At Black Lab running we use our values to drive our training. As runners we often struggle to define the intrinsic worth of our endeavor. This is something we have put a lot of thought into. It’s an ongoing discourse, one we especially enjoy sharing with our athletes, but we have been able to identify some of the basic philosophic pillars of good training and strive to apply them in everything we do as coaches;

Safety – We believe that running should be a sanctuary that is accessible to all. Everyone deserves to feel safe when they go out for a run and when the safety of just one runner is jeopardized, it is the obligation of our whole community to do better. At Black Lab Running, we’re committed to doing anything and everything in our power to protect runners. This includes protecting runner privacy, monitoring route information and keeping our community informed about best practices. It also means listening to our athletes and adapting our approach wherever necessary to ensure physical safety and peace of mind.

Wellness – The physical and mental well-being of our athletes is our top priority, both because healthy, happy runners outperform angry, injured ones, but, more importantly, because we believe that running should be a means, not an impediment, to health and happiness. We work closely with our athletes to tailor a training program that fits positively with their other obligations and, when headwinds do arise, we’re there for them 24/7 to listen, advise and support. 

Our approach blends precovery and recovery methods intended to empower our athletes to put in the work to reach their goals without being derailed by overuse or burnout. By having our expertise in training, conditioning and treatment under one roof, we’re able to offer a holistic program that gets our athletes to the start line healthy and the finish line happy.

Consistency – As much as we’d all like to believe that success can be fast-tracked, the reality is that optimal performance is the result of months and even years of steady effort. This process can be tedious and confusing, and progress isn’t always linear. That is why our commitment to our athletes is long-term and the training programs we devise for them are intended to unlock a lifetime of happy, healthy running. This requires communication, familiarity and trust. We believe in regular contact with our athletes and will customize modes of interaction to reflect their lifestyles and preferences. 

Execution – Our job doesn’t end when the training plan is written. We’re there for our athletes all along the way to help ensure that they are able to execute that training plan. That means giving them the tools and encouragement to get the daily work done. We have about a hundred nice ways of saying get your butt out of bed in the morning and run, and three or four not so nice ways we can deploy when absolutely necessary. Moreover, we know that even some of the best laid plans sometimes get derailed for one reason or another, and we’re not afraid to step in and change the plan to work within our athletes’ lives. 

As race day approaches, we work tirelessly to ensure our athletes are ready to perform. This includes course preparation, fueling and pacing strategies, and helping manage last minute nerves.