Elements Running Education

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United States
Portland, OR
Elements Running Education

Discover confidence, fun, and longevity in your running! We build runners for life, specializing in supporting recreational female runners in their 40s & 50s.

1:1 coaching for sustainable performance, long-term goals and real life balance in your 40s & 50s
RRCA Level 2 certified running coach | Board certified health coach Our style of run coaching has the power to transform your running. Our magic is in understanding what it takes to build an empowered and resilient runner FOR LIFE and sharing that with you in a way that makes sense. Founder Heini Tallent is a running coach and sports massage therapist... and a 40-something runner. Through 15 years of clinical experience and twice as long in competitive sports, Heini has seen time and again that the greatest successes don’t come from one single, magic ingredient. With her help, you'll discover lasting health and enjoyment in your running as you learn smart training habits, relevant self-care, and the importance of listening to your body.

10/12/2026

You trained hard, you ran your big race. It's done. Now what??

First of all: congratulations! Take your time to reflect on your accomplishment and acknowledge all the hard work you put into it. Remember the obstacles you overcame, recognize all the wins along the way. CELEBRATE! 🎉

Next step: RECOVER. You need a break! Mentally and physically, giving yourself plenty of recovery time is crucial. The longer or tougher the race, the more rest you need; for a marathon this typically looks like 1-2 weeks of no running at all. This is a time to listen to your body - if it tells you it's not ready, don't rush back.

Spend your recovery time on gentle activity, catching up on stuff you haven't had time for. Enjoy the lack of training structure for a while!

And when you're ready to run again:

Be gentle with yourself and take some time to run just for fun. Remind yourself why you love this sport. Go to your favorite trail, run with friends, run by feel and enjoy it. Whether it's for a few weeks or a couple of months, have fun - but KEEP RUNNING.

Then, you make a plan. Even just a rough draft of a plan.

Your next goal can be another race, but this is also a good time to set a short-term goal that helps you in the long run. Maybe you want to get stronger. Maybe you want to work on your speed. Or it might be time to build a training routine that's sustainable for this season of life.

Just. Don't. Stop.

Many recreational runners train so well, make progress, and run a great race... and then they stop. When the next race comes around they start all over again. Train, race, take an extended break. Rinse and repeat. The experience and the results are largely the same every time, because they fail to build on the fitness and progress from one training cycle to the next.

Even if you don't race for time goals - wouldn't it be amazing if next time it felt a little easier? If you started your training already feeling stronger and fitter? If even in your 40s and 50s, you could reach new milestones in running?

You can. It requires a true big picture look at your running, fitness and health in the long term.

Want to make a plan together? Reach out, I'd love to help!

09/14/2026

Hi there! It's been a while... time for an introduction!

I'm Heini, the owner of Elements Running Education. I help women in their 40s, 50s and beyond run with confidence, chase their race goals, and discover sustainable, long-term running enjoyment and performance.

I help you with:

👉 Smart training for lifetime goals

👉 Balancing training with your other commitments

👉 Support for the habits that keep you running strong through midlife

My clients often come to me to train for half marathons and marathons; many need a new kind of structure as they return to running or racing after a break.

But we don't stop at the finish line. While some of my runners have ambitious race goals, many have no immediate plans to run races. When you work with me, you'll discover how to keep training intentionally whatever your focus, measuring your progress in many ways beyond race times.

I love coaching your "forever goals": showing you how to connect your training cycles and make gradual improvements over time, and helping you build a foundation that will allow you to keep running strong for the next couple of decades.

My sustainable performance coaching goes beyond training: we talk about recovery, nutrition, mindset, what motivates you, and how you manage your stress, energy, and changing body.

I support you by listening, first and foremost. Then I look at the data. I help you create a training schedule that fits your busy life, and I show you how to adjust it when work stress is high or your body throws you a curveball.

You can rely on:

👉 Real human connection, and a real human to check in with 🧡

👉 Personalized training that matches your current fitness level and changes with you - and a real human coach writing that training and giving you meaningful feedback

👉 Big picture coaching that prioritizes your wellbeing

📍 I'm based in Portland, Oregon, but coach runners anywhere in the world.

How can I support your running and health goals? Please reach out - I'd love to chat!

08/03/2026

I took a break from posting on my feed this summer - if you've seen anything from me, it's been stories from travels and days out with family (like this early summer mini break at the beach).

We went to Europe, visited universities, spent time with extended family and friends, and fit in some beach days and city trips. And while my brain wasn't busy with day-to-day business admin and marketing, I had time to rest, think, plan, and refocus for the rest of the year.

Just like the breathing space between training cycles in running, we need those pauses in life and in work too. You reset, rest, reevaluate... and usually feel reenergized as a result, with new goals and focus when you come out the other side. (That's a lot of "RE":s.)

That's how I feel right now! It was good to step back for a little while, go with the flow, and enjoy the summer - and now I'm ready to set new goals. In running, that's an October half marathon. And in coaching... I'll start by showing up in all the ways that I truly want to.

What goals are you setting in running or in life right now?

06/24/2026

Quick tips to make summer running safer and more enjoyable! 💡

🔸As much as possible, run during a cooler part of the day and on the shaded side of the road. Exercise indoors if it gets really hot.

🔸 Shield your eyes from the sun, wear sunscreen, and choose light, breathable materials in looser fits - you want air flow and ventilation.

