Coaches’ Blog

Alright, I know that this is supposed to be a blog about running, track, or other related stuff, but I think it’s time to talk about something that is very near and dear to my heart…donuts. I’m a self proclaimed, reformed donut addict and current donut connoisseur. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve partook from every donut establishment in the Boston area and have begun branching out.

That being said, I can’t even remember the last time that I had a donut at Dunkin Donuts. I still don’t understand why there is a line in front of DnD every morning. It has to be a mob mentality or caught in a rut type of thing. I think people feel the need to “fit in” by buying food at Dunkin Donuts. In my eyes, it’s the worst thing out there. You deserve better.

So now let’s start talking about the local places that really matter – the hole in wall places that you don’t even notice when you drive by. First, there’s Verna’s on Mass Ave between Porter and Arlington. Way over rated. To all those people who recommended Verna’s as the greatest thing on earth, all your recommendations now fall on deaf ears. This place was not worth the effort of getting there. And it didn’t take too much effort.

Lyndell’s Bakery on Broadway in Ball Sq is one step up on Verna’s. And that says more about Verna’s considering Lyndell’s doesn’t even serve donuts. They’re more of a pastry shop, but pretty solid so they get the nod. For my top two donut shops in Medford, we don’t have to go too far from my office or house. (What a blessing and a curse.)

Our runner up spot belongs to Demets Donuts on Mystic Ave in Medford. On donut quality alone, I don’t think it deserves the runner up spot, but on ambience and environment it gets the top nod. You feel like you walked through some time warp and went back to the 1960’s. The counter and booths make for a well-wasted Sunday morning reading the paper and enjoying a good cup of Joe and donut.

Even still, the best ambience in the world couldn’t elevate Demets over the quality experience from Donuts with a Difference in Medford Square. Hands down the best donut I’ve ever had. (“Sorry Jones’. I know we grew up together, but Donuts with a Diff is just top of the line.”) I’ve never had a donut taste so good and yet somehow it doesn’t feel unhealthy. That’s what makes them so amazing. You honestly feel like you could eat a dozen in one sitting. (Something I used to do all to often. I said I was a recovering donut addict.)

So, long story, short. If you’re in the mood for the best donut in Medford-Cambridge-Somerville area, head to Donuts with a Difference, you won’t be disappointed. But be careful, it took me 4 times before I stopped driving past the place. When I say “hole in the wall” I’m being polite.

From here, I’ll have to start branching out a little more to increase my overall donut experiences and knowledge base. Life’s about balance you know. I need more than just running and track in my life. A good donut habit/hobby sounds good for now.

The road that a coach travels is almost always the middle road.  It’s an odd feeling for me too because as an athlete you get addicted to the highs (and lows) of the sport.  As an individual, when you PR or run a great race, you take that high away with you.  It pushes and motivates you for the next week, month, etc.  Who knows how long a good race can get you?

But as a coach, our experience is a little different.  That feeling becomes extremely rare.  I imagine some coaches can go an entire career without ever experiencing that feeling again.  We see the whole picture as every race is part of our experience.  And as a result, a meet becomes an emotional rollercoaster.  We experience the highs of a PR and the lows of a down day all at the same time.  Therefore, our meets tend to average out to us walking the middle road.

Honestly, I try not to temper my expectations.  Every meet, I still believe/hope/expect great races from everyone.  That’s an odd feeling because at the same time, I know that we’re going to have a few huge PR’s, a few decent races, and a few bad days.  It’s the bell curve, probability, and just life, I guess.

This exact thing happened this weekend as we had almost our entire freshman class experience their first 8k race.  Some of them had break out performances.  (That is if we can actually classify a first race as “break-out”)  Some had solid, but not their best days.  And still, some had days that they can forget and put in the past.

It’s part of coaching.  If you’re thinking about getting into coaching and think it’s going to be all PR’s and school record performances, don’t.  Life is going to shake out just like the bell curve.  Luckily, if you truly love your job, you realize that those horrible, “wish they never happened” days are the real teachable moments.  That’s when one of an athletes is really exposed and tested.  That’s when he’s standing at the crossroads deciding which direction to go.  He’s thinking “Should I stand up, dust myself off, and try again?” or “Should I just unlace the spikes and cash out?”  Do your job, reach down, help him up, and help him realize that this is just one Saturday, one race, and it in no way reflects his true potential.

