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Eric W., Palatine, IL Running Coach

Eric W.

Running

SILVER
9 reviews

I am a former NCAA Division I runner at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with 9 years of college and private coaching experience. Cross country coach at Harper College. View all coaching experience

This coach is unavailable to take clients at this time.

Training Locations
Training Locations
  1. Busse Woods, South Arlington Heights Road, Elk Grove Village, IL
  2. Prairie Path Lane, Elmhurst, IL
  3. Harper College, 1200 Algonquin Rd, Palatine, IL

Coach is willing to travel up to 25 miles

  • University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign (IL)

  • 9 years

  • Qualified Private Coach
    Passed Coach Course

  • Adults, Kids, Teenagers

  • Sprints, Middle Distance, Marathon, Long Distance, Cross Country

  • Drive Phase, Stride, Pacing, Gait, Form, Breathing

Credentials

  • University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign (IL)

  • 9 years

  • Qualified Private Coach
    Passed Coach Course

Services

  • Adults, Kids, Teenagers

  • Sprints, Middle Distance, Marathon, Long Distance, Cross Country

  • Drive Phase, Stride, Pacing, Gait, Form, Breathing

More About Coach Eric

We believe we can change the world through running. We believe that developing excellence in one area of life carries over to the rest of your life. I have been a coach since 2008. I am currently the Men's and Women's Assistant Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at Harper College in Palatine, IL. I have coached over 30 All-Americans and our men's cross country team has currently won five straight NJCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships (2011-2015).

I am the Co-Founder and Co-Head Coach at Full Potential Running - www.FullPotentialRunning.com. FPR is a Chicago area based personal running coaching company. Our mission is to help runners train smarter, chase their running dreams and reach their full running potential. We coach athletes locally in the Chicago area as well as people around the country and Internationally virtually via email, phone and text. We coach runners of all ability levels and with a range of goals. Our clients range from Olympic Trials Qualifying runners to people looking to qualify for the Boston Marathon to people who want to just improve to be the best runner they can be.

We also work privately with college, high school and junior high school athletes looking to improve their form, speed, strength or to get a customized training plan so they can reach their full running potential. If you are not a runner, but play another sport and want to work on your speed, form, strength, etc. I can help you. I work with a lot of non-runners who want to get faster.

I ran track and cross country at Harper Community College in Palatine, IL and then transferred and ran track and cross country at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At Harper, I was the 2003 1500m National Champion and finished 2nd in the 5k. I was also a member of the 2002 National Champion 4 x 800m relay team. I was a two-time All-American in 2001-2002 in cross country at Harper. At Illinois, I was a top 5 scoring member of our conference regional teams. Here are some of my PR's:

Marathon - 2:24:59
Half-Marathon - 1:07:54
10 Mile - 51:30
10k - 31:23
8k - 24:39
5k - 14:47
3k - 8:23
Mile - 4:13
800m - 1:57.5

We start with each potential new client filling out our coaching questionnaire. This gives us initial details about a person's training history, injury history, goals, nutrition, etc.

Every initial training session is unique to what each person is looking for. It may be to work on form or speed. In other cases it's to work breathing or core strength. Other's are looking for personal coaching help with a specific race like a marathon, half marathon or 5k.

Once we talk in person we then begin the work to help the athlete get better. It may be to watch your form, show you running drills, do strides or hill sprints. Or it may be to write a customized training plan for a marathon or create a summer training plan for a high school athlete.

Everything is unique. We have a lot of experience working with a variety of people of different ages, abilities and goals. We are good at what we do and we love what we do!

Action Photos

Client Reviews

My 12 year old grandson described his first session as "awesome". Way to go Eric!

Coach Eric’s enthusiasm about running is inspirational. His credentials speak for his running experience but his ability to quickly assess and develop a tailored training plan based on fitness level is extremely impressive. Coach Eric’s knowledge of both nutrition and strength is commendable. Which is a bonus, because having all this knowledge in a single place is a key success factor for me.

Initially, I was a little intimidated reaching out to a running coach as I am not particularly fast. Combine that with my goal to try to Qualify for Boston and I was concerned it would be deemed impossible. Coach Eric immediately made me feel comfortable with not only my goals but also with my progress. He has helped me to believe in myself again. I really look forward to working with Coach Eric on my QB journey.

Coach Eric was the first Coach I had outside of my school's program and it was a great experience. He definitly supported me to become a better athlete and I am sure the coaching he gave me will make my goals as an athlete a reality. I especially liked how he did workouts with me to push me to my limits. I would definitly recommend Coach Eric to anyone trying to improve and/or are trying to reach personal goals.

Coach Eric quickly gained my sons confidence by talking to him about his goals and where he wants to improve- my son was very happy after the first session

Coach Eric is working with my daughter who is running High School Track and Cross Country. He has talked with her about her stride, breathing and her mental approach. He is enthusiastic, energetic and truly listens to your needs and then helps to create a focused plan of workouts and exercises to help prevent injuries, promote health and reach whatever goals you have set. He is a knowledgeable and supportive coach.

(no details provided)

Eric has been a fundamental part of taking my running to the next level! With his guidance and support I was able to take 50 minutes off my previous 26.2 PR and I am one step closer to qualifying for Boston in the year to come. Eric is always available to me and answers any questions or concerns that may come up during training. He is confident in my running and I am confident in his coaching!
Eric has been a great coach toward me and my running goals. Whether it was hitting a certain time in a speed workout or hitting a certain pace on our long run, he ensures that I get the most out of my training. Eric has been a great supporter in my junior college racing and continues to provide feedback to my training beyond my time in community college. He makes recommendations on what nutrition you should be consuming to see the best recovery results and any adjustments in your training to ensure that you obtain your fitness goals. He also have extensive knowledge of what type of recovery program you need after your training cycles. I went from being an average runner of having a 5k of 18:05 when I was anemic to fixing my anemia and currently running a 15:30 5k. He is a great motivator and training partner and ensures results because he is passionate about running. Thanks Eric!!
Since I met Eric back in October of 2013 at Harper College to interview him about his experience running the Chicago Marathon, every interaction I’ve had with him has been memorable. Just over two years after that first contact, I am blessed to call Eric a personal friend. He is someone I admire in many ways. Sure, he’s a great runner, but he also gives back so much as a coach with Full Potential Running and at Harper College. Coaching is more than just setting plans in place for athletes to succeed. Coaching is developing a personal relationship with someone, and Eric always makes sure to do that. In the summer of 2015, I was fortunate enough to work with Eric as he customized a training plan for me for the 2015 Chicago Marathon and followed up on a weekly basis to see how I was doing. He covered all facets of what it takes to be successful: the miles, core, stretching, nutrition, and much more. I always felt comfortable bringing my questions or concerns to him. I hit a rough patch during the middle of training, but Eric didn’t push me to the point of breaking down. Instead, he worked with me to get me as healthy as possible while providing a ton of encouragement. I could talk about my goals and how I believe Eric will help me reach them, but instead, I choose to focus on the most exceptional aspect of his coaching: his care. Some of my fondest memories of Eric include seeing him do his morning run from his house to a race site to go cheer on the runners he’s working with or his friends. I also know he has traveled downstate or out-of-state just to see one of his runners chase a goal. For Eric, coaching isn’t a job. Coaching is in the fiber of his being, and I’m blessed to get to witness that from up close.
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