Don't come at PowerBar
® Team Elite™ runner Reid Coolsaet with your ramblings about natural talent and genetic ability. Don't let him hear you wax philosophical about how the best athletes in the world were somehow predestined to a life of medals and adoration. And whatever you do, don't drag on about how hard work will only get you so far. Because this Canadian striding star, who boasts a 4:00.08 mile, prides himself on the fact that his success is built on sweat and strategy — speed was just a happy by-product.
"I didn’t have immediate success, so I don't feel that I have a lot of natural talent," he says. "I believe that I'm able to handle the required training, which in itself is a talent, and that I've trained myself to be aerobically fit. But I don't have that effortless stride that other elites have."
Still, when someone can hoof 26.2 miles in 2:16:53 or bang out a 1500-meter run in 3:40:48, it indicates a certain ease of movement that eludes legions of other aspiring runners. It's not that his stride is belabored or awkward — it's actually anything but. He just doesn't place himself in the league of runners whose long, efficient strides were hardwritten into their DNA. Instead, he credits his ability to do what it takes — his penchant for rolling up his sleeves and getting the job done — for his ascent into the class of running royalty.
"I love the process of training and getting faster," he said. "I like the idea that the harder — and smarter — you work, the better you get."
There's something in that simple joy that can be applied by anyone, regardless of athletic goals or position on the food chain of sport. Put simply, you never know if you will be the best, but working your tail off will certainly make you better. And Reid, who at 31 still has years to realize his potential, as well as a white-hot passion for what he does, is eager to find out how good he can really be. So are the rest of us.
Reid Coolsaet
Nickname: Coldneck
Birthdate: July 29, 1979
Birthplace: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Hometown: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Residence: Hamilton/Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 140 lbs
Website:
www.reidcoolsaet.com
Highlights: 25th place at the 2009 World Championships: Marathon; 5000m (13:21.53);
10000m (27:56.92)
Q: What do you love most about distance running? What draws you to it?
Reid: It is very satisfying to go on a run through awesome trails. I like the friends I've made through running and training with the Speed River team — it's always fun. I like how running is truly worldwide and is a very competitive sport.
Q: Some people run just to look a little better. You run for a living. What's that like?
Reid: Running for a living is great because I am passionate about the sport and very motivated to be the best athlete I can be. There is a fine balance between doing it for fun and making it your job. To be successful, I need to be very serious yet enjoy it at the same time.
Q: How do your friends and family react to your running career? What did your parents want you to be, or what did they think you were going to be?
Reid: My friends and family are very supportive of my running career and know that this is the time in my life to chase the dream. My parents and I thought that I would have gotten a job through my university degree as opposed to through the training I did in university with the running team. I actually worked at a running store and then at a bank for two years after university before I was able to fully commit to running.
Q: If you weren't a runner, you'd be a...?
Reid: Skateboarder and cross-country skier.
Q: Interesting. What is your experience with "extreme" sports, and what other sports have you tried?
Reid: I've always enjoyed skateboarding and skiing. Those are two things that I miss doing now that running is the priority. I've been doing both since a very young age, and I did them a lot as a teenager. I still try and get out on my bike every once in a while. A couple of times during injuries, I biked a lot for cross-training to avoid elliptical overload.
Q: Where did you grow up? What was the athletic atmosphere like in your household?
Reid: I grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, and was always active during my childhood. I have been running all my life. However, until university, running was just one of many sports I participated in. Typically, I would run cross-country in the fall, ski the downhill in the winter, and skateboard and mountain bike in the spring and summer. My high school had between 100 and 125 kids running cross-country each year, so it was a popular sport at our school and a lot of fun to be a part of.
Q: Have you always been competitive?
Reid: I've always been competitive, although I can turn it off when I need to.
Q: What's your favorite distance to run?
Reid: I like racing the 5000-meter because it still seems fast and requires endurance. I have yet to race a half marathon, but I have the feeling I will like racing that distance as it's my bread-and-butter training run distance.
Q: What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment in competition? A certain race? A PR that you're particularly fond of?
