EVEN COACHES NEED COACHES
EVEN COACHES NEED COACHES
I’ve been lucky. Like really lucky. It’s almost unbelievable just how lucky I’ve been when it comes to coaches. I’d love to say that all coaches are great. But that’s not true. And a coach shouldn’t lie to an athlete. That’s why I can tell you that I’ve been lucky. Really lucky. And I can also tell you that I tend to get redundant to drive a point home.
I had coaches when I was just a little kid that not only loved the sport… they wanted us to love it too! Sure, they wanted us to run fast. But they wanted us to feel fast. And if you want a kid to come back to practice make sure they feel fast when they are with you. I felt fast when I ran in middle school. And I was never… never ever… not once… the fastest kid on the team. But it was never just about where you finished a race when I was running for those coaches. It was about so much more. But it was mostly about having fun. It was about playing running. And all these years later I’m still heading out for runs because I never want to stop playing. I remember that when I coach now. Percy Rajani, George and Rosemary Kochman. They were my coaches when I was a kid. And when I coach people today they are with me.
Later, I was lucky to go to a high school that had a great cross country and track & field program. And if you were a part of those programs you felt like you were a part of the most important program in the world. Yeah, I’m including all sports and all levels. And yeah, I’m talking about all sports and all levels anywhere and everywhere. We felt that what we were doing was some truly epic sh!+. It was exciting. It was high stakes. It was hard. And it was only possible if we were all about one we and not a whole bunch of me’s. We won together. We lost together. We stayed together. I remember that now when I coach. I know that we need great teammates if we want to accomplish great things. And I know that we can be our own best (and worst) teammates. I was so lucky to have Tom Heath and Dave Duh and Tim Sewnig as my coaches. When I coach people to be great teammates to others and to themselves those coaches are there with me.
I ran in college. And I was lucky to have a coach that had been to all those mountaintops that I dreamed of getting to. She didn’t have access to state of the art treadmills or new age recovery techniques or free sports medicine. She just had access to roads and trails and a seemingly bottomless reservoir of grit and perseverance. It was one of the hardest lessons for me to get. I wanted to believe that it was everything I didn’t have that was holding me back. My coach Joan (Nesbit) Mabe was trying to teach me that it was everything I had that I wasn’t using that was holding me back. Take advantage of your advantages. Embrace your weaknesses. Give your best. Believe in yourself. And maybe… maybe you reach those mountaintops of yours. She ran herself to World Championships and the Olympic Games. I saw that it wasn’t pixie dust that got her there. And it wasn’t luck. She ran herself there. I was lucky to get those lessons. And when I coach athletes now and remind them that it’s what they do and what they got inside them that’s going to get them where they need to go I’ve got Coach Mabe with me.
I ran after college too. My first coach after I graduated North Carolina was Jeff Johnson. He’s the badass running next to me in the picture above. Jeff held me back. He held me back from outrunning myself. I always thought I needed to do more and do more right now. I always thought I needed to run faster and run faster right now. I always thought that enough was never enough. Really, I was just unconfident and insecure in who I was. I didn’t believe that this me was a version of me that was good enough. Jeff believed in me though. He believed in all his athletes. And we trusted him. Because he never lied to us. He trusted me to do what I needed to do instead of what I wanted to do. So I started to trust myself. He believed I could run and run fast and run smart and maybe even run myself to one of my own mountaintops. So I started to believe in myself. When I build a relationship with an athlete based on trust I have Jeff Johnson with me. When I believe in an athlete… even when… especially when they don’t believe in the themselves… Jeff is there coaching with me.
The last coach I had when I was running competitively was Frank “Gags” Gagliano. He was loud. Intense. Focused. And I imagine an outsider would think that it was stressful to run for a coach like that. It was anything but that. Because the most important component of his training plans had nothing to do with volume or intensity or strength training. It wasn’t the makeup of his speed sessions or the racing strategies he gave us. It was love. He loved the sport. He loved the puzzle that training was. He loved the struggle and he loved the effort the sport demanded. He loved the barriers and breakthroughs that the sport presented. But more than anything he loved us. And we knew it. And we ran better because we knew he loved us. We were able to work harder and take greater risks and handle bigger setbacks because we knew someone loved us no matter what happened out there on the track. When I coach now I want every athlete to know they are loved. I want them to know they are safe. Because I know that an athlete will be able to be more wholly who they are when they are loved and feel safe. And I know we are at our best when we are who we are truly meant to be. I’ve got Gags with me every day I coach.
The coach I’ve had longer than any other is Coach Bennett the Greater. That’s my wife tammie. She’s been a teammate of mine too. I bet if you look back you’ll see that some of the best coaches you’ve ever had were teammates. After all, they spend more time with you than a coach does. They’re with you out there on the trails and track and roads. They warm up and cool down with you before and after great races and not so great ones too. They sit next to you on the bus rides when you’re full of nerves and silence or when that bus is filled with music and celebration.
Tammie has always led by example. And I saw that there is no stronger example than a real life example. She dreamed big. Worked hard. Took risks. She was vulnerable. Confident. Supportive. She never cut corners. She never quit on someone. She showed up. She was and has always been real and true and trying her best to be her best. And now, when I coach, I know that the athletes I serve deserve the best version of me. I know that I can always do my best to be my best and that that’s the only way I can ask athletes to do the same. It’s Coach Tammie there with me every day I give my best to my athletes.
