Coaches on Couches

In this episode we talk to our own Coach Chris Winter and Memphis Youth Athletics president, Nick Dwyer, on how to create a successful (a relative term) cross country program. Between the two of them they have over 30 years cross country coaching experience, a number of regional, and a few state titles under their belt. They share a lot of good nuggets of info through their experiences over the years. We chat more in depth about their top three facets of a great program which are: 1. Culture 2. Educating yourself as a coach 3. Playing the long game If you are a coach, Athletic Director, or considering becoming a coach, you won't want to miss this! And don't forget to check this week's shout outs!

For a lot of runners, hills elicit a lot of self doubt, fear, and anxiety. So today on the couch we talk about why and how to properly run up and down hills along with some technical differences for someone running a marathon or shorter versus and ultra distance race. We will give you a hint, it all revolves around the possibility of muscular fatigue. No one wants to be shuffling to the finish line, so take these tips and dominate some hills.

Today on the couch Coach Dale and Coach Bryant talk about proper use of a transition phase to help refresh the mind and body after a goal event or a long season of racing. The transition phase is one of the most ignored training blocks and although unstructured, it's no less important to maximizing performance, preventing injury, and avoiding burnout.

In this episode we talked to newbie triathlete Greg Rohde about his first season in triathlon, his tips for getting started in multisport, and some things he wish he knew before embarking on this journey. Greg is a regular dude, with somewhat uncommon levels of focus and self motivation. He works a full time job with a wife in PT school. He also has a life outside of triathlon that includes building awesome custom cafe racer motorcycles. In his first season, Greg took on only sprint triathlons under the recommendations of Coach D. However, he did take on his first tri ever AND his first USA Triathlon national championship event in the same season. Pretty massive jump! Coach Dale also goes into how he progressed Greg from an injured runner into a triathlete winning his age group in one season. This wasn't easy, but with Greg's work ethic, he made some massive improvements along the way.

Today on the couch, coach Dale and Bryant lay out how they would progress and structure the training for an endurance athlete looking to add strength training to their regimen. The benefits of strength training to runners, cyclists, and triathletes are undeniable, yet most of the endurance world is still skipping the weights. Don't be that athlete! Take our advice, get started on a strength program, and let the gains begin!

In this episode we talk to Keith Merriman and Brian Eason about adventure racing and their experience at Untamed New England. Both Brian and Keith are business owners, dads, and lead extremely busy lives. Brian is a seasoned adventure racer, competing all over the world. Keith jumped in head first and took on this event as his first ever adventure race. Listen for a ton of great insight into what adventure racing is, what qualities make a great adventure racer, and how to get into the sport if it's something you've been considering.

In this episode we talked to Hart Robinson. Husband, Dad, business owner, part time sheriff, grower of epic staches. Oh and he’s fast on a bike. He was 2nd overall in the single speed division at Breck Epic this year, among other great results. Hart talks about how he balances training, work, and family, as well as how he prepared for such a grueling event...at sea level, and without any major climbs nearby. As Hart's coach, Coach Bryant also gives his input into Hart's training and what they decided to focus on this season with such a big goal on the calendar. You might be surprised at what they spent Hart's training time on.

Shout out to Cleveland! On this episode, the coaches talk about the 2018 USA Triathlon National Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. They dive into the logistics of travel, the city, the courses, and daily preparation for racing "the double", which is the Olympic Tri on Saturday and the Sprint Tri on Sunday. If you are racing USAT Nationals in 2019 you won't want to miss this!

On today's episode Coach Dale and Coach Bryant are on the Costco Special talking about morning fueling for endurance athletes. We dive into proper nutrition timing, calorie amounts, and give you some ideas of what our athletes are fueling with before races and longer workouts. If you have ever struggled with bonking or lack of energy during a race or event, you won't want to miss this!

On todays episode the coaches talk about how best to pick races for your best chance at a PR or high placing. A common mistake when training for an event is overlooking the course and conditions you will be racing in. For this reason, Coach D and B-Fun will be going over all the things they look at when helping an athlete choose a goal race with the intention of placing high or setting a personal best.