Unleash Your Potential with Expert Running Coaching
2022 was the first year I signed up for running coaching. To be honest, it felt a bit poncy – I am an ordinary runner, with no discernible talent of which to speak; I put in the hours, I plod along, I get an odd PB here and there, I finish the big stuff with (mostly) time to spare, but I was, quite decidedly, an average runner. Then the date for Comrades 2022 was announced and I panicked. I don’t know how to run a Comrades in August! Does one still do Kudus, Dischem, Striders and then a marathon in the month of January? Or do you pretend it’s December until March and then start training? What do I do about running in the depths of a Johannesburg winter?
Enter Oliver Ruhl. Oliver and I have been running for the same club for numerous years and from the start of our running journey together, he was familiar with my pace, ability, potential, and soon my running goals. I had two caveats from the start. I have a job which requires I travel…A LOT. I needed a running plan that would be adaptable and take this into account. (I also like wine. A LOT. But I kept this to myself for the time being). Secondly, I wasn’t prepared to do a long run at 4 am during the middle of the week on my own. As it turned out, neither were a problem, and that was exactly what I needed. The pressures of work and daily life were enough - I needed a program to fit in with my life as seamlessly as possible. And that is exactly what I got.
As the year progressed, I learnt that coaching has everything to do with running….and nothing to do with running. It is so much more than just a structured program, some nutritional advice, a pacing chart, and a good luck pat on the back. I would go so far as to say the dedication required from the coach equates that required from the athlete – accessibility, honesty, dedication and a huge dose of optimism and positivity were but a few things Oliver offered me.
In the days leading up to my big events, namely the qualifying marathon, Easter 100, and Comrades itself, I was consistently a bundle of nerves, doubting myself and doubting the program. The training was different to anything I had ever done before. (Who doesn’t do a 60km long run leading up to Comrades?! Does this man know what he’s doing?). Oliver kept telling me, sometimes daily that I was more thancapable, and he would be by my side for the duration of each of these big events, which often put him on the receiving end of many an acerbic comment. And yet…drumroll please…. the program worked. I was achieving times I never thought possible, and I began to hold a sliver of hope that maybe a Bill Rowan was within my reach. I bettered my marathon time by about 10 minutes, I ran a three day 100 kilometre event which I had never done before, and I had a kick-ass Comrades experience, improving my down run time by a staggering 45 minutes.
I missed out on a Bill Rowan by under ten minutes, but the other lessons I learnt in terms of strategy, nutrition and pacing made this almost pale in comparison. It took a long time, but I finally learnt to trust in the program, trust in my training, trust in my coach and most importantly... trust in myself. Watch out Bill, I am coming for you in 2023!
