Conquering Mental Mountains (with krew member Kim Kaminsky)

Krys sits down with longtime FLK Method member and newly minted instructor Kim K to talk all things running, mindset, and motherhood. From high school cross country captain to new mom and full-time educator, Kim shares her journey with fitness, how she fell in love with running, and why it remains her go-to method for emotional regulation, stress relief, and empowerment.

Whether you're new to running or looking to get back into a routine, this episode is packed with real, honest advice about building habits, avoiding burnout, and setting goals that actually stick. Kim and Krys also dive deep into toxic diet culture, letting go of the scale, and the power of showing up—especially on the hard days.

🎧 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How Kim got started with running (and why cross country isn’t just “regular running”)
• The real mental game behind running and how to climb the “mountain of the mind”
• Tips for beginners who want to start running without burning out
• How motherhood transformed Kim’s approach to fitness and self-care
• Why we need to ditch the scale and redefine what success looks like
• The importance of structure and flexibility in a sustainable wellness routine

🔥 Favorite Quote:
"You are the mountain. There is no mountain—you are the mountain." – Krys

👟 FLK July Runners Series:
Kim is leading a special 4-week Runners Series inside the FLK Method this July!
📅 Every Thursday at 6:30am (Live + On Demand)
💪 Focus: Strength, mobility, and education to support runners (or aspiring ones!)
💻 Sign up at fitlikekrys.com

🎯 Connect with Kim:
Instagram: @runwithkim

Transcript

Krys [0:00 - 2:28]: Foreign. Let's get into it. Welcome to the Fit Like krys podcast. Thank you guys for tuning in, joining in. I am on a streak. I'm on a streak of having clients slash, I guess, instructors, just people part of my online wellness community, FLK Method, as part of the podcast. Because I am driven and inspired mostly by them. And so when I think about interviewing people and information, I've just really been thinking about the people that are within my community and what people are doing out there that are the same as you. Listening, just regular awesome women out there doing things that a lot of people might look at as, or a lot of people might think like, like, how do you do that? Or how are you so consistent with that? Or a lot of women that have. That I've trained or that have started with me started in a I don't know how I'm going to do this mindset, but are totally in a crushing it mindset and, you know, have even surpassed me in a lot of ways. I joke with a lot of my clients or instructors and I'm just like, you know, there's a lot of people out there who take this and take wellness and just personalize it and commit to it in such a way that it becomes their own. And then they are still a part of FLK Method community, which I'm so grateful for, but they've definitely developed a sort of a voice and a routine and a vibe and everything of their own. So today, brand new on the instructor scene, but she's recently FLK Method instructor. I've known her for a really long time now. She's a original FLK Method member. Took classes in person with me. I knew her in, in the flesh before the good old Covid happened. And I've seen her life. She's had. Not that she had a baby with me, but she had a baby while she was. I've. I've been with her through all sorts of life transitions. She's a pillar in the community, and now she is a FLK Method instructor. So welcome to Kim, our very own Kim K. Hey, thanks for having me. 

Kim [2:28 - 2:31]: So excited to be here. Love you. Love the podcast. 

Krys [2:34 - 3:55]: And we're fresh off of a holiday weekend and I'm fresh out of time. And I was like, we. We got on this podcast and I literally said to Kim, like, I don't know what we're talking about today, but give me one second. And then immediately, as soon as I took a moment to think about it, and I was like, I know, but before we get into it, we're gonna. So thank you guys so much for tuning in the Phillip krys podcast. Just so you know, it's on Spotify, but It's also on YouTube. You can watch the video and see our faces and you could also listen to it on Spotify and I think Apple podcasts and all that good stuff. But you could also share it if something in this podcast resonates with you, inspires you, motivates, even makes you laugh. People need all of that stuff. So please share it and definitely subscribe to wherever you're listening. And we're going to talk a little bit about running today, but before we do that, I want Kim just to give us a. You're not going to tell us your whole life, but when it comes to fitness and wellness, I'm always interested to hear how people, and not necessarily found FLK method, but, like, what kind of childhood sort of did you have growing up? Was there sort of fitness and wellness? Whether the answer is yes or no, when did you start to develop your own interest with. With fitness? 

Kim [3:56 - 4:51]: So I have always been extremely, like, health, fitness, like, motivated. But even as a young kid, our parents always had us choose one, like sport or activity that we had to be a part of. And my brother, he's a year younger than me, he's like, so superstar athlete. Baseball, soccer, like, anything he touches, he's immediately good at. And I am not coordinated. Balls, bats, like, not my thing. And going into high school, my parents were like, you need to pick something to do. So I went into, like, the introduction day, and I was like, I'm gonna sign up for cross country. And both my parents are like, what? Like, you've never run before? But I signed up and that summer I started running and I was good at it. And. And it kind of like took off from there. And that's where my love of running started. And then throughout high school, it was something I love. Track, cross, cross country. I was captain of the cross country team, not because I was necessarily the fastest, but I just took on that leadership role. And it was. 

Krys [4:51 - 4:59]: Can you pause? And because I don't want to assume everybody knows what cross country is because even I'm not completely clear at what cross country is. 

Kim [4:59 - 4:59]: Like, what. 

Krys [4:59 - 5:02]: What is that? And how does it differ from just like, regular running? 

Kim [5:03 - 5:40]: So there's two different, like, running times in high school. There's the fall season and the spring season. Cross country typically happens in the fall season, and it's a longer distance. It's a 5K, which is what all of our races Were So all of our practices, we weren't on a track. We were running through, like the town of Somerville, which is where I went to high school. Or we'd go to local parks and run through different trails just to get the miles in. But it was a longer distance. I also did track, which was a spring sport, but that's when you're running laps on the track, you're sprinting hurdles, you all the different track activities. But cross country was like a longer distance and it was mostly through woods and trails. 

