Science of Running: Recent Episodes
Science of Running
An in depth look at training, coaching, Sport Science, and anything else that relates to enhancing endurance performance.
Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus discuss the art and science of delayed training effects, arguing that training adaptations are non-linear, hard to quantify, and often misunderstood as quick “return on investment.” They contrast complicated vs complex systems, noting hidden variables and individual response rates that make simple timelines unreliable. Using examples from elite runners, David…
In this week’s episode Steve and Jon discuss injuries as an unavoidable, unpredictable part of running due to impact and eccentric loads, arguing coaching has shifted from “rest and hope” to creative training that maintains fitness without worsening injury. They outline a framework for evaluating injuries by type (bone, soft tissue, metabolic/overtraining, and “WTF” injuries),…
The episode focuses on constraints in coaching: manipulating training and environment to drive physical and psychological adaptation by identifying and widening an athlete’s primary bottleneck. David Epstein recounts Sheila Taormina learning the Theory of Constraints in college, shifting from aerobic volume to strength/power, making the Olympic team, winning relay gold, and later competing across four…
We host Olympian and Norwegian-method innovator Marius Bakken and talk bout the history and principles behind double-threshold training, lactate testing, and “muscle tone” as a key limiter of recovery and performance. Bakken contrasts lessons from coaches like Joe Newton, Peter Coe, and others, emphasizing long-term progression and balancing load with precision rather than uncontrolled intensity.…
Steve Magness and John Marcus continue their peaking series by reframing peaking as maintaining fitness while eradicating fatigue so athletes can express existing fitness on race day, rather than expecting a magical performance boost. They emphasize that peaking is as psychological as physiological: coaches must set realistic expectations that racing will still feel hard, shift…
Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus discuss how coaches should define a training approach without falling into two traps: having no coherent philosophy by mixing everything, or rigidly copying one system with no flexibility. They argue training must account for environment and reality (altitude, heat/humidity, sea level), athlete population, and psychological constraints, not just physiology or…
Coaching Successful, Part 1: Defining Your Philosophy and Boundaries Steve Magness and Jon Marcus begin a “coaching successful” series by arguing that sustainable high-level coaching depends less on perfect training plans and more on clearly defined philosophy, boundaries, and principles. They discuss the messy identity shift from athlete to coach and warn about “boundary creep,”…
The Illusion of Optimization: Balancing Physiology and Neurology in Coaching In this episode of the Coaching Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and John Marcus dive into a deep discussion about the complexities of coaching that lie beyond the modern obsession with optimization. They argue that true coaching success comes from a balance between understanding physiology…
Balancing Fitness and Robustness: The Importance of Neuromuscular Coordination in Training In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, Steve Magness and Jon Marcus discuss the concept of ‘fit but flat,’ exploring the phenomenon where athletes excel in metabolic fitness but fail to perform competitively due to a lack of neuromuscular coordination. Using examples like…
Mastering Race Day Mindset: Proven Strategies and Quirks In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and Jon Marcus delve into the psychology of training the mind for race day. They explore the importance of adopting a growth mindset over a fixed mindset and the critical role of visualization in achieving peak…
In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, we delve into the critical topic of recovery, emphasizing the importance of keeping it simple and avoiding the pitfalls of the ‘industrial complex of recovery.’ They discuss the transformation of recovery techniques from the early days of simple practices like hydration and nutrition to the modern inundation…
In this episode of the On Coaching podcast, hosts Steve Magness and Jon Marcus walk you through how to coach a runner from the very start. From the training to the mental game, we cover it all. -Steve Steve’s NEW Book is OUT NOW: Win The Inside Game! Learn how to perform under pressure, come…
In this episode of the On Coaching podcast, hosts Steve Magness and John Marcus discuss the challenges and strategies of coaching new runners in a team setting. They emphasize the importance of creating an inclusive environment where newcomers feel integrated, see progress, develop intrinsic motivation, and avoid burnout. The hosts share practical tips for introducing…
Mastering the Art of Super Shoe Training In this episode of the On Coaching podcast, Steve Magness and Jon Marcus delve into the timely and highly requested topic of using ‘super shoes’ in training. They revisit the evolution from traditional trainers to modern super shoes and super-cushioned shoes, discussing their impacts on performance and recovery.…
In this episode of the On Coaching podcast, Steve Magness and Jon Marcus delve into the current era of training experimentation, inspired by a recent in-depth discussion in the Scholar Program. They explore historical ebbs and flows in training practices, highlighting the 1960s experimentation period, and draw parallels to today’s innovative landscape influenced by super…
In this episode of the ‘On Coaching’ podcast, hosts Steve Magness and Jon Marcus discuss the importance of consistency in training and coaching. They delve into how simple, repetitive actions over time foster the capacity to achieve larger goals. Highlighting historical examples such as the training logs of Jack Lovelock, they emphasize the value of…
Exploring Racing Tactics and Mental Preparation from NCAA Championships In this episode of the On Coaching podcast, hosts Steve Magness and John Marcus dive deep into the insights and lessons from the recent NCAA Championships. They highlight key performances, such as record-breaking steeple chases and tactical 1500 meters races, and discuss the evolving dynamics of…
In this episode of the ‘On Coaching’ podcast, hosts Steve Magness and Jon Marcus discuss the importance of consistency in training and coaching. They delve into how simple, repetitive actions over time foster the capacity to achieve larger goals. Highlighting historical examples such as the training logs of Jack Lovelock, they emphasize the value of…
In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and John Marcus dive deep into the concept of double threshold training. They discuss its application to track, cross country, and marathon training, and highlight different implementation strategies for various running events. The episode includes a historical perspective on double threshold training, detailed practical…
In this episode of the On Coaching podcast, hosts Steve Magness and Jon Marcus discuss the complexities of holistic coaching and how to effectively integrate various training components for athletes. They emphasize the difference between stimulating and confirmation workouts, the importance of understanding time horizons for adaptation, and the necessity of balancing multiple training qualities…
In this episode, hosts Steve and Jon dive deep into the psychology of modern athletes, emphasizing the impact of social media on athletes’ perceptions of reality and mental health. They discuss the transition from local to global comparisons and how it has led to increased pressures and altered motivations for young athletes. The conversation covers…
The five insights discussed include recognizing self-sabotage, balancing exploration and commitment, building your own home field advantage, balancing caring deeply with letting go, and the importance of belonging over just fitting in. The episode highlights these concepts through relatable anecdotes and research studies, aiming to help listeners shift from a survival mode to a thriving…
In this episode, we dive deep into the concept of lactate threshold, debunking common myths and explaining its significance in athletic performance. We discuss the science behind lactate production and utilization, looking at lactate curves and their role in determining endurance levels. The episode covers various methods to accurately measure lactate threshold and explains the…
In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus dive into the third part of their three-part series on becoming a champion. This segment, ‘How to Recover. How to Connect” focuses on the oft forgotten part of greatness: the team around you and the relationships you develop. Steve’s NEW Book…
In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus dive into the second part of their three-part series on becoming a champion. This segment, ‘How to Train,’ explores the nuances and complexities of transitioning from preparation to high-level training. They discuss the critical distinction between preparation and training, emphasizing the…
In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, Steve Magness and Jon Marcus kick off a three-part series on what it takes to become a champion. They delve into the essential mindset and behaviors needed to succeed at the highest levels of athletic competition. Steve and John discuss the importance of long-term vision, delayed gratification,…
A special bonus episode! We’re going to try something a bit different. We’re talking the mental side of sport, the biology of winning and losing, and much more. Except…your hosts aren’t Steve and Jon. They are AI. We fed Steve’s book, Win the Inside Game, to the algorithm to make a podcast, and quite frankly,…
Breaking through the next plateau. Our fitness journey’s often go a little something like this. At first, progress is easy. We start an exercise regime, and nearly every week it seems like we’re lifting a bit more or running a tad faster. As we move from beginner to regular, progress slows a bit, but the…
In this episode, Steve Magness explores the psychology and science behind performance anxiety, choking, and the phenomenon known as ‘the yips’ in sports. Drawing on his experience working with top athletes from various sports, Steve delves into how stress responses can both help and hinder performance. Through a blend of personal stories, scientific research, and…
In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and John Marcus delve into the essential concept of consistency in achieving athletic success. We begin with an announcement about Steve’s new book, ‘When the Inside Game is Almost Here,’ focusing on mental performance under pressure. They then explore how consistency is crucial in…
In this special 10-year anniversary episode of the On Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and John Marcus delve into the intricacies of surging during races. They explore both the physiological and psychological aspects of initiating and responding to mid-race surges, sharing insights from personal experiences and expert strategies. They discuss how to prepare athletes to…
The Importance of Teaching in Coaching In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus emphasize the significance of teaching in coaching, arguing that workouts should come second to effectively educating and connecting with athletes. They explore the ways in which a pedagogical approach, akin to old-school coaching legends, fosters…
The Nuance of Drills: Do They Really Work? In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus delve into the controversial topic of whether drills are effective in enhancing running mechanics and athletic performance. They discuss the history, purpose, and context of various drills, offering insights into how they can…
The Art of Coaching: Insights on Adjusting and Perfecting Training Plans In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and John Marcus share their perspectives on the importance of knowing how to make adjustments and tweaks to training plans, especially during different phases of a season. They reflect on the excitement of…
Mastering Training Plans: Foundations and Strategy In this episode of the On Coaching podcast, Steve Magness and John Marcus dive into the essentials of writing effective training plans for athletes. They discuss the importance of understanding the individual athlete, their training history, and their goals. They emphasize the seesaw balance between endurance and speed, setting…
In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, Steve Magness and Jon Marcus delve into the challenges of handling race day meltdowns. They discuss the emotional and psychological aspects that both athletes and coaches face when things don’t go as planned. Using personal anecdotes and real-life examples, they illustrate the importance of relationship building, understanding…
The Great Long Run Debate: Length vs. Speed In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus dive into the classic debate on long runs: should athletes focus on longer durations or faster paces? They explore the history and benefits of long runs, referencing training methods from legendary coaches like…
In this episode of the On Coaching podcast, Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus discuss the importance of a holistic approach to training. They argue that workouts constitute only 40% of the equation for peak performance, emphasizing that stability in life, sleep, nutrition, and stress management play crucial roles. The hosts share personal experiences and examples…
I’ve got exciting news! I’ve got a new book: Win the Inside Game! And…I’m giving away a crazy amount of bonuses and content to you if you pre-order it (see below!) In many ways, this is a sequel to Do Hard Things. It answers the question I kept getting from readers, “What do I do…
n this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and John Marcus discuss the intricate demands of cross country racing that go beyond mere physiological preparation. They explore the need for strategic pacing, especially the importance of ‘going out hard’ right from the start of a race to secure a competitive position. The…
In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus discuss the intricate balance of being a good coach versus a nice coach. They delve into the importance of setting boundaries, maintaining consistency, and building genuine relationships. Through personal anecdotes and expert insights, they illustrate how nuanced coaching approaches can lead to…
In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus dive deep into the intricacies of designing and implementing hard workouts for distance runners. They discuss the multi-dimensional aspects of ‘hard’ workouts, including physiological, psychological, and neurological demands. Learn how elite coaches use context, individual characteristics, and pattern recognition to tailor workouts…
Understanding and Addressing Performance Anxiety in Athletes In this episode of the ‘On Coaching’ podcast, hosts Steve Magness and John Marcus delve deep into the modern issue of performance anxiety, especially as it affects young athletes. They discuss the multidimensional nature of anxiety, its impact on performance, and the importance of identifying its sources. They…
In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus delve into the concept of the ‘fifth man’ and its crucial role in building winning cross country teams. They discuss the importance of every team member, not just the top performers, in contributing to overall success. They highlight strategies for fostering…
