Passion & Compassion

When I started coaching in Sep 2011, I did so mostly out of my passion for running. I was interested in the history of running, various training methodologies, various running events around the world, stories of both amateur and professional athletes, etc. I spent a lot of time consuming content and discussing with my fellow runners and trainees.

Most of my running discussions then used to start with a "Did you know..." or "Have you seen/heard..." and so on. The world was different and only about a third of my trainees used to be remote, pre-2020. The rest were in India and divided across Bangalore, Mumbai, NCR etc. If someone had done an analysis of my coaching conversations, then they would hear my voice for ~80% of the time since I was mostly replying to queries/transmitting (not just because I love my voice! ;)).

COVID changed all that#. Today, I coach ~100% remote. Even my trainees in BLR barely see me once a month. Every one of my trainees has a GPS watch with a heart rate monitor (HRM) and those together, give me all the data I need to coach. Most of my conversations these days start with, "What did you want to talk about?" or 'Why did this ..." or "What happened here..." I am listening more. I am still talking a lot :)

In the last week, I have spoken to the parent(s) of my youngest trainee (aged 18 but still...) in one part of the world, while the trainee itself is another part of the world and I am in a third part of the world. The parent(s) told me stuff their child wouldn't. The child told me stuff the parent(s) didn't and I myself have thoughts some of which I shared with both and some with neither.

A little earlier this year, I spent some time talking to the spouse of another trainee about what the trainee really needs to get better. I have several instances where both husband and wife train with me. There are other instances where I run with someone who doesn't train with me but happens to be the spouse of the person that trains with me.

And none of these instances would have happened early in my coaching career, because I mostly ran. All am I doing now is listening in each case and filing away thoughts and memories to be retrieved at some point in the future. No judgement. I am not that person I was, who'd drop trainees if they missed 2 sessions in a row, despite knowing it will undermine their training.

I sent a plan and saw what people did. Nowadays I have even 'coached' people who are training to someone else's plan (incl std plans that races sometimes provide). I have to come realise the plan is a small part of what most people want*. Everyone has a mental itch that needs scratching, be it injury worries, concerns which have nothing to do with running (kids' education, health of parents, work and non-work related anxieties and stresses...). And as of today, only a human** can scratch that. I am grateful to be that human

Running for most amateurs is a mental sport. So performance improvement doesn't come with just physical change, esp for beginners. When you share someone's mental context, you have access to more tools than knowing their physical capabilities. Compassion has been described as empathy accompanied by action. When you have a compassionate conversation, you are able to accomplish wild things as a coach, albeit vicariously.

*of course, there are some who want just a plan

# Since COVID, I have coached much larger numbers than I have coached before.

** who knows where this will be in a decade from now