Krys [5:41 - 5:52]: Okay, and so when you say you were like, good at that, does that mean that you just were able to complete it without being like, out of breath? Like, what does being good at that mean? 

Kim [5:52 - 6:07]: So all of the races were against other schools. It was a 5K. There would be a boys race and then a girls race and it was timed. So I mean, I remember like a decent time was being able to run a 5K in about 21 or 22 minutes for the girls. 

Krys [6:07 - 6:08]: Wow. 

Kim [6:08 - 6:12]: So we had like a varsity and a JV team. Somerville was. Wait, hold on. 

Krys [6:12 - 6:13]: How much is that per mile? 

Kim [6:14 - 6:16]: It's about a seven minute mile. 

Krys [6:16 - 6:17]: Okay, that's pretty fast. 

Kim [6:18 - 6:25]: So, yeah, I mean, you're in high school. Like, I feel like when you're in high school, like, you're just like fast athletic and then it slowly, like gets slower as you get older. 

Krys [6:27 - 6:55]: Okay, so you had a pretty early introduction to. But actually college athletics is not about wellness. It's actually the opposite of wellness. It has skewed a lot of people's relationship with wellness and taking care of themselves. So that's interesting. And a different way to enter it where you are an athlete. So like from high school through College, in your 20s, what did fitness and wellness look like to you? 

Kim [6:55 - 7:57]: Yeah, so I did not go into college wanting to do cross country. I actually also rode horses my whole life. So I wanted to go to college with a place that had an equestrian team or club or some sort of, you know, equestrian horseback riding program I could join. So I went to East Stroudsburg. They had a club team there. I did it for two years, but it became very competitive and I was not into the competition and doing the horse shows every Saturday or Sunday. We were up at 5am so it wasn't for me. So again, like, my parents really encouraged me to be a part of something. They didn't care what it was. And at that time, I became very involved in our rec center. We had an amazing rec center with which had a gym, an indoor track, basketball Court. So I spent a lot of time there just working out. And I got a job there working behind the desk. It was just like a part time, like, work study job. And that turned into there was a group fitness program there. She kind of like convinced me to do the group fitness training and then I started teaching classes there. So that's. 

Krys [7:57 - 7:58]: How old were you? 

Kim [7:58 - 8:42]: Where. It was my second year of college, so 19 or 20. Yeah. Okay. And it was a time my parents were going through a really bad divorce, so my time was spent at the gym. Like, I should have been going to a therapist, but instead I went to the gym and I ran and I worked out and I took classes. They had Zumba, yoga, spin. They had everything. And I just loved it there. I felt good there. I loved the people there, the people that I worked with. Like, people were joining fraternities and sororities. But I had my gym friends and we would have like, you know, a themed party or we'd go out to the bars together when we were old enough. And it was just my place where I found happiness. And I, like, had a release there. And then also I could make a little bit of money on the side teaching classes and working behind the front desk. 

Krys [8:43 - 8:52]: And so I actually had no idea you had this, like, extensive background with fitness. But now that I do talk about. 

Kim [8:52 - 8:59]: It that much, just because it was so long ago. So it doesn't. Not that it's not relevant, but, like, it was like 10, 15 years ago. 

Krys [8:59 - 9:08]: Did you. Did you. Was there a gap in when you were taking care or, like, working out, like, was. Or did you always maintain some sort of fitness routine? 

Kim [9:08 - 9:50]: I always maintained it. It started in high school with the cross country team. My parents went through a divorce when I was graduating high school into college, and. And I think running and, like, working out was my way of just, like, decompressing and, like, working through all the stuff that came with college and, you know, looking for jobs and figuring out what I was going to do after college. And my parents going through this crazy big life change at home, selling our childhood house. Where were we living? And it was a lot when you're 19, 20 years old, just entering into the world. So the gym and working out was like my, like, steady place that I could always go to and always find a release at. And it just kept my head on straight, honestly. Yeah. 

Krys [9:50 - 9:52]: Do you feel like it still does that? 

Kim [9:53 - 10:24]: 100%? Yes. Running is my outlet. I tell that to everyone. And obviously, like, therapy is number one. Everyone should talk to a therapist. But Running for me is where I can work out all of my problems. And like, if I have any issues or any stresses in my life going on, I can go for a run and immediately feel better. Like, it may not be the best run, but I can go just for like a mile, jog and just getting fresh air, being outside, not having to think about anything, tuning into my music, it always makes me feel better. It's always been that way. 

Krys [10:24 - 11:15]: All right, let's get into running for a second. Because I don't find it calming, enjoyable. I really struggle with running and I see people running and the theory and the idea looks good. Like, I like it. But when I did that 5k a day in May, it was like every single day. It didn't get EAs. I was just like, what's happening right now? So I feel, I feel like now that I know this background about you and listen, some things are not for everybody, right? So, like maybe, maybe there's somebody out there listening. Like, maybe you'll never like running. Maybe you'll never like working out. I don't think that one of the reasons I do I work out how I work out at FLK Method is because it has to be fun or like, I don't want to do it right. You have to find what works for you. But I do think that there's value in doing things that you don't want to do. 

Kim [11:15 - 11:16]: Right. 

Krys [11:16 - 11:53]: It helps to build strength and resistance. But when it comes to running, when you were training in high school, was there anything like or like, I'm wondering if you naturally just like liked it immediately or was there because those first 10 minutes, five to 10 minutes of running, they're all. You're just like, like, why am I doing this? You're contemplating your whole life. It does get better. You know, 10 minutes in, it's like your body warms up. But is there anything like that you're supposed to be doing during that first 10 minutes to like not think about how awful it is? 

