Mar 30, 2022 | Uncategorized
On April 18, 2022, 27-year-old Kevin Clark will toe the line at the 126th Boston Marathon. It will be his second time running the Boston Marathon and his 11th marathon.
Kevin Clark before Without Limits Charleston practice.
At any given Without Limits running practice, Kevin is among the first to finish a workout, often averaging under a 6-minute per mile pace. He’s known to be one of fastest on the team, but even more than that, he’s often the most encouraging.
“The moment I get to practice, it’s the best part of my day,” Kevin said.
While these accomplishments and his spirit are uplifting to his teammates, they bring tears to his mom’s eyes. She thinks back to his childhood when she was uncertain about what his future would hold.
“At three years old, he just all of a sudden stopped walking,” said Kevin’s mom Melissa. “His doctor told me he probably just wanted to stop. I pushed to get him an x-ray and we discovered he broke his leg.”
His high tolerance for pain was one thing that made Melissa realize something wasn’t right.
“He didn’t cry,” Melissa said. “He didn’t like to sleep. He didn’t react to things (like sounds) like babies typically do. Doctors told me he was deaf. Another doctor told me he was epileptic.”
Melissa didn’t accept these diagnoses. She worked with her father, Kevin’s grandfather, and countless other specialists to try to figure out the true reason Kevin didn’t behave like a typical baby.
Finally, a doctor at Children’s Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta diagnosed Kevin as autistic.
When she first received the diagnosis, Melissa and her family were unsure about how this would impact Kevin’s future. Within a few years, Kevin was introduced to running and his entire world changed.
Kevin stands with Mom and Grandpa on Grandpa’s 80th birthday at Galveston Half Marathon.
“It was in my DNA before I knew it was there,” Kevin said.
Kevin started running track and cross country in middle school and immediately exceled. But, even with his success, there were people who tried to keep him from running.
“Teachers said he needed to stop because he wouldn’t stop on his own,” Melissa said. “With autism comes sensory integration issues. Kevin’s threshold for pain is different than a lot of people.”
But, even then, Melissa knew Kevin was born to run.
“He was MVP in high school and went to [the state meet] all four years,” Melissa said.
Kevin went on to run in college at North Greenville University. When there was turnover in the coaching staff, his roommate introduced him to structured training. This advanced his success even more. Now, in his adult years, running brings him a sense of accomplishment.
“I can’t sing. I can’t dance. Running has always been a passion of mine. It’s the only thing I can do really well,” Kevin said.
While joking about why he runs, he explains that running has helped him get through hardships as he’s struggled to find his career path, jumping from job to job. It’s helped him form friendships when he’s felt alone.
Kevin Clark wins Victory Junction Half Marathon in 2012.
“Kevin is not an outgoing personality. He didn’t excel with his grades,” said Melissa. “He wasn’t the most popular. When he would run races, I would encourage him to congratulate the winner. It got him to feel more comfortable… then he started winning. It’s taught him sportsmanship”
In 2019, Kevin joined Without Limits Charleston because he wanted to qualify for the Boston Marathon. He said he had been searching for more specific and challenging coaching and saw others’ success through Without Limits.
“Really, I’d say it’s opened up what a team should be. It’s a group of people that come together. No matter what performance level they’re at, we’re all working together,” Kevin said.
Kevin is coached by Chris Bailey, who has helped him reach personal records (PRs) in several distances, and helped him achieve his lifelong dream of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. He ran Boston in 2021 and looks forward to going back to Beantown this year.
Kevin will also run the Berlin Marathon this year which will help him complete five of the six World Majors Marathons (WMM).
As Kevin continues to train for the Boston Marathon and other key races, he reflects on what Without Limits means to him.
“I’m grateful beyond measure for the coaching and the support of the team,” Kevin said.
For Melissa, who is also on the Without Limits Charleston team, seeing Kevin as part of the team helps her see how her son’s life has panned out better than she ever imagined.
From a 3-year-old who suddenly stopped walking to a 27-year-old who often comes in first at races, Kevin continues to impress his teammates and family.
“He has a circle around him that supports him in more than just running… and, he is complimentary and encouraging to everyone on the team,” Melissa said.
