Gabe Poulin – Shreveport Running Coach

Description

Shreveport running coach Gabe Poulin has both trained and competed at a high level in track and cross country, and is excited to help you achieve your goals through consistency, injury prevention, and building a strong foundation. Reach out to Gabe below to get started!

Contact Gabe

LEVELS: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
TYPES: Road, Track
DISTANCES: 5k/10k/Half Marathon, Marathon
TRAINING PLATFORM: VDOT
TRAINING PLAN: Individual, customized training plan
COMMUNICATION: Unlimited email, unlimited text
RESPONSE TIME: Within 24 hours
LOCATION: Ruston, LA
IN-PERSON SESSIONS: No, online coaching only

SPECIALTIES

• Any age and skill level are accepted
• Goal-setting meeting
• Personalized, adaptive, and flexible training plans
• Strength training program
• Cross-training/injury plans
• Pre/Post race meeting
• Form analysis
• Nutrition intuition

PHILOSOPHY

The goal is not to get the amount of training right, but the quality. This is often overlooked for “the gospel” of long-distance running which is just hammering high mileage. Master the foundations and then allow yourself to move on to a heavier load. This, combined with a preventative or maintenance measure to prevent injury, provides an athlete with the greatest level of consistency and success.

Running is more than just training the body. It is often the critical element that most running communities neglect which eventually leads coaches and other athletes to forget that runners are human. Authentic training consists of the physical, psychological, and emotional aspects and allows for a complete mastery of distance running.

COACHING EXPERIENCE

I’ve been a coach for a few years now. Prior to that, I interned under the head cross country and track coach at Mississippi College and competed in the NCAA for five years. I consult with fellow coaches in the field on training philosophies and what trends bring out the greatest adaptations in athletes. I continue to research current running trends and new possible approaches and adjustments for training. Most importantly, I have learned and adapted the most from the athletes I have coached over the past few years.

ABOUT ME

I grew up in the great Cajun state of Louisiana where I was a five-time state champion and competed in college at Mississippi College for 5 years and qualified for two NCAA championships. I am deeply passionate about cross country and track and field, with it consuming most of my free time through videos, results, podcasts, books, and independent research. If I had a dollar for every spreadsheet full of running analysis… I would have a few dollars, which doesn’t sound like a lot but I could at least grab a drink from Starbucks.

I would say that my favorite locations that I have run in have been Boulder, CO with Seattle, WA coming in a close second. I’m a big sucker for a view and love running in some mountainous areas; really just anywhere that seems in touch with nature. I find that running helps me zen out and feeds the adventurous side of me. I am a very naturally laid-back person and love to have fun, and I am definitely one of the firm believers in not taking myself too seriously.

I graduated with my master’s in applied exercise physiology and I am in the process of attaining a doctorate in physical therapy from UTMB Galveston. I am also a former MileSplit writer and analyst.

BIG INFLUENCES

I’ve gained inspiration from coaches and athletes from all ends of the exercise spectrum. I find it important to consider “heretic” training philosophies because there is often truth in opposing views. This includes researching physiological and psychological responses to training and alternative training methods to enhance injury prevention. Not to mention the countless hours I spend researching what other coaches are doing in other running specialties.

My time as a physical therapy student greatly influenced my coaching perspective. As a former elite athlete and current physiotherapy/exercise physiology student, my greatest focus is conducting training while reducing factors that may lead to injury. This, coupled with the psycho-emotional response to training, is especially important because the cliche of “toughen up” or “imagine yourself as the winner already” is not effective; people are more complex than that.

I believe that ANY coach can generate some degree of success regardless of the training program. That is why I maximize my training prescription by using scientifically backed data and constantly researching novel methods/approaches to training. I would say among the schools of thought, I most align with the Jack Daniels approach, but I emphasize biochemical markers more for training intensities.

RACING HISTORY

It’s impossible to say what I’ve learned specifically from each race, more so being a cluster of small lessons that accumulate to the greater understanding of running. I’ve learned more from my defeats than my victories, being mid-race strategy, injury prevention, training necessities for each race effort, and pre-race psychology and emotion. All of these concepts have come from my past failures, and have shaped how I address training for my athletes.

PRs

• 800m — 1:57
• 1500m — 3:52
• 3000m — 8:20
• 5000m — 14:17
• 8000m (XC) — 23:54
• 10000m — 30:21
• Half-Marathon — 1:08:58 (long run)

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

• 2x NCAA National Qualifier
• 2x Conference Champion

CONTACT GABE

Finding a coach who is a great fit for you is really important. We encourage you to email your coach prior to signing up so you can connect, communicate, and ensure a good athlete/coach fit.