• Honesty and Integrity.  Job One is to help you become a better runner. If, in this process, you encounter a situation that requires an answer that is beyond Coach’s experience or training, he will readily identify it and suggest appropriate action. Similarly, honest feedback from you is vital in order to coach effectively.

  • Dedication and Commitment.  As your coach, Jack is fully dedicated to helping you get the most out of your natural talents. He hopes you too will commit yourself to this end.

  • Communication.  OK, Coach thinks you get the point.

  • No One Left Behind.   Exercise isn’t just a hobby. It is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. If you seek help in learning to run, or to improve your current running, you will find it here. Period. Coach Jack will not turn away any request for running guidance should the ability to pay be an issue.

  • Communication.  This is a 2-way street and is the absolute essence of the coach/athlete relationship. The more we talk, the more Coach Jack can help. The more of your questions and concerns addressed, the more coaching value you get.

  • Goal Setting and Planning.  Coach Jack will compile and evaluate your past and current training and fitness. Together, we will devise long-term and short-term goals, and plan the interim training steps necessary to achieve them, based on your abilities, and on having fun along the way.

  • The System.  Consistency, then endurance, then speed – that is the core. From there, it’s a matter of balancing your enthusiasm for running with a sensible training schedule that minimizes the risk of burnout, overtraining, and injury. Coach Jack has studied and applied many of the proven training systems (including those of Jack Daniels,PhD – the running guy, not the distillery, Bill Bowerman, Pete Pfitzinger, among others) and will incorporate those components of their practices that best fit your abilities and goals.

  • Guidance and Advice.  Coach Jack will help direct you when you find “forks in the road” of your development as a runner. He keeps abreast of the latest training trends and scientific developments in running and will apply those that best serve you. This is also a key component of Communication, Goal-Setting and Planning.

  • Evaluation, Feedback and Results. This is a constant process. Not just at the start, but through all facets of training. The ultimate goal is for you to improve as a runner and learn how to listen to your body effectively.  Routine medical checkups are a vital component. And always know that on race day, Coach Jack is your biggest cheerleader (after your family, of course!). 

  • Communication.  He really means it. For this to work, you MUST communicate frequently. The only “dumb” question is the one not asked. To paraphrase the Bobby McFarren song, “Don’t Worry, Be Chatty”.

  • Innovation. Coach Jack will strive to prevent your running from becoming stale. He wants to challenge you, not torture you; entertain, not bore. He wants you to look forward to each run, not dread it. Thus he will work with you to keep your running fun, light, productive, and variable to avoid stale running and plateaus.

  • Longevity. Coach Jack really hopes you develop a lifelong passion for running. Injuries are never fun. The best treatment is to avoid them in the first place. He will help steer you clear of overtraining, burnout, and other pitfalls that can lead to injury

The Pillars of great strides coaching philosophy