Science of Running

The episode focuses on constraints in coaching: manipulating training and environment to drive physical and psychological adaptation by identifying and widening an athlete’s primary bottleneck. David Epstein recounts Sheila Taormina learning the Theory of Constraints in college, shifting from aerobic volume to strength/power, making the Olympic team, winning relay gold, and later competing across...

Steve Magness and John Marcus continue their peaking series by reframing peaking as maintaining fitness while eradicating fatigue so athletes can express existing fitness on race day, rather than expecting a magical performance boost. They emphasize that peaking is as psychological as physiological: coaches must set realistic expectations that racing will still feel hard, shift…

Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus discuss how coaches should define a training approach without falling into two traps: having no coherent philosophy by mixing everything, or rigidly copying one system with no flexibility. They argue training must account for environment and reality (altitude, heat/humidity, sea level), athlete population, and psychological constraints, not just physiology or…

Coaching Successful, Part 1: Defining Your Philosophy and Boundaries Steve Magness and Jon Marcus begin a “coaching successful” series by arguing that sustainable high-level coaching depends less on perfect training plans and more on clearly defined philosophy, boundaries, and principles. They discuss the messy identity shift from athlete to coach and warn about “boundary creep,”…

The Illusion of Optimization: Balancing Physiology and Neurology in Coaching In this episode of the Coaching Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and John Marcus dive into a deep discussion about the complexities of coaching that lie beyond the modern obsession with optimization. They argue that true coaching success comes from a balance between understanding physiology…

Balancing Fitness and Robustness: The Importance of Neuromuscular Coordination in Training In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, Steve Magness and Jon Marcus discuss the concept of ‘fit but flat,’ exploring the phenomenon where athletes excel in metabolic fitness but fail to perform competitively due to a lack of neuromuscular coordination. Using examples like…

In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, hosts Steve Magness and Jon Marcus delve into the psychology of training the mind for race day. They explore the importance of adopting a growth mindset over a fixed mindset and the critical role of visualization in achieving peak performance. The hosts share practical strategies for encouraging athletes to take calculated risks, the power of mantras, an...

In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, we delve into the critical topic of recovery, emphasizing the importance of keeping it simple and avoiding the pitfalls of the ‘industrial complex of recovery.’ They discuss the transformation of recovery techniques from the early days of simple practices like hydration and nutrition to the modern inundation…

In this episode of the On Coaching podcast, hosts Steve Magness and Jon Marcus walk you through how to coach a runner from the very start. From the training to the mental game, we cover it all. -Steve Steve’s NEW Book is OUT NOW: Win The Inside Game! Learn how to perform under pressure, come…

In this episode of the On Coaching podcast, hosts Steve Magness and John Marcus discuss the challenges and strategies of coaching new runners in a team setting. They emphasize the importance of creating an inclusive environment where newcomers feel integrated, see progress, develop intrinsic motivation, and avoid burnout. The hosts share practical tips for introducing…