Coaching for women endurance athletes

Claudia with her kids at a kids triathlon.

Claudia Spooner is a certified triathlon, cycling, swimming and track and field coach who lives in Texas. She is a mom, and competitive athlete, who enjoys working with athletes  of all abilities and ages around the country. We were lucky to interview one of her athletes for a previous article, and after everything she said about Claudia’s skill in coaching her (that athlete is 48 years young), we knew we had to go straight to the source.

GT: How did you find a love of endurance sports?

 I started running marathons when I was 23 years old, and I was at a crossroad in my life.  I was not a “runner”,  I had no high school or collegiate background in sports, but I knew I wanted to doing something significant.   When I look back I realize life is an endurance sport, we are either in it to win or we just get by, I am here to win.  Training for endurance events helped me to take the time for myself to find out what I was made of, who I was and who I wanted to be. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, a positive difference.  I have never second guessed that and have no regrets for the road I have taken and the lives I have changes and made an impact on, including my own.

Most of your athletes are in the “Masters” category 40+ age Group.  Why?

I feel like I have a large contingent of the Master’s  athletes, because I am also a Master’s athlete and it’s a very important aspect  for an athlete and coach be able to relate.  I am over 40, a mom, and I own my own company as well as compete at a high level in running and triathlon.  I understand what it takes to balance all these things.  It’s like spinning plates, it takes a fine balance.  I have the ability to coach athletes with the understanding that when one part suffers, all the parts suffer.  I get it…the kids, the pets, the job, the out of town spouse, being tired.. I understand.   This is what makes a big difference in my ability to coach, I build their training schedules around their lives and time available to train.  I also understand the part of getting older and how training has to compliment our lives and not control our lives. I am understanding and compassionate and my athletes know, when they do the training, SUCCESS is INEVITABLE…That is my favorite part and why I do what I do… They succeed… It’s AWESOME!!!!!!!!

Exiting the water with one of her athletes, Maya 70 years young, and who races visually impaired

What do you love most about training at this age?

 I have never really thought much about training at this age being any different than any other age and that is speaking from 20 years of training.  I think the one exception is that I train smarter and not necessarily harder.  I don’t do junk training like I did in my twenties or early thirties.  I have a very specific reason for some of my training.  Sometimes I do just run to run and swim or ride just to swim or ride but, I have a reason for most of my training and it’s to be the best I can be for the event I am competing at.  I have a goal and I stay focused on that.  If I put in a training load that is just extra, I do risk injury or just being really tired and not being able to hit the training I want to for the next day or rest of the week.

To read more, download the full article attached below.