Freelance Writer and Running Coach
Liz is a running coach, kinesiology instructor, and freelance writer based in the Bay Area, California.
She offers personal running, nutrition, and training services here both online and in person around Marin County and the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been coaching since 2009 at the high school, collegiate, and adult level.
You can also find her at Whole Athlete and Ran Marin as a running coach, the Head Coach of the College of Marin Track and Field Team, and the Distance Coach for Branson Track and Field. She works as a trainer to Girls Stepping Up For Change, a program to empower young women and their families through healthy activities through the Probation Department in Marin County. She is also an ambassador for Sisu Girls, which inspires young women to find their inner grit and resilience through sport and outdoor adventure.
She is the founder of Runcation Travel, which provides running retreats and adventures for runners. Current offerings include Hut to Hut Trail Running in the Dolomites, a High Altitude Training Camp for Runners in Chamonix Mont Blanc, and a Dolomites Trekking Highlights Traverse. Learn more about scheduled retreats, or ask about a custom or private trip for a group or team at Runcation.org
Her athletic background includes competing as an NCAA Division 1 cross country and track and field athlete for four years at Columbia University and a year at University of Southern California (fight on!). She was recently inducted into the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the first women's team to be inducted in school history. She currently competes for the Impala Racing Team in distances ranging from the track to ultramarathons on the trails. She has worked as a cross country and track coach, backpacking guide in Central America, manager of an adapted paddling program for individuals with mobility impairments, sea kayaking guide, group leader for high altitude service learning trips in Kenya and Peru, and is in her seventh year directing the summer running program for RanMarin.com.
You can find some of her writing and video work on Surfrider.com, Women's Running Magazine, Weekend Sherpa, Meter Magazine, Competitor Magazine, 7x7, and Misadventures Magazine. Her research on outdoor adventure therapy for young adult cancer survivors has been published in Journal of Psychosocial Oncology as well as presented at the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors Research Symposium.
She currently holds a MS in Kinesiology from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo. She studied English and Creative Writing as an undergraduate at Columbia University and a year of the MA Journalism program at USC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism. Liz is certified in Wilderness First Aid, Sports First Aid and CPR/AED and is a USATF Level 1 Running Coach.