Jason Bailey Massage Therapist

16/02/2022

It looked like it was all over. Having left the World Tour at the end of 2017, Jani Brajkovič was racing at a Continental level the followi...

16/11/2021

It was many years ago when I visited Jen Rorrison at her practice in Muizenberg. My left calcaneus had swelled up with bursitis thanks to my getting too "euphoric" on the running front and I was looking for a quick fix. Already a devout proponent of conventional preventive wisdom (copious static stretching and cushioned shoes), what sticks out in my memory is that Jen said she couldn't see me on Wednesday mornings.

The reason?

Jen and friends met each Wednesday for a three hour run up in Silvermine and needed a little time to recover. Do you stretch, I asked? Every now and then, she replied before saying my running shoes were fine and that her own athletic footwear was an old pair of Salomon shoes.

Of course, there is much more to Jen Rorrison than this little anecdote, which you can read here:

It looked like it was all over. Despite being on the cusp of competing at the international level in modern pentathlon, Jen Rorrison decided...

25/02/2021

This weekend is “Opening Weekend” in Belgium, where pro cycling's Classics specialists line up for Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, followed by Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on Sunday. And I'm excited. Having read the memoirs of adopted Flandrians Joe Parkin and Aussie Allan Peiper many moons ago, I always wondered what the cycling life in Belgium would be like, not to mention the heritage and culture. Well, life certainly throws one curveballs at times and I finally got to realise this aspiration almost four years ago.

Being taken on as a soigneur/verzorger (carer/slave) on an international cycling team in 2017 allowed me the privilege to immerse myself in the world of Belgian racing. Based in the East Flanders town of Oudenaarde right below the Koppenberg forest, our racing schedule saw us competing at least four times weekly all over Belgium. Kermesses formed the backbone of this program along with a few criteriums and U23 Classics. Racing program aside, it was more living and breathing in the culture and mixing with the locals that really stood out, not to mention their benevolence.

When our staff accomodation was scheduled to be taken by another team, hosts Christian de Clercq and Hilde Speleers graciously found us an alternative in nearby Markedal. No more sharing rooms – we each had our own space in renovated private bar on a semi-palatial estate! Then there was our trusty team car literally conking out in the middle of the N60 after another race. Christian came to tow us and found a garage in Ninove that would take care of the specialist repairs. Time was tight but the car got fixed. Or when I needed some osteopathic help with some our riders. Step in Michiel Van Aelbroeck and Alice Pirard who fit us in at their practice in the cobbled centre of Ghent (a great city by the way).

Time certainly flew by, as it tends to do when you are super busy in pleasant environs and it was time to move on to the next assignment in Italy. I did manage to make it back to Belgium the following year with another team, although this trip was somewhat fleeting and saw a chicken lay an egg whilst taking a sip out of my cup of tea. But that is separate discussion altogether.

18/12/2020

A Coaching Story

A recent conversation got me thinking of the lasting impact that those individuals senior to us can have in our formative years. I'm talking about a positive effect, of course. Bemoaning the "bulking up" of teenage rugby players and the pressure and negative effects thereof, the said individual and myself wondered about the sporting direction and longevity many of these young guys would have post-high school. Would they even remain active? Let's face it, few school leavers carry on playing rugby or even cricket upon graduation. On the flip side, we are now seeing quite a surge in mass participation sports like triathlon, road running and mountain biking among thirtysomethings and upwards, a large part of that being in the ultra-distance realm. And not always in a healthy manner. But that is a separate discussion.

Growing up and attending a public school system that had a heavy emphasis on traditional team sports like cricket and rugby, I was fortunate enough to be in the class of a teacher who was passionate about endurance sport. Bearing in mind that we are talking about a time of around 1988, sports like triathlon and road cycling were considered more niche than commonplace. Oh how the times have changed! Anyway, the teacher in question, while a handy triathlete himself, was one of those rare individuals that had an eye for identifying talent and recognising enthusiasm. He also had the sheer ability to nurture and encourage those traits.

