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Where do you presently coach and how long have you been there?
I coach for Cardinal Ritter College Prep. 2019 will be my second year. I coached at Ladue Horton Watkins High school before this, for 7 years.
How did you start coaching? Past coaching jobs.
Coaching was always a passion of mine. I started volunteer coaching for the AAU team, St. Louis Blues Track Club, where I began my running career. I then volunteered at my high school, Gateway Institute of Technology from 2009-2011. Then I was hired on at Ladue High School in (2012-2017) as the girl’s assistant coach. I coached Sprints and Hurdles. In fall of 2017 I got the opportunity to coach at Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School, where I also teach.
Why did you decide to become a coach?
It’s pretty simple, really. It was my passion. I love helping, and I love running. I knew I wanted to give back to my community and this was the way to do it. I wanted to set an example for children, to be a living witness and attest, “ If I can do it so can you”. I had coaches believe in me, just like I believe in my athletes, which can make all the difference . It doesn’t matter where you come from or your background, “YOU TOO CAN MAKE IT”. I wanted to set that foundation not only for my athletes, but for my own children as well. “Yes, there will be times you want to give up, but Coach Spain will be right there to help you along the way.”
What events do you coach?
I coach sprints, hurdles, and mid-distance, if needed.
Were you a competitive athlete? If so, events and accomplishments.
YES. I was so competitive that I treated practice like a meet. I always worked hard. I wasn’t the fastest (more like 3rd fastest, most definitely wasn’t the slowest) on the team, so I had no choice but to outwork those around me. I was very competitive, but humble. I wanted to prove myself on the track rather than by mouth. My high school won state my freshman year, and my junior year. In 2003, after coming 5th in the 300 hurdles my sophomore year at sectionals (they take top four to state), I was determined to give it all I had. I won state in the 300 hurdles the following years, 2004 and 2005, and I got 5th in the 100 hurdles in 2004, and 2nd in 2005.
College was rough my first few years. I had just had my first born, Kyndall, and was trying to get back on track. But I came out on top, after having my baby and a hamstring injury. In 2011, I received “All American”. I got second at nationals in the 100 hurdles, running my PR, and 6th in the 100 meters, also running a PR.
Who influenced you most in terms of your coaching style and philosophy?
A lot of people influenced me. All my coaches from AAU to college. I took something from all of them, and put it into Coach Spain’s “Big Pot” and came up with my own coaching style. The work ethic, and workouts from my AAU coach, and a friend I coached with in the pass. The eagerness and energy from my high school coach, and the dedication and the will to never give up on an athlete, from my college coach.
What is your biggest challenge as a female coach?
I’ll have to say the challenge has been being a young female coach really. A lot of seasoned coaches and track parents second guess your ability. But the only thing I can think of as a female coach is that you get some backlash when coaching male athletes (that’s in any sport). That’s the only challenged I’ve faced as a female coach.
How do you motivate your athletes?
I motivate them by just being myself; energetic, enthusiastic, loving, fan of the sport, and a mentor. I run with them, I jump with them, and even hurdle with them. I lead by example. I’m not just going to tell you, I’ll show you as well.
How do you set goals and plan workouts for your athletes?
I evaluate what kind of athletes I have. I set a base, a foundation, and we build from there. We build from endurance to speed work to tempo, to speed endurance, and strength. All of that is built on the kind of program you wish to have, and the athletes you have as well.
How do you prepare your athletes for race day?
Race day is nerve wracking as it is. Coaches know you’re ready physically, but not what goes on in the head of an athlete. So I try to get to them mentally prepared. Imaginary and mental is key. Imagine yourself running your races in your head, breaking down every 100, every hurdle, and every approach. If you get to them mentally, that’s half the battle. Lead them to believe in their craft, and preparation of their races. “Trust the process”.
What do you wish for your athletes?
I wish for them to be athletically and academically sound. I wish for them to understand how significantly sports can impact their education. I wish for them to have the mental toughness, because the road gets tougher. I wish for them to succeed to the highest heights they can imagine, all the while being humble, and remembering where they came from, and how they got there.
What is the philosophy of your HS program?
"Athletes don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." This is one of the quotes I live by. Building relationships is the most important thing to me. I believe showing an athlete how much you care about their success will allow that athlete to perform at their best, and give you their all. Everyone is different, and being able to identify and relate to everyone will make you a more successful coach. I believe giving an athlete a lifetime experience. I want to expose runners to a competitive environment that will be remembered through life as a positive and rewarding experience.
How does your HS program become a unified team?
“All for one and one for ALL.” I establish that we are a “sisterhood” at the beginning of every season. If one fails, we ALL fail.
Do you work with both men and women?
Yes, mostly girls, but I help out with the boys from time to time. For the most part it works out well. Sometime I have to use my workout as punishment for the guys (LOL).
How have you changed as a coach over the years? Do you coach differently today than you have in the past?
Yes, I have changed. When I first started out I was just going off experience, and even though that’s a big part of coaching, fundamentals are a key component as well. I learned what days and weeks to do what, such as tempo, speed work, endurance work, and so on. Even though I’ve learned more, I still coach somewhat of the same (maybe a little calmer, some might think over wise!). Just different approaches for different athletes.
What resources would you like to have as a female coach?
Number one is better facilities, but I believe that’s for everyone in this area. (St Louis)
What would you like to add to your coaching expertise?
More workshops geared for women by woman athletes.
I would like to add more all-around full body training, something like crossfit training.
Tell me a story about a coaching experience that has made a huge impact on you?
Just recently, a few weeks ago, I received a card in the mail from an older athlete and her family. And it read “Coach Spain, We can’t tell you how grateful our family is for you. You helped push our kids to be great, all while loving them at the same time. Now that they both have graduated, we just wanted to say thank you for all you do”. All this time I just thought I was doing my job as a coach, but in reality it was way more than that. What impacts me the most is knowing that I touched the lives of others. You never know what impact you may leave on an athlete, and/or their family. This is the reason why I coach.
What advice would you give women who want to coach?
I would say to them, keep striving to be the best. It’s O.K to be the underdog. Never stop learning, always be compassionate but tough, knowledgeable but understanding, fun but determined. Most of all lead by example.
What else would you like us to know about you?
I just graduated with my Masters in Education from Lindenwood University. All the while working full time, coaching indoor and outdoor track, being a full time mom, wife, being active in church, and personal training. Never give up on your dreams even when times get tough. It’s in those tough times that make the strongest people.
"It was a hard decision to leave college coaching. There were not many women coaching, and I hated to leave it. However, I was also entering a coaching world that had even fewer women in it. There are only a handful of women who coach post-collegiate groups." - Amy Yoder Begley
The WRCC is honored to bring to you an interview with Olympic Distance Runner Amy Yoder Begley about her journey from runner to coach. Along with her coaching partner and husband, Andrew Begley, Amy has gracefully made the transition from being coached to coaching. Her resume is stunning--a Midwest girl holding numerous Indiana HS records and titles, an All-American 15 times, and a two time NCAA Champion at University of Arkansas. In 2008 she became an Olympic Team qualifier with an inspired and courageous finish in the 10,000 meter race in Eugene, Oregon. She struggled and overcame a diagnosis of celiac disease. She trained and competed as a member of the prestigious Nike Oregon Project, competing against the best in the world. In 2013 she was named the Head Cross Country Coach and Women's Assistant Track and Field Coach at the University of Connecticut. In 2016 she became the first full time coach of the Atlantic Track Club along with her husband Andrew.
This is an extraordinary interview with the Yoder Begleys about Amy's career, the transition from athlete to coach, their coaching philosophy, and working together. And what it is like to be the first female full-time coach of the 21,000 strong Atlanta T.C! This remarkable woman has so much to say about coaching and life.
This is an extraordinary interview with the Yoder Begleys about Amy's career, the transition from athlete to coach, their coaching philosophy, and working together. And what it is like to be the first female full-time coach of the 21,000 strong Atlanta T.C! This remarkable woman has so much to say about coaching and life.
Amy, we know you as an Olympian, an All American, a National Champion, a Record Holder and inspirational athlete. We’d like to hear about your transition from elite distance runner to coach. Was it a hard transition to make?
It was a hard transition because it was not on my terms. I had an injury that would not heal. At this point I was almost 34 years old. I had been running “professionally” for 12 years. I say that because I had a lot of part-time jobs when I was training and racing.
I had an Exercise Science/Biomechanics degree from Arkansas. My plan had been to go to Physical Therapy School. My science classes were too old, and they wanted me to retake Physics and Organic Chemistry. I didn’t like those classes the first time, and I didn’t want to take them again.
I started applying to coaching jobs and other wellness-type jobs. In 2012, all of my job applications were turned down. Andrew and I had a plan to coach together in college. We thought it would take 10+ years to get to a position that we could do that.
The USOC had a great program to help athletes transition to the working world. They helped with resumes, networking and online classes. During that time, there was a lot of buzz about the first women who competed in marathons, road races and track & field.
I was networking with all my contacts for job opportunities. The RRCA was in the process of doing an Oral History Project on the Women Pioneers of Running. They hired me to interview as many of these women as we could find. This job ended up being just what I needed at the right time.
I was able to talk to all these women who fought for the right to compete and paved the way for the rest of us. It was the best therapy for me at the time.
In 2013, I was contacted about the Head XC and Assistant Track Job at the University of Connecticut (UConn). I was hired in August, with very little time to move from Oregon to Connecticut. It was a very steep learning curve that year, but it was a great start into college coaching.
In 2014, Jack Wickens sent me the link to the job opening at the Atlanta Track Club. He said I should apply and thought I would be a great fit for the job. I can’t thank him enough for leading me to the Atlanta Track Club. When I read the job description, I knew there were very few coaches who could or would want to do the job. It entailed working with kids, beginner runners and elite athletes. The job covered everything I had worked on and wanted to continue working on.
It was a hard decision to leave college coaching. There were not many women coaching, and I hated to leave it. However, I was also entering a coaching world that had even fewer women in it. There are only a handful of women who coach post-collegiate groups.
In 2014 you were appointed as the first full time coach of the Atlanta Track Club along with your husband Andrew Begley. How have the past 4 years been? What is it like to be a coach of 21,000 plus runners? What are your other responsibilities, both for you and Andrew?
The interview process was long for this job. The job was a brand new position for Atlanta Track Club that Rich Kenah put into place. When Rich called to offer me the job, he said that all the applicants had told him this was more than a one person job. He wanted to hire me, but he also wanted to hire Andrew. Our 10-year plan came to be in just 18 months.
In December, I moved down to Atlanta with a few post-collegiate athletes who Andrew and I were coaching. Andrew moved down in January after he finished teaching that semester in Connecticut.
Andrew has been coaching longer. He is a year older than I am and coached me during my senior year in high school. He also coached me for the first 6 years of my professional career before I joined the Oregon Project.
We agree on 90% of the coaching decisions. We each have our strengths and have learned to divide and conquer. That took a couple years to settle out. He is the physiology guy. I am the biomechanics person. He does the budget and apparel. I work with our medical support to make sure the athletes are seeing the massage therapists and physical therapists when needed. I work on mental prep for races. We both work on travel and race plans. He travels more with the team due to my other job responsibilities.
Andrew and I both coach Atlanta Track Club Elite. We also have other duties with the club.
Andrew started the Youth Team and the Cross Country Camp. I am in charge of the In-Training programs for Atlanta Track Club. We have three seasons of training. The fall is Half Marathon and Marathon training. The summer is In-Training for Peachtree. The winter/spring is Publix Atlanta Marathon and Half Marathon training. We have also done beginner 5K and Women’s 5K training programs. We are going to start an online version of the training programs as well. I have In-Training practices every Saturday for these programs. I also have mid-week speed workouts for the programs.
On top of those coaching duties, we also help with the events. AJC Peachtree Road Race on July 4th is our biggest race. It is the largest 10K in the world with 60,000 participants. We have 30+ events a year from mile races to the Publix Atlanta Marathon. Our favorite event is Wingfoot XC. Andrew and I measure and oversee the course setup.
The club also hosts free Kilometer Kids Mile races and school programs. The elite athletes on the team help with every aspect of the club including setting up events, cleaning up events, attending school programs and pacing the kids’ races.
We both oversee the Masters Team with the help of Andy Carr. The Masters team has been around for over 40 years. Atlanta Track Club is known for its Masters team. We want to continue that tradition and add the Elite Team to that reputation. We won our first Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championship in 2017. We are looking to win a Masters Indoor Championship soon.
How did being an elite athlete help or distract from your role as coach? What strengths from your career as a premier distance runner help you as a coach? Is there any downside to having been at the very top level of your sport, and now being on the other side, as coach?
Rich Kenah is the Executive Director. He is an Olympian and a 1:43 800 meter runner who medaled at Indoor Worlds during his career. Afterward, he was an agent. He knows the sport. During my interview, he asked me about being an athlete and now a coach. He wanted to know if any jobs were beneath me. I told him that I didn’t have assistants or GAs at UConn. I made my own Gatorade and carried our team tent. He laughed.
Going from athlete to coach or any job is hard. As an athlete, I had a daily to-do list. I had a set workout, mileage, lifting routine, stretching routine, nap, etc. I could check it off and be done at the end of the day. In the working and coaching world, however, the to-do list is never done. That is the hardest part for me.
Being an elite athlete helps me to understand what the athletes are going through and what they want to accomplish. I also got to see and know what the other coaches and clubs were doing. I am able to use my experience to help them along the way. I like to say that I want to help them avoid the mistakes I made as an athlete so that they can accomplish their goals faster than I did.
Andrew has been a part of my life and career since 1995. He has coached me and watched me achieve big goals. He also knows first hand what it is like to train hard.
It was a hard transition because it was not on my terms. I had an injury that would not heal. At this point I was almost 34 years old. I had been running “professionally” for 12 years. I say that because I had a lot of part-time jobs when I was training and racing.
I had an Exercise Science/Biomechanics degree from Arkansas. My plan had been to go to Physical Therapy School. My science classes were too old, and they wanted me to retake Physics and Organic Chemistry. I didn’t like those classes the first time, and I didn’t want to take them again.
I started applying to coaching jobs and other wellness-type jobs. In 2012, all of my job applications were turned down. Andrew and I had a plan to coach together in college. We thought it would take 10+ years to get to a position that we could do that.
