Thank you, Coach

This morning, there was no scheduled group Rogue run, so I met some friends (Leslie, Stephanie & Amy) and ran 10 miles with them. They are all part of another coach's group, and it was interesting to run with them and talk about our training.

First, we talked about the marathon. All three of them are training for AT&T in February. I reflected on the fact that after the Disney Marathon, I said, "This is it for me and marathons for a long while." I am really glad that I have stayed true to that. I honestly have no desire to do another marathon for a long time.

Second, we talked about what we are all doing after the marathon training is over. I told them about my homework assignment from Panther, and how I was really happy with my decision to narrow my focus and train to be an olympic distance triathlete. I think Leslie was impressed that I have my whole race schedule planned out for 2007. It really does feel good to know what I want to be, and what exactly I am training for. It also feels good to know what I am not. (For instance: a marathoner, an ironman, a sprinter, etc.)

Third, when it was just Leslie & I running back to Runtex, we talked about our coaches and what it takes to be a great coach. Someone (to remain nameless) had suggested that if I am going to be a triathlete, perhaps I should join Texas Iron and be coached by triathletes. Though this is somewhat a valid point, I honestly cannot imagine being coached by anyone other than Panther. I usually mock Panther's coaching, and instead focus on his tidbits of advice like, "Well, Erin, just don't fall off your bike." Or... "Ah, what the hell, just finish so we can have a beer." But, as I look back at my athletic accomplishments of 2006, I thought it was time to really pay him some respect.

So... what, for me, makes a great coach? And how does Panther fair?
1. Dedication to your athlete(s)
2. Focus
3. Knowledge/Skill
4. Drive
5. Fun

Let me explain.
1. Dedication to your athlete(s). I have been training with Panther since September 2005. I have been an Olive, a Rat, an Angel, Team Punishment, Team Pain Train, and now Camp Punishment. The funny thing is that I stay in his groups even though I am never training for the particular race that my group is training for. (more on that later) But, he is extremely dedicated to his athletes, regardless of what they are training for. He completely modified my marathon training schedule when I wanted to run the Goofy Challenge instead of Freescale. He modified my schedule when I wanted to do a half ironman instead of a duathlon. He is creating an entirely new and catered training program for my races next year. He wrote a workout for me for when I go to the gym. He actually carries around a notebook on all of his athletes that monitors their progress towards their goals. That is some dedication. How can someone NOT try their hardest when your coach is that dedicated to your success? And, the icing on the cake for me: before every race - he calls to wish me good luck. And, after every race, he calls to celebrate my accomplishments.

2. Focus. By this, I mean that he has helped steer me away from my FOMO nature and start narrowing down my focus of what I want to be. No one else has actually asked me, "What do you want to be?" It sounds like a simple question, but it took a lot of thought - and he helped walk me through that thought process to come up with an answer that I am very happy with and very excited about.

3. Knowledge/Skill. Of course, a coach must be knowledgeable and skilled. While I had experienced Panther's coaching based on someone else's schedule, this summer I got to experience his coaching from a schedule that he had written. Based on following his own workouts, I started running and cycling faster. I actually looked forward to going to our quality workouts in the 100+ degree afternoons because I knew that the workouts were going to make me a better athlete. He's also not satisfied with what he knows - he keeps seeking more training and certification so he can coach better. It's obvious that he knows what he is doing because our group has some of the best athletes in Rogue, and perhaps Austin. Not to mention that he's one of them - he has the skill (and experience) to justify everything that he coaches. It's hard to question your coach when he's the State Champion of an event you are training for.

4. Drive. Once I started training with Panther, giving up has never been an option for me. In other training groups, if I was tired- I would stop. Now, I complete every workout I show up to. And, not showing up is no longer an option. Giving up, not pushing myself, etc... are also not options anymore. He has instilled a drive in me that I never had experienced (athletically) before. He cares so much about my success that I don't want to let him down. This has transferred to something equally (actually moreso) important - not letting myself down. He has instilled in me the knowledge that I can actually be a good athlete, and to not push myself or try my hardest just isn't fair.

5. Fun. So, what's the point of all this? Ultimately, I probably will never win any races. I probably won't qualify for the Boston Marathon or the Hawaii Ironman. But, I feel that working out is an essential part of my overall wellness. So, if I'm going to do it, I better have fun doing it. I must say that being a part of Panther's groups has been some of the most fun experiences of my life. He strives to make the workouts fun, whether by holding trivia contests or doing "funny run" drills or hosting a sing-a-long after our workouts. And, of course, there is always a group happy hour after our quality workouts that gives our group a chance to relax and hang out with each other. Thanks to the emphasis of fun and socializing, I have met some of my closest friends. I look forward to my workouts because I know that however painful it might be, it will ultimately be a good time and I will never regret showing up.

So, let's take a look at my achievements in 2006:
1) The Disney Goofy Challenge - a half marathon on Saturday followed by a marathon on Sunday. I PR'ed my marathon by almost 50 minutes.
2) The Texas Roundup 10K - I finally broke the hour mark!
3) The Fantastic X Triathlon. Though not a sanctioned triathlon, I still WON with a field of about 20 other women. (I have the trophy to prove it!)
4) The Rogue Women's Tri. Since this was the first year of the race, I had nothing to compare my times too - but this was the first triathlon that I ran the entire run course and was very pleased with my times.
5) The Katy Flatlands Ride. I completed my longest brick ever - a 60 mile bike ride plus 4 mile run, and felt fabulous.
6) The Marble Falls Olympic Distance Tri. My first Olympic. My super secret goal was to break 2:30, which I did. I also ran even faster during the run portion than previous triathlons.
7) The Darnds't Du. PRed the first 5K. While I crashed hard during the bike course, I still managed to finish the second 5K and faired pretty well!
8) The Prarieman Half Ironman. I did a half ironman. Enough said there!
9) The IBM 10K. Took over 90 seconds off my previous 10K PR! First running only race that I didn't stop and walk at all.
10) The Race for the Cure 5K. Huge PR for me. Ran it in 25:28!!
11) The Turkey Trot 5 Miler. Ran this one fairly easy, and still finished with an 8:55 mile pace.

Now, I realize that ultimately I am responsible for my own accomplishments. But I can guarantee that there is no way I would have achieved what I did this year without him.

So, in the most public way I can think of, thank you Panther. I cannot imagine being coached by anyone but you.