Our Coaching Philosophy

My coaching philosophy was kick started by my first coach, the late Mike Mittelstadt, who instilled in me a love for the process of running. From there it has developed over decades of achieving on the national and international stage as a self-coached athlete. Despite a great career, I recognize the value of having a coach or advisor. It certainly would have allowed me to avoid mistakes during my self-coached era, I look forward to using said experience to prevent you from falling into the pitfalls so many of us do. I continue to consider myself a student of the sport; always willing to learn about and integrate new training methods, while sticking to what works. Here are the guiding principles that have led to my success and which I am eager to help you apply to your running:

Injury Prevention

Staying healthy is the key to any running program. When a runner has the guidance, support, and tools to run healthy there is no limit to what he or she can achieve. We use alternative training to either complement your running fitness, and or to maintain fitness while injured and unable to run. My extensive background as a working physical therapist allows me the knowledge to design workouts, adjust training loads, detect overuse injuries, and offer training adjustments to keep you running healthy. After all, the biggest challenge for many runners is to toe the line of a goal event healthy.

Well-being

Running is about so much more than performance. It is a conduit to a healthy and prosperous life outside of sport. Running adds purpose and routine to your day while also relieving stress and allowing the opportunity to connect with nature and your body away from the demands of the largely digital world. I was fortunate to learn this lesson as early as eighth grade when my coach, Mike Mittelstadt, showed me that running was for fun as well as competition. To this day, I believe that running can and should lead to more than just fast times and completed events. It is a lifelong “friend” that will enhance your health both physically and mentally while opening doors to new opportunities.

You're an Individual

Runners are individuals. Each runner has different needs, resources, goals, and experiences and every runner responds differently to workouts and stress. I will work with you as an individual athlete to develop a training program that allows you to stay healthy and optimize performance. My goal is to help each runner find his or her unique formula for success.

Train, Don't Strain

It is better to undertrain than overtrain. Yes, I said it. It is better to show up to a goal race injury-free, consistent, and eager to run than overtrained and injured. My guiding principle over my most competitive years was “train, don’t strain.” Let’s run and rehab together with purpose, and you will thrive.

Longevity

I am most proud of my longevity in the sport, both performance wise but as well as avoiding injury, all the while maintaining my passion and dedication to my daily run. Avoiding injury and burnout are essential to running longevity. Maintaining motivation and having the confidence to believe in a program make the daily task easier and more enjoyable.