The USOC had a great program to help athletes transition to the working world. They helped with resumes, networking and online classes. During that time, there was a lot of buzz about the first women who competed in marathons, road races and track & field.
I was networking with all my contacts for job opportunities. The RRCA was in the process of doing an Oral History Project on the Women Pioneers of Running. They hired me to interview as many of these women as we could find. This job ended up being just what I needed at the right time.
I was able to talk to all these women who fought for the right to compete and paved the way for the rest of us. It was the best therapy for me at the time.
In 2013, I was contacted about the Head XC and Assistant Track Job at the University of Connecticut (UConn). I was hired in August, with very little time to move from Oregon to Connecticut. It was a very steep learning curve that year, but it was a great start into college coaching.
In 2014, Jack Wickens sent me the link to the job opening at the Atlanta Track Club. He said I should apply and thought I would be a great fit for the job. I can’t thank him enough for leading me to the Atlanta Track Club. When I read the job description, I knew there were very few coaches who could or would want to do the job. It entailed working with kids, beginner runners and elite athletes. The job covered everything I had worked on and wanted to continue working on.
It was a hard decision to leave college coaching. There were not many women coaching, and I hated to leave it. However, I was also entering a coaching world that had even fewer women in it. There are only a handful of women who coach post-collegiate groups.
In 2014 you were appointed as the first full time coach of the Atlanta Track Club along with your husband Andrew Begley. How have the past 4 years been? What is it like to be a coach of 21,000 plus runners? What are your other responsibilities, both for you and Andrew?
The interview process was long for this job. The job was a brand new position for Atlanta Track Club that Rich Kenah put into place. When Rich called to offer me the job, he said that all the applicants had told him this was more than a one person job. He wanted to hire me, but he also wanted to hire Andrew. Our 10-year plan came to be in just 18 months.
In December, I moved down to Atlanta with a few post-collegiate athletes who Andrew and I were coaching. Andrew moved down in January after he finished teaching that semester in Connecticut.
Andrew has been coaching longer. He is a year older than I am and coached me during my senior year in high school. He also coached me for the first 6 years of my professional career before I joined the Oregon Project.
We agree on 90% of the coaching decisions. We each have our strengths and have learned to divide and conquer. That took a couple years to settle out. He is the physiology guy. I am the biomechanics person. He does the budget and apparel. I work with our medical support to make sure the athletes are seeing the massage therapists and physical therapists when needed. I work on mental prep for races. We both work on travel and race plans. He travels more with the team due to my other job responsibilities.
Andrew and I both coach Atlanta Track Club Elite. We also have other duties with the club.
Andrew started the Youth Team and the Cross Country Camp. I am in charge of the In-Training programs for Atlanta Track Club. We have three seasons of training. The fall is Half Marathon and Marathon training. The summer is In-Training for Peachtree. The winter/spring is Publix Atlanta Marathon and Half Marathon training. We have also done beginner 5K and Women’s 5K training programs. We are going to start an online version of the training programs as well. I have In-Training practices every Saturday for these programs. I also have mid-week speed workouts for the programs.
On top of those coaching duties, we also help with the events. AJC Peachtree Road Race on July 4th is our biggest race. It is the largest 10K in the world with 60,000 participants. We have 30+ events a year from mile races to the Publix Atlanta Marathon. Our favorite event is Wingfoot XC. Andrew and I measure and oversee the course setup.
The club also hosts free Kilometer Kids Mile races and school programs. The elite athletes on the team help with every aspect of the club including setting up events, cleaning up events, attending school programs and pacing the kids’ races.
We both oversee the Masters Team with the help of Andy Carr. The Masters team has been around for over 40 years. Atlanta Track Club is known for its Masters team. We want to continue that tradition and add the Elite Team to that reputation. We won our first Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championship in 2017. We are looking to win a Masters Indoor Championship soon.
How did being an elite athlete help or distract from your role as coach? What strengths from your career as a premier distance runner help you as a coach? Is there any downside to having been at the very top level of your sport, and now being on the other side, as coach?
Rich Kenah is the Executive Director. He is an Olympian and a 1:43 800 meter runner who medaled at Indoor Worlds during his career. Afterward, he was an agent. He knows the sport. During my interview, he asked me about being an athlete and now a coach. He wanted to know if any jobs were beneath me. I told him that I didn’t have assistants or GAs at UConn. I made my own Gatorade and carried our team tent. He laughed.
Going from athlete to coach or any job is hard. As an athlete, I had a daily to-do list. I had a set workout, mileage, lifting routine, stretching routine, nap, etc. I could check it off and be done at the end of the day. In the working and coaching world, however, the to-do list is never done. That is the hardest part for me.
Being an elite athlete helps me to understand what the athletes are going through and what they want to accomplish. I also got to see and know what the other coaches and clubs were doing. I am able to use my experience to help them along the way. I like to say that I want to help them avoid the mistakes I made as an athlete so that they can accomplish their goals faster than I did.
Andrew has been a part of my life and career since 1995. He has coached me and watched me achieve big goals. He also knows first hand what it is like to train hard.
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"We agree on 90% of the coaching decisions. We each have our strengths and have learned to divide and conquer. That took a couple years to settle out. He is the physiology guy. I am the biomechanics person. He does the budget and apparel. I work with our medical support to make sure the athletes are seeing the massage therapists and physical therapists when needed. I work on mental prep for races. We both work on travel and race plans. He travels more with the team due to my other job responsibilities." |
You took the Atlanta job with your husband Andrew as coaching partners. You must bring different skills and experiences to your partnership? Could both of you describe the co-coaching relationship you have, and how it works?
I answered some of these questions above. I am the extrovert, and he is the introvert. We work well with different athletes and situations. We are opposites who complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Andrew’s thoughts: You have to believe in your assistant or co-coaches. There is a fine line between adding input and second-guessing what the other coach is doing. It works best when you truly divide the tasks. Amy manages our strength training and form training. I will give her advice or input, but in the end she always makes the call. I will never second guess what she is doing.
The other piece is to give new ideas or new strategies a chance to play out. If you over-analyze what you are doing, you might change things up before there is a chance for success. We always let things play out for a season, and then evaluate the season and overall team progress. We talk to the athletes and do a hard self-assessment at the end of each season.
Working with your spouse and doing an honest post-season evaluation sometimes requires thick skin. We are a team, and we both want to help our athletes reach their goals. When you start off the conversation with this in mind, it helps you to understand that both people are working toward the same result.
Amy and Andrew, what are your individual coaching philosophies? How do you work together to highlight each of your strengths and experiences? How do you differ as coaches?
Our coaching philosophies match up pretty well. The guiding principle is that everyone is an individual. There is no “right way” to coach every workout. Being a successful collegiate and professional coach is as much about recruiting athletes who respond well to your coaching style as it is getting talented athletes. It works better to get athletes who respond to your style of training than it does to find a style of training that fits your athletes.
We approach middle distance coaching from a strength perspective. Our athletes run from 50 miles up to 85 miles per week. During the fall, we focus on strength. This is when the athletes will hit their highest mileage and do their longest session. They all get up to 12-16 miles for their long run. Workouts are focused on strength (longer repeats and tempos). We do want to maintain their pop and turnover. In the fall, we do short sprints or a few fast repeats at the end of workouts.
During track, we try to limit the volume of speed that they have to do. We will do some aerobic work first and then work on speed. It is common to do 800s or miles, and then a few all-out repeats at the end. During the track season, their mileage will get a little lower. They typically hit the lower end of the range (50-70). For early season races, they will do workouts after their races and also take less time between workouts so that they are prepared for racing through the rounds.
Our marathon runners go through three phases. In the first phase, they build their mileage. The second phase is a preparation phase, where we do some faster work (5k and 10k pace). We do this to make sure that the marathon pace feels comfortable. Finally, they do the marathon block. In this phase, they do a lot more volume, but we focus on half marathon and marathon paces.
We try to get through two of these build-ups each year with our marathon group. If time permits, we like to do a short track season with them, so they can work on their speed a little bit. They typically enjoy running the shorter distances, and it gives them a break from the long grind of marathon training.
As this is a newsletter for women coaches, what has your experience been as a woman in a predominately male profession? Any advice you could give to our readers that would help them be better prepared to navigate the coaching profession?
I would ask that women be more open to helping other women. I have been disappointed in the women I have reached out to for advice. In my experience, the male coaches and athletes have been more supportive. I think that this is changing as more women are becoming head coaches.
I would also suggest doing your research when networking or talking with coaches. There are some amazing coaches who don’t tell you all they have accomplished. Some of their accomplishments might have been before you were born. The history of our sport is not passed down.
My biggest piece of advice would be to not waiver on your beliefs and morals. It may not be easy to stand up for what is right, but in the end you will be glad you did.
I answered some of these questions above. I am the extrovert, and he is the introvert. We work well with different athletes and situations. We are opposites who complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Andrew’s thoughts: You have to believe in your assistant or co-coaches. There is a fine line between adding input and second-guessing what the other coach is doing. It works best when you truly divide the tasks. Amy manages our strength training and form training. I will give her advice or input, but in the end she always makes the call. I will never second guess what she is doing.
The other piece is to give new ideas or new strategies a chance to play out. If you over-analyze what you are doing, you might change things up before there is a chance for success. We always let things play out for a season, and then evaluate the season and overall team progress. We talk to the athletes and do a hard self-assessment at the end of each season.
Working with your spouse and doing an honest post-season evaluation sometimes requires thick skin. We are a team, and we both want to help our athletes reach their goals. When you start off the conversation with this in mind, it helps you to understand that both people are working toward the same result.
Amy and Andrew, what are your individual coaching philosophies? How do you work together to highlight each of your strengths and experiences? How do you differ as coaches?
Our coaching philosophies match up pretty well. The guiding principle is that everyone is an individual. There is no “right way” to coach every workout. Being a successful collegiate and professional coach is as much about recruiting athletes who respond well to your coaching style as it is getting talented athletes. It works better to get athletes who respond to your style of training than it does to find a style of training that fits your athletes.
We approach middle distance coaching from a strength perspective. Our athletes run from 50 miles up to 85 miles per week. During the fall, we focus on strength. This is when the athletes will hit their highest mileage and do their longest session. They all get up to 12-16 miles for their long run. Workouts are focused on strength (longer repeats and tempos). We do want to maintain their pop and turnover. In the fall, we do short sprints or a few fast repeats at the end of workouts.
During track, we try to limit the volume of speed that they have to do. We will do some aerobic work first and then work on speed. It is common to do 800s or miles, and then a few all-out repeats at the end. During the track season, their mileage will get a little lower. They typically hit the lower end of the range (50-70). For early season races, they will do workouts after their races and also take less time between workouts so that they are prepared for racing through the rounds.
Our marathon runners go through three phases. In the first phase, they build their mileage. The second phase is a preparation phase, where we do some faster work (5k and 10k pace). We do this to make sure that the marathon pace feels comfortable. Finally, they do the marathon block. In this phase, they do a lot more volume, but we focus on half marathon and marathon paces.
We try to get through two of these build-ups each year with our marathon group. If time permits, we like to do a short track season with them, so they can work on their speed a little bit. They typically enjoy running the shorter distances, and it gives them a break from the long grind of marathon training.
As this is a newsletter for women coaches, what has your experience been as a woman in a predominately male profession? Any advice you could give to our readers that would help them be better prepared to navigate the coaching profession?
I would ask that women be more open to helping other women. I have been disappointed in the women I have reached out to for advice. In my experience, the male coaches and athletes have been more supportive. I think that this is changing as more women are becoming head coaches.
I would also suggest doing your research when networking or talking with coaches. There are some amazing coaches who don’t tell you all they have accomplished. Some of their accomplishments might have been before you were born. The history of our sport is not passed down.
My biggest piece of advice would be to not waiver on your beliefs and morals. It may not be easy to stand up for what is right, but in the end you will be glad you did.
"I would ask that women be more open to helping other women. I have been disappointed in the women I have reached out to for advice. In my experience, the male coaches and athletes have been more supportive. I think that this is changing as more women are becoming head coaches."
-Amy Yoder Begley
This is Part 2 of an extraordinary interview with the Yoder Begleys about Amy's career, the transition from athlete to coach, their coaching philosophy, and working together. And what it is like to be the first female full-time coach of the 21,000 strong Atlanta T.C! This remarkable woman has so much to say about coaching and life.
I have read you were diagnosed in 2006 with celiac disease. Has living with this disease helped you to be a more intuitive and sympathetic coach? Many of our readers deal with athletes who have serious medical conditions, such as celiac. Could you give any advice on how to support and coach an athlete with a serious condition?
I think that having celiac and the issues that came with it helps me to notice things in others.
The best support you can give an athlete is the confidence that you are there for them for the duration, the confidence that your support of them does not depend on their times or marks but on their dedication to doing their best.
You can help them find the best support system to deal with the condition. You can help them navigate the information when it becomes hard to make decisions.
Andrew and I want to help the athletes become great athletes and people. We want to give them more than just athletic experiences.
How have the coaches you have had over the years influenced how you coach today? What do you remember about your high school, college, and professional coaches that motivated and inspired you to reach such a high level of achievement in running?
A local female runner inspired me to start running. I would see her running around the park when we walked the dogs.
I have had all male coaches during my career. In middle school, they only had a boys team, and I loved racing with the boys.
In high school, my coach was a former football coach who really tried hard to give us direction. I had an AAU club coach, Jim Mills, who really taught me a lot about running.
Andrew (Begley) coached me during my senior year in high school. I was 2nd at Foot Locker and qualified for Junior Worlds in Sydney Australia in the 5,000m.
Lance Harter was my college coach who introduced me to a great network in the running world. I loved my college years and career at Arkansas.
Andrew (Begley) coached me the first 6 years of my pro career.
Alberto Salazar coached me from 2007 to 2011. He taught me how to work hard. I thought I knew how to work hard until I joined the Oregon Project. I think it would be hard on a marriage to have your spouse work you that hard.
I tried to run for another year after that, but the body was done.
Coaching is an intense career. The stress and hours are hard on coaches and their families. What do you do to alleviate those stresses and time commitments? What advice do you have for coaches to help balance out their lives?
