Welcome back! Run because you want to. Because you think about it when you go to bed at night. In the grown-up world of mortgages, job stress, trying to avoid the “news” and sleepless nights worrying about what kind of world we’ll make and leave for our little ones, there’s not many opportunities to be “kid-like.” Running affords us that chance every day.
I cycled home from work in Denver two weeks ago after the time change. I rode into Lafayette just as it was getting too dark to be riding. The street lights were on and suddenly I was a 12 y.o. kid again…late getting home… and for that minute…things were perfect! Don’t put so much pressure around something that’s so much fun!
Yes, welcome back. I don't post many comments, but I read a lot (and silently cheer you on). I have to say that I was a bit sad when you got a coach, but I also thought you know yourself best and thus were doing the right thing for you (plus, who the hell am I?). You see, I am self coached as well, even though I have had many coaches in the past. For me right now, I truly believe that I am the only person who can coach me. I have doubts from time to time (especially when those I respect say things to the effect that to achieve your best you cannot be self coached). But at the end of the day, I know what is best for me, and following someone else's plan always seems to get me into trouble. Maybe this is true for you too? Either way, just remember that the journey is what is most important, and without the crap moments, we wouldn't feel how damn good the rockstar moments really are. Good luck.
Tim, I love this poem and think you will too! Its long and I don't want to bore everyone if they aren't into it, so edit as you see fit. Just seems to fit you and your place right now.
Ithaka--CP Cavafy
As you set out for Ithaka hope your road is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery. Laistrygonians, Cyclops, angry Poseidon-don't be afraid of them: you'll never find things like that on your way as long as you keep your thoughts raised high, as long as a rare excitement stirs your spirit and your body. Laistrygonians, Cyclops, wild Poseidon-you won't encounter them unless you bring them along inside your soul, unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope your road is a long one. May there be many summer mornings when, with what pleasure, what joy, you enter harbors you're seeing for the first time; may you stop at Phoenician trading stations to buy fine things, mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony, sensual perfume of every kind- as many sensual perfumes as you can; and may you visit many Egyptian cities to learn and go on learning from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind. Arriving there is what you're destined for. But don't hurry the journey at all. Better if it lasts for years, so you're old by the time you reach the island, wealthy with all you've gained on the way, not expecting Ithaka to make you rich. Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey. Without her you wouldn't have set out. She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won't have fooled you. Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, you'll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
Once you become a ninja, you don't have a master anymore. Your only obligation is to ensure the development of future ninja's for the sanctity of the observance.
You may have just picked the wrong coach. Maybe there are a select few out there who can really help you get to the next level. One bad apple does not mean apples are not good.
I agree anonymous person. I have talked to Zach Crandall from summitrunnercoach.com a bit and he seems great. Willing to work with me rather than try to step in and change everything and willing to communicate. He is still a definite possibility. Cheers
so you made a good choice. any coach that doesn't call you back is not worth it for sure. you'd never do that to your clients (at least not to cool ones like me)and you should expect to be treated the way you treat others.
anyway, your blog was WAY more interesting as a self-coachee, so i'm into it :).
YO-T look-- if your thinking/questioning- or have doubts it's not the f in one to coach u! for me- it's 100%- i never ? the coach.That's what i expect. your more knowledgeable than 99% of the coaches out there trying to make a living. so its kind of more difficult for u. u need to find someone u r not always ?ing- or just be a f in proud self coached f man athlete.
just back from the pub t have some fun man! life is way to short for a lot of us. remember no one enters and no one gets out alive- your in the circle t don't make me come to boulder and wear ladies panty hose! j lulu
Thank you Beth! I appreciate it. I agree that I have lost a lot of my passion for learning about running by having a schedule set for me. I'm glad I tried having a coach and I think I will still seek guidance but it will need to be guidance that allows my own input. And someone that answers my e-mails.
T-bone- You said from day one that you didn't want to think, that would be my job. I'm very much like the guy in the video- I want to learn as much as I can so I can be a better coach. If my ex-coach had been willing to teach me his methodology I could have learned, but that wasn't the case. I'll do the thinking for us all.. I'm planning a desert camping trip with my son again.. you're welcome to come out and share our camp fire. T
Have you considered Art Siemers? He coached Tera Moody to a breakthrough race at the trials and Paige Higgins to a 2:30 low. Granted they both left because he was too busy with Mines to coach them though.
What about Vali Tomescu? He did something right for Constantina.
Jay Johnson is still in town, not much experience with the marathon though.
Justin- Art was one of my first choices because he is a proven coach and has run under 2:20 himself, plus he lives in Golden. He said he was too busy and wasn't taking any athletes. The other two I haven't heard of. I think I'll just get back to a good spot in my training then if I happen to find a coach, I'll let it happen. Thanks
Vali is Constantina Dita's ex-husband and coach. She of course won the gold in Beijing.
Jay Johnson is a former CU assistant who quit last year and now has the runningdvds.com page that has the core workouts that GZ is a fan of. He ran at CU with Goucher (and Culpepper?) and seems to have a strong exercise science background.
