The mission of Diana Roberts and Larry Weber is “making champions of others” as they embark on a new coaching venture. Both well-known coaches in their own right, they are forming a partnership to provide something that has never before been available to athletes in Thurston County. Roberts & Weber Coaching can provide full-service, one-on-one coaching for area athletes in every discipline from the 5K to an Ironman triathlon.
Why do you need a coach if you are planning to run a marathon or participate in a triathlon? The average runner is not attempting to win their race or qualify for a national championship. In fact many runners do not reach the finish line at all. Their race dreams get shattered by an overuse injury, pain caused by increasing mileage too quickly or the toll of bad running mechanics. Roberts maintains that the true goal should be getting to the starting line injury-free and ready to race.
Roberts and Weber have a combined 80 years of experience in training and coaching. Roberts closes all her written communication with this simple phrase: “Train safely and grow in wisdom.” These two coaches share a passion for seeing people reach their goals, and they have the knowledge to make that happen. As Weber explains, it does not matter to them if the goal is to complete a half-marathon at a 10-minute pace or qualify for the Olympic trials. “We want to help people define their goals and break through their own perceived barriers.”
Weber knows a thing or two about breaking barriers. He was a conference champion at the University of Montana and went on to be a semi-finalist at the United States Track and Field Championships. Weber also holds the all-time record in the Ultimate Runner Competition, an event that surely tests the mettle of any athlete. The event was designed to test the limits of human endurance in one day and decree the winner the best all-around runner in the world. Participants run a 100-meter dash, 400 meters, 10k, a mile and a marathon-distance race all in one day. The Ultimate Runner Competition was the mental and physical test of a lifetime, and Weber has been sharing what he learned on that day through over 30 years of coaching.
As the distance coach at Northwest Christian High School, Weber led the team to eight statewide championships in cross country – five girls state titles and three boys. In fact, Weber himself still owns the all-time Thurston County high school record in the 800 meters, at a blistering fast time of 1:51:7. In addition to coaching student athletes, Weber has coached several Capital City Marathon winners. Local runners Karen Steen, Linda Huyck and Phil Jasperson have all seen the podium with Weber by their side.
You may be saying to yourself, “I am not trying to win the Capital City Marathon,” and instead just want to try a 5K for the first time or enter your first triathlon. Roberts explains that a customized training plan can help athletes of all ages and abilities minimize their risk of injury. “From finding the proper running shoe to determining any weaknesses before beginning a training program, we can help athletes to be successful in their own pursuit, whatever that may be,” says Roberts. Roberts has participated in endurance sports for many years, including 13 Ironman triathlons and famed marathons such as Chicago, New York and the runner’s ultimate destination, the Boston marathon. She understands the importance of training smart.
When you engage the services of Roberts & Weber Coaching, you are getting the expertise of two coach-athletes who will create a customized training plan designed to help you reach your goals. An initial musculoskeletal assessment will be performed to identify any weakness, and exercises will be assigned to strengthen those areas. When the number one cause of injury is training error, engaging a knowledgeable coach only makes good sense. Unlike some online, cookie-cutter training plans that limit contact between athlete and coach, you will have unlimited support and training sessions that optimize your performance while preventing injury. Rumor has it that Weber can predict your race times based on your initial assessment.
Roberts is passionate about introducing more females to the sport of triathlon. It is an emerging NCAA sport for women with more colleges sponsoring triathlon teams each year. Roberts loves coaching the “newbies” as she likes to call them, and has coached four people to an Ironman finish. “One of her brand-new athletes even made the podium at Ironman Canada with Roberts cheering her on from the sidelines. The measure of a “good” Ironman race is completing the grueling 2.4-mile swim and 112-mile bike ride followed by a marathon to finish the day. Just competing in this event requires hundreds of hours of training along with a strong nutrition plan.
Roberts and Weber are two of the most knowledgeable coaches in the area, and both consider themselves lifelong learners. If they are not training or coaching, they are reading the latest research in training and coaching. They can provide individual coaching plans as well as work with small groups. Special pricing is available for student athletes. For more information about how to reach your athletic goals, visit the Roberts & Weber Coaching website.
