Sacha V.

Although I've been an athlete in various sports all my life, and a coach in one form or another for the last 30 years, I only took up running seriously a few years ago, as training for triathlon.

I've since completed 25 marathons (including Boston) with a PR of 3h13m53s. I've also run a few ultras, up to 100km. And done a few ironman races (7 so far), but that's another matter...

For the last 4 years I coached running and triathlon, a natural progression for me, with Team in Training in Montreal. I've taken on groups of runners to prepare them for what was often their first half or full marathons, and guided them through the process of going from very little activity to completing a major endurance event.

When coaching, I focus on proper form (which is based on the correct techniques and a solid core) and the well-balanced development of cardio-vascular and muscular fitness. The same approach, with varying doses of more intense workouts, can take more advanced runners to new heights of performance.

Training doesn't need to be complicated; it can, and should, be both challenging and fun.

Varsity athlete in volleyball in high school, college, and university.
Long-distance runner (25 marathons, ultras up to 100 km); PR at marathon distance: 3h14.
Triathlete with 7 iron distance events completed; PR at iron distance: 11h09.

No generic session; sessions are adapted to each athlete.
But never forget to warm-up progressively, and cool-down at the end.
Some sessions are mostly technical, whereas some endurance session include moments of body awareness that come close to technical work.
But mixing everything in each session is not the way to go for real endurance development.