Athlete Spotlight: Philip Taylor

Focused on Fast

Lifelong Endurance athlete, Philip Taylor, has been working to take down some hefty PRs over the past year with coach Nicole Camp. Most recently, they tackled the speedy task of going sub-20:00 in the 5k. While some athletes would have chosen a flat, fast course, Philip chose a challenging and hilly course. Though he fell just short of his goal, he and his coach have treated the races as part of the learning process. He writes of the experience, "I have continued making progress towards my elusive goal of a sub-20 5k. Over the last few races I have come within 15 seconds of hitting that goal. With a little more effort, and being able to power up the final climbs, I should be able to hit this goal in the near future."

A Champion of Fatherhood and Health

Philip remains a dedicated athlete despite the other priorities and challenges in his life. Not only is Philip a devoted father and employed full-time, but he is also working through a cancer diagnosis. He has approached these obstacles in training with an attitude of growth, "[My highlight of the season was] Completing each an every race. Living, and training, with cancer has given me a different viewpoint on life and personal accomplishments. While I still strive to be the best that I can be, I have learned to put my 'less-than-stellar' results behind me."

Coach and Athlete: The Dream Team

Coach Nicole has dedicated time, energy, and empathy to working with  Philip and his busy life to set and achieve some amazing training goals. According to Philip, "The main goal that I've had since being coached by Nicole is to break 20:00 in the 5k. We have worked a lot on mental toughness this season, as this is something that I have lacked late in a race. On the physical side of the equation, we have worked hard on shorter, and faster, intervals to build confidence in being able to run at higher speeds." He continues, "I would recommend coach Nicole in a heartbeat. Her ability to work around my life was impressive. She knew when I needed an easier week, but also knew when I needed to push harder. She also drove home that point that easy runs need to be run EASY!!!"

With the strength, dedication, and hard work possessed by Philip, a sub-20:00 5k is in the very near future.