From Within Training for the 2012 Boston Marathon: Feb 19 ---- Motivated by Coaches and Friends---Boston 2012

Coaches who can outline plays on a black board are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their player and motivate.
Vince Lombardi

One of the big things that I have learned about running is that having someone that you need to be accountable to helps. I am a pretty driven person and can motivate myself to do just about anything. I am also good at beating myself up when I don't get the end result I want and have a hard time separating one bad workout from months of hard work and improvement. That is where a good Coach comes in. I am not the type of person that needs a cheerleader jumping up and down when I have a good run or workout. I need a Coach that pushes me to my limits, recognizes my potential and creates a program that will help me get to the next level.

It is very different having a "Virtual Coach". With Coach Davis residing on the west coast, it is a whole different type of player/Coach relationship. All of the communication for workouts and performance statistics is done via Training Peaks. It is a software where she can upload workouts and upon completion I can provide my data to her. She is able to see if I am progressing in a certain area or becoming stagnant and can use some different drills to improve. Probably the most unique thing about this training program is that in addition to getting ready for a marathon, I am also working on my triathlon disciplines. I couldn't tell you without looking how many miles I run a week, or swim, or bike, but I do know that there is always a good variety of activities helping me reach that next level. It also helps to do a weekly review with her and discuss how my workouts went what I can do differently to keep improving.

You never know where you are going to find motivation. This week, I was inspired with a little help from my new friends Kelly and Susanne. Coach Davis and Kelly Fillnow (professional athletes for Timex) attended the Timex Multisport Team Camp 2012. I am not really sure about all of the stuff that they do there, but from the looks of their pictures, it looks pretty hard core. In one of the photos that Kelly posted, there was a sign in the background which read "Have No Fear". Kelly didn't know it, but that one sentence was a major part of my focus for my 16 mile run today. There is always that tug of war between my body and mind. The preparation that my body has been doing doesn't always match up with the belief inside my head. So, in-between peeks at my watch, I visualized and repeated this important message.

In true coaching fashion, Coach Davis' inspiration came a bit earlier attached to a photo that she posted on my Facebook page. I am amazed that she has the ability to read my thoughts from so many miles away. The quote at the bottom of her picture read, "Even when you think you're body can't, remember it's only your head getting in the way". This statement was so applicable to my workout earlier in the week when I fell short. I used this quote as mental imagery the day before the run and down the stretch of the final miles. All of these workouts are little victories that will help me to achieve and run my best on race day. Like she says, "Remember the big picture". Good, sound advice.

It was a beautiful day for a 16 mile run. Armed with pockets full of attitude and confidence, I tackled the challenge ahead of me and came out a winner. It was a beautiful morning to run and I was poised to work hard and move forward in my training. Thanks to Kelly and Coach Davis, I was able to do both.

Planned:

16 mile run EZ 9:05-9:15 pace

Completed:

16.11 miles EZ 8:54 pace