Coach Spotlight: Dimitrios Karampinas — Discipline, Quality, and the Art of Creating Time
In the scenic coastal town of Rethymno, Crete, Dimitrios Karampinas is building something that goes deeper than just training plans. A 55-year-old Physical Education teacher with 30 years of running experience, Dimitrios approaches coaching with a profound sense of responsibility and a philosophy rooted in discipline, education, and personal connection.
We caught up with Dimitrios to discuss his transition from athlete to coach, his philosophy on time management, and why he believes a personal coach will always beat a plan downloaded from the internet.
“Time is Created”
One of the most common hurdles for any athlete is finding the time to train. Dimitrios has a distinct philosophy on this: you don’t find time; you create it.
“If you wait for time to come, it never does,” he explains. For Dimitrios, the cornerstone of athletic development is the discipline to follow through. He teaches his athletes that “Time is created,” emphasizing that prioritization and commitment are the true drivers of endurance success.
This mindset extends to his belief in the power of mental fortitude. His mantra, “Believe in something and your body will follow,” underscores his approach to mental conditioning alongside physical training. He identifies with the somewhat diminishing spirit of children participating in free play in the neighborhood streets, a nod to a resilient, authentic, and playful love of sport that precedes modern structure.
The Responsibility of the Coach
Dimitrios views coaching as a serious educational endeavor. He invests heavily in reading and research because he feels the weight of “the responsibility that comes with it”.
This sense of responsibility is why he advocates so strongly for having a dedicated coach rather than relying on generic internet plans. A static plan cannot judge how an athlete feels on a specific day. Dimitrios notes that a major part of his job is actually “holding back athletes because sometimes it can be too much,” ensuring they prioritize longevity and health over immediate gratification.
Building Community in Crete
Starting with just seven athletes, Dimitrios has grown his roster to over 30 runners through word of mouth. While 20% of his athletes hail from other parts of Greece, 80% are local to Crete.
He fosters this local community by leading a weekly long run. It has become a staple of his coaching service, with many athletes joining the group specifically for the camaraderie and guidance of these sessions.
Quality Over Quantity
Despite his success, Dimitrios is not looking to grow his team indefinitely. His goal is to “keep quality high” and ensure he can support the volume of athletes he currently has. He utilizes different communication packages—answering basic questions via email daily and reserving evenings for calls—to maintain a personal touch.
Looking forward, he is focused on leveraging performance graphs in EndoGusto to better guide his athletes and is considering adding an ergophysiologist to his coaching team to further professionalize his approach.
A passionate mountain runner who enjoys racing and travelling, Dimitrios Karampinas proves that with patience, discipline, and the willingness to “create time,” any athlete can reach new heights.
Analogy
Dimitrios’ coaching philosophy can be likened to sculpting marble – a fitting image for a Greek coach. A downloaded plan is like a factory mold; it forces everyone into the same rigid shape regardless of the material. Dimitrios, however, acts as the sculptor. He carefully studies the stone (the athlete), sometimes holding back the chisel to prevent cracks, believing that the masterpiece is already inside waiting to be revealed through patience and discipline.