Running

Track & Field

What advice do you have for teenage runners who want to compete at a high level?

Maximizing Potential: Advice for Teenage Runners on Competing at a High Level

Advice for teenage runners who want to compete at a high level. I think before answering that we probably should distinguish between running at a high level for a high school athlete and then running at a high level in a more global broader context. There are numerous examples of teenage phenoms and sensations that you could say are running at a very high level during those high school years. If that is the end goal, I think you probably want to find a program and a coach that can maximize your potential between the ages of say 15 and 18 years old. To run at a high level beyond high school, whether that be in the college years, post-collegiately, perhaps professionally, the best approach is to take a long-term vision, develop progressively, sensibly over time, and not to try and find where your ceiling is or the end of your curve of progress too soon. That can be really hard to navigate at a young age, but it's always important to understand what you're doing at the level where you're currently running and then what follows. As a high school runner, keep in mind you have four, maybe five years of college and then a lifetime of running after college if that's something that you choose to do. I'm a big believer in becoming lifelong runners and at some point your best performances are also going to emerge during that period.

Find a program and coach that can maximize your potential between the ages of 15 and 18 to run at a high level beyond high school. Take a long-term vision and develop progressively and sensibly over time without trying to find your ceiling too soon. Understand what you're doing at the level you are currently running and keep in mind that you have four or five years of college and then a lifetime of running after college if you choose to do so. Be a lifelong runner and your best performances will emerge during that period.

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For teenage runners aiming to compete at a high level, it's important to differentiate between running at a high level in high school and running at a high level in a broader context. If the goal is to excel during the high school years, finding a program and coach that can maximize potential between ages 15 and 18 is key. However, to sustain a high level of running beyond high school, such as in college or professionally, it's crucial to take a long-term perspective and progress gradually over time. Avoid rushing to find your limits or peak too soon. While this can be challenging for young athletes, it's important to understand your current level of running and what lies ahead. Remember, as a high school runner, you have several more years of college running and even a lifetime of running beyond that, should you choose to continue. Embrace the idea of becoming a lifelong runner, as your best performances may emerge during that period.

How do you handle racing against runners you suspect are using PEDs?

Coaches' Perspective: Racing Against Suspected PED Users

How do you handle racing against runners you suspect are using PEDs, performance enhancing drugs? That's a great question, not one that pertains directly to me. I'm a coach, not an elite runner. But it is a, it's a, it's an undeniable fact that pertains to our sport that there are athletes out there using PEDs to gain an advantage. And I think the philosophy that I take and that I would, I think, share with any number of runners is that one of the best things about running is that you get to measure yourself against a course, against a distance. Obviously you are, in most contexts, racing against other people as well. But one of the things you can do if you know that you're a natural runner, if you're clean, is have your performance be the highest level that you can possibly achieve for a given distance and take some confidence in that fact.

When racing against Runners who are suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs, the best approach is to focus on achieving your highest level of performance for a given distance and take pride in that accomplishment.

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How I handle racing against runners I suspect are using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)? As a coach rather than an elite runner, this question doesn't directly apply to me. However, it's an undeniable reality in our sport that some athletes resort to PEDs for an unfair advantage. The philosophy I embrace, which I believe many runners share, is that one of the great aspects of running is measuring oneself against a course and distance. While racing against others is common, if you know you're a natural runner and clean from PEDs, focus on achieving your personal best performance for a given distance and take pride in that accomplishment.

Do you think competing on your home turf can 'actually' affect your performance?

Competing on Home Turf: The Impact on Performance

Do you think competing on your home turf can actually affect your performance? This is an interesting question and I think there is definitely something to be said for competing on familiar territory, home turf if you will. Ideally this is a positive effect but there are some instances in which it could also be affect an athlete negatively. Dealing first with the positives, I think home turf really boils down to a familiarity with the surroundings and there are lots of different ways that you can help create that. Athletes over the course of their careers, whether it means the state meet national level competition at the NCAA or professionally, you're not always going to be able to compete at home. It's actually pretty pretty rare when the higher level of competition. So I think if you don't have a luxury of competing at home, you can do things to make the competition venue and site feel more like home. And sometimes that's as simple as going in advance, getting the lay of the land, going through sort of a dry run and learning what the environment is like, especially the venue where you're going to be competing. Now for the home turf as a disadvantage, you can see that type of thing take place when someone is competing against a competitive field in front of friends, family, and others and pressure can get too high and that's something that you definitely want to manage as part of the process also.

Home turf can have both positive and negative effects on an athlete's performance. It can be beneficial to familiarize oneself with the venue before competing, but too much pressure from friends and family can also be detrimental.

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Competing on one's home turf can indeed have an impact on performance. Familiarity with the surroundings can create a positive effect, but there are also instances where it could be detrimental. Athletes may not always have the luxury of competing at home, especially at higher levels of competition. However, there are ways to make the competition venue feel more familiar, such as visiting in advance and getting acquainted with the environment. On the other hand, competing at home can become a disadvantage when there is added pressure from friends, family, and others in the audience. Managing this pressure becomes crucial in order to perform well. Overall, competing on home turf can influence performance, both positively and negatively, and it is important for athletes to adapt and manage the effects accordingly.

How do you balance coaching the human versus coaching for a specific event or competition in high school athletics?

