Coach U.P.'s spirit and positivity are infectious & she cares deeply about equality & human rights. As a coach, she’s warm, engaging, & motivating. Find her leading new runners & seasoned vets in Cambridge on Thursday nights. Here's U.P. in her own words:
HB: What do you love about running?
U.P.: l love the feeling of "flying" I get while running! When both my feet are off the ground I feel like I'm soaring. I love how running makes me feel (like a badass!) and how it can bring people together.
HB: What do you hope to pass along to athletes in your sessions?
U.P.: Meet your body where you're at! I'm a coach for the Re:boot sessions, and I want my athletes to know that it's okay to take it easy every now and then, just as it's okay to hit the gas every so often! Running doesn't happen in a vacuum and there are so many things that can impact your running and your training: injuries, major life events, and daily life stressors! Meet your body where you're at and it will take you far.
HB: What would you say to someone who's afraid to join a session?
U.P.: Come on out! The Heartbreakers have over a thousand members: there's bound to be someone who's running your pace! Everyone is so welcoming and friendly. It doesn't matter if you're an Olympic Trials runner like Jonny or if you just like running for fun and community like a huge portion of the Heartbreakers, we want to run with you and we want you to have fun and feel included! People of all paces and abilities and different relationships to running have come out - we'd love to have you too!
What would you say to someone who thinks they're too fast for our sessions?
U.P: If we have people like Stephen and Amy (2:17 and 2:51 marathoners respectively) running our sessions and running with us, you can definitely join. You're already fast, we'll get you faster.