NOLA, Part Duex

So you go on Slow Twitch, Beginner Triathlete, or the local tri club’s Facebook page and chime in on every comment.  Ya, you know who you are.  So you think you have the right answer to every comment everybody posts, right?  Wrong.  All you have to do is go to USA Triathlon Level I Coaching Clinic and you’ll quickly realize how little you know about triathlons versus the true experts.

The experience of attending the clinic was quite humbling.  I learned a tremendous amount of information, enjoyed myself, and better yet, met a lot of great people.

I don’t recall who exactly decided to do it, but somebody decided to create a Facebook group for the class.  So simple, but pure genius.  Ok, big deal, a Facebook group, right?  Wrong.  It brought communication of the group to the forefront, expediting our ability, and truly helped us all out from an organizational and financial standpoint.

I was able to benefit by such a simple thing by several ways.  Initially, I was planning on carpooling from Montgomery to NOLA.  After having the car issues, I figured this wasn’t the best idea because I didn’t want to chance getting stranded somewhere or have to pay for a rental car.  The second benefit was that I managed to find a roommate.  This allowed me to cut my hotel expense in half.  Thirdly, my roommate and I found out about the group via the page and met up with quite a few people before the clinic and went out to eat with them.  This all would have been much more difficult via traditional methods.  It’s something so simple but great.

If you really want to be humbled, just go listen to a USAT Level III coach speak.  You’ll really find out who the experts are in the sport.  Wow.  The first speaker was Ian Murray.  Such a dynamic and knowledgeable speaker.  It took me several hours to figure out who he reminded me of and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.  *Ding!* Ty Pennington from Extreme Home Makeover!  That’s it!  Then, after I figured that out, all I could do is try and prevent myself from hollering, “Move that bus!” Ugh.

The next speaker was Jay DiCherry.  Jay is very knowledgeable, but I will admit, I was very disappointed.  Not because of him, but because I really enjoy Bob Seebohar’s nutrition materials and try and follow his protocols.  It was truly a bummer not to hear Bob Seebohar speak because I have TONS of questions about this protocols that I would love to ask.  I guess I’ll just have to attend one of his own seminars or hope that he’ll be at the youth certification clinic…

The last speaker was Shelley O’ Brien.  Again, a great dynamic and knowledgeable speaker.  I was quite excited to hear that she’s a youth coach and was hoping to pick her brain on the topic.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to do so since she taught at the end of the clinic and disappeared before I could speak to her.  I guess that’s what I get for taking the red eye that night.

The exam itself is quite humbling as well.  It took me dang near all day Saturday to complete the exam. There were approximately 77 multiple choice questions, several short answer questions, and two training plans that had to be developed.  Wow.  Who knew this would be tougher than any graduate exams or professional certification exams I’ve taken?!

Finally, it was great to meet so many wonderful people who I can now consider friends.  I really enjoyed spending time and getting to know Micah, Scott, Pat, Robin, Janelle, and Meredith.  What an experience with some great people.