Jan 7, 2022 | Community, Newsletter, Testimonial, Uncategorized
The Journey to Without Limits
by Kim Baldwin
January 2022
September 2015. I was lying in an ICU bed thinking to myself, how the F*ck did I get here?
Six months before that, I had started a slow descent into a darkness I had never known. I was close to weighing 300lbs. And I was training for the SMART Ride, a 160-mile bike ride from Miami to Key West, in November. When I began to experience chest pain and shortness of breath, I told myself it was due to my weight and to shut up. This is what being 300 lbs. means. For months, it was nothing but me, my bike and the horrible stories I told myself. My daily practice was punishment through starvation, mileage, self-bullying. Rinse. Repeat.
By mid-September, I just not feeling well. So what did I do? Compete in the Wrightsville Beach Triathlon, just as I always had. My thinking was, well, you are getting a cold, you really don’t eat, you weigh a lot. This is what happens. Shut up. Continue with the punishment.
That September race day, I entered the water, found my spot, and took off when then gun fired. All very normal. I made it about 10 strokes into Banks Channel. Out of nowhere, I felt a wave of nausea tear through my body, from the bottoms of my feet up. Then I couldn’t breathe. I remember thinking, “I’m gonna be one of those triathletes who dies in the swim and everyone will say, ‘At least she died doing what she loved.” The ironic thing? I did all the swimming, biking and running not from a place of love (or mild enjoyment) but from a place of pure, unadulterated punishment.
My hand shot up. The lifeguards raced over, got me on the coast guard boat and took me immediately to the docks at Sea Path Marina where the paramedics were waiting for me. I knew something wasn’t right but when they checked me out, my vitals were ok. They let me go. In my mind, I convinced myself, again, that this is what happens when you are completely out of control with your weight; never mind I had done that swim hundreds of times with no issues.
Two days later, I ended up in the ICU. Both lungs were filled with blood clots and I had what they call a saddle pulmonary embolism. (This is not something you want to Google.) When the doctor came in my room his jaw hit the floor. He couldn’t believe I was alive. People don’t live through what I experienced. I wasn’t supposed to be here.
While taking months off from work and going to pulmonary rehab, I got much needed time to think. I knew I couldn’t ruin the do-over I had been gifted. I couldn’t spend the next half of my life living in darkness, anger, shame and blame.
For the next three years, I dug deep. I did the work. I unraveled my childhood trauma and started to see how that impacted every single strand of my life, especially my relationships with food and exercise. With the help of a nutritionist specialized in eating disorders and a therapist specializing in childhood trauma, I slowly started coming out of the darkness. I started to understand the stories I told myself were just that, stories.
I learned my eating disorder probably started when I was about five or six years old. I uncovered the root of my depression, anger, shame and toxic thinking. And I finally understood how it all was inextricably linked. I starved myself as a form of punishment. I exercised as punishment. Food brought me no joy. In fact it brought me the exact opposite. Who eats for pleasure? Running is fun?
In the movie “28 Days,” one of the characters, upon leaving treatment, wants to adopt a dog. His therapist says he can have a dog if he takes care of a house plant for a year. If the plant doesn’t die, he can get a dog.
That’s what my three years of doing the work was for me. I lost 100 lbs., got my mind right, and felt stable enough – mentally, physically, spiritually – to start exercising again. I wanted to see what a body with 100 lbs. less could do.
I joined Without Limits (WOL) and started with swim practice twice a week. Then I added run practice twice a week, signed up for Training Peaks and all of a sudden, I had a coach and long runs on Saturday.
Intimidated. That’s how I spent the first few months of swim and run practices. I felt so insecure. I was the slowest one. I didn’t want to get in anyone’s way. Did I really belong? Were my old thought pattern and stories creeping back in?
After one particular run practice I left in tears. I didn’t realize anyone noticed. Coach Kristen called me the next morning. She said to me, “Boo, you belong.” Somehow, she knew. That day, it all changed. I needed to get out of my own way. So I did.
Then COVID hit. All of a sudden everything was shut down. Even swimming at Wrightsville Beach was shut down. The gift of COVID was that I realized just how important running and swimming were to my mental and physical health. I needed movement. It was my way out of the darkness. It relieved my anxiety. It allowed me to properly fuel my body. Talk about a 180!
