dugganelites
Monday, August 20, 2012
update
I cannot believe it been almost three months since I last posted!
Not much has been happening with dugganelites; the summer months here in North Carolina are not the best for racing. I am looking forward to fall, as the pace will increase! Two new runner to the group at are Martha Fuller and Bridget Landis.
Martha Fuller will be running her first Marathon on October 21!
Sara Day will be do a 10 miler also on 10/21; she has the Marine Corp Marathon the following week.
The summer months have allowed me time to reflect—it is funny that all three of us(Martha, Sara and myself) ran at High Point University together and here we are many years later…and I coach both of them! Unlike Sara, Martha has been away from the sport for a few years-- but she is back at it and doing great. The Goal we have set for her is 3 hours 30 minutes (and I know she can run it if everything goes well on the day.) Training is going well. Martha is in New York working--so we do everything over the Internet. What dedication! It a lot harder to run when your coach is not there with you, but she has been doing a great job of keeping me up to date with her training.
Sara Day’s training has also been a challenge. Try coaching someone hallways around the world in the hot sand box of Kuwait! Thanks to the internet, and Skype, Sara is able to keep up with her training regimen. Sara is planning to to run the Army 10 miler and then a week later do the Marine Corp marathon. Her priority is the marathon—so the 10 miler maybe just a jog! Training is going well and the goal is to get her time under three hours.
Richard McDonnell is getting back to full fitness after injuring his back. His training is going great, and we are almost back to where we were. He is anticipating some good race times in the fall.
The newest member of dugganelites is Bridget Landis. She is getting back into shape after the birth of her daughter, and we are planning on doing a half-marathon this fall. We just have to pick one!
Shannon McConnell Roof will be doing the Savannah Marathon on November 3 and is raising funds for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Please help to support her efforts: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/rnrsav12/shannonroof#.UCgLu7m7QEo.facebook
Shannon’s training is going very well (despite her hectic travel schedule).
The dugganelites runners are a small group—but I anticipate growing numbers this autumn. I love working with each one of them! They are a dedicated group, that followed their assigned schedules. As a coach, I’m very pleased with each one’s progress!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Boston Marathon with Shannon.
Good,
Bad, Ugly
Well let’s start with the bad, six weeks out from Boston
Shannon got back into town after a business trip went for a run that was going
ok until about 4mls in when she started to feel pain in her ankle. By the end
of her 6mls run the pain had gotten worse. Sunday was to be a 20mls run day but
that did not happen even though Shannon wanted to try run a few miles, I had
her run on the treadmill for about a minute and shut it down a run was not
going to happen. On Monday Shannon made an appointment with Dr. Fields and was
lucky enough to get in to see him that morning, diagnosis was bursitis in the
ankle. With only five weeks to go until the Marathon things where not looking
good. So she was allowed to bike which was good so for the next 3 weeks Shannon
was on the bike, some days twice doing up to 2 hour workouts.
This
is where our roles changed instead of me being the one giving the encouragement
to Shannon, she was giving it to me. The next 13 miles where Ugly for me, but
Shannon stayed with me even though I told her to go ahead. I think she knew if
she left me I was stopping. Over the last six miles I had cramps in both calf
muscles and by the last mile they had moved up into by hamstrings As we rounded
the corner unto Boylston Street I told Shannon to go “ I think I can make it
from here” So we made it to the finish,
yes we had fun. What’s next??
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Richard called me early February and
asked if I would coach him, I agreed, already two more first place finishes and
he leads the Greensboro series, but that is only the start and we have a long
way to go.
Sara Day on the other hand has been
running since high school, a stand-out at Ledford high school, 1995 and 1997
North Carolina state champion in both 1,600m and 800m, placed 3rd in state in cross country in 1994, Four-time
all-state selection. Went to High Point University and before transferring to
Wake Forest was 1999 Big South Champion in both 3,000m and 5,000m.
At Wake
Since her college days. Sara Day has
been serving the military for the past 10 years, and is an Army Captain in the
United States Army. She is a two-time
combat veteran, serving during both Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08 and currently
serving during Operation Enduring Freedom 11-12.
