Sam Alexander is the head coach of the men's cross country and track & field teams at Connecticut College (Jason's alma mater!). Sam recently coached the track team to a historically high finish at the New England championships and helped the cross country team qualify for the National Championships for only the second time in program history.

This episode focuses on development - or, how to progress through beginner to advanced stages of running. We discuss:

Athletic development for college runners vs. new runners
The "order of operations" of development
How to build speed and mitigate injury risk
"Fundamental" workouts that build specific skills

Talking to college coaches is always educational because these are the operators, those in the trenches with athletes every day in high-stakes, performance-driven environments. We can learn a lot from Sam!

Resources & Links from the show:

Follow Conn XC/Track on Instagram
Listen to my interview with Conn's prior coach Jim Butler (Jason's coach)
Training Excerpt! See a week of training from college cross country
Connecticut College Men's Track Program info
Develop with fewer injuries!

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Thanks Previnex

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Thank you LMNT!

A big thanks to LMNT for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. They are offering a free gift with your purchase at LMNT. And this does NOT have to be your first purchase. You'll get a sample pack with every flavor so you can try them all before deciding what you like best.

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Development: Workouts, Mindsets, & Strategy with Head Conn XC Coach Sam Alexander

The Strength Running Podcast