probably put in like, You know, God knows how much on the bike probably. Oh, on an easy day, 90 minutes on, okay. Regular day to match what she was doing in her training, runs your phone, putting in three plus hours, you know, probably do far likes and stuff.

[00:58:43] And I’m like, I can’t even like, I’m not even supposed to like ride the bike hard because it’s irritating. It’s progressing the injury. You know, I go, how am I supposed to do anything? So there’s like this little voice that kind of comes into my head, everyone in awhile, it’s once in a while, but, and it’s sort of like, I can’t control it.

[00:59:02] It just pops in that says what? You’re 36. Are you ever going to be good again? Like, is this going to heal? if it doesn’t heal, are you going to be running in pain if you’re running and pain or if you’re back and forth on it, are you ever going to get to like, you know, the kind of training that got you to third at Jacksonville?

[00:59:21] You know, are you ever going to be able to get it back? Is that fitness going to return? You know, there’s this. Horrible. Now I have Mark. The good thing is I have Mark and he’s, you know, he talks the science to me. He tells me what’s going on in my body. how I’ll adjust back when I do start training again, how I’ve built my VO two max, how I’ve developed over the course of two years and what that means for when I come back, how I come back from that.

[00:59:46] And that’s really great to hear. So I’m really, really glad I have Mark. Cause if I didn’t, I would probably be crazy.

[00:59:54] Rich Ryan: [00:59:54] So again, you’re like square in the middle of the process of the injury, right? Like, cause th th that that’s such a frustrating place to be. I’ve been there before where it’s like, am I ever going to be able to run again?

[01:00:04] And like every, every person you see out running,

[01:00:07] Natalie Miano: [01:00:07] I talked to says that, so I’m like, okay, good. This is not. You know, this is a normal thing that pops into your head.

[01:00:14] Rich Ryan: [01:00:14] Okay. But when you’re there, you you’re, you can’t help, but to believe it and you can’t help, but to think it right. You’re like, cause like I can think back now and think of what I thought then and be like, Oh yeah, now I’m fine.

[01:00:24] But like when you’re in it, you are literally thinking like, I might never be okay. Like I might have to stop running. So that’s a really, really tough place to be in. Like, there’s like, there are chemical changes that happen when you go on like a hard run and like come back and like, you just feel different.

[01:00:40] And like, not having that. I can’t, I, I couldn’t imagine. So like

[01:00:44] Natalie Miano: [01:00:44] we’re.

[01:00:45] Rich Ryan: [01:00:45] So how, so it sounds like the support system you have around you with the family and Mark has been really helpful in that. And, what do you kind of see it just kind of just being patient or like, how are you learning lessons along the way?

[01:00:56] Or how, what kind of things are you going to plan on going

[01:00:59] Natalie Miano: [01:00:59] forward? Yeah, I mean, I’m learning lessons and I’m very hopeful that the PRP is going to be effective. I’m getting here, but yeah, I did two weeks ago, so I’m at the two week Mark and I’m. I am also doing acupuncture at the same time, which is supposed to be a good, they’re supposed to be good together.

[01:01:16] And, so I’m, I’m doing something new and I’m trying not, and I’m being really, really good about following the protocol. And I have all intention to follow it all the way through to really heal it. So hopefully it works for me. And if it doesn’t, you know, we’ll, we’ll visit it later. But, right now I did, I do, I did meet, and this is like, you know, a couple of months ago, this sort of started, but I did, I do need like, Something to distract me a little bit, because I can’t just think like, I, I wake up in the morning every single day with a plan.

[01:01:46] Like that’s how I, that’s how I operate. That’s why I got third in Jacksonville. That’s what that was like. That’s what happens is when you’re an athlete and it’s, it’s hard to have program to program. Off time and you know, and so that’s where I’m at, but, whatever I had to have distractions and that’s great.

[01:02:09] Awesome. for one I’m still like first and foremost, I’m a mom. So before I’m an athlete, I’m a mom first. So I have a wonderful life. I have a wonderful husband. I have great phenomenal kids and working with him every day and playing with them and just engaging with them is. That taking up all my time is perfectly awesome.

[01:02:29] So, thank God for that. And I also, I have taken on some other things like, and it has a lot to do with the kids. but my boys are super into like Marine science, Marine life. Like ocean, you know, is sharks everything. So they’re really, really, really into they’ve been into it for years. So it’s something that Mark and I have like talked about developing more.

[01:02:52] We just be, see their passion. We see they have an interest or their interests and we want it to be a passion. So we’re we’re we want to do the things, see your things. Take them everywhere. Learn about things, read the books, do all the stuff to make that a reality for them or to make, to foster, you know, growth and interest and passion in that, you know, in that thing.

