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Tinman Endurance Coaching, LLC

Tinman's Blog

Click on the links below to review Tinman's PowerPoints:

  • Lots of runners have placed in the top 10 in their respective states around America. It's been an exciting season.
  • Next up is Club Nationals for my top runners. The team is called Tinman Elite. Watch for them at Club Nationals. Drew Hunter won't participate due to a broken toe from running on a rocky trail. However, my other elites are ready to pick up the slack.
  • Footlocker Nationals and NXN will feature some of my runners too. It's going to be an exciting post-season for cross-country.
  • News: August 17, 2017:
  • Morgan Pearson, a professional runner I coach who lives in Boulder, Colorado, competed in the USAT Sprint Triathlon Championships in Omaha, Nebraska last weekend. He hadn't trained on the bike, though he does some swimming weekly as cross-training. He did a little cycling last spring as cross-training. He ran the 5k leg, the last of the three legs of the triathlon, in 14:14, which shows me he's in about 13:30 shape for 5k right now. Below is a link to the result. No doubt, the USA Triathlon leaders are going to try and heavily recruit Morgan. Likely they will talk a good game about all the great things he can do and how great USATF is. He'll be told, "Just imagine how great you can be when you get a USATF coach. I was told this on the phone about an hour ago by the father of one of the top junior triathletes in America. I bring this up to prove a point: a lot of people out there want to get their hands on athletes who are top performers. They talk a good game about being able to help the athlete become a world or Olympic champion. Many are snake oil salesman, so be careful. Any coach can get great results in the short-term by hammering the athlete with high intensity intervals and fast paced distance runs daily; but, soon the athlete gets fried, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I suggest thinking long-term; build wisely and work under a system that builds all of your capacities. Of course, I think my method does that, but even if you go elsewhere it's important to pay attention to long-term results. One way to figure out if the coach is good is to look at the athletes they coach who are not so talented. Are those athletes improving over the long-term? Or, are they fried, injured, sick, and showing no progress after a few months? As an athlete, you gotta enjoy your sport, and you can't do that sitting on the sidelines injured. And, you can't do that if you are in a constant state of exhaustion either. I believe that sports are wonderful for bringing out the side of us that needs to move freely, enjoyably, and with a sense of satisfaction. Those are simple but proven elements of emotion that matter. Ultimately, our emotions evaluate the value of our days and ways. Research shows that humans base all decisions on emotions. People who injure their prefrontal cortex cannot make decisions, neuro-scientists have discovered. We live by our emotions. Putting ourselves in a good emotional state when we make decisions therefore confers and advantage that leads us toward success. Making decisions in states of emotional anxiety is a failed way of navigating life.
  • Link:  https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Triathlon/News/Articles-and-Releases/2017/August/13/Kirsten-Sass-Morgan-Pearson-Claim-Overall-Sprint-Distance-Titles-at-Age-Group-Nationals
  • News: August 13, 2017
  • Just received an email from Mr. Steve Wilson, a school principal in Dalby, Australia, and the father of Ella Wilson whom I coach. She won the Australian National Cross Country Championship for her age group and she would have won the age group above her too. It's a pleasure to know that Ella is improving and enjoying running at a high level.
  • News: August 12, 2017
  • Drew Hunter won the Sir Walter Miler race against other professionals in Raleigh, North Carolina on August 4, 2017. He ran a 3:57.32, with the group running quite slow the first lap  (just 62.9 seconds for Drew). His last 1200m was 2:52.9. His last 800m was 1:53.21. His last 400m was 54.98 seconds, pulling away from Craig Engels, who was the 4th place finisher at the USATF National Championships in late June. Drew also ran 3:36.77 for 1500 in Padua, Italy, placing 3rd against a world class field and beating Nic Willis by one place. The third lap of that race was only 61 seconds; otherwise, the time might have been 3:35.  By the way, the equivalent of 3:36.77 is a 3:54.1 mile.  Drew had a great first year as a professional. He ran sub 3:59 four more times (his total is 8 times under 3:59 in the last year and a half). He also ran a PR in the 3000m with his 7:51.9 indoors (the previous year, when he set the national high school record of 7:59 and change). He also ran a 13:49 (5,000m) at the Payton Jordan meet at Stanford for 3rd place. The race was quite strategic, so not a fast time. Drew was about 1 second behind Matt Centrowitz, the Olympic Champion in the 1500m last year. Drew also ran in the USATF National Championships, held in Sacramento, CA at the end of June. He qualified for the finals of the 1500m, which is quite a feat for a 19-year old against highly experienced older runners. He placed 11th out of 13 in the final. He learned a valuable lesson in the final. You gotta be near the front with 1-lap to go in a championship race or you have to make up too much ground in a fast finish. Championship races tend to be slow in the early laps and then a big sprint finish. In typical races at a high level there is a pacer keeping the pace quick and honest, but in the big championship races the athletes play a lot of head games and wait-and-see games with each other. They ALL think they can kick, so they wait. In such a case, you have to be at the front of the pack at the start of the gun lap because the speed is too fast on the last lap to pass anyone. Drew ran 1:53 low final 800m in that final, but it was not fast enough as the winner, Robbie Andrews, who was at the front at the start of the last lap, ran a 1:51 low to win.
  • Grace Ping set 2 age group world records in the 5,000m this year on the track. The last record was 16:25 for 5,000m on the track. She set two age-group world records last year, too (5k road and 5,000m on the track).
  • http://www.flotrack.org/article/44630-world-age-group-record-holder-grace-ping-moves-to-utah#.WY9EWZdtmM8
  • Lauren Ping ran fast at the AAU meet in Minnesota, nearly matching the age-group times of her older sister. She's really improving and showing the "Ping" toughness on the track!
  • Jamison Ping is really blazing the track and roads too. He's only age 9 but most adults would have a hard time keeping up with him. He's probably close to 18 minutes for 5k right now.
  • Here are some results from the Turkey Trot road race in Silicon Valley, CA last fall: 
  • Grace (13 years old) 16:36 (an age-group world record for 5k on the roads. Grace was age 13). 
  • Megan (mom, 39 years old) 18:35 chip/ 18:43 gun
  • Jamison (8 years old) 19:04 chip/19:12 gun
  • Ryan (dad, 40 years old) 19:21 chip / 19:23 gun
  • Lauren(11 years old) 19:13 chip/ 19:21 gun

