Nicole DeSena-Founder/Coach
“One run can change your day, many runs can change your life”
I’m an experienced marathoner, RRCA Running Coach, NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Gait Analysis Expert, and Mental Fitness coach based in the New York City/Jersey City area.
I got my certification as a running coach in 2019. My goal is to encourage others to develop a love for running by incorporating tips and exercises to further improve their running form, nutrition, strength, passion, and mental toughness to guarantee success on race day. Day to day I coach at Orangetheory Fitness where I have the opportunity of teaching others to push them to their limits safely.
I always dreamt of chasing my dreams in a city that never sleeps. Which is why I decided to move here from Florida in 2019. This is when I developed a desire to help individuals realize their maximum potential through running. I never enjoyed running as a kid. In college, I wanted to try a new sport. My dad had 11 marathons under his belt, and I always dreamt of completing a marathon before I was thirty. My dad signed me up for a Chicago Marathon in 2013. What I thought would be a bonding experience with my father, soon became much more. I grew a love for the long runs, the stories shared by other runners, the sense of community, and the overall achievement of finishing a marathon.
People choose to run for several different reasons. Running provides me with a sense of empowerment, and happiness and challenges me to test my limits. I want to give back to running what running has given to me, a vibrant life, with each mile creating a memory.
Running is not only a test of physical endurance but a test of mental endurance. You truly can do anything you set your mind to. Let’s face it, life is not easy, there are constant ups and downs, days where you just want to give up, and days where you are at a complete high. Running is a complete parallel to this. Having the mental strength to push through the last couple of miles, really shows you just how strong you are, mind and body.
Dorothy Lee - RRCA Run Coach
“I don’t run to add days to my life, I run to add life to my days.”
The first time I laced up my shoes and power walked a mile I didn't think I would ever be able to run that same mile, the first time I ran a mile I couldn't imagine competing in a race, the first time I ran a race I didn't think it would be a marathon, but it was! After being introduced to the sport for health reasons I realized that running is so much more than a sports activity, it can bring so much joy to life and our minds are so much stronger than we think. I want to share the knowledge I have gained about mental stamina, proper nutrition, pacing, stretching, and equipment to make others fall in love with the sport the way I have. Whether you are training for a couch to 5k or a marathon I want to support you to be the best runner you can be.
Signed up for a race and have no idea where to start? I will get you a personalized training plan, prepare you for race day with endurance, nutrition, and mental fitness, and most importantly help you realize you ARE ready for this.
I not only strive to help people reach fitness goals, but realize their true potential inside and outside of the gym. Fitness is not just that one hour in the gym, or that long weekend run but a whole level of mental and physical well being. Thriving to help you become the best YOU.
Thank you for reading, I hope we can develop and share our love for running together.
“When you believe you’ve reached your limit, you’ve only tapped into 40% of what you’re actually capable of. The barrier isn’t the body. It’s the mind.”