There was another COVID gift. I realized just how important WOL was to me in other ways. The coaches gave me accountability and encouragement. And I made friends too. Amazing friends! Relationships of any kind are almost impossible when you tell yourself stories. So in those first few months of the pandemic, it was like time stood still. I was able to reflect on what I was missing. I saw how important this community of athletes is to me. The friendships I’ve made far outweigh any PR.
Six years later, post-clots, mental breakdown and eating disorder diagnosis, I’ve never been better. Sure, I have my days. We all do. Now, I sit with my feelings, try to understand them, and then move on. Sometimes I work them out on the track or in the pool. Sometimes I groan with the ladies at Starbucks post-workout. The one thing that remains consistent is when I leave practice, my cup is always full.
I couldn’t have imagined me being a member of WOL. But here I am, one of its ardent supporters. My original assignment was to write about why I joined WOL. But honestly, it’s more about why I stay. It has truly been a journey. And one that is nowhere near over.
Dec 23, 2021 | Uncategorized
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Runners, Multisport Athletes, Supporters, and Endurance Enthusiasts
What a year it has been. It started out tough, with more postponements of events and altered training schedules. We had to stay strong both mentally and physically! In the second half of the year, large running events returned, the Olympics came back, world records were broken, and people continued to break through their limits.
While we athletes love to stick with an unaltered schedule, facing the challenges of our lives when the world around us changes adds to our journey.
For us, we woke up every morning and went to work. When we see our name every day WITHOUT LIMITS, we were reminded that we can face the challenges ahead of us and overcome whatever life may throw at us, TOGETHER!
2022 will be a whole new journey. I don’t like to say “beginning” because we can start today, but regardless, January 1st is a fresh start to a new year. It is a way to look back and reflect on the past and look forward and say how can I be better.
The next two weeks are a great time to spend with friends and family and rest your mind a little, but keep training your body.
One thing we learned over the last 18 months, we need to be HEALTHY! Being fit and working our bodies is important to boosting our immune system.
Below we highlighted our year and also added what we have in store for 2022. Thank you for following us, and being part of our journey. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays.
We hope to see you at one of our next races or practices. Enjoy the rest of 2021 and SET GOALS NOT LIMITS for 2022! See you out there.
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RECAP OF 2021
There are so many stories and things to say about 2021. Below is a very brief recap of what we are all about. However, to get the full experience, you can get involved in Without Limits many ways! Coaching, events, nutrition, or follow us on social media! Tell us your story. Our athletes and the performances that happen at our events help tell the story. We hope you have a great 2022.
We kicked off 2021 helping athletes reschedule their racing calendars because of postponed races. It was a challenge we had to overcome since many races got moved to the spring or to the fall of 2021. Keeping athletes engaged and healthy was the number one priority.
Our events were a huge success in 2021:
Without Limits produced the Southern Tour Ultra and the Novant Health Wilmington Marathon one week apart at the beginning of April. These races were postponed from January and February and our team was focused and worked very very hard to pull off two successful races just 6 days apart. The Marathon contributed over 2 million in economic impact and raised nearly $40,000 for local groups and non-profits including Health Possible.
We teamed up with Set Up Events on the White Lake Half Pro-Am, and with the help of Coach and Pro Triathlete Aaron Kolk, we were able to provide a prize purse for Pro-Triathletes all over the USA to come race in White Lake. We are growing that race in 2022 and hope to see you there!
This fall our races had record numbers starting with the Copperhead 20K and 20K Beer Relay with over 700 athletes and 140 teams and over $3000 going to area non-profits with Plastic Ocean Project coming on board as a benefactor!
We then moved into the YMCA Wrightsville Beach Triathlon which had over 1100 triathletes and raised over $20,000 for the YMCA of Southeastern NC.
Swim the Loop sold out and raised money for the NC Coastal Federation. Our team stepped up to Volunteer at this year’s IRONMAN 70.3 NC.
We then shifted to the Parkway Subaru Battleship Half Marathon which was just shy of 2000 athletes and raised nearly $8000 for local groups including the living with water fund for the Battleship.
We finished up in 2021 with the Shakori 40 and brewed our first Beer for a race, the Shakori 40 Hazy IPA. This was a huge hit and a ton of fun.
