Micksta Coaching

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  • On this thread I've only made two points:

    1. That in my view coaches either need to have qualifications or be (or have been) very good runners themselves; and

    2. To clarify the statement: "I will run in Beijing in 2008".

    As a result someone is 'irratated by my atitude' and another says I 'have a bee in my bonnet'.

    When you are considering getting some coaching advice from someone isn't it ok to find a little about the person and their skills. That is all my two points were doing. I'm not ill mannered and I'm a little surprised my posts were perceived in this way.

    Being encouraging is good but not blind acceptance which is quite another thing.

    Julian
  • SezzSezz ✭✭✭
    Micksta, if you'd like to help me get sub 2 hours for a half then I'd love that. What info do you need from moi?
  • JRM- my county team manager has no coaching qualifications whatsoever, yet he has trained a host of sub 9 minute 3k runners, and his latest trainee, although he's now relocated to the USA, was rapidly closing on an international slot. My team manager wasn't a particularly good runner either.

    So no qualifications, no true running experience at the highest level, and yet he has managed to train some brilliant runners and in addition motivate a large county team including raising a massive amount of funding for some CG athletes. Managed to get me into the sport as a 10:40 3k runner by getting me a non scoring place on the county team and we're still regularly in contact (he's never coached me). He's also been a major play in the "resistance" against the AAA being replaced by England Athletics.

    Incidentally right next to him at coaching is someone coaching similar events, who hs all his UKA coaching badges and is a member of the "establishment" as it were. He's not had half the success despite being funneled some very good female athletes.

    Surprising how he manages to coach succesfully without either experience or qualifications isn't it?
  • I don't disagree that someone without either qualifications or being a good runner could be a successful coach. So no it isn't surprising. I'm not a muppet.

    Personally, if I was going to look for a coach who was just starting out (someone like Micksta for instance) I would want them to either have qualifctns or be a very good runner themselves.

    For the record I would obviously consider a coach who has neither of these but who has a proven track record.
  • I agree with JRM, but don't want to get into this argument right now.

    Micksta - you could possibly try offering your coaching services to someone at your club first before you release your methods on the web world. The recipients of this coaching could then feedback on your technique and if you are deemed 'good enough' to impart knowledge, then try the forum idea.
  • Know anyone at Barnsley AC who needs coaching services?:-)
  • Micksta - where will you be getting your coaching philosophy from? I recall that if you weren't sub 34 mins for 10k by May you were to come under the coaching wing of a former clubmate of yours at Maidstone Harriers.

    Will you be advising people to run 80+mpw with no speedwork and twice weekly work sessions at marathon pace or slower to begin with?

    :-))
  • I think it would be fair to assume that most people who are club members will have access to a coach and probably follow some sort of structured training schedule,therefore they have the ability to speak to their coach about any concerns/advice etc

    i dont see any problem with people making their own choice to use micksta as a coach,esp if they are not club members and have no coach

    lets face it we could all pick up a running magazine and find a schedule for any distance we wanted to run,but sometimes we just need someone to take an interest in our training to get that little bit extra out out of us.
  • Micksta
    good on you
    but are you going to have the time to do this?
  • I think everyone is entitled to there own opionions regarding who they would like to be coached or given some advice over regarding running.

    Im all for freedom of speech, its fine on this thread, so long as its not `insulting` in a bad taste, I have not read any comments which have `insulted` me in anyway so far :)

    BR:
    Hmmmm yes thats whilst a certain someone was still actually running and involved in our sport, not sure im gonna accept being given programs by a farmer no wayeee, hes gonna have to show some more commitment to running first! :)

    JANEM:
    Lochabre will be a better measure to how far youve progressed in the training, hills either up or down can loose you a lot of time in Marathons, even half marathons as well.

    SEZZ:
    I would need to know what your current training is, how many runs per week your doing etc etc, how much time you have free to train, race results so far and your goals as a runner, if your looking for a personal coach type advice, then best I do this via email, if its just some advice on certain parts of your training then post on the thread and your get a good response I suspect.

    With regard time to coach, I can answer questions on a daily basis to some degree, personal coaching I could only take on so many people, again im not a qualified coach so my advice is as a `runner, having trained in a gym for last 8-10years and old programes and schedules I have`

  • Micksta - I applaud your offer to coach and wish you good luck. I also agree with those who state that there is no need to have been a great runner to be a great coach - although I'd say it usually helps to have been (or still are) a fairly active runner with some appreciation of runners actually have to go through. Furthermore, coaching qualifications, in themselves, clearly do not make a competent coach.

    However, it might be worth you outlining some of your experiences of running - the type of training you do, and the times you have run. Perhaps you could also explain a bit more why you want to 'coach' and what you think you have to offer and maybe talk a little about what training/coaching influences you have. Are a disciple of Lydiard or Horwill, or Hadd or Daniels? Have you read Tim Noakes' "The Lore of Running" from cover to cover?

    AND, this thread is a good example of things can quickly be sidetracked - you haven't even done any coaching yet and it's already on the third page. You'll probably want to actually start coaching on a different thread to this I reckon.



  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    Micksta

    Good luck, I will check and see what you say to people

    ps. I wish I was as AVERAGE as you

    Ultra Gobi :¬)
  • BAZZA:
    Most of my serious coaching or advice to people will be done through emails, for sure, I would not be able to post individual programs on the thread mainly as you just pointed out, the sidetracking factor, they would be open for disecting and this would confuse the runner I had intended the program for, so the coaching side will be on a personal basis.

    This thread will be pretty general,I will answer general questions as will others who read the thread.

    GOBI:
    Its good being just average! :p
  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    Micksta

    for sure and I aspire to be as averagely fast as you mate. I'm getting quicker but then looking at your times so are you.

