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So you're

Welcome And Guest Return

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thinking about running, but not sure how to take the first step? My name is Brian Patterson, and I'm here to help. Welcome to Brian's ROM pod. I'm Brian Patterson, your host, here with some more running tips and tricks. We're continuing our conversation with Elizabeth Claw, a certified running coach and author who's been very successful online. Her Instagram profile boasts over 110,000 followers. My gosh. I asked her about what inspired her to go online, and she has shared that her role as a CMO, which is a chief marketing officer, has helped her navigate social media to promote her book. I really enjoyed our chat, and if you haven't listened to the first part, please check it out in our catalogue and give it a listen. So without further ado, let's get into part two. So in

Instagram Growth And Running Community

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terms of the um uh your presence online in terms of on Instagram, how did, you know, what made you sort of gravitate towards that?

SPEAKER_00 1:24

So when I launched my book in 2016, I wanted to promote it. And I knew that, you know, I'm a marketer as my my full-time job. I am a chief marketing officer. So I know that social media is absolutely essential if you want to get any kind of message out there. So I knew how to use social media from my full-time job in my professional career. So I got on Instagram and I just started posting my daily runs. I did post about my book a little bit, but most of my run most of my daily posts were I ran six miles today. This was my pace, this is how I felt. And and just by doing that, just by sharing my training online, it attracted a lot of followers and a lot of engagement. All right, okay. Um, and so then it just grew kind of organically from that. I made a lot of friends too. I started following a lot of other um active Instagram runners and we formed um a little bit of a community and we're still friends today. And that friendship has been over 10 years. So um, yeah, I've been on for 10 years, and even though the Instagram platform looks nothing today like what it did when I joined, yeah, the main reason I joined was to um promote my book.

SPEAKER_03 2:38

Were there any if you posted now compared to when you posted at the beginning, are there any things that you you kind of learnt along the way? I mean, were is it were you quite green initially when you were posting? Um any sort of mistake early mistakes?

Standing Out On Social Media Now

SPEAKER_00 2:56

No, not really any mistakes. I would say that the algorithm has changed so much. You know, and there's so many more people running now. Back then there was uh like a a small handful of us on Instagram posting about our running. And but now there's so many people doing it that if you just say, Hey, I ran five miles today and this was my pace, no one's going to care. No one's gonna care, really. You have to have more uh like and and sometimes like if I'm running short on time, I'll still do that. I'll just say, like, hey, I think I did that today. Like I just I ran seven miles today, it felt good. I'm training for a marathon, have a nice day. You know, if I'm running short on time, I'll still do that. But yeah, to get the attention and and engagement on social media today, your post has to be so unique. It's much more competition. You've got to have um visually stimulating, you have to have a strong message.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:49

Um, there needs to be something of uh interest about it, needs to be either educational or entertaining or some or some deeper meaning behind it, usually. And um, so even though I sometimes default my old like here's a picture of me running, um, I do I do change it up quite a bit with more engaging videos with tips and my perspectives. And also the the messages from my book. I have, you know, I've written an entire book that has a lot of really I think useful messages for runners too, and I talk about that a lot.

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And

Why She Wrote Her Running Book

SPEAKER_03 4:20

yeah, okay. Well, I mean, we it was a good transition to go on to you onto your book. So what mm had how long have you been running before you saw decided that you wanted to run to sorry to to write a book?

SPEAKER_00 4:33

I had been, I'll say I had been racing marathons for nine years. Yeah. And I just I started writing the book in 2015. And I had had a blog for about the same amount of time. I started my blog on MySpace.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

Yeah.

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And um, and then I moved it to like a normal blog that I still have today. And um I I just got in the habit of really journaling out online for everyone to see my process. Now, nobody really read my blog, I will say. No, yeah, I it was mainly for me because I've always been a journaler, like someone that likes to journal, someone that likes to write. And um, but throughout, I would say, from the the time of like maybe 2009 to 2015, I guess the part of the book is called a seven-year journey.

