Team USA Coach Paul Greer on the Pillars of Development for Youth & Master’s Runners

How do we develop new runners, young runners, and master's runners, into great runners?

Paul Greer is a professor of Health and Exercise Science at San Diego City College, coach of the San Diego Track Club, and the 2016 and 2024 Team USA Men’s Junior Cross Country coach.

With about 40 years of coaching experience, Paul has a lot of wisdom to share for runners from youth to master's levels. His athletes include hundreds of Boston qualifiers, several top age-group competitors, and a handful of Olympic qualifiers.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Reasons for the lack of adult cross-country races

• Resources and sponsorships for track and field vs. cross-country running

• Differences in developing new runners versus experienced and master's runners

• Consistent training and effective long runs without overtraining

• Pool running for injury prevention and fitness through injury

• Early warning signs of injuries and how to prevent them

• Tips for dynamic warm-ups and post-run stretching and recovery

• Training adjustments for older and master's runners

• The need for individualized training plans, rest days, and noticing stress load

 

Remember to put your name in the drawing by August 30th for the chance to win running products we love. Enter our 10 million download giveaway here! 

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Paul's book: "Going the Distance, Strategies from the First Stride to the Finish Line"
• Learn common mistakes that cause running injuries and how to prevent them.
• Enter the 10 million download giveaway!

Thank you to Previnex!

After resisting most supplements for the better part of my life, I’m cautiously changing my tune. I’m now a Masters runner and in my personal life, I’m optimizing for longevity. I want to be my healthiest self for as long as possible and I’m excited to partner with Previnex to make that happen.

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Muscle Health Plus will help you prevent muscle damage, which is particularly important for aging runners who want to protect themselves from muscle loss and recover faster after hard workouts. As is true for all of their products, Previnex adheres to the highest of standards: their ingredients are clinically proven to do what they say they’re going to do.

Previnex offers a 30-day money back guarantee. If you don't feel the benefits of their product, you get your money back no questions asked. With their focus on quality and customer satisfaction, I hope you’ll try it! Use code jason15 for 15% off your first order at Previnex!

Thank you DrinkLMNT!

A big thanks to DrinkLMNT for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. They are offering a free gift with your purchase at DrinkLMNT. And this does NOT have to be your first purchase. You’ll get a sample pack with every flavor so you can try them all before deciding what you like best. 

DrinkLMNT's products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.

If you’re not familiar, LMNT is my favorite way to hydrate. They make electrolytes for athletes and low-carb folks with no Sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. I’m now in the habit of giving away boxes of LMNT at group runs around Denver and Boulder and everyone loves this stuff.

Boost your performance and your recovery with LMNT. They’re the exclusive hydration partner to Team USA Weightlifting and quite a few professional baseball, hockey, and basketball teams are on regular subscriptions. So check out DrinkLMNT to get a free sampler pack and get your hydration optimized for the upcoming season.