Kim [11:54 - 13:04]: I also feel like it's even like the first two or three miles. Like when I was in high school, like 5K was our distance. So the most we would train would be like 4 or 5 miles. And I hated it. I hate a 5K. It's so fast paced and I like time to get into my groove. Like, I agree the first 10 minutes for me, it's usually the first like two to three miles that are just miserable. And that's when I like specifically make my playlist for like my favorite songs. If there's a podcast. I'll start listening to a podcast anything I can to distract myself. Good tip. Because once I'm distracted, then I start to feel good. When I get to mile three, four, that's when I start to get into a groove and I'm just, like, doing it and I feel like I could do it forever. That's when it, like, clicks for me. But the first two miles are horrible. And I've spoken to so many people who, like, mentally struggle with running. And it is a mental game and you have to play games with yourself. You have to find the songs that you like. You have to find the podcast, anything you can to distract. I used to listen to Crime Junkie that the murder mystery podcast, because I would get so into these cases, I would, like, forget I was running. So you have to find ways to distract yourself. You have to. 

Krys [13:04 - 13:08]: You have to do something else while you're running, basically, is what you're saying. 

Kim [13:08 - 13:11]: Okay, you have to, like, shake yourselves a little bit. 

Krys [13:11 - 14:21]: Okay, good tip. Good tip. So, okay, that, that makes me feel better because it's like, okay, I'm not just so intolerant to just not wanting to do this. And this is so a part of this of running and why I like it as a practice. Not like. Like, I know that I don't like it, but I'll do it from time to time because I know that it's hard. And doing hard things makes you feel like, oh, yeah, I did that, you know. But there's also ways to make it better and easier, right? So for running, and there's a lot of people listening that might want to get into running. And when people want to get into running, a lot of times, like, I'll hear like, you know, like, yeah, I'm gonna run two miles a day or I'm gonna run. Like, when some. If someone's wanting to get into running, how do you recommend going about it in a way that they're actually gonna stick with? Because I think a big problem with fitness in general is people over stating a goal and then not doing it because it's too hard. And running is already hard. So how do you. How do you actually, if someone wants to become a runner, like, how do you start that process in a way that is setting them up for success? 

Kim [14:22 - 16:02]: I would say get rid of the distance goals. Like you said 2 miles or 5k a day. That can be so, like, it can just put a mountain in your mind and make it so hard to climb that mountain. If you have a goal of running Two miles and you've never run before. I would put it into time. I would say, if you've never run before, just go out with your watch, or not even your watch. Pick a song and jog for as long as you can. And when you start feeling painful, out of breath, stop and walk. There's nothing wrong with walking. And then once you catch your breath and you feel good again, again, play a game with yourself. Jog from this mailbox to the next mailbox and set a timer for 20 minutes and do a job. Walk for 20 minutes. But you can't make it so impossible for yourself. If you say, I'm going to go out and run two miles, you're probably not, because two miles is really far. And if you've never realized, you don't realize how like, like, if I get to my house and I'm at like 2.9 and I have to get to 3 miles in my head because I'm crazy and I can't stop at 2.9, that last tenth of a mile is really far. Like, you think you're just going to take another. Like, you don't realize how far the distance is. So I would say do it in time. Like any kind of like, jog for two minutes, walk for a minute, or jog from here to the next tree and then walk. And there's nothing wrong with walking even now, especially in the summer. Like, I will stop and walk and then pick it back up once I feel good again or once I catch my breath again. You have to make it easy for yourself and you have to play games in your head even now. I'll do that. Like, you know, I. I see a person up there, I'm going to jog until I reach them and then I'm going to stop and walk or, you know, whatever you can do to like, you have to play games with yourself with running. It's a total, like, I am hearing. 

Krys [16:02 - 16:48]: This from you and I'm like, okay, I get it, I get it. But so what I heard you say was remove the distance goal, which is good, but also to still use time, but not to use it. Like, to use time, but like in a way of, of setting a structure up for yourself. And I think this is actually really helpful. And why a lot of people like the audio only classes at FLK Method is because it's like there's some sort of endpoint. There's something that we're doing. There's something. It's not just like this audience arduous. Like, and you Also use the, the term mountain in the mind, which I want to talk about. But there's not this, like, you know, I have to finish three miles. It's like, no, I'm. I'm picking up my pace for 20 seconds and then recovering for 40. I'm gonna do that for 15 minutes, you know, and setting up a structure. 

Kim [16:48 - 16:49]: Any kind of structure. 

Krys [16:49 - 16:50]: Yeah, it helps to. 

Kim [16:50 - 16:51]: It. 

Krys [16:51 - 17:41]: It acts as a distraction. Like, it's a. It's probably a more effective run and workout, and it's giving you something to do while you're out there doing something that's really challenging. Okay, so mountain in the mind. When can you remember? Maybe it was yesterday. I don't know. It could. It could be. It could be this morning, it could be last week. But do you remember something that you personally might have been going through, but you had a running goal or you said, like, I'm going to get up and run tomorrow, whatever. But what? Something that was happening or something in your mind that you had to literally talk yourself out of and just get out there? Because I want to hear about that process and how you talk yourself into what you said you were going to do. Climbing the mountain in your mind. 

Kim [17:41 - 19:11]: Oh, yeah, all the time. That happens with. Especially in the summer, it's so hot out. And I will, like, say, like, I don't need to run tomorrow. Instead of running, I'll just do an FLK class. Like, it's so easy to say that, but I like to have, like, a goal in place that I'm working for. Like, I just signed up for a fall race. Like, I highly recommend anyone who's getting into running sign up for a race, Sign up for a 5k. Whatever your distance your goal is, sign up for something, because then it's going to force you to work backwards. And then you can't skip your runs. You can't not do it. But if you're talking yourself in to do it, it's always like that first step. So I'm like, let me, you know, just put your clothes on, go outside, start walking, and then when you feel good, start running again. The music that you listen to can be really helpful. Or just starting to walk and then let it go from there. Because once you're out the door, I think getting yourself out the door sometimes can be the hardest part. And then when you're in the runs, you're already doing it. So I've. I mean, I've been doing this for so long. For me, the mountains more come. Like, if I'm in A race, and it's a hard race, or the course is hard or the distance is something I've never done before. It's pushing past those things, and I know that it's a mental game, and I know that I have done these hard things before. I do hard things all the time, and not just with running and FLK classes. Holding a plank or doing burpees. Like, I just think about the things that I've done that are already hard, and this becomes nothing. The run becomes the easy part. Yeah, that makes sense. 

