Southern Region Level II Coaching Certification Session, New Orleans

Space is available for the Southern Region RRCA Level II Coaching Certification In-Person Session in New Orleans, LA, Saturday August 19 from 8am to 5pm.

The cost of the session is $225. Any Level I Certified Coach in good standing may enroll in the Level II In-Person Session to further their understanding of Level I concepts; however, participants must complete all requirements to earn the title of RRCA Level II Certified Coach:

• 18 years of age or older, no less than a high school diploma
• Up-to-date CPR and First Aid Certifications
• 12 months as an RRCA Level I Coach
• Proof of coaching experience

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions can be found here.

More information can be obtained by contacting the RRCA Coaching Director at coaching@rrca.org.

Outside: Being Injured...

How to Mentally Recover from an Injury
Brad Stulberg/Outside, May 17, 2017
For an athlete, being injured is often harder psychologically than it is physically. But the elites have developed a few key tools to help stay happy and sane while healing...
(Link to Article)

From Our Sponsor: Level II Coaching Certification

RRCA has created an official tiered Coaching Certification program, adding on to the original (now officially designated) RRCA Level I Coaching Certification. The new curriculum enables RRCA Level I coaches to become officially designated as an RRCA Level II Certified Coach.

Level II will mark a sophisticated understanding of the scientific, psychological, competitive, and managerial aspects of community-based running and working with individual clients. This program is open to RRCA Certified Coaches, and anyone seeking to enhance their knowledge or reinforce concepts learned in Level I are encouraged to pursue the Level II program.

Minimum Prerequisites:
RRCA Certified Coach Level I (includes up-to-date CPR/First Aid certification)
18 years of age or older with no less than a high school diploma
12 months as a Level I RRCA Certified Coach.
     Coaches can start taking Level II modules but won't be fully certified until 12 full months
     following their Level I certification date
Proof of coaching experience - provide a 150-word essay outlining experience and/or URL of coaching business, etc.

Program Methodology:
The Level II course will be delivered in a combination of two formats: online self-study modules with online assessments and an in-person classroom requirement.

Go to RRCA.org for detailed descriptions of the program requirements, associated costs, and more.

Outside: Hitchhiker's Guide to Race Day

The Anxious Competitor's Guide to Staying Calm 
We've got you covered from the start of your training to the moment the gun goes off 
Rachael Schultz/Outside/Apr 21, 2017

Similar to how you meticulously plan your increase in miles or speed, it’s critical that you develop a routine to help your mind productively transition into race mode. Doing so gradually lets your mind adjust to the fact that a competition is on the horizon and fight off the inevitable anxiety that’s headed your way. “When it comes to the mental component of a competition, it’s very rare for an athlete to be able to switch it on like a light switch,” says Joel Fish, director of the Center for Sport Psychology in Philadelphia. “Most athletes need a pattern of routine that helps the body and the mind signal that it’s getting time to compete, habits that note the countdown is getting closer to actual race day.” 

Here’s what that pattern should look like...

(Link to Article)