When I coach I have all these people with me. And I have so many more people too. Vin Lananna and Jack Daniels and Jerry Schumacher and Bob Meier and Steve Brody and Mike Whittlesey and Tony Avallone. I’ve got teammates that coached me on runs and before and after races. I’ve got teachers that coached me from the front of a classroom. I’ve been coached by authors and singers and film makers and doctors and nurses. I’ve been coached by people I’ve raced with or other coaches I’ve competed with. I’ve been coached by my family and my friends and I’ve been coached by complete strangers. The great coach Bill Bowerman once said that if you have a body you’re an athlete. I believe that. All you need to do is use that body.
But, I also believe that if you have a heart you are a coach. All you need to do is use that heart you got. I’ve had so many people in my life use their heart. I’ve been lucky. Because even coaches need coaches.
RUNNING DOESN’T SUCK
Running doesn’t suck. Running the wrong way does. Running hard when you’re supposed to run easy sucks. Running long when you should really run short sucks. Running hurt when you’re not supposed to run at all sucks. More running when what you need is more recovery sucks. Forgetting that running won’t always be easy but isn’t always supposed to be hard sucks. Running against yourself instead of for yourself sucks. Running as a punishment sucks. Running to lose something instead of gain something sucks.
Believe me, I know we can do all sorts of things to make running suck. But it’s not supposed to! Running is meant to make you more of who you are meant to be… not less. Running is supposed to lift you up… not beat you down. Every single run is supposed to end with you better in some way. Running can help you get fitter, faster, stronger, happier, less stressed, more joyful, confident, braver, happier. Running is for everyone and there is room on the starting line for everybody.
So, get to that line and cross it. Something extraordinary is waiting for you on the other side. And it doesn’t suck.
NEW COACH BENNETT PODCASTS
I think you better cancel any plans you have. Because there are a whole bunch of new episodes of Coach Bennett’s Podcast waiting for you. Enjoy! And thank you for listening. Also, please follow the show on the platform you use to listen and maybe even leave a review and rating. I really appreciate it.
BEST RUNNER EVER: SUMMER ‘25
That’s right! We’re back baby! Best Runner Ever: Summer Edition is coming our way this July. We’ll be meeting twice a week for group zoom calls. The epic and badass community that is the foundation for all Best Runner Evers will be there. We’re going to do everything we can top make sure you not only get closer to that Best Runner Ever you have inside you but also have your best summer of running ever. We’ve opened registration so make sure you get your spot! Cheers!
Register and confirm your spot for Best Runner Ever : Summer '25 here!
I LOVE PUNK ROCK TRACK & FIELD!!
The USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships took place last weekend. I imagine most people didn’t know that. I wish everyone did. I wish all the top athletes raced there too. I’m biased. I absolutely LOVE Indoor T&F. It’s cramped and loud and chaotic and seems to be on fast forward teh entire time. Indoor tracks are usually half the size of an outdoor track. The turns are short. The straightaways are short. The tracks are banked. You can hear the athletes running. Moves need to be made quickly. There’s going to be bumping and shoving. There’s just not enough room. I love it. I love it all. It’s straight punk rock track & field. And I love punk rock.
Okay, why an I waxing on and on about indoors. Well, this season has been the best season ever for Indoor T&F. That’s one reason. You need to know that. It’s your sport after all. Another reason is that I want you to watch two videos. The first one (is the video above thiss story and) is the Men’s 1500m race from this most recent US Indoor meet. A great athlete by the name of Hobbs Kessler ran a very interesting race plan, He took the lead and then fought every single attempt by to take his lead. It’s a really difficult way to run a race. Some woudl say a stupid way to run a race. He’s forced to react to every move that’s made by any competitor that trues to pass him. But, the thing is… Kessler isn’t stupid. He’s just supremely confident AND obviously wanted to put himself in a tough situation. It was a super fun race to watch. And it showcased a young miler that is not only confident but also willing to experiment in major races to better himself for even bigger races.
That’s the first video I want you to watch. The second video is the 1983 Millrose Games Boys Mile (and can be found below this story). It’s a mirror image of the Kessler race. Mike Stahr takes the lead early and then fights what seems to be every other boy in the race over the course of the mile. Watch how he makes sure to hold off every challenger by getting to the turn first, Super savvy. Because it’s harder to pass on a turn than it is to pass on a straight. And remember, this is a teenager racing in front of 18,000 people at Madison Square Garden. That crowd is going wild by the end. Great racing is great racing. Doesn’t matter how old you are or what the time on the clock says. Maybe remember that the next time you race. And who knows… maybe the next time you race it will be on an indoor track. There’s room there on the starting line for you.
That’s a wrap! Thank you for reading another issue of Coach bennett’s Newsletter. I hope you enjoyed it. And I hope you know that reading and running is awesome. And since it’s the verbs that I believe make up the nouns I guess that makes you awesome!
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Cheers and thank you for reading!
Coach Bennett
When I was a teacher, I realized that a good teacher and good coach were the same thing. I also coached and I did as much teaching to my athletes as I did coaching to my students. You are right, it’s all about love…love for learning, love for sport, love of life. Good article! I’m lucky to be, as you, a friend of Doug.
Back in the 90s, I lived in the DC metro area and was friends with Christi Contantin (now Ireland), who was, at the time, part of Gagliano's Reebok Enclave. She raved about him and what Wonder coach and person he was.