The Wilmington Team has been steady all year, holding each other accountable to attend practices and racing to new personal bests. A crew got to live their dreams at this fall’s Boston Marathon. We love the fact that 55-60 people wake up every Tuesday and Thursday to Run. 20-30 people spend their afternoon running with us and a consistent 20-30 wake up to swim with us each week no matter what the weather is! That is accountability! If you want to surround yourself with people who care and who want to improve, come join us at practice!
 
Our Charleston Team has grown and hired two new coaches. Welcome Meredith Nelson and Jennifer Bennett. Congrats to the Charleston team for all of their 2021 success. Coach Chris Bailey and crew continue to plan their 2022 year and are ready to help anyone in the Charleston area improve! Visit Charleston
The Greenville Team is youth and Ultra focused. Coach Hammersmith added Jay Baker to his list of coaching staff and has put a lot of focus on the Upstate Ultra race series that includes over 50 events in upstate South Carolina. Greenville has a successful Without Limits Youth Team and continues to help athletes reach their goals in the long distance races! Coach and Athlete Victoria Hammersmith is also leading the pack with her amazing race finishes. Visit Greenville
Coach Trey is meeting athletes very early in the morning in Columbia! Talk about dedication. Coach Trey is developing Without Limits Youth athletes in Columbia and continues to work with individual athletes to help them reach goals. Visit Columbia
Welcome Coach Josh Estep to the coaching team. He has put his love for running into the Triangle Youth community and the Without Limits Triangle Team has taken off! If you are in the triangle, contact Coach Josh Estep. Visit Without Limits Triangle
Cross Country Camp – Coach Colin Hackman and Michelle Hackman have kept the Without Limits Cross Country camp alive during the pandemic. They worked hard to follow all protocols and have helped kids live the dream of training in the Mountains of NC. The Without Limits XC Camp is helping some of the top runners in North and South Carolina get better but also have fun and enjoy running. Look for details on the 2022 Without Limits XC Camp.
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2022 TEAM
We are kicking it back old school style for our 2022 team shirts! All athletes who want to be a part of Without Limits Team by attending practices, youth programs, or virtual online coaching programs will receive a 2022 team shirt! We hope you will consider being part of the team in 2022 if you are looking to improve, be held accountable or simply enjoy endurance training. We can help adult or youth athletes with structured programming during any time of the year. Our goal is help you reach that PEAK toward your race goals or fitness goals or just to stay accountable with solid strucutre and programming that makes sense for you.
If you are in – contact us by clicking the button below
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2022 WITHOUT LIMITS EVENT SCHEDULE
– Last Man Standing – Backyard Ultra Approved
– 50 mile
– 50K
– 50 mile age graded team relay
– 26.2 Marathon
– 13.1 Half Marathon
– 26.2 Relay
– Downtown 5K
– Free 1 mile Run 14 and under
– Short Course
– Long Course
– Short Course SOLO
– 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run
– Lees McRae College – Banner Elk
– 20K Individual
– 20K Beer Relay
– Beer Mile
– 1200 Swim, 11 mile bike, 5K run
– 1.3 mile point to point swim
– 3.5 mile Loop Swim
– 13.1 Half Marathon
– 10K
– 5K
– 40 mile individual
– 40K Individual
– 40 mile Team Relay – Age Graded
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PODCAST CHANNEL
We hope you have enjoyed our podcast channel. We love talking about how life and endurance sports are intertwined and how you can improve! We will continue to offer our podcasts and we appreciate if you follow us on any of your podcast streaming networks!
Latest Episodes
– Episode 20: Ice Baths, Breathing and Intermittent Fasting. What I have learned and explored
– Episode 21 – Breathing – Wim Hof for Endurance athletes and more techniques for meditation and performance.
– Episode 22 – What it means to be a VIP Runner? Why go VIP at your next race.
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Dec 19, 2021 | Newsletter, Nutrition
Healthy Eating Through the Holidays
by Diana Davis RDN, LDN – Without Limits Dietitian Nutritionist
Do you have a plan for your holiday eating?
Yes, I know you want to celebrate the holidays! The parties and celebrating have already
begun, and I want you to be able to eat, drink and be merry, BUT not too much!
You know the drill, too much eating, drinking, and merriment can add up to feeling bloated and
lethargic in the “short run” and too much partying will produce gains in body weight and body
fat (which is never good) in the “long run!” All of this typically equals a few missed workouts at
a minimum and in some cases, a really “good excuse” to take the month of December off from
training!