n this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, Steve Magess and John Marcus delve into the essence of motivation in sports, focusing on the significance of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. They discuss personal anecdotes from their high school and college experiences, the importance of creating a habitual routine (like the habit loop), and leveraging competitive…
How do you show up on race day? How do you flip the switch during the last 200 to kick like crazy? In this episode we use the recent Olympics as a way to unpack racing under pressure. Join us for a lively discussion with real world examples. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar…
What is fatigue and how do we deal with it? In this episode we go into the science of fatigue, understanding the physiological and psychological components, and what we can do about it! Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+…
What does a winning culture look like? In this episode we explore the underpinning of a championship culture, a sense of community and connection. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction system with 500+ other…
How do you extend your peak? In this episode we go deep on how to keep the peak going and the myths surrounding peaking. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction system with 500+ other…
We all know what a base is right? Just run some easy miles. Well, a base is a bit more complex than that, and it should change over the course of your career. In this episode, we go deep on what a base is and how to change it as you progress. We’ll pull from…
What is aerobic power? How do you develop it? What are the workout progressions to optimize it? We go deep into the science to understand aerobic metabolism. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction system…
How do you extend your peak? In this episode we go deep on how to keep the peak going and the myths surrounding peaking. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction system with 500+ other…
What do you do when things go wrong, when an athlete is on the struggle bus? In this episode we explain how to get athletes out of the hole and back on track. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+…
How do you support high performance? In this episode we discuss creating the culture and environment that allows people to thrive. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction system with 500+ other coaches! And we’ve…
What are the most common mistakes coaches make? In this episode we dive into where we and others have gone wrong, and what to do about it. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction system…
Everyone is talking about zone 2! What is it, what do we get wrong, and how do we utilize it correctly. On this episode we dive deep into the science to understand aerobic training practices. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It…
It’s time to talk about injuries, those dreaded things that pop up that derail a season. How do we prevent them, bounce back from them, and much more. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction…
What do you do when it all goes wrong during a workout? You call an audible! In this episode, we walk you through how and when to adjust a bad workout. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus…
Is it every worthwhile to dig yourself a hole? It turns out the answer is likely yes! In this episode we go through Jerry Schumacher’s medium dig cycle, Canova’s special block training, and much more. Learn when to go a little bit more, to get long lasting gains. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar…
Training is about adaptation. We have to apply the right stimulus that is just strong enough, without overwhelming us. It’s about embarrassing the body. In this episode, we discuss where the line is between overreaching and overtraining. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches…
How do we get in the zone to perform at our best? This week we tackle the psychology of performance. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction system with 500+ other coaches! And we’ve added…
In this episode we dive deep into the literature on soviet training. Yes, there was lots of drugs, but is there anything to learn? We go through circuits, strength training, periodization, and more. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+…
What separates the best from the rest? In this episode, we go into the characteristics of a champion, and how to cultivate them in anybody. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction system with 500+…
Are you and your athletes on the same page in how you define success? Have you ever walked up to an athlete after a race, expecting them to be happy, but they are dejected? You were on different pages in how you define success. In this episode, we talk about defining the win. Steve &…
Decades ago, Abraham Maslow outlined a hierarchy of needs. We take this idea and translate it into athletic performance. What are the foundational level, how do we provide security for the athletes, where do workouts come in? We build the athletic pyramid of needs! Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program…
How has the role of the coach changed? Do we need to take a different approach with this generation? We answer these questions and more in this weeks podcast! Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online…
Are you a transactional or transformational coach? Society pushes us towards transactional. In this episode, we outline why that’s the case and what we can do about it. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction…
A lot of focus is on the workout for good reasons, but in this episode we look at how what you do before and after the workout impacts the quality during and adaptations from the workout. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education.…
A coach plays many roles— manager, teacher, mentor, guide. In this episode, we dive into how coaching has changed in the modern era and how to best serve your athletes in the roles you play. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It…
HIIT! High intensity interval training…what is it, what is it good for, what don’t we understand? In this episode, we demystify HIIT from a scientific and coaching perspective. We provide actionable takeaways with plenty of workout examples. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches…
This week, we take on the old Bowerman quote, to understand while we obsess over the workouts, what matters most is the people on board. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction system with 500+…
Pre-race anxiety is something we all face. How do we deal with it? In this episode, we go through the psychology of anxiety and tips and tools for helping athletes deal with it. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+…
Motivation. We all talk about it’s importance, but how do you develop it within yourself and athletes? In this episode, we break down the science of drive and buy-in. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online…
Consistency over the long haul. Stacking week after week, month after month of good work. Being prepared instead of being ready. Flipping the switch to compete, instead of being hypercompetitive. These (and more) are the characteristics of great performers. Listen to hear more. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is…
Today, we talk about the many kinds of competition, and how we need to stop seeing every meet as the be all end all. Stop using regular season meets as validation. Instead, see them as developmental competitions where you are working on something to grow and adapt! Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program…
In this episode, we dive into how to manage and adjust workouts for both physiological and psychological gain. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction system with 500+ other coaches! And we’ve added a new…
In this episode, we welcome friend of the show Brad Stulberg to talk about how runners can handle change and uncertainty. What do we do when the injury bug hits and it feels like our season is lost, or when we transition from high school to college and we go from star to also-ran, or…
In this episode, we dive into glycogen depletion and how it impacts recovery and adaptation. We go over the timing of glycogen restoration (hint: it’s a lot longer than you think), and nutrition interventions that can help you handle the training load. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our…
We often mistake being serious with being dedicated. That’s often not the case. We are most dedicated when we were having fun and experiencing joy. We often create teams and cultures devoid of joy and the misplaced notion that serious need me seriousness means we are committed. It does that. There’s performative stuff, and then…
Performance in running is full of ups and downs and ebbs and flows. In his new book, Master of Change, my best friend and collaborative partner Brad Stulberg details essential principles and practices to navigate change over the course of one’s career. I couldn’t recommend the book enough. Early in the book, he introduces a term called…
In this episode, we dive into creating cultures and leadership style. Are you an ego coach, who only cares about winning at all costs, or are you a coach who wants to develop people holistically? We break it all down, combining examples with the latest psychological research. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program…
In this episode, we take a deep dive into workout stimulus, recovery, and adaptation! Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction system with 500+ other coaches! And we’ve added a new course! The Igloi course.…
We’ve all been there, stuck in the injury cycle, unable to get healthy. In this episode, Jon and Steve break down what the injury cycle is and how to get out of it. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+…
In this episode, we take a look at cross-country training. How do we dig ourselves out a hole, what pitfalls to avoid, how to peak at the right time, and much more! Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses…
It’s time to learn all about wickets. How do you utilize wickets to improve your running form and biomechanics? We’ve got you covered. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction system with 500+ other coaches!…
Mile repeats. The 20 minute tempo. Hill repeats. 400m repeats. Cruise Intervals. In this episode, we take on some of the traditional workouts for distance running, and re-imagine them as flux training. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses…
Looking to level up your cross-country training? Want to add a different mix of workouts to enhance adaptation? In this week’s episode, we discuss flux training for cross-country. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction…
How do we stay fresh in coaching and running? Both from motivation standpoint, but also from a training and innovation standpoint. It’s easy to get stuck. To feel like you know the way, and to stick to that path. This episode is about keeping mentally and physically fresh. To be open to new ideas, even…
It’s time to talk about the outliers. We cover the craziest workouts, the most mind blowing bounce backs, and much more of athletes who are just freaks of nature. This isn’t just a highlight reel of crazy athletes, it’s understand what we can and cannot learn from them. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar…
In this episode, we discuss recovery, priming, potentiation and other things that we can do to enhance our performance in both the short and long run. This one goes into preparing to race at our best. What can we do in the weeks, days, and hours leading into a race to set ourselves up to…
We’ve all been there. A tough race or competition that didn’t go well. How do you bounce back from failure? In this episode we provide the science and tools to get back on track after a rough race. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things…
We can either train ourselves or athletes to take appropriate risks or to shy away. In this episode, we talk about how to move towards discomfort and challenge. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+ courses plus an online interaction…
Should we follow the 80/20 training model, or go all-in on the threshold model? In this episode we break down the different training models, explaining when to use them, and when to put them on the backburner. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches…
What actually works in training runners? There’s so much nonsense out there. Jon and Steve cut through the BS, and get at what works and what doesn’t when it comes to coaching runners. Steve & Jon Check out the Scholar Program The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. It has 20+…
Mihaly Igloi is one of the most underrated coaches in history. In this episode, we dive into his coaching genius, and how modern science has validated many of his ideas. If you are interested in learning more about Igloi, we just released a course exploring his ideas. Sign up now for a free month off!…
Are you setting a performance or mastery-based culture? In this episode, we talk about setting standards versus boundaries, and the dangers of going too far toward an outcome-obsessed team? Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. And we’ve added a new feature! The Scholar Clubhouse…
Do you try out workouts before you give them to athletes? In this episode, we talk about the importance of experimenting on yourself as a coach. It’s not about the speed of the workout, but that doing something difficult gives you an appreciation for what it feels like. Which then allows you to coach it…
Often in coaching, we obsess over the physiological and the physical. We go over and over the workouts. In this episode, we go in the other direction, talking about holistic improvement as a person. It’s time to talk about the soft side of development. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program is our…
Coaching is the people business! We have to help individuals see their capabilities and put them on the journey towards achieving their potential. But, people are complex. Sometimes we don’t always click. In this episode, we talk about the hardest thing of all: dealing with and helping people. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The…
How do we improve the finishing kick? In this week’s episode, we give you a framework for developing your athlete’s kicks, along with specific workouts designed to help out. We cover everything from the energetics to the muscle recruitment pattern that impacts the finishing kick. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program is…
What do you do when you take over a program that’s in need of help? In this weeks episode, Jon and Steve go over how to change the culture, what to focus on, how to get people to join the team, and more. Changing culture is hard. But it is possible. Time to explore how…
What is speed endurance? In this weeks episode, Jon and Steve go over this vital but often misunderstood ingredient to your training. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. And we’ve added a new feature! The Scholar Clubhouse is an interactive chat system that gives…
Arthur Lydiard once said, ‘There are champions everywhere.’ And for good reason, his most famous pupils were local athletes. In this episode, we explore how to give your athletes a chance to reach their potential. And why it’s so important that we give everyone an opportunity to do so, instead of pigeonholing athletes. Steve &…
This week we break down a classification for training, from general to specific. What is general training? How does it set the foundation for training? How does each level of training connect to the next? We break it all down! Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things…
