Published December 4, 2024 

Have you noticed how the times that used to win medals at the state meet in 2004 or even 2014 aren't even getting kids out of regionals anymore?

I'm on a group text with a bunch of guys I ran with in college, and they're always saying, "it's the shoes and the tracks." 

Sure, that's part of it. But a big part of it is the sophistication of high school coaching right now.

Let's be honest: If you're not doing more so...

Published November 27, 2024 

One of the most crucial concepts I’m going to share in this newsletter is about extending the aerobic stimulus - a principle that has the power to transform your winter training.

Simply put: if you change your approach to training in December and January using this principle, your athletes are going to stay injury-free this winter and run huge PRs in April and May. Make sure you read the entire newsletter to unders...

Published November 20, 2024 

What an exciting time in the season. My daughter's team is heading to NXR this weekend, while other NXR meets are in the books. And California? They're still getting ready to crown their state champs on that historic course of theirs.

Championships are on my mind today (with the NCAA DI meet on Saturday). Let's chat about state championships, NXN champions, and NCAA Division I champions today.

Here's are some quest...

Published November 3, 2024 

What a treat it was to be at the Colorado State Cross Country Championships yesterday! The energy was incredible, and we witnessed so many outstanding performances. It was truly inspiring to see all the hard work come to fruition on such an important day.

I'm reaching out on this Sunday as I know many of you are likely planning your training for the upcoming week.

While this email is primarily focused on post-state ...

Published October 30, 2024 

It's an exciting week here in the state of Colorado! My daughter's team - both the boys and girls - has qualified for state.

The 5A girls cross country meet here in Colorado will be one of the best girls races all year long, with five to six nationally ranked teams contending. I think you could make an argument that whatever girls team finishes ninth or tenth in that race could win the state meet in 20 or 25 or mayb...

Published October 23, 2024 

I know this is a busy time of year, so today's email is short and sweet. I’ve got one piece of advice for your athletes and one piece of advice for you.

Here we go...

One Piece of Advice for Your Athletes

I shared the following on ​Instagram​ and I think your kids may benefit from it...

Published October 16, 2024 

I hope you and your team are thriving and ready for the championship meets.

Today I want to talk about expectations for your team in these final weeks.

It’s so easy as a coach to say... “If we can just have everyone run a great race on the same day, we’ll win the conference meet.” Or... “We’ll advance to state for the first time if everyone has their best race on the same day.” But the truth is, you don’t need five ...

Published October 9, 2024 

Share This with Your Athletes

You can find a useful article - ​10 Keys for a Great Race in October and November​ - which that you can share with your athletes. Don't worry - it doesn't have any tips or information that will run counter to what you're telling them to get ready to crush their races this month.

I want to highlight the last item on the list, which has to do with instilling confidence in your athletes.

S...

Published October 2, 2024 

The long run is a staple workout for cross-country runners during most of the year, providing significant fitness benefits from a weekly or bi-weekly long run.

However, in October, this workout should be scaled back or even eliminated. Here's why.

When to Scale Back on Long Runs

When an athlete only has three or four weeks left in their cross-country season, however, the long run should not be a key workout.

“But ...

Published September 25, 2024 

Quick question: Can an athlete race faster than their fitness level?

While high school athletes often figure out in races that they can endure more discomfort than they have in the past, the technical answer is "no."

If an athlete can’t run better than their fitness level, then their goal should be to run as close to their fitness level as possible.

So the question for you is, "How can I help my athletes I coach...

Published September 18, 2024 

I’d like to propose that when it comes to your “coaching energy,” you break up the rest of the season in the same fashion. Specifically, a hard push for 5-6 days, followed by a 24-hour break from XC.

Let’s start with the recovery period.

Saturday Afternoon to Sunday Afternoon

Even if you race on Saturday, most of the time you’ll be home by late afternoon or early evening.

Up to this point, you’ve been focused ...

Published September 11, 2024

It’s a big week in Colorado, with several nationally ranked teams racing at the Liberty Bell Invitational, one of the fastest courses in the state. I can’t wait to watch all the athletes on Saturday morning.

Before I dive into today's training topic, make sure to read through the entire email to learn about a special offer I'm excited to share with you as one of my subscribers.

Okay, let’s talk training!

Three ...