So, what can you do? Consider having a plan.
- Day of a holiday event/party: get your workout in early; hydrate with lots of water
throughout the day; eat a balanced meal or snack before you go to the party; bring a
vegetable-forward appetizer to share (such as a meat, cheese & veggie tray, a hummus
& veggie tray, or a spinach and artichoke dip with veggies and crackers/chips)
- At the holiday event/party: HAVE A GOOD TIME; continue to drink water – between
rounds of alcohol; make sure to eat with attention to more protein and veggies, and if
your holiday gathering is an all-day event, get outside and get active with the kids!
- Day after the festivities: get back to training as quickly as possible – you will never regret
it; resume your regularly scheduled eating; and always water first, veggies most!
Interested in starting the New Year with a nutrition plan customized for your personal goals?, I
would love to be your nutritionist! I am licensed to provide nutrition counseling in both NC and
SC and am an in-network provider with several major insurance carriers. Reach out to me by
email dianadavisrd@gmail.com or through the Without Limits app or website
https://www.iamwithoutlimits.com/membership/nutrition
Nov 12, 2021 | Community, Newsletter, Testimonial
If you’ve ever run the streets of Charleston or participated in a local race, there’s a good chance you were passed with a greeting from a speedy blonde-haired woman saying, “Granny, coming through!” For some, it’s incentive to speed up to not let “Granny” beat them. Others might walk away feeling defeated, having been smoked by “Granny.” Still, it’s likely it put a smile on the faces of anyone who saw or heard Cherry Kent (or “Granny”) come by at her usual 8 minute/mile pace.
And, that’s exactly why Cherry Kent runs.
“I just really do love it,” said Kent. “It’s a great sport. Racing is what got me hooked, but once I started racing, it motivated me… Health was a side benefit. I just really liked the competition.”
This year, Cherry Kent turned 65 years old. On November 7, 2021 she ran the New York City Marathon, her 49th marathon and ninth NYC Marathon. She’s run the Boston Marathon 15 times and tells her tales of marathoning with vivid memories of both pain and love.
In fact, in 2019, she ran the Boston Marathon and could barely walk for days after, due to a lower back injury. She was not proud of her time that year and even considered giving up marathons completely.
Now, at 65 years old, that’s all changed. She ran her third fastest NYC Marathon this year with a finish time of 4:09:18 (~9:30 minute/mile pace).
“The coaching from Without Limits and strength training has improved my running experience,” said Kent. “As you get older, you need to incorporate more strength training and having a plan, with pickups, for the long runs helped a lot.”
Cherry joined Without Limits in 2019, around the same she was considering retiring from her marathon career.
Now, she has a new goal.
“I’ve qualified for the Boston Marathon in 2022. That will get me to 50 marathons. I’ll try to keep an open mind about it after that,” said Kent.
Having run 49 marathons to date, she understands the work that goes into having a successful race and the often-painful recovery after a marathon.
She stays with her friend Chancy every year when she runs the NYC Marathon. And, through the years, their experience surrounding the race has changed.
“We call it the ‘geriatric adventure’ now,” Kent said laughing. “If I do NYC again, I will have to make more accommodations for after the race for our ‘geriatric adventure.’”
Cherry Kent is a competitor amongst people of all ages. She started running 37 years ago. Some years, she completed four marathons in a year. She’s run hundreds of 5ks, 10ks, half-marathons and completed dozens of triathlons.
The thing she loves most about running is the connections she’s made.
“I’ve met so many friends. I know so many people through it.”
She met her husband Matthew Kent through running years ago.
“We would not be together if not for running,” said Kent. “It’s great that we support each other. We also get mad at each other, too. If we offer too much advice, we will yell at each other… And, if I get too old to race, I’ll still be supporting him at races.”
Cherry Kent is an inspiration to her Without Limits teammates and coaches, and frankly, anyone who crosses her path. But, even with her speedy 24-minute 5ks and blazing fast marathons, she finds a way to be the least intimidating person at races. If her speed doesn’t catch your attention, her humor and ability to laugh at herself is sure to draw you in.
