Who better to introduce this week's Open Mic guest than the athletes he coaches.
“Coach
Al is a person who truly has a passion for what he does and truly cares
about you as an athlete and more importantly, a person. His teachings
are more than just how to succeed in one’s sport. The lessons you will
learn from Coach Al will help you succeed in life.” Dr. Dave Giacalone, Vernon, CT
“I
believe the one characteristic that makes Al such an effective coach is
his dedication to each and every one of his athletes. If I didn't know
he had other clients, I would think that I was the only athlete he
coached.” Rachel Beckmann, Honolulu, HI
We're delighted to bring you Coach Al Lyman!
Tell us how you began your career as a running coach.
Well, for as long as I have been a runner, going back to my first Boston in 1983 as a “back of the packer.” I’ve always had a real coaching mentality – always looking for the best ways to improve, reading scientific journals and articles, talking to anyone who would talk to me about training, and constantly experimenting with different training protocols and fueling, etc. I just love the learning / training process, and love sharing what I learn with others. I have a true passion for that!
What REALLY became the impetus for me becoming a coach however, was my personal victory over my fear of the water (from a near-drowning as a 10yr old), to first do my first triathlon in 1996 (as a 36 yr old), and then eventually, to qualify for the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, for the 1st time in 2000. I write about this quite a bit in my “story,” on my website.
This journey of first overcoming my fear to get IN to the water, and then learning how to swim as an adult, and then eventually entering my first triathlon, became empowering for me. I have this enormous desire to share that with others – to set goals and follow our dreams, and then have the willingness to believe in ourselves and be persistent until we achieve what we set out to achieve. That “journey” of self growth, is what moved me to move toward coaching, I think….
What are one or two of your coaching accomplishments about which you’re most proud?
I’ve coached a few highly accomplished elite level athletes who have competed at National and World Championships, and finished on the podium at those races. I coach one athlete now who has a very good opportunity to represent her country in the 2012 Olympic Games.
That being said, the things that I feel are my most satisfying accomplishments as a coach, isn’t working with those elite athletes. Rather, it might be considered a lot more mundane than that, but they are what make me most proud. For example:
- It is helping a runner in a clinic to understand why they are injured, and help them to finally overcome that injury to run easier and faster than they thought possible.
- Helping an “average” age-group runner or triathlete to find balance in their life with sport, and achieve personal victories that lead to tremendous self growth and pride.
- Teaching folks of every level and background. I love to teach, and when I have the opportunity to help someone “get it,” I feel great!
How is your method of coaching unique to others’?
I feel there are two primary aspects of my coaching that separate me from other coaches:
I am an “out of the box” thinker. For example, years ago at the beginnings of my own serious training for the marathon, I began to incorporate functional strength and core strength training exercises and circuits that allowed me to run faster and easier, with less mileage, than most others whom I was running with. I did it because every time I tried to increase mileage, I got injured. I thought, there must be a better way. I began experimenting, looking at other sports and movement skills, and balanced fitness, and explosiveness and elasticity, when it wasn’t AT ALL the norm for runners.
That was back in the late 80s, and early 1990s. Those unique approaches to training led me to be able to run a 2:39 in Boston on around 40mi a week of running, and that is taking into account that I have very little pure talent. I’ve since been able to run 3:25 off the bike in Ironman. I did it by thinking out of the box, and looking at unique ways to improve resiliency, eccentric strength, and power, with functional exercises that mimicked running, yet didn’t beat my body up like running high mileage did.
Also, as a triathlon coach, I’ve used the Vasa Ergometer swim training bench as a very powerful swim training “tool” that has allowed many of my athletes to save lots of time traveling to a pool, and also improve their swim specific strength, stroke technique, and muscular endurance and power. I’ve been using the “Erg” since 2005 as both coach/triathlete, but its just now, that more athletes and coaches are beginning to see the benefits of this great machine, and how it can help swimming fitness and form, in a very “out of the box” kind of way.
I also care deeply about the people I work with, not just as “athletes,” but also as “real people,” than the average coach.
Two testimonials from athletes that I am presently coaching, speak to this passion I have:
"Despite having trained under many different coaches in different sports and countries, I have yet to encounter a person who better embodies all that a "coach" should be. The sheer extent of his caring for and his responsiveness to each athlete is simply astounding." Julie Carter, Quebec Canada
“Coach Al provides the human touch in coaching. He provides wisdom, empathy, encouragement, practical advice, and companionship in what could be an isolating sport for someone like me who trains alone most of the time. He is truly a partner in my journey; a curious, intelligent and caring soul whose guidance is pivotal to the pursuit of my athletic dreams.” Susan Ford, Cookeville, TN
What are the key credentials, capabilities and experience runners should look for in selecting a coach?
That’s a hard question to answer, because coaching “credentials” aren’t really what they are cracked up to be, at least in my opinion. No credential makes a person capable of coaching well. In fact, the more someone tells me about their “credentials,” the faster I will likely run the other way. ☺
What I mean is, coaching is about seeing beyond what is obvious. its about listening and working with someone to find out what they need, and help them in their path of “self discovery.” The capabilities a coach needs are this ability to listen well, and to pay attention to the subtle signals a person will send, and having lots of patience, of course!