Finding a partner and support network is key. If you don’t have people in your corner to help you or encourage you to keep going, it is very easy to leave the sport. Coaching with Andrew allows us to divide things up or take on more or less if needed. I am very lucky to be able to coach with my spouse.
When Andrew and I need a break, we try to stay 1-2 days after a track meet or road race to see the city or see a National Park. We have stopped at layovers for a day to see a National Park or visit family. That is doable for pro coaches, but college coaches don’t have that opportunity due to traveling with the team.
At home, we have the dogs.
My advice for college coaches is to come up with a compromise on a schedule that will keep you sane. For example, you can work from home half a day to take care of the dog and things like laundry.
I think that having celiac and the issues that came with it helps me to notice things in others.
The best support you can give an athlete is the confidence that you are there for them for the duration, the confidence that your support of them does not depend on their times or marks but on their dedication to doing their best.
You can help them find the best support system to deal with the condition. You can help them navigate the information when it becomes hard to make decisions.
Andrew and I want to help the athletes become great athletes and people. We want to give them more than just athletic experiences.
How have the coaches you have had over the years influenced how you coach today? What do you remember about your high school, college, and professional coaches that motivated and inspired you to reach such a high level of achievement in running?
A local female runner inspired me to start running. I would see her running around the park when we walked the dogs.
I have had all male coaches during my career. In middle school, they only had a boys team, and I loved racing with the boys.
In high school, my coach was a former football coach who really tried hard to give us direction. I had an AAU club coach, Jim Mills, who really taught me a lot about running.
Andrew (Begley) coached me during my senior year in high school. I was 2nd at Foot Locker and qualified for Junior Worlds in Sydney Australia in the 5,000m.
Lance Harter was my college coach who introduced me to a great network in the running world. I loved my college years and career at Arkansas.
Andrew (Begley) coached me the first 6 years of my pro career.
Alberto Salazar coached me from 2007 to 2011. He taught me how to work hard. I thought I knew how to work hard until I joined the Oregon Project. I think it would be hard on a marriage to have your spouse work you that hard.
I tried to run for another year after that, but the body was done.
Coaching is an intense career. The stress and hours are hard on coaches and their families. What do you do to alleviate those stresses and time commitments? What advice do you have for coaches to help balance out their lives?
Finding a partner and support network is key. If you don’t have people in your corner to help you or encourage you to keep going, it is very easy to leave the sport. Coaching with Andrew allows us to divide things up or take on more or less if needed. I am very lucky to be able to coach with my spouse.
When Andrew and I need a break, we try to stay 1-2 days after a track meet or road race to see the city or see a National Park. We have stopped at layovers for a day to see a National Park or visit family. That is doable for pro coaches, but college coaches don’t have that opportunity due to traveling with the team.
At home, we have the dogs.
My advice for college coaches is to come up with a compromise on a schedule that will keep you sane. For example, you can work from home half a day to take care of the dog and things like laundry.
"Alberto Salazar coached me from 2007 to 2011. He taught me how to work hard. I thought I knew how to work hard until I joined the Oregon Project. I think it would be hard on a marriage to have your spouse work you that hard." |
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What advice can you give to a young woman who wants to become a running coach? What is important to you as a coach that you could pass on to another female coach?
If you are a college athlete or professional athlete, start networking at meets. Ask your coach to introduce you to race directors and other college coaches. My college coach, Lance Harter, did that for me. At the time, I didn’t even realize what a gift it was that he introduced me to other coaches and meet directors.
Getting involved with USATF will also introduce you to people and the inner workings of your sport.
Learn about the physiology and biomechanics of the sport. If you want to be more valuable as a coach, learn other events so that you are not just a distance coach or jumps coach. You can also read the books of many of the current and former great coaches.
There are also coaching classes and certifications, like USATF and RRCA.
What makes you still passionate about our sport of running?
I enjoy helping people of all abilities work toward their goals. I enjoy helping a new runner develop a love for the sport, as much as I like helping elite runners chase their Olympic dreams. Our sport has a lot to offer to both of these groups, and everyone in between. I also enjoy watching the sport evolve. We have learned so much over the years. Technology has allowed people to share information and helps us to further the sport. It is rewarding to help young athletes to avoid some of the mistakes that we have made over the years.
Finally, it has been rewarding to watch women take a more prominent role in our sport. After college, there were very few options for professional women. In today’s world, there are many options. After college, a reporter interviewed Andrew and me about our goals as professional athletes. I was asked when I was getting a “real job” and when I wanted to have kids. Andrew didn’t get any similar questions. It was eye-opening. We have made good progress in accepting that it is okay for women to chase their dreams, but we still have a long way to go. It is easier to recruit talented men because more men stick around after college. One of my goals is to continue to help more women stay in the sport.
It is also inspirational to see more women coaching. I want to do everything that I can to perpetuate this trend.
If you are a college athlete or professional athlete, start networking at meets. Ask your coach to introduce you to race directors and other college coaches. My college coach, Lance Harter, did that for me. At the time, I didn’t even realize what a gift it was that he introduced me to other coaches and meet directors.
Getting involved with USATF will also introduce you to people and the inner workings of your sport.
Learn about the physiology and biomechanics of the sport. If you want to be more valuable as a coach, learn other events so that you are not just a distance coach or jumps coach. You can also read the books of many of the current and former great coaches.
There are also coaching classes and certifications, like USATF and RRCA.
What makes you still passionate about our sport of running?
I enjoy helping people of all abilities work toward their goals. I enjoy helping a new runner develop a love for the sport, as much as I like helping elite runners chase their Olympic dreams. Our sport has a lot to offer to both of these groups, and everyone in between. I also enjoy watching the sport evolve. We have learned so much over the years. Technology has allowed people to share information and helps us to further the sport. It is rewarding to help young athletes to avoid some of the mistakes that we have made over the years.
Finally, it has been rewarding to watch women take a more prominent role in our sport. After college, there were very few options for professional women. In today’s world, there are many options. After college, a reporter interviewed Andrew and me about our goals as professional athletes. I was asked when I was getting a “real job” and when I wanted to have kids. Andrew didn’t get any similar questions. It was eye-opening. We have made good progress in accepting that it is okay for women to chase their dreams, but we still have a long way to go. It is easier to recruit talented men because more men stick around after college. One of my goals is to continue to help more women stay in the sport.
It is also inspirational to see more women coaching. I want to do everything that I can to perpetuate this trend.
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Leigh Daniel Cordes is the Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach at Lubbock Christian University. She is also the mom of three children under the age of 6! She juggles coaching and parenting along with her husband Nick Cordes, director of Cross Country, and Track and Field at LCU. She began running as a senior in high school, later attending Texas Tech and becoming a 9-time All American in track and cross country. During her college career she won 7 Big 12 Conference titles, and was a 2-time NCAA Champion in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. In 1999 Leigh won the 10,000 meters at the World University Games in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Like many women, Leigh's journey has been about finding balance in her life. As a head coach, a mother of three, and a wife, her story is one of courage, commitment, love, and joy. |
As a very successful high school and college athlete, how did you make the transition from athlete to coach? What did you bring from your running career into coaching?
I think the most important thing I brought from my own racing and training into my coaching is empathy. I have been through tough races, injuries, sickness, relationship issues, and other aspects of life that a college athlete may encounter. I know what I felt like as an athlete, trying to get the most out of my running while dealing with lots of different things. As a coach I can be empathetic towards my athletes and share with them how I was able to deal with all of these issues and help them learn from my experiences. My favorite part of coaching is helping college kids walk through a time that can be very stressful, and encouraging them to stay positive.
Your husband is the Lubbock Christian University's director of cross country and track, Nick Cordes. As coaches, how do you both handle the time demands and stress of coaching and raising your family?
Well, our life can be a bit crazy. We have a sitter that comes at 5:30 a.m. on the weekdays to watch our kids while we are at practice. Then after practice we divide and conquer getting them ready for school/day care. We have Carsyn(6), Drew(5), and Masyn(2). Their ages make for a lot of chaos. Luckily, we are able to spend most afternoon/evenings together as a family because of our schedule. Nick and I try to get all recruiting, meetings, and planning done while the kids are at school. We both have our roles, and I am blessed to have a very hands on husband. He does everything from laundry to getting the girls' hair done. We have to be teammates or it would not work. We have had to learn over the last 11 years of coaching together how to have a good work dynamic. We have to compromise quite a bit as we are both strong willed. I do not like being told what to do; so Nick learned early on that he needed to ask me to do something, and not tell me! We love what we do and could not feel more blessed to be able to work together and do what we are passionate about.
I think the most important thing I brought from my own racing and training into my coaching is empathy. I have been through tough races, injuries, sickness, relationship issues, and other aspects of life that a college athlete may encounter. I know what I felt like as an athlete, trying to get the most out of my running while dealing with lots of different things. As a coach I can be empathetic towards my athletes and share with them how I was able to deal with all of these issues and help them learn from my experiences. My favorite part of coaching is helping college kids walk through a time that can be very stressful, and encouraging them to stay positive.
Your husband is the Lubbock Christian University's director of cross country and track, Nick Cordes. As coaches, how do you both handle the time demands and stress of coaching and raising your family?
Well, our life can be a bit crazy. We have a sitter that comes at 5:30 a.m. on the weekdays to watch our kids while we are at practice. Then after practice we divide and conquer getting them ready for school/day care. We have Carsyn(6), Drew(5), and Masyn(2). Their ages make for a lot of chaos. Luckily, we are able to spend most afternoon/evenings together as a family because of our schedule. Nick and I try to get all recruiting, meetings, and planning done while the kids are at school. We both have our roles, and I am blessed to have a very hands on husband. He does everything from laundry to getting the girls' hair done. We have to be teammates or it would not work. We have had to learn over the last 11 years of coaching together how to have a good work dynamic. We have to compromise quite a bit as we are both strong willed. I do not like being told what to do; so Nick learned early on that he needed to ask me to do something, and not tell me! We love what we do and could not feel more blessed to be able to work together and do what we are passionate about.
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What advice would you give your younger runner self?
So much advice!! Trust God! Always trust God. He will not let you down and has a plan for you. . . I promise! Love yourself and be confident in who you are. I am so much more comfortable in my own skin at 40 than I was at 20. If I felt this way at 20, I would definitely have been happier and made better decisions. If something hurts, take 2 days off. I make my runners do this all the time and it usually saves you from taking 6 weeks off. Eat more good food and don't compare yourself to others.
As a high school runner, you battled eating issues. What perspective does this bring to your coaching of young athletes? What advice and information can you give to other coaches who have athletes who have eating issues?
I think my own eating issues have helped me a lot in coaching young athletes. Luckily, I was able to over come an eating disorder before I became a college runner, but it was still hard to stay healthy on the college team. In the 90s, college runners were trying to be as skinny as possible. I didn't want to starve myself, but I was definitely aware of my weight. I know I was not eating enough to supplement my training. I learned so much after college when I joined a professional team. The best women in the country were eating a lot of calories and making sure that they fueled properly. It completely changed how I looked at food and training, and helped me to become much healthier. If they were the best, then I wanted to do what they were doing. I actually became so much leaner when I ate enough of the right foods. We know so much more now about how eating too little will affect runners long term (amenorrhea, osteoporosis, depression, stress fractures). I'm so glad that athletes are now taught to fuel properly to be strong and lean, not stick skinny. It didn't work for very long the old way. We have become smarter. I do try to instill healthy attitudes toward food and weight in my athletes. I can spot a problem a million miles away. If you catch it early, it is so much easier to help them make healthy decisions about weight loss. We have a dietician who comes and talks about a good runner's diet to make sure that they understand how to eat to prevent fatigue and injury.
So much advice!! Trust God! Always trust God. He will not let you down and has a plan for you. . . I promise! Love yourself and be confident in who you are. I am so much more comfortable in my own skin at 40 than I was at 20. If I felt this way at 20, I would definitely have been happier and made better decisions. If something hurts, take 2 days off. I make my runners do this all the time and it usually saves you from taking 6 weeks off. Eat more good food and don't compare yourself to others.
As a high school runner, you battled eating issues. What perspective does this bring to your coaching of young athletes? What advice and information can you give to other coaches who have athletes who have eating issues?
I think my own eating issues have helped me a lot in coaching young athletes. Luckily, I was able to over come an eating disorder before I became a college runner, but it was still hard to stay healthy on the college team. In the 90s, college runners were trying to be as skinny as possible. I didn't want to starve myself, but I was definitely aware of my weight. I know I was not eating enough to supplement my training. I learned so much after college when I joined a professional team. The best women in the country were eating a lot of calories and making sure that they fueled properly. It completely changed how I looked at food and training, and helped me to become much healthier. If they were the best, then I wanted to do what they were doing. I actually became so much leaner when I ate enough of the right foods. We know so much more now about how eating too little will affect runners long term (amenorrhea, osteoporosis, depression, stress fractures). I'm so glad that athletes are now taught to fuel properly to be strong and lean, not stick skinny. It didn't work for very long the old way. We have become smarter. I do try to instill healthy attitudes toward food and weight in my athletes. I can spot a problem a million miles away. If you catch it early, it is so much easier to help them make healthy decisions about weight loss. We have a dietician who comes and talks about a good runner's diet to make sure that they understand how to eat to prevent fatigue and injury.
"Well, our life can be a bit crazy. We have a sitter that comes at 5:30 a.m. on the weekdays to watch our kids while we are at practice. Then after practice we divide and conquer getting them ready for school/day care. We have Carsyn(6), Drew(5), and Masyn(2). Their ages make for a lot of chaos. Luckily, we are able to spend most afternoon/evenings together as a family because of our schedule. Nick and I try to get all recruiting, meetings, and planning done while the kids are at school. We both have our roles, and I am blessed to have a very hands on husband. He does everything from laundry to getting the girls' hair done. "
- Leigh Daniel Cordes
What are the personal traits that you feel made you a national class runner? Where they instilled in you by a coach, or where they personality traits that were internal? If your traits were motivated by a coach how do you convey them to your current athletes?
