Posts by stevemagness
The Pre-Race Moment: Taking Advantage of where Psychology and Biology Intersect
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…
Read MoreThe Blame Game: How our reaction to failure influences future performance
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…
Read MoreThe Simple Principle of Training: Build, Maintain, Connect
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…
Read MoreEpisode 81: Embracing Failure with Brian Barraza
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…
Read MoreEpisode 80: High School Coaching- How we would do it differently
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…
Read MoreEpisode 79: Mastering the Mental Game: An interview with Len Zaichkowsky and Dan Peterson
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.…
Read MoreEpisode 78: The Difference Between Good and Great
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…
Read MoreThe East African vs. American Mindset to Running: Volume or Quality
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…
Read MoreEpisode 77: You Can’t Force Improvement
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…
Read MoreAdvice for the Young and Driven: A letter to my 18-year old self
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?”…
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