rojo wrote:
OK. I just read the Q&A. I was fascinated by on aspect of it. When asked, "Is there a certain quality that you think makes for a successful professional that doesn’t line up well for the collegiate system, here is how he responded:
I do think there’s a difference. There’s an underlying element of having to take more ownership than the typical collegiate athlete. And I think certain groups cater to certain athletes’ personalities. To fold into Bowerman makes for a pretty smooth transition for your classic collegiate runner who enjoys doing as they’re told.
But if you’re trying to join a group where it’s more solo then you need to have a comprehensive grasp on all pieces of the puzzle – which I believe I have. And that knowledge was why the college system was challenging for me because I couldn’t let that go. There were elements that ultimately felt detrimental for me and that’s not so much physical as it was mental – it was a constant taxer.
To me, the mental taxing thing would be to have to come up with the 100% right workout for myself each week. I'd rather have a coach I trusted just tell me but we are all different and he's the opposite.
I like how he admits there is no physical reason. I view coaching kind of like cooking. You can cook chicken a lot of different ways but ultimately the quality of the meat is key and it's way better to be a little under cooked than over cooked.
It was definitely an interesting read. Is his Dad going to be cool with him being heavily involved with building the training plan and pushing back on some plans? Don't know, but it seems like this arrangement has occurred with the Wightmans and they obviously navigate it well. Sounds like he was just spinning his wheels academically and athletically though, so I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a nice initial boost at the very least.