Coaches by and large are there to inspire motivated individuals, in my mind at least. And this guy fit this description to a tee. It seemed that teaching and coaching were more of an extension of his lifestyle than just a job, especially considering that teaching was - and still is - not a well-paying job and there was no such thing as a coaching industry in the 1980s. A husband with a young family, he would cleverly incorporate his training into his school coaching. For instance, every Monday and Wednesday after school would see him and few of us youngsters set off on a 5km run around the local neighbourhood. Conversation would focus on running form and gait, feeling light on our feet and picking up the pace in the second half being standard fare. After a few minutes of stretching exercises against the stands, it was straight into the pool for swimming practice that he would instruct. Focus on long strokes, high elbows and bilateral breathing, he would say, as we would negotiate "Snakey". This would entail swimming eight laps of the eight lane short course school pool, each ensuing lap being in the next lane as we "snaked" our way to the end of the last lane. We would hop out, jog around the pool and repeat the process a few times before doing some drills and sprints. Or weekly physical education class, where fun and fitness (his coinage) were paramount, so much so that "Shipwreck" (an obstacle course) was set up in the school hall to test our agility ("phys-ed is more than just swinging your arms around gentlemen!").

And he wasn't afraid to expand his own knowledge and skill set either. Already moonlighting as a part-time swimming coach, he would attend the school swimming practices instructed by a world class Hungarian swimmer. What can the kids get out of a half-hour swimming class, he would often ask the recent exile of the Eastern Bloc as us primary school swimmers went about our pre-workout shoulder mobility exercises. Then there was the time when our school converted to soccer from the traditional winter sport of rugby. While the establishment were understandably horrified at the prospect of the "World Game'' being played on their hallowed turf, this teacher and one of his rugby passionate colleagues attended a weeklong course in soccer coaching just to make sure they had a proper understanding of this foreign sport. I could go on and on with many more stories but let's just say that this guy was totally immersed in his coaching craft.

Fast forward to the present and it was just the other day that I was perusing an old athletics magazine. One article detailed the comeback of a past superstar after a long injury-induced layoff. It detailed how he wanted one last hurrah before imminent retirement to start a family and the next phase of his life. The athlete in question went on to explain how he had always been a student of sport from a young age, learning from the coaches of his youth and really following instructions.

I smiled when I read these words; it was as if my primary school teacher was talking to me. It's been over three decades since those afternoon sessions and I'm still running most days and doing calisthenics too. While my personal competitive zeal ebbs and flows, my sheer love of such a simple athletic activity remains constant. Always an athlete, I guess.

Photo credit: Dr. Chad Gordon

08/11/2020

A few years ago, Ben King was one of the subjects I pitched for a possible magazine story. By then over a decade into a long professional cycling career, the Richmond-born King cemented himself into the consciousness of world cycling fans with his double stage win success in the 2018 Vuelta a Espana. Of the few questions I sent through to him, one of his cryptic answers outlined how he was home-schooled until high school. Cycling was one of the many hobbies and interests that he accumulated during this time, he said, going on to explain how the friendships he made through the sport were among the things that he cherished the most deeply.

Fast forward a couple of years and the world was (and still is) in the throes of an international pandemic. May 2020 was a pretty grim time as far as coronavirus and associated lockdown was concerned. People confined to their homes was one thing; financial distress and job loss were but another. Ditto that for pro cycling, the sport having effectively ground to a halt, albeit for a spate of virtual racing.

Yet amidst the doom and gloom, and reports on all things virtual, came a shining light, for me anyway. Andrew Hood penned a piece for VeloNews featuring Ben and his life in lockdown. But this was not your usual story of the time bemoaning the lack of racing and future employment prospects. While Ben's life away from racing was indeed the focus, Hood's sculpted a fascinating insight into how the NTT Pro Cycling stalwart combined his daily training with his new found love of nature photography, which you can find here:

https://www.velonews.com/culture/ben-king-and-his-growing-passion-for-nature-photography

Commandeering his journalist-wife's digital camera, Ben developed his growing desire to photograph birds upon completing his daily bike ride. As his photographic skill grew, so did his image collection leading him to start an Instagram account . A new pastime was born and cultivated during a most uncertain and unprecedented time.

It's no secret that NTT Pro Cycling is unlikely to continue in the new year. Like many of his colleagues, Ben will no doubt be exploring his options for next season in an already saturated job market. And while he might well saddle up in different team colours in 2021, Ben's daily capture of all things ornithology will no doubt remain a consistent constant.

Photo credit (headshot): NTT Pro Cycling

31/08/2020

Colby Pearce's World View

'I am reading and studying all the time. The more I can take in, the more I can have powerful and clear intuition on what my client needs. And this continuing education extends to my own activities. For instance, I went for a run today in Vibram Five Finger shoes on a rocky, uneven trail. This is something that would have crippled me just five years ago. So I'm unquestionably a student for life.'

