I’ve been coaching myself for 8 months now and for the most part it’s been great. The programming and the physical work is the easy part. I know what works for me and I know what my body can and cant handle. The part that I find difficult to handle is being the coach who has to reassure the athlete. When you read the next part it can really play a mind game with you.
I still haven’t been able to wrap it around my head that me, as a coach has to look after an elite athlete who is also me. The results from the athlete in training and in competition reassures the coach that they’re doing the right thing but what if that athlete is also you?
People and Journalists ask me “how is it coaching yourself?” I try and answer the question as best as I can but I find myself going around in circles trying to understand it myself. Lets just leave it with “the results are reassuring the athlete and the coach”
It has been 8 days since I raced at the National Trials and while the result is incredible and people are over the moon with the time that I ran, which was 12.74 in the heat and 12.54 in the final but with an illegal wind unfortunately, to me, the way I felt in the race and the speed at which my legs allowed me to go was the most exciting part. I haven’t felt that strong and determined in a race since 2013.
While Nationals was amazing, it has to be said how incredible the last 8month journey has been. I have been training with my training partner Grant for a while now. We have had our fair share of niggles over that time but the best part is that they are only niggles and not injuries. We have been training smarter and listening to our bodies more than ever.
Fast forward to three weeks before nationals and I almost wasn’t going to run. After I returned home from Europe from an amazing and satisfying trip over there, I started training again but I ended up with a really bad hamstring niggle in my right hamstring. It was so bad that I couldn’t even get over one hurdle. I decided to go to the state championships in Queensland that weekend which probably wasn’t the best idea but at the same time it was nice to know that I could get over 10 hurdles albeit a slow time of 13.57. I knew that that time was no indication of what sort of shape I was in but I had to cop it and move on. The next 2.5 weeks after that were frustrating. I could sprint but not at 100% I could go over a few hurdles but only jogging, I was really starting to get anxious about how I was going to even compete at nationals. Then finally after constant treatment and some re programming my body started to respond positively. I had hope. I had hope that I was going to get there in time, now the rest is history.
At the moment I am still trying to understand everything that a coach has to go through while coaching an elite athlete. It is hard but I am loving every second of it and have absolutely no regrets in my decision.
Now it is time to refocus and start getting myself ready for the World Championships which are in London from the 4th to the 13th August. I am competing on the 11th and 12th . I will make sure that I will be in the best possible shape I can be in and leave absolutely no stone unturned.
Sally Pearson
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