About ME!

 My name is Blair. I am an RRAC Level 1 Coach. 

• My goal is to educate, motivate and encourage athletes to reach their goals. Most importantly to remind athletes to love what they do and have fun.

• Experience with the 5k, 10k, Half Marathon and the Marathon

• Working with Athletes who are just starting to build their base to athletes who have many miles of experience on their sneakers. 

• Spreading awareness of the importance of Warmup, Drills and Cool Down 

• Implementing Strength Run phases: Tempo, Farklets, Hills and Long and short Intervals

What I want to teach my athletes

• The difference between discomfort Vs Lingering pain that could lead to injury

• Breaking down what Goal Pace, Race Race and Conversation Pace means to them

• Education on how to use Heart Rate monitors as insightful tools while training

• Doing a form analysis and see where we can make small adjustments 

• Providing research based evidence on the importance of Recovery 

• Know when to take a day off vs subbing in an EZ Run instead of a Strength workout

• Cross Training and Strength Training that is Run specific 

• Teaching the Benefits of Strength Phases: Tempo, Fartleks, Hills

• Teaching and Introducing Strides, Short Intervals and Long Intervals

What I will Provide

• Specific training plan that is tailored to their goals for their race

• Heart Rate Break Down Zones keeping athletes in the correct zone for planned workouts

• Having backup plans when they may need more rest days

• Saving Workout results and proving progress updates after each Block

Why I want to coach:

I love to run and I want to help other people learn to love it too. Many people start running to “lose weight”, “Get fit” or whatever words they use to for their outside appearance to look “better”. Whether runners' goals are to lose weight, engage in a healthier lifestyle or run their first race it is very important that they know where to start with a program tailored for them. 

My method when it comes to training: 

To have the ability to run should be treasured and held dear. To be able to run outside and push your legs to go on an adventure is the goal I want everyone to experience. Keeping my athletes injury free is another major bullet point for me. While staying within my scope of practice, I will use heart rate data, bi-weekly perspective check ins and for my female athletes keeping them menstruating. When topics go outside my scope, I will reach out to my network and refer athletes, or advise them to seek medical advice. For competitive athletes, the above still applies, but with a sharper focus on leg strength and conditioning.

“The legs feed the wolf” - Herb Brooks

My Definition of Healthy Running: 

Having Fun, Staying Strong, and Reaching Goals. 

Novice Runners

The RRAC defines a novice runner as someone who has run under 500 miles. Programming for a novice runner is extremely important. Priority One is to to hone in on starting slow to prevent injuries or setbacks. Educating the athlete on basic nutritional information, recovery, and knowing the difference between discomfort and lingering pain. Novice runners need to learn the difference between conversation pace vs HARD pace and acquiring the patience to grow their run. Most novice runners will start with a Run/Walk method to gain confidence running for longer periods of time and getting them comfortable being slightly uncomfortable. As the novice runner gains confidence, strength efforts (strides and fartleks) can be applied to start exploring where they can go!

 

Experience Runners

Programming for experienced runners is not based on speed or ability but on the mileage completed and experienced active running years. The RRAC, defines an experienced runner who has run over 500 miles and who has goals to complete road races, marathons and to have PRs.  My goal as a coach for experienced runners is to add weekly mileage and cornerstone long runs. As a coach, I'll develop programs that incorporate conversational pace efforts and 3 effort runs each week. 1-2 strength efforts (Hills, tempos, fartlek,intervals) and rounding the week up with the last effort of the cornerstone “Long Run”.

With experienced runners my goal is to teach them a method that took me years to learn; Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast. Experienced runners truly need to slow down on EZ runs. I can advise them by incorporating heart rate monitors to truly narrow down a ten beat zone they should be running in. Adding in run specific strength training and core exercises will be important, as well as nutrition, recovery and cross training methods. Being a coach for an experienced runner requires room for adaptation of workouts based on where the athlete is and how they are feeling. My goals for the experienced runner psychologically is to have them feel confident on race day and throughout the entire training process. As well as be on the lookout for Red Flags.

Competitive Runners

I myself as a runner likes to think I know it all and when it comes to competitive runners it is best to work with them and build a program that has worked for them in the past with a few changes that will bring them to the next level. Competitive runners have Goals set on Age Group Awards and Overall Podiums according to the RRAC.  Competitive Runners include all ages and these runners have specific focus on either the 5K, 8K, 10K, Half or Marthonon. As a coach of a competitive athlete it is vital to include them in program building, learning about their lifestyle and adapting to their needs. Competitive athletes need to be pushed to see where they can go while not over training the athlete. There is definitely a happy medium that needs to be monitored, especially when Red Flags may arise. Teaching competitive athletes that Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast, will be a huge emphasis on when they can push in and effort and sitback on a longer run. 

About Me: 

• High School Distance Runner

• Division 1 Cross County 

• Three Year USAT All American

• Gold Level All World Athlete Ironman

• Multiple Age Group Podiums

• USAT Long Course Champion