Hilary_Lorenz_Jemez_ultra.jpeg

Hilary Lorenz

Tortoise and Hare Coaching

Abiquiu, 
New Mexico

About Me

I got my first taste of competition when I ran the mile in 6:04 at the age of 12. I went on to run cross-country and play softball and basketball in high school. I continued running while attending art school, where I earned my MA and MFA degrees, after which I settled in New York City. As an educator and working artist, I ran mostly for fitness. When I turned 40, I got fired up to run the New York City Marathon. After training for seven months, I finished the marathon with the first of many Boston Marathon qualifying times. I got interested in coaching and mentoring other female masters runners, and in 2014, I earned my MS in Exercise Science, Physiology, and Nutrition and completed several nationally accredited coaching and sports certifications, including NASM and USATF.

I love to help people achieve their goals and show them that running is not about beating yourself up or doing a painful work, it is about celebrating your unique self and learning how best your body works to achieve top results. My focus is is on female and non-binary athletes from 5k road to 100 mile trail, with a special interest in masters runners.

After a long, hard run, always thank your body, especially your feet. Then take care of them.

My Coaching Style / Methodology

I take a steady approach to long-term development and believe that everyone can improve, no matter what one’s age. I help runners achieve their goals by mixing hard work with recovery to build steady fitness and strength while avoiding overtraining or injury.

I named my coaching company “Tortoise and Hare” because slow and steady truly does win the race. If you have an ambitious goal but you’re in a hurry to reach it then that is a recipe for disappointment and delays. By prioritizing speed over progress, you put yourself at risk of injury or burnout, which places your goal even farther away. You get frustrated, or depressed, and you stop seeing the progress you need to see in order to stay motivated.

So, to avoid those problems, we start with a plan that:
1. is appropriate to the outcome you want: length of training, types of training, etc.
2. takes into account your current fitness as well as any past or current injuries
3. accommodates other parts of your life (work schedule, travel, caretaking, etc.)
4. uses evidence-based, science-backed methods to get results and avoid setbacks
5. is wholistic: because fitness, strength, mobility, rest, and nutrition are all connected

More Coaches