2009 - It's a new year and the players have changed
Team Cook History (2005 - 2009)
The Training Group - "Team Cook"
"Keeping the Circle Small" - One of Coach John Cook's favorite expressions or "Cookisms" as they are more fondly referred to, defines the nature and structure of this training group: a small, select group of elite athletes supported by a well respected and gifted team of professionals.
Team Cook was formed in 2005, when former University of North Carolina Tar Heel, Erin Donohue, began training under the guidance of Coach John Cook on the Nike Campus in Beaverton, Oregon. Erin's college teammate, Shalane Flanagan, packed up and moved to Oregon later that year to join the group. Duke University Alum, Shannon Rowbury, signed on with Team Cook in 2007, after her collegiate running career abruptly ended due to a femoral neck stress fracture.
2008 was an exciting year for this dynamic group. All three Team Cook athletes earned berths on the Beijing Olympic team. Shalane went on to win a bronze medal in the 10K while Shannon made the Olympic final race at 1500 meters, placing 7th - the highest finish ever by an American woman in the Olympics at that distance.
2009 saw some major changes to the Team Cook players. Both Shalane Flanagan and Erin Donohue left Cook's tutelage to pursue other training opportunities. At the same time, Leo Manzano, one of the USA's best male runners at 1500 meters, joined the team as did Ryan Ponsonby, a bright, young coach who oversees the workouts of the athletes while they are on the road.
Learn how this remarkable group came to be in the following story featured in the June 2008 issue of Running Times magazine:
Gain insight into the dynamics of Cook's focused and hard working athletes in the following story, also featured in the June 2008 issue of Running Times magazine:
Listen to Shannon as she discusses her relationship with Coach Cook
The Training Program
Coach John Cook preaches about how "little things become big things" when it comes to training and performing at your best. By incorporating running, stretching, strength training, core work, drills, flexibility, recovery, rehab and mental preparation, Cook successfully coached all three of his athletes (Shalane, Erin and Shannon) to berths on the 2008 Olympic Team and both of his athletes (Leo and Shannon) to berths on the 2009 World Championship Team.
Coach Cook shares information about his training program at the 2009 USTFCCCA National Convention:
- FloTrack - Training with Coach Cook - Part 1
- Flotrack - Training with Coach Cook - Part 2
- Flotrack - Coach Cook on preparing athletes to train hard
- Flotrack - Coach Cook on some training specifics
Watch Shannon as she goes through a rigorous work-out in preparation for the 2009 USATF National Championships and the IAAF World Athletic Championships:
Watch one of Cook's former athletes as she goes through a rigorous work-out in preparation for the 2008 USATF Olympic Trials and the Beijing Summer Olympics:
Read about Shannon's mental and physical preparation during training and competition:
Team Cook Players
Coach John Cook
Ryan joined Team Cook in 2009 as assistant coach and has proven to be a valuable asset to the program. His responsibilities include overseeing workouts, carrying gear (note picture on left) and overall management of the athletes while they are on the road.
Shannon Rowbury
Shannon's Support Team
Leonard Stein, DC
Shannon's chiropractor since the age of 13, Lenny's intuitive ability to get to the source of a problem and fix it is uncanny. He has treated numerous well-known professional athletes and currently travels as the team chiropractor with the Golden State Warriors Basketball Team as well as the San Francisco Ballet Company.
Andrew Chan
Shannon's high school coach, Chanman, is a wonderful role model and a close, trusted friend. He played a critical role in Shannon's early development as a runner, and continues an active role as her assistant coach (under the direction of Coach Cook) during her work outs at her home base in San Francisco.
Lani Green, CMT
Lani has worked her magic hands through every tight muscle on Shannon's body. Her ability to manipulate through deep layers of tissue to loosen up knots and bring fluidity to the muscles makes her the best massage therapist in the Bay Area.
Alan King, DO
Dr. King serves as the team physician for Team Cook athletes and provides numerous services including monitoring lab results and managing general medical issues. He graduated from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medical School in 1987, and double boarded in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. He holds a Masters in Public Health and FAAP and FACP. Dr. King has been in private practice for 13 years with prior Inner city clinic work as a medical director for a Community Medical Clinic in New Haven CT. He has a strong interest in sports medicine, and is a part time coach for very successful Cross-Country and Track teams at Sarasota High School. A competitive runner throughout high school, college and the last 35 years, Dr. King has completed over 50 marathons, and one or two of them he even completed fairly well. A big fan and personal friend of Shannon's, Dr. King has had the pleasure of watching her set most of her PRs in person.
Greg Dale
Professor of Sports Psychology and Director of Mental Training for Duke Athletics, Greg Dale helped Shannon focus more on the mental aspect of racing. One of his strategies was to help Shannon divide her races into three phases and establish key words to focus on during each phase of her race. This allows Shannon to concentrate on the task at hand and not the negative distractions that can come into play during competition. To read more about Shannon's work with Greg, click on the following link:
Dan Pfaff
After a very successful career at the collegiate level, Dan Pfaff now trains a group of jumpers, vaulters, throwers and runners at Tri Valley Athletics in Stockton, California. Shannon worked with Dan after being diagnosed with a femoral neck stress fracture. Through a series of drills and strength training, Dan helped unravel Shannon's body so she could fully recover from her injury, and then to perfect her form so that she could be as efficient and powerful as possible. For more information about Tri Valley Athletics, click on the following links:
Amol Saxena, DPM
A gifted podiatrist at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Department of Sports Medicine, Amol helped address one of the contributing factors of Shannon's stress fracture. Through a detailed analysis of her leg length discrepancy, Dr. Saxena was able to prepare custom orthotics to correct her problem in an effort to prevent reinjury.
Family and Friends (Thanks for all of your love and support!)
