028 - 800m Mentality with John O'Malley
Coaching Runners Podcast
John O'Malley discusses how the 800m is different than XC, and the mentality needed to run the race well. Visit CoacJayJohnson.com to learn more about the Mental Skills for High School Runners course, which this excerpt is from. Enjoy!
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027 - Mental Skills for 1600m
Coaching Runners Podcast
Here from John O'Malley, Shannon Thompson, Kelly Christensen, and Sinclaire Johnson. You can find the full video on YouTube: More mental skills videos at Here's what coaches and athletes are saying about the Mental Skills course: https://testimonial.to/mental-skills-for-high-school-runners/all "I look forward to Jay's weekly emails because they are phenomenal reminders for me as a coach." - Isaiah Remington Get the newsletter here - www.coachjayjohnson.com Articles for High School Coaches: www.coachjayjohnson.com/blog Links to FREE Downloads and Videos: Twitter: @coachjayjohnson...
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026 - What should you do when an athlete is ill?
Coaching Runners Podcast
In this mini-episode Coach Jay explains what coaches should do when an athlete is ill. Hint: Lowering the volume, but expecting them to run workouts that replicate the demands of the race is the way to go. Let's go!
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025 - The best way to use Tuesday meets
Coaching Runners Podcast
In this mini-episode Coach Jay talks about how to use Tuesday meets to get kids ready to run fast at a Saturday invitation.
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024 - Alex Lyons - What Makes a Great Teammate
Coaching Runners Podcast
This is an excerpt from Alex's presentation at the . It's a fantastic presentation and both the athletes and coaches who were fortunate to learn from Alex. If you're a coach and you want your athletes to learn from coaches like Alex have them (and their parents) visit and learn about our educational offerings. We offer more than just in-person camps and serious kids, who are eager to race faster, can learn a tremendous amount from our speakers. If you have two or more athletes register for the camp then you get to register for free. Email me at for the latest discounts for teams. And...
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023 - Speed Work: What does it mean?
Coaching Runners Podcast
In this episode, Jay Johnson explains why he doesn't use the term speed work. He goes into detail about how he thinks coaches should use the term speed. It's his contention that the term 'race pace work' can often be used to assign training to athletes. Check out Jay's other podcast, , to hear his views on why this term is also problematic for adult runners.
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022 - Alex Lyons
Coaching Runners Podcast
Alex Lyons is a tremendous coach and I'm so happy he not only joined me on the podcast, but that's he's part of the . Alex is the girl's coach at Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Illinois. The girls have had tremendous success in both cross country and track during his time as the head coach. Alex spent part of his collegiate running years at American University where Matt Centrowitz was his coach and we discuss how Coach Centrowitz's approach influenced his coaching. In this wide-ranging conversation, we spend a significant amount of time on training and why he does what he...
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021 - John O'Malley - Burnout in Coaching
Coaching Runners Podcast
John O'Malley is the boy's cross country and track coach at Sandburg High School in Orland Park, Illinois. He is the only person to have coached two Footlocker national champions. On the track, his boys ran an average time of 7:44 in the 4 x 800m for seven consecutive years (averaging 1:56 per athlete). John is part of a panel discussion on burnout as part of the Boulder Running Clinics Winter Webinar Series. This is a series of 12 webinars, each roughly 90 minutes, that you can attend live or watch/listen to the recordings. Visit to learn more about the webinar series and to register....
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020 - Jonathan Dalby - Burnout in Coaching
Coaching Runners Podcast
Jonathan Dalby is the girl's and boy's coach at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. His teams have won multiple state titles in cross country and have made multiple NXN appearances, including in 2017 when the boys were third and the girls were sixth. Jonathan is part of a panel discussion on burnout as part of the Boulder Running Clinics Winter Webinar Series. This is a series of 12 webinars, each roughly 90 minutes, that you can attend live or watch/listen to the recordings. Visit to learn more about the webinar series and to register. Make sure to use the discount...
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019 - Kim O'Malley - Burnout in Coaching
Coaching Runners Podcast
Kim O'Malley is a former high school coach - nine years in both California and Colorado - who is a content developer for . Kim is part of a panel discussion on burnout as part of the Boulder Running Clinics Winter Webinar Series. This is a series of 12 webinars, each roughly 90 minutes, that you can attend live or watch/listen to the recordings. Visit to learn more about the webinar series and to register. Make sure to use the discount code "podcast" to get a discount on your registration. Finally, I spoke with Kim on episode 010 and in that episode, you can learn more about...
info_outlineAlex Ostberg is currently entering his 5th year at Stanford University, where he has been an All-American in both cross country and track. This podcast is rooted in a presentation Alex did at the 2019 Boulder Running Camps titled, "The Ten Things I Wish I Knew As A High School Runner." Alex is passionate about both the sport and helping high school athletes improve, which makes this podcast is a must-listen for high school coaches and athletes.
Alex has been running competitively for 11 years and has developed a passion for understanding the physiological, emotional, and psychological demands of running. He competed for 2 years in middle school with the Wilton Running Club. After that, Alex ran for Darien High school where he set 6 state records. He was a two-time qualifier at Footlocker Nationals, and the Northeast Footlocker Regional Champion in 2014. These performances earned him the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year twice.
In track, Alex was the Penn Relays 3000m champion in 2015 and the 2014 New Balance Outdoor Nationals champion. He finished his high school career with PRs of 4:06 (1600), 8:43 (3200), and 14:16 (5K). Alex was recruited to Stanford University where he has competed for 4 years and is entering his fifth year. He has steadily improved on his performances with four NCAA All-American certificates. He has excelled on the cross country circuit, placing 16th and 13th in the past two NCAA XC Championships. On the track his PRs currently stand at 3:59 (mile), 7:51 (3K), and 13:42 5K.
In 2018, Alex was elected by his peers to serve as captain of the Stanford Track Team. In addition to his training, Alex has developed a passion for learning about the science behind training and peak performance. He is pursuing a bachelors degree in Human Biology with an emphasis on Exercise Physiology and will also be getting a minor in Psychology. He has had the opportunity to be a TA for 4 different Stanford classes, including Exercise Physiology, Exercise and Aging, Clinical Anatomy, and EMT class. One day, when his competitive aspirations are over, Alex aspires to be a coach himself.