Krys [19:12 - 19:27]: So do you ever have. Well, maybe. What has. How has running helped in, like, your real life? Like, what things have you learned through running that you've applied to, like, life. 

Kim [19:29 - 20:56]: Running definitely reminds me to just, like, take a pause and digest any problems that I'm having. I'm someone that's very quick to respond to a situation, and I think you have talked about that before. I have a little bit of snappiness, especially at work. And this year had been an extremely difficult year. Work with the students we had and some of the people that we were working with. And I found myself a lot of times, like, wanting to. To bite back. And when I hold myself back from that, I get really anxious inside. And I use running to help me, like, relieve that. And also it allows me, like, to go for a run and work through my problems. That's when I'll, like, have conversations in my head about what I would say or what I want to say or how I want a situation to go. And it can go both ways because I've had runs where I've, like, spiraled myself down a way a situation could go poorly, and that's, like, not helpful. But I'm still, like, working out those feelings. I've also had runs where I have, like, spiraled myself out of a situation. I'm like, oh, my gosh. Like, if I were to say this, it could go like this. And. And that's why I run long distances, because sometimes I have these conversations with myself, and I'm really working through what I want to say or what I should say or what I shouldn't say. And then when I come back from the run, it's like, okay, I've had time to digest this, like, go home, sleep on it, and then the next day, deal with the situation. But the run kind of helps me get that initial, like, angst, and, like, I want to snap. I want to say this, but, like, let me hold it in and kind of work it out first. 

Krys [20:56 - 20:58]: So it's kind of like your anger management. 

Kim [20:59 - 21:29]: Yeah, yeah, anger management. Reduce of snappiness. Kind of like, you know, my friends always joke I have coworkers that I run with, and something will happen at school, and they'll be like, don't run with Kim today. It's going to be a fast one. She's got a lot to work out. Like, we've said that before. Like, we'll be talking and I'll be explaining a situation, and they'll be like, can we slow down for a second? Like, you're really, like, going off the handle here. But I feel like it's better to work it out there that way than to have that initial, like, snappiness. 

Krys [21:29 - 22:26]: It's a. I think it's a good. Running is easily aligned with really any emotion. Like, at first, it's really intense. Any emotion you feel can be really intense. But as you keep going, the emotion. Right. Changes, the sensation changes. And then at a certain point you feel like, why was I making such a big deal about that? And it's like, when you run, you kind of go through that physically. And I love that you said it, like, kind of teaches you to pause. Because for me, it's like your emotions can feel like fact. Like, you can have an emotion and it can feel like, okay, I can. You can be a hundred percent of that. You are in that you're going to make this decision that you're going to say this thing to this person that you're going to. In. In this moment. But if you wait 10 minutes, it can totally change. 

Kim [22:26 - 22:26]: Yes. 

Krys [22:27 - 23:13]: And so I like this running as a practice to stabilize emotions. So for people who are really up and down, I think running is a good practice. And especially, like, you know, saying, I'm gonna go out for 20 minutes and just feeling the difference of how it feels in the first two minutes compared to the middle of it, compared to the end of it, and how your mind can be in a completely different place. And also a really good practice to even not. Not metaphorically, but actually, like Kim was saying, like, using movement to work through that. That angst in your body and that stress in your body, like, getting it out through movement in both ways, it is really powerful and it will help you to be a better human. 

Kim [23:14 - 23:15]: Yeah, totally. 

Krys [23:16 - 23:16]: For sure. 

Kim [23:16 - 23:18]: Totally, totally. 

Krys [23:20 - 24:15]: Do you remember was there ever a time when you, like, do you ever resent, like. I don't want to say resent running, but, like, do you ever. Because you do it so, like, I'm thinking about where more my mind is going, and I don't know because you've been doing it for so long. But sometimes when people, you know, work out or eat healthy or they're, they're prioritize their wellness when something big happens in life, like when something hard happens in life, sometimes that's like the last thing they want to do, right? They're like, I'm not doing this. You know, like I'm not doing this. This doesn't even help anyway. And like you start to get mad at the thing that, that actually helps you through life. Like has there ever been a time that you've been, you like self sabotage and you know this thing helps you but you're like, I'm not doing it. 

Kim [24:16 - 25:42]: There's only times when I feel like burnt out from running. Especially if I'm like training for something during the school year. It happens a lot happened recently. I think I shared and maybe it was inner circle in like April, May and June. I had two half marathons. I was training for the FL5K. I was following that training plan, my own training plan. And I just got to a point where I was like so tired of like having to wake up on a Saturday and go run 10 miles or so. Tired of like knowing that after school it was going to be 80 degrees and I had to get the five mile run. Like I was tired of it because it was so forced. And so like I'm doing this race, I have to do this right? It was just a lot at once. Um, so when that happens, I like take a pause in running and I'm like, if I get the urge to run, I will go for a run. But instead of doing that, I'm going to focus on yoga classes or strength classes or you know, whatever it is. I also plan for that. I know that like in the winter when it gets cold, like I don't want to run in the winter, it's cold out. So I plan to do more FLK method classes in the summer when it gets hot. Like I do have a fall race, but I don't need to get into training yet. So it's like if I get the run in early in the morning, great. If I don't, I have a backup plan for it. So I try to pick specific times so that I don't get that burnout. But when I do, I let it happen, but I replace it with something else because if I don't work out or move my body, I will get angst and stressed out and I'll just be miserable. 