Colby Pearce has worn many hats. Professional cyclist, USA Cycling Track Endurance Coach, US Hour Record Holder, directeur sportif in the formative years of the team now known as EF Education First Pro Cycling. All roles that he has performed with distinction. Fast forward to the present day and Colby continues to juggle, and then some. Coaching and bike fitting are mainstays in his current working life, as is designing track frames, hosting a weekly podcast and consulting to World Tour riders and teams. Yes, Colby Pearce is indeed a busy man. But he's not a hypocrite. You see, despite his life seemingly being all things "bike", Colby is not your typical Type-A jock. Quite the contrary in fact.

'While I like accomplishing stuff, life is about more than just "doing'' things', he explains. 'We are human beings, not human “doings”. So there are certain non-negotiables in my life, and these are breathing, sleeping, eating, movement, hydration, and thinking. And I attend to all of these basic aspects every day. So I'm uncompromising when it comes to these principles. I would be hypocritical otherwise. Because as a cycling and life coach, for me to tell other people to get to bed on time and eat well and not do it myself, would mean I am not "walking the walk"'.

And walk the walk he has. With a professional road cycling career that spanned 1996 – 2005, followed by track racing at Olympic and World Cup level, Colby really has "been there and done that" in racing speak. And while his road career on the US domestic scene developed his physical attributes and tactical nous, it was in track racing that Colby found his true metier.

'It was a time when many US road teams raced a full calendar on meagre annual budgets of $300,000 or less,' he recounts. 'Riders didn’t get paid much, and it was kind of duct tape and super glue to keep everything together. But it worked. I learned a ton and got to do some really awesome races. I transitioned from a time trialist to more of a criterium rider at first, but I almost always got beat at the line. So I transitioned again, this time to points racing on the velodrome. The high speed and repeated sprints in this racing format suited me very well.'

Like professional road cycling, the international track circuit is a travelling circus. And while there are some additional similarities between the two disciplines, they are also polar opposites in many respects. Like the confined space of a velodrome for instance, not to mention racing well into the night and travelling to far flung locations like Venezuela and China. How then did Colby adapt to demands of incessant travel, exotic locations and altered circadian rhythm?

'I would say that maintaining balance when you are traveling around the world as an athlete is very challenging,' he reasons. 'I spoke about this topic in a recent Cycling in Alignment podcast episode with Jessi Stensland. We were talking about one thing I would hypothetically do to increase my function and health as an athlete if I could rewind the clock and do it again. In some respects, I think the journey I had led to me where I am now, and thus was perfect. But I do feel some barefoot hiking or hiking in very minimal shoes would have helped me in the long term, structurally-speaking. This is something that I work on a lot these days. One aspect I did manage to figure out during my time on the World Cup was simply connection with breath and body. So I did manage to practice my own form of Tai Chi, even though I didn’t know what is what it was back then.'

Barefoot hiking and Tai Chi? Connection to breath and body? Not exactly activities or practices that one would associate with elite cycling, or most other sports for that matter. Which begs the question – where does this whole view to both sport and life, as well as coaching come from?

'It is simply a view I have come to adopt over my years of living on the planet,' explains Colby. 'Reductionist thinking paradigms don’t work really well in sports, particularly in cycling. What happens in a race is so variable and dynamic. Simply put, if you don’t look at a bike race from a macro perspective, you will not succeed. Everything from diet to sleep to tactics, total life stress, weather, how tight your shoes are, fit, training and preparation, crashes, to how the race unfolds and so on. This helped me realize that athletes need coaching on many more levels than just raising their FTP or trimming grams off their bike. If we don’t consider the athlete as a human, with emotions and life experience that impacts how they express their athletic potential, we are only seeing part of the picture. I have expanded this way of thinking to all aspects of my life. I recognize that every action I make is a choice, and that this choice has an impact on my health, the health of those around me, and the progress I make towards my dream.'

Despite popular belief, coaching and bike fitting is as much art as it is science. In fact, some might argue that the former outweighs the latter. And while there is much debate over modern training techniques and old wives tales (read: tradition), Colby's journey has shown him that coaching is not an exact science.

