Coach the Coach Experience at Orangetheory Fitness (OTF)

Being a coach is a rewarding career. We get the opportunity to affect positive change in people’s lives through strafegic coaching that has been developed of years of experience. But who coaches the coach? Who motivates the motivator? Sometimes we get wrapped up in our clients and program designs that we tend to disregard the fact that we could use a little coaching here and there, too. Thats why last nignt’s coach the coaches experience at Orangetheory Fitness SouthTampa proved to be a much needed and long over due adventure. It brought all of us OTF coaches together in one high energy power pack class. I felt the surge the moment I walked in. All the coaches were amped up anticipating the workoutJeff Cogell was about to put us through. And boy let me tell he did not take it easy on us offering up a killer treadmill session that nearly made me puke and a strength training block that I am still feeling several hours later. I think at one point I mouth the words “I hate you” as I was walking to the rower after performing a series of difficult yet effective exercises. One thing I am grateful for is Melissa Class’ encouragment. There were moments I wanted to let up but she reminded me that I could do this and she was right! This is what its all about. Coaches getting together and motivating each other to push harder. It was also great to have members like Lindsey Morgan and Jenny Boots be a part of and witness this experience. I am thrilled to be a part of OTF coaching team.

a stoners guide to not so casual marathon training part III by Donald Vincent Fountain

If you have a run marathon at some point in time in your life, chances are you also know the Boston Qualifying time for your age.  To obtain or just entertain yourself with the thought of taking part in the most prestigious endurance event in America is a pipe dream most people have taken part in at one time or another……for me it has been a pipe dream I have had while puffing the pipe and dreaming.  Either way wearing that blue and gold is something I definitely hope to achieve before I die….scratch that, WILL ACHIEVE BEFORE I DIE, which interestingly enough is impossible anyway since I’m invinceable and all.  My last attempt was a little heartbreaking to say the least.  Balls deep into my training to run my 3.10 requirement last year, the marathon association decided to drop the times to qualify, adjusting my time to sub 3.05………awesome……NOT.  Some of you might say, “Scoot, 5 minutes over the course of 26.2 miles ain’t no thang dawg.”  Marinate on this for a hot second, a 3.10 finish is 7.15 minute mile, a 3.05 finish is a 7.03 minute mile, just shy of a 7 minutes per mile for over 26 milesssss.  To put things into perspective, next time you jump in your car reset your trip odometer and see how long it takes, and how far you drive before you hit 26 miles.  It’ll blow your mind.  So I regress, I had been training to run 7.15 miles and then they throw me for a loop and require me to bang out 7.03’s, I thought just like you probably did, no biggie, and in fact day of, I felt great……I even slayed a 6.15 mile mid way through I felt so good…….too easy I thought…..why not try going for sub 3………FUCK……my legs are literally not functioning and I am beginning to question my ability to finish……with about 3 miles left I had slowed my pace to the point it would be virtually impossible to make 3.05 without digging deep, hitting a meth pipe, and attaching rockets to my back.  That was my breaking point which I still vividly remember.  I came here confident in qualifying for Boston, talking shit on facebook (hard to believe right), people following my bib number on the website, friends and family tuning into every update and now I know it’s not going to happen with 3 miles left to the finish…..I literally just wanted to walk off the course, disappear into the crowd and change my name.  However, I persevered and shuffled to the finish with my tail between my legs and a commitment to myself to never do another marathon again.  But like most people that  say the same thing, it was only a matter of time before enough time had passed to begin to forget about all the pain, blood, sweat, tears, and exhausting dedication training for a marathon takes, and the dream of qualifying for Boston began to creep back in.

So, here I am today, once again balls deep into some sort of self imposed masochistic training program where I have worked my way up to 3 hour long runs on my weekends, gnarly speed work on the track with Coach Dror and Progressive Training at University of Tampa (my alma mater) once a week, and a multitude of high intensity strength training and 4-8 mile runs thrown in throughout the rest of the week to ensure a steady acute pain in my legs every time I attempt to sit down on a toilet.  I have reached the point where I need to step my training up from casual pothead status to committed and dedicated pothead status.  I am about 93% sure I am running in Jacksonville Marathon end of December, thanks to Troy King and First Place Sports for the hookup, I think.  Shits about to get real.  Now I gotta go smoke a bowl, just the thought of it is stressing me out.