songs of experience

A while back I wrote about anonymous donors … and then, later - in my Ask the Expert section, I sent out a “message in a bottle” for Charles Foster of Clemson University. So, this morning when I opened my inbox I couldn’t believe it … there was Coach Foster, himself, posting a comment:

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Joan, I can’t believe that you are still using that info, and sharing it with your fans and readers. I’ve always believed in this concept, and I am still impressed that it meant this much to you. Most people have listened to my statements, but would not truly engage because it was too hard in their minds. What a loss. Hit me back so we can talk.

Charles Foster
CLEMSON Tiger Sprinting

I should elaborate on the initial teaching session I received from this man who was, at that time in my life, part Mr. Miyagi, part Mr. T. I was scared of him! But also curious. I wanted to know how he harnessed all of that energy and power and magnetism. If you were ever around Charles Foster for long, you wanted to be one of his disciples. But how could I enter his world of sprinting … me, a white female distance runner? Here’s how …

In the dead of winter, Coach Foster met me at the indoor track before team practice. He explained that he was going to show me how to do a sprint work-out that would seem easy on paper but would, in actuality, be nearly impossible to complete. Hmmmm. A distance runner knows how to complete a work-out. I’ll show him, I thought.

He then had me run one set of 5 X 100m sprints with the 2-3 second turn-around recovery (keeping an eye on my sprint form, no doubt) and was quite calm, nearly smiling, when he explained that I would recover 2 minutes and then go again. Sure, no problem. I started out for another set of 5 X 100m sprints and was absolutesly shocked on # 4 when my whole body siezed up like a brick and I lost basic coordination. When I turned around to “sprint” number 5, my time slowed by about 10 seconds even though I was putting in an EFFORT that was worth a 100m PR. I must have looked like a cartoon character on #5, yet Coach Foster didn’t laugh. He did grin though, Cheshire-like, and say, “It’s harder than you thought, isn’t it?” Before the work-out I thought, but didn’t say, this is a piece of cake. 10 X 100m. Pah!

Well, now I know better. You have to walk in someone else’s shoes (or in this case, in someone else’s spikes) to know their pain. Charles, I learned the lesson you were teaching; I felt the pain … and, over time, I learned to embrace it and pass through it over and over again. Turn-around, GO! turn-around, GO! Turn-around, GO! … believe it or not, for 25 laps of a 10k.

Wax-on
Wax-off

Charles W. Foster - bio.
World-class hurdler Charles Foster is the sprint, hurdles and relays coach for the Clemson University track and field team, and has been a member of the United States Olympic Committee’s prestigious Coaching Committee since 1996. Foster, an 18-time All-American, set a world record in the high hurdles, and was U.S. national champion in the hurdles for four consecutive years (1974-77). He was also a member of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team in 1976, the U.S. World Cup team in 1977 and the U.S. Pan Am Games team in 1979. He was captain of the Philadelphia Pioneer track club from 1973 to 1985, track and field coach at the University of North Carolina from 1986 to 1992 and has served as technical advisor and coach for the Olympic teams of nine countries in preparation for the 1984 Games. Prior to joining Clemson, Foster worked with the Special Olympics world games organizing committee and the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, where he managed the operations of five of the 26 Olympic sports. Foster received his masters degree in recreation administration from the University of North Carolina.