Our coaching philosophy stems from a variety of influences based on past coaches, past coaching experience, our hands on experience as professional athletes, and our study of some of the greatest coaches in the sport. We will accurately adjust and apply our coaching beliefs based on the type of athlete you are. We believe that each person or athlete is different; therefore they must be approached differently when writing their training, since uniform training schedules are only so effective. To achieve your personal goal(s), you need a training program designed for your needs. Different Categories, Different Approaches: Training will resemble Lydiard periodization in that it focuses on breaking your schedule into phases leading up to your specified peak date. Each phase will focus on one particular objective building one phase into the other making you stronger one step at a time. There will be a conditioning or aerobic phase including longer steadier runs and tempo runs, which will make you a more efficient runner and create a large base for you to build on. There will also be an anaerobic phase, which involves repetition or interval training to teach the body how to react and run through fatigue. Track training will apply depending on the athlete's goal(s). To avoid injury it is important that the conditioning phase is built properly and patiently; the stronger you are coming out of the conditioning phase the less susceptible you are to injury. A sharpening phase will apply to those specifically peaking for a particular race. The sharpening phase will include shorter workouts and strides to maintain fitness, preventing the runner from overtraining while maximizing their anaerobic phase. For those strictly focusing on the marathon, we would apply the basic premise detailed under "Competitive Runner," but would focus more on the conditioning or aerobic phase. We will also be attentive to constructing a detailed plan counting back from the marathon date that includes races along the way to help prep you for the big day. Key workouts geared to prepare you to run faster than your specified goal time, and a race-day strategy will also be included. Again, in terms of quantity and number of miles, it will depend on your background and what you can handle. No one will be asked to run significantly more than they are used to. It's a progression. The longer we work together the more we can build on the past. Workouts and time-trials can be added to break up monotony and to gauge your fitness level along the way. For those strictly focusing on fitness, running or racing for fun, or losing weight, we would work on getting your body to a place of comfortable sustained aerobic running. Jogging has been considered the best way to exercise and develop cardiac efficiency. A novice runner should exercise well within his or her fitness level for at least six weeks before they can start to realize the benefits of being able to run longer, sustain faster paces, and develop higher oxygen intake. We will be able to offer advice on technique, injury prevention, mental preparation, and proper shoes for better results. Our goal will be to progressively increase the novice runner's stamina, leading to better fitness.