In this episode of Between Two Coaches, Coach Amanda and Coach Nick welcome running coach Mario Fraioli for Part 1 in their Series Called Coaching the Whole Human. In this discussion they talk about the evolution of coaching, the importance of communication, and the philosophy behind coaching the whole human. Mario shares his journey in the running world, the significance of building relationships with athletes, and how to navigate the complexities of coaching while maintaining a balance in life. The conversation emphasizes the need for coaches to be effective communicators and to understand the individual needs of their athletes, ultimately fostering a supportive and empowering environment for growth and success.

(00:00) Coaching Philosophy and the Role of a Coach

(07:43) What is a Coach?

(13:39) Coaching Philosophy

(21:38) What do we mean by Coaching the Whole Human

(27:36) Adapting as a coach

(37:04) Coach Investment and Pushing towards Goals

(44:38) Showing Athletes they are more than Numbers in a log

(50:21) Coach Guilt

(58:44) Interview Questions

Mario Fraioli is a Bay Area-based running coach who works with everyday age-groupers and world-class elites that compete across a wide range of distances and disciplines. He has guided athletes to personal bests, FKTs, Boston Marathon qualifying times, national championship titles, Olympic Trials appearances, Marathon Majors age-group wins, international podiums, world championship teams, national records, and the Olympic Games. 

In addition to coaching, he publishes the morning shakeout, a weekly email newsletter that covers running and other worthwhile topics, and also hosts its namesake podcast, where he gleans insight and inspiration from the sport’s top athletes, coaches, and personalities. From 2010-2016, Mario was the senior editor at Competitor magazine, where he interviewed and profiled many of running’s most recognizable figures, covered hundreds of events, including the Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon and U.S. Olympic Trials on multiple occasions, and directed training-related content for both the print magazine and website. His work has also appeared in Outside, ESPN, Running Times, New England Runner, Triathlete, and other publications. In 2013, he authored his first book, The Official Rock ‘n’ Roll Guide To Marathon & Half-Marathon Training. 

As an athlete, Mario was an NCAA Division II All-American in cross-country at Stonehill College in 2003 and has raced competitively from the 800 meters to ultramarathon distances. He has personal bests of 4:09 for the mile, 2:27 in the marathon, and 7:59 for 50 miles. Nowadays he competes for the West Valley Track Club as one of the top Masters (40+) athletes in the country.

Morning Shakeout Podcast

Mario's Instagram

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Amanda - ⁠@amanda_katzz⁠

Nick - ⁠@nklastava⁠

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Email - [email protected]