I aim to work with athletes in a holistic, caring, supportive, non-judgmental and positive manner with LOTS of adaptability and flexibility. You, the athlete, are in charge, I’m here as a resource for you.

Here are 11 focus areas that shape my approach 

Affirming mindset – Believe you’ll improve, but know you are amazing just as you are today! Each training day is a gift. Our bodies are gifts. You won’t be able to do this forever. There are no bad runs. 

Consistent running (4-6 days a week) – Volume and intensity increases gradually over time and rarely in a perfectly linear way. Our focus will be on doing the minimal number of miles that provoke the needed adaptations to help you meet your goals, reduce injuries and have time for life’s richness. For race prep, we’ll train from least to most specific and from your weaknesses to your strengths.

Mostly easy, moments of intensity – Most (80%-90%) of our running will be at conversational pace, this is to build our aerobic engine. The other 10-20% will be faster to improve efficiency and speed. We’ll work in training blocks so there is a clear focus for your efforts and that they build over time.

Rest & recovery – In some ways the most important part of training. Your body doesn’t get stronger, fitter and more efficient while you run, but rather the adaptations happen through rest. The best recovery tool is sleep, but some other good ones are foam rolling and massaging, chilling out, doing something low-impact that you love, especially if you can get into a flow state like reading, playing music, relaxing with friends. Every 4-6 weeks we’ll take a “down week”.

Efficient and healthy form – Efficient running means you can run longer, faster and with fewer injuries. The most important aspect is to run smooth and relaxed. Consider form as self-optimizing over time. Never force form shifts.

Strength training – Try for 2-3x weekly, not on consecutive days. Even 5-10 minutes is great. Or just do some step ups, plank and push ups after each run. This helps with endurance, speed and injury prevention.

Nutrition – Always eat enough. Focus on high quality foods. Aim for 250-300 calories per hour for runs longer than 90 minutes. Try to eat something after each training session, particularly harder ones.

Injury prevention: Listen to your body – if you feel pain coming on, address it quickly. Better to play it safe and take it easy than run through pain that may sideline you. Injuries are hard, but try to take them as the learning and growth opportunity when they arrive (and they will). Will also pay attention to warm ups.

Keep it FUN! We are serious about running, but keep it light and playful. Nurture other parts of your life so that you don’t get overly reliant on running as your form of self-expression or identity.

A microcosm: Running has the potential to be a microcosm of life. You’ll have opportunities to consider how what you are learning in running impacts other areas of your life and vice-versa.

Other areas that YOU want to focus on that may not be represented above.