[01:03:18] So we are becoming like ocean people ask, I thought it was a longterm thing. I actually thought that when we started to talk about it, I thought because Mark and I were like, sort of putting away for potentially buying a house, but we live in Southern California and buy houses here is stupid. So at the same time we were kind of going like, well, this is dumb.

[01:03:39] Like this isn’t, this isn’t, you know, a good, like, I don’t see us ever buying a house here. to be honest, to be Frank, like us $650,000 house is like the cheapest we could possibly get a house in the neighborhood. We want to live where they go to school. And that’d be like a dump. And I told him, I go, I don’t even want to pay over three or three 50 for anything.

[01:03:59] So like that’s never going to happen. Doesn’t matter how much the market falls. It’s never going to be three 50, so I’m never going to buy a house here. So, we kind of were like, well, let’s shift our perspective here and maybe think towards the future for the boys. And yeah, that’s when, like we started talking about like doing more like ocean exploration and diving and.

[01:04:19]we actually were like, I was like, dude, we should eventually invest in like a boat. And so we started looking into like sailing because both, we don’t want to do like anything that’s like gas powered. Cause we were like, that seems like the that’s like the, the weak way to go, but we’re athletes. So we’re like, we want that the hard way to go.

[01:04:36] We like the idea. We like the idea of it being slow and we liked the idea of it being work. And like at town, like something you have to be, like able to do. So, so we were like, that’s cool. It’s like, it’s a sport, you know, sailing’s a sport. So that’s our new sport we’ve been. So we ended up and I thought this was going to be something years down the line.

[01:04:53] I thought it was going to be like, yeah. I mean, what’s the likely, I figured it’d be so expensive to get in on sailing that, you know, we would never, we wouldn’t be doing it for at least like five years. Maybe when the boys are teenagers, maybe when they’re in college, I don’t know. But, I started looking into it cause I’m injured and I have nothing else to know.

[01:05:09]and we ended up buying like a share of a boat with like four other people. And, we have a 30 foot sailboat now we are. And where are we? So it’s like that 45 minutes from her house. Where it’s, dot dot, and we can go down there. We can take it sailing, like just along the California, like, you know, Southern California coast is like, awesome.

[01:05:32] You can just stay really in the Harbor and get to some really awesome like towns or beach, beach cities. And also we have Catalina Island, which is only like 20 miles away from us. So it’s like a four hour sail to Catalina Island. So, and that’s like trail city there’s trails all over. Miles. I mean, they have ultras there there’s miles and miles of gorgeous trails and it’s like unspoiled, California, like really, really neat place.

[01:06:01] So we were like, dude, we’re just going to be like living in Catalina, like half the time. So

[01:06:06] Rich Ryan: [01:06:06] that’s fine. Got a sailboat, got a tent

[01:06:09] Natalie Miano: [01:06:09] and has like a, like it’s got a cabin. So it’s kinda like, yeah, that’s cool. We’ll actually be doing our first overnight or on it in two and a half weeks. I think. So in two and a half weeks, we’ll be going to Catalina for four days and we’ll sleep on the boat.

[01:06:23] And. Yeah,

[01:06:25] Rich Ryan: [01:06:25] that’s a blast. And isn’t there, what’s the learning curve like for sailing, isn’t there a bunch of jargon I’ve never been, I don’t know. Yes.

[01:06:31] Natalie Miano: [01:06:31] It’s all jargon

[01:06:39] terms. It’s like, yeah, it’s, Terms and knots, like

[01:06:44] Rich Ryan: [01:06:44] learning how to tie it off

[01:06:46] Natalie Miano: [01:06:46] and yeah, we’re getting good at those. And then like, yeah, I mean it’s, so our deal was awesome. Like honestly, it just fell into our lap and I feel like it was like such a godsend. because I mean, honestly, I’m, I’m pretty sure this would be a very expensive endeavor.

[01:07:02] Had it not just happened for us like this, but we did this boat share the guy who does the like buys the boat and like, does the organizes the share. He’s just like a retired teacher from like LA USD and he’s like, awesome. Super cool guy. athletic, like, you know, just kind of a cool beat, like. I don’t know, well-traveled kind of guy like, he’s just like kind of interesting person, you know, and doesn’t have a ton going on right now.

[01:07:30] And he’s just like, I will train you for free because I want you to be good sailors. Like, I want you to know how to use the boat. I just told you. So, yeah, it’s almost for him. It’s like, I think it’s like, Oh good. We get to go sailing. But he’s so excited to do it that he’s, he’s taking us out and giving us like free lessons.

[01:07:47] So basically we have all our lessons for free, which is well over. Like for, we calculate it over $2,000 of lessons and we’re getting it all for free. And then the share in the boat was not expensive. And then since we’re sharing it between four people, our slip fees, our monthly fees, insurance, and all that are really, really cheap.