🔸 Adjust your intensity by slowing down or adding recovery time. Easy, long runs are fine when you slow down your pace, and short bursts of high intensity are tolerable with enough recovery time. Avoid doing workouts that are both hard and long on the warmest days. Use effort, not pace, to gauge how hard you're working!

🔸 Cool off during a run by taking advantage of sprinklers or splash pads and by pouring some water on your head or down your neck. Soak your hat in cold water and it will help you stay cooler as the water evaporates.

🔸 Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate... before, during and after a run. You need more water AND more electrolytes - getting enough sodium is especially important.

🔸 Higher intensity means you'll also burn more carbs, but your gut may not absorb them as well. To avoid GI issues, try to take in carbs in smaller quantities - little and often. I recommend choosing a drink mix that has both sodium and carbs so you can just keep sipping.

Happy summer running! ☀️

Want more tips like these, with inspiration for running through all the seasons of the year and the season of midlife? Sign up for my email newsletter that goes out every 1-2 weeks! Written especially for women runners in their 40s, 50s and beyond 🩷 Link in comments!

06/10/2026

3 beliefs that form the foundation for how I coach and support you:

👉 Consistency beats perfection.

Adopt an attitude of "something is better than nothing" and keep showing up, consistently. It doesn't need to be perfect and it doesn't need to be big. Consistent small steps add up to big improvements over time.

👉 Recovery is part of training.

I work almost exclusively with women runners in their 40s and 50s, and for us, recovery is a non-negotiable. It's not an afterthought or something that only happens once you're nearing burnout - it's built into your plan as an essential part of every training week. When you honor the balance of training and recovery, progress becomes steadier and more predictable.

👉 Plans should adapt to people - not the other way around.

Your life is busy. You have other commitments. And your body doesn't always feel the same day to day (those days are gone, my friend!). We want consistency ⬆️ and we want balance ⬆️ and those are only possible if your training plan is a realistic fit for your life and adjustable when energy levels or hormones shift or your schedule changes.

These principles are the cornerstones of my coaching philosophy, and at the heart of my half marathon group program that starts next month.

Are you looking for sustainable, flexible support in your running? Drop me a DM and tell me which piece is missing!

06/05/2026

This crew is a DELIGHT. Sometimes bonkers, always all in, great teammates for each other and enthusiastic supporters of what we've been building. We coaches couldn't ask for more.

Tonight was the last track session of this spring season of Women Run PDX. Let's call it "fun, games and fartleks" - who knows what's even going on here 😂

We have just one group run left in the season, then a summer break. But we will be back!

If you're looking for a friendly, welcoming women's running group in Portland, keep following and maybe we'll see you later in the year!

06/03/2026

Running isn't just about pace, distance, race medals, or personal bests.

What running gives us is so much more: space to breathe, time to think, a chance to challenge ourselves and an opportunity to reconnect with who we are.

It's about showing up - for ourselves and the people around us. The confidence, resilience, patience and perseverance we build through running carry into every part of our lives.

Running teaches us that consistency matters more than perfection. That progress isn't always linear. That we can keep moving forward even when things feel hard.

Oprah said it: Running is a metaphor for life.

On this Global Running Day, I hope you'll find time to run and celebrate your own journey! Remind yourself why you love to run, what brought you here, and how far you've come. Take a moment to appreciate your own relationship with running and what it brings to your life.

Thank you for being part of this community ❤️

And if a fall half marathon is on your calendar, registration is now open for my online small group coaching program for women!

You'll get:

✓ Personalized, adjustable training
✓ Supportive group accountability
✓ Expert guidance every step of the way
✓ Encouragement to keep training fun, manageable, and effective

The program is ideal for half marathons from October to early November and you can reserve your spot with a deposit today.

To celebrate Global Running Day, I'm offering $50 off through this week with code RUNDAY

Head over to the link in the comments to learn all about it and sign up. We'd love to have you!

05/27/2026

LAUNCH NEWS 🚀 My next Run Empowered group program starts in July!

👉🏼 Are you tired of always following the same training plan and getting the same results on race day?

👉🏼 Do you train alone but hope you could feel the camaraderie and support of a running group?

👉🏼 Have you signed up for your first half marathon with no plan and no clue how you'll get there?

👉🏼 Would you like to find a way to train that respects your body and gets you ready for the starting line in a way that feels aligned with your capacity?

You're in the right place!

Run Empowered is an online training program for recreational women runners, balancing whole-body health with your race goals and combining personalized coaching with group encouragement.

Registration opens soon, but you can register your interest and vote on our meetup schedule 👏🏼 RIGHT 👏🏼 NOW.

Follow the link in the comments for all the information and the waitlist registration form! For questions, reach out and I'd love to help!

05/02/2026

Stop rushing. Slow down. Don't worry about the pace on your watch.

This morning, we ran in the forest and it was such a good reminder that sometimes, the main purpose of the run should be to just ENJOY it 💚 Look up at the trees, listen to the birds, hike the hills, and take plenty of stops for snacks, photos, and just to breathe and to be.

The route had more elevation than most of our normal runs, yet the run felt relaxing... restorative... easy. No rush to get anywhere, no pace or time goals to hit.

Make it a point to get out in nature sometimes 🌲🌳 (Maybe even leave your watch behind - and definitely NO headphones.) It soothes an overwhelmed nervous system and connects you back to yourself.

Feeling so lucky to have trails like this practically in our backyard 💚

Address

Portland, OR
97086-97299

Website

https://elementsrunning.com/

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