Last November Sara emailed me and
asked if I would coach her again. I had worked with Sara while she was at High
Point, known her talent back then and how hard she is willing to work I agreed
but this was a new adventure for me as Sara is in Kuwait. So we talk every
other week via Skype and I send her schedules each week. We have not set any
goals yet but I already know what Sara’s goal is.
Next up the good, bad and Ugly
Friday, April 13, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Dugganelites Coaching
So what do I offer?
Customized training schedule done weekly
Daily connect with your coach via text, skype or phone
A schedule that meets your needs
Face to face consultation weekly
Weight training plan
Shoe advice
Nutrition plan if needed
Discounted sport massage
Discounted phyiscal therapy if needed
contact:David Duggan
phone 336-259-5601
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
The Dream is on Hold
It’s been over two weeks since Kiawah Marathon, the final race for Molly to attempt to run the 2:46 B standard for the Olympic trials. It was not her day; we walked off the course just short of 13mls. So were we disappointed? Hell yes!
Disappointed, but proud of a young woman who had put her heart and soul into a dream that came within 8 seconds of being reality. As I look back I can say “what if”, what if in Myrtle Beach we didn’t have to run 11mls into a 14mph head wind, what if in Virginia Beach we didn’t have to run 7mls into 35mph wind gusts or what if she hadn’t got tripped and fallen, what if she had trained for Wineglass, (will come back to this one), what if she had people supporting her instead of putting her down. A lot of “what if” but if on any one of those occasions, had conditions been right, I’m sure Molly would have run a lot faster than 2:46.
Wineglass was a slightly downhill marathon in Corning, New York on Oct. 2. This was a place I’m sure Molly could have run the time if she had trained for it, so let me explain from the end of August to the week after the race I stopped working with Molly. The reason, well, Molly had so much going on in her life that the training was not getting done and if you are not doing the training then you don’t need a coach.
So for six weeks Molly did not do a long run over 13mls but still ran a 2:48.22, yes another chance gone down the drain, but a real learning experience. The week following the race we sat down and talked about were the last chance was going to be, Molly looked at 5 different marathons and then we narrowed it down. Yes we did look at the possibility of running two more marathons in a year where she had already finished 3, one in November and then a final one in December if she did not get the time, but that idea went out the window when she told me how she had trained for Wineglass. So the plan was one last attempt but we also needed as much time as possible to get ready. We had 6 weeks between Wineglass and Kiawah which was enough time, but the down side was we then only had 4 weeks to the Trials if she made it. The goal was to make it first then worry about that.
So to Kiawah, 9 days out we did a workout 4x2mls, Molly ran the workout with great ease, and was in great shape, she was in better physical shape than she was for any of the other marathon. Race morning things were great. We were staying in Condo just 400m from the race start line, we headed to start line 40minutes before the start time, got to the elite tent put our bags down and went for a jog. The race started the opening mile was 6:10, then we settled into 6:17-6:20 pace, but at 6mls I could sense something was wrong but did not want to say anything. Then, at 8mls Molly came up beside me and said “it not going to happen” so we talked about what she wanted to do. At first she still wanted to finish but as the miles passed the best choice was to stop, so just short of 13 miles we stepped off the course.
So what went wrong? I could say the same thing that did in Houston back in January and also again in August when she stopped listening to her coach, the mental side or the stress that she has been dealing with all year or the non-support from people what should have been by her side.
Sometimes it makes no different how good of shape you are in, if the mind is not there, (guess what, we have a problem), when people say they support you and then turn their back on you the day before your last chance to make the trials, who need friends like that. Then to top thing off, when I left she had a driver, who then bailed and she drove herself down. So she arrived in Kiawah at 9pm after a 5 hour drive. So once again we could say an outside factor cost her, being Molly’s coach and a good friend I often wonder how she just did not quit with everything she was going through but I will use a quote that Molly has used “ Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but rising up each time we fail”.
- Emerson
So where do we go from here? The dream is on hold but new goals are being set. Some are short term and yes 2016 is a goal, but for now, it let sort out a few things, relax, have some fun and let’s get back at it in the NEW YEAR.

