Searching for a Private Track Coach

[Anonymous]

I'm looking for a private track coach to work with my 13 year old 7th grade daughter. She is a AAU Junior Olympian and All-American, training to qualify again this summer. She trains with the Seven Locks Running Club but needs some 1:1 coaching for form & technique. Her events in the Junior Olympics are the 800m & 1500m.

[Anonymous]

If you developed contacts in the track world, they’d be a good source for leads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm looking for a private track coach to work with my 13 year old 7th grade daughter. She is a AAU Junior Olympian and All-American, training to qualify again this summer. She trains with the Seven Locks Running Club but needs some 1:1 coaching for form & technique. Her events in the Junior Olympics are the 800m & 1500m.

This is probably my dream coaching job. I'd do it for free.

Youngsters with this kind of skillset are relatively rare because these races are just too demanding.

I was fortunate to be a full D1 scholar T&F/XC athlete. Specialized in the 800m, but was competitive starting at 400m up to XC distances.

Wish I could help. Here are a few general tips I'll share:
1. Most importantly, make sure she's always enjoying the sport. She's very young, and these are super challenging distances to race/train for. It's so easy to get turned off if it becomes overwhelming or job-like.

2. Drink a crap-load of water, increasing the amounts around competitions.

3. Work to strengthen her core--the rest will come. Try to find fun ways to do so--swimming, jump rope, cycling, random stop-drop-and-plank moments like the punch-buggy days, etc.

4. Stretch all the time. While in bed. At the dinner table. Before/after workouts. At her desk in school...

5. Run distances shorter (sprints) and longer (XC) than your specialty races. This is good physically, but for me, it was probably most helpful mentally. So much about running competitively is being tough mentally.

6. Teach her to visualize her races. All runs have phases. We feel and perform differently in each phase. The more she becomes familiar with those phases and how she's feeling, the better she'll be at tweaking/improving her performance. Having someone video a few of her races and methodically breaking them down with her (as part of her training) could be amazing.

You've got a gem, there. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm looking for a private track coach to work with my 13 year old 7th grade daughter. She is a AAU Junior Olympian and All-American, training to qualify again this summer. She trains with the Seven Locks Running Club but needs some 1:1 coaching for form & technique. Her events in the Junior Olympics are the 800m & 1500m.

This is probably my dream coaching job. I'd do it for free.

Youngsters with this kind of skillset are relatively rare because these races are just too demanding.

I was fortunate to be a full D1 scholar T&F/XC athlete. Specialized in the 800m, but was competitive starting at 400m up to XC distances.

Wish I could help. Here are a few general tips I'll share:
1. Most importantly, make sure she's always enjoying the sport. She's very young, and these are super challenging distances to race/train for. It's so easy to get turned off if it becomes overwhelming or job-like.

2. Drink a crap-load of water, increasing the amounts around competitions.

3. Work to strengthen her core--the rest will come. Try to find fun ways to do so--swimming, jump rope, cycling, random stop-drop-and-plank moments like the punch-buggy days, etc.

4. Stretch all the time. While in bed. At the dinner table. Before/after workouts. At her desk in school...

5. Run distances shorter (sprints) and longer (XC) than your specialty races. This is good physically, but for me, it was probably most helpful mentally. So much about running competitively is being tough mentally.

6. Teach her to visualize her races. All runs have phases. We feel and perform differently in each phase. The more she becomes familiar with those phases and how she's feeling, the better she'll be at tweaking/improving her performance. Having someone video a few of her races and methodically breaking them down with her (as part of her training) could be amazing.

You've got a gem, there. Good luck!

NP - Thank you for this! My DS just turned 11 and did his first XC and indoor track seasons this year (no outdoor track here for his age that I can find). He's now training on his own until XC starts up and it's challenging. I broke my ankle and can't run with him, but we have a good route for him to use. He LOVES it. Right now his sweet spot is 1 - 3 miles (5k) and is often the only kid his age and size. The stretching and core tips are really helpful!

[Anonymous]

Great advice, 15:47!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great advice, 15:47!

Thank you! 15:47, here.

Sorry, OP, you specifically mentioned that your DD could use guidance on her form and technique. It's great that you're focusing on these earlier, than later--b/c it's harder to unlearn inefficient running habits. A few tips to consider (from my perspective):

Technique
> "Bird In Flight" (BIF). I learned this in HS XC. Watch birds that soar really high. They use A LOT of energy to reach coasting altitudes. Same with running. Start strong. Get up there. Find your cruising pace. Settle in. Wind and expanded wings (legs) doing the work. She's a BIF.

> Control breathing. Running's hard. The more she can control her breathing, the more efficiently she'll get the needed oxygen to her muscles. Have her work on taking deep and controlled breathes--where she'll eventually be able to time her breaths with her steps. To me, when these two sync, that's BIF.

> Pass fast. When she's racing, pass competition fast and strong; not slow and labored. This usually deflates competition.

Form
> Relax. When she's running, have her focus on relaxing every muscle in her body aside from those needed to finish the run. If you watch some pro runners, you'll notice their facial cheeks jiggling and they look like they're in a trance. Same with cheetahs chasing their prey. They are being efficient--no wasted movement/energy. To me, that's BIF.

> Arms. Longer the distance; lower the arms. Shorter the distance; higher the arms. Try to keep hands below chest-level for longer distances; and at least chest-level for shorter distances, or when finishing strong on a distance run.

> Lean in. Our bodies aren't really aerodynamic, so have her do a little bit of a lean forward as she runs to help cut the air. Just a slight lean, though.

[Anonymous]

Damn

[Anonymous]

Coach Ryan Marklewitz runs a Summer running program for rising 7th and 8th graders. It will have less kids than the 7LRC Summer program. He does not advertise 1-on-1 coaching on his website, but you could always reach to him and ask if he’d be interested in doing so. He is the head coach at St. Andrews Episcopal school. His website info is:
https://runelementperformance.com/agegroup

[Anonymous]

I'm so impressed, 15:47!

[Anonymous]

One of my kids is graduating from HS burned out and injured. I wish our school had a coach like you!