18 comments:
Welcome back! Run because you want to. Because you think about it when you go to bed at night. In the grown-up world of mortgages, job stress, trying to avoid the “news” and sleepless nights worrying about what kind of world we’ll make and leave for our little ones, there’s not many opportunities to be “kid-like.” Running affords us that chance every day.
I cycled home from work in Denver two weeks ago after the time change. I rode into Lafayette just as it was getting too dark to be riding. The street lights were on and suddenly I was a 12 y.o. kid again…late getting home… and for that minute…things were perfect! Don’t put so much pressure around something that’s so much fun!
I can't think of a better coach to be coached by...
...man was that a serious brown nose comment or what!
Thanks guys! J.P- you nailed it..
Yes, welcome back. I don't post many comments, but I read a lot (and silently cheer you on). I have to say that I was a bit sad when you got a coach, but I also thought you know yourself best and thus were doing the right thing for you (plus, who the hell am I?). You see, I am self coached as well, even though I have had many coaches in the past. For me right now, I truly believe that I am the only person who can coach me. I have doubts from time to time (especially when those I respect say things to the effect that to achieve your best you cannot be self coached). But at the end of the day, I know what is best for me, and following someone else's plan always seems to get me into trouble. Maybe this is true for you too? Either way, just remember that the journey is what is most important, and without the crap moments, we wouldn't feel how damn good the rockstar moments really are. Good luck.
What are you going to do with the $ that you'll be saving? Buy that Stretch Armstrong toy? Stop going to the thrift store? Dinner out at Frasca?
Justin- Mutual funds or extra mortgage payments.
Tim, I love this poem and think you will too! Its long and I don't want to bore everyone if they aren't into it, so edit as you see fit. Just seems to fit you and your place right now.
Ithaka--CP Cavafy
As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon-don't be afraid of them:
you'll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon-you won't encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you're seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind-
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you're destined for.
But don't hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you're old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you've gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won't have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you'll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
Wende- That's excellent, I think I have read parts of it before. It makes me toosty. ;)
Once you become a ninja, you don't have a master anymore. Your only obligation is to ensure the development of future ninja's for the sanctity of the observance.
Right now I'm wearing stretchy pants.
HA! Real Ultimate Power! I may have to break out my ninja mask for my runs this week. Mine has a ball gag though, makes it hard to run.
Cheers Paul.
Lucho---
Just throwing this out there...
You may have just picked the wrong coach. Maybe there are a select few out there who can really help you get to the next level. One bad apple does not mean apples are not good.
I agree anonymous person. I have talked to Zach Crandall from summitrunnercoach.com a bit and he seems great. Willing to work with me rather than try to step in and change everything and willing to communicate. He is still a definite possibility.
Cheers
well, you are the best run coach out there...
so you made a good choice.
any coach that doesn't call you back is not worth it for sure. you'd never do that to your clients (at least not to cool ones like me)and you should expect to be treated the way you treat others.
anyway, your blog was WAY more interesting as a self-coachee, so i'm into it :).
YO-T
look-- if your thinking/questioning- or have doubts it's not the f in one
to coach u! for me- it's 100%- i never ? the coach.That's what i expect. your more knowledgeable than 99% of the coaches out there trying to make a living. so its kind of more difficult for u. u need to find someone u r not always ?ing- or just be a f in proud self coached f man athlete.
just back from the pub t have some fun man! life is way to short for a lot of us. remember no one enters and no one gets out alive- your in the circle t don't make me come to boulder and wear ladies panty hose!
j
lulu
Thank you Beth! I appreciate it. I agree that I have lost a lot of my passion for learning about running by having a schedule set for me. I'm glad I tried having a coach and I think I will still seek guidance but it will need to be guidance that allows my own input. And someone that answers my e-mails.
T-bone- You said from day one that you didn't want to think, that would be my job. I'm very much like the guy in the video- I want to learn as much as I can so I can be a better coach. If my ex-coach had been willing to teach me his methodology I could have learned, but that wasn't the case.
I'll do the thinking for us all..
I'm planning a desert camping trip with my son again.. you're welcome to come out and share our camp fire.
T
A few others to consider -
Have you considered Art Siemers? He coached Tera Moody to a breakthrough race at the trials and Paige Higgins to a 2:30 low. Granted they both left because he was too busy with Mines to coach them though.
What about Vali Tomescu? He did something right for Constantina.
Jay Johnson is still in town, not much experience with the marathon though.
Justin- Art was one of my first choices because he is a proven coach and has run under 2:20 himself, plus he lives in Golden. He said he was too busy and wasn't taking any athletes. The other two I haven't heard of. I think I'll just get back to a good spot in my training then if I happen to find a coach, I'll let it happen.
Thanks
Vali is Constantina Dita's ex-husband and coach. She of course won the gold in Beijing.
Jay Johnson is a former CU assistant who quit last year and now has the runningdvds.com page that has the core workouts that GZ is a fan of. He ran at CU with Goucher (and Culpepper?) and seems to have a strong exercise science background.
Post a Comment