Staff Spotlight

What is a coachette? It is not an old fashioned carriage nor a surgical tool. Believe it or not this term happens to be a term of endearment delegated to a NeuroAdvancE's client's personal trainer, our own Ronnie Van Lokeren!!!

So what is a coachette? It is a fantastic female dedicated to perfection, who is caring, has great stamina, performs under the worst conditions, pays particular attention to detail and performs with great competence. A coachette is a term delegated to our very own Ronnie Van Lokeren, personal marathon trainer.

The training for the November 12, 1995 NYC Marathon actually started in February. It began with body strength and endurance workouts at the local gym, and specifically daily mileage training. Mileage and lower body strength training slowly increases. Upper body fitness training is scheduled for alternative and bad weather days. Also uphill endurance and speed training is included.

The Coachette has created a very intricate schedule of what to do and when, including times the coachette cannot be present, and how to eat properly. The days have been carefully laid out, from February to November 12, and there is psychological training too! This includes the wind-down after a marathon. The trainer has numerous responsibilities, far too many to put in this article, far beyond the imagination of anyone who has never been in a marathon. There's schedules, registration preparations, maintenance, pre-marathon races to enter and lots more.

Ronnie, a veteran marathoner, has dutifully taken on this task of Coachette, in addition to the many other hats she wears at NeuroAdvancE. Her day starts off with a 6:30 start for training, alongside the client. Ronnie provides the instruction, motivation, correction, safety awareness, confidence and fun.

Although she vowed the '94 marathon would be her last, she volunteered for this position for the benefit of the client. Ronnie runs daily, has a large family and an extended family that she provides and models for in addition to her numerous responsibilities here at the Milford, PA office. In addition to participating beside the client, Ronnie has four family members in this marathon who she helped enter and prepare!

Revised: Saturday, March 30, 2002 06:03 AM