[01:08:05] So it’s less than the cost of doing the sailboat with the monthly fees and all is less than we spend on our gym membership. So, yeah.

[01:08:15] Rich Ryan: [01:08:15] Cause you figured that that would be something that was one of my first questions is like, Oh man, like not even just the, the cost of like the boat and like the lessons, but I’m sure you end up getting other stuff.

[01:08:24] Like, there’s probably just like gear associated yeah. With it. But if it’s all kind of shared, but that’s a prep the way to go about it. I didn’t, I wouldn’t have thought that that was even a thing.

[01:08:33] Natalie Miano: [01:08:33] Yeah, I didn’t either. So, and I had seen like, there’s a lot of like boats for free. Like there’s like a website and it’s called, like, I don’t even know if it’s called like free boat.org or something.

[01:08:43] And it’s like people who literally give away boats that are like pretty tore up because who’s going to buy it. And nobody even buys boats anymore, hardly. And then, you know, I mean, if it’s tore up, it’s been in their dry where it’s been on the emphasis. But for God knows how many years on use. It’s like, Oh, it needs this.

[01:08:58] It needs that they’re there. They’re big, big projects. We’re actually looking at that like, Oh, let’s do a project, but years down the line. And that’s where we came across. Looking up boats for sale. And that’s when I found this guy who sells like that. And I was like, that’s what we want to do. We’ve already met our group.

[01:09:15] They’re awesome. There’s a couple from the UK. The husband works for like British airways. He’s already like, if you ever want to fly on your guy, like we got the buddy pass and I’m like,

[01:09:26] Rich Ryan: [01:09:26] it’s a warmer flying again.

[01:09:28] Natalie Miano: [01:09:28] You told the wrong people, awesome people. Like they’re just like, they’re all like us. And so it’s like where we look forward to share it, to sharing time with them on the boat, much less sharing.

[01:09:41] You know the boat itself. So I’m like, this is great. When your friends

[01:09:45] Rich Ryan: [01:09:45] yeah, you got boat friends now. That’s cool. It’s like, yeah, we both, we boat together. We were sailing friends,

[01:09:51] Natalie Miano: [01:09:51] something to distract you, even if you’re like, you know, right now, even if you’re not injured, you know, because it’s, because it’s just a weird time.

[01:09:59] And if you get too wrapped up in what’s going on, and if you find yourself looking at the news or looking at, you know, Everybody. Who’s waiting to hear if the races are going to happen on August 29th. Hey, I’m with you. Like I’m injured and it benefits me to not have the races go. Yeah. Right. But by God, all I want to hear is that they are a go.

[01:10:22] For one, I can’t wait to see our athletes, who we coach race. Again, people who are excited. I want this, I want the community to be back together. Like there is nothing more that I want and then not just together. Cause I know it will be different, especially initially, but just the feeling of racing again.

[01:10:38] I want that for everybody and I am on pins and needles myself. But what I can tell you is like, if it’s not a go, like you need to just. Stay with it, but you need to, and if you need a distraction as a distraction, go buy a boat. Well,

[01:10:53] Rich Ryan: [01:10:53] it’s from sailor friends,

[01:10:55] Natalie Miano: [01:10:55] definitely that, you know, I mean, keep it together, you know, try not to get too anxious and too much anxiety wrapped up into racing gear.

[01:11:03] You’re training towards the race as if it’s going to happen. And, you know, for those. For those who are getting excited about it, but at the same time, be ready to accept that, like, you know, the training block continues and that means what on bigger, I’m better. I’m stronger and faster. I’m more well rounded when racing does come back.

[01:11:24] Not

[01:11:24] Rich Ryan: [01:11:24] more time is better.

[01:11:26] Natalie Miano: [01:11:26] Yeah. Oh, and next week when the races are announced, If they a year ago or not, you know, do I, do I fall off my training and take a week and a half off and then piddle around and decide to get back into it two weeks later? Or do I continue going strong because I know I’m building this monstrous base and I’m leveling up with each three month cycle or whatever, you know,

[01:11:50] Rich Ryan: [01:11:50] Absolutely.

[01:11:51] Yeah. And I’m, I’m with you on the racist, like, I, my brother gets married that weekend, so 29th is out for me. The blood. Yeah. I’m still, I still want, cause I have a vested interest in the sport succeeding. Right. And seeing people grow and, and get into it and you know, just, it’s all positive, but the growth that can come from these races.

[01:12:09] So I’m with you on that. So hopefully. But I love the message about, you know, keeping things rolling. And if you can’t finding something else that is going to fill that, that void. because I mean, that’s all we really got right now. Right? Like we have to figure out what the hand that we’re dealt. well, cool.

[01:12:25] So I don’t wanna take up your whole day, but, what are, what, I mean, I guess the goal is for you now are kind of just getting healthy or w how’s that process kind of working.