I don’t care who you are, a tough day at the races is not who you are.

Okay, so today I wondered if it was time to ‘grow up’ or not.

I work from the campus center once a week because it’s easier to meet up with athletes and chat about things from there than asking them to come down my office at the track.  It’s only fair that I meet them on their turf a lot of the time.

Well, as I was walking into the campus center this AM, I had a passing thought.  Here I am, 31-years-old, heading into the campus center with a beard and unkempt hair.  My grey hoodie is covering my headphones as my music plays way, way too loud and I tote around my laptop in my backpack.  How old am I again?  My ten year college reunion is coming up this summer and I’d have to say that there are some days where I feel that not much has changed.  Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

After spending a day in the campus center, I’ll head down to practice for a great workout.  I guess some things have changed though.  I get to watch this one instead of run it.

Here’s to wearing hoodies for the rest of your life.  I’m proof that you can have a job and make it happen.  Dream big.

After four years of going toe to toe with Daniel Murner—okay, more like staring at his back—I’m now getting the unique chance to work with him as a colleague. And to introduce him. I’ve only had a handful of opportunities to be even within sight of him on the track (not a height joke, I swear) and am now extremely excited to work alongside someone with his experience and passion for the sport.

Though he has close to a hundred new names to put to new faces as he starts to get to know the men and women of TUXC, I can safely say most of them know who he is. As one of the top runners in New England from the time he set foot on campus in Amherst, Daniel was a four-time All-Region runner in cross country. Not too many guys can put that on their resume. He began truly to turn heads, however, when he dropped nation-leading times of 14:24 indoors and 29:45 in the outdoor 10k last year. It’s a select few in Division 3 who have broken the 30-minute barrier, and far fewer who laid claim to the fastest times in the country in two different events in two separate seasons. Both eventually led to All-American performances at Nationals.

As a competitor looking on, what impressed my teammates and me most in watching Dan compete was how explosively fast he closed races. There are kicks, and then there are kicks. I think he could have scored in the open 200m with the move he dropped on the field to win the New England 5000m last February. I’ve never seen someone shift so quickly into high gear not just off a tactical sit-and-kick affair but even away from a field running 14:30 pace. Each race we would think, “He can’t possibly blow them away. This time he’s really hurting. Look how his head is drooping, and his arms look like lead.” And then he’d win by 25 meters. One of the many talents we hope he can impart upon his new pupils…

Can't wait to see this face in the office every morning.

As a student Murner was certainly no slouch either. On top of his All-American honors on the track, Dan was a multiple time Academic All-American and majored in Political Science at Amherst. At Tufts he’ll be working towards a Masters in Classics at Tufts. His prime academic interest is in the field of political philosophy, which he focused on as an undergrad and hopes eventually to continue to pursue in a PhD program. As would seem fitting for someone as disciplined and dedicated both to his training and to his sport as Dan, he likes the field because it sharpens your mind. One conversation with him and you can tell his critical thinking and acuity matches the strength in his lungs and fire in his legs. Though the field of philosophy is often viewed in a negative light or criticized as elitist, Daniel sees political philosophy more as a chance to pit competing arguments against one another—to see how their logic, assumptions, and relevance hold up when put to the test. To me, this seems to fit perfectly with our sport, and I think Murner might agree: no judges, no style points, no subjective referees. Get on the line, cut the BS, and see how it shakes out in the end—whether a philosophical perspective or Regional championship.

After beginning in seventh grade to get in shape for hockey and instead finding a lifelong passion, Daniel now brings his running career to TUXC. It’s only fitting that a guy whose love of the sport came most alive when leading his teammates to their full potential—his proudest moment is of their Regional cross win in 2007, one point ahead of Williams—now begin his chapter as a teacher and coach. I couldn’t be more thrilled to begin mine alongside him.

Wow, am I really glad that I wrote that last post when I did.  It came in incredibly handy as I was working to motivate myself in my greatest hour of need.  I actually said out loud to myself…”What would you say to an athlete in this situation?”  I’d never tried to consciously coach myself before, but it needed to be done.

So far, I’ve competed at nationals, coached there, gotten married, and been near unconsciousness on a plane…so what was the most stressful moment of my life and my greatest hour of need.  It was marrying two of my best friends.  (p.s. From now on, I’ll only be responding to The Reverend.)

