Making Shift Happen

Summer is here, the trails are calling, group rides and runs are filling your calendar, and suddenly those strength workouts start slipping. Sound familiar? The truth is, staying consistent with strength training is not about having more motivation or finding extra hours in your day. It’s about creating systems that make it easier to show up, even when life gets busy. In this episode of Making Shi...

Do you ever feel like you’re “on” all the time? Your phone buzzes, your inbox fills up, Slack notifications pop up, a text comes in, and someone tags you on social media. And before you know it, you’re responding to everyone else while your own needs continue to fall to the bottom of the list. Sound familiar? You may not know how to set boundaries at work. In this episode of Making Shift Happen, w...

Do you feel guilty when you rest? Do you find yourself saying things like, “I’ll relax after I finish this project.” Or, “I’ll take a day off once work slows down.” Or what about, “I’ll rest when I finally get caught up.” Hint: You will almost never be caught up. If so, you’re not alone. Many high-achievers have unknowingly adopted the belief that rest is something they have to earn. The problem?...

Do you constantly feel too busy to exercise? Are your workouts the first thing to disappear when life gets hectic? If so, in this episode of Making Shift Happen, we discuss why so many busy professionals struggle to prioritize fitness and health, and how to create a realistic schedule that supports long-term consistency. You’ll learn why “finding time” doesn’t work, how your calendar reflects your...

How do you stay consistent when you don’t feel motivated? In this episode of Making Shift Happen, we’re discussing one of the most important skills for long-term success: learning how to show up even when you don’t feel like it. Whether you’re trying to improve your fitness, build healthier habits, grow your business, or simply become more consistent, relying on motivation alone isn’t enough. Sust...

Do you feel like you’re constantly searching for the next supplement, habit, routine, or biohack to improve your health and performance through optimization? In this episode of Making Shift Happen, we explore the hidden stress of optimization culture and why many high-achievers are accidentally making themselves more overwhelmed in the pursuit of self-improvement. You’ll learn why the basics still...

You don’t have to be completely burned out or exhausted to have a dysregulated nervous system. In this episode of Making Shift Happen, we explore the subtle and often overlooked signs of nervous system overload in high-achieving people like you. From feeling “wired but tired” to constant overstimulation, poor recovery, irritability, and mental exhaustion, this episode breaks down how chronic stres...

Feeling constantly overwhelmed, mentally exhausted, or unable to relax? In this episode of Making Shift Happen, we explore the hidden stressors impacting your nervous system every day – including digital overload, multitasking, notifications, decision fatigue, and overstimulation. You’ll learn how chronic low-level stress accumulates, why your nervous system may feel stuck in survival mode, and pr...

Do you struggle to relax, sit still, or truly disconnect from work, training, and constant stimulation? In this episode of Making Shift Happen, we explore why high achievers often become addicted to being busy and how chronic stress and nervous system dysregulation can make slowing down feel uncomfortable. You’ll learn how busyness impacts recovery, performance, energy, and mental health. Plus, yo...

If you’ve taken my Nervous System Audit and realized you’re more stressed, overwhelmed, or dysregulated than you thought, then this episode is for you. ???? In this episode of Making Shift Happen, I break down what to actually DO after recognizing signs of nervous system overload. Awareness is great, but action is better. You’ll learn practical strategies to improve nervous system regulation, redu...

Feeling tired, overwhelmed, or inconsistent in your life or your training? It might not be your training plan or one thing you’re doing wrong – instead, it might be your nervous system. In this episode of Making Shift Happen , we break down how to assess your stress levels using a simple Nervous System Audit and how chronic stress impacts performance, recovery, and energy. Take the FREE Nervous Sy...

If you’ve been wondering why everything feels harder lately – your workouts, your work, your energy – you’re not alone. In this episode of Making Shift Happen, we break down how chronic stress and nervous system overload impact performance, recovery, and energy levels for high-achieving professionals and endurance athletes. You’ll learn how to recognize the signs of being over capacity and how to...