[01:12:34] Natalie Miano: [01:12:34] Yeah, my, my mindset now it’s funny. Cause it’s like, I am not ready to throw in the towel for 20, 20, no matter what, like I just wait to me.

[01:12:45] It’s wait and see. You never know. And so is my mindset like. Dead on racing the series. No, no, no, no, no, no injuries for real. I realized that a month and a half or two months ago now I’m like, Oh shoot, this is no joke. Right. So now that I realize what I, what I’m dealing with, I definitely know that jumping into racing when my body’s not ready for it, or if I haven’t trained or if I’m still injured is a no go.

[01:13:12] That’s a no goes down. So I’m not even tempted to do that. But I’m not saying my, my season’s over, I’m looking ahead. And I mean, if I would tow the line even out of shape, if I’m a hundred percent healthy and I have runs to prove it, like, if it’s like, Oh yeah, I put in, you know, a good, good few weeks and my body’s completely healthy and there’s no pain at all left, which I, you know, I, I that’s that’s it’s far away.

[01:13:38] So. I went toe the line out of shape and just him people, Hey, I’m not myself. I’m not a hundred percent. I haven’t been training for five months. Like this is where I’m at, but you know, it would be like, I think about the series. And I think about my placing and I go, well, even out of shape could, if I could just run it like a long run.

[01:13:55] Could I get, you know, top 10 certain races. I think I could, you know, depending on the race and depending on who’s going, because now with COVID there’s a lot of, like, there could be less competition I’m thinking in terms of that. So it’s definitely like, let’s see what happens when I get there. but the one I’m looking ahead to is probably soundless Abispo, which is in November.

[01:14:15] So scheduled mid November now is a series race in slow. And it pretty much means I dropped the series because I would drop the points in whatever in West Virginia and I’d drop Seattle. And then that means I would not be competitive in points by the time slow rolls around. But. To be able to race again.

[01:14:35] Healthy. Cool. That sounds great. So that’s where I’m at. Not, not ready to throw in the towel, but I’m also being realistic about it. And I want no pain. I want to be healthy. I don’t want to run. I care so much more about longevity being able to run at the playground with my kids and run around the park and run.

[01:14:55] You know, forever and run for my sanity and for my house. And to be at the top of a mountain again than I do at all for racing, I could never race again in my life and be fine with it as long as I’m able to run.

[01:15:06] Rich Ryan: [01:15:06] Right. It’s, it’s funny how that perspective changes, right? Because it’s always a competition competition competition.

[01:15:10] Then when it’s taken away, when it’s all taken away, like, I just want it for myself. Like I do this for me, like doing it for yourself. At the end of the day, no matter what. So

[01:15:19] Natalie Miano: [01:15:19] it’s funny. There’s a lot of people tell me, Oh, good, you got injured at the right time. And I’m like, well, it’s hard to hear that. I don’t think anybody wants to hear that when they’re injured.

[01:15:27] But I think to myself, like this is a perfect time. Like my mom isn’t even leaving the house right now. I literally could go to Mount Baldy every day and just like have a free for all in the mountains. Because she’d be like, yeah, I’m here. I’m like, Oh man, it’s time for me to train. This is time for me to like, do whatever I want with the kids.

[01:15:44] Don’t even have school. And I have like my mom here and she’s down to do anything, but what am I doing? I’m sitting at my house and, you know, following Mark on the bike for an eight mile run, it’s like,

[01:15:55] Rich Ryan: [01:15:55] cause it’s a stressful time. Right? Like even with not much going on, like there is just external stress from just the world.

[01:16:02] So it would be nice to. Mountain.

[01:16:07] Natalie Miano: [01:16:07] It’ll come. It’ll come. I know it will cool me laughing about this.

[01:16:11] Rich Ryan: [01:16:11] Yeah, there’ll be like, remember when you thought you weren’t going to run again.

[01:16:14] Natalie Miano: [01:16:14] Yeah.

[01:16:16] Rich Ryan: [01:16:16] Cool. Where can people find you as in terms of socials and everything?

[01:16:19] Natalie Miano: [01:16:19] I, on Instagram, I’m at OCR. Mommy. yeah. Okay, sweet.

[01:16:25] Rich Ryan: [01:16:25] Yeah. I’ll make sure to link to the show notes. I’ll link to the coaching website for you guys and everything like that too. So they know where to find you. Cool.

[01:16:32] Natalie Miano: [01:16:32] Well,

[01:16:33] Rich Ryan: [01:16:33] I’m signing off here. I’m going to press stop and we’ll stay on the recording piece where we were in the start up, but that’s it for us. So I, thanks for joining me today.

[01:16:42] I appreciate it. And we’ll talk to you guys soon,

[01:16:44] Natalie Miano: [01:16:44] right? Thank you.