I do think I am genetically wired to be a good runner. Running always came easily for me as a kid. I tend to be the type of person that is motivated to do things on my own. I would shoot baskets in my driveway for hours, hit on the backboard in tennis all afternoon and never miss a run or workout once I started running cross country. So, I did not need a coach to motivate or push me. Probably needed a coach to hold me back a bit! I do my best with a coach that is encouraging and believes in me. Therefore, I naturally coach my athletes that way (Nick can give them a kick in the butt if they need one!). I went through some tough times with my family as a kid and I think those experiences helped to make me more mentally tough in races.
Who is a key coach from your running career, and what coaching advice of theirs do you still use
I have been blessed to have a few great coaches. I happened to run my fastest times under Dave Smith (coach at Oklahoma State University for the last 15 years). He is a very smart guy and I think his approach to training worked well for me. He did a good job of giving me the right mileage and workouts but most importantly he listened to me and made sure I did not over train. He was very laid back and encouraging. It was a good mix for my high strung runner self. I use some of the workouts that we did (even though they are very commonly used). I have a few that I think are key for good training. I definitely learned that it is better to be slightly under trained than to be over trained and exhausted.
What keeps you passionate about coaching?
It never feels like a job. I love all aspects of running and helping the athletes reach their goals. There is no better feeling than watching one of my athletes run a PR and the joy that comes with that. I don't love the administrative side of things (Nick is much better with that) but I love the relationships and the cheering for my athletes in workouts and races.
What advice, if any, do you have for women contemplating a coaching career?
I would say, go for it! It is such a rewarding job. It can be a little tough to juggle having children and coaching but you can make it work. You just have to manage your time wisely. We are very lucky at LCU to have our kids around at practice, if it is in the afternoon, and sometimes our kids will travel to meets with us. I think college women could always use more female role models and it is easier for girls to come to a female coach about certain issues. I know there were things I could not talk to my male coach about. I hope that we will continue to see more women in head college coaching positions in the near future.
I do think I am genetically wired to be a good runner. Running always came easily for me as a kid. I tend to be the type of person that is motivated to do things on my own. I would shoot baskets in my driveway for hours, hit on the backboard in tennis all afternoon and never miss a run or workout once I started running cross country. So, I did not need a coach to motivate or push me. Probably needed a coach to hold me back a bit! I do my best with a coach that is encouraging and believes in me. Therefore, I naturally coach my athletes that way (Nick can give them a kick in the butt if they need one!). I went through some tough times with my family as a kid and I think those experiences helped to make me more mentally tough in races.
Who is a key coach from your running career, and what coaching advice of theirs do you still use
I have been blessed to have a few great coaches. I happened to run my fastest times under Dave Smith (coach at Oklahoma State University for the last 15 years). He is a very smart guy and I think his approach to training worked well for me. He did a good job of giving me the right mileage and workouts but most importantly he listened to me and made sure I did not over train. He was very laid back and encouraging. It was a good mix for my high strung runner self. I use some of the workouts that we did (even though they are very commonly used). I have a few that I think are key for good training. I definitely learned that it is better to be slightly under trained than to be over trained and exhausted.
What keeps you passionate about coaching?
It never feels like a job. I love all aspects of running and helping the athletes reach their goals. There is no better feeling than watching one of my athletes run a PR and the joy that comes with that. I don't love the administrative side of things (Nick is much better with that) but I love the relationships and the cheering for my athletes in workouts and races.
What advice, if any, do you have for women contemplating a coaching career?
I would say, go for it! It is such a rewarding job. It can be a little tough to juggle having children and coaching but you can make it work. You just have to manage your time wisely. We are very lucky at LCU to have our kids around at practice, if it is in the afternoon, and sometimes our kids will travel to meets with us. I think college women could always use more female role models and it is easier for girls to come to a female coach about certain issues. I know there were things I could not talk to my male coach about. I hope that we will continue to see more women in head college coaching positions in the near future.
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What makes someone a Master in their field? In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell says mastery in a field takes roughly 10,000 hours. Over the many years as a competitor and then a coach, Laura has accumulated more than the prerequisite 10,000 hours. Coaching middle and distance runners at the high school, college, and professional level, Laura has become a Master Coach in the coaching world. Her style ranges from the brilliant to the common sense. She knows the science of running, but excels in the art. To spend a season under the leadership of Coach Caldwell, you would be doing a Masters in Elite Coaching. Season planning, writing and executing workouts, the psychology of runners, goal setting, organization and administration would be your curriculum. Coach Laura Caldwell has the experience, the knowledge, and the grace of a Master.
As a runner, Laura ran at the college and professional levels, achieving both national and international recognition. When at Florida State, Laura Ledbetter Caldwell held the 800 meter school record. In her post collegiate career she ran as a professional distance runner, competing for NIKE. Among her many running accomplishments, Laura placed 8th in the 1987 USA Women's Marathon Championships, won the 1992 Seattle Marathon, won the USA Masters 5,000 Track Championship, and was the 1993 USA Masters Cross Country Champion. At age 43, she ran 1:15:52 for a half marathon. Her incredible talent as a runner allowed her success in events ranging from the 800 to the marathon!
Coach Laura Caldwell has been successful at the high school, college, and elite levels. She was a founding member of the Portland, OR, women's running club, Team Athena, and was their first president. As the cross country and track coach of the girls team at Lake Oswego HS, Oregon, her runners consistently qualified for the Oregon 6A State Meet, and reached the podium in 2007. In the 1980's she was the editor of the successful publication, Racing South Magazine. In 2010 she joined the coaching staff at Furman University, along with her husband Mike Caldwell. She currently coaches with the Greenville Track Club Elite.
In the interview below we get to glimpse into the world of running and coaching, as Coach Caldwell shares her insights, experiences, and knowledge.
As a runner, Laura ran at the college and professional levels, achieving both national and international recognition. When at Florida State, Laura Ledbetter Caldwell held the 800 meter school record. In her post collegiate career she ran as a professional distance runner, competing for NIKE. Among her many running accomplishments, Laura placed 8th in the 1987 USA Women's Marathon Championships, won the 1992 Seattle Marathon, won the USA Masters 5,000 Track Championship, and was the 1993 USA Masters Cross Country Champion. At age 43, she ran 1:15:52 for a half marathon. Her incredible talent as a runner allowed her success in events ranging from the 800 to the marathon!
Coach Laura Caldwell has been successful at the high school, college, and elite levels. She was a founding member of the Portland, OR, women's running club, Team Athena, and was their first president. As the cross country and track coach of the girls team at Lake Oswego HS, Oregon, her runners consistently qualified for the Oregon 6A State Meet, and reached the podium in 2007. In the 1980's she was the editor of the successful publication, Racing South Magazine. In 2010 she joined the coaching staff at Furman University, along with her husband Mike Caldwell. She currently coaches with the Greenville Track Club Elite.
In the interview below we get to glimpse into the world of running and coaching, as Coach Caldwell shares her insights, experiences, and knowledge.
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Running has been one of the loves of your life. Can you tell us why you have competed, coached, managed, written about and supported runners and running over the years? Why has it been such a passion of yours?
Growing up pre-title IX, I really didn’t have the opportunity to explore different sports and find one that I was attracted to. In high school, you could play golf or tennis (girl sports) or be a cheerleader—that was it! However, I was always a bit of a tomboy, playing sports with the neighborhood kids and generally running around all day long. So unbeknownst to me, I was actually setting myself up to gravitating to some organized sport. When I got to Florida State University, I accidently found running by enrolling in a track and field class run by Dr. Kenneth Miller, who was the former coach of the men’s track program. At the time he was coaching the women’s track club (not an official school team because title IX wouldn’t start for another year). It was here under his coaching that I discovered my love of running and I was “off to the races” after that. Title IX was enacted and FSU started a women’s track and field team my sophomore year. I walked on and became one of the first women to get an athletic scholarship at the school. During this time I found that I loved running and competing but also a sense that I had been offered this wonderful opportunity to compete and get an education. I didn’t realize it at the time but it was instilling in me this desire to help bring others into our sport and all it has to offer.
How did your journey as a woman runner to a women’s coach evolve? Did being an elite runner help your coaching? How did you get started in coaching?
As with how I sort of fell into running personally, my evolving into becoming a coach happened much the same way. After undergrad, I entered the masters counseling program at FSU—a two-year program—and was offered a grad-assistant position to help with the women’s track and field and cross country programs my first year. I found I loved being involved with helping the women on the team train and compete, and it allowed me to continue running as well. My second year I was hired to be an assistant coach at Florida High School (FSU’s educational school). Here I coached girls in the 400m on up. This was even more rewarding to me because I was helping new athletes who had never experienced track and field before. As I started coaching, I took what I was doing as an athlete and tried to adapt it to how I coached my runners. So I have to admit there was some early trial and error, which helped me come to a major realization that less is more training-wise!
You have been a coach for a long time. What are the changes you have seen in the acceptance and respect for women coaches?
I think when Title IX first came into being men rushed in to fill positions that were available because there were just not that many women participants, club coaches, etc.—men had been doing sport for a long time, women not so much! Now you have many women coaching other women, but just a few women coaching men. However, that would have been unheard of years ago. So things are changing, slowly, but they’re changing! The other thing I’ve noticed is women’s voices are given more weight than just 20 years ago. I still had to deal with a few bubbas when I coached at Lake Oswego High School just ten years ago. Luckily, I had a great head coach there in Eric Lider (since retired) who treated me with respect and kindness, while having my back if I needed him.
Growing up pre-title IX, I really didn’t have the opportunity to explore different sports and find one that I was attracted to. In high school, you could play golf or tennis (girl sports) or be a cheerleader—that was it! However, I was always a bit of a tomboy, playing sports with the neighborhood kids and generally running around all day long. So unbeknownst to me, I was actually setting myself up to gravitating to some organized sport. When I got to Florida State University, I accidently found running by enrolling in a track and field class run by Dr. Kenneth Miller, who was the former coach of the men’s track program. At the time he was coaching the women’s track club (not an official school team because title IX wouldn’t start for another year). It was here under his coaching that I discovered my love of running and I was “off to the races” after that. Title IX was enacted and FSU started a women’s track and field team my sophomore year. I walked on and became one of the first women to get an athletic scholarship at the school. During this time I found that I loved running and competing but also a sense that I had been offered this wonderful opportunity to compete and get an education. I didn’t realize it at the time but it was instilling in me this desire to help bring others into our sport and all it has to offer.
How did your journey as a woman runner to a women’s coach evolve? Did being an elite runner help your coaching? How did you get started in coaching?
As with how I sort of fell into running personally, my evolving into becoming a coach happened much the same way. After undergrad, I entered the masters counseling program at FSU—a two-year program—and was offered a grad-assistant position to help with the women’s track and field and cross country programs my first year. I found I loved being involved with helping the women on the team train and compete, and it allowed me to continue running as well. My second year I was hired to be an assistant coach at Florida High School (FSU’s educational school). Here I coached girls in the 400m on up. This was even more rewarding to me because I was helping new athletes who had never experienced track and field before. As I started coaching, I took what I was doing as an athlete and tried to adapt it to how I coached my runners. So I have to admit there was some early trial and error, which helped me come to a major realization that less is more training-wise!
You have been a coach for a long time. What are the changes you have seen in the acceptance and respect for women coaches?
I think when Title IX first came into being men rushed in to fill positions that were available because there were just not that many women participants, club coaches, etc.—men had been doing sport for a long time, women not so much! Now you have many women coaching other women, but just a few women coaching men. However, that would have been unheard of years ago. So things are changing, slowly, but they’re changing! The other thing I’ve noticed is women’s voices are given more weight than just 20 years ago. I still had to deal with a few bubbas when I coached at Lake Oswego High School just ten years ago. Luckily, I had a great head coach there in Eric Lider (since retired) who treated me with respect and kindness, while having my back if I needed him.
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Could you recommend running resources to other women coaches? Books, research, websites?
I read a lot of articles on training, nutrition, recovery, etc. and then try to find other articles to back up the ones I’m reading. This is so I can get an idea of where the information is coming from (thank you Google!). However, if you need one resource on training that I think is the best for giving you ideas on how to train distance athletes (800m on up), that would be Dr. Jack Daniels’ Running Formula. I’ve found myself referring to it often for help. Then, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my greatest resource—my husband Mike, who majored in exercise physiology and is relentless in keeping up with the latest research!
You have coached men and women, boys and girls. What are the similarities and differences (if any) in coaching two genders?
I would like to say there are no differences—I have found both to be incredibly competitive and hard workers. However, what I have observed is that girls and women are a little easier to coach as far as the process goes. They listen and usually do what is asked. Boys and men tend to pay attention more to the sport, read up on everyone’s training, and know all of their competitors (thanks social media!). This can be a blessing and a curse. I often hear, “so and so did this workout” or “this runner ran x-amount of miles per week” from the guys. So you do get some that need to learn to stay in their lane! The other issue that can arise with women is a need to pay attention to menstrual cycles. For most women and girls this is not an issue, but for the ones that it is, I like to keep up with where they are in their cycle as it can impact their effort for that particular workout or race. So these are my own personal observations during my many years of coaching both sexes.
Do you goal set with your athletes for the season? And do you goal set prior to a race or competition?
Goal setting is an integral part of our Greenville Track Club-Elite program. After all, if your athletes don’t know what they are trying to accomplish, training can become tiresome and even a “grind”. I’ve used goal setting for every athlete I’ve ever coached—from high school to the elite level. Anyone should be able to state what they want to do. The important thing as a coach is helping them to verbalize and then follow through on the training needed to reach those goals. In sitting down with an athlete to discuss goals, I like them to have thought before hand what these are. Then together in our meeting we discuss long term goals, short term goals, pie-in-the-sky goals, small goals and the minimum that would make them feel successful. I even had one young lady who broke her goals down into 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-24 months and included every day goals like getting enough sleep and making every run intentional and fun! As for individual races, I like my athletes to own what they want to get out of a competition, but in a realistic way. Then, we can do a visualization exercise so they see themselves performing the way they want, usually the day before a competition.
I read a lot of articles on training, nutrition, recovery, etc. and then try to find other articles to back up the ones I’m reading. This is so I can get an idea of where the information is coming from (thank you Google!). However, if you need one resource on training that I think is the best for giving you ideas on how to train distance athletes (800m on up), that would be Dr. Jack Daniels’ Running Formula. I’ve found myself referring to it often for help. Then, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my greatest resource—my husband Mike, who majored in exercise physiology and is relentless in keeping up with the latest research!