Do you ever feel completely exhausted, but the moment you try to relax, your brain won’t turn off? You’re not alone! And you’re not doing anything wrong.nIn this episode of Making Shift Happen, we’re diving into the common “tired but wired” state that many high-achieving professionals and endurance athletes experience. This is often a sign of nervous system dysregulation, where the body remains st...

If you’re a high-achieving professional or endurance athlete feeling constantly tired, overwhelmed, or inconsistent in your training, the issue may not be your program or plan, it may be your nervous system. In this episode of Making Shift Happen, we explore how chronic stress and nervous system dysregulation impact performance, recovery, and consistency. You’ll learn how to recognize when your sy...

If you feel inconsistent with your training, constantly tired, or like you “just can’t stay on track,” it might not be a motivation problem. It might be your mental load. In this episode of Making Shift Happen, we’re breaking down how cognitive overload and decision fatigue are silently sabotaging your training, nutrition, and performance. This is especially true for busy, high-achieving professio...

Are you actually unmotivated, or just overstimulated? If you’re a high-achieving, career-driven person trying to balance work, training, and your health – but constantly feel distracted, tired, or inconsistent – this episode is for you. In today’s modern, always-connected world, your brain is under constant stimulation from social media, notifications, work demands, and endless information. The re...

Many endurance athletes swing between two extremes when it comes to nutrition: ignoring hunger signals until they’re ravenous or obsessing over every calorie and macro. But, there’s a smarter middle ground. In this Mindful March episode of Making Shift Happen, we’re talking about how mindful eating can help athletes fuel better, manage hunger, and support performance without turning nutrition into...

Can you really build stress resilience, improve focus, and support recovery in just one minute a day? Yes! And no, you don’t need a meditation cushion to do it. In this episode of Making Shift Happen, Coach Jen breaks down simple mindfulness practices for busy professionals, gravel cyclists, and mountain bikers who want better performance on and off the bike. If you’ve ever thought: “I’m bad at me...

Many cyclists adopt bodybuilding-style strength training in the gym, assuming it will improve power and endurance on the bike. However, research shows that heavy, low-volume strength training – and not high-rep hypertrophy training – improves cycling economy, maximal power output, and time trial performance. In this episode, Coach Jen explains why bodybuilding workouts may interfere with cycling p...

February is Heart Health Month, and in this episode of Making Shift Happen, we’re breaking down how busy gravel cyclists and mountain bikers can build a stronger heart, without adding more stress to your schedule. Backed by research from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this episode covers practical, science-supported habits that im...

In this episode, Liz Sampey (she/her), a Doctor of Physical Therapy and concussion specialist, shares her journey as an athlete and her experiences with concussion. Liz covers the basics of concussions and effective management strategies for recovery. Liz emphasizes the need for education and support in concussion care, highlighting the complexities of rehabilitation and the significance of addres...

Many cyclists notice an increase in hunger during winter training, even when riding fewer miles. This episode of Making Shift Happen explains why cold weather increases energy demands and how to fuel appropriately without fear of fat gain. Coach Jen breaks down the physiology of cold exposure, nervous system stress, and strength training, while offering simple, practical fueling strategies for mou...

In this episode of Making Shift Happen, Jen Kates interviews Karen Jarchow, a professional cyclist and coach, about her journey from professional racing to embracing a holistic approach to life and coaching. They discuss the importance of emotional and spiritual health, the power of breathwork, and Karen’s personal experiences with transformation and connection. Karen shares insights into her coac...

Winter training doesn’t fail because cyclists are lazy – it fails because expectations are unrealistic. In this episode of Making Shift Happen, Coach Jen Kates explores how identity-based habits can help cyclists stay consistent, strong, and motivated through the winter months without burning out. Instead of chasing perfection, this episode reframes winter training as a season for durability, stre...

January is here, and so are the goals. But if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, paralyzed, or burned out by goal setting before February even hits, then this episode is for you. In this episode, Coach Jen breaks down a simple, sustainable approach to goal setting inspired by identity-based habits popularized by James Clear, without the pressure, perfectionism, or overplanning. Instead of asking “What...