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Kristin Ihle Helledy Shares Advice for Up-and-Coming Runners

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When you visit with Kristin Ihle Helledy, her passion quickly becomes apparent. Like the joy of crossing the finish line first, her love for the sport of running is second to none. The Ph.D. in multicultural psychology is a six-time All-American runner who competed professionally as a Nike athlete. She pushed her mind and body to limits she didn’t even know existed.

She wants young runners to control the controllables and not let doubt and other thoughts creep in. “Here’s what I can control: my calm, my focus, and execute the plan that has been established,” she says.

Kristin Ihle Helledy was very young when she heard the crack of her first starting pistol. She was living in Florida when she heard an announcement about a mile-and-a-half fun run at her junior high school. She didn’t even know how to measure that distance, but she was intrigued. The school was giving out Coca-Cola products to the winner. Come in first place, leave with T-shirts and various goodies. She was sold.

She’d never run a lap in her life. She didn’t even have running shoes. She wore canvas sneakers with rubber bottoms and did not even know how far 1.5 miles actually was. That didn’t stop her; she was motivated.

 “And so I thought, yeah, I want that Coke T-shirt,” she recalls.

The first-time runner went out, ran the race — and won it. She beat all the other competitors, both girls and boys. And that was her introduction to running. The coach recruited her for cross-country and the rest is history. She calls it, “a pure freak accident that just happened.” If Coca-Cola weren’t offered as a prize, we wouldn’t be here right now.  

Hitting Her Stride

Today, Kristin Ihle Helledy uses her athletic and educational experience to strengthen others. She started a management consulting firm, Avant, to consult for NCAA teams and individual athletes. Her firm, Avant, works with businesses and leaders from all industries to accelerate performance, evelbate leader effectiveness and advance team capabilities. She also consults with a wide range of NCAA athletes and programs to enable performance and growth. 

 The nostalgia of the sport she loves keeps her vested in the successes of others. Whether it’s fans or beginning runners, she wants everyone to enjoy the experience. She believes fans are getting a chance to watch the best athletes in the world.

Experienced runners are already hitting their stride when it comes to training and exercise. They have their routines down. Kristin Ihle Helledy would advise up-and-coming runners to slow down in order to climb the ranks.

“I think if they’re very young, under the age of 18 or 19, I think: Be patient. Be focused and have a select person or persons to whom you listen. Everybody’s going to have an opinion. When you’re talented at a young age everybody wants a piece of you. So I would say find that one trusted person, listen to him or her, work to keep things simple and avoid overtraining,” says Kristin Ihle Helledy.

‘More Is Not Better’

Imagine advising a runner to slow down. But the thought behind that advice is that young athletes try to do too much at once.

 “There’s this general sentiment, in life, that ‘more is better’. If a little is good then more must be better. And physiologically it doesn’t work that way, more is not better,” she says.

Just because you feel like you can get more miles in, it doesn’t mean you should. Maybe recovery would help you better achieve your goals. You’re not trying to slow down your running times; you’re trying to train more effectively. So she advises applying what’s called stress adaptation – load your body with heavy duty training and then give it time to repair.

“Go ahead and load your body real hard, do a hard training day, whatever that is, and then make sure that you recover and understand that more is not better. What that means is you do not need to do back to back hard workout days. The body must recover so you can hit it hard again,” says the seasoned veteran, whose favorite event is the women’s 400-meter hurdles.

Kristin Ihle Helledy appreciates the speed, speed endurance, and technique all wrapped into that one event (400m hurdles). Anything from considering how many steps to take between hurdles to the speed of the foot race itself. It’s not a flat-out sprint, like the open 400. It’s an extremely taxing event — and her favorite.

Her days of competitive running at an elite level are over, but she knows what it takes for today’s runners to be successful. She still gets energized watching others compete. And she always cheers for Nike athletes.

“I’m still Nike — Nike’s the only thing I wear for footwear,” she says. “Being a fan is intense and exciting and it brings goosebumps, and you want to go out there to help push somebody along to a new personal best.”

Michelle has been a part of the journey ever since Bigtime Daily started. As a strong learner and passionate writer, she contributes her editing skills for the news agency. She also jots down intellectual pieces from categories such as science and health.

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Lifestyle

How To Combine Astrology With Self-Care Rituals To Enhance Daily Living

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Self-care looks different for everyone. And it could look different day by day. Sometimes you just need meditation or journaling or a grounding ritual. Sometimes you need movement. Sometimes you need more rest. Have you ever wondered why it’s different day-by-day and why you can’t seem to “stick” to something?

