Now that I’m training again, I get glimpses into my past life. Especially recurring ‘phases’ of my training cycle that I repeated year after year. These ‘phases’ were so engrained in my yearly rhythm that the training that went along with each ‘phase’ was as normal as birthdays, holidays, and the …
A few years ago I received an email from one of my athletes. In the email, the athlete asked me, “if you had three things that you said are the three things I should change for next season that WILL make me faster at my goal race, what would those three things be? I …
Everyone has their definition of ‘off-season.’ My definition of the ‘off-season’ is a time of planned unstructured training that can last anywhere from two to eight weeks (depending on the athlete). The purpose is to take a break from the formal, structured training program and allow for a mental and …
Have you been coached? Over my career, I have had a number of experiences with coaches. Some coaches provided the spark I needed to succeed. Others were reason I quit the sport. Coaching is an interesting vocation. When you believe in something, and you want others to see it, it …
I am a ‘big picture’ guy. I’ve been preaching the importance of identifying your two ‘BIG DEALS’ in life and constructing a lifestyle that allows you to go after them. But it is easy to get overwhelmed by the enormity of these BIG DEALS. Sometimes, when we dwell on the amount of …
If you have realized that endurance training is complicated, congratulations! You are on you way to becoming a master! Even though endurance training mainly consists of “putting in the time,” there are a lot of moving parts to a complete training program. I’m sure you have found out that simply …
I just finished a memoir from John Hellemans, Never, Ever Give Up?, an endurance coach I’ve followed through my racing and coaching career. If you like reading about endurance sport, his book is worth checking out. He ended his book with an anecdote from a multi-stage race he competed in last year. About half-way …
“Joy is what we experience in the process of growing nearer to the goal of becoming ourselves.” – Erich Fromm What brings you pleasure? What makes you happy? When are you joyful? Spend some time with these questions. Let them sit in your mind for a while. See what answers …
The quote above is from one of my favorite Buddhist authors Thich Nhat Hanh. It resonated with me because it is a philosophy I follow. I’m not sure when I adopted this philosophy, but I know it’s True (with a “Capital ‘T’”) for me. I challenge you with this: If …