Striking the Balance: Coaching the Human vs. Chasing Competition

How do you balance coaching the human versus coaching for a specific event or competition in high school athletics? This gets down to the essence of teaching and coaching or coaching with an educational model and for me I always remember and try to hold at the core the fact that regardless of what you are trying to what wisdom or knowledge you're trying to impart there is actually a human on the other end that is the recipient of your coaching or teaching. So for me the the athlete as a human is always at the forefront so I think where that would take me from as a secondary step in the coaching context is to try to align with the athletes goals motives and vision for him or herself. There are few things in a coaching context that are more difficult than coaching an athlete at a level to which he or she isn't really bought in or committed and that can be over coaching and sometimes it can be under coaching in terms of the way you're approaching the athlete. So I think having some form of reciprocal understanding, collaborative approach is going to be a good place to start and you can always evolve that as an athlete becomes more proficient, more accomplished, you can raise the bar on that person and sometimes as an athlete becomes disengaged you can lower the expectation in terms of meeting that person where they are.

When coaching in high school athletics, it is important to remember that there is a human on the other end of your coaching and to try to align with the athlete's goals, motives, and vision. Establish a reciprocal understanding and collaborative approach to ensure that the athlete is bought in and committed to achieve their best results.

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Balancing coaching for the human versus coaching for a specific event or competition in high school athletics is about recognizing the importance of teaching and coaching with an educational mindset. It's essential to remember that there is a human being on the receiving end of your coaching or teaching. The athlete as a person should always be at the forefront of your approach. To achieve this, it is important to align with the athlete's goals, motivations, and vision for themselves. Coaching an athlete who isn't fully committed or bought into the process can be challenging, and it requires finding the right balance between overcoaching and undercoaching. A collaborative and reciprocal understanding between coach and athlete is a good starting point, but it can also evolve as the athlete progresses. As an athlete becomes more proficient and accomplished, expectations can be raised. Conversely, if an athlete becomes disengaged, it may be necessary to lower expectations and meet them where they are. Striking this balance ensures that coaching not only focuses on achieving specific athletic outcomes but also considers the development and well-being of the individual athlete.

How do you stop being nervous before your track races?

How to Manage Nerves Before Track Races: Insights from a Coach

How do you stop being nervous before your track races? The bad news here is that I don't know anyone that has ever been able to eliminate some form of nerves before a track race. And in actuality, as a coach, I want athletes to be a little nervous before a race. That is a signal that it matters and that they care. What you don't want is to cross over a line and be consumed by nerves so much so that it affects the actual race itself. So I think there are lots of different techniques and tactics you can work on. I know many athletes of all ages that have worked with sports psychology or sport performance specialists that can help strategize some ways to relax or to separate from the race in the hours or even sometimes the days leading up. A lot of it is going to be determined by developing some strategies that are going to work for an individual. One thing that I do know is that looking back over preparation, that could be workouts, training, anything that's done leading up to a race, looking back over those things and finding common threads that emerge that will lead to a confident mindset can really help on race day. Again, nerves are a natural part of the process. We also all want to be in control of them and I like to say that once the gun goes off, those nerves are all directed forward into a good race.

Nerves are natural before a track race, and it's ok to be a little nervous. To help manage nerves, look back on your preparation and identify common threads that will lead to a confident mindset. Additionally, working with a sport psychology or sport performance specialist can help strategize ways to relax.

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To stop being nervous before track races is a challenge that many athletes face. In my experience as a coach, I believe it's important for athletes to have some level of nerves before a race as it shows their investment and care. However, it's crucial not to let nerves overpower and negatively impact the race itself. There are various techniques and tactics that can be explored to manage nerves. Some athletes, regardless of age, have found value in working with sports psychology or sport performance specialists who can help develop relaxation strategies and methods to mentally detach from the upcoming race in the hours or days leading up to it. It's important for individuals to find strategies that work best for them. Reflecting on the preparation leading up to the race, such as workouts and training, can help identify common patterns that contribute to a confident mindset on race day. Nerves are a natural part of the process, but it's essential to channel them forward once the race begins and focus on delivering a strong performance.

What do you think on having a routine before you compete?

The Power of Rituals: Setting Up for Success in Competition

What do you think on having a routine before you compete? I'm a big believer in routines and rituals on competition day. I think one of the aims of a coach is to make as many things feel predictable, known, and comfortable on a competition day, knowing that the competition itself is going to bring a degree of stress, anxiety, excitement, a variety of different elements and emotions. And being able to revert to habits that are known, relied upon, and that are tried and true and have been shown to work previously can really add to a sense of comfort when a venue, the competition level, the competitors themselves may all be different. So I think it's about creating things that are going to feel normal and habitual to an athlete so that they can be set up for success.

I believe having a routine before competing is beneficial as it can bring comfort and confidence in unfamiliar situations.

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I believe routines and rituals before a competition are highly beneficial. As a coach, one of my goals is to create a sense of predictability, familiarity, and comfort on competition day. While the competition itself can bring stress, anxiety, and excitement, having established habits that are known and proven to work can provide a sense of ease. These routines help athletes feel normal and habitual, even when faced with different venues, competition levels, or opponents. Ultimately, it's about setting athletes up for success by creating a foundation of consistency and familiarity.

Drew Wartenburg answers your Running questions. See all the advice Drew Wartenburg has and get answers to your own Running questions.

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Middle and long distance coach for all events on the track and roads.
25+ years of coaching.
USATF Level 2 certified.
Based in Flagstaff, AZ.
I have had the good fortune of working with HS individual and team champions; conference and national-level athletes in the NCAA; runners on the Olympic and World Championship stages; and an array of recreational athletes spanning the global running community.