Krys [25:42 - 26:40]: Yeah, yeah, I, I, it's Important for people to hear that there has to be flexibility in your routine. Like, it's like that's the fine line. The fine line is having a structure, but then also having the flexibility to allow real life to happen and real burnout to happen and real emotional drainage to happen. Like sometimes you don't feel like doing something. However, the structure has to be there to hold you accountable so that it doesn't go on forever. Right. And you have to always come back and be like, okay, but this is what I'm doing. Right? Like, this is the, this is the structure I set up. It's just, it's such a fine line of like, this is this. I'm super against intuitive anything. I'm like, I don't. Don't trust your intuition. Honestly. Don't, don't, don't trust it. Because it can change, change so fast. And like intuitive eating or intuitive moving. 

Kim [26:40 - 26:44]: It'S like you can eating. I'd be having ice cream, right? 

Krys [26:44 - 26:46]: Like, what is, what are you, Like. 

Kim [26:46 - 26:49]: I'm gonna eat ice cream. My body wants ice cream. When don't you want ice cream? 

Krys [26:49 - 27:02]: Like, right, right. Like, and, and I think like for some people maybe that it makes sense and they figured it out. But I want to just be clear and just highlight what you're saying. You've been running since high school. 

Kim [27:02 - 27:03]: School. 

Krys [27:03 - 27:24]: And you have to set a structure. You have to distract yourself. You have to sort of combat these things in your mind. Like you have to remove sort of obstacles that you know are gonna, are gonna set you up for failure. Like all of the. You're still dealing with the same things that anybody that would start running would deal with. 

Kim [27:25 - 28:13]: Yeah. And it's like anything in life, you're always gonna have to work for, for it. Like, I find people a lot when they have fitness goals. Like people who aren't FLK methods like, oh, I'm gonna lose 10 pounds, and when I lose 10 pounds, I'll finally be happy. And it's like, no, because you're gonna lose 10 pounds and then you're either gonna stop working and gain it back and be miserable or you're gonna get there and you're gonna be like, well, what's next? You always have to keep working, running. You always have to put the effort in. I always have to be motivating myself to do it. I have to take planned breaks. I have to have races planned. Like, it's non stop. You always have to be working on your routine. It's. It's lifelong. I mean, it's A lifestyle. You always say fit is a mindset. Running is a mindset. Anything that you do is always going to be work and there's always going to be obstacles and it's just a matter of how you work through them or around them in any given day really. 

Krys [28:15 - 28:16]: So now let's talk about. 

Kim [28:19 - 28:19]: You. 

Krys [28:19 - 29:01]: So you again, I didn't know this, but you were teaching when you were in college and then you taught a little bit, you know, span in person a little bit a while ago and then you kind of came back to it. But you've always sort of had this like, you know, you always had like a thing that you wanted to, to teach. Like what, what are you as, as an instructor? Like, what do you hope to teach other people, other women specifically, because we don't care about men here, other women specifically to do? Like, what do you hope to inspire, motivate or like what lessons from your life and from what you've gone through can you give through teaching? 

Kim [29:02 - 30:23]: I think most recently having a daughter and like going through that like work, workout, life balance with also having a child. I connect a lot with moms to struggle to find time for fitness and my goal would just to be able to teach and show that it is possible to have an active lifestyle and be fit, whatever that means to you, and take time for yourself to be healthy. Not only is it important for yourself, but it's also important for your children to see too. I have a lot of friends that aren't working out and don't have a healthy lifestyle and you know, always talk about how they want to get fit but they just don't have time and they don't have time. And I, I try to be very careful with how I say it, but it's. You do have time. You have to make the time. You have to wake up early. When, when Callie was first born, she would wake up at 7 o' clock in the morning for feeding. I was waking up at 6 o' clock to work out. You have to find the time and I think for me just being able to like set a role model and be the role model of like this is how I make it work. And yes, you can make it work too. I'm a full time mom. I have a full time job. I have side jobs that I do all the time. I think it's just important to show other women that they can do it and they can find time for themselves and it's so important to make the time for yourself. Preach. Yes. 

Krys [30:25 - 30:37]: Oh my goodness. I think coaching moment don't try to be careful with what you're saying, because that's the problem with everything. That. 

Kim [30:37 - 30:37]: That. 

Krys [30:37 - 30:38]: That's the sort of. 

Kim [30:38 - 30:38]: That. 

Krys [30:38 - 31:21]: That's the main issue with a lot of things is that a lot of people are out here not saying what they mean. And I think when it comes to fitness and wellness, you can say things with kindness, but be honest about it. And it's hard doesn't mean it's easy. You're definitely not going to have the most friends at the park, that's for sure. You know, like, you're not going to have the most friends. And I've learned that just from living my life that I live. Like, I'm not going to be the one that's invited to the party all the time. Like, they're not inviting me. Like, I'm not going to be the one that they're calling when all hell's breaking loose, because they know I'm. I'm not gonna say, like, oh, my God. I'm gonna say, okay, like, what's up? What are we doing? You know, like, what. What's happening? Like, it. I think that everybody has a role to play. 

Kim [31:21 - 31:21]: And. 

Krys [31:22 - 32:34]: And if you feel like you're also. I think it's important. Like, if you've done something, you have that ground to stand on. You're not giving people advice from something you haven't done. Like, you've conquered these things, you've climbed these mountains, so you can confidently say if you can do it. Don't think this is sort of. This is the disconnect. You know that saying, like, if I can do it, you can do it. That is so true. It's not a trite thing. I am not better, worse and different. Like, no. Like, if I can do it, truly, you can absolutely do it. It's a matter of what you were saying. Like, it's prioritizing, and it's if you're making the time or not. So whether it's running, whether it's walking, whether it's going to the gym, I think all of these principles, I. I kind. I have three that I wrote down that are so good. Number one is remove the distance. But I think that also can apply to any fitness goal because it's like, remove this very specific. I have to do five workouts a week. Like, maybe don't. 

