Posts by stevemagness
Episode 90: David Epstein on All Things Performance, Drive, Passion, And Range.
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…
Read MoreEpisode 89: On Burnout. + A Tangent on Reading
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…
Read MoreWhat the Wright Brothers Can Teach Us About Coaching.
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…
Read MoreEpisode 88: How Social Media and the Internet Influences Coaching and Performance
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…
Read MoreEpisode 87: There are NO Magic Training Intensities
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,…
Read MoreStop Helicopter Coaching
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,…
Read MoreEpisode 86: Workouts Don’t Matter as Much as You Think
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…
Read MoreHow Do You Judge Success?
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…
Read MoreMy Top Books of 2018
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…
Read MoreEpisode 85: Committing to Your Own Development
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…
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