Meet Your Coach

Here's the TLDR (too long, didn't read) about Noel:

So, who am I to tell you how to run?

Hi, my name is Noel. And first of all, no one should tell you how to run. Everyone is different and the perfect coach doesn't exist. The best any of us can do is strive for perfection. A good coach inspires and guides. A good coach is also always chasing the next goal. I hope to inspire confidence that you are putting your trust in someone who wants the best for you an has your health and wellbeing as their #1 priority. If you're up for a read, here's some background on my experience and philosophy.

I caught the running bug as an early teen. I wanted to be a sprinter, but when I came out for the first high school track practice, I was told that I was too slow and was sent over to train with the distance runners (eww). After a few weeks, I started to come around, eventually deciding to try my hand (or legs, rather) at cross country in the fall. It was here that I learned my first important lesson with running:

Surround yourself with the right people.

Despite mediocre talent and little idea how to properly train, My teammates and I found joy in comradery and in work towards a common goal. Everyone comes to love their hobbies in their own way, but I believe that a supportive team such as the one that I had can do nothing but good. As such, I strive to offer the same support to anyone who may be interested in running but not know how to start. We are all there at some point in our journey, and while those first steps can be scary, I promise that almost every other runner gets it.

I ran on into college, joining a then-struggling team at Longwood. The learning curve was steep, but somehow never steep enough. I found myself always reading, watching, listening, and changing my own practices (mostly for the better) based on the things I was learning. The harder I trained, the stronger I got. This process became not only fulfilling but addictive, to the point where I learned my next major lesson:

No one is invincible.

Injury struck, and after a long, painful summer, I returned to school and got my first taste of the magic of physical therapy (or athletic training, in my case). Health returned quickly, but I pushed my training even quicker. Injury struck again. And again. And again. After nearly two years of this cycle, I realized that I had to make a choice - pride or health. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I chose health, and stepped down from my position of team captain at Longwood. I began training myself (and a few of my friends) without the pressure of constant performance, and I have never regretted it.

As soon as the global pandemic faded enough for me to get involved again however, I did. During the spring semester of 2022, I had the privilege of joining Coaches Brooke Craig, Colt Resnick, and Jon Murray in leading Longwood to a record setting outdoor track season. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be around for the early days of Craig's young team at Longwood -  a team that is almost unrecognizable today (in all the best ways) Over the years, I've gotten to see a great diversity in coaching styles, but also by the effectiveness of different styles. And that was the next lesson:

Never stop learning.

Everyone I've met in the world of running has had some form of unique wisdom, and throughout my running career I have been granted the opportunity met countless incredible people. I have trained on competitive teams, in recreational groups, and by myself. I have competed on the track (400 to 5000), road (mile to HM), and trail (5K to 50K). I have been the scared, D.F.L. newbie, climbed my way to the elite level, and been knocked back to square one by injury to do it all again. Many of these valleys and peaks are ones that all runners face, and I want to be there to help as you face yours.

People will tell you that their way is the best way, and it may indeed be true for them. Athletics is a softer science than the raw physiology it is often made out to be, however, and while there are many set-in-stone aspects of running, there are equally many that can be successfully approached from any number of angles. Chances are, I will not be the perfect coach for you, but I believe in listening, learning, and growing wherever possible, and I will try to be the best coach for you that I can, whatever the circumstance. You are always welcome to reach out and talk if you have any questions or concerns, including right now.

preecenf@gmail.com     (540)425-1693