Clik here to view.
What is the ONE THING You NEED to both survive this pandemic and reach your...
I did a conference call recently with a group of triathletes who were seeking advice. They wanted to talk training, "secrets" to success, how I got to Kona, and definitely DID NOT want to talk about...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is Fasting a “Fountain of Youth?”
Various forms of intermittent fasting have become all the rage recently. And there's good reason for it - too many of us consume too many calories daily - with 30% of the American population now...
View ArticleClik here to view.
This might help answer every nutrition question you have.
If there’s one consistent message or controlling idea in everything I do and say as a coach, it’s this: The majority of the benefits from any training you do will always come from the development and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Stuck In Injury? Now Is The Time To Do Something About It!
It is now mid-February. Whether or not it feels like it (can you say 70+ inches of snow and counting, if you live in the northeast!), spring is right around the corner, and with it, the events you...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Triathlon in 2015: The Challenge of Changing Beliefs and Perceptions
Coach Al on the run at the 2004 Hawaii Ironman World Championship Hey Everyone. Coach Al here. Thanks for joining me today. I want to to share with you today some thoughts on the challenge of changing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are You Ready To Break The Cycle?
In response to a recent survey I sent out to some athletes on our mailing list, many told me how frustrated they are with an on again-off again running injury cycle. Quite a few also said they have...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Triathletes: Swim Technique – The Two MOST Common Mistakes…
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” – Albert Einstein [divider style=”0″] Coach Al along with elite swim coach and Masters World Champion, Karlyn...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Can You Be Better Than Your Best?
Coach Al sharing his positive vibe! Happy Friday! I thought I’d share a tidbit with all of you this morning, that has drawn some interest on Facebook… An ironman triathlete I coach, in her unending...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do Your Calves Ever Cramp When Swimming? Here’s Why!
There’s nothing like a painful calf cramp to ruin an otherwise enjoyable swim, ya know? They seem to happen at the worst times and very often, they’ll happen in our most important races. Frustrating!...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Don’t Forsake Long Term Improvement for Short Term Gain
Coach Al sharing his positive vibe! Happy Friday! One of the benefits of having been a coach for so many years, is recognizing certain trends that are typical for developing triathletes, whether they...
View ArticleWhat Is Your Margin Of Error?
Whether we like it or not, when it comes to things like movement quality (mobility, flexibility, stability), running shoe choice, and training volume or intensity, to name a few, each of us has our own...
View ArticleAre You Getting Enough Rest?
So let me ask…. Are you training 7-days a week, thinking that you need to hit-it every day in order to improve? Do you feel you get enough rest in between training sessions, or that a complete day of...
View ArticleWhat Is Your MOST Important Tool For Recovery?
My short post yesterday on 1 day of scheduled rest each week really got many of you thinking, at least based upon the feedback I received. (Yes, I love hearing from you, so keep your replies and emails...
View ArticleDo Skills Really Matter?
Happy Monday! So listen, I know you work hard every day, but I have to ask, is all that hard work you are doing, actually working? For example, do you consider the training you do “practice” with the...
View ArticleIt NOT About The Plan.
Recently, at a race where I was volunteering, I was chatting with a fellow runner. A week earlier he had finished his second 100-mile ultra. He was feeling very good about having finished, and why...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are You Having A Crazy Amount Of FUN Doing This?
Keep the FUN in your training and I guarantee you’ll get better, faster, and enjoy the journey more! I remember when I was a kid how much I looked forward to after school and weekends, when I could...
View ArticleAre You Eating In Harmony With Your Goals?
Two triathletes recently contacted me to set up nutrition consultations. Both are staring down at upcoming Ironman distance races and neither is satisfied with their training progress to this point....
View ArticleAre You A Porsche Or A Cadillac?
Anyone who knows me well, knows I’m a car nut. I’ve always loved classics and muscle cars, and I love to go fast. So when I have the chance to draw an analogy between cars and running, how could I...
View ArticleOne Quarter of an Inch!
When asked what he thought was man’s greatest invention, Albert Einstein didn’t reply the wheel, the lever, or for that matter, anything else you might expect, he replied, “compound interest.” Do you...
View ArticleYou Need To Strengthen Your Glute Medius!
…Or DO you? So listen, has a sports medicine professional, personal trainer or coach ever told you that your glute medius (or minimus) is weak, or that you need to strengthen it? Or, that this muscle...
View ArticleDo You Ever Ask Yourself These Questions?
As a coach, people sometimes think I have all the answers... I don’t. No one does. The truth is, in order to be successful, sometimes the athlete needs to look in the mirror and ask themselves some...
View ArticleYou’re Surviving But Are You Thriving?
Some days I find myself having to defend my philosophy that we ought to move well and have a handle on some basic skills, first, before we load up on more miles or intensity, or sign-up for that...
View ArticleI Don’t Care How “Talented” You Are…
We know that each of us is born with our own natural talent and physiological gifts. When it comes to the sports we love like swimming, biking, and running, some are more naturally gifted, having...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What Is The ONE THING You Need MOST To Be Successful?
Recently I had a conference call with a group of triathletes who were seeking advice. I asked them point blank: as athletes, what was the one thing they needed to do, or pay more attention to, that...
View ArticleWhich Is It: Strength Or Endurance?