Vo2max work! 800s at 3k pace, 1ks at 5k down to 2-mile pace. We all know the workouts. We include them all of the time. In some training programs, especially for high-school, they are the bread and butter of the program. In this episode, we discuss why this doesn’t have to be the case. We…
What do you suck at as a coach? In this episode, we go over identifying your weaknesses and shoring them up to allow you to become the best coach that you can be. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. And we’ve added a new…
Have you ever done a workout where you went to the absolute well? That’s a ‘see God’ workout. Going until there is nothing left. An exploration of what you are capable of. These workouts are meant to shift your perspective. Are they necessary or reckless? Time to explore on this weeks podcast. Steve & Jon…
Norway has had a lot of endurance success lately. From the Ingebrigtsen’s to triathletes winning major events, the small country of Norway has taken the endurance world by storm. We break down their threshold-influenced training, going all the way back to the work of Marius Bakken (13:06 5k runner). We travel back to the message…
Jon and Steve take on popular ideas that have stuck around but need some updating. From energy system domination to various forms of training, we take you down a rabbit hole of what needs to be updated in the running coaching world. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for…
In Nassim Taleb’s book Antifragile, he introduces the concept of the barbell strategy. At one end of the barbell, you’ve got low-risk low-reward, don’t he other end high risk, high reward. Taleb believes that you stack a bunch on the low risk/reward side and take strategic shots on the outliers, while staying away from the…
“Lactic Acid” is horribly misunderstood. It’s been cast as a demon for far too long. It’s time to set the record straight. In this episode, Steve and Jon break down new research that shows lactate’s true rule in the body. Hint: It’s not harmful, but helpful! Study: Tracing the Lactate Shuttle Steve & Jon Visit…
We all know about the big things you have to worry about for marathon training: the long run, the mileage, the longer tempo runs, but what are the small things that make a difference? In this episode we go over fueling, strength training, sprinting, pacing, and recovery; The ‘small’ things that can make a difference…
An exclusive interview with NAU coach Mike Smith! This is part 1 of a 3 part series. Part 2 and 3 are exclusive to our running scholar program. If you’d like to listen to them (and get access to courses, discussion groups, and more!) join today and receive $10 off your first month! Use the…
Does your belief in your fitness feel like a ping pong ball, bouncing back and forth wildly, dependent on whether your latest workout went well or not? In this episode we cover the fallacy of equating a single workout or measure as the be all end all marker of whether we are ready to go…
What’s it take to become a great coach? In this episode, we breakdown three essential skills for great coaching:1. Thinking and Observing 2. Problem Solving 3. Collaboration If you haven’t yet, check out Steve’s new book: Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and The Surprising Science of Real Toughness. Steve & Jon Visit…
In this episode, we reflect on what we’ve learned over nearly two decades of coaching. What did we think was important but quickly realized wasn’t? What actually matters in preparing athletes to perform? We cover all of this and more in today’s episode. Topics covered include: Building Buy-In Stabilizing Lifestyles Getting Comfortable with asymmetrical progress…
What’s new in training? Not much! But, alternations, flux training, lactate dynamics, natural fartleks…or whatever you call it is underutilized in modern training. In this episode, we break down the physiology, psychology, and history of emphasizing and manipulating the recovery portion of the workout to great effect. If you haven’t yet, check out Steve’s new…
Training is about balancing opposing demands: speed and endurance. What happens when you mess up the balance? It’s often a disaster. In this episode, Jon and Steve go through how to find the balance point, and what to do to correct it. If you haven’t yet, check out Steve’s new book: Do Hard Things: Why…
We often get lost in the details. Arguing over the final 1%, whether we should run at lactate threshold or critical velocity? Whether 200s or 300s are best for milers? In this episode we outline 10 timeless principles that stand the test of time. If you follow these, you’ll succeed! Nail the basics! If you…
Every sport has the items that many of us seem to believe, that are ingrained in the history of the sport, that have no foundation or backing. In this episode, we explore those half-truths. We’re aided by a pamphlet written fifty years ago, with insight that we’ve forgotten. If you haven’t yet, check out Steve’s…
Athletes stress out…a lot! And once you are in stressed mode, it’s hard to get out of it. You can’t sleep hours after competing because your mind is still racing and your body is still buzzing. You can’t let go of the tough loss. It lingers. In this episode, we talk about how to move…
Welcome to this special bonus issue. Steve does his best revisionist history impression, telling you the story of Paul Bear Bryant’s famous Junction Boys football camp, while discussing the origins of ‘old school toughness.’ This is adapted from his new book Do Hard Things, which you can check out wherever books are sold. It’s currently…
Individualizing training is easy at the professional level. You’ve got a handful of athletes, all very good, and can adjust as needed. In larger settings, it’s much more difficult. The athlete’s abilities are spread out, there’s only one of you, and practice can be more akin to herding cats. In this episode, we explore how…
Let me tell you about one of the hardest physical things I’ve done in the past few years. A time when I ran my slowest ever, but one I was most proud of. A time I looked, and felt, like absolute death afterward… In the first few years of coaching, I was young & fit,…
Racing is a skill. How do we get comfortable in a pack? Running from the front, or perhaps stuck in the back? How do you deal with the rising tension of a tactical race? Steve and Jon discuss all of this in more in helping your athletes develop the skills of racing! If you haven’t…
“We believe that being elite is not about how talented you are. It is about how tough you are,” wrote Urban Meyer in his 2015 book Above the Line. Toughness has long been held as a fundamental key to achieving peak performance. Famed football coach Vince Lombardi called it “essential to success,” and NBA legend…
At the 1960 Olympic games, a 60-something-year-old man, rail thin, with a full head of white hair, took to the practice track adjacent to the main Olympic stadium and commenced to run as hard as he could. The gangly elderly man grimaced and strained to complete the 3 and ¾ of a lap which makes…
We often hold up elite performers as some sort of superhuman. Impervious to the doubts and insecurities that the rest of us face. We call them tough, gritty, resilient, clutch, to show that they have figured out how to perform under immense levels of pressure. Something, that us mere mortals simply can’t do. Yet, every…
How do you handle pain, fatigue, and discomfort? Do you look for a hole to step into or do you work your way through? In this episode, we discuss Steve’s new book Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and The Surprising Science of Real Toughness. The book is out and available now! If…
What game are you playing? We all may think we are all running the same race. A 1,500m race in high school is the same as in college, and the same as in the pro’s. That’s incorrect. In this week’s episode, we use an obscure book on tennis, written by the developer of Intercontinental Ballistic…
One piece of advice I always give coaches is: Always have somewhere to go. The younger your athletes, the more important this is. We should leave room to develop and grow. In this episode, we take on the debate on whether we should maximize everything, or if we should leave something in the tank for…
“He’s a headcase!” We’ve all heard it as coaches. Maybe we’ve even said it. In this episode, Jon and Steve discuss why this is the wrong approach to take. It’s a self-limiting mindset, that allows the coach to blame the athlete, shirk responsibility, and in doing so defer their responsibility to help figure out what’s…
We are all an experiment of 1! We often talk about individualization in coaching. In this episode, we talk about the contrast between applying your training program to a group, versus adapting your training program to the individual. We discuss how to let go of your preferred philosophy and try something different. Steve & Jon…
If running is going bad do you feel crushed? In this episode, we discuss the importance of letting go, of diversifying your sense of identity, in order to free you up to perform. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. And we’ve added a new…
How does your viewpoint impact your coaching? In this episode, we discuss how sometimes we get comfortable employing the same style of training, and it makes it where we aren’t open to considering or exploring new ideas. In this episode, we talk about how to keep open-minded, to adopt an explorers mindset Steve & Jon…
Often, in racing we play it safe. We don’t take the risk. We focus on times instead of competing. In this episode, we talk about how to be brave in racing. How do we train athletes to take appropriate risks, to go for it, to attempt the breakthrough. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The…
In this episode, we take on an important but difficult topic: the differences between coaching men and women. In this episode, we cover differences in biology and psychology, and how that impacts what you do in training. From handling bodily shifts and changes and creating appropriate expectations, to understanding the impact of comparison and competition.…
Training is messy. Progress is not linear. In this episode, we get real. We talk about the messiness of training. How do we handle setbacks, what do we do when things go wrong, and when a workout is going rough? We cover it all in this week’s episode! Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The…
In the 1960’s Percy Cerutty made the claim that 1/3 of your training should be non-running. Does this hold up or not as a useful heuristic? In this episode, we examine the training aspects outside of running to see where they fit in, and what they may entail. From weights to hills to bounding to…
What workouts give you the biggest bang for your buck? In this episode, we go through the best workouts for the mid-distance, track distance, and long distance races. What workout has the biggest bang for your buck for aerobic or anaerobic development? We’ve got you covered. Learn why Jon says, “when you don’t know what…
How do you know what’s right? Do you buy into a particular program or coaching style, neglecting anything that runs counter? Or do you get lost in the complexity of training? In this episode, we go back through history, looking at how coaching and training evolved so that we can better understand how to deal…
Too often in coaching, we get stuck. We tie ourselves to one training method, one training system. We approach things from an energy systems model, neglecting the biomechanical, neuromuscular, or psychological. In this episode we discuss how to get unstuck. We need to diversify our thinking, be able to go against our bias. We discuss…
What do you do when an athlete is headed in the wrong direction, when their performance doesn’t match up with their training? You give them a down week. This oft-neglected component to training is essential. Too often, we schedule in down weeks once every 4 weeks, when we should have more flexibility for when we…
How do we desing workouts? Designing workouts is something we all have to do, but there’s a science to it. In this episode, we go through how manipulating rest, interval length, speed, and more impact the adaptation an athlete has to a workout. It’s one of those nerd out type podcasts, so get on board!…
In this episode, we look at some of our cognitive biases that can help or hurt our performance. From optimism bias to our illusion of control, how does our psychology impact our performance. That’s what we cover! Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education. And…
What do you do when it all goes wrong? When an athlete is struggling, overtrained, or just not feeling good anymore? In this episode, we provide strategies for how to get athletes back on track from an emotional and psychological standpoint, as well as a training and physiological standpoint. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor…
In this episode, we take on the importance and value of measurement. Should you wear a GPS watch, measure HRV, heart rate, power, or lactate? We break down the balance you need to have between measurement and feel. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for all things coaches education.…
How do we get the most out of our athletes? How do we help them get as close to their potential as possible? In this podcast, we talk about striving for excellence and giving people the freedom to perform. Steve and Jon outline the attributes needed and what we should do as coaches to develop…
Coaching is about balancing contrasting forces, the coach who relies on intuition and feel with the part of you who relies on objective data and science. The best coaches in history, from Lyrdiard to Cerutty to Bowerman, find a happy middle place, knowing when to stick with history and what’s worked, and when to push…
Athlete + Event = Training Model. We don’t train for events, we coach athletes, with their unique abilities, to be able to take on an event. In this episode we dive into how to classify different athletes based on their physiology and psychology. This athlete profiling will help determine what type of workouts you do,…
We tend to simplify training into either hard workouts or easy days. In this episode, we bring you the nuance of training. Instead of hard and easy, we like to classify training as either building, maintaining, or restoring. You’ll learn why Canova includes a lot of ‘in-between’ moderate days. And why Alan Webb’s ‘easy days…
You can have the perfect training plan, but it won’t work unless you have buy-in. In this episode, we break down the keys to getting trust, buy-in and belief with your athletes. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program is our one-stop shop for all things coaches education. Join the Scholar Program! From…
Famed high school coach Joe Newton used to have his team run for 45 minutes, take a 5min break, run for 30 minutes, another 5-minute break, and finally run for 15 more minutes. Ninety minutes of total running, but split up. It’s an idea that few other teams copied, yet seems to have helped York…
What does it take to perform on race day? The physical components are the easy part. But setting someone up to have the right expectations, the correct mindset, to be able to choose to the difficult path when you’re mind is yelling at you to quit, is often the difference-maker. In this episode, we outline…
The long run is a staple of the runner’s diet. In this episode, we explore how the long run became a weekly staple and whether that still holds true. We dive into the function and physiology of the long run, and how you may want to gradually wind it down as the season comes to…
Training is messy. You are dealing with human beings. In this episode we dive into adaptability, aiming for mastery, and giving your athletes autonomy to grow and develop. How do we manage the messiness of competing and racing and not just fall for the temptation of the training plan. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor…