Perfectionism, Anxiety And Breakthroughs

SPEAKER_00 5:18

There is a seven-year period of time when I really struggled with my running. Um from that period of time. Yeah. I think it, yeah, from like I guess the seven years I'm referring to is 2008 to 2015. I I really struggled with the mental aspect of it. And I hit somewhat of a plateau with my marathon and and I struggled so much, and it was profoundly affecting me, as I said, as a recovering perfectionist. The perfectionism, perfectionist mindset was just killing me, and it was interfering with my overall happiness and mental health. And it was also causing me anxiety around races. So it was impacting my ability to run my true potential. So what I did was I I ultimately realized that I had some underlying issues I needed to address. So I went to see a sports psychologist to help me support those out. Yeah. And with the sports psychologist and working with him for about two years, I learned so much. And I really had an epiphany and I had a breakthrough. And it was this break breakthrough that really changed not only my running, but my entire outlook on life, my entire perspective. And once I came out through the other side of that epiphany, I really wanted to share that with the running community.

SPEAKER_03 6:39

So was writing the book a little bit I can't say the word. I think cathartic. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

It w it was definitely cathartic. I had been vlogging about it. Yeah. I had been vlogging about it all, you know, all throughout the process. So I had very detailed records of how the process um went. And it was when I finally put the book together, yeah, I think it was extremely cathartic and it kind of you know closed the book on my journey to become a much more zen, chill, laid back, less anxious, less perfectionistic owner, and someone who was then it was then after I wrote the book that I was able to get my times from down from like 335 all the way down to the the 314. And then I just really flourished after that point.

SPEAKER_03 7:27

So was one of the lessons learned at that time. Um, I mean, you don't have to go into detail, obviously, but I mean, was to let to let go and to to not be so such a perfectionist of certain things.

SPEAKER_00 7:43

That's exactly the lesson. I the goal for me was to qualify for Boston, and I was clinging to it, and it became almost part of my identity. Like if I had not qualified for Boston, I was not a good runner, but if I could qualify, that would make me a good runner. And about obviously that's like the wrong mindset to have, but I couldn't shake it. And once I was finally able to say, you know, it really doesn't matter uh if I qualify for Boston, that's not why I am doing this. Of course, I want to, of course, I'll strive to. But once it it's it stopped feeling like this sort of, I was I'll call it a monkey on my back.

SPEAKER_02 8:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

Um, it just felt like I had something to prove. And once I realized I did not have to prove anything to anyone, I didn't have to prove anything to my friends or peers. And then it was almost like this burden I had been carrying for years and years was lifted. And I just wanted to, in the book, share how I was able to have that burden lifted. Because I think a lot of runners were like a type A high achiever type. We strive to be the best versions of ourselves, we strive, we strive to achieve more and more and more. But with that, we can sometimes be our own worst critic.

SPEAKER_03 8:49

And I think there's something that I do hear about a lot, even in professional sports, in terms of sports psychology and how sometimes the kind of some of the barriers that we have, be it in not just running, it could be in well, soccer over here, which is um um, you know, there is one particular case, is um uh not to take it to be tropical in topical in terms of the uh the England football team. But the um it's that whenever we they played and got down to the penalty shootouts, they they we always used to lose. And they had they employed a female psychologist, a sports psychologist. And it was a lot of it was about letting go. And they became I think, you know, I think one there are probably other lessons learned and and and they became a lot more successful afterwards. And it wasn't having to be anxious and uptight that there was all this this history and this baggage that was on them, uh um, you know, that uh they had to carry this burden with them.

SPEAKER_00 9:54

That's exactly right. And I think you you see that a lot in gymnastics when you know that these athletes have done perfect vaults and these perfect routines many, many times in their training, and then they get to the Olympic stage and they joke. And it's you know, it's not because they're not physically capable all of a sudden. It's it's any sport has a huge mental capacity. And I don't think uh as a culture we really reflect on that as much as we do the physical.

SPEAKER_03 10:21

So even us as even, I mean, yeah, you did the the Boston marathon, whatever, but it's obviously as relevant to anyone who's doing, let's say, maybe their first five, ten K or something like that, or the or maybe it's sort of on an intermediate level, you know, helping to improve their times, you know, not to be so, you know, if if they don't make the hit make their PB time, then you know, not to worry, you know, it it it may happen another time, sort of things.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

Yeah, and you can also relate it to other things in life, like if you have to give a presentation or do public speaking, or if you have to take a written exam for some reason, maybe you studied really well, but then there's clock pressure comes in and and then you just kind of freeze when it's time to actually take the test.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

Yeah.

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So performance anxiety, if you if you have it and um can affect all areas of life. So really understanding what's driving it and how to overcome it can be um a huge, a huge relief to many people.

SPEAKER_03 11:22

How was the book received? Was it is it something that you were able to um uh talk about um, you know, uh afterwards and maybe do a presentation using the book?