'My coaching style is neither old school or new school,' he states. 'It's all school. Having started coaching in 2005, I take elements from older styles of coaching and constantly research, learn and integrate new methods and technologies into my own methods. That said, I don’t take on a new gizmo just because it is new. Learning and adopting a new technology comes at a price, so it has to teach me something. And it needs to be easy to use and actionable. There are many devices out there that just add noise.'

But this ideal is not always possible. Case in point the upper echelons of the sport. While technology is synonymous with World Tour cycling, team resources and timelines are not always a marriage of compatibility. Riders are restricted as to what equipment they can use and endorse, a challenge which Colby is very familiar with given his consulting work at the top level. Unsurprisingly, working at this level requires a large element of compromise and respect.

'Sponsorship means you have to use a certain product line, and that product may not always be the first choice for a rider. Being paid to ride a bike at the professional level means you have to ride a certain brand of saddle, whether that saddle fits you well or not. Also, when you are doing fit work with a World Tour rider, they may or may not be open to change. Most of them have relationships with other fitters outside the team. So you have to develop a relationship and make it clear you don’t have an agenda to push your fit on them.

'Bike fit is 75% science and 75% art if you know what I mean,' he continues. 'There are many ways to skin a cat. So I approach a rider with respect and caution, not because they are World Tour, but because this is how you approach any rider. Also, doing bike fits on a hotel room floor in crappy light with limited tools can be a challenge. So you have to adapt as best as you can.'

03/08/2020

While walking around barefoot has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, "minimalist" running has been a recurring, if inconsistent theme. Not for injury reasons (daily jogging shouldn't hurt) but more a case of lack of venues. The soccer fields near my home are now fenced off and driving to the beach at low tide is great, but not quite "out of the door". Sure, barefoot strides and sprints in the local greenbelt are great in summer time but I was looking for another way to incorporate minimalist running into my weekly regimen with little fuss.

Enter running sandals. Inspired by the likes of Cucuzzella, Budd, Rana et al., I recently decided to invest in a pair of Yeti running sandals to satiate my inner gazelle. So far. so good, I'm happy to report. Competing (read: participating) in middle distance running on the track early this year inspired me to improve my running form and fitness. And while I'm a long way away from justifying lacing up a pair of spikes, some happy sandal jogging is bound to add some spring into my stride.

20/07/2020

Walking isn't prominent on the agendas of most endurance athletes. But it should be. Not the fast walking variety, otherwise known as a speed-marching or power-walking. Rather, a slow to brisk walk, preferably in flat shoes or barefoot.

Whenever I think back to my times of intense work combined with travel, chasing sporting goals or overcoming poor health walking is one thing that stands out. The simple act of walking has been, both consciously and sub-consciously, part of my life and sporting regimen for as long as I can remember. Rewind to my student days in the mid-nineties, walking fairly long distances was an integral part of getting to and from class, and, unknowingly, an essential complement to a low running mileage made up almost exclusively of fartlek. Many years later, and recovering from a trauma injury, I walked an hour each way to and from the office as part of my self-driven rehabilitation. Then there were a couple of stints in Europe, working in the intense and unstable environment that is professional cycling. Walking was one of a few simple activities that kept an element of balance and refreshment, two factors that are fairly at odds with that sort of working environment.

I really do believe that deliberate walking is the missing link in many a training program. The physical benefits aside, walking offers great inspiration and release, and is a great "thinking" exercise. While I'm not one to meditate in the conventional sense, I feel that walking is a great alternative.

The Italians have a term "la passeggiata", which roughly translates into a evening walk. It's said to be a social occasion, one where the stroll acts as wind down as the dusk gradually turns to darkness. I had long known about this tradition through various literature over the years, but living on the Continent and actually seeing "la passeggiata" in practice really resounded with me; the nightly stroll was indeed part of the culture and everyday life, and not merely an old wives tale romanticised in order to sell cycling autobiographies.

And while us mortals should not compare ourselves to elite athletes, it is perhaps worth noting some examples of prominent athletes who literally walk the walk, particularly cyclists. Svein Tuft, who you can read about elsewhere on this blog, walked extensively during his long career as a professional cyclist. When away at races and especially Grand Tours, Svein would get up an hour or two before his colleagues and the start the day with a sunrise barefoot walk. Adam Hansen, better known for his consecutive Grand Tour streak, is another avid walker. At home after a bad crash and with no bike, Adam just walked daily and surprised his team a few weeks later with an outstanding racing performance in Germany. Much of his off-season is spent hiking around the rural surrounds of his home in the Czech Republic. Then there is Michael Valgren, the outstanding Danish rider who took the peloton by storm a few seasons ago with victory in both Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the Amstel Gold Race. He reportedly walked long the day before both races, and continues to supplement his training with regular stints on foot.