You have coached men and women, boys and girls. What are the similarities and differences (if any) in coaching two genders?
I would like to say there are no differences—I have found both to be incredibly competitive and hard workers. However, what I have observed is that girls and women are a little easier to coach as far as the process goes. They listen and usually do what is asked. Boys and men tend to pay attention more to the sport, read up on everyone’s training, and know all of their competitors (thanks social media!). This can be a blessing and a curse. I often hear, “so and so did this workout” or “this runner ran x-amount of miles per week” from the guys. So you do get some that need to learn to stay in their lane! The other issue that can arise with women is a need to pay attention to menstrual cycles. For most women and girls this is not an issue, but for the ones that it is, I like to keep up with where they are in their cycle as it can impact their effort for that particular workout or race. So these are my own personal observations during my many years of coaching both sexes.
Do you goal set with your athletes for the season? And do you goal set prior to a race or competition?
Goal setting is an integral part of our Greenville Track Club-Elite program. After all, if your athletes don’t know what they are trying to accomplish, training can become tiresome and even a “grind”. I’ve used goal setting for every athlete I’ve ever coached—from high school to the elite level. Anyone should be able to state what they want to do. The important thing as a coach is helping them to verbalize and then follow through on the training needed to reach those goals. In sitting down with an athlete to discuss goals, I like them to have thought before hand what these are. Then together in our meeting we discuss long term goals, short term goals, pie-in-the-sky goals, small goals and the minimum that would make them feel successful. I even had one young lady who broke her goals down into 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-24 months and included every day goals like getting enough sleep and making every run intentional and fun! As for individual races, I like my athletes to own what they want to get out of a competition, but in a realistic way. Then, we can do a visualization exercise so they see themselves performing the way they want, usually the day before a competition.
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How do you work with different abilities on a team? Do you individualize or customize workouts? Could you give us an example of how you create workouts in a team situation?
When I coached high school, I found you have to be creative and adaptive in your workout creations. At Lake Oswego HS we had almost 100 kids on our cross country team, from new runners to seasoned veterans. I was also fortunate that we were able to combine the boys’ and girls’ workouts and break down into 4-5 different training groups by ability. At the beginning of the season we would run a 3000m cross country race that would give us an idea of where each runner fell on our training grid. Then we’d break them down into comparable groups for each workout. I would re-evaluate everyone after each meet. This worked out well and I never had any problems, fortunately, with egos.
What is a “signature” Laura Caldwell workout for cross country you could share with other coaches? What part of the season would the athletes do this workout?
I’m a big believer in the 1000m distance as a standard for interval work. At Lake Oswego HS, I liked to measure a 1000m distance in a park across the street from the high school (our home course for XC and very hilly) with each 200m marked. At the beginning of the season, I’d start the stronger kids on 3-5 x 1k at threshold pace with 2:30 minutes rest. These are the runners who trained over the summer break and are ready to build back up quickly. For my other training groups I could customize the workout to be more to their abilities, such as fewer and slower 1000m’s or shorter distances anywhere from 400m-800m. Everyone enjoyed getting off the track and taking a run through the woods. However, if no trails available, you could easily do this on the track as well.
In having coached many young women over the years, how have you handled the young ladies who struggle as they go through puberty? How do you keep them involved and supported?
I’ve seen this happen enough times to young ladies over the years and it tugs at my heart each time. Puberty is harder for some than others. This is such a personal matter with each athlete—some handle it and some don’t. I found that letting them know that other young women have been in the same place helps, along with recalibrating their goals for where they are now and recognizing how much they mean to the team. When dealing with my high school athletes, I always let them know I was available whenever they needed to talk about anything. I tried to be intuitive as well and step in to remind them that I’m available if it looked as though they needed some support and encouragement. We also had team building activities throughout the season to help create a sense of community and bond between our athletes.
When I coached high school, I found you have to be creative and adaptive in your workout creations. At Lake Oswego HS we had almost 100 kids on our cross country team, from new runners to seasoned veterans. I was also fortunate that we were able to combine the boys’ and girls’ workouts and break down into 4-5 different training groups by ability. At the beginning of the season we would run a 3000m cross country race that would give us an idea of where each runner fell on our training grid. Then we’d break them down into comparable groups for each workout. I would re-evaluate everyone after each meet. This worked out well and I never had any problems, fortunately, with egos.
What is a “signature” Laura Caldwell workout for cross country you could share with other coaches? What part of the season would the athletes do this workout?
I’m a big believer in the 1000m distance as a standard for interval work. At Lake Oswego HS, I liked to measure a 1000m distance in a park across the street from the high school (our home course for XC and very hilly) with each 200m marked. At the beginning of the season, I’d start the stronger kids on 3-5 x 1k at threshold pace with 2:30 minutes rest. These are the runners who trained over the summer break and are ready to build back up quickly. For my other training groups I could customize the workout to be more to their abilities, such as fewer and slower 1000m’s or shorter distances anywhere from 400m-800m. Everyone enjoyed getting off the track and taking a run through the woods. However, if no trails available, you could easily do this on the track as well.
In having coached many young women over the years, how have you handled the young ladies who struggle as they go through puberty? How do you keep them involved and supported?
I’ve seen this happen enough times to young ladies over the years and it tugs at my heart each time. Puberty is harder for some than others. This is such a personal matter with each athlete—some handle it and some don’t. I found that letting them know that other young women have been in the same place helps, along with recalibrating their goals for where they are now and recognizing how much they mean to the team. When dealing with my high school athletes, I always let them know I was available whenever they needed to talk about anything. I tried to be intuitive as well and step in to remind them that I’m available if it looked as though they needed some support and encouragement. We also had team building activities throughout the season to help create a sense of community and bond between our athletes.
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When I first met Bob WIlliams in the late Oregon summer of 1985 I was the mother of a 1 year old, and missing the training and competition that had defined my life for so long. Sitting in a coffee shop near Lincoln HS in Portland, OR, Bob asked questions and wrote notes about my running career and my present goals. Finally, after closing his notebook, he looked at me and asked, “How many days do you want to take off?” I was surprised, as days off had not been a part of my running history, and I wasn’t sure why he was asking this. But as I got to know Bob, I grew to understand more of him and his philosophy of coaching and running. Meeting him on Tuesdays and Thursdays for intervals, I would first be asked how I felt. There were times as a mother of a toddler that I had been up all night, or had a sick child. He would very gently say, “Go for an easy run.” I began to understand that each of his athletes were coached very differently and a planned workout was never final until the minute it started. Bob understood runners and the lives that surrounded their running. No workout was unchangeable. He worked with what he had, and his athletes got better and better.
Bob Williams is a coaching icon in Oregon, and arguably the US. His speciality is middle distance, but he has successfully coached the 400m to the marathon. His familiar presence on tracks across the city of Portland is legendary. Often traveling past Duniway or Lincoln or Wilson HS tracks, we see him in deep conversation with athletes of all ages. All are serious conversations and you can imagine him asking, “How do you feel today?”
Bob is not flashy, and if you didn’t know him, you wouldn’t realize you are watching a unique master coach at work. Looking at his resume, his life really, you realize he has done everything as a runner/coach. Graduating from the University of Oregon in 1967, he was coached and mentored by the great Bill Bowerman. His own running vita is exceptional. As a freshman at the U of O, he led the nation in the 3K Steeplechase. In 1965, at the NCAA Championships at Berkeley he placed 9th. In 1967 he won the Pac 8 Championships with a time of 8:51.1. The U of O Team won the meet that year. Later that same season, Bob became an All American at the NCAA Championship in Provo, Utah. As a post collegiate steeplechaser he qualified for the US Olympic Trials in 1968 and 1972. His PRs are a 4:07.6 Mile, an 8:41.2 Steeple, and 14.17.3 for 3 Miles.
His coaching has spanned decades beginning in 1965 to the present. He began as a jogging leader for Bill Bowerman in his new jogging program for Eugene. From there he branched out to start and manage several running groups in Eugene. He assisted Bill Bowerman in piecing waffle shoes together for an experiment for Phil Knight. Over the years he has coached club, college and high school teams, as well as hundreds of individual athletes.
He helped co-found and direct the Portland Marathon Training Clinics.
Probably one of his best known contributions to the sport is his Williams Pace Calculator. (www.WilliamsPaceCalculator.com) This amazing coaching tool saves all of us hours of calculations for workouts and races. It is a metric slide chart that gives coaches and runners instant splits from track to road racing distances.
The athletes Bob has coached and brought success to are legendary. From the Oregon and Washington HS greats Mike McGrath, Marie Davis, Elijah Greer, Christy Lacey-Kreitz, and Scott Daggatt to post collegiate athletes Lisa Karnopp-Nye and John Dimoff.
He has worked and profoundly influenced many of the finest HS programs in Oregon; Lincoln, Gatlin Gable, Central Catholic, Westview, and Lake Oswego.
He developed programs and coached athletes at Nike, as well as being a fitness consultant at Good Samaritan Hospital, St. Vincent’s, and Portland Adventist Medical Center in Portland, Oregon.
He is currently coaching XC and Track and Field at Wilson HS in Portland, Oregon. He continues his Personal Coaching Services, www.coachbobwilliams.com.
It is 2010 at the Oregon State Championships at Hayward Field. An athlete I had been working with, Erin McLaughlin of Milwaukie HS, had qualified in the 3000m. A week earlier at the District Championships, the 1500m had been rough for Erin, and she had not qualified for the state meet in that event. I knew as a coach you needed to inspire and support an athlete in a championship meet, but I couldn’t find the right words to help Erin lift her disappointment and focus positively on the 3,000m. I was desperate to figure out how to help her. Sitting in the warm sunshine at Hayward Field in the early morning, I decided to call Bob. My connection with Bob had stayed close, both as a coach and an athlete, and I had this sudden urge to call for advice. He answered immediately with his classic greeting, “Char, how are you?” I felt sudden relief and optimism that Bob could help my athlete. I told him the story, and my hopes and goals for Erin. After listening carefully, he simply said, “What does Erin want to do?” Suddenly the darkness I felt as a coach lifted and my job became clear. Talk with Erin. Find out what she wanted to accomplish and plan from there. She ran beautifully, setting a PR of 10:12.0. If I had let my own fears and goals take over, I am sure she would not have been so successful. Bob cut through all of my coaching ego and found a way to clearly see the problem.
Please read the following interview. I know you will find all of it interesting, useful and inspiring. Bob Williams is both a treasure and a blessing to the running world.
--Charlotte Lettis
Bob Williams is a coaching icon in Oregon, and arguably the US. His speciality is middle distance, but he has successfully coached the 400m to the marathon. His familiar presence on tracks across the city of Portland is legendary. Often traveling past Duniway or Lincoln or Wilson HS tracks, we see him in deep conversation with athletes of all ages. All are serious conversations and you can imagine him asking, “How do you feel today?”
Bob is not flashy, and if you didn’t know him, you wouldn’t realize you are watching a unique master coach at work. Looking at his resume, his life really, you realize he has done everything as a runner/coach. Graduating from the University of Oregon in 1967, he was coached and mentored by the great Bill Bowerman. His own running vita is exceptional. As a freshman at the U of O, he led the nation in the 3K Steeplechase. In 1965, at the NCAA Championships at Berkeley he placed 9th. In 1967 he won the Pac 8 Championships with a time of 8:51.1. The U of O Team won the meet that year. Later that same season, Bob became an All American at the NCAA Championship in Provo, Utah. As a post collegiate steeplechaser he qualified for the US Olympic Trials in 1968 and 1972. His PRs are a 4:07.6 Mile, an 8:41.2 Steeple, and 14.17.3 for 3 Miles.
His coaching has spanned decades beginning in 1965 to the present. He began as a jogging leader for Bill Bowerman in his new jogging program for Eugene. From there he branched out to start and manage several running groups in Eugene. He assisted Bill Bowerman in piecing waffle shoes together for an experiment for Phil Knight. Over the years he has coached club, college and high school teams, as well as hundreds of individual athletes.
He helped co-found and direct the Portland Marathon Training Clinics.
Probably one of his best known contributions to the sport is his Williams Pace Calculator. (www.WilliamsPaceCalculator.com) This amazing coaching tool saves all of us hours of calculations for workouts and races. It is a metric slide chart that gives coaches and runners instant splits from track to road racing distances.
The athletes Bob has coached and brought success to are legendary. From the Oregon and Washington HS greats Mike McGrath, Marie Davis, Elijah Greer, Christy Lacey-Kreitz, and Scott Daggatt to post collegiate athletes Lisa Karnopp-Nye and John Dimoff.
He has worked and profoundly influenced many of the finest HS programs in Oregon; Lincoln, Gatlin Gable, Central Catholic, Westview, and Lake Oswego.
He developed programs and coached athletes at Nike, as well as being a fitness consultant at Good Samaritan Hospital, St. Vincent’s, and Portland Adventist Medical Center in Portland, Oregon.
He is currently coaching XC and Track and Field at Wilson HS in Portland, Oregon. He continues his Personal Coaching Services, www.coachbobwilliams.com.
It is 2010 at the Oregon State Championships at Hayward Field. An athlete I had been working with, Erin McLaughlin of Milwaukie HS, had qualified in the 3000m. A week earlier at the District Championships, the 1500m had been rough for Erin, and she had not qualified for the state meet in that event. I knew as a coach you needed to inspire and support an athlete in a championship meet, but I couldn’t find the right words to help Erin lift her disappointment and focus positively on the 3,000m. I was desperate to figure out how to help her. Sitting in the warm sunshine at Hayward Field in the early morning, I decided to call Bob. My connection with Bob had stayed close, both as a coach and an athlete, and I had this sudden urge to call for advice. He answered immediately with his classic greeting, “Char, how are you?” I felt sudden relief and optimism that Bob could help my athlete. I told him the story, and my hopes and goals for Erin. After listening carefully, he simply said, “What does Erin want to do?” Suddenly the darkness I felt as a coach lifted and my job became clear. Talk with Erin. Find out what she wanted to accomplish and plan from there. She ran beautifully, setting a PR of 10:12.0. If I had let my own fears and goals take over, I am sure she would not have been so successful. Bob cut through all of my coaching ego and found a way to clearly see the problem.