“After one race, when they were calling out awards, they pronounced my name as ‘Shimmy Cracker’,” said Cherry Kent. “I don’t know how they got that, but after that, several people called me Shimmy Cracker.”
So, whether you refer to her as Granny, Shimmy Cracker, or any other affectionate name, Cherry Kent will put a smile on your face…even when she’s leaving you in the dust.
Jul 9, 2021 | Apparel, Community, Newsletter, Nutrition, Testimonial, Training Advice, Uncategorized
by: Tom Clifford
WITHOUT LIMITS: 14 YEARS….HOW WE STARTED: 14 years ago we decided to start a business coaching runners and it turned out to be a little more than that:)
I met Kyle Shepard playing beer pong and told him I am going to start coaching runners at the track and he should come out. Kyle said. IGGHHHTT. I’ll be there. (I honestly didn’t believe him) but he showed up. Alecia Williams also showed up as she was my first client that I met in the gym and Erin Hogston a former UNCW hurdler also showed up.
That business was going to be named High Voltage running, because I loved the band ACDC. Really I loved Thunderstruck but that didn’t make sense to name a running group Thunderstruck. After some thought, I figured ehhh, High Voltage a little corny and took a vote with some runners that were already training with us. Without Limits stuck out as one of the great running films about Steve Prefontaine. So we moved forward with the name WITHOUT LIMITS and actually trademarked the name a year later.
The group grew and people improved. I learned a lot in those first years about working with ability levels from novice to good age group runners. Kristen Smith started helping me time from the beginning and is now still coaching and a Wilmington Firefighter. Kristen has been a tremendous coach over the years and we appreciate everything she has done!
(added: I can’t forget Anthony Enoch who took me to my first marathon in Myrtle Beach and is still a current friend and athlete)
In 2009 I got into triathlon. I enjoyed racing triathlon and really wanted to begin coaching triathletes as well. So after a year of studying triathlon and getting certified, we added triathlon to our list of services.
I then realized Wilmington did not have a full marathon in the city. The
NHRMC Wilmington NC Marathon and Half Marathon was born, formerly the Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon as many of you remember it. We put together a great team of people to make the race happen. The race had 1400 runners in it’s first year and putting on events really got my juices flowing. The marathon grew to a near 4000 runners over the last 10 years and continues to change and adapt to our city and hopefully will continue to be successful.
In 2011 Annette Clifford quit her job to help me with the business. We now had just one source of income for our family and we just got married and bought a house. Annette fixed a lot! If it wasn’t for her our books would probably be backwards.
In 2012 we had a coaching breakthrough when Christa Iammarino qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon. This was any coaches dream to be able to be on an athlete’s journey to an OTQ.
Also in 2012, I met Jon Carne from
Port City Apparel. Jon helped our brand improve drastically through apparel. We began creating our own race t-shirts for races. The race t-shirt industry just didn’t meet expectations with design and comfort. Jon really helped our company and our races create the best shirts you can get at a race!
2012 remained a great year as we had started our Without Limits Youth program with Colin Hackman. The goal was development of young athletes so they could go to High School developed and excited to run. Aaron Kolk came along and has been a tremendous coach for youth and adult and now triathlete coach for so many.
Now Without Limits, the Marathon and Without Limits Apparel were three main pillars of our company. I met Mike Duncan at Sage Island who helped us with branding and web design. With my brother Steve and Mike dialing in our logo we had a good branded logo that had meaning! WITHOUT LIMITS…..Embrace the Challenge.
Now Without Limits had some other coaches in other locations. Chris Bailey in Charleston. Matt Hammersmith in Greenville, Trey McCain in Columbia and Josh Estep in Raleigh area.
After going to one of Matt’s races in Greenville, that sparked and idea to create a trail relay that brought families, friends of all ages to compete in an ultra marathon style age graded relay race in a big field. The
Southern Tour Ultra was born. A combination of ideas into one. The Southern Tour was another pillar of Without Limits that added my kind of flavor. Woods, Beer, Running, Classic Rock Music and competitiveness! From Southern tour
Copperhead 20K and
Shakori 40 were both branches off the same concept with different distances and vibes at each event.
In 2019 three of our ladies qualified for the 2020 U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials which was another coaching honor to be on the Journey of Erin Hogston who was one of my first athletes, Brittany Perkins and Peyton Thomas.
