Coaching high school runners.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Life is like a box of chocolates. Sometimes you eat the whole thing and need to really do some extra workouts. Sometimes it sets in the sun too long and you get it all over your clothes...and sometimes you just take one and don’t know what you’re going to get.

We were returning from the state meet and Jimmy and I were discussing how, what can seem like an insignificant thing at the time, will have such an impact on the rest of our lives. He credits me with his going out with Kim – I’m not sure why – and they’ve been together for a bunch of years now. I took him to the Adirondacks for the first time – a place he’d never heard of and he’s now committed to backpacking and more trips to the wilderness.

I met him, Kim, Marie and a host of other runners because many years ago someone I’d given a fitness test and for whom I’d designed an exercise program asked me to speak with his son, Eric, about his high school running goals.

I met Eric in 1985 after his freshman cross country season, which had not gone as well as he would have liked. He was looking for guidance on how to maximize his running potential and hoping I would have some answers. At our first meeting, I asked him about his goals.

“I want to win the mile at the state meet,” he replied without hesitation.

He was only 15 years old, but he knew what he wanted and would dedicate the next 4 years to achieving that goal. He forced me, an exercise physiologist with a running background, but limited knowledge of coaching, to bone up on what it would take for him to achieve that objective and how I could best help. I became obsessed with training young athletes at this level for the remainder of his high school career and beyond – meeting with and becoming close to so many athletes and their families along the way. He won that state meet in 1988, one of the more thrilling events in my lifetime and the impact that achieving that goal had for him and for me has been life changing for us both. He is the Godfather of my daughter and we are still a large part of each others’ lives.

Oh...workout? Yeah…finally. I was planning a ride while sitting in church and checking my pulse. And listening to the sermon. We were socializing after the service – I was drinking some coffee and loading up on cookies and thinking that I had a new tire on the bike which was not going to go flat and that I’d finally get in a decent ride.

Then we walked outside. Of course…it was raining. And I DON’T ride in the rain. No big deal. Tomorrow. I’d go for a run after doing the lawn and before Sunday family dinner.

The yard was so wet from yesterday’s and today’s showers that I decided to cut it with the hand mower. Besides, I’d burn a few more calories…something I needed after two days without exercise. As I completed the lawn and put away all the camping gear that had been drying in the sun, which was now out, I considered riding the bike. I really like to have at least two hours for a ride and I didn’t so I headed for a one hour run in the park.

It went well – except for the second fall in as many runs. I tend to go with a very small foot lift with each stride and this has been getting me into trouble lately. I’m finding the roots on the hiking trails with my toe as I bring my foot forward and, when tired from running close to an hour, I don’t have much luck keeping my balance and down I go. Nothing too serious and it’s the price I’m willing to pay to run trails, but I might have to consider wearing my riding gloves and biking helmet if the trend continues.

Run duration: 60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 140.

Calories burned during workout: 1020.