by Coach Mat | 3 Aug, 2019
I both run and swim year round. In the last year or so I’ve put a lot more emphasis on running, and felt the corresponding motivation for that activity. Back in April, after a week off from illness, I irritated my achilles tendon on the first (allegedly...
by Coach Mat | 9 Apr, 2017
Three Kinds Of Hardship Like you, I love to hear stories of those who have accomplished amazing things in the realm of sports and adventure. I recently listened to Rich Roll’s interview with Kimberly Chambers, ultra-distance open water swimmer, who, in 2014, was...
by Coach Mat | 28 Jan, 2017
One of the ways you can detect truly elite coaches is by the emphasis in their teaching and marketing on ‘going-smarter’ rather than ‘going-harder’ (though this is required also). Mature coaches seem to echo the refrain: listen to your body. If...
by Coach Mat | 14 Jan, 2017
Hungry For Knowledge Like many of you I have quite an appetite for knowledge. I make time in my week for reading, listening, studying, and for writing (which includes drawing diagrams since I think mostly in pictures) to process the treasures I find. Part of my...
by Coach Mat | 10 Dec, 2016
In addendum to the previous post on What Is Relaxation? I recall another experience I had in running where a specific “Relax!” instruction worked. You certainly know about the global athletics company Nike. It started in Eugene Oregon, my home state, and...
by Coach Mat | 8 Oct, 2016
I happened to see some triathletes link to this article on Facebook a couple months ago. The title caught my attention because, clearly, this was such a contrast to our approach to swimming. I would have just ignored an article like this, but was curious to see what...