Apex Performance Running Blog

Every two years, as a part of maintaining my RRCA coaching certification, and as good practice, I do an American Red Cross First Aid/CPR refresher course. As I complete this refresher course now, for the fourth time since I started coaching runners, I wanted to take a few moments to reflect and be thankful.

First, I'm thankful that I've only ever needed to use my Red Cross training once while out running, which was during the 2017 Wineglass Marathon when I was a pace group leader. As described in my blog post, a gentleman ran into a large traffic cone and did a face plant. Using the "Check" "Call" "Care" method, and with the help of spectators, he ended up receiving medical attention pretty quickly, and I was able to catch back up with the pace group.

Second, I'm thankful for the trust that 55 different clients have placed in me since 2016. It's truly a team effort, and it's always rewarding to help someone achieve something that they already were capable of. I like to think of coaching as smoothing out the journey, trying to minimize the chance of injury, and trying to increase the chance of achieving the client's goals.

Third, I'm thankful for continuing education. I started out with a Level 1 coaching certification with the Road Runners Club of America in 2016. I traveled to Dallas, TX for the in-person training. The same year I also was able to attend an in-person seminar to achieve USATF Level 1 coaching certification. In 2018, I attended the Level II RRCA coaching workshop in Detroit, MI, and was one of the first Level II coaches in the USA. In Dec2021, I was accepted to attend a week-long seminar to become a USATF Level II coach with an Endurance specialization. This one was really special,  as part of the cohort were some of the most experienced high school and college coaches in the country, and we were able to work together on team assignments.

Fourth, I'm thankful for what the future holds. I always wondered what it would be like after coaching for so long, and the answer is it's been more rewarding than I ever could have imagined. I have learned so much more from those whom I have coached than I could ever hope to teach. And that's what the goal is: to teach. While there have been many return clients, my goal is to educate folks for a lifetime of safe and productive training. Not everyone wants to race - and that's okay. Being healthy is the key to success, because being healthy is what makes the goals and dreams of the runner possible.