How then should one approach walking? Any special considerations? Well, just go for walk, if only for a quarter of an hour. Take note of how you feel before and after, as well as the thought process during. Thought process? Well, yes - walking is a great medium of creativity and an avid cure for writer's block. Trust me! But for a real guide on the "dos and don'ts", I encourage you to view Lawrence van Lingen's excellent video on the subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6H4ScqqrOU

18/06/2020

Full Circle with Zola Budd

Ron Holder, Reading and Revitalisation

It looked like it was all over. Despite building on her best run of results and personal best times the year before, 1986 looked like the end of Zola Budd's running career. Despite a second consecutive World Championship Cross Country title, there was little joy. The public pressure and attention since first arriving in the United Kingdom some three years prior was stressful, if downright traumatic at times. It seemed like wherever Zola went, controversy followed. An eighteen year old South African running prodigy competing for Great Britain being used as a political and sporting pawn would be a raw but accurate description. Then there was her family life, her parents filing for divorce just weeks before her maiden Olympic Games. The infamous tangle Mary Decker in the partisan Los Angeles Coliseum fall didn't help matters either, nor did an increasingly tense and dysfunctional working relationship with her coach.

'It was a stressful time,' Zola laments. 'I had thought about quitting many times. Just to run away and disappear. But then there wasn't anything for me to go back to in South Africa. I was young and, because of the regulations at the time (athletics was an amateur sport), I wasn't financially independent. I was an unhappy person, that is for sure. In fact, I think I was actually depressed. Which of course wasn't really a recognised condition back then. You just had bad days and got on with it.'

Pressure and stress. Stress and emotion.

At face value, one could be forgiven for drawing conclusions. The weight on Zola's shoulders had become simply too much to bear in late 1986. She had simply had enough of it all and yearned to get away from it all. A fresh start back in South Africa was a pipe dream and one that deep down she wanted come true. Time to give in to the naysayers and throw in the towel. Despite her innate ability and world class pedigree, the stakes were too high; it just wasn't worth it. In the end the decision was made for her; after attending a South African race as a spectator, the IAAF deem this as the equivalent as competing, an unforgivable sin back in the days of international sanctions. Zola was banned from international competition and “huis toe” it was. But apart from the ban and premature exit from international athletics lay another important factor, one that was with her day and night. There was excruciating physical pain, more specifically, an increasingly debilitating ache in her right hip.

'It had started back in 1984,' remembers Zola. 'At first, the injury was more of a ni**le, something that curtailed some of my speedwork sessions but was pretty much manageable. But as the racing seasons went by, it just got worse and worse. And by the time I started preparing for the 1987 track season, it was so bad that I couldn't run at all.'

And so it was. That was it as far as competitive running was concerned. Zola headed back to South Africa, gradually settling back into normal life in her hometown of Bloemfontein. There were other priorities now. Like enrolling in university and reconnecting with family and friends. That is until the urging of a fellow athlete.

'I couldn't run,' says Zola. 'And to be honest, I didn't want to run either. Not even for recreation. I definitely felt that that chapter of my life was over and it was time to move on. I had always wanted to study and was focussed on that. And it was just so great to be home. But then Fanie van Zyl (former South Africa mile record holder) persuaded me to see someone called Ron Holder. I was skeptical at first; I had been to specialist after specialist and they all said it was a muscular strain. But Fanie is a good friend and somebody that I really trust. He told me that this guy called Ron had helped him and that he would be able get me running again. So I made the trip to Johannesburg to see for myself.'

Mention the name Ron Holder to many South African elite athletes of the 1980s and 1990s and their eyes light up. Many a favourable account and anecdote involving the late Dr. Holder abound. Yet there isn't much documented information about this legendary and enigmatic character. Not that there was much information about him back then either. You see, Ron Holder was one of those rare birds who practiced for the sheer love of the activity, a free spirit in every sense of the term. And while his reputation preceded him, making contact and scheduling an appointment was very much by word of mouth.