Sorry. No wedding pics yet. Soon.

This weekend was the 2nd most amazing wedding that I’ve ever been too.  That’s right, Marion and mine still reigns as #1.  Sorry to everyone else who’s ever been married for all eternity.  Good effort though.  Finishing as runners up are two of my favorite people Kevin Bright and Christine Bolger.  Some of you may know Kevin from his famed career coaching Track and Field at Tufts for the past four years.

I used to turn to this couple as a source of logic and rationalism when needed.  That all went up in smoke as they asked me to officiate their wedding this summer.  I was mostly shocked because Kevin has had the auspicious privilege of sitting through four years of my team meetings.  He understood my penchant for rambling and my complete inability to know how to wrap up a meeting.  Yet they still wanted me there.  I was honored.  Honored and scared out of my head.

I’ve never actually experienced knocking knees or jelly legs before, but I hope that no one in the audience this weekend was able to see them shaking.  In the end, I remembered my lines and they went through with it.  In my eyes, that’s a hugely successful first time.  I’m 1-for-1, batting a thousand, undefeated in marrying couples.  Doesn’t get any better than that.

Big congratulations to Kevin and Christine!!!!  I’m so happy for you and immensely proud of you.  You put together an amazing weekend.  Only you two could make so many people feel like they were right at home.  Thanks for letting Marion and I be a part of your day.  I’ll be happy to help you renew your vows in 2060.  I already put it in my iCalendar.

Potential, chance, and what if’s. There’s nothing better? Think about it. Don’t we all pause as we’re about to scratch the last spot on our lottery tickets. We pause and think “If this last spot says $5,000 or if this last one is a cherry…”

It’s its own natural high and I won’t lie, I’m addicted to it. Not the lottery tickets that is, but the surge that you feel when you ponder the possibilities of the future. Personally, it’s the infinite possibilities that come at the start of any season. They’re invigorating.

This fall it seems like we have more “what if’s” than I can ever remember. So many athletes who were teetering on the edge of huge breakthrough’s last season are putting together some great summers, the rookies seem engaged and dedicated at an early stage, and the veterans are as hungry as ever.

Maybe it’s because there is an abnormally large group of the team on campus for the summer. I’ll be driving to the grocery store and see them running. On my way to the gym, and they’re running. Having a cup of coffee at True Grounds and they’ll blow by me on a training run. It really gets my mind working. What if? I’m telling you, it’s addicting.

“If if’s and but’s were candy and nuts, then we’d all have a wonderful Christmas.”

I’d never really heard this phrase until recently. To be honest, I don’t even really like it, but maybe it fits my current state of mind. I’ll rework it for the XC coach…

If ‘what if’s’ and potential gave us an extra chance, then we’d all have tickets to the big dance.

Alright, I’m no poet. I don’t claim to be. But you get my drift. Potential and possibility don’t mean much. You still have to go out there and take care of business.

I have a few numbers for you. 115, 108, 94. It’s not my locker combination. There’s 94 days to NESCACs, 108 days to Regionals, and 115 days to Nationals. That’s a long way off. There’s still a lengthy trek ahead.

But you know what? What if’s are fun. And I’m going to sit here, sip on my iced chai and enjoy the fruits of a few good what if’s.

What if LeBron, Wade, and Bosh all signed with the same team…wait a sec…I guess sometimes these what if’s come true.

Long story, short. Dare to dream. The alternative is just too boring to endure.

I know that my Nationals post is still due up.  It’s written, but this one is a little more time sensitive so I thought I’d throw it up there.  Also, we’ve had some pretty good discussions on this site about performance enhancing drugs so I thought you’d be interested.

The BBC just interviewed Ben Johnson about his new book that is coming out “Seoul to Soul” and they will be broadcasting the whole interview this evening.  It will be at 9:00pm BST which I believe is 4:00pm EST (I may be wrong), so it could be a good way to kill some time at work.

The interview oddly reeks of Jose Canseco who drummed up support for his books by saying some outlandish stuff.  However, didn’t most of what Jose say turn out to be true.  I haven’t heard the interview yet, just read some excerpts.  Here’s the link to the BBC article.  You be the judge.

