Jeff (see photo) is one of the most coachable clients I have had. Our background extends to his early beginnings as a runner. Most recently, in approximately 9 months of training with me, he has run both a 3:27 marathon and now a 1:43 1/2 marathon on a hilly course at altitude, giving him his first age group win, ever, in the 50-55 division.

His race description illustrates the degree to which he followed his race plan and adapted to the unexpected:

“I missed the 1 mile marker so it was more like 1.08 for the first lap and .92 mile for the second. There really wasn’t any real level running – it was either uphill or downhill, which made for pacing very difficult. What I did do was to hold back for the first 1-2 miles and then begin to settle down on a comfortable, semi agressive effort to mile 9. At that point, I treated the last 4 miles as a 5K and really attacked it. The downhill at that point allowed me to carry the energy through the last little hills at the end, and I was able to sprint the last .1 mile to finish line. BTW, I was awarded first place in my age division. I guess because the other 50+ year old actually won 3rd place in the marathon overall, thus making me #1 for the 1/2. Go figure. I’m happy!”

There are many more peak running experiences in Jeff’s future as I am confident that he will continue to  demonstrate both the willingness to change and the determination to do all the work he needs to on his own, paying close attention to both form and pace in his training and racing.