Coaching

The Aspect of Endurance Sports Coaching No One Talks About

Prior to starting UESCA, I worked as a personal trainer in NYC for over 20 years. During that time, I performed hundreds, if not thousands of training sessions. While those sessions differed by client, types of exercises, location, etc… the one common theme that they all shared was ‘giving.’ Giver What I mean by ‘giving’ … Read more

Caffeine Use in Endurance Sports

Caffeine is the most established performance enhancing agent in the endurance sports industry due to its ergogenic and cognitive potential. In 1984, caffeine was included on the prohibited list by the Olympic officials. Urine analysis of 12 micrograms per milliliter and higher was the limit to test positive until the ban was lifted in 2003. … Read more

5 Reasons for Peak Season Strength Training

Should I strength train during my season? The short answer is, Yes! The long(er) answer is below. USE IT OR LOSE IT! I always find it a bit amusing to see pictures of pre-season professional cyclists at their respective training camps performing stretches and strength training exercises. Why? Because almost none of these cyclists perform … Read more

10 Tips to Stay on the Legal Side of Your Coaching Practice

Coaches are often so focused on the training side of their businesses that they negate a very important part – the legal side. While I am not an attorney, as someone with over 20 years experience in the fitness and coaching business, I’ve come to learn the importance of the following ten areas: LIABILITY WAIVER … Read more

Stay In Your Lane

There are many aspects to being a great coach… Reliable. Professional. Knowledgable. Adaptable. The list goes on. However, one aspect of being a great coach that is often left off the list is that of staying in your lane. While this falls under the ‘professional’ category listed above, unfortunately, it is all too often ignored … Read more

Three Reasons Trail Running Makes You a Faster Road Racer

Trail running is a valuable training tool for any runner to keep in their tool chest to help them improve. Even if your goals are exclusively limited to road races, you’ll give yourself a big competitive advantage by strategically training on trails. In other words, run trails to become a faster road racer. Getting off-road … Read more

The Science of Stretching – Simply Explained

Pre-stretching reduces performance. Stretching is dangerous. You must hold a stretch for at least 10 seconds. These are just a few of the topics surrounding stretching that are thrown around with some frequency. So what is the truth about stretching and what is shall we say… less than accurate? To get to the bottom of … Read more

Role of the Big Toe in Running

Within the world of running, there is a lot of information about biomechanics – primarily in respect to the knees, hips and ankles. What is often left out is the toes and more specifically, the big toe. The body is one big kinetic chain which means that when running, no body part functions in isolation. … Read more

Carbohydrate vs. Fat Burning – A Comprehensive Review

So you want to learn how to fuel for your upcoming marathon? No problem. Just do a quick Google search for burning carbohydrates and fat and… oh God!! Your search returned about 41 million (41,300,000 to be exact!) search results, all of which likely differ in the advice given. The topic of fueling is very … Read more

What is a Side Stitch and Why Won’t It Go Away?

If you run, you’ve likely experienced a side stitch. If you haven’t, consider yourself lucky! A side stitch is a cramp-like sensation occurring toward the bottom of the rib cage area and usually on the right side of the body. The sensations can range from slightly annoying to a more severe stabbing-type pain. WHAT THE … Read more