Training others. What do runners what to know?

I’ve been doing this for a long time…..running, and sharing….

I want to say I called myself a runner in about 1996…..looked after an in-person run clinic for the Running Room, my first one I think in 2005…….and except for a few short breaks, haven’t stopped.

Now everything is virtual, with lots of meetings, Zoom meets and the occasional Facebook group chats……

One aspect I like is that I usually learn as much from those in a clinic and I hope they learn from me…….just, every time you never know what the questions and concerns are going to be…how you’d connect and what would connect with those participants…sometimes you don’t, and then the challenge is to figure out what happened, what didn’t work, and how can that be fixed…

More and more I’m going down the road, in the direction more about process rather than product..

Yes, yes, yes, I can talk about footwear and apparel forever (I always seem to have a 3 hour shoe talk in my back pocket)….and yes, those have their place…..but when someone puts that $$$ down, they (for the most part) want to run…..

Thinking about that, more than a few seem to want that permission to run….that motivation, or to get over that reluctance to put one foot in front of the other….

Myself, I’m an older runner…and I’m finding I’m always learning about just what that means…..how do I adjust my training, my goals……and also, more and more I’m finding that learning, understanding, and addressing women and running/exercise has become, a concern, and not worried about saying this, but a passion and a focus…..

I’m not a certified coach…I keep looking into that, and have taken a few courses, one with the North American Academy for Sport Fitness Professionals (NAASFP) and one with Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA) neither seems what I’m looking forward too, some helpful information, but for the most part just a way to part with a lot of cash for a logo on a business card….really the only thing I’ve done on the education front specifically is getting my first aid and CPR training…..

I don’t really d what I do for a paycheque…at some point I figure it’d be good to, or at least interesting to do…do I have anything to offer…sure…..but as a get rich quick thing, nah…..I just like inroducing other to what I do….and yes, share…

A trainer?……How about just a vessel of information and motivation?…..Do I want to be a YouTube person that tries to impress with my skills nah….I always question that, is the best runner, the best coach….was Glenn Sather the best player? Nah, but a great coach with a great team……

At the start of every clinic, I always think this…doesn’t matter if it’s for Learn to Runners, or those aiming at a full marathon……How do I run?…..Simple, I ask that question, and for 10 or 18 weeks I answer that…..

I guess that’s enough……the journey continues?

Run Clinics and what I do

Another day, the day after another run club run, and just finished off instructing yet another virtual run clinic for the Running Room…I have no idea how many this adds up to, but a lot……and this 10K clinic has got to be my 6th? on-line talk and teach….we began these virtual clinics maybe a year ago, actually yes, just over a year ago…..I I initially was reluctant to take them on, I prefer in store clinics, had, but these have been cool, if a lot of work….lots of emails, lots of talking, encouraging (I hope) positive….and hopefully I’ve helped runners get on their feet and to run……
Between the 4 weekly run clubs, the store, and run clinics, it seems my weeks have become all about just running….
which is really great!……I have to say I am having a blast, almost the best time of my life….and that is saying a lot…but I don’t think I’ve ever felt better…I like this…pieces of my life all coming together….
Things just seem to have clicked, and continue to….I get to do what I do, and yeah, loving every moment of it……
How I got here?……..it just seems like a natural progression….
I just talk, I share…….

I’m taking a few rest and recovery days…..dealing with the heat, I’ve a 10K on Sunday, so the word of the days before, chill, stay cool….maybe a short morning on the bike, maybe swim…….and get ready

watch TV, sleep, eat, hydrate and repeat