Miss Lori and NFLR

Monday, May 26, 2014 · Mike Davis

It is Sunday afternoon and I have finally have a few minutes to chat a little. Kathy and I were up early and off to assist with the Redhook 5K. What a great race and I felt so honored to see so many runners that I have worked with. One in particular runner was Miss Lori Truman who we began working with last fall. Miss Lori came to No Finish Line Running as a complete novice runner who tried things on her own, but soon realized that she needed guidance and expertise. Lori's story was somewhat unique as she had decided to start running despite being into her 50's. She had been pretty consumed with Cross Fit but felt deeply compelled to become a runner. Our first meeting kind of blew me away with her determination to become a runner! Right off I could tell that harnessing that determination would be a challenge and would require lots of reinforcing patients with the process. This woman had no sense of or fear that her age would make a difference. I have worked with quite a few runners of 50 years or better, but Lori's spunk and enthusiasm were borderline out of control to be honest. Lew and I started Lori off with our beginner approach which is pretty much walk/run and some regular core strengthening. We didn't put any pressure on her to move away from Cross Fit, but it seemed that her desire to become a runner, led her to focus primarily on our training and Cross Fit lost a client (Sorry Dover Cross Fit). Early on we were seeing that Lori's ambitions were leading her to exceed our designed training for her and that became our greatest challenge. Consequentially Lori started having foot issues which led to a great deal of frustration for her and some challenges for us. After getting her to see her doctor and nothing of any significance found we pulled her back considerably and had her change her foot wear. Back in February I brought her in to discuss how I wanted to move forward and what I would require from her. Most of our session focused on discipline and how important that was to every runner no matter what level they are. Training is a process and sometimes the process seems too slow, too elementary or even too difficult. Lori struggled with the distance as she desired to go further whenever she felt capable and that was quite evident by viewing her running log. Similarly I met with a client the other night who is concerned about the rather slow pace I have laid out for their marathon training. In both circumstances we have a plan that requires patients and trust in the process. I understand all to well that it is difficult to run a 9:30 mile when I am comfortable running a particular distance easily 1 to 2 minutes faster per mile. However running my 90 minute run at 9:30 enables me to run 120 minutes a couple weeks later without tired legs and so on as I work my way too even longer runs. In Lori's case I wanted her to develop her running through walk/ running and at the same time keep her healthy. To give Lori something to look forward too, I told her she could enter herself in the Redhook 5K as a reward for staying disciplined. She was super excited at that idea and agreed to stick with our process for her personal running plan. Four months later I was fortunate to get a big hug from Miss Lori as she found me after she crossed the finish line. She was so excited and I could not have been more happy for her! Over the past four months I watched her slowly work her way to running 35 minutes nonstop and I knew she was ready. Before the race I gave her specific guidance as I knew Lori needed to hold back and not let her enthusiasm push her to run to fast. Her trust in me paid off and she ran a beautiful race and I am so proud of her. Congratulations Miss Lori! At NFLR we have runners that run 11 minute miles and others that run 7:30 miles. While our runners may have varied mile paces, they all require discipline and process to be successful. Most runners aren't into the process that comes with running, but for long term success it is a must. We build up confidence in our runners so that they will trust our process and the results usually bear out our process. Understanding that running is far more strategic than most people realize, we seek to teach our runners how to run successfully and healthy. For some like Lori, that's currently a 5K, for others it is a marathon. Building trust is critical and for some not always easy. Not every person that has come to NFLR has worked out and that's tough to witness, but we believe our expertise, experience and understanding, help us to prepare all levels or runners. Today was Miss Lori's day and I am please for her and for our opportunity to help her. Have a great week! Mike