Preparing to run!

Wednesday, July 02, 2014 · Mike Davis

Good morning Runners! With Friday being a holiday most of you are now half way through your work week so congratulations. Yesterday I met with a gentlemen for consultation and the first words out of his mouth were: " This may be a waste of time." Before he explained himself, I told him that no matter the outcome of our consultation, it wouldn't be a waste of time as I enjoy talking with people about their circumstances. Anyhow, he went on to tell me about his history of running right up to his present day circumstances of having bone spurs removed most recently and having at least 2 months of rehabbing left. Lucian is a few years into his fifties and has a great deal of knowledge about running as well as a strong desire to run six days a week. His injuries have been significant and quite debilitating for the most part and despite knowing he had a fair amount of time before he could even consider running, his interest was peaked when he saw the NFLR advertisement on the side of a big green truck in Stratham. (Nice to know that my investment in advertising has been beneficial!) So he went to our website and liked enough of what he saw and sent us an email seeking a free consultation. So there we were in the Dover Starbucks discussing his struggles with staying healthy and how best for him to proceed. Because his children are now older and require less of his time, Lucian feels that he can now devote a consistent amount of time to his running. Because of his inactivity due to the injuries he has put on a few extra pounds as well and no doubt that's not sitting well with him. We discussed running, injuries, nutrition, strength training and the importance of flexibility. Much like me Lucian is somewhat put off by participating in a yoga class because of the awkwardness of it. Without any pressure to sign on as a NFLR client, Lucian relaxed and we had a great conversation. Over an hour later Lucian understood that the next two months could be used to help him prepare himself physically for healthy running so we agreed to work together for a prorated fee. I was okay with just giving him some guidance for a couple of months and then hopefully helping him when he is able to run, but instead he liked my ideas of NFLR helping him on multiple fronts over the next 2 months and then transitioning to our full coaching services. Lucian has a great desire to run as I said, but he understood my detailed explanation of why he should prepare himself before even lacing up his shoes. My goal wasn't to convince him to sign on with us immediately, but through our conversation he became convinced that we can help him long before he begins his running. Running is great, but no matter the age or talent level, we must consider how best to run healthy and efficient. We work with runners from beginners to marathon competitors and they are all similar in that they prefer to mostly just run. Our job is to personalize their training enough that they understand the value in doing other critical things such as yoga, strength training and cross training. Lucian is now a client because he wants to overcome injuries when he is finally able to run and giving us 2 months to prepare him is very wise on his part. If you live around the New Hampshire seacoast and you see a big green truck with NFLR advertisements on the side and rear end, honk your horn and give me a wave! Welcome aboard Lucian, we look forward to working with you! Have a great Wednesday! Mike