Wineglass was a slightly downhill marathon in Corning, New York on Oct. 2. This was a place I’m sure Molly could have run the time if she had trained for it, so let me explain from the end of August to the week after the race I stopped working with Molly. The reason, well, Molly had so much going on in her life that the training was not getting done and if you are not doing the training then you don’t need a coach.
So for six weeks Molly did not do a long run over 13mls but still ran a 2:48.22, yes another chance gone down the drain, but a real learning experience. The week following the race we sat down and talked about were the last chance was going to be, Molly looked at 5 different marathons and then we narrowed it down. Yes we did look at the possibility of running two more marathons in a year where she had already finished 3, one in November and then a final one in December if she did not get the time, but that idea went out the window when she told me how she had trained for Wineglass. So the plan was one last attempt but we also needed as much time as possible to get ready. We had 6 weeks between Wineglass and Kiawah which was enough time, but the down side was we then only had 4 weeks to the Trials if she made it. The goal was to make it first then worry about that.
So to Kiawah, 9 days out we did a workout 4x2mls, Molly ran the workout with great ease, and was in great shape, she was in better physical shape than she was for any of the other marathon. Race morning things were great. We were staying in Condo just 400m from the race start line, we headed to start line 40minutes before the start time, got to the elite tent put our bags down and went for a jog. The race started the opening mile was 6:10, then we settled into 6:17-6:20 pace, but at 6mls I could sense something was wrong but did not want to say anything. Then, at 8mls Molly came up beside me and said “it not going to happen” so we talked about what she wanted to do. At first she still wanted to finish but as the miles passed the best choice was to stop, so just short of 13 miles we stepped off the course.
So what went wrong? I could say the same thing that did in Houston back in January and also again in August when she stopped listening to her coach, the mental side or the stress that she has been dealing with all year or the non-support from people what should have been by her side.
Sometimes it makes no different how good of shape you are in, if the mind is not there, (guess what, we have a problem), when people say they support you and then turn their back on you the day before your last chance to make the trials, who need friends like that. Then to top thing off, when I left she had a driver, who then bailed and she drove herself down. So she arrived in Kiawah at 9pm after a 5 hour drive. So once again we could say an outside factor cost her, being Molly’s coach and a good friend I often wonder how she just did not quit with everything she was going through but I will use a quote that Molly has used “ Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but rising up each time we fail”.
- Emerson
So where do we go from here? The dream is on hold but new goals are being set. Some are short term and yes 2016 is a goal, but for now, it let sort out a few things, relax, have some fun and let’s get back at it in the NEW YEAR.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
High Point Marathon with Julie Smith
Started training with Julie the 5th of July, her goal was to run and finish the North Carolina Marathon in High Point in November. This was not a first marathon for Julie, it was going to be number three but the first in 5 years. Her first marathon was a trail marathon which she finished in 5 hours 20 minutes, her next marathon was Ellerbe marathon the following March which she ran in 4hours 52minutes, talk about finding a hard marathon to run.
So the training started and like all schedules we had to work around a few things; a work schedule and two young kids, but we got the training done. Monday to Thursday Julie ran on her lunch break and then we did our long run on Friday or Saturday with Sunday being a recovery day or rest day. The first week mileage was 23 miles and we built up to 43.
The good thing about running a home town marathon - there is no travel involved, you get to sleep in your own bed and eat as normally as possible. The marathon itself had been moved from the spring to the fall which put it in competition with a lot of other well established fall races. So what was the weather going to be like? Well on the morning of the race, start time temperatures were about 34 degrees and were to get up to 55 for the high.
The plan was for me to run with Julie and try to keep her at 10 minute mile pace; did not do a good job in the opening mile, I knew we were going out fast and told Julie to slow down a few times but still went through the first time in 8:43. I remember telling Julie: “you will pay for that later.” To my surprise Julie maintained a sub 10 minute mile pace for the first half of the marathon; in fact we were running 9:44 per mile but the next few mile where going to be hard. The other advantage of a home town marathon is you can train on the course. Both myself and Julie had run the first 16 miles of the course two weeks before; it also helped that I had run the course twice before.
So Julie was running great until the 18 mile mark, then that first mile started to tell, but to her credit she never stopped once to walk and crossed the line in a new PR of 4:33
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