Episode 14

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Published on:

26th May 2021

EvelChat #14 "US High School Endurance Running": A Chat with John O' Malley

John O’Malley began coaching cross country & track at Carl Sandburg High School in 2003. His cross country teams have qualified for the Illinois State Meet every year since 2003 - including State champs in 2015 and runner-ups in 2014. He is the only U.S. high school coach with two different Foot Locker national cross country champions - Dylan Jacobs in 2017 and Lukas Verzbicas in 2009 & 2010. His 4 x 800 meter relay teams have been All-State every year since 2012 - including first place finishes in 2015, 2016 and 2018 and runner-up finishes in 2014 and 2017. His 2016 team holds the 4 x 800 Illinois State meet record with a time of 7:37.36.

In this EvelChat John & Derek discuss many issues around the topic of endurance training for high school athletes, including:

  • Objectives and views of coaching at various levels of coaching in the United States
  • Priorities in high school coaching
  • Proper developmental protocols vs. optimal training for success in high school
  • Metabolic vs mechanical / speed approaches in endurance training
  • Volume as a base metric for high school endurance coaches
  • Demands & stresses on the US high school athlete
  • Beginning a grade 9 endurance athlete
  • Polar approaches to training in endurance training
  • Using extended endurance runs
  • Being “fast” vs. being “fit”
  • Balancing being competitive against providing appropriate programming
  • Long term impact of “The Grindfest” vs. prioritizing rest
  • The realities of preparing US distance runners for collegiate competitive demands
  • Culture vs. instruction in the US educational system
  • The realities of child preparation post-COVID
  • The problems with classic stage loaded / metabolic-only approaches in endurance training
  • John’s approach to 800m training
  • 800m training in US high schools
  • Organizing extended runs in training 
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About the Podcast

EvelChat
The EveltrakSport.com Coaching Podcast with Derek Evely
A Podcast about Coaching, from specialist turn-ons to general piss-offs… & everything in between.

About your host

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Derek Evely

Derek Evely has taken a career path unique in Olympic sport. As an athletics coach, he has coached professionally at all levels along the developmental continuum and is widely regarded as a foremost expert in both youth development programming and elite training methodology. As a coach he has produced three World Junior Championship medalists, two of whom went on to win Olympic medals. He was the development coach for Gary Reed (IAAF World Championships 800m Silver Medalist), Dylan Armstrong (Beijing Olympic Shot Put Bronze Medalist) and Sophie Hitchon (2016 Olympic Hammer Throw Bronze Medalist). He has been a national team coach for both Britain and Canada to every major championship on the global calendar including the Olympic Games, IAAF World Championships and European Championships. He was a High Performance Training Centre Director for British Athletics leading into the 2012 Olympic Games where he coached the youngest athlete on the British athletics team (Hitchon) to her first Olympic final. From 2005 to 2009 he was the Sport Science Manager for the Canadian Athletics Coaching Center. He consults and coaches with federations and individuals worldwide on all aspects of developmental and high performance programming. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and three teenagers.