I’ll hold out judgement on anything until I read the book and hear the interview, but ask me if I think that all of Athletics (all of professional sports for that matter) could be dirty and I don’t know how I’d answer.  The fact that I pause scares me a bit.  It scares me, but it saddens me more.

I was going to save the world. Easy as that- sail through medical school, move to East Africa and save lives. But life always takes a few unexpected left turns and rather, I found myself sitting by the Cleveland airport curb, waiting for my ride. A large immaculate white Suburban pulls up. Two men in shades, button down shirts and various hues of baby blue ties jump out and take my bags (one is my husband, the other may have been Coogan, not sure, he seemed a little too polished and cleaned up). My first Track Nationals trip officially begins.

To be honest, I had no idea what to expect. The only exposure I had ever had to Nationals prior to this trip was being told that we couldn’t go out to brunch on Sunday because entries were due, receiving a series of SOS texts from Ethan on banquet night and the graveyard of NCAA “free gear” (mostly computer bags) piled high in our basement. So who could have foreseen that the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship would be the most fun I have ever had at a track meet.

It might have been the king sized bed, the free cable that we don’t get at home, the rare time to read leisurely or even the two meals at the Olive Garden (that’s right, I like the Olive Garden). But upon reflection, the parts that were the most fun for me were the small moments. I don’t know much about this sport, but I know that there are moments of heart and pure enjoyment of competition. For most, these intense moments slowly dissipate as they graduate, get a job and enter the “real world”. But at Nationals, it’s all about these intense moments- stepping up because this IS Nationals.

At Nationals, everyone is good. An obvious statement but wow, it makes for some pretty exciting events and races. Unconsciously, I began to root for pole vaulters I didn’t even know, cheered for high jumpers who just couldn’t seem to get a clear height until the very end and even heartached for the athlete who fell hard and got up to finish the race in last place. Watching twenty-something tough guys step up to the podium is a moment to enjoy. As Ethan said with wisdom, it brings out the little boy in all of them. Head down, both hands gingerly around the prize, the best of the best are almost humbled by their own accomplishments.

Knowing my husband, this last part will probably be cut out. But truly I have to say, my favorite moments were watching Ethan. Not everyone knows the mental aspect of his coaching job. It is nearly impossible to leave it at the office and with Barron’s dedication; it would be just immoral to not care, worry, ponder and contemplate his athletes’ health, both mental and physical on and off the track, on top of workouts, strategies and recruiting. But at Nationals, Ethan seemed to thrive on being able to give each individual athlete all of his attention, 100%. Don’t get me wrong, he was a head-case. Hermitting behind the press box before Jared’s first event, pacing like an expecting father amongst the crowds at Jessie’s second to last lap and chewing the stopwatch rope like Luka on a steak bone moments before Trevor’s race. But during the downtime, he watched events, chit chatted with this and that person and even bought himself a hotdog like any other spectator who loves a three day track meet. I also got to watch a whole lot of other coaches. While I love my husband the best, after Nationals, I respected him the most as a coach as well. He is there for his athletes, with humility and a calm demeanor. I didn’t see a single other coach carry their decathlete’s bag in between events and it was one of those small moments that reminded me why Ethan is such a good coach. Ok, so you can roll your eyes, because the cheesiness is gag inducing and many could argue that I know diddly squat on what makes a good coach. But you know, I was going to save the world. And it wasn’t until I met my husband that I learned that small moments and gestures can just as equally have profound effects.

We asked each other, “Do you think he’s as excited as he was last year at this time?” We thought there had to be something special about the first time an athlete goes to nationals that could not be replicated a second or third time around. As we watched him compete for the third and final time, we received our answer. The intensity he put forth in each of the 10 events, and the pride displayed on his face when he stood on the podium told us that this time was as special as the first.

As parents, the stress level of watching him compete and wanting him to achieve All American status was as intense as the last two times…perhaps more so because we wanted him to end his athletic career on a high note. He is now moving on to the next chapter in his life, while we are left with the dilemma of what to do on weekends. We will miss the competition, teammates, coaches and parents, but forever cherish the great times we’ve had over the years. We will remember how fortunate we were to have been part of an outstanding track program, headed by a brilliant man who could write a book on “How to Successfully Mentor Student Athletes.”

Larry and Rhonda Engelking