"Does Lisa Smith Batchen own a Crystal Ball?"
Hi. My name is Randy Miller and this is my story. I am an endurance athlete. I have thru-hiked the Appalachian Trial. I have ridden over 200 miles in one day. I have competed in over 30 marathons and a number of Ironmans .
I had no idea what I was doing
In October of 2006 I ran my first ultra. The TusseyMountainback 50 Miler. Yes, I finished but, now this is a big BUT, I had no idea what I was doing. I knew this was something I wanted to pursue but I needed to find someone to educate me, push me, and most importantly....believe in me. I searched the Internet and found a person named, Lisa Smith Batchen. I did the Google thing and I could not believe all of her accomplishments. She sets her eyes on a goal and then makes it become reality. This is how I have always worked. I knew then and there this was the coach for me.
"The Phone Call"
The next step was, "The Phone Call". I remember coming home from work, nervous, thinking, "Would she really coach..... ME?" I dialed her number and within a few minutes I felt like Lisa and I had been friends for years. We talked about my past and where I wanted to go. Where, you ask? Well, I wanted to compete and complete the Vermont 100 Miler.
Challenged like I had never been challenged before
Through the next 6 months Lisa challenged me like I had never been challenged before. At times I questioned the workouts, wondering if I could do them to her expectations. I kept telling myself that she is the expert and must know what she is doing so I did each and every workout. Slacking was not allowed. I had a few shorter races before the big event ... HAT 50K, Bull Run Run 50 Miler, and the Pittsfield Ultra Challenge to see where I stood. Lisa told me what to do at each event and predicted I would do really well. She was right. It was almost like she was looking into a Crystal Ball.
The Big Day...VT 100
Lisa, as usual, gave me my game plan. I asked her what the crystal ball had to say and she said, Top Ten. Inside I thought you better get a new crystal ball. Well, to make a long run short........ I placed 10th overall. That is some crystal ball, and that is the end of my story. Well not really. Lisa and I will be working together next year. Any predictions?
P.S. All the other testimonials you have read I agree with 100%!!! She is not only a coach but a friend.
Randy Miller
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