Posts by stevemagness
Episode 53- The Experience vs. the PowerPoint Coaching Style
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…
Read MoreThe Roger Bannister Effect: The Myth of the Psychological Breakthrough
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…
Read MoreThe 2-Hour Marathon- What did we learn from a Scientific standpoint?
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…
Read MoreBrand vs. Barrier: Is the Quest for a Sub 2 Hour Marathon Good?
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,…
Read MoreThe Reality and Psychology of the Racing Slump
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.…
Read MoreEpisode 52- Specialization, Generalization, and Individualization
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…
Read MoreWhy Rules Matter: Even if we hate them
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.…
Read MoreEpisode 51-On Coaching- Marginal Gains, the One Percent Rule and big concepts
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…
Read MoreEpisode 50- Coaching the person and NOT the work
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…
Read MoreWhat You Say Matters: How The Post-Race Debrief Influences Performance
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…
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