Posts by stevemagness
Episode 114: Do Fast Times Transfer to Being Competitive
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…
Read MoreEpisode 113: Being Fit Doesn’t Mean Running Fast
“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?…
Read MoreDon’t let a focus on individual workouts distract you from the big picture
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…
Read MoreEpisode 112: The Myth of Losing Speed
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…
Read MoreEpisode 111: Top Mistakes Highly Motivated Athletes Make and Why
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…
Read MoreEpisode 110: Endurance Speed or Speed Endurance? Which approach should we take?
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?…
Read MoreHow 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 my diet or drinking habits. As a…
Read MoreEpisode 109: The Fine Line Between Serious and Obsessive
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…
Read MoreThe Sport of Track Gives me Hope for Society
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…
Read MoreBeing Clutch Isn’t Magic, It’s A Trainable Skill
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…
Read More