Kim [32:35 - 32:37]: Maybe set yourself up for failure that way. 

Krys [32:37 - 32:41]: Especially if you. Especially if you've done zero. Right? 

Kim [32:41 - 33:07]: Like, you have to make it attainable. And I say this when you were doing checklists too. Like, you have to pick things that are realistic for you to do first and then build on it and then maybe like make some changes. But you have to have a baseline. It's the same thing with running. You have to have a base and you have to build that base first. So you have to make it attainable for yourself. Because if you don't make it attainable, you're going to hate it because you're not successful. Yeah. You're not going to want to do it anymore. Yeah. 

Krys [33:08 - 33:28]: And I think that's. Everybody wants, Everybody wants the finished product. Everybody wants the house. They don't want to build the foundation. They just want the finished product. They want to turn the key, open the door and everything's new. They don't want to build the foundation. But you have to. But you cannot. You're going to run in circles until you stop to build the foundation. It's never going to feel like home unless you build the foundation. 

Kim [33:28 - 33:28]: It's. 

Krys [33:28 - 34:16]: Oh, it's always going to be on and off. You're always going to feel like a failure or a fake or because you've never done the actual work to do it. So I like remove the distance, which really just means remove like these harsh parameters. Have a, have a realistic commitment. If you're going from zero, you know, if you're not working out at all and you want to get into working out, we're not going to say I'm going to do a workout every day. That doesn't make any sense. Maybe just doing one or forget that. How about just showing up like you said, Kim, like getting dressed and going outside or opening up your computer and logging into a class like, or, you know, walking into a gym that you're not even a part of that you're thinking about signing a membership for. Like there are steps before the steps. 

Kim [34:17 - 34:36]: That's the foundation. Just like setting your alarm before you normally wake out. If you wake out, wake up every day at 8, set your alarm for 7:30. Or if you normally wake up at 7, set it for 6:30 and just wake up earlier. Yeah. Like have your cup of coffee and then put in the workout or put in the run or whatever it is. Yeah. 

Krys [34:36 - 35:32]: I think remove the distance to me means like remove the impossible standard. You don't have to go so far for it to be effective. Instead, number two is set. Set a structure, a time. Use time for a structure. Maybe it's, maybe it's. I'm going to move for 10 minutes this week. It's so flexible. You still have a structure to go by, but it's so flexible. But I think it really matters where you're coming from and how hard it is for you in that place. Because once you accept that, you can set a structure to improve. Like a structure should be built from a place of I just want to do a little better. Not I want to do the best that I absolutely can. Because if you're not, even if you're not, if you're doing zero, we can't go to 100. You can, but it's not. Again, it's not realistic. It's probably not going to be effective. 

Kim [35:32 - 35:33]: That's. 

Krys [35:33 - 35:39]: Then it's definitely not going to be effective long term. Comments, Questions? 

Kim [35:39 - 35:40]: No, I totally agree. 

Krys [35:41 - 35:51]: And then the third one is having the goal in place, setting, you know, setting up a, a race. But like having some sort of goal that's not your weight. 

Kim [35:53 - 35:55]: I also, I also want to talk to you about that. 

Krys [35:56 - 36:57]: So setting a goal about how many push ups can you do? Can you run up and down the stairs without being out of breath? Can you do a sit up? Can you. Do you know how many people that are still clients of mine that say like, I can't do a push up, I'm like, what? I have failed you. But having a goal in place that you can work towards and measure because that helps you keep accountable on the days that you have those mountains in your mind that you're like, oh, I don't want to do this. However, I have this goal. So like, what's one thing I could do towards that goal? And speaking of goals and because weight loss is the most common goal when it comes to fitness and wellness still today, even in the FLK method community, which is not about that, but it's realistic, a lot of people are using the scale and using it as a goal. And that's okay, we're going to accept it, we're not going to deny it. But I want to talk about it specifically to you. Have you ever. You have never been a scale. Have you been a scale person? 

Kim [36:57 - 36:58]: Oh, yeah. 

Krys [36:58 - 36:59]: Oh. 

Kim [36:59 - 36:59]: Oh my gosh. 

Krys [36:59 - 37:01]: Okay, tell us about it. 

