Tuesday Night Track & some Reflections

Our 104TX group is now the Houston Half Marathon and Double Secret Full Marathon training group. We are back at our Tuesday night track workouts and we had a pretty good group tonight for either 2 x 2 miles ( half ) or a 4 mile tempo ( full ) workout. Kim Hager is back from her Ironman in Florida where she had a good outing finishing 14th among 28 pro women in 10:20:47 for the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike & 26.2 mile run. Track workouts are always more fun when Kim is running the show. I actually ran a few laps tonight and was really surprised that I could accelerate my pace up very easily. There might be some hope for the future.

When I was in San Francisco one of our Team Woodlands runners mentioned to me just how much influence I actually had on her and the team. I know she reads this blog so let me just say it was one of the nicest things I've been told in a long time and it really made my year. I love running and I love coaching. I do get caught up in workouts and times and strategies and all that goes with preparing for a race. I know in my heart that everyone will be successful if they work the training plan. My goal is for everyone to enjoy their accomplishment and I always view it as their accomplishment. They do the work, they run the race. When I was told that I was a big part of a runners success and that there was no other option other than for her to finish because of the work I put in....I didn't know what to say. So I'll say it now.....Thank You Kristin for letting me be part of your success.


On the same subject....Kim Hager sent this note to our Team tonight with her recap of 2006.

When I wrote down my racing goals for 2006 I was just one week post-knee surgery, and had no idea what I would encounter throughout the upcoming season. As I crossed the finish line at Ironman Florida on November 4th, my season ended and I was able to check off only one of the several goals I had written down for this year. According to most people’s standards this would not be considered a successful season. Yet, it has not been for waste, as I have learned a lot about myself, including whether or not I ‘walk the talk’ or just ‘talk the talk’ and more importantly, I have discovered that success is not solely defined by the clock, my finish position, or a coveted Kona slot.

When talking with a good friend recently, I confided in him that I was a little disappointed in that I had not been able to accomplish more this season, but he was quick to remind me of something very important…and that is the accomplishments I have made by touching other people’s lives. I was immediately humbled. Yes, there is satisfaction in achieving a PR, or earning a slot to Kona, but the accomplishments that matter most to me are those that are more enduring than a particular race result. Nobody is going to remember if I finished 8th, 14th, or 100th. In fact, I would much rather be remembered for making a positive impact on somebody’s life by inspiring them to be more than they ever imagined possible. So, when I look back and analyze this year to determine whether or not it was successful, I realize that I achieved far more than what I was able to check off on paper.

I did not give up when things got tough. I stuck to the course and did the best that I could do at the time. Stumbling blocks or stepping stones…I chose to view my adversity as the latter. It is easy to talk about persevering when things are going well, so I hope I exemplified tenacity and perseverance and did not just talk about it. As a running coach for Luke’s Locker, I received more joy in helping other’s accomplish their goals than I ever imagined was possible. It is much easier to instruct others to “not give up” and to keep thinking positive in the face of adversity, but I found myself having to follow my own advice. Through it all, I hope I have motivated others to test their limits, believe in themselves, and teach others that regardless of the differences in our individual goals and talents, the one thing that connects each and every one of us is the effort we put forth to achieve our goals.

Through my journey this year I have looked to the great John Wooden for words of wisdom. As my final thought, I would like to share some of his wisdom…“And that along the way you never cease trying to be the best you can be-that you always strive for your personal best. That is success. And don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.”

Happy Training.

Coach Kim


I have an essay that is written by a non runner who wrote about her neice running her first marathon and she sums up the day as "a great example of humans at their best"......because of the support for one another, from the crowds, the volunteers, everyone.

I believe we can expand it to include all the training groups and the network of bloggers. We all inspire and motivate each other. "Humans at their Best"