In this episode we bring you an ask the coach Q&A as Angie answers questions about hydration, heart rate training, over-training, cadence, pre-race fueling, leaky bladders, and more!
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Congrats to Academy member Deb from Alaska, who is coached by MTA Coach Kristen, on finishing the Hatcher’s Pass Marathon! This was her first marathon and 4,000ft of elevation gain!
“I just wanted to give a quick thankyou for the great pod-cast and the services you provide through your coaching. I was able to finish my first marathon at the age of 50 with the help of Coach Kristen. I could not have done it without her help and the great tips you provide with the pod-cast! Thanks for helping me accomplish something I have wanted to accomplish for many years. One bucket-list item marked off!” -Deb
Here’s a wonderful email we received from a coaching client named Margaret who worked with MTA Coach Dominique.
What follows is a quick note to Angie and I followed by Margaret’s last email to her coach sharing what she learned from her in just 4 months of personal coaching.
Dear Angie and Trevor,
I wanted to send you a note of thanks for your help over the last few years. I started running at age 48 (I’m 57 now). I really didn’t know what I was doing. One day my son-in-law told me about a postcast, MTA, and now I’ve listened to every episode.
Anyway, the reason I’m writing now is that I want to send to you my last check in letter to Coach Dom (I copied it below). I was scared to get a coach (I’m too old, too slow …), but I am so glad I did. She is so great and I want you to know how much her coaching has helped me.
Stay Well and Happy, Margaret Eggleston
I want to thank you for your support these last four months. I ran more and pushed myself farther than I thought I could. I am disappointed that it didn’t end in the Big Sur race, but I know that I’ve learned and grown a lot. I wanted to list some of the positive growth, so that I can remember and plan new goals for myself.
I am running without muscle cramps (remember January and February, ugh!).
I ran 116.5 miles in February! I didn’t even realize it until way later.
I am able to run longer without walk breaks.
I can run faster.
I like interval training!
I ran a half marathon by myself and got a PR!
I acquired skills that I can use in the future (drills, exercises, stretches).
I’ve enjoyed hearing from you and learning about your running journey too. I hope that you will be able to run 2 Oceans next year. I will run Big Sur in November. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Thank you again. I will miss our weekly notes.
Sincerely,
Margaret Eggleston
Here is a nice FB post from Academy member Anissa W. about the progress she made working with her MTA Coach. ❤️
“Today is the last day of my coaching with Coach Dominique Hamel and I wanted to share my MTA coaching experience.
I signed up with her about 15 months ago because I was scared of hurting myself because I had no idea what to do to train for my first full marathon. She not only got me through my first marathon injury free, she also helped me transition from run/walk to just running.
After that first marathon I wanted to do another and I wasn’t ready to give up my coaching, so she coached me through a second marathon. Then my husband signed us up for the Dopey Challenge at Disney and she coached me through that too. It’s been quite a journey Coach!! Three full marathons and 2 half marathons and numerous 5ks.
Thank you for being a part of it! If anyone is considering coaching I would highly recommend it and I especially recommend Coach Dom.” 💙🏃🏼♀️ -Anissa W.
This is an awesome email I received from a coaching client who just ran the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon last weekend.
“I coached myself for 17 years–and thought I was pretty good at it over the course of 3 marathons and 30+ half marathons. However, using an free online training plan for the marathon through the winter, I ended up with a 3:29 marathon at the end of March this year–well shy of the 3:25 qualifying time for a 51 year old male. And, of course, the actual time for entry needed is even faster. I made some adjustments and ran a second in mid-May, only to finish feeling weak, dizzy and in pain with a time of 3:33!
However, in just 3 months, Coach Joel helped me deliver a 17 minute PR in the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon and guaranteed me a place in the 2021 Boston Marathon with a 3:12:02. I must admit there were times my neighbors must have thought I was losing my faculties. Like when I was skipping backward down the sidewalk rotating my arms wildly clockwise and then counter clockwise. Or, how about running all out for 70 meters and then just standing there stock still for 2 mins and 45 seconds before repeating?! Yes, there are some seemingly crazy drills, but Coach Joel clearly knew what he was doing!! Continue Reading →
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In this episode we answer questions sent in by Academy members about finding time for strength training, when to stretch, how to avoid cramping at the end of a marathon, and more, as we bring you part two of our Ask the Coach Q & A.