SPEAKER_00 11:34

Yeah, it was received uh beyond my wildest dreams. I when I published it, I kind of set a low bar. I said, look, if it just helps, if it just helps one person, one person beyond my friend's circle reads it, it'll be a success, really. And um it has sold um many, many copies.

SPEAKER_03 11:50

And was this self-published or self-published, yeah.

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Yeah. And I I did that because, as I said, I'm in marketing, so I I know how to market a book. And uh it it sold a lot of um lot of copies, and I then I um recorded the audio version of it as well. But it it was very well received in terms of um very positive feedback from people on Instagram, very positive reviews on Amazon. And one of my favorite things about being, actually, I will say my number one favorite thing about being active on social media is when I get the message that says, Hey, hey, I'm reading your book, or I just finished your book and oh my gosh, it helped me so much, or your book helped me get to Boston. I have had hundreds of messages from people who've read the book who said that it's really changed things for them. Um, I've had people come up to me in person and had to sign their book or to show me that their book was like highlighted. So I mean, this is like, as I said, it's just beyond my my wildest dreams. So it it was it was definitely well received. And at some point I want to write another one, but I'm trying to formulate what that would be about.

SPEAKER_03 12:55

Yeah, I was gonna ask you if if you were go going to follow it up with another one.

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At some point I I would love to.

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Yeah.

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So on the uh just just to sort of um move move on from there.

Consistency And Beginner Running Basics

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So as I said, the um our audience is predominantly sort of like beginners or maybe they've been running for a while. So I just wanted to find out as to what advice would you give to sort of everyday runners? And maybe you're giving a I know you you do um post about you know what your training is and that kind of thing. So what advice would you give? You know, are there is it like uh a top five things that you can tell um everyday runners uh starting out to sort of put them on the right track?

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Yeah, consistency is is the biggest thing that's most important. Doesn't matter if you're running two days a week, three days a week. You have to develop some sort of schedule, some sort of regimen that you can maintain and hold yourself accountable for. And once you do that, it will, you will get better, whatever better means, if it means faster, if it means further, if it means it just feels better. Your body will adapt to that, let's say. Your body will adapt. The human body's meant to make uh adaptations. And it, you know, it's also really important for beginner beginning runners to know things like hydration is really important, especially as we're in the summer, hydration, not just with water, but also with electrolytes, making sure you're getting enough calories, food, energy throughout the day, that's all really important too. And just knowing that, you know, I I think it's easy for beginning runners to get discouraged because sometimes a run will feel really great and then they'll go out the next week and it will not feel so good. But then as humans, we were dynamic, we're not every run is going to feel good. And just because you have a run or two that is maybe harder or slower, it doesn't mean that you've lost fitness. Yeah. It just means that like some days your body just doesn't want to go.

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Aaron Ross Powell Because even just you said you had this challenging period of less seven years, even though you were, you know, the relationship with running wasn't so great. You still went out running though, didn't you?

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So I I never lost the desire because even though it was causing me a lot of heartache, I I just was always very, very determined to qualify for Boston.

SPEAKER_03 15:11

Obviously, so that says a lot about you, I suppose, yeah. Quite determined.

SPEAKER_00 15:17

Yeah. I think in running, what's gonna make you successful is in order to be consistent, you have to have a mindset of determination and perseverance. And uh, you know, you have to really want to do it. Life is too short to do things that you don't enjoy. Yes. Maybe you don't make yourself do it. I mean, to be honest, you're not gonna enjoy it like maybe the first month, but you ultimately will.

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Yeah.

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Um but if you find that like, hey, I've been doing this for three months, I don't like it, then I don't know, maybe it's not for it's not for everyone, and you should only do things that you enjoy.

SPEAKER_03 15:49

Yeah. Yeah, that's true. Do

Social Media Noise And Comparison

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you think now it's if we look into getting into running, is it a different experience to when you started because there's more distractions now? Uh whereas when you started, you know, it was just m either there was this lonely treadmill in the middle of your gym and I can use it as part of my workout, or I've got some sneakers and then I can just go outside and enjoy the fresh air. Whereas today is a lot different.

