Personal Peak has so many inspiring Athletes. We are looking forward to sharing some of their stories with regular Athlete Spotlights!
This month, we are featuring Larissa Costella, a half marathon runner from Calgary AB.
How long have you been running for?
I have been running for as long as I can remember, I started racing cross-country in kindergarten, and continued to race up to a few years into university. Due to some shin injuries and school/life stress, I stopped racing but always kept running for my own enjoyment and my main source of physical activity and stress relief!
Why do you run?
I run because it feels good!! Running has always been a great source of joy and stress relief, and has always been one of my favourite forms of exercise. Even when I have had a long day, or if I feel just too tired, if I can force myself to lace up my shoes and just start running, I ALWAYS feel better after I do it… and often I end up running longer than originally planned. If the thought of “going for a r
un” feels like too much work, I call it a “joy jog” instead. It’s a great way to enjoy the outdoors and I think I am addicted to the endorphins 🙂 My mom was a runner, and it was her that introduced me to my love of running.
Biggest running accomplishment to date?
In September 2021 I completed my first half marathon!!! I had only ever run 10km at one time, and only raced 5k, so this felt like a big one for me. I ran it faster than I thought I would (1h46min) and thanks to the training I did, I felt great during the race. I feel proud of this accomplishment!
What is your next big goal?
Along with running, I also love and do a lot of swimming and biking… and so before I turn 30 this year, I am hopeful to try my first ever triathlon!! I am quite intimidated by this, but I know I can do it.
How long have you been working with Personal Peak?
I started working with Personal Peak at the beginning of 2021, when I decided that I wanted to set a running goal for myself of running my first half marathon.
Why did you get a Coach?
I wanted a coach because although I am fairly disciplined, I know that having a coach would hold me more accountable for my training. I also needed the advice of how to train properly and to avoid injury. I wanted somebody to tell me what to do so I could go out there and do it.
What do you like most about working with a Coach?
I like that working with a coach can sometimes turn training into a fun game… I found it exciting to see what workouts I had scheduled for the week and of course a great sense of joy when I accomplished those workouts and sent them in to my coach. I also really like that I was able to customize my training based upon my own schedule, my previous injuries, the amount of activities that I do outside of running, and make my training work for me. My coach could take all aspects of my situation and make my training schedule work best for me and my active busy lifestyle.
Favorite running tip to pass along to others?
I have two! Both of these I learned from my coach 🙂
If you are running up a hill during a race, most people will want to slow down to recover when they reach the top. However you can usually recover in the same amount of time, regardless of how fast you are running, so it is wise to keep your pace up once you get to the top, and blow past all those other runners!
The other favourite and important tip is SHOES! Don’t run in old shoes. Buy new shoes, and make sure they are the right shoes for you. I generally buy new shoes once a year and I trust the good people at Gord’s Running Store to help me find which ones work best for my needs. They are incredibly knowledgeable about running shoes. The right shoes helped solve and prevent a lot of injuries and issues with which I have struggled. It might feel expensive but it is WORTH IT.
From her Coach
Favourite thing about working with Larissa?
Larissa is such a dedicated Athlete, and her consistency is amazing! She is an expert at being able to stay on track with her training, and also stays really consistent with her supplemental Strength and Prehab workouts, which had definitely contributed to her recent successes! Because she loves biking and swimming as well, she has a lot of crosstraining options available for her, which lets us add a bit of extra volume to her training without increasing her risk of injury.
Favourite moment being Larissa’s Coach?
The standout moment was definitely when she finished her first half marathon! Getting the text after she crossed the finish line saying how strong she had felt, and that she was considerably faster than she was expecting to be was amazing! I was so proud knowing that all of her had work and dedication had finally paid off and that I was a small part of that success. Knowing where we had come from with her history of running injuries at shorter distances to successfully increasing her mileage to finish a strong half marathon was a really great moment!
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