In this episode of Relaxed and Fast, Coach Joe Eby and Coach Fiorentino of Baldwin Wallace University Cross Country and Track and Field pull back the curtain on preseason camp — and why running is actually the smallest part of it.

Topics covered in this episode:

•What preseason camp is really designed to accomplish beyond fitness

•Why coaches teach the “why” behind training, mental fitness, and goal setting instead of just handing out workouts

•How intentional discomfort is used to build growth, and where the line is between productive challenge and difficulty for its own sake

•Where team culture actually gets built — vans, meals, shoe trips, bonfires, and the moments between scheduled activities

•What freshmen should get out of camp, and the role returners play in creating that experience

•Why team goals are set after time together, not before — and the difference between team-owned goals and coach-imposed ones

•What separates a “successful” camp from one that just completed the workouts

Whether you’re a high school recruit trying to understand what life on a college cross country or track team really looks like, a parent navigating the recruiting process, or a coach building your own preseason program, this episode offers an honest look inside a D3 program’s culture-building process.

Follow Baldwin Wallace Track and Field & Cross Country: @bw_tf_xc

Follow Coach Eby: @Run800met

#crosscountry #trackandfield #D3recruiting #collegerecruiting #preseasontraining #teamculture #studentathlete #distancerunning #collegecoaching

Josh and Joe recap the Guardian Mile, including Joe’s own race and a streak that somehow keeps rolling: 28 straight years of breaking 5:00 in the mile.

We talk about race day, what went well, what hurt, what I was thinking in the middle of it, and why this one meant a little more than just another time on the clock. We also get into what it feels like to keep chasing a standard for nearly three decades and how the reasons you compete change as you get older.

A little racing, a little reflection, and probably more discussion about a sub 5 mile than any grown men should reasonably have.

RUN HARD.

What should you actually talk about on the drive home after a college visit?

In this recruiting episode, Coach Eby and Coach Fiorentino break down how recruits and families can debrief a campus visit while everything is still fresh. We talk about the questions worth asking, why the recruit should speak first, how to separate the shiny parts of a visit from the things that really matter, and how each visit can help you better understand what you are looking for in a college experience.

The goal is not to make a decision before you leave the parking lot. It is to slow down, pay attention to how the people and environment made you feel, and figure out what you learned about the school and yourself.

Track and field has incredible athletes, memorable performances, and some of the best competition in sports. So why does it keep making it harder for fans to stay connected?

In this episode, Coach Joe Eby and Coach Josh Fiorentino talk about what happens when track and field goes a year without a traditional World Championship. They discuss why every season needs a clear destination, how the lack of a World Championship changes the energy around USA’s, and why taking a year off makes it harder to build momentum, rivalries, and recognizable stars.

They also ask whether the new Ultimate Championship can fill that gap and what the sport needs to do to stay relevant from one season to the next.

Because in track and field, every season needs a finish line.

•The difference between a college’s sticker price and what families actually pay

•Merit scholarships, need-based aid, grants, and athletic-related financial opportunities

•Why recruits shouldn’t rule out a school based on the listed price alone

•When to complete the FAFSA and how to start honest conversations with financial aid offices

•How to compare final aid offers instead of just tuition prices

•Key questions to ask coaches, admissions counselors, and financial aid reps about affordability

•Why outside scholarships are worth pursuing, even the small ones

•Where to find outside scholarships — schools, employers, community organizations, foundations, and local groups

•How smaller scholarships add up to cover books, housing, travel, and tuition

Plus, a rapid-fire round covering FAFSA anxiety, scholarship applications vs. summer shifts, and the biggest financial mistakes families make during recruiting.

Whether you’re a high school recruit, a parent, or a coach guiding families through this process, this episode gives practical, actionable steps to take before deciding a college is out of reach financially.

#RelaxedAndFastPodcast #CollegeRecruiting #CrossCountry #TrackAndField #D3Recruiting #CollegeFinancialAid #FAFSA #CollegeScholarships #StudentAthlete #BaldwinWallace #RunningPodcast #CollegeAffordability #RecruitingProcess

Josh Kerr called his shot, stepped onto the track at the London Diamond League, and ran 3:42.66 to break the mile world record.

In this short episode, Coach Eby and Coach Fiorentino talk about what made the performance so powerful beyond the time itself. They discuss the courage it takes to publicly name a huge goal, the pressure that comes with it, and the years of ordinary work behind one extraordinary race.

The conversation also explores what high school and college athletes can learn from Kerr’s approach. Big goals matter, but so do patience, discipline, relationships, and the willingness to risk failure.

This episode is about more than a world record. It is about belief, preparation, and building a life that gives you a real chance to do something special.

Is it better to be the star right away, or to join a team where you’ll have to earn every opportunity? In this episode, we dive into one of the biggest decisions recruits face. We discuss the advantages and challenges of being an immediate impact athlete versus choosing a program that will push and develop you over four years. We talk about confidence, patience, competition, long term growth, and why the best fit isn’t always the place where you’ll be the best athlete on day one. It’s an honest conversation for recruits, parents, and coaches navigating one of the most important choices in the recruiting process.

No coach develops their philosophy in isolation.

In this episode, Josh and Joe reflect on the coaches, mentors, athletes, and experiences that have influenced the way they think about coaching, leadership, and building relationships. They share stories about the lessons they’ve carried with them, the ideas they’ve borrowed over the years, and why the best coaches are always willing to learn from others.

The conversation explores why every successful program has its own identity, how to adapt ideas instead of simply copying them, and why context is often more important than the workout itself. Along the way, they discuss the importance of humility, curiosity, and giving credit to the people who helped shape their journey.

Whether you’re a coach looking for new perspectives, an athlete curious about what shapes a coaching philosophy, or a parent wanting a better understanding of the people leading young athletes, this episode offers an honest conversation about the lifelong process of learning and growing.

Thank you for listening to Relaxed and Fast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a coach, teammate, or mentor who has made a difference in your life.

The college search can be exciting, overwhelming, and emotional for both student athletes and their families. Parents want to help, but how involved should they be?

In this episode, Coach Joe Eby and Coach Josh Fiorentino have an honest conversation about the role parents play throughout the recruiting process. They discuss how parents can be a source of support without taking ownership of the decision, how to communicate effectively with college coaches, what to pay attention to during campus visits, and how to evaluate a program beyond times, scholarships, and facilities.

The coaches also share why finding the right fit is about much more than athletics. College is where young people continue to grow academically, socially, and personally, and the recruiting process should help them build the confidence to make one of the biggest decisions of their lives.

Whether you’re a parent trying to navigate recruiting for the first time or a student athlete preparing for campus visits and important conversations, this episode offers practical advice and perspective to help you approach the journey with clarity and confidence.

Takeaway: The best recruiting decisions happen when parents, coaches, and student athletes each embrace the right role. Parents provide support, coaches provide information, and student athletes gain the confidence to choose the place where they will thrive for the next four years and beyond.

Summer training can build the foundation for a great cross country season, but it can also create problems that show up weeks or months later. Coach Josh and Coach Eby discuss the biggest mistakes athletes make during the summer, why those mistakes happen, and how runners can train consistently without arriving at preseason injured, exhausted, or mentally burned out.