Most of us know something about Western astrology, but have you ever heard of Vedic astrology (Jyotish)? Vedic astrology focuses on your moon sign (which may differ from your Western astrological chart), planetary transits, and Dasha period. These three areas shape how you feel, act, and process emotions every day. 

The time management app align27 doesn’t just focus on your typical horoscope. It gives you a personalized Vedic birth chart and a daily favorability forecast based on planetary influences. It uses a simple yet powerful stoplight system — green for favorable times, yellow for neutral, and red for moments when it’s best to slow down — to help you navigate each day with intention.

Why Vedic astrology and self-care go hand in hand

Ever have days where everything flows effortlessly and others where nothing seems to go right? That’s not random — it’s the influence of the planets at play. Vedic astrology teaches that planetary transits and periods, and the Moon’s placement each day all impact your energy. 

By understanding these influences, align27 customizes your self-care rituals to work with the planetary energies rather than against them. The result? A self-care routine that feels more natural, restorative, and in harmony with your personal astrology. 

How to align self-care with align27

1. Follow your moon sign for emotional well-being

In Vedic astrology, your Moon sign reveals how you process emotions, handle stress, and recharge. The align27 app provides real-time insights into your Moon sign’s current state, helping you plan self-care that supports your well-being.

  • Fire Moons (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius): align27 will highlight action-oriented times, which are perfect for movement-based self-care like yoga, walking, or a workout.
  • Earth Moons (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn): Your best self-care moments often fall during grounding planetary periods. The align27 app helps you time activities like cooking, gardening, or Ayurvedic oil massages.
  • Air Moons (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius): Mental stimulation is key for you. Use align27’s favorable green time slots to plan journaling, reading, or creative work.
  • Water Moons (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): Emotional balance is crucial; align27 suggests introspective yellow periods during which self-care like meditation, breathwork, or music therapy can help you reset.

By checking your daily Moon sign insights in align27, you can sync your self-care with your emotional energy instead of forcing routines that don’t feel right.

2. Sync with planetary transits for daily rituals

Planetary movements in Vedic astrology directly influence your daily energy. Instead of following the same self-care routine every day, use the align27 app to check which planets are strongest and which ones need balancing.

  • Green periods: Ideal for action — schedule workouts, deep work, or personal projects. 
  • Yellow periods: Best for reflection — meditation, light reading, or connecting with loved ones.
  • Red periods: Time to pause — prioritize self-care, avoid big decisions, and rest.

For example:

  • If align27 shows a red period under Mercury’s influence, it’s a sign to unplug from tech and practice silence (Mauna) instead.
  • A green period during a Moon transit suggests a great time for emotional processing through journaling or spiritual rituals.
  • If Saturn is active, align27 might recommend structured self-care, like a disciplined yoga practice or fasting.

The daily timing feature of align27 takes the guesswork out of self-care, helping you plan around when the universe is actually working with you, not against you.

3. Use your Venus sign for beauty and self-love rituals

In Vedic astrology, Venus (Shukra) represents luxury, pleasure, and how you experience beauty. But your Venus sign in your birth chart tells you what kind of self-care truly nourishes your soul.

  • Venus in Fire Signs: You love bold, energizing self-care. Ayurvedic herbal treatments, bright colors, and invigorating scents like sandalwood or saffron uplift your energy.
  • Venus in Earth Signs: You prefer high-quality, natural self-care. Organic skincare, silk bedding, and nourishing food rituals align with your Venus energy.
  • Venus in Air Signs: You thrive on social and intellectual beauty. Try mantra recitation, decorating your space with art, or engaging in deep conversations.
  • Venus in Water Signs: You need emotionally fulfilling self-care. Essential oil baths, soft textures, and music therapy create a calming atmosphere.

4. Strengthen your planetary weaknesses through rituals

Each planet in your birth chart has strengths and weaknesses based on its placement. You can balance planetary imbalances through specific self-care rituals:

  • Weakened moon? Drink warm milk with cardamom, wear white, and meditate under the full Moon.
  • Struggling with Rahu energy? Reduce digital distractions, light camphor, and chant “Om Rahave Namah.”
  • Mars overactivity? Avoid spicy food, practice slow yoga, and wear cool colors like blue or white.

The align27 app personalizes these remedies based on your birth chart and daily planetary shifts.

Align your self-care with the stars

When you integrate Vedic astrology into your self-care routine, you’re not just following trends but tuning into the ancient wisdom of timing and energy alignment. Instead of forcing yourself into a one-size-fits-all self-care plan, you can create rituals that genuinely support you based on the cosmic influences at play.

With tools like align27, you can easily track your best days for rest, action, and reflection — making self-care effortless and aligned with the universe. Because taking care of yourself isn’t just about doing more — it’s about doing what’s right for you, at the right time. 

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