Please read the following interview. I know you will find all of it interesting, useful and inspiring. Bob Williams is both a treasure and a blessing to the running world.
--Charlotte Lettis
I know you were an All-American in the steeplechase when you were at the U of O. What was it like to be coached by the great Bill Bowerman?
First, I was the PAC 8 Steeplechase Champion my senior year, 1967. I was 4th in the NCAA Championships at Provo Utah that same year, and became an All-American.
Being coached by Bill Bowerman was very special because he coached us as individuals. He wrote “group” plans in the Fall and Winter but by Spring when racing began, he gave each of us a plan that was taped to our “stall” that had specific individual times and intervals based on what we were training for that week. He was incredibly meticulous and watched us as we trained, and made mental notes as to our progress that were reflected in our training plan.
As a group of runners we all enjoyed the training with Bill. He was fair and tried to maintain an equality to a relationship with each of us. If you strayed from his training plan you would know it. There were runners who tried to do more but learned quickly that if you did not take your easy days easy, you would be flat on time trial days. He would question you and get pretty upset if you tried running more miles than what your body was capable of doing, and especially expressing that on Time Trial days.
Bill was very interested in making sure we understood what we were doing and why. It really made it more purposeful and fun. He was a teacher first and coach second. Getting that kind of understanding and purpose is the basis for my current coaching style and training philosophy.
What have you brought into your coaching that was part of your U of O experience?
I determined early on with Bill’s coaching that when an athlete has recovered from a vigorous session they are pretty excited to have more fun training. Bill was way ahead of the training curve, nationally speaking, with his training methods based on the hard-easy system. I learned pretty quickly that his training methods got very good results. It takes time to get to know each athlete and to build trust, but once that is developed you get better feedback from how the runner felt/feels, physically and psychologically/emotionally.
Another coaching philosophy I learned from Bill was how much work/training can an athlete manage in one session or, for a week. To start, I learned that with a new athlete, a minimum amount of intensity and volume work will do. As Bill explained it, see how the athlete feels in two days. Then you will know how to further the athlete’s training, allowing the body’s gradual adaptation to take hold. He always said, “When in doubt, be conservative.” I had to read the athlete’s responses (with open ended questions) to the training session. As an individual boy/girl, each will have a distinct response to the training session.
When did you start coaching and why?
I started coaching a middle school kid who lived down the street. I watched him run by my house a few times and he asked me one day to coach him. He ran very well at Marist High and later ran at Georgetown University. I gave him workouts and he would call me and tell me the results. I watched him get better as he developed. I think he won the regional AAU 800m Championships that year. I simply followed what Bill was providing us and fit the training for him.
In 1971 as a graduate student at the U of O, I coached Carolyn Walker to the World XC Championships. That helped me determine that what I had learned from Bill really worked.
First, I was the PAC 8 Steeplechase Champion my senior year, 1967. I was 4th in the NCAA Championships at Provo Utah that same year, and became an All-American.
Being coached by Bill Bowerman was very special because he coached us as individuals. He wrote “group” plans in the Fall and Winter but by Spring when racing began, he gave each of us a plan that was taped to our “stall” that had specific individual times and intervals based on what we were training for that week. He was incredibly meticulous and watched us as we trained, and made mental notes as to our progress that were reflected in our training plan.
As a group of runners we all enjoyed the training with Bill. He was fair and tried to maintain an equality to a relationship with each of us. If you strayed from his training plan you would know it. There were runners who tried to do more but learned quickly that if you did not take your easy days easy, you would be flat on time trial days. He would question you and get pretty upset if you tried running more miles than what your body was capable of doing, and especially expressing that on Time Trial days.
Bill was very interested in making sure we understood what we were doing and why. It really made it more purposeful and fun. He was a teacher first and coach second. Getting that kind of understanding and purpose is the basis for my current coaching style and training philosophy.
What have you brought into your coaching that was part of your U of O experience?
I determined early on with Bill’s coaching that when an athlete has recovered from a vigorous session they are pretty excited to have more fun training. Bill was way ahead of the training curve, nationally speaking, with his training methods based on the hard-easy system. I learned pretty quickly that his training methods got very good results. It takes time to get to know each athlete and to build trust, but once that is developed you get better feedback from how the runner felt/feels, physically and psychologically/emotionally.
Another coaching philosophy I learned from Bill was how much work/training can an athlete manage in one session or, for a week. To start, I learned that with a new athlete, a minimum amount of intensity and volume work will do. As Bill explained it, see how the athlete feels in two days. Then you will know how to further the athlete’s training, allowing the body’s gradual adaptation to take hold. He always said, “When in doubt, be conservative.” I had to read the athlete’s responses (with open ended questions) to the training session. As an individual boy/girl, each will have a distinct response to the training session.
When did you start coaching and why?
I started coaching a middle school kid who lived down the street. I watched him run by my house a few times and he asked me one day to coach him. He ran very well at Marist High and later ran at Georgetown University. I gave him workouts and he would call me and tell me the results. I watched him get better as he developed. I think he won the regional AAU 800m Championships that year. I simply followed what Bill was providing us and fit the training for him.
In 1971 as a graduate student at the U of O, I coached Carolyn Walker to the World XC Championships. That helped me determine that what I had learned from Bill really worked.
What was it like as a rookie coach?
I always felt pretty confident with my coaching skills. In 1969 while living in Seattle, I watched a high school kid, Scott Daggatt, run himself into the ground at the University of Washington Hec Edmunsen Basketball building indoor track that winter. After introducing myself, I asked him if he would like to get some coaching. He was pretty excited to get some “professional” advice. He won the State of Washington Track and Field 4-A Mile Champs, ran an 8:45 2-mile, and went to the U of O on a partial Scholarship. He later ran 3:58.6 and went to the Pan Am Games. His very good friend and training partner Steve Prefontaine once told him that he, Scott, was the one runner who he feared most.
Who were your mentors and experts?
Until about 1995, Bill was the only coaching mentor I had. I had absolutely no interest in listening to any other coach. Bill had set the standard for middle distance coaching in the U.S. In addition, I was pretty set on how I had attained my success while a student and post college athlete. I’d go see him at his house over the years and we’d talk training and I’d quiz him, take notes, and leave being better informed. But really all he did was confirm what we did during my years being coached by him. His principles were so simple and made so much sense.
Now, over the past 20-30 years, I do rely on other coaches around the Country. Richard Brown (now deceased) was instrumental. Mike Caldwell, Asics Greenville Track Club Elite (gtc-elite.org), Master Coach Peter Thompson of Eugene (www.newintervaltraining.com), Kelly Sullivan, Seattle University, Pete Julian, NOP, and my high school peers at Wilson High School in Portland.
In particular I have found success with Peter Thompson's New Interval training called lactate shuttle training. When done correctly it is a very powerful training type.
(New Interval Training is a type of interval/fartlek training developed by Peter Thompson that includes a “roll on” run of 100-200m or 300m following the repetition. This “roll on” is continuous running at a slower speed than the repetition to allow the body to “shuttle” the lactate throughout the muscle and internally such as the heart, liver and kidneys. This “shuttling” of lactate actually provides another energy source for the body. It also provides the opportunity for the runner to become more impervious to the lactate build up thus enhancing his/her ability to keep running at faster speeds with less effort. I recommend a New Interval session 1 x every 7-10 days. A typical session would look like: 2-3 x [3 x 300 @ 5k, 3k, 1500m paces] with 100m roll on and a 4-minute recovery period after each set. The roll on would be between 28-30 seconds for new runners and 20-21 for fit runners.)
Do you coach men and women differently?
No. It’s about developing the relationship with each athlete. I use the same principles for both men and women and boys and girls. Some athletes need less work for success. Some more. It’s all about the individual.
What advice would you give to a coach just starting out? Resources, classes, books? Where should they start?
I’d recommend a new coach start by getting the Level 1 USATF Coaching Certification. Start coaching with middle school kids, work up to high school. If they really want to become a distance coach, then get Level 2 Certification, read The Lore of Running by Tim Noakes, visit the online coaching/runner learning material on the PACE website (portlandpacenetwork.com).
In coaching Mike McGrath, one of the greatest Oregon HS runners of all time, how did you approach his training? What kind of athlete was he and what was your approach to coaching him?
The elements that both Mike McGrath (1:48.5) and Elijah Greer (1:47.6) had were the love of competing, the exceptional drive to master all supplemental gym activity, and their individual focus when training and racing. Being able to concentrate on your inner objective while training and racing is critical for anyone who wishes to get better.
I approached each one’s training knowing that their primary racing distance, 800m, requires different types of work. They need to be able to manage high levels of discomfort, oxygen debt, and carry this feeling longer from 500m to 800m, as the race progressed. So we started in November, after a 600m time trial, to build into their training, speed development, and speed endurance. I trained them as milers and much of the work they did was focused on mile and some 3k training. But I would gradually--1 x every 8-10 days--throw in some speed endurance like a 500m plus a few 300’s at their DATE pace for 600m. This small amount of this type of work really became the “secret sauce” of their racing success.
I now use more lactate shuttle work to further enhance the capability to manage higher levels of lactate with the specific date paces.
There have been many changes in running from the AAU to USATF, and from amateur to professional athletes over the past 35-40 years. How has that changed your approach to coaching?
The main things (nothing from AAU and USATF) that have changed in my coaching approach starting back in 1995 is indoor gym work to develop the strength in feet/ankles, overall body strength, use of balance on uneven surfaces (pillows/blow up rubber discs), movement drills, and med ball and individual weight work with free weights.
You are such a student of the sport of running. What scientific research has changed our sport for the better, and how have you used this research?
Oh, my gosh, great question, difficult to answer. I get the IAAF yearly booklet plus read everything in research that comes my way from other coaches around the US. It’s really how you add new training specifics to the mix you already do. There is only so much time you have with an athlete on a day to day basis. You have to put a lot of thought and planning into the runner and just see what happens. You have to avoid any interruptions in their training--injury/illness/“crap happens” stuff--and stay true to your beliefs and philosophy. Not easy to do all of the time, of course. We as coaches are NOT PERFECT. We make mistakes and hopefully we learn from them.
For a HS Coach in Track and XC, what is the most important advice you can give a coach?
XC and track require different types of training routines. Around November you can begin to fold indoor track needs that eventually become outdoor goals. This requires some advance planning, of course. I use 2-week training blocks that end with a timed trial. For example, I start with 3 km training for a miler, and do a time trial at the end of that 2 weeks. That new time becomes the date pace that is used the next 3k training block. I make sure that there is intense focus on the last 300m of that timed effort. That fast 300m teaches aggressive behavior and adrenaline response. The fast last 300m drops the Date Pace for a new level of fitness and subsequent training. Ditto for the Mile training.
I always felt pretty confident with my coaching skills. In 1969 while living in Seattle, I watched a high school kid, Scott Daggatt, run himself into the ground at the University of Washington Hec Edmunsen Basketball building indoor track that winter. After introducing myself, I asked him if he would like to get some coaching. He was pretty excited to get some “professional” advice. He won the State of Washington Track and Field 4-A Mile Champs, ran an 8:45 2-mile, and went to the U of O on a partial Scholarship. He later ran 3:58.6 and went to the Pan Am Games. His very good friend and training partner Steve Prefontaine once told him that he, Scott, was the one runner who he feared most.
Who were your mentors and experts?
Until about 1995, Bill was the only coaching mentor I had. I had absolutely no interest in listening to any other coach. Bill had set the standard for middle distance coaching in the U.S. In addition, I was pretty set on how I had attained my success while a student and post college athlete. I’d go see him at his house over the years and we’d talk training and I’d quiz him, take notes, and leave being better informed. But really all he did was confirm what we did during my years being coached by him. His principles were so simple and made so much sense.
Now, over the past 20-30 years, I do rely on other coaches around the Country. Richard Brown (now deceased) was instrumental. Mike Caldwell, Asics Greenville Track Club Elite (gtc-elite.org), Master Coach Peter Thompson of Eugene (www.newintervaltraining.com), Kelly Sullivan, Seattle University, Pete Julian, NOP, and my high school peers at Wilson High School in Portland.
In particular I have found success with Peter Thompson's New Interval training called lactate shuttle training. When done correctly it is a very powerful training type.
(New Interval Training is a type of interval/fartlek training developed by Peter Thompson that includes a “roll on” run of 100-200m or 300m following the repetition. This “roll on” is continuous running at a slower speed than the repetition to allow the body to “shuttle” the lactate throughout the muscle and internally such as the heart, liver and kidneys. This “shuttling” of lactate actually provides another energy source for the body. It also provides the opportunity for the runner to become more impervious to the lactate build up thus enhancing his/her ability to keep running at faster speeds with less effort. I recommend a New Interval session 1 x every 7-10 days. A typical session would look like: 2-3 x [3 x 300 @ 5k, 3k, 1500m paces] with 100m roll on and a 4-minute recovery period after each set. The roll on would be between 28-30 seconds for new runners and 20-21 for fit runners.)
Do you coach men and women differently?
No. It’s about developing the relationship with each athlete. I use the same principles for both men and women and boys and girls. Some athletes need less work for success. Some more. It’s all about the individual.
What advice would you give to a coach just starting out? Resources, classes, books? Where should they start?
I’d recommend a new coach start by getting the Level 1 USATF Coaching Certification. Start coaching with middle school kids, work up to high school. If they really want to become a distance coach, then get Level 2 Certification, read The Lore of Running by Tim Noakes, visit the online coaching/runner learning material on the PACE website (portlandpacenetwork.com).
In coaching Mike McGrath, one of the greatest Oregon HS runners of all time, how did you approach his training? What kind of athlete was he and what was your approach to coaching him?
The elements that both Mike McGrath (1:48.5) and Elijah Greer (1:47.6) had were the love of competing, the exceptional drive to master all supplemental gym activity, and their individual focus when training and racing. Being able to concentrate on your inner objective while training and racing is critical for anyone who wishes to get better.
