Sophie Anders

Cat Dad Coaching

Fort Collins, 
Colorado

About Me

I have officially been running for over half of my life now! I ran collegiately at Texas A&M from 2010-2014 as a middle distance 800m/1500m runner who suffered through cross country. After making big improvements and ending with PRs of 2:10 in the 800, 4:24 in the 1500, and 21:10 in the XC 6k, I unfortunately became very burned out from the constant racing and took a few years off of serious running. I slowly found my passion again in 2018, while promising myself to LOVE the process and to NEVER tie my results to my self worth. I broke 3 hours in the marathon in January 2018, and that was the moment when I believed there was more in the tank. Since then, I have shifted to middle distance trail running and have podiumed in every single one of my races. On the roads, I have lowered my half marathon PR to 1:17, and have a not-so-secret goal to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials :)

I coach because I love to help people reach their goals and get them to dream really, REALLY big. Seeing an athlete have a breakthrough or reach their goal excites me more than my own goals! On the flip side, the Enneagram 9 in me acts as a listener, peacemaker, and empath for athletes when struggling through the low points. After taking things too seriously in college, I want to show other athletes that training can be playful and fun while you chase your dreams! Lastly, I am a huge advocate for having more women coaches in this sport, so it only makes sense for me to contribute and increase women’s participation numbers across events!

I think, every time I’m on the mountain, I’m just so thankful to be there.

My Coaching Style / Methodology

I offer individualized training plans with a less analytical approach. Fewer analytics = more fun, more sustainable, less math for me, and it will make you faster in the long run. This approach has helped me learn and grow the most. I don’t run to obsess over the numbers and try to impress others with speedy Strava segments. Yes, I’m still a running nerd and enjoy achieving that local legend status , BUT I realize it’s not nearly as important as most people think for long term growth and fitness gains. Approximately 100% percent of my athletes work full time jobs and/or have families so I try to keep things fun and flexible. After all, having fun and finding joy in this sport is why we started in the first place, right? Low and behold, it’s what actually motivates us the most and keeps us training consistently.

​But it’s not always rainbows and unicorns and fluffy kitties. Inevitably there will be low points, injuries, and days you can’t get out the door. AND that’s ok! I get that life is hard, and I do not want to overcomplicate things or make it even harder. But, I will be here for you through the ups and downs. That’s the reality of training and we are trying to reach a point where we find joy in that process as a whole, through the good and the bad.

Overall, I coach in a way to get folks to LOVE the day to day, explore their limits, and adventure hard!

Services ($110/month w/ a 6 month min commitment)
-Personalized training that matches your abilities and what you need to be successful
-Thoughtful workouts delivered through a shared training calendar​
-Revisions to workouts when life gets in the way​
-A focus on long term growth and development as both runners and humans :)
-Unlimited communication through text, phone and email
-A fellow crazy runner friend you can trust

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