Leibig’s Law of the Minimum states that “growth is dictated not by total resources available, but by the scarcest resource.” In this episode we discuss how to identity your limiting factor and what to do about it. Our limiting factor shifts as you adapt to training. That’s the reason why the same training for an…
How many times have you had an athlete who has fantastic workouts, yet when it comes to race day, it’s like a different runner shows up? In this episode, Jon and Steve dive into what is going on here. Why did what’s going on in practice not translate? From not having time to absorb the…
How do you handle failure? Do you freak out, let your anger get the best of you, or wallow in despair? Failure is a normal and expected part of racing. In fact, we ‘fail’ far more often than we succeed. In this episode, we dive into how to create an environment that frees athletes up…
People think that when it comes to running faster or performing better, it’s about the workouts. How far did you run; how much did you lift? Did you run 400m repeats or 800m repeats? Did you take 3 minutes rest or 1-minute rest? Those are the details. As coaches and athletes, we obsess over the…
How do you survive heat and humidity? In this week’s episode, we delve into the science and practice of training in hot and humid conditions. From heat acclimatization and strategies to mitigate the deleterious effects of heat and humidity, we keep you informed on the latest research and best practices. Steve & Jon Visit our…
In this episode, we welcome coach Danny Mackey to the show to discuss the training and preparation of Olympic Bronze medalist Josh Kerr. We dive into everything that went into preparing Josh for the games. From the training decisions, and workouts leading into the race to the psychology. How did he prepare Josh for the…
Warming up should be simple. Go jog around for a bit, do some drills and strides and you’re ready to go. In this episode we break down the science of two staples of running that are often afterthoughts. You’ll learn how warm-ups and cool downs aren’t just about priming your body to perform and then…
We are taking a trip back into the time machine. It’s time to look back at training and coaching that we used to do, that we now look back upon and ask “what in the world were we thinking?” This weeks episode is about reflection. Not only to laugh at our ignorance, but to learn…
Following Kipchoge’s Olympic marathon win I tweeted that I thought Kipchoge could now stake a claim to the best in any sport. Am I delusional? Right, wrong. biased by my love of running? Likely all of the above to try to make a comparison and claim that is impossible to be right or wrong about.…
In this week’s episode we dive into how our striving to get better, to perfect every single thing may actually be holding us back. We dive into the disease of overplanning, what occurs when we chase the minutia and the distinction between fragile and robust athletes. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program…
How do you get prepared for the big meet? It’s not only about physical preparedness, but also your mental and decision making framework. In this episode, we cover everything from understanding and setting up your psychological framework to priming for performance to making better decisions. Steve & Jon Resources Mentioned: The OODA Loop by John…
We’ve all been there before. The bear jumps on our back in the final 200 meters. Our legs turn to lead and cease to function. What’s going on when the bear jumps on our back? In this episode we explore fatigue related to acidosis, H+, and more. And as always, tell you how to deal…
Hitting the wall is a dreaded experience in the marathon. Your body runs out of energy and you feel like you are fighting your muscles every step. But what’s really going on? We don’t actually run out of energy. In this episode we dive DEEP into the physiology of hitting the wall and more importantly…
What do we do when it’s all going wrong? When an athlete seems to be headed in the wrong direction? In this weeks podcast we dive into how to get performance back on track. Do we take a week off, run easy for a while, change the workouts? Jon and Steve explore all the ways…
In our early days or running, improvement comes easy! A little bit of training and our performance improves. We get fooled into thinking work and improvement are directly correlated. This is great for getting us to put in the work, but what happens when improvement slows down, when it becomes a jagged line? Do we…
It’s time for a state of the sport check-in. In this episode, Jon and Steve take on the sleeping giant that is the sport of track and field. We discuss how to improve it, what we are missing, and how we need to change the narrative. From big ideas to small tweaks that we all…
As coaches, we obsess over the X’s and O’s. Did we get the training just right? But often it’s the mental side of the sport that makes much of the difference. In this episode we dive into what coaches need to know about sports psychology. We cover everything from anxiety, choking, motivation, and understanding our…
In this episode we dive into the bread and butter of coaching runners, designing and implementing workouts. Jon and Steve discuss their favourite marathon, middle-distance, and 5k-10k workouts. What are they? When should you utilize them? Who are they for? If you love diving into the details of workout creation, this episode is for you.…
Coaching is easy when everything is going smoothly. But how do we know when to pull the plug on an athletes workout or season? What do we do when an athlete is struggling in a workout? Do we give them more rest, adjust the pace, or pull the plug? When a season is going in…
How do you get ready to race after a long layoff? This might be something that you may be facing do to COVID or coming back from injury. In this episode we dive into how to get back into the groove of racing! Steve & Jon Resources Mentioned in the Podcast Bill Bowerman’s High Performance…
What’s effective training? What workouts are the best for improving endurance, speed, fatigued resistance? In this episode, we dive into how to determined what effective training is, and how we define effective training. Steve & Jon Resources Mentioned in the Podcast Bill Bowerman’s High Performance Training Visit our Sponsor We’ve just launched a new course…
Everyone is different. We all recover at different rates for different workouts. In this episode, we explore why some athletes need work work, why others need more recovery, and how to identify and modulate your training to give each athlete what they need. Steve & Jon Resources Mentioned in the Podcast Athletic Development by Vern…
Strength training can occur anywhere. It’s not dependent on the weight room. In this episode we explore ways to develop strength and power outside of the weight room. From utilizing sprints and hills to bounding, plyos, and throwing around heavy objects outside, we cover ways in which runners can develop strength outside of the traditional…
You’re at the track, watching a workout, when all of the sudden it starts to go south. Athletes are missing their splits, first by a few seconds, then by more and more. Do you pull the plug? Increase the recovery? Shorten the repeats? In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, we dive into when,…
Should you follow the 10% rule for increasing mileage? Are you destined to be injured if you increase mileage too quickly? In this podcast we tackle all of the questions around mileage. How much, what does it do, when should we increase it, and much more. Steve & Jon Resources Mentioned in the Podcast Running…
The title says it all: we need coaches! Why? Coaches are there to not only motivate but to provide perspective. Whether you coach at the high school, college, or professional level, coaches spend more time with athletes than that athlete spends with any teacher, professor, or anyone else outside of those they live with. The…
When it comes to exercise, we often get extremely complicated. For strength training, we get lost in the exercise type, the sets and reps, and the speed of the bar. In running, we look at different speed or intensity zones, heart rates, interval lengths, and recoveries. It’s easy to get lost in the details. In…
Periodization sounds complex, but it’s really just how we plan and organize our training. Do you build a big base and then go short and fast with speedwork? Or employ a blended or mixed system? In this episode we break down periodization and discuss how to use it not only when things are going well,…
Hard days hard, easy days easy. How much validity does that saying have? How hard should our hard workouts be? Should we jog slowly on recovery days or make them steady? In this episode, we dive into the balance between hard workouts and recovery days. Steve & Jon Resources Mentioned in the Podcast The Stress…
What do you think of when you hear the world adrenaline? Some of you might think of an adrenaline junkie, someone who needs to skydive out of planes to feel alive. Something that feels good to some or may even allow us to perform at our best. Others, might think of fear or feeling overwhelmed.…
What’s it mean to be fit? What about to perform? Is there a meaningful difference? In this episode, Steve and Jon explore the continuum from fitness to performance. As we make our way from fitness to performance, the psychological demands shift. From high control to low. From low threat to high. Give this episode a…
How hard do we need to go in a workout? Do we need to push the bounds of fatigue, get our athletes to experience a new level of discomfort, ‘shock’ the system with a new stimulus? It’s a question I ponder often. One we could answer by diving into the world of stress and adaptation,…
What’s it mean to improve the lactate threshold? What about lactate buffering capacity? In this episode, John and Steve take you down the rabbit hole of workouts designed to improve every part of the lactate curve. You’ll learn why traditional tempo runs push the lactate curve up, but you can also pull the curve. You’ll…
VO2max Lactate Threshold Maximum Lactate Steady State Critical Velocity/Power What’s the point of the above? You may answer that they explain a physiological phenomenon. VO2max is when oxygen consumption plateaus. Lactate Threshold is a marker where lactate goes from a steady state or slow trickle of increasing lactate to a flood. Critical Velocity is the…
The Physical and Psychological- Impact on Limits of Performance When I was beginning my college journey in the world of exercise physiology, VO2max was king. Stick someone on a treadmill, ramp up the pace or incline until they fell off the back of the treadmill or cried uncle and then you were given a magical…
The NCAA and college sports are in disarray. Facing a mass pandemic, postponement and cancelation of fall sports, and a growing understanding by the athletes the leverage that they have. With many of us wondering what in the world is the future of college sports, this week we brough on an expert, Dr. Roger Pielke…
The Middle Distance Events. That combination of speed and endurance makes them one of the most enjoyable but also challenging events to train for or coach. In this episode, we dive deep into the challenges of training for the 800m and 1,500m.We walk you through: The wisdom of Percy Cerutty on coaching the mid-distance events.…
She started in the back, where she expected to be, but something changed halfway through the race. She was moving up, and gradually passing one runner after another, keeping a steady rhythm as others slowed. My excitement and enthusiasm grew with each passing lap. “You can PR big! Keep it going!” I’d yell as she…
It’s time for a deep dive into training. This week begins a multi-part series on the development of an athlete. We start with the intake process and deciding where to go with the athlete, and move on to what kind of training the athlete should do. For this week, we focus on the 5k and…
Fartleks, the wonderful invention of Gusta Holmer in the 1930’s, is something we are all familiar with. Run hard for a minute, jog for a minute, repeat twenty times. But in today’s world where everything is measured and coaches rely on that feedback to adjust workloads, the fartlek is becoming a lost art. In this…
Since Bill Bowerman popularized the idea of alternating days in which we do a hard workout and follow it up with a recovery day of, runners have fallen in love with the back and forth nature of intervals and then going for a distance run in the subsequent days. It’s no wonder that this…
Do the fastest athletes always win? The ones who come in with the best seed time. The athlete who threw down that fast mile at Mt. Sac or a blazing 5k at Stanford? If not, how come? In episode 114, we explore the world of racing. What does it mean to be competitive and can…
“He’s really fit! They’re going to run really well!” How many times have you heard a coach excitedly proclaim that, only to see their athlete perform poorly? It happens to all of us. We’re left scratching our heads after the race. They were crushing workouts, we might think. How could they not put it together?…
As a writer, it’s easy to get lost in the details. To zoom in so far that your entire focus centers around finding the perfect word or phrase. You pull out the thesaurus, anguish over the arrangement of a few words, before finally moving on to the next sentence. It’s a labor intensive exercise. And…
One of my pet peeves when discussing endurance work is the concept of losing speed. In the middle distance world, this concept of losing speed is widespread. Go to any coaching conference, hang around enough coaches, or just talk to your athletes and you’ll hear this concept over and over. It’s used as an argument…
Highly motivated athletes are the best to coach. You don’t have to worry if they got their run or workout in, they are always eager to train, perform, and do what’s necessary to get better. But, there are pitfalls that even the most well-intentioned athletes need to be aware of. The higher the motivation, the…
Should we start with speed first or endurance? Do you start with a large base of easy running before layering on the speed work, or do we start with running fast before extending it? Those are the questions we tackle during this weeks On Coaching Podcast. Highlights include: What lens are you seeing training through?…
When I was competing in high school, my teammates knew the drill; always have a trash can nearby. It didn’t matter whether it was a small race or a hard workout; chances were I was going to throw up afterwards. It simply occurred, regardless of any modifications in my diet or drinking habits. As a…
Are you serious, committed, willing to put in all the work? If so, you’re a coaches dream. But your commitment can hold you back if it comes from the wrong place. In episode 109, we discuss the difference between being serious and obsessive about your craft and how that impacts your long term development. Topics…
We’re at a very difficult point in our country. Where division is at it’s highest, where people of different political parties instantly judge and don’t interact. Where individuals are oppressed, and economic disparities are front and center. This is a coaching site, but I think the sport of track and field provides a small glimmer…
We all know the clutch athlete when we see them. The Michael Jordan’s of the world who seemingly will their team to victory. The quarterback who comes through time and time again, engineering winning drives as if they’re routine. The athletes who rise to the occasion, improving their performance when the game is on the…
In episode 108, we dive into what it takes to become a championship level athlete, whether that championship is at the high school state meet, the NCAA championships, or a national or international title. covered include: The importance of developing the athlete, the person staring back at you. Raising the Floor versus Ceiling It matters…
