Tag Archives: coachable

Chapter 7

Race day is one week from today!

Seven months ago, nearly to the day, I put my name in the lottery for the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC – a distance that I had once sworn I would never do. But some time over the winter, the marathon bug hit me, and so here I am, seven days to one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

The truth is, the journey has been even more memorable. And none of it would have been possible without being coachable.

Being coachable means giving yourself over to the wisdom of someone who’s traveled your path before. Someone who knows the ups and downs, twists and turns, and holds your commitment as if it was their own.

For me, my “coach” has been the staff of the New York Road Runners, who built the Virtual Trainer app and have guided me through the four half-marathons that have formed the foundation of this training experience. Their guidance has never let me down.

My other coach has been you, my community – encouraging me, and quietly holding my goal as their own. I owe a special debt to my new friends, the social runners with Pacers Running in Northern Virginia. They’ve been a great support through the last big long runs of my training program.

You must be humble to be coachable – which, for me, is sometimes easier said than done. If you ask for a coach, and then don’t do what the coach says, what are you actually trying to prove?  Michael Jordan had a coach. Michael Phelps had a coach. Bobby Orr had a coach. So who am I to reject a coach?

In this program, being coachable means doing what the training program tells you to do. If it says you should do 5 miler today, you go out and do it, exactly the way the plan says you should. If it says don’t run too fast today, then take it easy even if you feel great. There’s a reason for it, even if you can’t see it. This plan provides one back door, and only one. If you’re hurt or feel sick, you can deviate. Pushing through an injury is just stupid, and grinding through an illness proves nothing.

So this week’s objective, as it has been the last two, has been to get my legs fresh without losing my edge. That means two short runs, and four days of rest. What’s the fine line between resting and regressing? Easy – do what the plan says to do! As the training plan states:

“What you’ve accomplished over these past weeks is what you signed up for. You’ve accomplished your goal, and you know it. You trained through difficult weather conditions, you’ve skipped parties, awaken early, suffered through Long Runs — you have nothing to prove.”

I definitely feel ready. I am the most fit I have ever been. I will try not to obsess about what I cannot control (weather), and focus on what I can – nutrition, rest, and preparation. If you’re in the DC area on the morning of Oct. 27, I invite you to join my family on the course. They’ll be at the western end of East Potomac Park, where miles 12, 15 and 20 converge, near the Jefferson Memorial.

Millions of people have run a marathon. So why not me?