'Ron viewed his patients as human beings,' explains Zola. 'What I mean by this is that he addressed and evaluated each patient as a whole, not just structurally, but also chemically and emotionally. He had started off by working with ballet dancers, who themselves are extremely in touch with their bodies. So he had an innate understanding of proprioception. In my case, I thought my injury was purely muscular. Yet Ron first identified a leg length discrepancy, and then diagnosed a stress fracture. He also delved into the other aspects of my life, and we had long conversations about everything that had happened up until that point.'

A qualified chiropractor, the late Dr. Holder had extended his scope into the then fledgling and highly specialised modality of posture therapy. Using a unique combination of applied kinesiology, innovative shoe wedges constructed out of Yellow Pages and duct tape, and an always sympathetic ear, he rehabilitated his patients by truly embracing and applying the triangle of health. Consultations took the form of friendly and insightful conversations and, in Zola's case, he encouraged her to expand her perspective beyond the sport of middle-distance athletics.

'I had up until that point quantified most of my self worth by my athletic achievements,' says Zola. 'My whole identity was wrapped up in being an athlete. Ron was one of the first people to not only recognise how empty the lives of top sports people were, but to actually address it. He was instrumental in helping me see myself beyond my sporting identity. He encouraged me to cultivate other interests, introduced me to classical music and started recommended books. Needless to say that I became quite a voracious reader. In fact, Ron's first question would always be about what I was reading.'

It was during this time that Zola started running again. Starting off with daily half-hour jogs, the simple act running was now much more than just preparing for the next race. Running took on a whole new meaning, helping her focus on her studies and keeping her grounded. Revitalized thanks to Dr. Holder's care, she fell back in love with sport. And while her competitive edge may have blunted slightly, making a comeback to international athletics started to become prominent in her mind.

'Look, I think I had lost some of my fierceness after leaving the UK,' Zola admits. 'Running was more of a therapy now. But gradually I got back into group training in Bloemfontein and then started thinking about competing again.'

By 1991 things were on the upward trajectory again. An excellent season that year saw Zola ranked second-fasted female over 3,000m. The doors were starting to open up for South Africa as well and the Barcelona Olympics of the following year were now a reality. The prospect of representing her country of birth excited Zola, inspiring her to chase qualification and finally put the demons of 1984 – 1986 to bed.

'I desperately wanted to go to Barcelona in South African colours,' says Zola. 'It was important to me to have a proper Olympic experience. I was more settled in life, was married by then and my injuries were under control. But even though I did manage to qualify and make the trip, I wasn't at peak fitness thanks to a bout of tick bite fever earlier that year.

'The years immediately after Barcelona were great times for me,' she continues. 'In fact, I still rate my fourth-place at the 1993 World Cross Country Championships as my best race ever. Some good campaigns on the US road racing circuit followed, including my fastest half-marathon time. Although by the time my twins arrived, I was ready to step away from international competition and focus on being a mom.'

Fast forward a couple of decades and a lot of water has passed under the bridge. Many South Africans will be familiar with Zola's subsequent relocation to the US, as they would be of her Comrades and Two Oceans exploits of 2012 and 2014. A lesser known fact, though, is that she has come full circle in a sense. While Zola is due to take up a coaching role with the local high school in the new year, she had up until the end of 2019 been putting her energy into coaching at Coastal Carolina University. Starting off as an assistant coach (later graduating to head coach), Zola has been revelling in the process of helping NCAA Division 1 college athletes achieve their respective goals. And, unsurprisingly, developing her own authentic and experience-based coaching style.

'I've been fortunate to have been exposed to great coaching in my years as an athlete,' Zola explains. 'The South African style of coaching is very different to that of many US colleges – it is more long term focussed and process orientated. And that has influenced me, that is for sure. NCAA coaches only have a limited amount of time to get the most out of athletes that the college has invested in. Plus they have to protect their jobs, which are obviously very results-dependent. So it is all very cut throat.

'My philosophy is more about long term development,' she continues. 'And a program based largely on intuition and developing a feel for running. Running should be fun and unstructured fartlek work is central to my philosophy. My measure for success is simply this: will my athletes continue to run post-college? As far as those athletes talented enough to enter the professional ranks are concerned, I prefer to view their time in the NCAA as a springboard to an international career. Like the younger version of myself, many athletes view themselves only as good as their last race. I never want to be that negative voice. Athletes really need somebody to be objective.'

Images courtesy of Zola Budd-Pieterse.