Rule #1: The boring stuff is your foundation We have a temptation to want to skip to the ‘cool, sexy’ stuff. It’s boring to do endless easy runs or to spend hours working on the starting position in the sprints. But the ‘boring’ work serves as our foundation. We need to have a firm understanding…
In episode 107, we dive into what the sport will look like when we emerge from our current pandemic, and how it will have to change. We dive into a slew of topics, aimed at re-imagining our sport. Major sports (NFL,NBA, MLB) change their rules and playoff structures while keeping their history intact, how do…
In episode 106, we bring on author Ben Cohen to have a discussion on streaks, the role of science and expertise in decision making, and our propensity to see patterns where they may not exist. His new book, The Hot Hand, is a fantastic read. We hope you enjoy the discussion, as it’s filled with…
Normally running is an achievement-focused sport. We’re trying to win races and run PR’s. We’re not going to have any achievement opportunities for the foreseeable future. How do we frame running and keep athletes motivated when achievement isn’t on the horizon. In this podcast we discuss: Adopting the “Old” model of racing and competition. How…
I’d like you to do an experiment. Go back two, three, or four weeks in your Facebook and twitter timeline. What were you saying and believing about the coronavirus? Did you downplay it? Comparing it to the flu? Maybe you even thought it was a hoax? Don’t condemn yourself as a fool or alternatively try…
Adversity, challenge, tough times; all experiences that we proclaim sport teaches us how to manage. Well, now is the time to put that experience into action. While we’re talking specifically about dealing with the cancellations, shut-downs, and disruption of life caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19), in this episode we want to explore how we can…
In episode 103, we explore why training knowledge seems to come from the top down. We take our training cues from the top and then water down the training for our college, high school, and recreational athletes. Is that the right way to do it? We argue no. In this episode, we explore: Why we…
Why power posing works A motto I try to live by is: “Look the other way.” Whenever everyone reaches consensus or heads off in one direction, I remind myself to take a peek over my shoulder and see what the opposite direction offers. I’m not trying to be an intentional contrarian; instead, I’m just building…
In episode 102 of the On Coaching Podcast we take on the never-ending argument over volume versus intensity of training. We go back into the history books to look at the poster children of high volume training and high-intensity training to try to get to the root of the argument. A few key takeaways include:…
In episode 101 of the On Coaching Podcast we bring on special guest Tony Holler. Tony is a succesful high-school sprint coach who’s teams have won three state titles. He is known for his “Feed the Cats” program where he focuses on what matters in sprinting and keeping athletes engaged in the training. In this…
Team A: Renowned for its level of detail. They tested everything. What massage gel to use, what warm-up outfit, the type of mattress and pillow the athlete slept on. They obsessed over the minutia. Team B: Their head coach said he never read a book in his life. The team doctor took shoddy notes, losing…
In episode 100 of the On Coaching Podcast we bring on special guest Alan Bishop. Alan is the strength and conditioning coach for the University of Houston men’s basketball program. In this wide-ranging conversation, we tackle everything from nutrition to what a proper squat looks like to developing buy-in. We go from the physiological to…
Is it all about the shoes? In this episode, we look at how recent shoe technology has changed the marathon. Is it all hype or is their substance to it? We dive into the research on the performance benefits and look at the performance of Kipchoge, Kosgei, and the American athletes for clues on how…
Lydiard, Daniels, Maffetone, Canova, Pfaff, Tellez. In the world of running, we tend to throw out names of well-known coaches and say that we train utilizing their method. Their model of training. But what often happens is that a coaches method gets simplified to the extreme. Lydiard becomes about 100 mile weeks. Daniels becomes about…
It’s time for a throwback episode. When we started this podcast it was about two coaches having a conversation. Join us for a discussion on all things performance as we talk about what we are struggling with as coaches, what we’re reading, and how we are trying to innovate in our own coaching. We cover…
My new book The Passion Paradox is on sale for only $7 (61% off!!) on Amazon today. If you haven’t yet, consider giving it a read! Overtraining is one of those nebulous catch-all terms that coaches and athletes fear like the plague. After all, with highly competitive and slightly obsessive compulsive runners the issue is…
How do you think? It seems like a silly question to ask. After all, thinking is something we take for granted. It occurs naturally if we simply pause for a moment and let our mind go to work. What if the question was, what do you do when you encounter a problem in an athletes…
Since Bill Bowerman popularized the idea of alternating days in which we do a hard workout and follow it up with a recovery day of, runners have fallen in love with the back and forth nature of intervals and then going for a distance run in the subsequent days. It’s no wonder that this…
This episode of the On Coaching podcast is my favorite type. A rant on hot topics in the coaching and sports world. Our goal is to give you the truth, the behind the scenes answers without any fluff. We start off with Athletic Scholarships. We cover everything from how difficult it is to obtain one,…
20 x 400 meters. Working from 61 all the way down to 50.1. That’s 50.1 for his 20th 400m, and he went through the first 200m in 23 high. This mind-blowing workout comes from the log of Alan Webb. It was during his American Record (3:46-mile) season and occurred 2 weeks before he traveled…
Injuries are the bane of any coach or athlete. They derail our seasons and sometimes our careers. In theory, injuries are relatively easy to deal with. Rest, recover, take time off. But in reality, coaches and athletes are met with much more uncertainty. Can we “train” through a bout of tendonitis? When do we pull…
In June 2003, I ran the fastest mile by any high school runner in the country. Four minutes and one second. A hair shy of one of the most important barriers in sport. Awards and accolades soon followed. A proclamation by the Houston Chronicle as one of a handful of “Houston’s next generation of superstars”…
Peaking! Do we drop the volume and intensity a bit and hope that our performance skyrockets? Or do we perform an exacting sequence of workouts designed to get you ready for race day? There are a lot of misconceptions on what exactly peaking entails. At its most basic level, it’s simply about putting the athlete…
After grinding through those gut-wrenching 400-meter repeats or exhausting yourself in your most recent 10k race, there’s always that one thing left that we have to do before the workout is actually done: the cool down. Traditionally, we’ve looked at the cool down as a way to keep blood flow going after the workout…
Writers of fiction are often separated into two categories: planners and pantsers. Planners take the time to prepare a deep outline, mapping out each ebb and flow of the plot. On the other hand, pantsers, short for ‘flying by the seat of their pants’, have a rough idea of the story and where it…
Last week, a woman who is the poster athlete for perseverance and grit had her career and livelihood ripped away from her. She did nothing wrong. She did not use performance enhancing drugs like many of her competitors. Instead, she has had her private life blown open, with details about her inner organs discussed around…
It’s time for a moment of reflection on the coaching profession. What are the things we are doing well? What can we improve on? What are some of the things we are doing now that we might look back upon in 30 years and wonder why we did that training? Coaching is a process of…
Overtraining is one of those nebulous catch-all terms that coaches and athletes fear like the plague. After all, with highly competitive and slightly obsessive compulsive runners the issue is not in in prodding them to do more work, but instead in holding them back just enough to keep them from reaching into this unwanted zone…
The Stress of Life Pain is the name of the game when it comes to performing. We’re all used to dealing with a large amount of effort during our workouts and races. Generally we attribute this to pain coming from the muscles themselves and the effort that it is taking to generate our speed. More…
How difficult should your hard workouts be?? When I was competing in high school, my teammates knew the drill; always have a trash can nearby. It didn’t matter whether it was a small race or a hard workout; chances were I was going to throw up afterwards. It simply occurred, regardless of any modifications in…
Note: Today is the last day to get exclusive running bonuses with the purchase of my new book, THE PASSION PARADOX! Check them out here. On this episode, we take on a very important topic, digging ourselves out of burnout. Both Jon and I have suffered through the ills of burnout. What we’ve found is…
If you like my work, consider checking out my NEW book, The Passion Paradox! It just came out and is on sale for $13. I’d greatly appreciate it! The (Scientific) Origins of Stress Stress. Even the work itself evokes feelings, perhaps even emotion. Thoughts, mostly negative, enter our minds about how stress impacts our…
Note: Today is the last day to get exclusive running bonuses with the purchase of my new book, THE PASSION PARADOX! Check them out here. On this weeks episode, we bring in a special guest, Mario Fraioli of The Morning Shakeout to discuss the IAAF’s latest rule changes, how it impacts the Us Olympic Trials,…
My new book, The Passion Paradox is on sale now!! Instead of spending paragraphs explaining why you should buy it, I want to show you why this book is so important to me. And if you resonate with what’s written below, please consider buying it or sharing about the book. Thank You! Also, we are so close to being a…
A special episode of the On Coaching Podcast featuring NYT bestselling author David Epstein. In this wide-ranging conversation covering all things performance, we start off by discussing my new book The Passion Paradox and the similarities with David’s new book Range. From there we dive deep into the psychology of performance before ending on a…
In this weeks On Coaching Podcast, we get into the details of burnout, both as a coach and an athlete. It’s easy to fall for the effort trap. Where we convince ourselves that out working others is the key to success, and that we have the capability to push through anything to do so. Such…
We all know the story of Orville and Wilbur Wright. Two bicycle mechanics who conquered the seemingly impossible, flight. But how did two mechanics, without a college education, without financial backing beat others to the punch? A comparison to their US rival, Samuel Langley, provides some clues. Langley, the head of the Smithsonian at the…
In this weeks On Coaching Podcast, we cover how social media influences performance. The ever-growing influence of social media and our online interactions change how our athletes (and our selfs!) relate to performing. Our comparison point has changed. We now have to judge ourselves against a never-ending supply of ‘friends’ on Instagram and Facebook. Our…
In the endurance world, we’ve come to believe that there are certain intensities or paces that do more than others! If we run at these specific zones, we will improve, and if we run bit too fast or too slow, we are in a grey zone where workouts don’t help as much. VO2max, Lactate Threshold,…
Think back to elementary school when you’d be assigned some big project. Maybe a diorama or the big science project. You’d walk in proud of the work that you achieved. Only to look over and see young Suzy or Johnny with the most complex and impressive looking things you’ve seen. No offense to little Johnny,…
When it comes to training, workouts seem like the be all end all. As coaches, we obsess over the details of each repeat, or when we should perform tempo runs or short intervals. Workouts are what we worry about. Yet, how much does it matter? In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, we discuss…
Imagine you just started coaching a high school cross-country team of 20 athletes for the next season. This isn’t your first go round, so you feel confident that you can take your squad and get them ready for a fast 5k at the end of the season, maybe even making the state championship. Seven athletes…
Every year, I take a look back at the books that have influenced my coaching, behavior, and thinking the most. Books are special because they allow you to take understanding to a deeper level. In a world that is constantly being shrunk to cater towards bite-size pieces of information, books are one of the last…
Are you taking the time to get to where you want to be? In today’s instant gratification world, we want to be great NOW! Not in a couple years, but as soon as possible. As we strive for the top of our field or our job, are we missing some crucial development pieces? In this…
I’m an introvert. I grew up eschewing high school and college parties for the sake of my 10 pm bedtime and the 15-mile run I had the next morning. At that point in my life, I would rather get sleep than go through the college tradition of bar hopping. That scene was not my comfort…
What holds you back? What keeps you from performing to the best of your ability? That’s the topic of this weeks On Coaching Podcast with Magness & Marcus. We dive into identifying and then fixing the common issues we see in athletes that prevent them from taking that next step in performance. And, as you’ll…
I’d like to introduce a program that I’m now offering. An opportunity to join a small group of coaches looking to get better at what they do: coaching. A mentor is indispensable. They generously pass on their knowledge and wisdom to you, so that you can apply that to your own craft in your own…
Breakthroughs. It’s what keeps many of us going. The knowledge (and hope) that a leap in performance is just around the corner. But what do performance breakthroughs look like? Are there signs that a breakthrough might be around the corner? In this weeks On Coaching Podcast, Jon and Steve take a deep dive into the…
When we venture down to our local track and prepare for our evening interval workout, we know what the workout is going to be down to how many intervals we are going to run, how fast, and how much recovery we will take. Furthermore, even if we have a coach, we have some control over…
In this weeks episode of On Coaching, we tackle how to define success (or failure) in workouts and races. Far too often we operate in a time or performance framework. We judge a workout based on whether we ran faster than was written on the paper. How we define success has a direct impact on…
When it comes to performing at just about any task, what holds us back isn’t our coach or teacher. It’s not our training and practice. It’s often ourselves. When we are in the middle of a performance, our mind almost always searches for an out. A rock to step on during a race, an excuse…
There’s a simple message that I learned from a grad school professor, Charlie Casserly, about coaching. Learn a lot but then simplify. People often use the old coaching adage of “keep it simple stupid,” to mean that too much information is bad. That you shouldn’t complicate the act of coaching. There’s a crucial mistake in…