    I notice that one of the biggest differences between are training is the pace that you do so many of your runs at.

    Doing Ultra I spend a lot of time between 8-9 min miles and only do 1 really hard session a week.

  • Ultra Gobi:
    Most my runs are at LT pace or above, with some slower sessions during the week for recovery.

    Im trying to increase the pace of my LSD runs as well, its worked well over xmas doing this, but it will take a few more weeks before the pace comes to me.

    But with my training I do try and listern to my body and if im a really bad way, then I will skip a session or slow the pace down as required.
  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    good to see I have a firm grasp of English again
  • Micksta - Sounds great that you have an interest in coaching, you should persue it if you enjoy it. However, I would definately do some formal qualification as well, coaching does not only cover the technical side, often only a small part. Reason for mentioning this, is at our track, parents bring their kids for a session and the question often comes up "is this is a qualified coach?". Obviously parents would not feel comfortable handing over their kids to a coach, who is not qualified.

    Bryn - I know the coach you refer to :) Nonetheless, I would say it it is easy to work with runners who have already a lot of talent.


  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    Micksta

    I also spend a lot of time listening to my body(too many injuries) and have increased the pace only slightly of all my LSD and general runs. My training speeds were calculated using the Oregon calculator and working out which of all my PBs set me up to train at the fastest pace
  • URR:
    Good point, and for sure if I decide in a few years to train down at my club then I would take the necessary qualifications, in fact, my club would insist on me doing so before they would let me coach!

  • What does your club say, though, about you coaching online? Maybe you should do some formal qualification first before you offer any nuggets of advice....
  • URR- I thought you might! He's still doing a great job though, particularly with the lad that just left, he was absolutely flying. The two lads at my club that have very similar (one slightly faster the other slightly slower) PRs to him at 8 and 15 haven't been able to get close to him this XC season. Over the last few months he's been flying. just a pity he's headed off now.

    He's also got a knack of his athletes peaking at the right time. One of his lads was sprinting to try and catch me at a met league last year and I just held on for a two second lead, come nationals (a few weeks later) he finished 30th whilst I was languishing just outside the top 100!

    That said yes, his athletes do have a fair amount of natural talent.

    Gobi- Micksta trains at a pace faster than I do unless I'm doing a track or interval workout. I'm not quite sure as to how he does it! Most of the time I run at 7-8 m/m.

    Micksta- not sure if you're coached or not atm (last I heard you were having some arguments with your coach about mileage!), but if you are you'll need to check with your coach if he's okay with you coaching.
  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    Bryn

    I use to train faster but it just wore me out and I found I was running well in training but not converting it in racing.

    Now I run higher mileage at a slower pace and voila I am getting quicker at 35 :¬)
  • Hi Micksta

    Sent you an e-mail - let me know if you get it

    Ta
  • Ahhh, Ultra Gobi, you've said so yourself. Run slower, steadier, but more miles and you've improved! I've done the same in 2005 (increasing from 4 runs a week to 6/7 and 35-40M to 45-50M a week) and have PBs for all distances up to HM.

    Hmmmm, what more can be said...
  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    FL

    Every distance from 5 miles to 56 miles with the exception of 10K as I did not race any.

    I often run twice a day and am doing 50-65 miles a week

    1 Speed session a week :¬)
  • Another Comrades runner? Blimey, you lot get around!
  • HM4HM4 ✭✭✭
    Micksta,

    I was training to be a ski club instructor until I did some more ligament damage to a knee.

    The initial training was a weekend course, then I had to find myself a coach mentor. The first time I took a lesson I had 3 on the same day and initially started helping my mentor then progressed to taking the last lesson myself with the coach assisting me.

    After that I was allowed to take any beginners lesson up to a certain level providing there was a qualifed coach or BASI ski instructor to keep an eye on me.

    I also had to attend a weekend first aid course and be checked by the police as I was going to be working with kids. The police check was done as soon as I applied to become a Trainee ski club instructor.

    Unfortunately I didn't complete the training because of my knee however I had about 70 hours in my log book.


    I guess the moral of this little essay is that no would be coach can expect to do a course and then get the slip of paper. Or for that matter when people require coaching they have to bear in mind that it is one thing to be able to do the sport in question. However the skills to be a coach need to be learnt and acquired and a course isn't going to do that you need hours of practise at coaching before they will give you the slip of paper!
  • Micksta, I'd tend to agree with HY4 why not go and do the level one course? It's a one day course and costs £50. That way no-one would question your desire to coach/credentials and you could start logging some serious experience.

    I guess it depends whether you want to end up coaching seriously/professionally? Or whether you're just looking for a bit of a hobby? I suppose it's fair enough to try it out for a couple of months before committing to the course if you prefer.

    Your posts so far have been excellent, very balanced and sensible, reacting positively to everyone's imput and taking each imput seriously. I think you could turn out to be good at this. Good luck!!! I will be keeping an eye out and interested to see how things go when the actual 'coaching' starts.

    You could always call it 'mentoring' if people are upset by you callin yourself a coach.
  • HM4HM4 ✭✭✭
    Micksta,

    I would be interested in receiving coaching and will be droping you an email shortly.
  • My club does have a mentoring/coaching program set up, to devlop new coaches within the club, so it would be pretty easy for me to take a UKA Level 1 course and part of the course is assiting a high level coach in there training group, so I could help my current coach with our group!

    With regard my training pace, I tend to train pretty much to the regime that Frank Horwill has set some of his runners, though my track sessions are not as meaty and my LSD Runs slower, though im attempting to up the pace in these as well.

    I guess `MENTORING` is probably the correct term I should use for myself, until such time Ive a proven record or a proper qualification, as maybe calling myself COACH is giving the wrong impression to some people?

    JAGGY J:
    Yes I recieved the email and shall be replying shortly! :)

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