Every runner knows that you stand on the podium alone but getting there takes support. Nikki Hiltz aspires to stand there one day as a top-3 American miler, but the former Arkansas Razorback by way of the University of Oregon, who recently placed fifth at the USATF Indoor Championships, is no lone wolf. After graduating last may, Hiltz sought out Terrence Mahon and adidas' San Diego-based The Mission Athletic Club to launch her pro career.
"I was like, 'Yeah, it'll be more intense, going from college to pro. But it’s more than I ever thought. It’s everything I imagined, amplified."
Hiltz credits her consistent routine for allowing her to handle the rigors and challenges of professional life. Here, she gives Runner's World CA Notice at Collection.
8 a.m. Rise and stretch
I wake up and get into my morning routine: coffee and toast or bagel, read the news on Twitter, open the windows, let the natural light in, stretch, roll.
On workout days, I might do a meditation session, which is probably two minutes long.
9 a.m. Pack and go
How a New Pro Runner Lives and Trains Ultraboost 19 saves room there when i’m packing for the track. I can just bring these and my spikes instead of three or four pairs of shoes because it's versatile.
9:30 a.m. Workout #1
Another great thing about San Diego (besides year-round sunshine and warm weather—ideal for training!): there’s so many cool spots with good trails and views so we can go anywhere we want. So I’ll meet my teammates, my coach, and we all run together.
Monday, Thursday, Saturday are easy training runs, 5-7 miles. Sometimes drills after. Wednesday, midweek long run. Like two miles further than a normal training run.
Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday (long run) are big workout days at University City high school or UCSD track. Straight to the weight room after. Terrance’s system is you make your hard days hard Ultraboost 19 Shoe easy.
That’s why I love being part of a group. Teammates can lift me up and vice versa. We deal with the hard moments together.
12 p.m. Make some lunch
I go home, make lunch. My girlfriend [teammate Therese Haiss] and I will sometimes walk to a coffee shop, answer emails, stuff like that.
On Fridays I bring my lunch with me so right after the track workout I eat something, drink a protein shake, and we all hit the gym. That's another hour-long session.
3 p.m. Double up
I do a second run somewhere between 3 and 5 p.m. Balboa Park is a half mile away so I usually run there from my apartment, which is nice.
The doubling is a huge difference in training. I double four or five times a week now versus one or two in college. Nothing crazy—a 2-3 mile run. I like it. I like shaking my legs out.
It’s easier to get out the door when you have a partner. Some days it’ll be raining and I’m like, "I don’t want to go for my secondary" and she’ll say, "No, come on, I’ll go with you."
4:30 p.m. Stretch and strengthen
I bring out my yoga mat and we’ll do exercises and drills to strengthen the hips. Calf raises, things like that.
6 p.m. Make some dinner
Pizzas, soups, these elaborate salads. My girlfriend is a great cook so we mix it up. She’s the cook, I’m like the sous chef.
8 p.m. No run and chill
We watch TV, watch a movie, read, or I play guitar sometimes. Nothing related to running. The books we read are not running related, the shows we watch—I don’t even think there are running shows. We just kind of get away from it because we go through our whole day training side by side.
Training wise, we push each other to be better every day. At the end of the day, we're each other's biggest fan but it’s definitely crazy to race your significant other. We’ve been doing it for three years and I think we’ve figured out how to support each other in the right ways. We’ve grown a lot together. I wouldn't be the athlete I am without her and I think she would say the same thing about me.
10 p.m. Lights out
Get to bed. Maybe even around 11. We try to say we go to bed "In the 10's." So if it’s 10:55, we’re still in the 10's and it’s okay.
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