Kim [37:02 - 40:56]: So my whole like early adulthood, I was crazy scale person. I was into every diet fad there ever was, weighing myself every day. I had a range that I needed to be between. If I was in that range, it was a good day. I was happy. If I was not in that range, super restrictive eating, like craziness, like complete crazy. I remember now looking back at pictures when I got married, I was into like the whole keto fad and and looking at pictures of my wedding. There's a picture of me in my back. And my back is. I was very thin, and I'm like, oh, my God. Like, did I even realize, like, what I was doing to myself? And when I think about the mindset I was in, it was never enough. And then Covid happened and I started gaining weight, and I was, like, beside myself. I was like, what am I doing? Like, why am I gaining weight? This is terrible. I was truly, like, at rock bottom with, like, my body image and all of that. And I started following someone on social media. I really don't even remember who it was. It was like a body positive movement person. And one of her things was like, just buy bigger clothes. And I'm like, okay, I'm just gonna buy bigger clothes. And I did. And then I got pregnant. And during my pregnancy, I, like, made a promise to myself that I wasn't going to focus on my body with this pregnancy. I was gonna move and be healthy. And after I had the baby, I would figure it out, but I really wanted it to be a goal that I would get away from the scale. And there was, like, all this body positive stuff going on. Going on. All of this stuff about, like, anti diet fads. And I read a couple of books and like, I really tried to change my mindset because then I found out I was having a daughter. And I never wanted her to grow up thinking her body wasn't enough, that she had to weigh herself, that there were good and bad. Like, all of this stuff that I grew up with, not to blame anyone. It's just how society is. I didn't want her to see that coming from me. So after I had my daughter, I remember getting on the scale at the doctor's office and seeing the number, and it was like £10 more than what I was pre baby. And I had a moment of like, oh, my God, like. Like, I'm not, like, how am I going to, like, get back to where I was? And I was like, nope, there's no going back. There's only going forward. And it was at that time I reconnected with you on Instagram and I did one of your challenges and the checklist, and I just kind of like, anytime I came back to a point where I was like, let me just step on the scale, I would ask myself, like, what am I going to do if I see that number? Yeah. What am I going to do with that number? Yeah. And I was like, nothing good is going to come from it because it's either going to be a number that in my head I want it to be at, and it would, like, make me feel happy and good, or it was going to be a number that I didn't want to see and it was going to make me miserable. And I would look at her because I was home on maternity leave for a year, and I was like, why do I. I don't want the scale. Like, I took the scale, I put it away. I put it on my husband's side of the cabinet because he still weighed himself. I'm like, I don't want anything to do with it. So now every once in a while, I'll step on the scale. And honestly, I did it once because the vet needed to know how much my dog weighed, and I couldn't get her on the scale. So I weighed myself, picked her up. That's why I weighed myself. And there was one day Callie saw the scale, and she was like, mommy, what's that? So, like, we both got on it just to see, and she's like, oh, my gosh, I'm three, six, mom. Do you see that number? And she, like, had no, like, connection to it. And I was just like, I need to just keep going forward with this. And it's hard because there are times where, like, I don't feel good about my body, and I want to get on the scale, and I want to say, like, let me just, like, cut this out and stop eating this. And if I just did this, I could be ten pounds later. And I, like, have to work at it all of the time to stay away from the scale because it's not easy. But I'm so much better for it. Like, so much better for it. There's so many. Like, every once in a while, that feeling comes back. But for the most part, like, I go by how I feel, and if I don't feel good, I go for a walk, I move my body, and I do things that I know are going to make me feel good, but it's hard. And I totally understand people who are still on the scale because it's a hard habit to break. And, like, it's everywhere. Yeah. 

Krys [40:56 - 42:36]: And there's not a lot of other ways that we were taught to measure our body. Right. And I think I've been fortunate enough to have conditions that force me to pay attention to my body, like, every little thing. And I think that's helped me develop what FLK method is, where fit is a mindset where if I'm not feeling good, I can totally see in My routine, what I did, probably that got me there, and vice versa. Like, you just become so in tune with what you're doing and you don't stop eating bread because the scale's going up. You might stop eating bread because you notice that your stomach is all messed up every time you eat it. Right? So, like, it becomes your nutrition choices, your movement choices, your how you plan, how you approach wellness changes because of how you feel. This is how I tell people to deal with supplements and whatever programs are trying and whatever you're doing, you have to reflect and say, I love what you said. You said there's no going back, there's only going forward. So at this point, wherever you are in your fitness journey, and this is for even Kim said, and even for me, it's, it's. There is always this struggle of being a woman, period, that comes with so many things, but especially the way that we look. Even if you kind of are resigned to be like, ah, whatever, I don't care. And generally, there's still deep down voice behind your head like, are you gonna eat that? Yeah. Do you care? Are you gonna eat that? Like, those pants are a little tight, you know, so. 

Kim [42:36 - 42:37]: Yes. 

Krys [42:37 - 42:41]: There's always. Yeah, always. And it's always in the voice of a mother. Why is that? I'm not sure why. 

Kim [42:42 - 43:43]: Especially now. I'm at the pool every day with my daughter. Every day I'm at the pool and, like, I have, like, bikinis. I have one piece of that everything. And there are times where I'm like, you're like, to myself, like, you're going to wear that pool? Like, you're going to wear that. Like, you can, like, you have to just like, tell that voice to shut up. Yeah, shut up. The only person that is judging you is yourself. Yeah. Like, and having a four year old who will literally say anything to you, like, helps so much. Because I came out in a bikini I didn't want to wear, and I'm like, just go put the one piece on. And then I'm like, no, shut up. Wear the bikini. And I come out. My daughter's like, mommy, that is the most beautiful pink bathing suit I have ever seen. I wish I had one to match you. And then I'm like, okay, I'm wearing it. Like, I have to. Sometimes you just have to, like, tell yourself to shut up. Because you are your biggest critique 100%. Like, you are the biggest obstacle in your own way. You are the only one judging yourself. The things you say about yourself and think about yourself. I can Guarantee no one else is thinking those things remotely. 

Krys [43:44 - 44:28]: And that, that even going back to before asking about the running, when you were saying, climbing the mountain, which I love that. That visual. I'm a visual person. Like climbing the mountain of the mind, like telling yourself like, the mountain is me. There is no mountain. You are the mountain. Like, you are the mountain. You can literally tell that voice or just recognize that voice, switch that voice, change direction. Like, you are the mountain. Of course there are life, mountains too. But it really all does come back to, what's your reaction? How are you dealing with it? How are you taking it? What's your perspective? Like, we have so much control, even when we feel like we don't. 

Kim [44:29 - 44:30]: Absolutely. 

Krys [44:30 - 44:35]: We have so much control. Am I gonna start running? 

Kim [44:37 - 44:38]: Sign up for a fall race? 

Krys [44:38 - 44:49]: You know what? You know what? I think part of my, my. I made a cardinal error of committing to a 5k a day from. 

Kim [44:49 - 44:52]: Yeah, that was crazy. Like, that's a little crazy. 

Krys [44:52 - 44:54]: And people did it with me. 

Kim [44:54 - 45:06]: Yeah. I did not. I was like, I'm not. I don't run it. I run maybe three or four times a week. Maybe like to run every day. That takes some, like, mental. 

Krys [45:06 - 45:08]: Like, I didn't run every day. 