In 2019 I met Shawn and Scott Tunis along with Diana Davis our dietitian and we created a vitamin and long run recovery shake line that will assist runners with better nutrition and recovery.
Runners Daily Vitamin
Of all of these highlights, there are so many accomplishments by athletes along the way that I am so excited to have been on their journey. Also so many people to thank. Beth Ann Soporowski for coming on board and helping us with back end work and sponsors, Maleia Tumolo Celia Wolff, JP Merchant and Angela Midget who all have brought great energy to practices.
While this may look like a good ol’ highlight reel, there were many struggles along the way. But I can say every single struggle made us a stronger company, better communicators and always lit a fire under us to BE BETTER.
We are Without Limits, and we appreciate the support from so many.
Visit us now and grab some apparel if you want:)
![The Who, What, Where and When of FOAM ROLLING your Lower Body]()
Oct 6, 2020 | Uncategorized
Written By: Coach Maleia Tumolo
Let’s talk about the basics and importance of foam rolling.
Foam rolling is something a lot of athletes know they should do. “Some” athletes use a foam roller on a regular basis but let us be honest, most runners don’t use one often or at all and would benefit from regular use.
Foam rollers come in different sizes and lengths. Some are smooth and some have ridges. Some are hard and some soft. Honestly, just a basic foam roller is all you need in order to reap the benefits associated with using one regularly. It doesn’t have to be expensive. You can purchase one for as little as $15.00. 
The importance of foam rolling is simple. It aids in recovery and helps prevent injuries. Basically, a foam roller acts as a way for you to massage yourself by breaking down adhesions between the muscles and increasing blood flow to the area. It also helps speed up recovery, decrease muscle soreness and increase flexibility.
The great thing about foam rolling is that you can control the intensity by adjusting the pressure and/or body position and the speed of rolling.
Your goal is to find areas of discomfort. Once you find these areas, you should stop/slow down and put pressure to release the knot. You can also manipulate the area by adding in other movements such as ankle circles, flexing and extending appendages, contracting and relaxing muscles, and using small lateral movements across the knot to help break up the problem area.
When should you foam roll? After workouts and on your days off are your best options. You will want shorter sessions on multiple days. Instead of one long session once a week. Just like everything else you can roll too much so four 15 minutes sessions 4 times a week is much easier on your body then one 1-hour session on a Sunday. You will want to take your time while rolling. Focus on what you are doing and try to stay in tune with how your body is feeling so that you can find those problem areas. Roll one area at a time and do 2-3 minutes on each body part. Stick to only rolling the belly of the muscle and be cautious of your ligament and tendons.
Check out the video below to see a video of a basic lower body foam rolling routine any athlete can do.
These areas include:
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- IT-bands
- Quads
- Shins
- Lower back
Video: Intro to Foam Rolling
http://bit.ly/foamrollingwol
![The Who, What, Where and When of FOAM ROLLING your Lower Body]()
Jun 23, 2020 | Community
June 23rd 2020
By: Coach Maleia Tumolo
Tips For Running Your First Ultra Marathon
I run……A LOT! Most days, I’m hitting the trails or pavement for hours at a time. Trying to log miles for my next Ultra. But I wasn’t always an ultra runner. Actually, until a few years ago, most of the races I have done didn’t last over an hour and were triathlons. But because of
those triathlons, I found a love for being on trails. I soon realized that I also loved climbing mountains and putting one foot in front of the other for many miles. My ultra journey has been quite an adventure. I’ve trained months for some races and signed up just days before others. However, each and every one has been an adventure and a learning experience. Below, I have compiled a list of tips that I have learned through the years. I believe these are important for those wanting to run their first Ultra.
- Commitment: Commit to training. Commit to starting. Commit to doing all the preparation needed to finish. Race day will be hard, tedious, uncomfortable, and the day will be long but your commitments will keep you in constant forward movement.
- Don’t push your pace: It is not a sprint and it’s not a marathon. For most it’s a long jog in the woods. So start easy, take your time, make good choices and if you want to speed up later there are plenty of miles at the end.
- Food…….and more food!: There is a little chance of you making it across the finish line of an ultra marathon, let alone doing so feeling strong, if you don’t nail your fueling strategy. By the time you reach the starting line you should have an understanding of what you can stomach during a race. Keep in mind fueling is very specific to the individual racer.