I approached each one’s training knowing that their primary racing distance, 800m, requires different types of work. They need to be able to manage high levels of discomfort, oxygen debt, and carry this feeling longer from 500m to 800m, as the race progressed. So we started in November, after a 600m time trial, to build into their training, speed development, and speed endurance. I trained them as milers and much of the work they did was focused on mile and some 3k training. But I would gradually--1 x every 8-10 days--throw in some speed endurance like a 500m plus a few 300’s at their DATE pace for 600m. This small amount of this type of work really became the “secret sauce” of their racing success.
I now use more lactate shuttle work to further enhance the capability to manage higher levels of lactate with the specific date paces.
There have been many changes in running from the AAU to USATF, and from amateur to professional athletes over the past 35-40 years. How has that changed your approach to coaching?
The main things (nothing from AAU and USATF) that have changed in my coaching approach starting back in 1995 is indoor gym work to develop the strength in feet/ankles, overall body strength, use of balance on uneven surfaces (pillows/blow up rubber discs), movement drills, and med ball and individual weight work with free weights.
You are such a student of the sport of running. What scientific research has changed our sport for the better, and how have you used this research?
Oh, my gosh, great question, difficult to answer. I get the IAAF yearly booklet plus read everything in research that comes my way from other coaches around the US. It’s really how you add new training specifics to the mix you already do. There is only so much time you have with an athlete on a day to day basis. You have to put a lot of thought and planning into the runner and just see what happens. You have to avoid any interruptions in their training--injury/illness/“crap happens” stuff--and stay true to your beliefs and philosophy. Not easy to do all of the time, of course. We as coaches are NOT PERFECT. We make mistakes and hopefully we learn from them.
For a HS Coach in Track and XC, what is the most important advice you can give a coach?
XC and track require different types of training routines. Around November you can begin to fold indoor track needs that eventually become outdoor goals. This requires some advance planning, of course. I use 2-week training blocks that end with a timed trial. For example, I start with 3 km training for a miler, and do a time trial at the end of that 2 weeks. That new time becomes the date pace that is used the next 3k training block. I make sure that there is intense focus on the last 300m of that timed effort. That fast 300m teaches aggressive behavior and adrenaline response. The fast last 300m drops the Date Pace for a new level of fitness and subsequent training. Ditto for the Mile training.
How do you approach and coach the different levels of abilities of HS athletes?
I typically have each runner learn to understand and focus on their breathing since it is critical for their development but also the fun factor. Who likes to run with intense breathing challenge? Not many. I will have the unfit walk and jog specific amounts on the track, and at the end of a week, they all do a “long” run--see how much further they can jog keeping their Breathing Challenge on a scale of 1-10 to around a 5-6. If they are breathing harder they will be limited to the amount of running they can do that day. So, to enjoy the training, keep the breathing challenge low and get the athlete to do more walking and jogging starting with 15-20 minutes total time the first day. They can manage that and will want to master this sport with more enthusiasm and physical vigor. If they are breathing too hard this also raises the potential of muscle straining and calf tightness, potential stress fractures of the tibia, and plantar fasciitis.
(Breathing Challenge can best be described as determining the rating of perceived breathing effort on a scale of 1-10. A “1” is like walking--very calm breathing--and a “10" is at the end of a very hard race--almost unable to breathe. So, when you are doing “light running” your Rating of Perceived Effort (RPE) might be best described as a 3-4; you run up a moderate hill, your breathing goes to a 5-6; doing a “lactate” threshold distance might be between a 5-7; at the end of a set of 4 x 1200 might get up to a 7-8. Using the RPE will give the coach a good idea as to the difficulty of a particular distance or training run. This way you can help the runner to figure out whether the run was too hard or too easy)
Name a few athletes that you have coached that have left an indelible mark on you?
OOh. Very simple! Charlotte Richardson and Lisa Karnopp Nye!
I typically have each runner learn to understand and focus on their breathing since it is critical for their development but also the fun factor. Who likes to run with intense breathing challenge? Not many. I will have the unfit walk and jog specific amounts on the track, and at the end of a week, they all do a “long” run--see how much further they can jog keeping their Breathing Challenge on a scale of 1-10 to around a 5-6. If they are breathing harder they will be limited to the amount of running they can do that day. So, to enjoy the training, keep the breathing challenge low and get the athlete to do more walking and jogging starting with 15-20 minutes total time the first day. They can manage that and will want to master this sport with more enthusiasm and physical vigor. If they are breathing too hard this also raises the potential of muscle straining and calf tightness, potential stress fractures of the tibia, and plantar fasciitis.
(Breathing Challenge can best be described as determining the rating of perceived breathing effort on a scale of 1-10. A “1” is like walking--very calm breathing--and a “10" is at the end of a very hard race--almost unable to breathe. So, when you are doing “light running” your Rating of Perceived Effort (RPE) might be best described as a 3-4; you run up a moderate hill, your breathing goes to a 5-6; doing a “lactate” threshold distance might be between a 5-7; at the end of a set of 4 x 1200 might get up to a 7-8. Using the RPE will give the coach a good idea as to the difficulty of a particular distance or training run. This way you can help the runner to figure out whether the run was too hard or too easy)
Name a few athletes that you have coached that have left an indelible mark on you?
OOh. Very simple! Charlotte Richardson and Lisa Karnopp Nye!
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Running and Marie Davis Markham have been together for a long time. For 34 years, from her early days as a youth athlete, Marie has been in love with running and the running world. She started competing at age 8 and remembers laughing through practices, and not running much at all! Her youth coach, Alex Wright, worked with her through high school, along with Lincoln Coach David Bailey, and the remarkable Bob Williams. In high school, her mileage was very low, 15-20 miles per week, concentrating more on form, speed and recovery. Winning six state championship titles representing Lincoln HS, Marie was also a three-time Foot Locker finalist, and a two-time Junior World Cross Country team member. Attending the University of Oregon, she was coached by the legendary Tom Heinonen, becoming a six-time All American. After Oregon, she went semi-pro for the Nike Farm Team. An injury in 2004 closed her competitive running career, but Marie never stopped running, and never stopped loving her sport. In 2017 Marie came back to Lincoln High School as a volunteer coach, and her impact was immediate. Her love of her sport and her love of her high school helped her bring something special and different to the team. Late summer, as a coach, she went to the Steens Running Camp and learned about “Girls Talks” from a former teammate at Oregon, Melody Fairchild. She describes that Steens experience as “life changing”. She brought “Girls Talks” back to the Lincoln XC Girls Team, and amazing things began to happen. The girls began to talk about important running and life issues. Below is her interview, and the story of her love of running and how a coach can impact the lives of her athletes in sports and beyond. --Charlotte Lettis Richardson |
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Can you talk about your relationship to running and the running community in your life? What was your “tribe” of family and friends in high school like?
Running has always been a love of mine. It started out as something I really loved doing with my friends and family. When I was very young I’d watch my parents finish local races or tie their shoes up and head out on Wildwood trail. My friends and I all joined the local youth track club. Running just seemed like something everyone did. I didn’t start out as a great track athlete. I usually finished last in the 400 or the long jump but I loved it. Probably because our workouts consisted of blob tag, capture the flag and sprint mechanics. As I got older, I got better, and running became a pretty central thing in our family’s life. We traveled each fall and summer to cross country and track meets, it’s something that connected us as a family and with other families.
What made you want to go back to your Alma Mater, Lincoln HS, to coach? What was it like to be back at your old school and coaching young runners?
I had been away from the competitive part of track for 14 years and I missed it. At that point in my life I had been a 2nd grade teacher for 17 years and was working part time to raise my young kids. With a more flexible work schedule, I realized coaching was something I might be able to dabble in. I knew, if I went anywhere, it would have to be Lincoln. Many people don’t have fond memories of high school, but I loved it. My Lincoln days were some very formative years. I really grew as a person. I became confident with who I was. I love being back and seeing myself in so many of these young student athletes.
Running has always been a love of mine. It started out as something I really loved doing with my friends and family. When I was very young I’d watch my parents finish local races or tie their shoes up and head out on Wildwood trail. My friends and I all joined the local youth track club. Running just seemed like something everyone did. I didn’t start out as a great track athlete. I usually finished last in the 400 or the long jump but I loved it. Probably because our workouts consisted of blob tag, capture the flag and sprint mechanics. As I got older, I got better, and running became a pretty central thing in our family’s life. We traveled each fall and summer to cross country and track meets, it’s something that connected us as a family and with other families.
What made you want to go back to your Alma Mater, Lincoln HS, to coach? What was it like to be back at your old school and coaching young runners?
I had been away from the competitive part of track for 14 years and I missed it. At that point in my life I had been a 2nd grade teacher for 17 years and was working part time to raise my young kids. With a more flexible work schedule, I realized coaching was something I might be able to dabble in. I knew, if I went anywhere, it would have to be Lincoln. Many people don’t have fond memories of high school, but I loved it. My Lincoln days were some very formative years. I really grew as a person. I became confident with who I was. I love being back and seeing myself in so many of these young student athletes.
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(From top left and clockwise) Marie in a mixed age 1500, giving her dad a high five, and running a Lincoln HS Relay
Can you talk about the coaches you have had in your life and their influence on you and how you coach? Could you describe some of the positive coaches and their coaching style and influences on not only your running, but also on your life?
I hit the jackpot with coaches. I could talk about them forever.. I believe my competitive career was so long because I had many people looking out for my best interests--coaches who wanted to see me improve but not at all costs. They saw their role as a chapter in my running story. I PRed every season of my life except for my last two years on the Farm Team.
My first coach coached me from a youth runner through high school. His name was Alex Wright and he was magnificent. Most of my memories are from laughing our way through practice. He had the corniest jokes and he’d laugh at himself more than we would. He understood how to coach youth runners. We didn’t run much at all. In fact, in high school I only ran 15-20 miles a week. The focus was all on speed and our running form. We ran short and fast all the time with big recovery. He completely instilled the love of running in me and taught me that you don’t have to run a ton to be good!
Another high school coach was Mr. Bailey. He influenced me to see running within a big picture. To realize it wasn’t everything and that being a well-rounded person was going to serve me well in life. My last year in high school I was coached by Bob Williams. It was the first time I was really ready to make running a priority. He also excelled at asking the right questions. I have this feeling he came to practice with a couple workouts up his sleeve, would question me on how I was feeling, and then adapt the plan to my day--a true magician of a coach. Asking the right questions at the right time is a huge goal of mine and still feels really challenging.
Tom Heinonen was my college coach at Oregon. He took my low mileage in high school and saw that as a strength. My transition was flawless--gradually easing me in but focusing on my strengths. Just like high school, we ran fast with lots of rest. It was perfect for me. More than anything, Tom was a constant support in my life. I could go to him with anything and I did!
Lastly, I’ve been influenced by the current head coach at Lincoln, Eric Dettman. Being on the coaching side of things, I never realized how much thought went into every part of the team. Eric is a dynamic person and the relationships he builds among the athletes and coaches is something you can’t coach. He’s challenged me and pushed me to do more, giving me the confidence to build relationships and trust who I am. Those things in turn have made me a better coach.
I hit the jackpot with coaches. I could talk about them forever.. I believe my competitive career was so long because I had many people looking out for my best interests--coaches who wanted to see me improve but not at all costs. They saw their role as a chapter in my running story. I PRed every season of my life except for my last two years on the Farm Team.
My first coach coached me from a youth runner through high school. His name was Alex Wright and he was magnificent. Most of my memories are from laughing our way through practice. He had the corniest jokes and he’d laugh at himself more than we would. He understood how to coach youth runners. We didn’t run much at all. In fact, in high school I only ran 15-20 miles a week. The focus was all on speed and our running form. We ran short and fast all the time with big recovery. He completely instilled the love of running in me and taught me that you don’t have to run a ton to be good!
Another high school coach was Mr. Bailey. He influenced me to see running within a big picture. To realize it wasn’t everything and that being a well-rounded person was going to serve me well in life. My last year in high school I was coached by Bob Williams. It was the first time I was really ready to make running a priority. He also excelled at asking the right questions. I have this feeling he came to practice with a couple workouts up his sleeve, would question me on how I was feeling, and then adapt the plan to my day--a true magician of a coach. Asking the right questions at the right time is a huge goal of mine and still feels really challenging.
Tom Heinonen was my college coach at Oregon. He took my low mileage in high school and saw that as a strength. My transition was flawless--gradually easing me in but focusing on my strengths. Just like high school, we ran fast with lots of rest. It was perfect for me. More than anything, Tom was a constant support in my life. I could go to him with anything and I did!
Lastly, I’ve been influenced by the current head coach at Lincoln, Eric Dettman. Being on the coaching side of things, I never realized how much thought went into every part of the team. Eric is a dynamic person and the relationships he builds among the athletes and coaches is something you can’t coach. He’s challenged me and pushed me to do more, giving me the confidence to build relationships and trust who I am. Those things in turn have made me a better coach.
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With her teammates and Coach Heinonen at University of Oregon (top); at the Foot Locker National XC Championships with Coach Alex Wright (far left) and with Lincoln XC Team and Coach Dettman (second from right) in 2019
I am fascinated by the duration of time you have been involved in running? Why do you think you made it this many years and still love it? (So many age group runner’s burnout and don’t make it to the level you have.)
First, I had so many people who truly cared about me as a human before a runner. My parents were adamant that my mileage remained low and that I participated in many sports. I played soccer through 8th grade, skied in the winter and played basketball through my Junior year in high school. I was a full time "tom boy". I struggled when identified by others as a runner. I pushed that label away as much as I could. Don’t get me wrong, I was proud of my accomplishments but I didn’t want that to be who I was. I just wanted to be Marie.
My coaches were also crucial in my development. My mileage was always low. I ran 15-25 miles a week in high school with a focus on speed and running form. In college I got up to averaging around 35-45 miles, with a peak week around 55 or 60 miles each season. I remember those weeks, I felt like I was running every moment of the day.
Because of my low mileage, I was only injured two times--once in college and once in 2004, which ended my career. I feel that I had momentum every year to build on what I had just done because I never had to sit out. And with that momentum it made me more confident and ambitious.
In hindsight I think I did a really good job of recovering. I took my easy days easy when my body was tired and I took one month off after every season. No running at all. More than anything, that month gave me a mental break from the pressures I felt as a runner.
