Ashley Rollins — founder of Swift Running & Fitness

Ashley Rollins grew up in Illinois but school brought her down to Austin, Texas. A self described nerd as a kid, Ashley did not start running until she was in college. She quickly fell in love with it. Years later she founded Swift Running & Fitness and she is currently training endurance athletes. We sat down with Ashley to learn about her advice for new runners, her typical day, and why she does what she does.

Can you give a brief description of yourself and a little background about your athletic career? When did it start? What inspired you to get into running?

I actually wasn’t overly athletic when I was young, but I was strong! I grew up on a farm and we always had a lot of chores and things that kept me busy after school hours. I always wanted to do track in high school because no one was faster than me in gym class, but it wasn’t in the cards and I was the Editor of my school newspaper. I definitely trended towards the nerdy side! I started running in college. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice (Specialization: Forensics) and a lot of my male counterparts were picking up running in order to pass policing tests. So, naturally I started running with the boys.

When did you feel at your lowest point? What got you through those hard times?

In December of 2015, I was hit with a triple whammy; my job was closing down (I had been bartending through school,) my dad was diagnosed with cancer, and my grandfather passed away. The start of my business — Swift Running & Fitness — really came out of this time because it was the catalyst I needed to push out of the darkness and work on something I was passionate about. I had been a bit stagnant in my career and finding myself unemployed was the best thing that could have happened to get me started.

What are some important lessons you have learned over your many years of running?

You have to listen to your body. It doesn’t matter what your schedule says, what your friends say, or what your head says, you have to listen to your body. If you need a rest day, take it. If running is no longer fun, take some time off. There’s a difference between being lazy and listening to your body, but I think people try too hard to force something that they aren’t completely feeling and that’s when they get injured.

If you had any advice to give to a young athlete (or maybe even a younger you) who wants to take their commitment to running the next level, what would it be?

You have to be willing to fight for it. There are going to be moments that are less than glorious. There are going to be mornings when you don’t want to wake up and parties you don’t want to leave early from. Schedules don’t always line up. You have to be willing to put in the time and put in the effort to succeed.

Are there any resources that you would recommend? What are some of the best running books, mobile apps and blogs to follow?

Obviously, my own! :) But of course, I do love Born to Run — I love the concept of the book and the idea, but I also love Jenn Shelton because I feel as though she is the perfect example of someone who absolutely personifies freedom and the love of running.

If you’re looking for a great running podcast (available on iTunes, GooglePlay or iHeartRadio), check out the Running Rogue podcast (available on iTunes, GooglePlay or iHeartRadio) — Steve and Chris are great and they really get into some of the meatier issues of running. Definitely worth a listen!

What are some of the ways you deal with challenges like burnout and how do you get back to a good headspace in those moments?

I take some time off and I think it’s important to do so. When it doesn’t become fun anymore, you need to take a step away. I also think it’s incredibly important for runners to do something other than run, whether it’s yoga or Crossfit or crocheting! It keeps the training interesting, it keeps runners injury-free, and it gives you somewhere else to put your mental energy when you have a down day.

What is your next goal?

I’d love to do a Crossfit competition in Austin, either with my team or individually.

I’ll also be running the Shiner Half Marathon, November 18th. My fall athletes will be out on the course with me, so it will definitely be giving me that added push!

What does your typical day look like? What about your week?

I’m usually up by 4:15 am and have 2–3 early morning personal training clients, and then I do my own Crossfit workout at 9:00 am. Those usually last about two hours. I spend most of the afternoon working on programming for clients, writing blogs, generating content for my site, or any number of things that keep Swift afloat! Then I usually have several more clients in the afternoon. I lead a Tuesday night running group with Rogue Running so we have training practices and on Mondays and Thursdays I lead a free core class for our runners.

Why do you do what you do? What makes it all worth it?

I love to see people achieve their goals. There’s a small amount of magic and shimmer in people’s eyes as they see they can get to where they want, and that is exactly what keeps me going. It’s the warm fuzzies of success. :)

You can follow Ashley on Instagram: swiftrunning.fit

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