The TEAM LAS&F Project Agenda

This project stems from countless years of research and training of athletes. The goal is to showcase a highly effective system of training for runners that was developed in our lab and supported by the work with hundreds of runners over the past 15 years. We want to show the world what can be achieved by following our training concepts.

I believe that given the opportunity to have greater control over an athlete’s training under very specific training protocols based on an individual’s talents and unique metabolic structure that we can generate astounding improvements in running ability and race times. I know this to be true because I have seen it in case after case where an athlete was diligent in following our advice following our lab assessments.

This team concept as I see it, provides a win-win situation for both the selected team members and for our sports performance business. We at dhp elite training are very excited about the opportunity as are the candidates that are now under review. Once the May/June Issue of LA Sports & Fitness Magazine is released this week, we anticipate another huge wave of applicants who wish to earn a spot on our team. Within the first week of June we will select 10 women and 10 men all vying for the opportunity to become sponsored team members. The end goal is to compete in the Agoura 10 miler slated for October.  Between June and October we will devote a tremendous amount of energy into these team members preparing them for what may possibly be the performance of a lifetime. We selected this race because of the competitive nature of the distance, short enough to be fast, long enough to be a test of endurance.  I feel that 10 miles is a perfect mix for our experiment.

We are putting all of our cards on the table and we are all in! The journey will begin with a comprehensive study of each team member in our lab, from resting metabolic assessments to establish appropriate meal planning, body composition measurements and video gait analysis, concluded by VO2 max testing.

After an in-depth orientation we will set about collecting field assessments for comparative analysis to be drawn periodically during training. Each team member will be fitted to a new pair of Altra “zero drop” Running Shoes, Icebreaker GT 100% merino wool running apparel, a pair of Sunglasses from XX2i Optics offered from Rudy Project, a hydration system from Amphipod along with a well-stocked supply of energy replacement/hydration and recovery products from Accelerade and Endurox. We valued the financial commitment to each team member to be in excess of $3,000 in training and products.

This is the type of opportunity that most adult recreational runners will never experience. We feel that the hardest part for us is going to be the actual selection of team member. It is very important to us that the team dynamic is harmonious and the team members are able to feed off each other in the spirit of camaraderie and competition. We will draw from various ages and abilities. I feel that the burden of the final decision should fall to collective agreement among our coaches rather than from one individual. It’s going to be tough; we already have more candidates than opening for the team and the announcement is not even official yet! Of those who have submitted their bio’s, we are seeing some very high quality individuals, some who are highly experienced, some who have set some blazing race times and some who simply want it very badly and I am torn as to which of these attributes are of most importance.

My stake in this is to see the outcome of our efforts; compliance is the critical element in all of this. We know the process will work; we have no reservations in respect to our approach to training. Yet, when it is all said and done, in order to see the fruits of our labor, we require application. We need each of our team members to provide 100% and dedicate themselves to our process and not to be sidelined by other interests or concepts. Because, compliance to us is of utmost importance we have decided to award $500.00 to the most progressive team member, $300.00 to 2^nd place and $200 to 3^rd place at the conclusion of the race.

For those of you that are just learning about this project and are interested in applying for a slot on our team, you must visit www.naturalrunningcoach.net/team.html to register. After reviewing the details, and agreeing to terms, you will find an e-mail address to submit your plea. I highly recommend that you do not hesitate. Don’t send us in depth questions about qualifications, etc. If you think you have the right stuff, step up, is you are undecided, step off! Good luck to all of you. As for the spectators of this reality project, stay tuned to LAS&F magazine over the coming months to follow our team’s progress.

Why follow when you can lead? Become a great Coach!

For those of you who are not aware, I want to share some insights regarding our coaching certification program. To begin with the idea came to us more out of necessity than desire. There are only so many people we can reach from where we operate to provide a level of training and coaching that our consumers are so very hungry for.

Running popularity is on the rise. There are more people participating in events from the half to full marathon than ever in history. These events are no longer reserved for the fittest of the fit; a marathon is now something that many

part of our lecture series at dhp

average folk have added to their bucket list. With this popularity stems a strong need for support and education. Even as popular as running has become it also holds the record for the most injuries in sport. Nearly 7 out of 10 runners are sidelined with nagging injuries, most of which could have been avoided had they been properly trained; this is where we come in.

Make no mistake about our intent; we can give a hoot less about what other certifying bodies’ think about our program or if what we are providing even is in keeping with the needs of elite athletes. The market for running is not made up of elites, it is made up of everyday people who are trying to get into shape, gain some confidence and meet some life challenges. Our program is for them, because we know that half of the battle is being able to get up each morning to train without getting injured. And, beyond what is typical, our program not only addresses the ability to survive the work, our program teaches people how to run well beyond expectation!

Our certification program is no simple walk in the park. To represent us as a Certified Natural Running Network Coach we have high expectations. We demand a level of understanding and knowledge that few other certification programs provide. Sure our program is set over three days but our curriculum and study materials will open Pandora’s Box. We teach proper running mechanics but that is only the beginning. We also teach the art of program design, how to implement heart rate training with our proprietary system. We teach running anatomy, functional strength training, hydration and nutrition strategies, and finally but not least of importance, how to identify and deal with injuries.

We have a strong relationship with the principals at Rock Tape and have adopted their taping strategies and are fortunate enough to have them provide this element of our education hands on. We also bring experts to our training, such as Matt Fitzgerald, author of numerous books relating to nutrition and endurance sports.

Learning to apply functional strength for runners during our certificationof numerous publications relating to sports nutrition and endurance training.

Part of our plan is to encourage our new coach candidates to join our network and take responsibility as a regional coach in their area. This way we can grow our membership, create events and develop a community of runners who will show the world what a bit of sound education can do! Our runners end up with better and progressively faster finishing times, are able to log more weekly mileage all while avoiding the pitfalls of injury that most other runners have to battle with.

What we set out to do is no small task but the result is that each and every person that certifies with us, wherever they end up will be far more capable leaders and superior running coaches. I stake my nearly 30 years in the business of coaching and working with athletes on it.

So, if this is something that has been lingering in the back of your mind, or you already stand as a group leader in preparation for an event such as a marathon, you should contact us right away or visit us online; www.naturalrunningcoach.net