Posts by stevemagness
The Art of Being a Contrarian
During my search for understanding the history of endurance training, I saw a pretty distinct pattern. There was a constant ebb and flow of popular theories. The all-interval crew would take precedence and then the higher mileage method would come back in style a decade or so later. This swinging of the pendulum back and…
Read MoreScience vs. Art of coaching- What actually is Science?
While reading the Carl Sagan book The Demon Haunted World, which is a classic about science, pseudoscience, and technology, I came across a section in which Sagan essentially discusses how science develops and what it actually is. His argument is that it’s really a method of seeing the world. Science isn’t the rote memorization and…
Read MoreEpisode 19-Phoebe Wright on mindsets, struggles, and what it takes to run professionally
In Episode 19 of the Magness & Marcus show, we have a special guest in professional runner, Phoebe Wright. In an eye opening interview, Phoebe opens up about her running story. Starting off with what her mindset was going from walk-on to NCAA champion and how that mindset shifted once she reached the professional ranks.…
Read MoreWhy is our sport failing to protect clean athletes?-Thoughts on the IAAF doping news-
I don’t know Sebastian Coe. I’ve never met the man and most likely never will. I did, however, grow up idolizing him for his athletics prowess. In high school, I watched endless videos of his Olympic and world-record races, marveling at his elegant, yet powerful stride. From Running Free to The Perfect Distance, I delved…
Read MoreData overload- When and how to use Data for effective coaching
We’re back! After a couple week summer hiatus while I took some vacation time, Jon and I are back with an exciting podcast on Data.We start off with trying to get to the essence of splits. Coming at it from a philosophical viewpoint, we look at what workout splits actually tell us and trace our…
Read MoreCuriosity and Connection- Why the ‘boring stuff’ in training is the most important.
Curiosity is by definition an interesting subject. It’s that process of how an idea can suddenly pop into our mind, only to open up an array of doors for us to gaze into. The ability to be curious about the way the world works is one of the most underrated qualities or talents that one…
Read MoreEpisode 17- Falling into the trap to do more
In the latest episode of the Magness and Marcus show, we discuss a familiar topic to all coaches, the trap to do more because you really don’t know what else to do. Yes, we’re talking about the age old problem of increasing work for the sake of increasing something. We begin with the diminished return…
Read MoreThe reality of running professionally- Contracts, Agents, and having the right mindset
In this episode, we open the doors wide open. We’re talking about the realities of post collegiate running. We take on a slew of topics in this hour long conversation, including transparent conversation on contracts, agents, how much athletes actually make, what training groups and coaches do, and much more. Basically, we try to spread what…
Read MoreTaking Advantage of Distractions- Part 2
In part two of our in person chat at the USA championships, Jon and I meander through a variety of topics surrounding distractions and performance. We start off with talking about taking the master chef approach. What’s this actually mean? It’s about how to get all of these different people to the same end game.…
Read MoreWhy we are bad at predicting our own behavior and what that means in coaching.
I’m a science junkie. I admit it and while when I was a teenager I might have downplayed that side of me, now it’s something I wear quite openly on my sleeve. This couldn’t have been displayed more openly when at the post-USA’s Run Gum party, I was sitting at a table with coach Daniel…
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