Mother-Daughter Duo Spreads Passion through Coaching
Leah Harms, PULSE
It was her first year as a Sports Backers training team coach – and a standout rookie season it was for Kim Wood with the inaugural 8k Training Team. But despite a teaching background and a history with running, it wasn't an easy role to take on.
“I was really hesitant at first,” she says. “I didn’t know about leading adults. I’m a teacher, so I don’t have problems with kids. But 75 adults staring at me waiting for instruction? It was a little intimidating.”
As it turns out, Kim had no reason to be nervous. Her mom, Judy, who initially encouraged Kim to coach, has coached training teams for years. And aside from being very convincing, Judy’s experience not only enabled her to lead by example but to provide her daughter with valuable advice.
“She taught me that a training team is not just about running,” Kim recalls. “She told me that most people were looking for a lifestyle change.”
Armed with her mom’s support and advice, Kim set out to work with the Cool Springs group and quickly realized she had no reason to be anxious. She was blessed with a close-knit corps of coaches, each with different strengths and expertise, and her runners and walkers were excited and eager to train.
“Everybody was really supportive of each other. After a few training sessions, it started to feel more like it was just a group of friends meeting up.”
Considering Kim and Judy’s history, the dynamic of the group really isn’t surprising. The duo has been training partners since Kim’s middle school days. Although Judy loves full marathons (she’s run about 19 of them!) and Kim prefers sticking to half marathons (but they ran Kim’s first full together!), they clearly share a passion for running and a dedication to their teams. And their positive attitudes and constant jokes keep the training light and fun, an attitude often reflected in the “Cool Runnings” training group.
The Cool Springs coaches not only led their team through eight weeks of training (including a Saturday morning session in fierce winds and freezing temperatures), but they also provided constant support, nutrition and race day tips, and ran the final steps of the HCA Virginia 8k with every teammate they could spot.
And while Kim ended up getting rave reviews at the end of the season, she is humbled by the experience and quick to praise and thank her team for the inspiration they gave her. She’ll tell you that the most rewarding part of the whole experience was “seeing people go from nothing to so much. Being a part of that process and to seeing their progress every week. You always hear these great inspirational stories, but you don’t fully understand until you actually witness it and see how the excited the person is to finish the race or achieve that personal best time. It was incredible.”
But even more impactful than simply completing the race or achieving a PR is the passion that Kim and Judy have now instilled in their runners and walkers. Just as Judy predicted, the training team was never just about running, it was about changing lifestyles, and they truly have lit the fire for some of their participants. So much so, that many members continue to meet each Saturday to bridge the gap between the 8k Training Team and the 10k Training Team that starts January 21.
“They got so motivated that they didn’t want to stop, so we’re actually still meeting on Saturdays and just going out to do group runs,” Judy says. “They just want to maintain. We just meet up and do a two-mile lap and they do as many as they want. It helps to have that Saturday morning accountability.”
The biggest perk of the unofficial sessions?
“We just get to sleep in a little later! We’re meeting at 8 a.m. for now.”