This Coach Gets A Coach

Dr. Phil Maffetone and I clicked as friends since we first met a couple years back, and I always felt like we'd end up doing some cool projects together outside of just his occasional guest appearances on Endurance Planet.

In fact, I've asked for his advice on various topics dating back to 2013 -- no shame at all asking training/health/coaching/life advice from one of the world's most respected coaches! Who knows, maybe he respected that about me -- that I am not a girl who's shy or timid and I am eager to learn and ask questions. He has always graciously and thoroughly helped me, except for when he's off the grid. In those cases I just don't get as quick of a reply, ha ha. (Btw, Phil's abilty to go "off the grid" is one of the things I love most about him; that's not easy to do this day in age but I think we all could use it a bit more in our lives.)

Well anyway, Phil knows I'm passionate about his MAF Method. So around fall 2014 we started talking about bigger projects. I don't think I'm at liberty to expose all the secrets for what's in store for the future just yet, but he and I have been chatting much more frequently including skype sessions just to go over things.

During one such conversation this year I was picking his brain on how he coaches/advises athletes, and I was asking some questions I had about my athletes, my own marathon training, etc. It was really fascinating. And then it hit me. In order to move forward on certain projects with him I felt the best way to really learn the MAF Method style of coaching is to have Maffetone himself coach/advise me! So I just asked him if he would do it; why not?! I just threw it out there in typical non-shy Tawnee fashion. He said yes! (That would have been awkward had he said no, huh, lol.)

I honestly had zero intentions of asking Phil to coach me prior to that chat or at all... it just hit me in the moment of the conversation and it felt right to ask.

So, that was back in January, the week I did a MAF Test, and since then we've been grooving together and I'm learning so much. I'm also learning much more about how I want my own coaching career to evolve, and I couldn't be happier with the path I'm on. Phil's not the kind of coach who writes workouts. He hasn't once laid out a weekly schedule in my training peaks. He does it differently, and in upcoming blogs I'll give you guys more insight on what exactly that entails. It's brilliant, and makes so much sense to me.

It's worth mentioning that my BFF Lucho (just in case you don't know, Lucho is my former coach, and co-host on EP's Ask the Coaches) does know about this, and he is totally stoked and supportive. I mean, the only I reason I stopped having Lucho coach me was because of me -- it really was an "it's me not you" situation. Lucho and I both knew I had to halt structured training and racing, and instead get my health back together. But Lucho and I are (obviously) still the best of buddies and just last week we agreed that there's no one outside our family with whom we talk as frequently. And it's been that way since 2011. That's pretty special right?! We love it! I think he said something like, "It will be so awesome for you to work with another coach and will make you a better, smarter coach." Exactly.

Anyway, so you can expect more stories on my training and working with Phil... I'll let you guys know what it's really like ;) If you have any questions for me, let me know!