Douglas Turco – Santa Fe Running Coach
Douglas Turco is an award-winning running coach and endurance athlete based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
From: $200.00 / month
Running Coach Description
Here are a few things I believe about running.
Running is an expression of yourself through movement.
Consider yourself poetry in motion when running. Rhythmic. Graceful. Fluid. If you can dance, you can run. If you can’t dance, you can still learn to run well. Cha-cha-cha!
Running should be fun: Run = Fun²
In 1905 Albert Einstein postulated E=mc²; Energy (E) equals Mass (m) multiplied by the speed of light (c) squared. In 2015 I hypothesized R=f²; R (Run) equals f (Fun) squared. Your run session should be the best part of your day.
Running should be joyous.
Completing the physical training for running is the easy part. Developing and maintaining a positive, growth mindset while training – on top of work, school, families etc responsibilities, dealing with setbacks or injuries, etc is not easy. Look for the beauty in running, hold on, and it will bring you joy.
Running is best enjoyed outdoors and with others.
I prefer that my runners move outdoors with others. We draw energy from others in nature, and energize others in turn. Sure, this may not be easy to do given your situation but give it a try. You will be glad you did.
Running is a strength-based sport.
Strength and mobility training are the bases of healthy running preparation and performance. You will be stronger with improved range of motion (and less susceptible to injury) with proper, consistent strength and mobility training. Triathletes, CrossFit, and HYROX participants, I can help you build your run engine for peak performance.
Running can be injurious.
Your training sessions will be customized to your fitness, abilities, and goals with your health and safety as top priorities. See above. See below. Training will involve the full compliment of exercises to bulletproof your body and strengthen your mind as an athlete.
Recovery and rest are essential for healthy running.
Running more and more does not lead to improved performance. There is a point of diminishing returns, and we do not want to reach this point. Recovering from run training or racing stimuli requires proper fueling, sleep, and de-stressors. My services includes recovery and nutrition coaching.
Runners have a need for speed.
Bursting off the line for a clean start; catching up to a friend on the race course after a nature break; kicking to the finish line for a PR. Speed is what you need. Speed is relative. I am not race quite as fast as before – now my goal is to slow the slow down!
Running is a pure, simple sport.
We can complicate running with numerous assessment and metrics if you want or remove the clutter and move. Each day you will know what training session has been prescribed but more importantly, why the session has been chosen. We will communicate via electronic mail, telephonically, through video calls, and in person when possible.
Specialties
For runners beginner to advanced and high school to older adult, I specialize in the following: Speed, Speed endurance, Marathon, Biomechanics of running, Strength, Mobility, Nutrition and Recovery, Track racing, Cross country, Triathlon, Cross training, and Trail/mountain racing.
Philosophy
Running is an expression of ourselves through movement. I want people to move well and move often. Running should be the best part of a person’s day. Running should be fun. It should be joyous.
Coaching Experience
I have been coaching runners since 2000, and am a Level 2 Certified Coach through USA Track & Field. I enjoy coaching and am good at it. I coach high school varsity girls and varsity boys track and field and cross country teams in Santa Fe. I have coached adult runners for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, taking newbies off the couch and across the finish line of major marathons in 16 weeks. If you want a race PR, Boston Marathon qualifying time, and/or to simply run pain free (or any other running-related goal), I can help you.
About Me
Good morning from Santa Fe, New Mexico USA. It’s 04:33 on a Monday. This is my favorite time of the day. Quiet. Dark before dawn. I’m sipping a double espresso while reading The New York Times. I will be out the door for a training run by 05:15.
You may have heard of New Mexico, known as the Land of Enchantment. It’s much more than where Oppenheimer built the bomb or where aliens landed. It’s high desert mountain ranges – Sangre de Christo, Sacramento, and Jemez – and the Rio Grande River. New Mexicans: Native Americans, immigrants, cowboys, traders, chefs, artists, athletes, etc are welcoming and respectful of others and their ways of life. Oh yeah, we grow Hatch green chile too!
I do not enjoy writing or talking about myself but find it necessary since you probably want to know something about your running coach. I have been running and racing since 1975, including seven marathons (Chicago, San Diego, Boston, Dublin, etc) and dozens of road races from half marathons to 5k turkey trots. I now run races in the mountains, train for and race triathlons, and nordic ski race.
Big Influences
Steve Magness, Katie Arnold, Lis Desmond, Tony Holler, and Alex Hutchison are coaches and authors who have influenced my coaching.
Race History
I began running in Kenosha, Wisconsin with informal foot races alongside my brothers and neighbors on the trails of Petrifying Springs Park. Over the years I competed in high school cross country, several sprint and Olympic-distance triathlons, and short road races (5k-10k). I began marathoning in my 40s, Nordic racing in my 50s, and now embrace mountain trail running – which I can do by stepping outside my front door in Santa Fe.
Certifications
- USATF Level 2 Coaching Certification
- American Red Cross First Aid, CPR, AED
Awards & Accolades
New Mexico Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Girls (3A) Coach of the Year 2020, 2025
Personal Records
- Chicago Marathon (2000) 3:13.09
Contact Douglas
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