I received this email question the other day from a reader of the blog: “I keep having this argument with a friend of mine who is an ultra-runner and believes endurance is a lot more important than...
View ArticleIs STRAVA The Newest Coaching Tool?
I was chatting recently with an athlete I just started working with about an upcoming marathon she had planned to run. I am excited about the opportuity to be working with her; regardless of how...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are You Ready To Break The Cycle?
In response to a recent survey I sent out to some athletes on our mailing list, many told me how frustrated they are with an on again-off again running injury cycle. Quite a few also said they have...
View ArticleShould You Take A Break?
Shortly after the 2012 London Olympics, there was an article in the Wall Street Journal outlining how some elite marathoners were planning to take an extended complete break from any kind of training...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rock Your Wall!
I hope your Tuesday has started off great! I sent out an note to our email friends last week that included a reference to a fun Will Smith video. In the email, I shared my SSQ and how important it is...
View ArticleNo One Wants To See How The Sausage Is Made
“That which is easy to do, is also easy not to do.” – Jim Rohn If I’ve become known for one thing more than any other, it’s speaking the truth. No, I’m not always right, but I do care. And because...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Truth About Staying Young
If there’s one thing that came through loud and clear from a survey I sent out a few weeks ago to the athletes on our email list, it’s that a lot of runners and triathletes are worried about losing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Today It’s About THE SWIM! You In?
I’m sure you gathered from the subject line that the topic today is swimming, specifically for triathletes. If you’re a triathlete and the subject interests you, cool, keep reading. If not, no...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Who Wouldn’t Like To Run Faster Off Of The Bike?
“The truth isn’t always popular, but it’s always the truth.” – unknown I’ve got some important (and very different) stuff to share with you today, and I know, because you’re busy you may not want...
View ArticleClik here to view.
FIVE Years – 22 Minutes
Hi Everyone…Coach Al here. I’ve got an important message for you today, one that is hopeful and empowering and will help you be happier and better in 2017 and beyond! Back on October 7th of last...
View ArticleClik here to view.
There is NO Tomorrow.
Today’s post is important – I hope you can take a minute to read it. It’s important for one simple reason – because as the subject line says, there is no tomorrow. Now that might sound extreme or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What is Your Preference?
I’ve always found it fascinating how certain things end up developing a huge following, often becoming so popular they almost develop into cult status. In the fitness world there’s a million...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is It Possible You’re Dehydrated?
I’m coming at you today with a short piece on all things hydration. (I know what you’re thinking, not another article about water and how much I should drink!) In all seriousness, I decided to write...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Triathletes and Runners: Strength Doesn’t Equal Stability
“Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32 [divider style=”0″] Without a doubt, endurance athletes are finally coming around to understanding and believing in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Stuck In Injury? Now Is The Time To Do Something About It!
Believe it or not, we’re approaching mid-January. The sub-freezing temperatures have settled on the northeast and Midwest, and the snow is piling up. Whether or not it feels like it (can you say 15+...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Coaching Advice I Give Most Often
Endurance athletes pride themselves on pushing through the most challenging, gut-busting workouts. Anyone who is on Facebook sees those “inspirational” memes where the message is always to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rock Your Wall!
I love the analogy of building a wall when it comes to how we should build our fitness, don’t you? In some important ways, our body is a lot like a house… If you’re going to age gracefully and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Would You Like To Improve Your Running Technique?
“You ain’t gonna learn what you don’t wanna know.” – Jerry Garcia “Should I ‘sta’ or should I ‘mo’? – The Clash Effective training is usually about hammering away at the basics. And that usually isn’t...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Long Arduous Journey Back To Running
Elise VonHousen will go for her first run this weekend. It’s been a long time since the last one. She’s worked incredibly hard over the past few months to get to this point in time, where she’s ready...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Want To Be More Injury Resistant? Don’t Waste Your Time With This Exercise.
So here we are, it’s almost April 1st! Did it seem to you that the first three months of the year have just flown by? Let me ask you two straight forward, honest questions: 1. Would you be interested...
View ArticleBoston Marathon Race Week: Old Habits Die Hard!
“Mistakes are the portals for discovery.” – James Joyce “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Triathletes: Have We Needlessly Overcomplicated Training Intensity?
“K.I.S.S.” – Just about every experienced smart person ever Back in the late 90s, in my very early days as a triathlete, I worked with Coach Troy Jacobson. Troy taught me a lot about how to train....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are you helping or hurting your chance for a great race with your pre-race meal?
I’ve seen it happen so often over the years – you’ve trained hard for weeks and months, doing everything you can to be ready to have a great race. And then your stomach goes south – at the worst...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is It Possible You’re Dehydrated?
Since we’re now well into the month of June and the warm (hot?) weather has returned to the northern hemisphere and in particular, my old home of New England :), I thought it would be a great idea to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Can an “old” injury literally haunt you for years?
Let’s say you’re walking down the sidewalk one day and you get a tiny little pebble inside of your shoe. You feel it instantly, and it hurts for a moment. You might even yell, “ouch!” So you stop. Take...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Here’s Why I am Such a “PITA” Sometimes…
I can be a big-time stickler for details – a proverbial pain-in-the-ass if you will :), when it comes to how we perform the basic and fundamental exercises that are designed to help us improve....
View Article