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I’m a nationally ranked master runner in the 50-54 age group and a RRCA certified distance running coach but want to point out that I don’t think of myself as an especially talented runner. I did not run track or cross country in high school or college but I did sit on the bench for freshman basketball and was one of the shortest and slowest guys on the team. So much for any natural talent at being fast. 
I ran for fitness in my early 20′s and ran 4 marathons back during the first running boom. I worked my way down over four years from a 4:15 first marathon to a 2:49 by training consistently and increasing my running volume and intensity. I then stopped because of the time demands of college. I continued to remain physically active in my 30′s and 40′s with the emphasis on Olympic distance triathlons, bike centuries, mountain bike riding and fitness running. When I returned to marathon training with the goal of qualifying and running Boston, I studied a wide variety of training methods and approached my running seriously. I have great respect for the marathon distance and knew that without a proper base and consistent training I would either end up injured or being under prepared.
Once my goals of qualifying for and running Boston were achieved, I progressively moved my goals up. I tried not to put any artificial barriers on what my potential might be. With each training cycle I would see some improvements and those small goals met would fuel the fire to get to the next goal. I learned that while consistency is important, variety makes a better runner. Each cycle I would try a slightly different approach to work on weak areas and to expand on my ever improving fitness. I was becoming a more dynamic runner and made improvements at everything from the 5K to 50 miles.
I also started coaching other runners. A couple who had a long time dream of running Boston but were 30 minutes over their respective qualifying time asked me to train them. For 6 months they followed my program. Both qualified and went on to run the 2009 Boston Marathon, achieving a life goal! This was an enormously satisfying experience for me. I decided to learn more about coaching and completed the RRCA coaching certification program.
I have worked with USA Olympic Trials Qualifiers, Ultra distance runners, Triathletes and those with shorter distance focus. Some have the goal to finally finish a marathon strong and others mainly want to run injury free and experience more joy in their running. So far I have worked with runners from age 11 to 61, male and female, across a wide spectrum of running experience.
If you have a strong desire and motivation to run closer to your potential and would like to find out more about my coaching services, please contact me.
Run Your Potential!
John