It also helps that I am extremely competitive. I really don’t like to lose at anything. I would get into races over my head and that competitive fire helped me succeed in situations where I probably shouldn’t have.
5. How does the four years of your HS career differ from the four years of a young female runner’s life in 2020? Please paint us a picture of changing times, if any?
How does the 4 years of your HS career differ from the 4 years of a girl runners life in 2020? Please paint us a picture of changing times, if any?
Overall I think they are very similar. Teenage girls are going through a lot of changes physically and socially no matter when they are in school. There are a lot of pressures to look or act a certain way. The challenges of adolescence is comparable. What is different is the access to science and knowledge. We know so much more than we did in the 1990’s. In that regard we also know so much more about what our competitors are doing. That can be hard. Often I see athletes focusing more on their competitors’ performances than their own. They can find out how other athletes are doing in real time. Often that takes energy away from their own journey.
How has being an age group runner, an elite runner, and now a recreational runner informed your coaching style?
Being a lifelong runner has helped me appreciate what this sport can give you during all times of your life. I believe I have a perspective that many don’t have. As a coach I think my experience across different levels of running makes me more relatable. The kids know I’ve been there. They know I understand where they are and I feel they come to me asking for advice. As a coach my strengths aren’t writing the workouts but rather helping them develop confidence and putting things in perspective.
What keeps you putting on your training shoes and going out the door to run?
Running has become my therapy. I now run to clear my mind. It gives me time to think and reflect about life. To slow down, step away from technology and the demands of being a mom, wife, teacher, coach and friend. It really gives me time to take care of myself emotionally. I’m happier when I’m getting a couple runs in a week.
First, I had so many people who truly cared about me as a human before a runner. My parents were adamant that my mileage remained low and that I participated in many sports. I played soccer through 8th grade, skied in the winter and played basketball through my Junior year in high school. I was a full time "tom boy". I struggled when identified by others as a runner. I pushed that label away as much as I could. Don’t get me wrong, I was proud of my accomplishments but I didn’t want that to be who I was. I just wanted to be Marie.
My coaches were also crucial in my development. My mileage was always low. I ran 15-25 miles a week in high school with a focus on speed and running form. In college I got up to averaging around 35-45 miles, with a peak week around 55 or 60 miles each season. I remember those weeks, I felt like I was running every moment of the day.
Because of my low mileage, I was only injured two times--once in college and once in 2004, which ended my career. I feel that I had momentum every year to build on what I had just done because I never had to sit out. And with that momentum it made me more confident and ambitious.
In hindsight I think I did a really good job of recovering. I took my easy days easy when my body was tired and I took one month off after every season. No running at all. More than anything, that month gave me a mental break from the pressures I felt as a runner.
It also helps that I am extremely competitive. I really don’t like to lose at anything. I would get into races over my head and that competitive fire helped me succeed in situations where I probably shouldn’t have.
5. How does the four years of your HS career differ from the four years of a young female runner’s life in 2020? Please paint us a picture of changing times, if any?
How does the 4 years of your HS career differ from the 4 years of a girl runners life in 2020? Please paint us a picture of changing times, if any?
Overall I think they are very similar. Teenage girls are going through a lot of changes physically and socially no matter when they are in school. There are a lot of pressures to look or act a certain way. The challenges of adolescence is comparable. What is different is the access to science and knowledge. We know so much more than we did in the 1990’s. In that regard we also know so much more about what our competitors are doing. That can be hard. Often I see athletes focusing more on their competitors’ performances than their own. They can find out how other athletes are doing in real time. Often that takes energy away from their own journey.
How has being an age group runner, an elite runner, and now a recreational runner informed your coaching style?
Being a lifelong runner has helped me appreciate what this sport can give you during all times of your life. I believe I have a perspective that many don’t have. As a coach I think my experience across different levels of running makes me more relatable. The kids know I’ve been there. They know I understand where they are and I feel they come to me asking for advice. As a coach my strengths aren’t writing the workouts but rather helping them develop confidence and putting things in perspective.
What keeps you putting on your training shoes and going out the door to run?
Running has become my therapy. I now run to clear my mind. It gives me time to think and reflect about life. To slow down, step away from technology and the demands of being a mom, wife, teacher, coach and friend. It really gives me time to take care of myself emotionally. I’m happier when I’m getting a couple runs in a week.
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Coach Marie Davis Markham running at Lincoln HS (left) and the University of Oregon
How did the idea of “Girls Talks” evolve? Did you see a special need in the community of HS female runners?
A life changing moment happened in my coaching career. Two years ago, I was at Steens Mountain Running Camp and my old teammate at Oregon, Melody Fairchild, was holding a girls only session focusing on distance runners and the stigma that they often slow down or regress for a bit while they hit puberty. She was challenging the idea that if we are healthy females and listen to our bodies, not only can we come out of it as stronger runners, but we can improve when our bodies are ready. My girls were thrown for a loop. They wanted to talk and talk and talk about this topic. They were able to connect to what Melody said and they wanted more. Most importantly these girls wanted to bring it back to the team. From that moment on we started a series of female talks that focus on all sorts of topics. Hard ones, complicated ones, easy ones, basically anything.
Please describe “GT” and how it is set up and works? Can you describe a session for us?
The purpose of a Girls Talk is to give the girls a place to talk about issues they may be dealing with at this point in their life. We come together multiple times a year and they suggest topics they would be interested in talking about. Coach Dettman and I also determine topics based on what we think is important at that time. I then create a safe space where we dive into the topic.
We always start with snacks to loosen them up, chat and giggle a bit. Then I follow a pretty strict lesson plan. Being a teacher for 19 years, I think it’s imperative to have a plan. It’s crucial to making sure we meet the objective and also give them time to talk. My goal is that I talk 10% of the time and they talk 90% of the time. It looks something like this:
I see “Girls Talks” as a support group? Do you see it that way? What other ways does “GT” influence girls?
Absolutely! Girls need to talk. Research shows females speak up to 20,000 words a day and males speak 7,000. Our Girls Talk gives them a group to talk about their feelings. As we all know, people behave differently in similar situations. My goal is to give girls the confidence to make great choices guided by believing in themselves, treating their bodies respectfully and respecting others. By having these discussions it gives girls the tools to make great choices when things get tough for them or a teammate. Often times teenagers don’t want to talk with their parents about these topics so having a group like this gives them a place to discuss these issues with an adult who has been in their situation.
What are your goals and hopes for “GT” and where do you imagine it going?
My goal would be all high school and collegiate athletic programs provide female student athletes a space to talk about the challenges females go through physically, academically, socially and within their specific sport--to provide space for discussion to build confidence in girls as they are transitioning through puberty as well as navigating social norms and expectations. It may take some time before we see Girls Talk in all programs so in the meantime I hope to impact my local community and the coaches I know to take this on as part of their practice.
How can a male coach better prepare himself to coach girls and young women?
It’s all about building relationships that are real and authentic. I have seen it done perfectly, with our head coach, Eric Dettman. He isn’t afraid to talk to girls in a real and honest way. He can banter with the best of them, pump up the ones who need it and can be honest when it matters. Girls like to talk, so a male coach who can engage in those conversations, as silly as they may seem, is going to be the most successful.
It is also important for a male coach to truly understand what a female is going through in high school and college. How her body is changing and how that may or may not affect her mood, performance and confidence. It is imperative that a male coach knows the physiology of a female runner at this age.
Could a male coach lead one of the “GT” groups? Explain how? Or not?
Yes! With three things in place, I believe a male could absolutely lead a Girls Talk. First, the girls have to have a relationship where the girls trust him. Second, he needs a strong understanding of the topic they are going to discuss supported by research or literature. Finally, he needs to be able to sit and listen and just let them talk.
A life changing moment happened in my coaching career. Two years ago, I was at Steens Mountain Running Camp and my old teammate at Oregon, Melody Fairchild, was holding a girls only session focusing on distance runners and the stigma that they often slow down or regress for a bit while they hit puberty. She was challenging the idea that if we are healthy females and listen to our bodies, not only can we come out of it as stronger runners, but we can improve when our bodies are ready. My girls were thrown for a loop. They wanted to talk and talk and talk about this topic. They were able to connect to what Melody said and they wanted more. Most importantly these girls wanted to bring it back to the team. From that moment on we started a series of female talks that focus on all sorts of topics. Hard ones, complicated ones, easy ones, basically anything.
Please describe “GT” and how it is set up and works? Can you describe a session for us?
The purpose of a Girls Talk is to give the girls a place to talk about issues they may be dealing with at this point in their life. We come together multiple times a year and they suggest topics they would be interested in talking about. Coach Dettman and I also determine topics based on what we think is important at that time. I then create a safe space where we dive into the topic.
We always start with snacks to loosen them up, chat and giggle a bit. Then I follow a pretty strict lesson plan. Being a teacher for 19 years, I think it’s imperative to have a plan. It’s crucial to making sure we meet the objective and also give them time to talk. My goal is that I talk 10% of the time and they talk 90% of the time. It looks something like this:
- Introduce the Topic/Big Idea and why it’s important or relevant.
- Give examples of times when I was and wasn’t successful in regards to this topic. It is important for them to see I have failed as well.
- Have them reflect on paper to an open ended question. I want them to get thinking about themselves. This is also important for the girls who don’t feel as comfortable talking within a group.
- Provide an article to read that focuses on the topic.
- Now the girls talk. I usually provide an essential question or two that leads them toward my targeted outcome, but I let them talk. I do probe along the way when I feel it’ll push the conversation. This time usually lasts for 30-45 minutes.
- The girls take time to reflect again about their practice as a runner or a female. Usually they are reflecting on something they want to improve on and apply to their life.
I see “Girls Talks” as a support group? Do you see it that way? What other ways does “GT” influence girls?
Absolutely! Girls need to talk. Research shows females speak up to 20,000 words a day and males speak 7,000. Our Girls Talk gives them a group to talk about their feelings. As we all know, people behave differently in similar situations. My goal is to give girls the confidence to make great choices guided by believing in themselves, treating their bodies respectfully and respecting others. By having these discussions it gives girls the tools to make great choices when things get tough for them or a teammate. Often times teenagers don’t want to talk with their parents about these topics so having a group like this gives them a place to discuss these issues with an adult who has been in their situation.
What are your goals and hopes for “GT” and where do you imagine it going?
My goal would be all high school and collegiate athletic programs provide female student athletes a space to talk about the challenges females go through physically, academically, socially and within their specific sport--to provide space for discussion to build confidence in girls as they are transitioning through puberty as well as navigating social norms and expectations. It may take some time before we see Girls Talk in all programs so in the meantime I hope to impact my local community and the coaches I know to take this on as part of their practice.
How can a male coach better prepare himself to coach girls and young women?
It’s all about building relationships that are real and authentic. I have seen it done perfectly, with our head coach, Eric Dettman. He isn’t afraid to talk to girls in a real and honest way. He can banter with the best of them, pump up the ones who need it and can be honest when it matters. Girls like to talk, so a male coach who can engage in those conversations, as silly as they may seem, is going to be the most successful.
It is also important for a male coach to truly understand what a female is going through in high school and college. How her body is changing and how that may or may not affect her mood, performance and confidence. It is imperative that a male coach knows the physiology of a female runner at this age.
Could a male coach lead one of the “GT” groups? Explain how? Or not?
Yes! With three things in place, I believe a male could absolutely lead a Girls Talk. First, the girls have to have a relationship where the girls trust him. Second, he needs a strong understanding of the topic they are going to discuss supported by research or literature. Finally, he needs to be able to sit and listen and just let them talk.
Lincoln High School girls participate in Girls Talks
What do you believe running and competing does for girls? Why would you encourage girls to run or play sports?
Being an athlete is one of the most thrilling and self-fulfilling adventures an individual can embark on. It teaches us so much about ourselves and we learn from every success and failure. Finding that balance between your passion and taking care of yourself as a female is an important lesson. I believe being an athlete puts you in uncomfortable situations and being in those situations is where you are going to grow the most. Athletes also tend to take care of their bodies and have something important to focus on, often that keeps them out of trouble. As a runner, it’s all about you and the effort you put in. What a great lesson to learn!
What coaching differences, if any, do you bring to coaching girls versus boys?
Truly I try and build a relationship with any athlete regardless of whether they are a boy or girl as they all have their unique differences. Getting to know each kid is how you will really connect with them. But generally you will find some commonalities between girls and boys. I think many females like to come together to talk through things and I’m able to provide that for them. I don’t feel the boys need it as much. I have had great conversations with boys but mostly they are one on one. They are just as easy to talk to but they don’t seem to need as much time to work through things as girls do.
Any coaching books or related books you could recommend to us?
I just read “Roar” by Dr. Stacy Sims and it blew me away! So much important knowledge I wish I had known as a competitive runner. I also love the Believe Training Journals. Some of our girls connected with Kara Goucher’s book, “Strong”, about building confidence. Mostly I’m on the search for articles that I can share with the girls.
Being an athlete is one of the most thrilling and self-fulfilling adventures an individual can embark on. It teaches us so much about ourselves and we learn from every success and failure. Finding that balance between your passion and taking care of yourself as a female is an important lesson. I believe being an athlete puts you in uncomfortable situations and being in those situations is where you are going to grow the most. Athletes also tend to take care of their bodies and have something important to focus on, often that keeps them out of trouble. As a runner, it’s all about you and the effort you put in. What a great lesson to learn!
What coaching differences, if any, do you bring to coaching girls versus boys?
Truly I try and build a relationship with any athlete regardless of whether they are a boy or girl as they all have their unique differences. Getting to know each kid is how you will really connect with them. But generally you will find some commonalities between girls and boys. I think many females like to come together to talk through things and I’m able to provide that for them. I don’t feel the boys need it as much. I have had great conversations with boys but mostly they are one on one. They are just as easy to talk to but they don’t seem to need as much time to work through things as girls do.
Any coaching books or related books you could recommend to us?
I just read “Roar” by Dr. Stacy Sims and it blew me away! So much important knowledge I wish I had known as a competitive runner. I also love the Believe Training Journals. Some of our girls connected with Kara Goucher’s book, “Strong”, about building confidence. Mostly I’m on the search for articles that I can share with the girls.
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Coach Markham and her family