Pete Julian was a fine college athlete and has been a Nike elite coach since 2013. Jeff Benjamin spoke with Pete on his suggestions on this series. We thank Pete for his time.
Craig Engels, Clayton Murphy, Jeff Benjamin, Pete Julian and Donavan Brazier, photo by Jeff Benjamin
Awaiting The Baton In The Relay Exchange Zone – Profiles Of Athletes, Coaches & Legends During The War Against Corona
Profile # 9
Elite NIKE Coach Pete Julian
By Jeff Benjamin
“We’ve done a good job of staying one step ahead of the advice and subsequent mandates, but it hasn’t been pleasant for the team. They enjoy training together and being in each other’s company, but they’ve had to stop doing this for the time being. I have been coaching them remotely. We keep in touch by phone and email. I try to touch base with each of my athletes daily. We are emphasizing structure and staying with routines as much as possible. I believe that calms the anxious mind – at least for me anyway.”
Shannon Rowbury, Sifan Hassan, with Pete Julian, 2017 NB Indoor GP, photo by Jeff Benjamin
“For the young runners my advice would be the same as what I give to my pro runners. Get on a schedule and have some structure to your day. Go to bed at a reasonable hour and wake up at the same time. Do your training, your school work, chores and the such on a scheduled time. This will give clarity to your day in these uncertain times. Dive into the process.
As far as training – discover the joys of training alone. It can be peaceful and nourishing. I would even suggest leaving the music and headphones at home while out for a run. Just turn it all off and enjoy the run. If you can’t get on a track, even better. Learn how to listen to your body and challenge yourself with some different fartleks. Chances are, you’ll come out of these strange times a stronger and better runner.”