I first came across Dave Hamilton’s work when presenting at a conference put on by the Seattle Sounders. At the time, he worked with USA field hockey, after serving a similar role with British field hockey for the 2012 Olympics. As Dave stood at the lectern presenting his findings, my inbuilt skepticism dissipated into a…
Think back to a recent poor performance. What was the cause? Maybe you were sick, had poor sleep leading up to the race, overcooked the workouts leading up to the race, or simply ‘gave in’ when the pain set in. Chances are you have an answer to why you ran poorly. It might not…
Training is Simple: Are you Building, Maintaining, or Connecting? That car you have sitting in your garage is a complicated piece of machinery. If you aren’t a “car guy” you couldn’t even imagine how to build one from the ground up. It’s a task reserved for those who have honed their skills and craft, having…
This weeks guest is elite runner Brian Barraza. Brian rose from a solid high school runner to the top of the ranks in the NCAA. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss how Brian dealt with failure on the biggest stage, the coping strategies he utilizes to get through the pain and discomfort of racing, and…
In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast we go back in time, to our high school coaching days. Both of us got our start coaching in the high school ranks and we take a look back at what we got right, what we would change, and the challenges that coaches now face. We cover…
The Inner Game: Decision Making, Choking, Focus and Attention, Skill acquisition: All of that and more on this weeks episode of the On Coaching Podcast with Magness & Marcus. We have renowned sports psychologist Leonard Zaichkowsky and mental performance consultant Dan Peterson on to provide a deep dive on the cognitive demands of the sport.…
What does it take to be great? What about just good? When it comes to performance, we all start near the bottom. Being “okay” or average, but then we make jumps along the way. How far up the ladder do we go and what allows us to make those jumps? In this episode of On…
If you are a runner, you know the scene. You and your friends make it back to the parking lot, look down at your watch and it says 8.96 miles. Inevitably someone starts doing mini circles around the car until that number flips over to 9.00. It’s crazy, illogical, and makes little sense. I’ve…
You can’t force Fitness! In this weeks episode we talk about the trap of trying to force our way to racing fast. It’s a tempting trap to fall into. Train the athlete for how fast they want to be, not who they currently are. Yet, what we’ve noticed as coaches is the minute you start…
In my line of work, educating and coaching, I often get asked for advice by 18-25-year-olds on how they should tackle their next steps in life. In a question and answer session at St. Mary’s University, I was asked: “what piece of advice would you give yourself when you were just starting out?”…
In 1915, a young Harvard Physiologist named Walter Cannon described “the necessities of fighting or flight” in his now classic book, Bodily Changes in Pain, Hunger, Fear and Rage[i]. With the turn of a phrase, Cannon began the process of ingraining the now famous “fight or flight” instinct into our consciousness. As often occurs with…
We have a special guest for this week’s episode, Daniel Herrera. Dan is a 3:56 miler who trains under Jon Marcus at High Performance West. In this episode, Dan talks all about transitions, in coaching, life, and training. Dan drops a lot of knowledge and provides a unique perspective on running and racing. What was…
Introduction: Understanding how fatigue impacts performance during middle distance running events has traditionally been seen through a mechanistic lens (Coyle, 1994). Dating back to work by AV Hill, scientists have looked at performance being limited via catastrophic failure at the muscular level (Noakes, 2012). Previously, researchers (Tucker & Noakes, 2009) focused on tasks to failure…
It’s all about recovery! On this episode we take on the topic of easy days. The oft neglected cousing to the more “important” hard workouts, easy days are essential for improving performance. We have a tendency to “check the box” and the only consideration we take is how much mileage we need. In this podcast…
“This workout is going to make a difference. Start with 100 meters, lengthen out the rep distance by 10 meters, increase the speed by…” was in full workout mode. A master of his craft, a man who was always pushing to learn more, Joe Vigil is the epitome of a lifelong coach. I’d heard the…
The running back takes the handoff and the hole that is supposed to be right in front of him isn’t there. He instantly darts to the right, squeezing between the tackles before shifting to the right to avoid the incoming linebacker. How did the running back decide to change his plan? How does a runner…
Special Guest Alex Hutchinson has written the defining book on endurance and fatigue. His latest book Endure is a must read that blends storytelling and science to explain the intricacies of fatigue. In this weeks episode, Alex takes us through not only the surprising insight of his book but to his own athletic career. While…
In this special episode of the On Coaching Podcast, we dive into the lessons learned from the recent Boston Marathon. First, we take you through the race from a coaches point of view. What does preparation look like, how do you train for Boston versus other marathons. Then, we dive into the lessons that Desi…
The puppet hiding behind the curtains, pulling the strings on what team wins in the NBA, is not the oft despised refs. It’s fatigue. With an 82-game season littered with back to back games and late night flights, players are not “giving their all” during each night out. As fatigue rears its ugly head, players…
When someone has “it” you know it when you see it. It’s hard to explain, and even more difficult to wrap your head around, but “it” often refers to the intangibles. The unmeasurable quality that we often use to describe individuals who are able to make the difficult seem plausible. In this episode, we delve…
In this weeks episode, Jon and Steve go on a rant. How do we utilize science in coaching? Inspired by a twitter rant, we start off taking on the bioenergetic or metabolic view of coaching. As endurance coaches, we almost always start with “How aerobic or anaerobic is your event?” Go to any conference or…
A silver medal at the world championships and a 30-year old athlete who makes theirfirst world team and then places in the top 8. In this episode of On Coaching we bring in friend and coach Danny Mackey. Danny is the coach for the Brooks Beasts and guided Drew Windle to a medal and Katie Mackey…
Should we predict development? “Did you know the average age of medalist is 26 in running events, but in the throwing events it’s much older?” That’s how the conversation started, before progressing towards how we needed to center our development and funding models on this data. The underlying message was a simple one, we can…
This weeks episode is all about the long run! How far should it be for each event? Should it be slow or fast? Should you include pickups, surges, intervals, or other ‘stuff’ in it or not? We break down the details of what is often called “the church of the Sunday long run.” In the…
Sprinters are Inefficient: If you want to know what an inefficient runner looks like, watch a sprinter run at 5-minute mile pace. If you are used to watching the smoothness of a runner like Nick Willis, the sprinter’s mechanics don’t look pretty. There’s a stiffness about them as they run slow. Their arms are awkwardly…
If you’ve been a reader of this blog or a listener to the podcast for a while, you know that my passion lies in coaching and running. This blog began as a way to explore coaching at a deeper level. Over the past few months, my podcast co-host (Jon Marcus) and I have wracked our…
Lactate, Anaerobic, Aerobic Threshold? What do any of them mean and are they useful training zones? In this episode Jon and Steve break down what in the world threshold actually means for coaches. In addition, we debate whether or not we should sped much time training at marathon pace or if it is a “grey”…
Why Fatigue is our best feedback I was casually walking past the track, and as seems to happen, I can’t help but notice whoever is running around it. Some days it’s an older gentleman jogging around, others youthful kids experiencing the sport for the first time, but today there were three team sport players. How…
This week, we are all about winning! When it comes to racing, there are two kinds of racers: The active participants and the passive ones. 75% of the people in any track meet are simply role players. Even if they are fit enough to compete, they defer control of the race to the active…
We’re in the age of gurus and experts. Create a platform large enough and you have a built-in calling card that screams listen to me, I know what I’m talking about. Not only are we inundated with gurus, the way in which we consume, learn, and understand has shifted. Until recently, there had always been…
This week, we welcome a very special guest and good friend, Alan Webb. As many of you know, Alan is the fastest American miler to ever walk the planet. He’s run the fastest mile in the 21st century. To reach that level, he and his coach at the time, Scott Razcko, had to break new…
This week, we have a special guest, Lauren Fleshman. Lauren is a modern day polymath, excelling as a runner, activists, entrepreneurs, business owner, and of course, a coach. In this episode, we dive into Lauren’s coaching. We can’t thank Lauren enough for bringing a fresh perspective and valuable insight to the podcast. My notebook is…
Self-Improvement Science in the Real World Our ultimate goal for each of these newsletters is to leave you with a better understanding of a performance practice that can help you in your daily life. In service of that goal, we tend to combine academic research and personal experience. We are especially big on the research…
This weeks episode is all about recovery! No, not ice baths, protein, compression boots, and all of that nonsense, but on how much recovery time should you take during workouts? Should I take three minutes between my mile repeats or four? Jogging or standing? How about some exercises in between? We delve into our own…
The best shape of my running career was not when I ran my mile, 3k, 5k, 10k, or even half marathon PR. Instead, it was at a time when the best race I could muster was a 3:51.4 1,500m, or 8 seconds slower than my best. How does this happen? How do you get in…
What’s the correct way to run? How do you improve form? How should distance runners sprint? These questions and more are the subject of this 10 minute long breakdown of two middle-distance runners I coach. If you ever had any questions on how to sprint correctly, this video should serve as a helpful introduction to…
Imagine something unexpected and negative just happened. Perhaps you performed poorly in an interview, blew up in a big athletic competition, lost a job, or worse yet, lost a loved one or suffered some other tragedy. Why do some individuals bounce back from these events more easily than others? According to the latest research, the…
It’s time to talk the 5k. We cover everything, from how to approach the training of it (Is it a speed or endurance event? What’s the best type of intervals to improve your 5k?) to what the best race tactics are. In this sprawling conversation, we delve deep…
First off, I want to express my gratitude for all of you who have visited my site, read or listened to content I’ve put out, and just been a part of the exploration of performance. Without you, I would not have the time, energy, or resources to put out quality content. When I started this…
In this episode, Jon and I delve into our coaching blunders with middle distance athletes. What mistakes did we make early on and what have we learned from them? Topics covered in this episode include We dive into the misconceptions on speed and power development. How we both messed up plyos when we first introduced…
The Question of the week is: What is your Coaching Philosophy? What is Coaching with Craft? Every week, we ask a group of coaches one question and give them 5-minutes to answer! Frombroad philosophical questions to what are the best workouts, we tackle all of your coaching questions, and give you a range of answers…
LTAD is one of those buzz phrases thrown around in the athletic world. The intention is noble and worthwhile: Put some deep thought into how an athlete progresses from youth to junior to national class (and hopefully beyond). The problem with LTAD is that it’s mostly theoretical. There are too many factors to control to…
Every year, I look back and wish I read more. Whether it’s books, research articles, or even interesting blogs, I wish I blocked out more time for reading. Why? Because as I begin my end of the year reflection, I am always amazed how much of my current thinking, and new ideas, are shaped by…
The Question of the week is: What are the most important areas of growth in your coaching currently? What is Coaching with Craft? Every week, we ask a group of coaches one question and give them 5-minutes to answer! Frombroad philosophical questions to what are the best workouts, we tackle all of your coaching questions,…
As promised, we’ve brought back NAU coach Mike Smith to give us insight on how his team won the NCAA Cross-Country Championships. As he did in our previous episode, Mike delivers numerous pearls of wisdom and shows how he has grown and evolved as a coach. He walks us through the week leading up to…
Interval training. Speed Work. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Whatever you call it, performing fast interval work is often associated with anaerobic training. Many coaches, athletes, and trainers believe that the harder the effort, the more anaerobic the workout is. Take your classic Tabata sprints (10 sec on/20 sec off) or the football favorite “gassers,” highly…
In Episode 3 of Coaching with Craft, we explore the books that have influenced our coaching. Please take 15 minutes out of your day to see what books we have found most valuable! What books make your list? Books Mentioned by Each Coach: Steve Magness: Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers Allostasis, Homeostasis, and the Costs…
“Don’t jog! Only High intensity interval training!” Outside of the distance running world, these phrases are often thrown around when it comes to development of endurance in team sports or non-running individual sports. Whether it’s the fear of creating slow athletes, or the myth that you can get all of your aerobic bang for your…
On a recent trip to Seattle, if you asked my hosts, Steve Fassino and Phoebe Wright, what the major topic of conversation was for the weekend, they’d likely answer cults. It started with two documentaries. One, called Holy Hell, that documented an actual cult. With 20 years of video footage, we saw firsthand the indoctrination…
What Role Do Mentors Play? Who are the people who influenced your development? The individuals who planted the seed, taught the lesson, or gave us the hard advice we needed. A mentor is an undervalued resource, commonly neglected in the traditional education of a coach. In this edition of Coaching with Craft, you get to…
I’m thrilled to announce a new initiative called Coaching with Craft. We’ve brought together a group of professional coaches to answer one new question every week. We’ll explore topics ranging from our coaching philosophy to detailed training specifics. Our hope is that we can expand your (and our) coaching knowledge and we can explore the…
