Have you ever hired a coach?
Roger Federer, Michael Phelps, Steph Curry, Matt Ryan, Harrison Ford, Taylor Swift – what do they all have in common? At some point, either currently or in the past, they have had coaches. Someone that advised them, encouraged them & created a plan for them to help them get where they are (& where they want to be). I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have gotten to the point they are at without a coach. What about you? Have you ever hired a coach? I’ve had a few coaches through the years, including when I first qualified for the Boston Marathon in 1995, when I did Ironman Coeur d’Alene, and I’ve had some chiropractic coaches as well. And just recently, I decided that I needed help again…..
Most of you know that I’ve been a runner most of my life, starting in high school and it’s continued on throughout the years. I’ve been pretty stubborn about asking for help lately, because I’ve done so much running I feel I can pretty much coach myself. I’ve done hundreds of triathlons and running races on my own, so why should I need the help? Well as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten slower and as a lifelong runner, that is very frustrating. So I reached out to a friend of mine and asked her for her help. Holly is also a long time runner & triathlete and I knew she had the experience that I was looking for, and she knew me (and my past) and would be able to help me. I did not run well at the Peachtree Road Race (though that is a hard race to do well at, due to the heat, crowd, hills & party atmosphere). So I set my eyes on a race on Labor Day, wanting to do better so I can just feel better about myself and know (hope) that I still have a little speed left inside me, even if it is slower than 20 year ago.
So here I am, following workout plans that have been given to me rather than just following my own plan. So far it is certainly working …. there are several days that I feel like cutting my run short, or going slower than suggested, but I know she’ll see what I did, so holding me accountable has helped push me along. I feel confident I’ll do better than I did at the PRR but how much better I’m not sure. We’ll find out on Sept. 3rd!
As for you, do you need someone to guide you or hold you accountable in some area in your life? We go through school having teachers & parents that guided us, so there’s no reason that shouldn’t continue. Whether it’s work, music, art, athletics, business or whatever you choose, a coach can help guide you along, keep you stay on task & achieve your goals.
(check out Holly’s info by clicking here).
