by Ruby Wyles
Team RunRun Coach and Marathoner Dakotah Lindwurm made a huge splash earlier this year when she secured her spot on Team USA for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Last week, she was featured in Runner’s World and we couldn’t be more excited for her! As a coach, Dakotah also offers her guidance to other runners: below are five training tips she lives by, highlighted in her Runner’s World article.
Dakotah opens up about a rocky upbringing and challenges she faced early on, alongside her running progression from an average high school and college athlete to qualifying for the Olympics. Some of our favorite interview moments include the love Dakotah expresses for her parents, and how, from a very early age, Dakotah supported her mom through health challenges and homelessness. Another highlight is the power of a dream and role models: watching the film Miracle in middle school ignited Dakotah’s desire to make the Olympics one day herself, and after you read up on Dakotah’s unlikely path to professional running, you’ll appreciate why her making the 2024 US Olympic marathon team is nothing short of miraculous!
Here are five training tips Team RunRun Coach Dakotah lives by, highlighted in her Runner’s World article:
1. Persistence Pays Off:
Dakotah Lindwurm’s story underscores the importance of persistence in achieving long-term success. Despite facing homelessness, financial struggles, slow progress, and initial setbacks in her running career, Dakotah persisted. She continued to train, compete, and work towards her goals, refusing to let obstacles deter her. This resilience ultimately led her to a spot on the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team, proving to her and everyone else that consistent effort over time can yield remarkable results in athletics and beyond.
2. Set Clear Goals:
We can all learn from Dakotah’s journey about the significance of setting clear and ambitious goals. From her early days in high school track to her pursuit of qualifying for the Olympic Trials, she had specific objectives that guided her training and focus along the way. Alongside Dakotah’s big-picture goal of qualifying for the Olympics, with guidance from her coaches, Dakotah focused on the small steps along the way that would eventually allow her to turn her aspirations into reality. Clear goals provided Dakotah direction, motivation, and a roadmap for her athletic success.
3. Focus on Improvement:
Another remarkable take away from Dakotah’s story is how she has remained dedicated to continuous improvement in spite of setbacks. Rather than becoming discouraged by her unremarkable high school and college track PRs, as well as the high improbability of ever signing a professional running contract, let alone qualifying for the Olympics, she embraced the opportunity to learn and grow as a runner. Dakotah’s commitment to training, her willingness to seek ways to enhance her skills from coaches and other athletes, combined with her perseverance in the face of adversity allowed her to steadily progress and achieve success at higher levels of competition. Dakotah highlights to us all the importance of focusing on the process rather than the outcome, the daily habits that drive the big changes, and using the small wins along the way as fuel to the fire.
4. Adapt and Learn:
Dakotah’s journey underscores the importance of adaptability and a willingness to learn. Throughout her career, she sought guidance from experienced coaches, adjusted her training regimen based on feedback, and continuously refined her techniques. By remaining open-minded and receptive to new ideas, such as moving up to the marathon aged only 23, as well as dialing in her fueling strategy -the reason for Dakotah dropping out of her first marathon-, she was able to evolve and progress as a runner. The ability to adapt and learn is essential for anyone looking to improve and thrive in any area of life, the ever-changing landscape of athletics being no exception.
5. Believe in Yourself:
Perhaps the most important of all five training tips and most crucial aspect of Dakotah Lindwurm’s success is her unwavering self-belief and the power of a dream. In the face of doubt and skepticism from others, she maintained a strong belief in her abilities and potential, refusing to give up on herself and her miracle. Dakotah’s confidence in herself fueled her determination, resilience, and perseverance, enabling her to persist in spite of challenges and unlikely odds, and ultimately pursue her dreams with unwavering conviction. Alongside the way, Dakotah sought advice from others -coaches, teammates, and her boyfriend- who believed in her potential too, highlighting the importance of who you surround yourself with for success in any endeavor.
Sure, we won’t all become Olypmians, but Dakotah’s story and five training tips offer valuable insight we can all benefit from taking note of: from the power of self-belief and betting on oneself, to lessons on resilience and perseverance, and maintaining loving relationships with family and friends along the way. Dakotah’s unlikely journey from an average high school athlete and unrecruited college walk-on, to qualifying to represent Team USA at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games emphasizes the paradigm that we often overestimate what we can achieve in one year, but underestimate what we can achieve in five or ten. A decade of hard work, motivated by continual self-belief and commitment to the process, allowed Dakotah to steadily progress up the ranks to the top of the podium today.
If you only take away one thing from Dakotah Lindwurm’s story, it’s to never give up on yourself and the goals you have, no matter how improbable they may seem.
Check out Dakotah’s Team RunRun coaching profile alongside our other Team RunRun coaches here!
Ruby is a runner, triathlete, and passionate coach, who is most fulfilled by helping athletes overcome limiting beliefs with joy. She is also a proud science nerd, and advocate for athletes’ mental and physical health.