There is always a huge void in my coaching life after the Boston Marathon each year. I have managed to fill that void by continuing to provide private coaching to runners training for other marathons. It has added a new dimension to my coaching and has improved every facet of my coaching methodology. Most importantly, it has strengthened my friendship with every person I coach.
This past weekend I met with Kelly, Jessica and Natalie for a hot, hilly and humid 10 mile run in Grafton. This was the day after we had all completed runs in the 13-16 miles. It was one of my most memorable runs in 40 years of coaching. I witnessed firsthand why these 3 are such amazing runners…their determination, discipline and amazing attitudes are the cornerstone of success in running and life!
Here is a recent entry from Kelly’s blog describing our run:
Surprising even myself, I am gearing up for yet another training season to get ready to run the 2014 NYC Marathon on November 2, 2014 in support of Boston Children’s Hospital. Follow along as I find out what marathon training looks like in the summer and why I have such admiration for this hospital.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Surprises Every Week
Amazing Training Weekend
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| Jess, me, and Natalie post-run |
Last weekend was one intense weekend of running, probably the most aggressive I’ve ever been with my training. Saturday was my usual long run day, and I ran 12 incredible miles in my new Altra Paradigms. I started out easy and hit my tempo miles spot on, without going out too fast, which is a tendency I have. On Sunday, instead of my typical recovery bike ride, I joined my coach and two other runners he coaches. We are all training for fall marathons, and I had actually just met them both the weekend before at Rick’s 5K in Newton. I’d been following Natalie’s training on Facebook, and she is just about as motivating as anyone I’ve ever known. Funny, beyond funny really, intense and dedicated to killing her workouts. Jess, well she absolutely rocked that 5K at a 6:40 pace…pretty sure I saw flames behind her heels.
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| Rick and I at Miles for Mikey |
I’ve made it pretty clear that Rick is a running guru and the ultimate coach and mentor. To be running with him, Natalie and Jess, people I consider well above my ability level, was equally exciting and nerve-wracking. These are runners I aspire to be like. I honestly wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep up, but I quickly figured out that it really didn’t matter. We weren’t there to race, we were there to share a run as friends and people who truly have a passion for running. It wasn’t an easy run whatsoever, with hills, heat and humidity to contend with, but when I look back on that run, that’s not what I recall. I think about chatting with Natalie and admiring her perfect form, trying to figure out how Jess runs hills so effortlessly, and Rick making sure I was handling the run well, all the while running like the pro he is. It was definitely a faster recovery workout than I was used to, but I did it…and I could walk on Monday! This run will be one that I think about when I’m running the streets of NYC, because I was able to hold my own with runners I so admire. If those sneaky negative thoughts start to creep up, this run with chase them away.
PS – Jess is running NYC as well, and Natalie will be there cheering us on! How perfect is that?
Mikey Moment
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| At Miles for Mikey 5K |
Mikey walked over to a picture my sister has at her house of my family recently, and he pointed at me and said, “Aun” with a big smile on his face. Yeah, that’s money in the bank for marathon day, too!
The Marathon Solution 