Kim [45:08 - 45:09]: I. I think like, or bike. 

Krys [45:09 - 45:21]: Four of the days I did bike and I think like seven of the days I did walking, but still three over three miles of walking. Do you know how much time that takes? 

Kim [45:22 - 45:22]: Yeah. 

Krys [45:23 - 45:28]: And then, and then also again, the. The recognition of like a mile is far. 

Kim [45:29 - 45:29]: Yes. 

Krys [45:30 - 45:59]: Even just doing a mile a day is wild. So I think like getting outside with a mindset of giving myself a structure and saying, all right, I'm gonna put a 15 minute timer on and do, you know, eight 30 second pushes or whatever, whenever I feel like it, but I gotta get eight of them done or whatever. And then I feel like it. That's a lot more. That feels better already. That feels like I could do that. 

Kim [46:00 - 46:11]: And it can change too. I posted about this recently. If you're doing that and you say eight and you have that number and you get out there and you get to four and it doesn't feel good anymore. Stop. 

Krys [46:11 - 46:13]: I love that you made that number. 

Kim [46:13 - 46:28]: So stop. The other day, like, my focus this summer is like speed work. So I wanted to go to the park and it's like little laps and I'm like, I'm going to do like six of these. And it was so hot. And by the fourth one I was miserable. I'm like, I'm done. I'm going home. I'M done. And it was fine. I still got a 30 minute workout in. 

Krys [46:28 - 46:30]: It was the world is still turning. 

Kim [46:31 - 46:50]: Like I made that number. Like the only reason anyone knew about it is because I made the point to tell people like, you get to. If you go out with a 20 minute goal and it's not working, you can stop. You don't always have like, it's good to push through it. Yeah, you don't always have to push through it if it's going to make you hate it. Right? Yeah. Like it's okay to change. 

Krys [46:50 - 47:58]: The mountain is you and you and we are. This even goes on people. Like, we are the ones that make ourselves feel the worst. We are the ones that like some. And. And yesterday. And this was my mantra this week. Or like it's all gonna get done because it came from a place of. For probably 10 seconds. I got a feeling of like, oh my God, all this stuff I have to do, I'm putting that pressure on myself. No one, literally no one is like, you have to get this done by this time and this has to be done. It's like we create this pressure and these hard lines for ourself. And I think it's really, really important to follow through with what you say. But that is why I have like a checklist method because you cannot do it all, all of the time. So it's like, okay, these are the things that are a priority. I know I'm not. Some days I might do it all, but most of the time, if this is a lifestyle, if I want to take care of myself in all the different ways that I can, that's the other thing. You can run. You can run with a weighted vest. Vest. Now you can do workouts. Like it's just like everything. There's just every. What's your viewpoint on a weighted vest? By the. By the way? 

Kim [47:58 - 48:24]: I see a lot of like the benefits like for walking and I think it's really cool. For me, I don't. I. It's like hard enough to get out the door in the summer heat to run. Like, I don't find it necessary. Maybe if I was just like, if I was walking. If it's like as it gets cooler out, if I'm shortening my runs, maybe I don't have one. I'm not. Yeah. Keen on getting one. But I see the benefits. I don't think it's 100 necessary, but you know. Yeah, it's their own. Yeah. 

Krys [48:24 - 48:37]: For me it's similar to supplements. It's like if you've already got the basics down. Add something on. But if you're already having trouble going outside for a walk, you do not want to put a weight a vest on in the summer. Trust. 

Kim [48:37 - 48:56]: And also like if you're gonna run in the summer, you should be bringing water with you. I have a vest that carries a water bladder. Not that that's like heavy as a weighted vest, but it's an added something. Yeah. So like if you're going to do a weeded something, make it water so at least it's like useful for you. Or like handheld water bottle. Yeah, yeah. 

Krys [48:56 - 49:15]: This, this podcast is not sponsored by Camelback, but this is like this actually made the 5k a day doable because I had this and it was just like and I also like I put my phone in here and I put like my stuff in here, my key. So I don't have any weird stuff in my pockets or anything. So highly recommend. I got this. 

Kim [49:15 - 49:30]: Any kind of backpack. Amazon has them. I got mine. It's like a knockoff Camelback from Amazon that I use like, like my snacks in there too if I'm going long distance. So highly recommend that over a weeded vest. But that's just my, my opinion same. 

Krys [49:30 - 50:02]: Or ask for it for Christmas. I, I, someone got that for me. Like I don't even buy stuff like that for myself. Like fitness stuff. Like Stanley, my first Stanley someone got for me because I'm like, I'll just use a glass. What time is it? It's time to go. Okay, I'm gonna wrap this up. Thank you so much and thank you. If you are wanting to get into running. Kim is run with Kim on Instagram and may I suggest Kim, you post some like running tips more often because. 

Kim [50:03 - 50:05]: Absolutely, yeah, absolutely. 

Krys [50:06 - 50:10]: And definitely if you haven't yet, take her class at FLK Method July. You're teaching what? 

Kim [50:11 - 50:35]: I'm doing a runner's series. Super exciting. So if you are interested in running, even if you're not running, we're doing weights for runners, bands for runners, intervals and a stretch. It's just a great way to support your summer runs. If you want to get into running. I'll definitely be talking about running in those classes. So they're Thursday mornings at 6:30am live or they will be on demand and I will be posting more about it on Instagram too. So. 

Krys [50:38 - 51:07]: Yeah, I totally forgot. We're doing a four week runners series in July. Perfect topic for this podcast then. And I will post more about that on Instagram as it comes up. But it starts the first week in July and again, like Kim said, every Thursday morning. But it will also be on demand to strengthen your runs or to just educate you a little bit how to move better so that you can have more efficient runs. Kim, thank you so much. I'll you send you in class, everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in. And I'll see you next time on the Fit Like krys podcast.