In the quick tip segment Angie shares the top book picks from her summer reading. Continue Reading →
Just thought I’d share this really nice comment Angie received from one of our coaching clients named Mike Irwin. Mike is a Canadian and we actually had lunch with him when we drove through British Columbia last year.
Hey Angie, I wanted to thank Trevor and you for pairing me up with Coach Dominque. I’m a totally different runner now and I’ve finally gotten to the point where I run continuously after starting out as a Galloway runner. It’s the best money I’ve ever spent. I’m still dealing with a 58 year old body, but a 58 year old body that’s way fitter then it’s ever been! -Mike
We are so thrilled to hear that Mike is benefitting from MTA Coaching! Here are a couple points that stick out to me from his comment, Continue Reading →
A couple of years ago during a business trip, I went to see the Boston Marathon finish line. I did not step on or pass the famous blue and yellow street decoration. I will run through it at another time, I told myself.
I repeated the same scenario last summer during a family vacation to Boston. At that time, I was going through a mix of emotions. I felt confident that my qualifying time from the November 2017 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon would be strong enough to get me into the 2019 race.
However, on that Boston trip, I was only a month out from emergency abdominal surgery. I had not been cleared to resume full activities at that time. Gentle jogging was as hard core as I was able to get at that point. Would I be able to regain the speed, endurance and fitness that I had developed since I began running in 2011? Would I still find the joy in the struggle? Would I still answer the alarm at oh-dark-thirty for training?
It did not take me long to answer my own questions. Continue Reading →
By Henry Howard
Running was the furthest thing from Nicole Hart’s mind until her mid-20s. She started running at age 26 when she met her Army husband.
“He was really fit and active and I decided I wanted to be that too,” says Hart.
But her “why” goes deeper than that. Much deeper.
When she was in nursing school, Hart experienced tachycardia symptoms, and was diagnosed with Wolffe-Parkinson White Syndrome. After seeing a cardiologist, she had the problem surgically corrected by ablation at age 24. Continue Reading →
We all have the tendency to imagine that a future version of ourselves will be more disciplined than the present version of ourselves. Why is that?
Studies have been done in which people were asked if they would rather have fruit or cake one week from now. They usually say “fruit”. But a week later, when a slice of chocolate cake is offered along with an apple, test subjects were more statistically likely to go for the cake.
This is called Present Bias, the belief that what we want now isn’t the same thing you will want later. The future version of ourselves that we imagine always has more willpower and a flatter stomach than the present actual version.
Author David McRaney says, “When you are making plans your better angels point to the nourishing choices, but in the moment you go for what tastes good”.
The trick is to realize that you can only control the now you. Make the future you thankful for the action that the present you takes.
This could mean signing up for your first marathon or half marathon, hiring a coach, joining a yoga class, or cutting out sugar from your diet.
You’d be amazed by what your future self can become! This video explains how our MTA coaches help runners go from the present version of themselves to a stronger, faster, more confident version. Continue Reading →
Here is a wonderful note we received from a client Angie worked with named Elliot Shelton who ran a PR at the CIM Marathon in December. I love this story because he took bold massive action and wasn’t afraid to set higher goals.
Dear Angie, I wanted to take a moment to thank you and Trevor for the incredible difference you’ve made in my life. About 3 1/2 years ago, I was unhappy with the direction my life was headed. I was about 30 lbs overweight, had not exercised regularly in years, and had few interests outside of work.
I decided to take action. I started a couch to 5k plan and a month later decided to set my goals higher and I committed to running the San Francisco Marathon the following year (without really knowing what I was getting myself into). Continue Reading →
Here is an email we received recently from a coaching client named Gordon Pape -an architect from Toronto who completed the 2018 Chicago Marathon in 4:26:37 at the age of 58.
This kind of feedback is what get’s us fired up here at MTA! If you are considering hiring a running coach, perhaps this letter will give you an under-the-hood look at the coach/client relationship. Continue Reading →