  • Daisy Islas of Rosement, MN ran at the national USATF meet in Kansas City. She placed 10th in the 3,000m (11:02) and 7th in the 1500m (5:04).  Only two 11-year olds placed ahead of her in teh 3,000m, and only one 11-year old placed ahead of her in the 1500m. Great job, Daisy!
  • Ella Wilson of Dalby, Australia won her regional cross-country race, and she was faster than nearly all the girls who were older than she.
  • Valencia Wright of Edinburgh, Scotland won some big races too. 
  • Aidan Puffer set an age-group world record in the 5km at the BAA 5k road race in Boston. He ran 16:46 (though his real time was 16:44 but he was back from the start line when he started).
  • Many high school runners for whom I write workouts, including (just to name a few) Jeremy Bronstein, Kevin Quinn, Cannon Leavit, Cache Traveler, Haley Schaefer, Lexi Del Gizo, and Michael Bortolot set big-time PRs in various events and distance. The list is very long, but suffice it to say the track season was stellar. As a coach, it was fun to see the athletes enjoying competing well in the big races. They were excited to have the "mojo" on the big day.
  • Project Gold Running Camp
  • Here is a promotional video of the Project Gold Running Camp that will likely be held again next year, the last week of June (2018) in Winona, Minnesota: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ1OmywLIog&sns=em

  • The goal of the camp will be to provide elite adolescent runners with a high-quality learning experience that helps them learn how to train smarter, reduce injuries, and reach higher levels of performance.

  • At the Camp, Coach Tom Schwartz will again teach several classes on physiology of training, methods of training, and injury prevention methods that improve neuro-mechanical skill and proficiency.

  • Testing of runner's stability, strength, and applied power will again be done to ensure that each runner has a good idea of their needs for improvement that will translate to improved performance capacity once corrected.

  • Beyond the classroom, Coach Schwartz will teach PNF and Active Isolation stretching, dynamic drills, how to strength train in the weight room to prevent injuries and improve performance, and how to use body weight training at your homes without fancy equipment.

  • At the track, Coach Schwartz will assess dynamic strength.  That means athletes will observe your hopping and jumping abilities in a variety of ways to determine if you need work on specific strength or power. Once any areas of weakness are identified, Coach will tell you what exercises you need to work on to eliminate the deficiencies. By eliminating the deficiencies, you reduced chances for injury as well as improve running performance. That is, you'll run faster in races.

  • A follow-up process will teach you how to write down the types of injury-prevention exercises that you perform both during and after the Camp. You will be able to submit your information monthly via Google Docs.  The information will be monitored by Coach Schwartz and Coach Ping.  At the end of 1-year, a report will be generated that describes what exercises were used, what injuries occurred, and compare it to historical data in order to create a means for better practice in the future.  Better practice will help you improve your skills at using methods that improve performance and reduce injuries. Better practice will also help the Project Gold community members improve their skills, types of methods that work the best, and fine-tune the processes that lead to higher levels of success.

June 30, 2017:

  • Project Gold Running Camp was held in Winona, Minnesota during the last week of June, 2017.  We received a lot of positive feedback from the runners who attended the camp, so we believe it’s worth offering more camps in the future.  The goal of the camp was to create a quality experience for the young runners. The feedback showed that the learning was off the charts, and the level of enthusiasm by the runners was very high!

