Today, I bring you Meredith from over at FitNiceRunner. She is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer, she owns her own PT business, and is a USA Track and Field Level I Coach. One of her big goals is to run 50 Half Marathons in 50 States–amazing right? Meredith is a fellow Sweat Pink and Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador and has a wealth of knowledge to share when it comes to running. Because of this, I asked her to tell us a bit about her expereince on becoming a USATF Level I Coach.
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USATF Level I Coaching Certification
Hi everyone! This is Meredith from over at FitNiceRunner. I’m an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and USA Track and Field Level I Coach who lives in Virginia Beach, owns FitNicePT and is happy to be here to tell you about my USATF certification.
I was a runner in my middle and high school days then took a long hiatus due to knee problems before rediscovering my passion for the sport in 2012. I built strength and slowly starting running again, bracing my knee and fighting off a case or two of tendonitis to run my first half in November of that year. Over the next few months I was approached by several clients for help and advice in preparing for their upcoming races. I had a blast helping these ladies and gentlemen reach new PRs and it made me want to become a better running coach.
In order to provide the best possible coaching I can, I decided to register for a USA Track and Field’s Level One Coaching Certification Course and learn more. I completed the course this past March and am so glad I did. There was a bit of recommended reading before taking the three day, 21 hour course but nothing was required.
Things got rolling Friday evening and it flew by. The class was full of coaches from up and down the east coast and their faces were of every shape, size and age. It’s amazing how accepting and diverse the running world is. There really is a place for anyone, especially those who want to help others improve. We covered the USATF Philosophy, basic sport Psychology, and basic running Physiology during Friday’s session. It was a great review of things I’ve learned through my training career while picking up a few new tidbits of sport related information.
Saturday morning kicked off around 8:30 with a valuable outline of Biomechanics then rolled right into Training Theory and Sprints/Hurdles before lunch. I was familiar with the first two subjects, but beyond my meager attempts at crashing through a few hurdles and some not-so-fast sprints in high school, I really didn’t know much about these events, especially how to coach them. I thought it was really interesting how each of the track and field disciplines ties together. I’m a distance runner, coaching distance runners but speed work is an important element of long distance training. Learning more about it, how to do it properly and some new workout variable was both interesting and valuable.
After lunch we covered the second half of the Sprints/Hurdles curriculum, worked through the Biomotor section and wrapped up the twelve hour day with my favorite topic, the Endurance Events. I had a great talk with the instructor once the lecture wrapped up and got lots of advice on half marathon training that will be a big help in guiding both my clients and myself through upcoming races.
It was back to finish up Sunday morning with the Throwing Events before lunch and close the educational experience with the Jumps Events. Much like the Sprint and Hurdle Events, I knew a bit about the Throws and Jumps but these two sections were definitely the most foreign to me. It was neat to see how some of the technical elements of the Jumps Events are similar to the Sprint Events because it helped me understand the mechanics.
A short closing signaled the end of the 21 hour endeavor and I walked away with a brain swimming in information I couldn’t wait to share with clients and apply to my own training. The instructors were great. They were enthusiastic, incredibly knowledgeable and more than willing to answer questions so we could grow as coaches. I decided during my drive back to Virginia Beach to take my 200 question Level One Coaching Exam the next morning. Even though the exam is open book, I really wanted to see what I retained and put mine away. The lengthy exam took more time than expected but I knocked out a 97% and became an official USATF Level I Coach.
The course covers lots of events, disciplines, key physical and important coaching points making it a solid base for any coaching career. One of the biggest benefits from being in a classroom with 50 other coaches for 20+ hours is the sharing of experiences, training and psychological management tips. With this Level I certification anyone can go on to coach runners of any age in any variety of settings. This course made me a more better coach, a better runner and I hope to do the Endurance Level II in the next two or three years!
Thanks to Sara for letting me take over her blog for the day! I’d love to help you reach your next PR. Please Tweet, Facebook, comment or email me and let’s get started.
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Question of the day
Does you want to become certified as a running coach? Have you ever used a running coach before?
