Hey there,
I am a little late sitting down to chat, but I am ready!
This week has been interesting in many ways, but mostly in a unique new addition to our No Finish Line Fitness clients. I will get to him in a bit, but I first would like to chat about the past few years and a couple of new and unique clients. We have been in the coaching business for 15 years now and we have coached various runners, ranging from beginners to marathoners (to include getting people qualified for Boston). However, last year we took on two new clients who presented different goals than we had in our previous 15 years.
Richard, reached out in early 2024 through our No Finish Line Fitness website (https://www.nofinishlinerunning.com/index.html), asking for help with his 2024 goal, which was to run 2,024 miles for that year. I understood the significance of his goal but was skeptical. When we were able to meet in person, he explained his story of being a 100 percent disabled veteran who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. His goal was tied to his emotional state, so I understood his desire. However, his longest run to date was 6 miles, and after explaining the math, he was willing to come up with another more reasonable goal, but only a little…. After some back and forth, we agreed on a 6 hour race in October of that year. The Hamster Wheel is a unique race, in that you runners run a 4-mile loop and choose between, 6, 9, 12, 24 or 30-hours of running. Thankfully Richard choose six hours!
We had only ever trained runners up to 26.2 miles, so this training would be a new and challenging experience. While it was a new experience, I drew upon the same principles of training used in other previous runners. I was challenged for sure, but Richard was a great student and ultimately completed the event, running 36 miles. While I am proud of the training I provided, much of the credit goes to Richard and his awesome attitude.
Morgan was another new addition last year and her goal was more than recreational. This young woman reached out to us because her goal is to join the FBI, and she will need to pass a fitness requirement. The challenge is her limited fitness experience and zero running. Thankfully she has given herself ample time to prepare, and thanks to her positive attitude, she is making wonderful progress. I am fully confident she will be ready when the time has come for her to test. I am so proud of her.
As I said, this week I met with another runner (Robert), who has a unique goal of competing in a HYROX event. If you are wondering what a “HYROX” event is, I had no idea myself. This is more a cross-training event, where you run eight separate intervals of one kilometer, with some type of fitness exercise in between. While it may not be as challenging as some other events, it can be difficult if you want to perform at a high level, as Robert desires. When he gave me the details of his training and his history, I honestly could not understand how we could help him. However, he explained his desire to compete at a high level, and this would require him to run stronger and faster than he has been able to with his own training. As we talked more, I thought about ways to improve his training and he liked my thinking, so here we go!
I spend a lot of time studying the science of running and fitness, as well as improving upon training methods, and while unique goals can be challenging and intimidating, they are also great opportunities to grow as coach and trainer. My growth as a coach will continue thanks to these clients who put their trust in NFLF. Also, the fun which comes with a unique goal really helps motivate me.
So, there you go, a little insight into what we have been doing at No Finish Line Fitness. Hope you enjoyed it. If you have a running goal, we are here for you!
Have a great weekend and God Bless!
Mike
