Love me some Ru-Bob

Ru-Bob. Like the stuff you put in pie?  (If you didn’t say that out loud and you don’t get it, stop reading my blog.)

Talk about people who are alive, meet Bob and Ruthie- the fantastic coaches of the CVE/Lulu team. If there were a way to make this post literally glow, I would do it, because these two actually radiate awesome. Not only awesome athletic ability, but awesome in their passion, inspiration, and character. Here’s a longer than necessary description of the greatness that graces my presence three times a week.

Ruthie:

Fierce. Genuine. Compassionate. Engaged. (In the community- she's taken J) Supportive. Strong. Knock-out. I knew of Ruthie before I got to know Ruthie. Small world that running in Richmond is, I ran with Ruthie's husband and a mutual friend long before I submitted my application for the CVE/Lulu team. Knowing those two, and the kind of people they are (The kind that always come back to last, no matter how far ahead they are. The kind that loan you headlamps and pieces of their marathon medals as your prepare for your own race.), it wasn't hard to guess that Ruthie is cut from the same cloth. I heard she was fast (Black Team coach), I heard she was tough (50 miler on broken foot?). Working with Ruthie, I have learned first hand that she gives it to you straight, doesn't hesitate to speak up when she knows something's off, and has zero inhibitions about standing mid-hill around the curve to direct traffic around people trying to run hills. Her encouragment and concern are real, and really appreciated.

Badass. The force behind Central Virginia Endurance. Entirely comfortable in spandex. Motivated. Further proof that baldness is indicative of greatness. (See also Exhibit A- my father, Exhibit B- my other half) Bob is a world class athlete (Team USA 2014- what?!) and a great coach. Bob cares about you and your performance. He doesn’t coddle, he doesn’t waste a lot of time on excuses or explanations. I love working with Bob because he has that balance of encouraging and demanding that I need. He won’t stand there and tell me I’m doing a great job when I’m not. He recognizes effort and struggle, alternatively delivering soothing words of encouragement and less soothing messages along the lines of “Suck it up.” His love of endurance sports is infectious, his accomplisments are inspiring. 

None of what I’m saying is an attempt to have someone go easy on me in next week's speed workout. These are my honest thoughts. If I didn’t truly like and admire these two, this would be a 5-line post with a bunch of pictures.

  

They have done what we’ve done times 1000.

They have trained, they have been injured, they have recovered, and they have ROCKED some intense competitions.

They are deeply entrenched in Richmond’s active community, sharing their passion with athletes of every level. 

They are determined, they are competitive, they are fun.
They bring passion, connections, and so much LIFE to Richmond through their work.

SO fortunate to have a chance to work with these two, and to live in a community with such strong role models.