Training
The Dangers of Doing too Little- Why backing off can increase stress.
Too much stress, not enough recovery and our body is primed for a state of injury, illness, or worse, burnout. It’s a simple, but largely true, way to look at the world of training. We know there’s this sweet spot where we can push our athletes hard enough to where they adapt to the training,…
Read MoreDo Movement Screens actually do anything?
In an editorial for the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Dr. Rod Whitely argues that “screening as we now do it is the same as player evaluation was years ago—it sounds like a good idea, but we are kidding ourselves if we think it is preventing injury.” If you’ve been around in the sports performance…
Read MoreHaving “Space” in your training plan- Why Density is often the neglected variable
People love comparisons. It’s built into our nature to compare groups and note the differences. So it’s no surprise when I present at conferences, that one of the topics is often on looking at the differences between runners. Whether that’s from the high school to college to pro groups, or from different types of runners.…
Read MoreThe Training Grind- Why it’s sometimes better to feel bad than back off.
There is one piece of advice that I give to aspiring runners that makes no sense. There’s little logic in the saying, and it appears contradictory and wholly unsatisfactory. Yet it works, almost every time. When the words come out of my mouth, I’m met with an inquisitive look that says “Is he serious?” This…
Read MorePatterns of Performance: What We All Can Learn From the Practices of Elite Athletes
The further along I go in this coaching thing, the more cross-domain connecting becomes. When we start out, the fundamentals and basics are necessary to give us a base of support, not unlike a base in running. It’s why learning about the X’s and O’s of coaching, the science behind it, and the history of…
Read MoreThe Myth of losing speed
The Myth of losing speed The 800m is perhaps the most interesting distance to coach. It’s always intrigued me from a coaching standpoint because, unlike the 10k for example, the ways in which an athlete can train to cover the same distance in about the same time varies tremendously. There are successful 800m runners who…
Read MoreHow and why to use uncertainty during workouts
As I’ve discussed previously, racing, or life for that matter, is a journey into uncertainty. We’re never sure exactly what’s going to happen. While we are really good at preparing for the physiologic strain of the race, as runners’ we often do a really poor job of preparing for the mental portion of the race.…
Read MoreHow do we actually train?- Presentation from Kentucky Track Coaches Clinic
Some of the best experiences I have in terms of learning are when I get to travel and speak at different conferences. As someone who grew up hating public speaking, I now thoroughly enjoy it, so each time I get to talk I have the opportunity to refine how I do that. But beyond that,…
Read MoreDepleting for Performance and more Drug in Sport discussion
I wanted to point a couple of items that may be of interest to readers. Depleting for Performance First, I’m fortunate enough to write a monthly column for Running Times. In this issue, I delve into using energy depletion as a way to get more bang for your buck in training. Essentially, the idea is…
Read MoreSoccer as the Battle between Endurance and Speed.
Looking at the world cup and soccer as the Battle between Endurance and Speed. With the world cup wrapping up, I figured it was a good time to throw some soccer, or football for our non-American centric readers, into the mix. Soccer, believe it or not, was my first sport. I grew up playing soccer…
Read More