  • Here is a video of the Project Gold Running Camp that will held last week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ1OmywLIog&sns=em

  • At the Project Gold Running Camp, I lectured multiple times on training, applied exercise physiology, injury prevention, running technique, and racing strategy.  The information presented on injury prevention methods, such as PNF and Active Isolation, drills, running technique, and racing strategy were not just in the classroom; the athletes practiced those methods on the track, grass fields, trails, and hills.  The athletes even formed groups of 3-4 and ran repeat 300s or 150s on the track and they were put into race positions and had to protect their space using the strategy taught, how to move in a pack, and so on. The athletes enjoyed this experience a lot and said they learned a lot too. Also, on the track, grass fields, trails and hills, I instructed runners on technique to improve their form, rhythm, and efficiency. Ryan Ping and Coach Ward Berndt (http://www.saintmaryssports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=749&path=mcross) provided plenty of guidance, feedback, and instruction to athletes as well. *It was a collaborative experience in which we combined our skills sets, experience, and passion for the sport to provide direction to help athletes become better at what they love to do.

  • During the camp, I assessed dynamic strength and power of athletes.  They bounded and jumped as I observed their performance.  The goal was to identify deficiencies in stability, strength, and applied power. About 80% of the runners needed work on specific leg strength or explosive power.

  • Many of the high level runners attending the camp had exceptional aerobic endurance; although their strength and neural-muscular weaknesses displayed in their core, hips, legs, lower legs, or feet showed areas that needed improvement. *Imagine how good they will become once they apply the strengthening strategies that were taught at the camp!!!

  • As an example that comes to mind is Phil Lambert of Virginia. He's an aerobic monster!  Phil has run just over 9-minutes for 2-miles and 14:58 for 5,000m on the track.  However, as the assessments showed, Phil's current leg strength is not on-par with other fitness components. Phil and I talked about his areas that need improving, and he's excited to apply his newly acquired knowledge to remedy weaker areas. He knows that he's got the mental determination to become one of the very best in America once he eliminates weaknesses. I believe Phil has a chance of being a Footlocker or NXN champion once he combines all the various elements of training and performance. He's got the mental toughness and he's a highly motivated young man.  He walks the talk - he's devoted to doing everything right and persisting with the processes that lead to success. (He reminds me of Drew Hunter a lot!) I am certain that Phil will be better this coming year and surprise a lot of people.  

  • At the Project Gold Running Camp, a main goal was to learn how to train better, use better mechanical technique, and have a wider arrangement of racing tactics.

  • All the athletes were dedicated and eager to learn and become better runners! And they demonstrated outstanding character!

  • By the way, there were many amazing girl runners at the Project Gold Running camp.  I believe they will shine this coming year and show the world how good they can be! It's now just a matter of applying what they learned. 

  • There's an old saying: "Knowledge that knowledge is power."  That’s so true in the sport of running where after a certain point in the process simply “trying harder” no longer elevates an athlete's performance level.  To be better, they have to train smarter, use better techniques, and fine-tune he details of their daily practice to reach the highest levels of performance. 

  • It's my contention that if you want to become a better runner, it's necessary to contact a top coach who can give you the extra edge that could not attain otherwise. When you think about, the difference between being really good and the best is around 5% at the high school level.

  • By the way, I offer a Coaching Service, which is describe on my website: https://runfastcoach.com/coaching-service.html.  Or, contact me at runfastcoach.com, and I'll reply quickly as possible.

  • Let's look at the math more closely. A boy who can run 4:16 or a girl who can run 4:54 for the 1600m are on the same performance level, and typically they are some of the best in their respective states. However, to be in the top 10 in America, they need another 5% improvement, which is hard to achieve.  The 5% is gained by training smarter (often under the guidance of an expert coach) rather than harder.

  • Using the above baseline, a 5% improvement means a 4:03 and 4:39 for 1600m, or 4:04.46 and 4:40.67 for the mile. This guiding mathematical concept applies at all levels, but in even smaller increments when you move up to the collegiate, national, or world stage. The difference at the elite level may by just 2-3% at a Division I program.

  • Note, if you are going to run for a university, pick the right one where the coach has a proven record of developing runners; not just a record of recruiting top-talent who run barely run faster once they attend that college.  A few seconds improvement is really not due to better training; it's mostly due to growing older. A high school male who runs 4:08 or a girl who runs 4:45 may get a full ride college scholarship, but 4 years later, if they are barely faster at 4:05 and 4:42; that's not real improvement.  That's just age helping them!  In contrast, if they attend a college where the coach develops people, they could be under 4:00 and 4:36 for the mile, respectively, which is highly competitive.

  • Critical Velocity Training

  • Success Details
  • Drew Hunter's Warm Up Schedule Before Races