This is a MUST listen episode. In this weeks On Coaching with Magness & Marcus, we bring in NAU coach Mike Smith to talk about team culture and training. In this wide ranging and deep episode, we dive into a number of topics. Starting with how Mike took over a team that was the defending…
If you work hard, you can achieve anything. These fine words are burned into our collective conscience. It’s part of our DNA, the American dream. We need to believe that hard work can triumph over circumstance. Look no further than our ready and rapid acceptance of the 10,000-hour rule, which many (incorrectly) interpreted to mean…
Welcome Back! In this episode of On Coaching with Magness & Marcus, it’s time to take on one of the important concepts in coaching: Change! How have we as coaches evolved in our thinking? Jon and I take you through the methods of coaching that we used to hold true to our heart but have…
Seldom do you get a peek under the hood of one of the best runner’s in history. But with the release of his training in the months leading up to his Berlin marathon victory, we get just that with a training log of Eliud Kipchoge. As someone who believes in the sharing of training to…
“How did it feel?” It was an endless process. Run a 100-meter stride, walk back and hear this question repeated over and over. These weren’t the words of some uninformed coach or parent trying to fake their way through coaching, they were spoken by Tom Tellez. And when Tom speaks, there’s a reason for the…
In this episode of On Coaching with Magness & Marcus, we delve into a concept Jon calls “The Discernment Spectrum,” which is: Smart—Intelligent—Sophisticated As we learn a subject or skill, we exist somewhere on this spectrum. Smart only exists in duality– right or wrong–so it represents a basic level of understanding. To be intelligent means…
This is normally a running site. For those who don’t know, I live in Houston, TX. It’s under water right now. That’s tragedy #1. I also found out that the running community lost one of its well-respected members, David Torrence, at the age of 31. That’s Tragedy #2. I needed to write. Here are my…
In this episode of On Coaching, we discuss the amazing book Athletics: How to Become a Champion by Percy Cerutty. Cerutty was the coach of Herb Elliott who was the 1960 Olympic 1,500m Champion and held the world record in the mile at 3:54. In How to Become a Champion, Cerutty wrote a classic text…
I’m not certified in anything. Not USATF, USATFCCA, NSCA, or any other acronym that means something to a select few people ingrained in their small enclave of workers. Wait, I take that back, I am certified in CPR thanks to a class that took a few hours. What’s the goal? With credentialing, or coaches education,…
In 2014, shortly after I put out my first book, , Ryan Banta reached out about his own massive writing project. He was partway through an undertaking where he wanted to create the resource for sprinting. I didn’t know Ryan before hand and just saw him as an ambitious High School coach who was similar…
In this episode of On Coaching, Jon and I discuss the often skewed coach-athlete dynamic. Traditionally, coaches have been the information purveyors, the power holders, distribtuing knowledg in a one way direction; Coach to athlete. When this dynamic remains, we lose an opportunity to learn. We get stuck in certain patterns; repeating the same types…
I’m fascinated by the inner workings of the mind and how we make decisions. As whether it’s in running or life, the decisions we make end up defining who we are and where we are going. I also love self-experimentation. Life can be thought of as a running a million little self experiments and seeing…
On this weeks On Coaching Podcast with Magness & Marcus, we have a special treat for you. We’re bringing you a real conversation. When we were at the US championships, Jon and I sat down at a local coffee shop in Sacramento and pushed record. We recorded a real conversation, nothing manufactured or artificial, no…
Why do I do this? There are so many other sports I could do. Why couldn’t I be good at baseball? I’m about to be in a world of hurt – remind me again why I signed up for this? Okay, stop thinking like this. You’ve been through this a million times, this one is…
Training is all about balance. It may be a cliché statement, but when it comes to training for almost any event, ensuring that speed and endurance, stress and rest, or any number of factors has the appropriate interplay is essential. When it comes to training runners, or even team sport athletes, I like to keep…
“That felt miserable! That was so much harder than last time. And slower!” Selena remarked as she walked off the track disappointed in her performance. She’d run 15 seconds slower in the 3,000m steeple than she did a few weeks prior. A performance at the time that she said “felt easy, I had a lot…
Venture down the self-help aisle of any bookstore and you’ll see it littered with titles about hacks, quick fixes, burning fat, and accessing mystic sounding theta brainwaves. We’re told that a ‘superfood’ can cure cancer, that a new routine will fix our motivation problems, and that a brain-training program will teach us how to learn…
It’s finally here. The book I’ve been working on for the past two years is out and available to order! We’ve got a giveaway and a new social media contest in conjunction with the book, so check out the details below. Why Should You Buy? This book is about getting better. Not just about running, but…
After a two-plus year journey, is almost here! I’m so excited to finally put in your hands. In anticipation of the launch in a few day, I’m giving away a lot of awesome items if you pre-order it now! More on that below, but first, a bit about the book. It’s the result of over…
Are you a collector of knowledge or a master of application? Take a look at your favorite coach. Chances are if you follow their twitter stream, you think “Man, they have it figured out,” as the coach drops profound insight after insight. Or perhaps, you sat in on their hour long power point presentation, detailing…
The story goes that Bannister crushed the 4 minute mile mark, and allowed runners to dream of the impossible. No longer held back by this psychological barrier, swarms of runners went under the barrier. It’s touted as a story of humans holding themselves back, and what can occur if we release the shackles on our…
What did we learn from a Scientific standpoint? Kipchoge’s performance in the sub 2 hour marathon was amazing, far exceeding mine and many others expectations. While a lot has been said about the performance and how it translates to a legitimate marathon, what I want to explore is my initial reactions to what we learned…
Before Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile barrier over 60 years ago, he had an earlier, somewhat bizarre, attempt. When the gun went off, Bannister rocketed off the line with Don MacMillan acting as a rabbit. While Bannister and MacMillan sped off towards a 1:59.7 first half-mile, the other man in the race, Chris Brasher,…
Bad races are tough to witness as a coach, and even harder to experience as an athlete. The feelings of despair, hopelessness, and confusion are ever present. We do our best to put it behind, move onto the next one. But if we aren’t careful, they’re effects can linger, far after the race is complete.…
Should we be a generalist or a specialist? Do we coach to the individual or the average? Do we want to be a one-trick pony or a master of none? In this episode of On Coaching, we take on these buzz words and the models they rely upon. We start with the basics, answering the…
Rules tend to be thought of as a negative. They are meant to restrict us, to keep us from performing acts that lie outside of the norm, and to keep us from danger or harm. Show up to school at this time, perform these chores, take the garbage out, no R-rated movies when you’re young.…
Big concepts get thrown around a lot these days; Marginal Gains, 10,000 hours, the 80/20 rule, the 1% rule. Everyone has their own phrase or concept for helping take performance to the next level. In this episode of On Coaching, Jon and I take a look at two similar, but slightly different concepts. Using Ross…
Are you coaching the person or are you coaching the work? In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast with Magness & Marcus, we delve into the difference between coaching people and the system of running. One is about seeing each athlete as a living, breathing, emotional mess of a person, and the other is…
The race is over, the games done. You have a moment to collect your thoughts before you have a chance to make one instantaneous impression. Do you drop a word of wisdom, try to get in a quick correction, say nothing, or give a simple pat on the back and a “good job.” Fast-forward fifteen…
“I’m going to be one of the first in line for this book.” Dave Epstein, Author of The Sports Gene, talking about Peak Performance. I’m thrilled to officially announce my next big book project with my phenomenal co-author Brad Stulberg: Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success Its…
It’s time to talk about the marathon! The mysterious race that causes more problems than all other races combined. In this episode, we discuss the intricacies of the marathon. How does training change from the track to the marathon? Do all we need to do is extend our long runs and tempos? NO! What’s the…
One of the trickiest parts of coaching a team is individualizing within that group structure. We’re left with a balancing act, deciding how much to emphasize group training–taking advantage of working with a training partner– versus catering to the individual runner. In other words, do we give our workout (e.g. 5x1mile) for everyone to…
Racing is a skill. It’s not something you get thrown into and hope to figure out, it’s a skill that needs evaluated, dissected, and improved upon. In this episode of the Magness & Marcus Podcast On Coaching, we discuss just how to develop the fine art of racing. Starting with a discussion on why we…
“I just don’t respond to that type of training.” Or if you are a science nerd among us, you might say, “I have the non-responder genes for aerobic (or anaerobic) exercise” It’s a convenient excuse, and perhaps with a hint of truth. In fact, researchers have suggested that up to 20% of individuals are non-responders…
We’re back with the first Magness & Marcus Podcast on Coaching of 2017. In this episode, we have a long and frank discussion on interval workouts. What are they, what do they do, are there magical interval workouts, and should everyone should get over Tabata sprints? When it comes to interval workouts, we tend to…
Yesterday, news broke that several Oregon players had been admitted to the hospital due to an excessively strenuous workout that the new strength and condition coaches implemented. It consisted of an hour of continuous “push ups and up/downs,” among other things. Appalled by such a blatant mistake in my profession, I posted a link with…
Simple and Usable. These two words became the theme of the year. If an idea or concept is not simple enough to be usable, then what good does it do? Complexity may feel as though it has to be right, but let me tell you a secret. Complexity is a way to trick ourselves and…
Since the vast majority of you all never get to hear me speak, I recorded one of my recent presentations so that we can spread the knowledge to more than the few hundred coaches who were there. I’m excited to share the lecture: The Fundamentals of Training. It’s an hour long lecture on the details…
We’ve lost our way. We’ve been bamboozled, tricked, fooled. We’ve been convinced that the final 1% is more important the beginning 99%. In our present world, gadgets, and hacks not only lead the way¬–they are the only way. Cryo-saunas, fasting, super foods, magical supplements, polyphasic sleep, and on and on the list goes. We live…
For the end of 2016, Jon and I take a look forward. What is the state of track and field in the world and where do we go from here. We get things started by asking what each of our utopian track and field worlds would look like, before delving into the problems with our…
Every year I post a list of the books I’ve learned the most from (for example 2014 list, 2013 list). Over time, my reading interests have shifted as I evolve as a coach. I’ve found myself branching out to ever-expanding domains, while still trying to return to the basics. This year’s list is a perfect…
What in the world does the term “High-Performance Coaching” mean? It’s a phrase that is thrown about in the sports world, so we brought on coach Vern Gambetta to discuss his views. As always when we bring Vern on, we cover a wide range of topics. We start by discussing the role of performance data…
“Never ask how it felt! You’re creating doubt!” the supposed master coach quipped. I had just asked an athlete how their last interval felt. I was young and I didn’t understand it then. Perhaps I’m still too dense, but I don’t understand it now either. This coaches point was that he wanted athletes to run…
One of my professors during grad school was fond of telling me that coaching was all about learning. In the science field, it was about understanding motor learning and how our brain’s process and develop the skills that sport requires. His point was that that connection determined how we do what we do in sport,…
Arthur Lydiard is often thought of as the father of modern distance running. His training information is widely available, but often times misunderstood. People often make the mistake of equating Lydiard to Long Slow Distance. While his training has changed throughout history, it’s would be beneficial to look back and see what “original” Lydiard training…
Percy Cerutty was an eccentric, yet often overlooked coach, in a historical context. He trained many of the greatest distance runners of his time. His most prominent athletes was Herb Elliott who captured both the 1960 olympic gold medal and a world record in the 1,500 and mile. Cerutty also trained numerous other succesful runners…
The seasons done, the races have been run, and the outcomes are determined. Whether they were good or bad, we have to move forward. As a coach and athlete it’s about figuring out what lessons to learn, and how to re-energize yourself (and your team) for the next goal that awaits. In this episode of…
Our brain adapts to everything– regardless of whether it is good or bad. When something we say, hear, or do doesn’t fit with the reality we know, our brain lets us know. A subtle blip, a wave of electrical activity, goes off in our brain, signaling that something isn’t quite right. That an error we…
“He’s a competitor!” We’ve all had athletes that exemplified the act of competing. They show up on race day, run their guts out, rise to the occasion when it’s asked of them, and put their teammates on their back, instead of only being concerned with themselves. What makes up this ability? Is it innate? Research…
“Our sport is your sports punishment” Way back when I was a high school runner, quotes like these would invariably pop up on the back of a High School Cross-Country team’s shirt. The obvious point was that what we do as runners is often what team sports were assigned to do when they showed up…
You’ll find hundreds of free articles, newsletters, and hours of audio interviews. Resources coalesced over a decade of coaching, researching, teaching, and writing. All designed for one reason: to help you–coach, athlete, or simply person– get better. Let’s get started! I’m a coach. It’s what I’ve been doing since I was a teenager. What follows…
This week, we take on the big question of mastery, particularly in regards to coaching. Beginners tend to mimic. It’s ingrained in us; mimicry is the way we first learn how to make it in life, as we copy our parents when we are just toddlers. In coaching, this might mean copying the training plans…
