I help athletes of all ages and abilities meet their 5k, 10k, half-marathon, and marathon goals—particularly Masters, Intermediate, and Beginning Runners. I also work with high school cross country and track athletes and am willing to help with summer and winter conditioning programs. You can be certain about one thing: I am attentive to details. That includes a deliberate focus on training and workout plans that are based on an athlete’s latest race performances and recent training volume. Strength training, especially body weight and bands training, is always a part of my workout plans. I emphasize nutrition planning as well as sleep and proper rest. Beyond that, I am an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of athletes as they discover a sense of self-confidence and mental strength in the process of doing hard but rewarding work.

All training plans include the following from me:

• Goal setting conversations that emphasize athlete needs and time constraints.
• Unlimited communication via text or email.
• Detailed weekly training plans that focus on athlete development and training volume.
• Weekly video conferences to discuss recent training performance and motivational needs.
• Ardent and enthusiastic support as someone who shares your passion for distance running.

As a passionate public school English teacher for thirty-six years and a high school cross country and track coach for ten, my highest priority when working with students and athletes is to build a genuine and supportive relationship with them. Any training plan starts with understanding athletes—their goals, their commitments, their successes, doubts, and “failures.” I place the word failure in quotes because I don’t believe anything can be a failure if we are able to gain wisdom from it. Whenever I have been asked about my favorite workout for an athlete, I say the one that starts with lacing up the shoes and getting out the door. I do not believe a particular workout makes a difference in our race preparation, but I do believe that steady and consistent work, over time, yields mental and physical growth. The purpose of training is to be mindful of the stimulus in each workout so we can afford to not think about the effort come race day. If we have done our work and done it with diligence, the performance takes care of itself.

I spent ten years coaching high school cross country and the track and field distance events (800, 1600m, and 3200m). I had the joy and pleasure of working with new athletes who had never turned out for a sport to athletes who podiumed at the state meet. I always emphasized coaching athletes with a program and plan that was appropriate for their experience, age, and ability. By the time I retired from coaching, I had helped athletes stand on the podium eight times in track and field and four times in cross country—most notably the Washington State 4A boys individual cross country champion in 2022.

I ran cross country in high school and made varsity for exactly one meet. Unfortunately, I did not have the support and structure at home to help me build the consistent habit of training and preparation each season. I chased a totally different passion in college—acting and writing—and that led me to find my primary income stream as a public school English teacher. I was forty years old and sixty pounds heavier than I was in college when my wife suffered the first of three heart attacks that she would have over the next twelve years. That’s when I realized I needed a life change. A friend suggested I run a half-marathon. In a fit of frustration, I grabbed my computer and registered for a race that I did not realize was six weeks away. That day, on my first training run, I could not go more than a mile before stopping. Within a year of that run, I completed my first marathon.
My rediscovery of running coincided with my son and daughter discovering their respective passion for running, and when they were in high school, I got to serve as their coach.

Since turning 50 years old, I have posted three Boston Qualifying marathon times—the most recent being the 2025 Eugene Marathon when I ran 3:26:06. My son and daughter, both now in their twenties, ran the race with me. My wife cheered us on.

I believe we all have a story within us that is revealed through a passion for distance running. Consider my wife, for instance. Within a year of her first heart attack, she completed her first half-marathon. Later that day, she posted about it on Facebook and ended with the words “I love life.” I believe this is what distance running can show us.

• My wife
• My son and daughter
• My HS athletes that I coached
• Jack Daniels (the running coach, not the bourbon)
• Greg McMillan
• Steve Magness

• 2024-2025 Race History
• 5k – 21:08 – Haunted Hustle 5k – Tacoma, WA
• 10k – 43:32 – Resolution Run – Tacoma, WA (lifetime best)
• Half – 1:35:49 – My Better Half – Seattle, WA (lifetime third best)
• Marathon – 3:26:06 – Eugene Marathon (lifetime second best)

• The Batesman Chronicles – Adventures in Running, Reading, & Writing – http://www.thebatesman.net