Reid: I'm most proud of my silver medal in the 5000 at the World University Games in 2005. A couple of weeks prior, I was a little under the weather and ran poorly at the Worlds in [that event]. My confidence was not high going into the race. But as the race progressed, I started to gain confidence and feel better. I broke away from the pack, chased the three leaders to eventually take the lead, and got passed back in the final lap.
Q: Do you have another job, or do your sponsors help you enough for you to pay the bills and train full time?
Reid: I haven't had another job for a few years now. Carding — a funding system based on top finishes — has been my main source of income for years, plus help from sponsors, Speed River Club, and prize money. This year, I lost my carding because my times weren't fast enough, despite finishing 25th at the Worlds, but I still receive Quest for Gold assistance.
Q: What can you tell me about the nutrition of a hard-training distance runner?
Reid: We eat a lot! I don't track calories or anything, but I make sure I get plenty of fruits, veggies, meat, and whole grains. After the basics, I'll have some cookies and frozen yogurt.
Q: Where do PowerBar® products fit into your training?
Reid: I tend to use PowerBar products before, during, and after runs. I typically have a
PowerBar Harvest® Energy bar an hour before a workout. During long runs, I take in strawberry banana
PowerBar® Energy Gels mixed with water. Post-run, I like to make a shake with one scoop of Ironman Restore™ sports drink mix, one banana, one scoop of peanut butter, one cup of milk, and ice cubes. If I can't get to food right away, I’ll have a
PowerBar® Recovery bar.
Q: How important is hydration? And was this a lesson you had to learn the hard way?
Reid: Hydration is key to both performance and recovery. So far, I haven't had to learn anything the hard way. That is due to working with Dr. Trent Stellingwerff. Otherwise, I'm sure I would have suffered in my first marathon.
Q: What types of non-competitive training do you do?
Reid: I do active isolated stretching most days and get into the pool for pool running once or twice a week. I'll do my core/ab routine as well as plyometric drills twice a week.
Q: Runners have a lot of injuries that they deal with — shin splints, IT pain, tendonitis, and so on. What's the worst you've ever been injured and what did you learn from it?
Reid: I never had a serious injury until 2008, and since then I've had one each year. In 2008, a disc in my back slipped and damaged a nerve. There were many recovery modalities, but I mainly had to wait for my nerve to regenerate. At the end of that year, I broke my foot while running and pretty much had to wait that out for three months. Finally, this year I damaged my anterior tibial tendon, which put me out for six weeks. I've learned a lot from each injury, and each time I have found the motivation to get back into shape and compete. Each injury has shown me what is truly important and what I really like about running. One lesson that I learned this year is to back off before the pain gets out of hand. I was too caught up with racing later in that week to step back and assess the injured tendon.
Q: What advice would you give to someone looking to take their love of running onto the competitive scene?
Reid: Enjoy the process of training and competing. Take care of the things that will make you faster. Always set goals, and once you complete them, set new goals that will challenge you. If you always hit your goals, they might not be hard enough. And if you're not hitting your goals, it might be time to be more realistic. It's nice to set up your season so you hit achievable goals early on and then ramp it up from there — get the momentum working for you. Having a coach is a must — even if you want to plan your own program, it's beneficial to have someone to bounce ideas off of.
Active Isolated Stretching: A method of muscle lengthening and fascial release that provides effective, dynamic, facilitated stretching of major muscle groups, as well as functional and physiological restoration of superficial and deep fascial planes (Source: www.stretchingusa.com)
"REID" THIS!
Here's how "Coldneck" sets up a typical training week when prepping for a marathon:
| Day | Morning | Afternoon/Evening |
| Monday | 20K run | 10K run + core exercises |
| Tuesday | 27K run (50-minute intervals) | 5K recovery run |
| Wednesday | 20K run | 10K run + drills |
Thursday
| 20K run | 10K run + core exercises |
Friday
| 10K run | 45-minute pool running |
Saturday
| 35K run (19K at 3:12/km pace) | |
Sunday
| 16K run + drills | |
|
If you're interested in learning about PowerBar
® Team Elite™ athletes or how you can join the ranks, click on the
Team Elite link at PowerBar.com.
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