At first, when my injuries didn't seem to be healing, I thought that that was it for me and running. I'd never be able to run again, never mind competitively, and I'd lose all my "running" friends and social life. I've always objected to people saying "are you the runner?" as I felt that I was just a person who ran. Not running wouldn't make me less of a person, but I did still want to stay in touch with that world......so I decided that if I couldn't run, then I'd try to give something back and support others. I've worked, supported and volunteered at events, but I always wondered whether my running would have been different if I'd had some formal coaching when I started out (at least it might have stopped me developing my o so recognisable shuffling gait consisting of baby steps with no knee lift).
When I found out that British Athletics were running a special "Athlete to Coach" course for people who have been lucky enough to compete at a certain level. The course would take us to the Event group stage of coaching, bypassing the Coaching Assistant and Athletics Coach stages. It looked like it would take place over 6 days in Birmingham which I thought that I would be able to fit my work around......but clearly I didn't read the small print clearly enough as it was 6 days, but they were spaced over 9 months.....so I came to know the M6 rather too well for my liking!
 |
| Classroom learning |
My coaching career was nearly over before it had begun, as the first day of the course was the day after I'd returned from a couple of months overseas, so to add insult to the "injury" of jetlag, my car wouldn't start and I had to wait for the repair man to come and fix it. I wondered if it was a sign, as I was already anxious enough about meeting a group of ex-international athletes (I still feel like an imposter in such company). Still, when I finally made it to the Alexandra Stadium in Birmingham, everyone was really friendly and put me at my ease.
 |
| Floor learning |
Over the course of the next 9 months, we became quite good friends and learnt a lot from each other. People seemed initially amazed and disbelieving when I talked about the distances I've raced, whereas I listened eagerly to sprinters talking about drills on the track and how to run a bend, whilst the jumpers educated us on run-ups, and the throwers on arm, foot and body positions. We would naturally gravitate into groups, eg the "endurance runners" together, but the course leaders were good at mixing us up and getting us out of comfort zones. By the time we'd finished, we'd all coached each other.....often in a discipline we weren't that familiar with, so much hilarity was had.
 |
| Trackside learning |
There was bookwork, group learning, individual learning, personal projects (one week I looked into the decisions/reasons behind juniors deciding to specialise to a specific event(s) and where the momentum behind the decision comes from, on another I looked into what motivated adults to take up running.....more specifically interviewing some ladies from a "mums on the run" group, and on yet another day I brought back my findings on hill vs track intervals), practical sessions and assessments, a written exam and an assessment of session and mesocycle planning. It was hard work, but I learnt a lot, including about myself. I found it really interesting to learn from others both on the course (especially as I had to miss one of the days in Birmingham so I made up the day in Loughborough with a different group) and outwith the specific study days contacting other coaches and discussing things with them.
 |
| Explaining a session to the Harriers |
 |
| Leading stretches after a session |
Having chosen "endurance" as my speciality, I discovered that I had to be assessed on delivering sessions for steeplechase, race walking and wheelchair athletes, but the challenge kept the interest levels high (and also the panic levels). I practiced some of my sessions with local running groups and tried to get over my nervousness of speaking to groups, and picking up on/praising different things. We did the written exams online but anybody looking in through my front window at the time must have thought I was slightly crazy as I paced around the house trying to work out the way you transfer weight when race walking, or where exactly the catch and release should be on a wheelchair rim. I hardly slept the night before the practical assessments, but now that it's all over and I can call myself a fully qualified coach, I realise I'm going to miss my compadres and all the fun we've had, but who knows where it'll now lead.....
