Running Workx is about the older runner. Coach Mike specializes in the coaching of senior and masters runners and started Running Workx to address the unique needs of the aging runner; coaching and training older runners in their 40’s, 50’s, with many into their 60’s and even a few 70 year olds.

Having entered my 60’s, I can really relate to what it feels like to be an older runner and what it takes to stay fit and active. I had to “reboot” my running a number of times through the decades due to career and family obligations and now more recently due to medical and physical conditions. So, I know what it feels like to start over from scratch, and it can be tough when you start comparing yourself to your younger “you” from decades past or even just a few short years ago as in my case. Who better to understand the needs of the older runner than a fellow aging runner and experienced coach who trains regularly and is still able to run the trails.

I am a recent rare cancer survivor (5-years NED). Consequently, I can relate to what’s entailed to come back from a life altering illness and learning to make adjustments both physical and emotional while re-framing goals, expectations and training.

At least in my case, I can personally attest to the power of staying active, fit and retaining a positive attitude, as it helped me to endure and overcome the challenges of my cancer journey through multiple surgeries, chemo treatments and the resulting permanent physical damage along with my advancing age.

As the owner/coach of Running Workx, I personally tend to every aspect of your training, with a focus on your long term development as a runner, providing you with extremely personalized workouts, custom tailored training plans and professional on-line coaching services using an integrated web-based training platform that conveniently connects me to you via your desktop or synching with a companion smart phone app (iOS or android).

My clients also have unlimited access to me, so questions are addressed promptly and regular communication and feedback is encouraged.

I have a longtime passion for running and coaching, having successfully run my first marathon in 1979…I was 19 years old at the time, self-trained and didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing. Fast-forward to 2015; I ran my first ultra, a 50-mile trail race …so nearly forty years later the passion still burns with more events and distances to be conquered!

I relate best to the everyday recreational runner who wants to be consistent, improve, stay uninjured, and has some unmet goals. Coaching and educating regular runners to pursue and achieve their goals is what I enjoy and do best regardless of age or experience level.

With beginners and especially with older runners, it’s about applying appropriate levels of training stress balanced with carefully metered progression and most importantly, providing for adequate and proper recovery.

It’s actually more about figuring out what works for you and what doesn’t. Embracing a holistic approach to training and lifestyle and by doing the right things now in the present, enhances your health, general fitness and well-being in the future. But, we also want to avoid the common tendency to push too hard, too soon. We refer to this as “overreaching”, if left unchecked can lead to “over training”; which inevitably leads to overuse injuries and burnout.

As your running coach, my main objective is to nurture your long-term development, providing training workouts specifically crafted and tailored for you. It’s your unique program that adjusts to you as you progress from day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month, and year-to-year.

By establishing consistency in your running, keeping you fit and adopting a more health conscious lifestyle, over the long haul, you are more likely to enhance your quality of life well into your 50’s and 60’s and maybe even beyond.

Coaching is as much an art as it is science, so I like to try new things and experiment with different workouts as opportunities arise and not be constrained to a single way of training. The human body is a fantastically dynamic organism, and each person is a unique individual, constantly changing and adapting in different ways. So, shouldn’t your training recognize and reflect that as well?

As a coach, I hold multiple certifications with a number of national organizations (USA Track & Field, Road Runners Club of America, and the National High School Federation of State High School Associations) and believe in continuing education to stay abreast of the current trends, practices and theories.

I also have many years of experience as a runner, starting in my teens, and running on and off through my 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and now my 60’s; so I can relate to runners of all age and gender groups from youth track and cross country, to instructing adult beginners and training experienced marathoners and masters runners.

That experience not only stems from my years of personal exposure to running, but also from the many groups, boys and girls teams, and individuals I have coached in more recent years; Including youth age-group, high school, young adult and post-collegiate, middle-age and older runners. I feel its important to stay connected to our younger generation of runners, passing on what I know as a Head Coach for high school Boys and Girls Cross Country. I can’t help but be positively affected by all the energy, enthusiasm, and competition that abounds in that training environment, which is what I strive to bring to all my Running Workx clients.

If you are an older runner looking for a running coach and you like what you hear, I invite you to read on and explore more of my website to find out why it’s not just about the miles.

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Feel free to contact me, “Coach Mike”.