What is it to have a coach? How much better are you?

I've seen a few posts on LinkedIn and other places about 'coaches' lately and it got me thinking and missing my old coach actually.  It also made me think of a movie I have about Steve Prefontaine and Bill Bowerman.  Either of those names ring a bell?  Well, if they do you are... 1.) probably up on your running/coaching genres and 2.) somewhere close to my age and maybe even 3.) seen one of the movies made about Steve Prefontaine's life.  My favorite, one that I rented 3 times in one year and then my roommate bought it for me for Christmas, 'Without Limits'.  Whenever I need a boost of the attitude 'Never Say Die', I just pop that in my VCR, (yes that's how old the movie is, and yes, I still have a machine with a DVD/VCR that works. haha)  Talk about a life taken to soon.  He was just getting started.  Pre as they called him, was a phenom in the running world even before he met Bill Bowerman.  He was one of those genetically gifted athletes (even though he seemed not to believe that) who defied logic when it came to his abilities.  He could do things on a track or trail, for that matter, that most of us only dream about.  He called his races, A work of Art.  He was amazing, at least of what I know of him and what was portrayed about him in the movie.  I was a baby when he died, so I can't say I remember him but his impact on running changed it as we know it today.  And his coach, well, Pre he left his mark on him too. 

Supposedly Bill Bowerman hated being called 'Coach', so everyone just called him Bill.  But he was the kind of coach I think we could all want to have and if you're lucky enough, maybe you do have one like him.  A coach who sees your best in you even if you haven't and knows how to get you there.  I have been lucky enough to have two really great coaches like this.  One in high school and the other in college.  I ran track, was a sprinter.  My college coach was shocked when he found out I had done a marathon and then got into racing triathlons.  He was writing me saying, 'You used to pitch a fit when I'd make you run the 400 or 4x400 relay and now your running 26 miles'?  What happened?  I told him, ' I met a guy, he's a triathlete'...and the rest is history.  The guy is gone, but I'm still in it.  My college coach was a bit like a second Dad to me, we were really close and he knew just what to do to get me going.  I honestly can say I really miss that motivation and extra push. 

It's been a pretty typical winter here in Colorado so running outside through most of it isn't always ideal, too cold, icy sidewalks, so I have been hitting the treadmill.  I don't mind it and since I am just getting back to the swing of training more on a regular basis, it actually helps me keep track a bit more of how I am doing.  Some days I have a faster pace than others and it makes me aware of what I did different that day than the others, i.e. food, sleep, rest etc...  But it's not like being at the track having someone clock you, keep track of your rest time and then kick your butt back into gear when it's time to go again.  There is something to be said for that.  As an athlete, since I was a kid, you sort of learn to become that way on your own, to an extent.  You can push yourself through your own will to keep on going when you feel like you want to quit.  But having a coach there...is something special.

So to you coaches out there, thank you for your Umph!  Thank you for your belief in us, your way of seeing what is needed within us and knowing how to pull it out so that we achieve more than what we thought we could.  Even when we might say, 'I'm gonna fire your A*# after this workout', you know we need it and after we come to our senses and can breathe, you'll be giving us tomorrow's workout, time and place and we'll be back for another beating...because we couldn't do it without you!

Caroline / Triathleta