The World According to Gar

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The Pan Am Games in Lima Peru were grey and cold and much less fun than they should have been, despite Damian's victory. But our subsequent trip to Machu Pichu was absolutely phenomenal, with spectacular weather, unique food and lots of friendly dogs!
Topics:
The 2019 Pan Am Games
Lima, Peru
Damian defends his title
The Incan Empire
Machu Pichu
Rescuing Petrels

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We're almost caught up on the details of the Damian/Gar coaching journey! The 2019 season was very successful for Damian and reminded me of how important adapting to circumstances and being able to come up with a Plan "B" or "C" can be. Just like when you're trying to play "Survivor" at school without getting fired!
Topics:
Survivor
Damian Warner
Training Camps
Ankle woes
Gotzis 2019
Mike Strachan
Hotdogs in bellybuttons

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After a VERY stressful week trying to reinvent the wheel I began thinking about stress. How do non-athletes deal with stress in difficult physical conditions, and what we can learn as coaches from their experiences!?
Topics:
Stress
Damian Warner
Tree Planting
Drugs
Teapots
Frightened Moose

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Damian came home in 2018 and I went on leave from teaching to coach full time. Two years later it's September and school is starting again, but everything is new and different in the COVID age and I am not only returning to teaching, I must learn how to teach online on the fly. Adapting to a new job and environment will be hard, especially since I can't swear at the computer!
Topics Include:
Starting something new
Return to school
Oil Rigs
Damian Warner
2017 Worlds
Wolves

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How poor planning, minimal training and bad communication almost got me killed. And worse, I almost drank shit water! 
Topics Include:
Maine
Backcountry skiing
Periodization
Scientific methods
Decathlon
The NBA
Pine Martens

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Damian wins his first Olympic medal in Rio; and I get puked on flying home! The ups and downs of the Rio games and the bittersweet ending of an era.
Topics Include:
Damian Warner
Decathlon
The Olympics
Canada House
Jason Bourne 
Graffiti
Back to school bullshit

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The only constant in life, and sports, is change. Change is hard physically and even more difficult emotionally. The 2015-16 season was tough because it was an Olympic year, with all the extra pressure that brings.
Topics Include:
Coaching 
Staying calm (!)
Change
Altis
Mental coaches
Diabetic squirrels
Dirt loaves

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The Tokyo Olympics are now a year away and I talk about memories from previous Olympics. And I talk about how hard it is for a coach when you have a terrible year even as your athlete is killing it!

Topics include:
The Olympics
2015 Pan Am Games
Decathlon
Damian Warner
The 99%
Diabetes
Drunken yobbos

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If you were a world class athlete and you could improve every aspect of your performance by 1% you'd be a superstar, right? It sure sounds simple, but in 2014 we learned how difficult it can be to perform at an elite level, and how important emotional energy is to the process.
Topics include:
David Brailsford 1%
Emotional energy
St Kitts
World Indoors 2014
Plantaris injury
Scottish school teachers

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Alexander the Great was called that because he wasn't an ordinary leader, he was ... well, Great! And what he was great at was planning a strategy and finding tactics that ensured the success of his plan. Understanding the importance of strategy and tactics is crucial for coaches as well, both in terms of planning a season and in the actual competitions.

Topics include:
Alexander the Great
Strategy and tactics
Harry Marra
Santa Barbara
2013 World Championships
Tibetan Yak Herders

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