- Cheers: My best advice is drink before you’re actually thirsty. Since Ultras last several hours it’s critical to stay hydrated. Carrying a hand held or a hydration vest is beneficial since aid stations are few and far between.
- Pick things up and put them down: Cross training is an important component of your ultra training. Working your muscles in different ways is one of the best ways to prevent overuse injuries.
- Everyone walks and that’s ok: Even the very best ultra runners hike during hilly races, so it makes sense to train for this. In the words of Dean Karnazes “run when you can, walk if you have, crawl if you must”…it all counts as moving closer to the finish line!
- Use your poles!: If you are up against a really long distance or technical mountains, poles can be your best friend, but you must practice with them prior……A lot! There is an art to running with poles and it would be wise to master that before race day.
- You need skills: Nearly all ultras are run on trails which means steep inclines and declines, rocky footing, and a variety of surfaces to cross. Naturally, the best way to prepare for the variety of terrain is to practice so I recommend getting on the trails as much as possible. Ideally on the same type of terrain as your race.
- Be positive!: Remember it’s supposed to BE FUN! Sure there may be some low points but you’ll have to dig deep. Just a small amount of positivity and self love can get you through the rough patches and across the finish line that much faster.
So who is ready to start this new chapter in their running and in their lives….Test the limits of the human body and mind?
Apr 17, 2020 | Community
By: Diana Davis, RDN Without Limits Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
April 17, 2020
Athletes need to be intentional about the way they fuel, hydrate, and refuel around the “training window.” This refers to the block of time just before, during, and after any hard work-out or long run, defined as 90 minutes or longer. During this training window, what you eat and drink makes all the difference in the quality of the workout, how well you will tolerate the training, and the recovery and adaptation your body and your muscles make in response to the work you are doing. I work with clients to help them find what is their best pre-workout meal, which sports drinks or electrolyte replacements meet their fluid and electrolyte needs, and which carbohydrate foods, gels or chew they can tolerate while training and how to properly recover after they are done.
The immediate need for a recovery drink which is ideally consumed within 30 minutes after finishing a long run or long workout is best satisfied by a new product: Runners Essentials Long Run Recovery shake. The nutrition profile of this shake matches what research shows an athlete needs after a long effort (90 minutes or more). It contains a combination of fast and slow carbohydrates to replace spent glycogen stores, in a ratio of 3:1 with high quality protein, along with branched chain amino acids to repair muscle damage, electrolytes potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium to replace sweat losses.
But what makes this recovery shake perfect for endurance athletes is the combination of 5 special ingredients not found in any other product on the market: L-Glutamine to reduce post-exercise fatigue; Alpha GPC to enhance brain function and increase human growth hormone; L-Theanine to promote relaxation and mental calmness; Ashwagandha to decrease exercise induced muscle damage; and Tart Cherry to reduce inflammation, lessen muscle soreness and pain and speed strength recovery. The science behind each of these ingredients is convincing and in combination they facilitate recovery, strength, energy and relaxation. It is a new product that I am shaking up after all my long runs! Click here to read more about Runners Essential Long Run Recovery Nutritional Shake.
![The Who, What, Where and When of FOAM ROLLING your Lower Body]()
Apr 17, 2020 | Community
By: Diana Davis, RDN Without Limits Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
April 17, 2020
Take a look at this recipe! It is packed with good nutrition and flavor. It contains a variety of immunity supporting ingredients including protein, iron, and zinc-rich chicken, edamame (green soybeans), chickpeas and tahini, as well as leafy greens, and mango to really boost your intake of vitamins A & C in a salad that will leave you truly satisfied!
A high fiber salad eaten once daily should be part of your nutrition plan to promote healthy gut bacteria. Eating a variety of veggies and fruits which are high in soluble fiber (beans, peas, lentils and apples are a few examples) contribute prebiotics which “feed” the healthy bacteria in our guts and in turn help regulate the body’s immune response to illness.
I love everything about this recipe and the simplicity with which it can be made vegan. Just eliminate the chicken kabobs! The new version of the dish is still an excellent source of protein, with 19 grams per serving and rich in iron, zinc, fiber, vitamins A and C.
Eat well, be well and enjoy!