SPEAKER_00 16:21

It's a lot different. And I think it's a social media because you're almost everyone is going to know somebody that's a runner or that's or that's running. And if you don't know someone personally that's a runner, see it on social media. And if you if you're online and you ever just do a search for running shoes, then all the algorithms immediately know you're a runner. So if you have any interest in running whatsoever, the social media platforms, they will know and they will show you running content. You cannot escape running content if you've done any kind of internet searches. So then that will that will just automatically change things. It will get in your head. You will, the natural human tendency is to compare yourself to someone else or to follow someone else's lead. And so it's it feels like it's just maybe less personal than it used to be. It's it's maybe less time alone with you. Um if for someone just starting out today. I mean, for runners who've been doing it for a long time, you know, not so. But if you're just trying to start it out today, I feel like it would be very hard to shut off all the noise, your body, and go.

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Yeah. Yeah. And I

Watches, Routes, Friends And Farewell

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think it's um, I know this is maybe a bit of a challenge for me. Um I don't know if it's like for you is to run without the watch.

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Yeah. That is well, and I would say I I could do it if I but I just I, you know, I am usually always training for something. I'm very goal-oriented. Yeah. And so I just like to track it. I think for me, the equivalent of running without a watch is to probably still wear the watch, but just not look at it.

SPEAKER_01 17:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

To be able to like afterwards, you know, to have to still have my training log that I've maintained a training log since 2008. So I've got, you know, almost two decades worth of data. So I'm not really ready to give that up. But uh but I think I could challenge myself to maybe put the watch on and then not look at it until I'm done.

SPEAKER_03 18:13

And just uh uh I know that I wasn't um this probably isn't in our outline, but um, can I still ask you just a quick couple of quick fire questions? Do you have a um a particular running sporting icon?

SPEAKER_00 18:28

A sporting icon. What do you mean?

SPEAKER_03 18:30

Like um Someone you you kind of either looked up to or someone who you admired even growing up? Well now?

SPEAKER_00 18:39

No, I mean I would say the runners who I see in real life in my local community, any runner that is maybe 10 or 15 years older than me shows me that I still have more time to get, you know, to get faster and that, you know, I have a long future ahead of me. So I I would really say there's not one person.

SPEAKER_02 18:59

No.

SPEAKER_00 18:59

Um, but really anyone that's significantly older than me who's still out there inspires me.

SPEAKER_03 19:06

And do you is there a particular running route that you um admire? I'm sorry, not admired, sort of that's your favorite, you know, like you you really enjoy this particular route and it kind of, you know, something that makes you enjoy running more so than others, or do you prefer doing a different type of different types of route to help motivate you?

SPEAKER_00 19:28

I prefer to run a different route every day. I love variety, but that doesn't mean I don't have my favorite route. So my favorite route is I live in um right outside of the Washington, D.C. area.

SPEAKER_02 19:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:37

Um it's the Mount Vernon Trail. Um I don't live right on it, so I don't get to run it as as much as I would like. But whenever I do get to run on it, you can see all of the beautiful monuments in DC. You can see the Potomac River. Um, you run right by the Pentagon. So it just has really beautiful, uh gorgeous views of all of that. And then it also connects to Keen's Point, which is also quite scenic. So I would say I I just love running in DC in general. Um, I don't get to do it, you know, I pretty much just do that on the weekends. I don't live super close to it. But um but I would say that's my favorite.

SPEAKER_03 20:14

And do you run with do you do you like running with other people? And do you have like a training group or is it you're very much a lone person?

SPEAKER_00 20:22

It really varies. Um I've been part of various running groups in the past. I have a lot of friends who run. So if I can meet up with a friend, that would be ideal. I do really enjoy that.

SPEAKER_02 20:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:32

Um, you know, I run with my husband occasionally. Yeah. Um, so I I I I really do enjoy running with others, but a lot of times if I, you know, I do have a full-time job. So it's just sometimes it's just about getting up and out at like 6 a.m. and getting it done before I have to go to work.

SPEAKER_03 20:48

Great, great, great. Well, I just want to say I've really enjoyed talking to you today. Thank you very much for coming on the podcast. But before we go, I just wanted to um sorry about the planes in the background, but we are very near hair throw here. Sorry. Before we go is where can we find Elizabeth online?

SPEAKER_00 21:08

Um, Instagram. My Instagram name is at Elizabeth Lore. That's Elizabeth C-L-O-R. And also I post regularly on Facebook. And then my blog, which has been a 20-year-long blog, is ElizabethClore.com.

SPEAKER_03 21:24

All right. Um uh I'd like to say goodbye from me. If you'd like to stick around just after we stop recording, and then um uh but I'd like to say goodbye from from you, Elizabeth. Thank you very much. It's been a really enlightening conversation um about your journey in running. And um I'd like to say goodbye from me and uh I hope everyone's enjoyed it. So goodbye.