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ANDY CARTER
During a period of extreme stress and anxiety at work, I decided to take up running. I had recently
quit smoking after 22 years and had led a fairly sedentary lifestyle with no real concern for my physical health.
My first workout was four sets of 3 minutes running, 1 minute walking in October of 2006. Over the
winter I built my strength and endurance and completed my first race in May of 2007 – a 10K with a chip time of about
57 minutes. I was officially hooked on running after this race. The excitement of running
with this many people and the sense of accomplishment upon completion of the race has kept me coming back to racing, which
in turn keeps me disciplined in my training. By the end of 2008, I had completed a half marathon in 1:39; a steady increase
in speed was occurring with every race. I made a decision in early January of 2009 that I was going to
train for my first marathon with an aggressive goal time of 3:15. In the spring of 2009 I contacted Nicole
to discuss whether or not she was willing to assist me in achieving this goal and after an initial consultation over a coffee,
we began putting a plan together. By following the training plan that Nicole and I created together, and with the discussions around my progress, difficulties,
good runs and not so good runs, my speed and endurance continued to increase throughout the training program.
I ran a 2:18 30K and a 3:23 marathon in 2009 and in both cases, slightly underestimated my endurance; both times could
easily have been a few minutes faster. Nicole is a great coach. Her customized training plans are constantly tweaked based on her interpretation
of the runner’s performance and feedback. She is not afraid to send her runners home exhausted after
a tough interval workout. She understands the mental aspects of racing and provides pre / post-race support
when needed. Most of all, Nicole brings years of training and racing experience from a successful running
career with the tried and true running training fundamentals at its foundation. I look forward to continuing to train under
Nicole’s guidance in 2010 where I’m sure the PBs will continue to fall with each race.
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KRISTA DUCHENEThe process of being
self-coached to coached was easy in my transition to “elite” marathon running – thanks to Coach Nicole Stevenson.
We emailed and met in person to develop a training and sponsorship
plan that would allow me to balance part-time work as a dietitian and parenting a three and one year old. Nicole refined my
existing training plan to a challenging yet attainable level that was specific for me. Her timely responses, supportive emails
and phone calls, expertise and wisdom as a world-class marathon runner make her a great coach. She has sound advice and encourages
you to listen to your body – rest when you need it and give more when you should.
As a result, I set 4/4 personal best times in one season with Nicole: a 36:39 10 km, 60:06 16 km, 1:19:14 Half Marathon,
and most notably a 2:46:27 Marathon, which placed me 5th in Canada’s Womens Overall Marathon Rankings. She
also facilitated my success in gaining support from Chariot Carriers, Eload, and adidas.
I look
forward to another season with Nicole and will, no doubt, continue to recommend her to fellow athletes.
Krista DuChene,Dietitian and Marathon Mom
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JANE CULLIS
I began running competitively in 2003 with the cross-country and track team
at McGill University. During my three years with the Martlets I improved from a twelve-minute 3000m to a 10:08 3000m, won
two individual track and field provincial medals (2005, 2006) and one cross-country provincial medal (2004), and had a best
placing of 24th at the CIS Championships in 2005. In 2006 I moved to Toronto to pursue a graduate degree in Medical
Biophysics and completed my last two years of varsity eligibility with the Varsity Blues.
After
graduating from the varsity program, I shifted my focus to running longer distances, something that I have long anticipated.
I was thrilled to hear that Nicole would be helping out with the University of Toronto Track Club beginning in January of
2009 and looked forward to learning from her years of experience as an elite marathoner. During this relatively short time
Nicole has indeed served as an invaluable mentor and has motivated and challenged me to reach new heights After dealing with a string of injuries in 2008, I have been healthy and injury-free for the last eight months,
in large part due to Nicole’s close guidance and expert advice. In the summer of 2009, Nicole helped me develop and
execute a solid program of base training, strength work and workouts, which culminated in my first-ever road running victory
at the Midsummer Night’s 15k in August. In the fall, we focused on improving my strength and speed over shorter distances.
As a result, I took two more road running crowns, one at the Oakville Turkey Trot 5k in October and another at the Casablanca
Classic 8k in November. I finished my fall season with a 5th place finish at the Ontario Provincial Cross-Country
Championships and a 33rd place finish at the AGSI National Championships in Guelph, helping the University of Toronto
Track Club’s Senior Women claim team gold and silver medals, respectively. In
the time I have known Nicole, she has challenged me to run outside of my comfort zone and execute workouts and times that
I never thought I could. Nicole communicates her ideas and expectations clearly and in a manner that bubbles with positivity.
She leads by example, often working out alongside me and pushing the pace, or even driving in her car behind me, which is
quite terrifying. These qualities make Nicole an inspiration as well as an excellent coach. I look forward to another strong
season with Nicole in the spring of 2010, with my sights set on the Ottawa Marathon in May.
Personal Bests: 3000m – 10:08 5k (road) – 18:25 8k (road) – 29:55 10k (road) – 36:32 15k (road) – 1:00:21 Half-Marathon –
1:21:46
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TARA NORTONI
am a professional Ironman triathlete with over 20 Ironman and Half Iron-Distance
podium finishes to my name including a 2nd place finish at Ironman Lanzarote in 2007. I am still searching for
my first Ironman victory, however, and recognizing Nicole as one of Canada’s top marathoners, I began working with her
in June of 2009 specifically to improve my run. Nicole
draws upon her vast experience and technical knowledge to provide me with a training program tailored to my very specific
needs. Nicole came on board as my running coach shortly after I suffered a near career-ending hamstring injury, and
she has tirelessly worked with me to help me regain my strength and improve my gait. Nicole has the expertise to adjust
workouts to ensure I have only quality sessions, and I meet her regularly for one-on-one training. The results have been incredibly impressive to date, and I have never felt stronger
as a runner. Nicole keeps me motivated to continue to work harder and get faster, and I am convinced that, with her
ongoing coaching, my next season will be my best ever.
SUZANNE ZELAZO Women’s distance running in Canada has long needed a coach like Nicole Stevenson.
In fact, there has been a glaring paucity of female coaches on the Canadian scene which her presence finally begins to rectify.
To be sure, I have myself been coached by some amazing male coaches, however, under Nicole’s guidance, I have witnessed
the valuable nuances of having a coach that understands the particulars of women’s running from a bodily and
experiential way, as well as an intellectual and mental one. Obviously an incredible athlete herself, Nicole’s
coaching goes hand in hand with her own inspirational career and talent. At times, (and to our simultaneous excitment
and fear) Nicole will jump into intervals, pushing the pace when and where she thinks we need it. There is something
quite motivating about running mile repeats beside a 2:32 marathoner! By no means a “easy”
coach, Nicole is certainly open and flexible in her approach to training and racing, and this in turn allows for a genuine
specificity in meeting and addressing the individual needs of her athletes. For example, because I also compete as a pro triathlete,
Nicole works closely with my tri coach Tara Norton to ensure a balance of intensity and recovery, as well as to negotiate
an optimum race schedule. In just one year under Coach Stevenson’s guidance, I shaved 9 minutes off my half marathon
time, even claiming my first half marathon victory at the GoodLife Toronto Half Marathon. She’ll certainly make you work hard, but Nicole will also ensure you rest
easy and sufficiently—executing a restraint that (much as I sometime resist it), has ensured that I have been injury
free all season. In her first official year of coaching, Nicole has amassed some of Ontario’s top distance and multisport
talent, creating a training environment that has been unparalleled in my experience, and a group of runners that is sure to
make a mark in upcoming years!
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