In terms of experience, having a good amount of personal racing and training experience is essential. It is hard to know what people are experiencing in the daily grind of training and racing without having gone through that process yourself. Still, I do not think someone has to have “big race” finishes or be a race winner, to coach well.
Again, coaching is about people—about listening—and about the willingness to work with others and help them in any way you can.
In your experience, what are most runners hoping to get out of coaching?
I think most runners who seek coaching are looking for three basic things:
- To learn more from someone they trust, about how to improve to become the best that they can be. Most people who seek coaching TRULY WANT to improve!
- They are looking for someone to be accountable to, that will help them to learn how to be accountable to themselves.
- They are seeking daily guidance that simplifies the training process and removes the guesswork about “what” to do, and “when,” to best give them a chance to achieve their goals.
What details are most useful to you in custom-designing a training program?
What I most want to learn about them is their overall experience, so I can learn about their knowledge base, a realistic and accurate view of their daily life and schedules. This information enables me to set up a training schedule that is both “doable” without them getting into a “rat race” mentality and schedule on a daily basis. The schedule creates the opportunity for improvement, and then of course motivates them and their deepest goals and dreams….
What typically prompts a runner to move from self coaching to using a professional coach?
I think its mostly about what runners hope to get from coaching—greater and deeper learning, accountability to someone else besides themselves, and simplifying the training process, so they aren’t always “guessing” what to do next.
Nearly every single person in any walk of life, who hopes to achieve the best they are capable of, must seek out some kind of guidance from a mentor or teacher who has experienced and been places that they want to go.
Finally, objective feedback and accountability and learning, that comes from outside of ourselves, is essential in the process of self growth and improvement.
What do you see runners are looking for when they come to you to be coached?
It depends on where they are in the “process” of improving and self growth, and of course their own specific goals.
Some have been battling a nagging injury for a while, and can’t seem to get past it or beyond it, so their needs at that moment are to get healthy and learn more about injury resistance. For others, they have specific races they would like to train for, and want to learn how to have success at that race. Still others have long term goals, such as qualifying for Boston or the Hawaii Ironman, and are willing to make themselves accountable and hang in for however long it takes, for them to achieve those goals!
In what aspects of formal training do runners need the most coaching?
In my experience, the most “common” areas that they need the most coaching are in the areas of nutrition, strength training, and rest/recovery!
Ironically, my most important role as a coach is to give folks PERMISSION to rest and take a day off! Also, many athletes will self sabotage their chance for success with less-than-optimal daily and training nutrition practices.
In addition to the training programs you design, what else do you emphasize to boost runners’ performance?
More than most other coaches and athletes I know, I emphasize functional strength and what I call the BIG THREE FUNDAMENTALS: mobility, stability, and elasticity.
I mentioned earlier that I have used functional and core strength training to help me achieve some success as a runner and triathlete. I took my discoveries and created my own DVD and Audio CD, to help others to integrate these things into their own training, and call that program Runner-CORE.
The program is a series of 15minute “circuits” that combine mobility work, functional and core strength training that is running specific, along with stretching and flexibility training. The circuits are progressive, going from fairly easy and simple exercises and take only 15 minutes per session No excuse if you don’t have a lot of time.
Of all of the things I’ve learned over many years of trial and error, most running injuries come back to the hips and pelvis – a lack of mobility or strength around the hips that causes muscle imbalance, compensation patterns, and eventually tissue stress, leading to injury.
What are some common mistakes runners make in terms of designing their own training programs?
I would say that the five most common mistakes are:
- Too much focus on pure running mileage, without truly considering the “quality” of that mileage.
- Doing too much volume, too soon, before their bodies are ready to absorb the work
- Doing the wrong kinds of speed work, e.g. too much “interval” type training, but not enough quickness/leg speed training or functional strength training integrated with that “speed” training, e.g. focusing on training the “nervous” system (neuromuscular coordination) as much, or MORE, than the cardiovascular system
- Not enough flexibility, mobility, elasticity oriented training, including again, strength training that is functional and running specific!
- Ironically, UNDER estimating what they are actually truly capable of! This takes the willingness to get outside of our comfort zones and BELIEVE in ourselves. Not always easy!
What is one key message you wish you could get through the heads of runners?
Since runners do tend to be a hardheaded group as a general rule, if I had to say one thing, it is that they DO NEED to strength train the right way, and they need supplemental training (e.g. “PRE-habilitative work, so that they won’t need the “RE-habilitative work) to have the greatest impact on their potential success in the future.
Finally, what’s the highest complement an athlete can pay you as a running coach?
When someone tells me that they know how deeply I care, and that what I have shared with them and our relationship as coach/athlete, has impacted not just their athletic growth, but their whole existence and personal growth, enriching their entire life and even others close to them….well, it doesn’t get any better than that.
Do you know a runner you would recommend for Open Mic Friday?
Pass along their name, contact info, and some background and we'll explore
introducing them to the Runners' Lounge Community.
Send to Amy@runnerslounge.com or Tom@runnerslounge.com
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