Hi Reader,
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Happy Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈 At Skadi, we're celebrating authenticity, belonging, and showing up as your whole self, values that drive everything we do, on and off the field.
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With summer officially here, we're in full swing at Skadi HQ! Before I dive into this month's main topic, I have to share some exciting updates with you.

What's New at Skadi 🎉

💪🏻First up: we’ve got more woman power behind the scenes!
As we shared in last month’s newsletter, we have a few team members who have transitioned to full-time roles, which means in typical Skadi fashion, we started scheming behind the scenes (in the best of ways).
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We’re cooking up something extra secret (and extra special) that we can’t wait to share with you. More details coming soon, but trust me, it’s going to be SO good! We’ll share more in the coming weeks.

🚵🏻We’re also gearing up for some community outreach,
including some fun Twilight Relays in July followed by the start of the mountain bike season in August! You’ll find the Skadi team at ALL MINNESOTA CYCLING ASSOCIATION EVENTS this year with our Chill Zone setup, ready to support athletes and talk all things mental performance. If you’re racing or spectating, come say hi!
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I (Erin) am personally recovering from a big spring/summer that included A LOT of training, both physical and professional. Unbound 200 is now in the past, which took up a good amount of time in my calendar. I also just returned from a trip to Boston for 7 days of Biofeedback/Heart Rate Variability training with Dr. Inna Khazan. STOKED to share more about that with many of you. Our bodies are so cool.
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Yes, we’ve all been busy. But here’s what I’m most proud of: the Skadi team is (trying our best) to practice what we preach when it comes to boundaries and finding time to play. Many of us have summer adventures on the calendar (including my upcoming Boundary Waters trip, just over a week from now!), and we’re showing ourselves—and our clients—that rest, play, and adventure are non-negotiable parts of sustainable performance.
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➡️So here’s your reminder: What are you doing this summer just for fun? Not for training, not for fitness gains, but purely for the joy of it? I’d love to hear what you’re planning, hit reply and tell me!

Quick question: How often do you check your watch during a workout versus how often you actually feel what’s happening inside your body?
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You’re probably tracking splits, heart rate, pace, and power output, all the external metrics. And yes, those numbers matter, but I want you to consider that you may be missing a massive source of performance data that no watch, app, or device can give you.
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Amidst all of the data, please don’t forget that your body is constantly sending you intel. 💡
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That heavy feeling in your legs mid-workout, the tightness creeping into your shoulders, the way your breathing shifts from smooth to shallow. That’s the stuff that tells you whether you’re building fitness or heading toward injury.
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It tells you whether you need to push through or back off, whether that nervous feeling is productive energy or a red flag you shouldn’t ignore. 🚩
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Most of us have been taught to override these signals. Push harder. Ignore the discomfort. Don’t be soft.
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But research on elite athletes tells a completely different story. The highest performers aren’t the ones who ignore their body, but the ones who’ve learned to interpret it. They’ve developed what researchers call “tacit embodied knowledge,” which is just a fancy way of saying they know how to listen to what their body is communicating.

Here’s a tiny practice you can try this week:

During your next workout, tune into yourself for 10 seconds mid-effort. Don’t look at your watch. Instead, notice:
👉🏻 Where do you feel tension?
👉🏻 How’s your breathing: shallow or smooth?
👉🏻 What does your energy feel like: steady, spiky, or flat?
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Name the sensation, rate its intensity 1-10, then choose one small adjustment (slow your exhale, relax your shoulders, back off effort for one minute) before you decide what to do next.
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That’s it. You’re not trying to feel perfect or eliminate discomfort. You’re just adding a layer of information, one that comes from inside your body, not from a screen. Over time, this builds a more sophisticated internal monitoring system than any wearable can provide.
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​Want to go deeper? We wrote a whole blog post about how embodiment works, why it matters for athletes who overthink performance, and how to build this skill in a practical way. Read the full post here: Embodiment for Athletes​

And if you’re also thinking, “Cool… but I’d love support turning this into a skill I can actually use under pressure,” we got you!
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At Skadi, we can support you with just this. Our team has experience in body image and embodiment to help athletes interpret their body’s signals, tell the difference between productive and harmful discomfort, and show up with more confidence. If you want to explore whether it’s a fit, you can schedule a free discovery call here.

🎙️ This Week on the Feisty Women’s Performance Podcast…
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​Dr. Margo Mountjoy reveals why “shrink‑it‑and‑pink‑it” research is failing female athletes and how neuromuscular training plus smart load management can finally close the injury gap.
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🎧Listen now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Til next time,
Dr. A

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