With the rise of sports science and analytics, there’s a tendency to hold these fields as bearers of absolute truth. If the science or data proclaim a fact, then who are we to question it? The notion that you need statistical significance or a double blind placebo controlled study to find the actual truth is…
In episode 41, we bring in Mario Fraioli to discuss the state of the sport. We start with a different kind of Olympic overview, one which takes a deep dive on the problems that arose and the potential way forward. We talk about how to take control of the narrative of our sport, instead of…
West German coach Bertl Sumser was an early pioneer in taking a scientific approach to training. He carried on in the tradition of Woldemer Gerschler in designing his training with a heavy tip of the hat to the physiology known at their time. In a 1962 article published in the Fred Wilt’s book , Sumser …
Harry Wilson was most known as the coach of world record holder and gold medalist, but he also coached other notable British runners. Before we get into the core of his training beliefs, looking at some of the extra stuff he had his athletes do is needed. Wilson seems to have placed some emphasis on…
What’s the point of sport? In this episode, Jon and I make the case that it’s about education and learning. The culture of coaches used to be educators. They came from a background of using athletics as a means to help student athletes grow and develop. As the top side of the sport professionalized, there’s…
“It’s better to undertrain than to overtrain” This phrase is ingrained in every coach’s mind. It’s cliché to say, but like many clichés the truth rings loudly. Take a glance at our modern world: early specialization, 10,000 hour rule maxims, emphasis on miles run per week or number of gut-wrenching intervals completed. It’s no wonder…
What defines success for a coach? Is it wins and losses? Championships won? Leading athletes to new personal bests? Having one athlete win an Olympic medal while destroying 20 of them? These are the common notions that we associated with success. But is it the best way? In this episode of the Magness & Marcus…
When Patrick McHugh read the book The Energy Bus, he felt inspired. Patrick is an excellent High School Coach. He’s meticulous in his planning, always trying to learn, and willing to reach out to others to help perfect his craft. In other words, he’s the perfect guy to energetically transfer his lessons from a book…
The Beginning Years(1800’s-1920’s Finn’s) The simple reason to run intervals is that it allows the runner to hit specific paces or training zones (such as LT, VO2max, Lactate tolerance, etc.) for a longer amount of time then would be spent in that zone if you just ran for a continuous run. Now way back in…
Who has the record for the fastest time at the Kentucky Derby? How about the record at the Daytona 500? What’s the average speed record for the Tour de France? If you know these facts, you’re a more avid fan of sports than I. Records are important in track and field. They allow us to…
Humans have a need for explanations. When faced with uncertainty we rely on closure. The world of running is no different. When something goes wrong, as athletes and coaches we go into a panicked search for a reason why we didn’t perform at our best. Often, we perform elaborate gymnastics attempting to find the elusive…
A few years ago, I posted a data analysis of the progression to world class for female 5k runners. I’m an inner data nerd, the kind of kid who grew up calculating baseball stats and looking for patterns before we could easily pull all that data off the web. I’m not a stats guru by…
In this episode, we are joined by performance coach extraordinaire Vern Gambetta. Using the performances at the recent Olympic Trials as a backdrop we take on coaches education. Where have we gone right and where have we missed the boat. We start by asking the question of what makes a good coach? Is it coaching…
Most people attribute “jogging” or an emphasis on long slow distance running to Arthur Lydiard. While he may have popularized the idea of building a big base of steady running, others around the world were coming up with the same idea at similar times. In 1947, Dr. Ernst Van Aaken first published his ideas on…
John Landy is the 2nd man to go sub-4 in the mile. His most famous race was the battle he waged with Roger Bannister in the Empire games, where he took 2nd when Bannister swept past him in the home stretch as Landy turned and looked to his inside. Landy ultimately set the mile world…
In this episode, we have a special guest, the director of Track and Field at Georgetown, Mike Smith. In an in-person conversation at the Olympic Trials we discuss innovation within coaching. With the three of us having been in the collegiate and post-collegiate world we discuss the tendency for the NCAA system to lock coaches…
Consider this a plea. A plea for countries that do not send full Olympic teams, when they are perfectly capable of it, to reconsider their policy. I realize that this will mostly fall on deaf ears, but for athletes in countries that don’t select teams, perhaps it will offer some solace. I have no dog…
Four years ago, I had my first Olympic Trials as a coach. It came right after my tumultuous time with the company who shall not be named. I had one athlete there who had a shot to qualify for the Olympics, but bombed out in the heats. It was one of the hardest things I’ve…
Coming at you in-person from the Olympic Trials, we dish on the high pressure environment that is attempting to make the US Olympic team. Jon and I take a look at the 7/8 of the field that leaves disappointed and how we should pick up the pieces after a hard fought race. The Olympic Trials…
Over the past week, I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time with Strength Coaches. It started with Vern Gambetta’s fabulous GAIN conference in Houston which brings a diverse group of coaches, trainers, and educators. Following the fire hose of information shot at you that is GAIN, I got to experience a different kind of education.…
In this episode of the Magness and Marcus Podcast we discuss a quality that all runners aspire to and all coaches try to engender. The ability to dig down, fight your way through adversity, bounce back from failure, and show up consistently when it counts. As runners, we might refer to this as toughness, but…
Coaching is easy when everything is on a roll. You just get in a groove and click it off. It’s magical and easy. However, when things are going well, we always fall trap to what I call default mode thinking. We do what we have always done and continue to do so. In our minds…
A few weeks ago, a race video swept the internet, and media, by storm. There were segments on TV morning shows, Facebook posts by Good Morning America, and tweets galore all about one race. Was it an Olympic final or a world record? Nope. How about a particularly fast race? Maybe a high school or…
In this episode of the Magness and Marcus Podcast we discuss False Positive and Inaccurate Negatives. What are they? A false positive is when we have a great race or great series of workouts that doesn’t translate over to sustained performance. On the flip side, an inaccurate negative is when an athlete goes through a…
Running form is one of the hot button topics in the world of distance coaches. We debate, often with speed/power coaches, on where they fit into the program. How important are mechanics for a distance runner? How do we change them? Should we change them? These are the questions that wer tackle in this…
“Turn your brain off and go for a ride.” Every coach has that go to phrase that they repeat in the moments before the athlete heads to the line awaiting the start of the race. It might be a reminder to de-stress (“relax”) or perhaps a confidence booster (“Remember all the work you’ve put in”)…
When I first got into coaching, I would read every book imaginable on the subject. I started with the classic training texts like Lydiard, Coe, and Wilt, before venturing into the latest science and physiology from Brooks or Costill. As someone who was known for reading the picture books of the assigned classics in English class, the…
In this episode of the Magness & Marcus Podcast, we talk about building Culture. While we are trained as coaches to emphasize the physiology and doc us on workout design, what separates programs that thrive and last is often the intangible dynamic of culture. In this episode, we go through our experiences in developing culture…
A few weeks ago, one of my collegiate athletes, Brian Barraza, made his 10k debut on the track. He finished 12th in the fast heat, 4th amongst the collegians at the Stanford Invite in breaking our school record (a record that was 56 years old and held by Olympic medalist Al Lawrence). His instructions were…
I have a collection of physical therapists I reach out to whenever one of my athletes has a problem. If I can’t figure it out, then the next step is to reach out to one of these guys to find a solution One of them is John Ball, the well-known track injury guru out of…
In this episode, we’re coming to you in-person from Palo Alto, California. In the day after the Stanford Invite, Jon and I invite a special guest onto the podcast. Brad Stulberg is an expert in human performance. You might recognize his name from his regular work with Outside Magazine where he writes a regular column investigating…
We have a special guest for this weeks episode, head coach of the Brooks Beasts Danny Mackey. Danny has numerous accolades, including coaching 800m runners Cas Loxsom and Nick Simmonds to spots on last years World Championship teams. In this episode, Danny traces his story in how he got into coaching and the lessons learned…
When you grow up as a track athlete you are faced with the black and white nature of the sport. You instantly know if a race was successful or not based on the time run and the place given. No matter how much ruminating about the weather or pacing or tactics that might have accounted for…
The breakthrough is what we are all after. It’s what we spend months training for, visualizing, and dreaming about. But what’s the best way to get there, and how do we capitalize on it once we do. In this episode, Jon and I go through the psychology of a breakthrough. We start with defining a…
As I sat on stage with several world-class performers, ranging from sprint to endurance, I couldn’t help but feel a little out of place. I was speaking at the Canadian National Endurance Conference in front of some very smart coaches and academics. On stage were guys like Dan Pfaff, Derek Evely, and Nic Bideau who…
On my glass shower door is a message scrawled across in black marker in my distinctly illegible handwriting that says “Look the other way.” It’s not some cryptic paranoid message, but instead it’s a daily reminder to consider other possibilities. I’ve found that, whenever we see everyone jumping on the bandwagon and all nodding in…
We’re back with a new podcast for 2016! This time we jump straight into what you guys have asked for, specifics on training. For this episode, we divert away from the bigger picture and discuss training for the 800. We start with going through the different types of 800m runners and why it’s an event…
In his book The World Beyond Your Head, Matthew Crawford outlines why this might be the case. He uses a reoccurring example in the world of modern pop psychology, the motorcycle, to illustrate this difference. When riding a motorcycle, there are two different ways of knowing how fast the motorcycle is traveling. The first is…
This is likely to be a long rambling and disjointed rant. For this I apologize. How and when you learn something matters It seems like information should be information, after all facts are facts. It shouldn’t matter when we learn facts and theories, as it’s generally assumed they are independent, but this assumption is often…
A while back, during one of those rare moments of inspiration, I took to my whiteboard in my home and began to scribble. The goal was to break down every single way I could manipulate a workout possibly. In the end, I came up with this mess of a picture (and yes, as anyone who…
For our last podcast episode of 2015, it’s time to go on a few rants, call some ideas out, and create a little bit of controversy in our own little world of coaching. We’re going to cover bullshit. We start off with the myth of chasing perfection. Instead of seeing perfection as the ultimate goal,…
A strange phenomenon happens on our journey towards perceived expertise: we get stuck. To figure out coaching, or well anything in life, we take the complexity that is life and break it down into a practical, and usable, one. Or as Philosopher Daniel Dennett in his book Intuition Pumps states, “Oversimplifications…cut through the hideous complexity with…
Too much stress, not enough recovery and our body is primed for a state of injury, illness, or worse, burnout. It’s a simple, but largely true, way to look at the world of training. We know there’s this sweet spot where we can push our athletes hard enough to where they adapt to the training,…
In part two of Why we are horrible coaches, we continue down the path of bashing our own ability to coach. Starting with trap coaches fall into when they coach someone fast when they’re young- they now think that this is now the magical formula. We then delve into our worst moments of failure as…
In an editorial for the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Dr. Rod Whitely argues that “screening as we now do it is the same as player evaluation was years ago—it sounds like a good idea, but we are kidding ourselves if we think it is preventing injury.” If you’ve been around in the sports performance…
In this episode, Jon and I are coming at you together from Houston, Texas. In a rare podcast where we are actually face to face, we discuss why we are horrible coaches. Yes, we’re giving the trolls what they want and discussing all of the times we screwed up, made mistakes, and generally talk about…
In Episode 23 of the Magness & Marcus show, we talk about the importance of accountability and ownership. When success or failure comes, how you frame these outcomes can change not only each individuals motivation to succeed, but also whether they learn from their mistakes, and surprisingly how well the entire team does. We delve…
The sport of track and field has a long history dating back to the Ancient Greek Olympics and other festivals in which athletics played a key role. There have been many books and articles detailing the ancient Olympic Games and the modern Olympic games, which began in 1896. However, few have looked into this sports…
The Independent Commission investigating corruption of the IAAF and doping in Russia released a bombshell of a report today. While others have summarized the findings better than I can, which included bribery, doping cover-ups, over 1,400+ doping tests destroyed, and much much more. I wanted to give a quick reaction to the report and some…
People love comparisons. It’s built into our nature to compare groups and note the differences. So it’s no surprise when I present at conferences, that one of the topics is often on looking at the differences between runners. Whether that’s from the high school to college to pro groups, or from different types of runners.…
If I had to pinpoint one skill that I’m good at in an academic setting, it’s that of coalescing information. I love the feeling of sifting through all of the academic research available, making sense of it, and then connecting it to the practical world. The feeling of connecting disparate ideas is something that I’ll…
In this episode of the Magness and Marcus podcast, we take on the concept of outliers and averages. Research and coaching practices tend to focus on a select demographic, whether that’s the WEIRD (Western, educated, and from industrialized, rich, and democratic countries) research or coaches focusing on the practices of those who speak English and…