Boston Running Center Coaches

Joe specializes in injury prevention, deducing and correcting causative factors to repetitive motion injuries, and improving performance for endurance runners competing at distances from the 800 meters to the marathon.   Joe holds a masters degree in Exercise Science, is a certified USA Track and Field level III Coach (endurance), and has attained the highest coaching credential from the IAAF, Level V - Elite Coach for Endurance. Joe continually seeks to further his education by attending conferences and seminars throughout the country, and with regular trips to Kenya and Ethiopia, where he has had exposure working closely with world-class coaches and athletes.

Joe's top runners have included ISL and NEPSTA champions, NXN and Footlocker qualifiers, USA Junior National Champions in the 1500 and 3000, Olympic trial qualifiers for the 10k and marathon, and National level masters runners in the 800 and 1500.  His accolades, such as the NECC Cross Country Coach of the Year and Best of Boston's Top Running Coaches (as voted by Boston Magazine), are a product of his dedication and belief in each of his runners, no matter what level he or she may be.

Joe's coaching principles are influenced by Arthur Lydiard, Joe Vigil, Bob Larsen, Renato Canova, Jack Daniels, Scott Christensen and many other national and elite-level coaches. Joe's expert biomechanical and gait analysis is often sought after by local New England runners, as well as elite runners and coaches throughout the world, including Renato Canova, Kenenisa Bekele, Florence Kipligat, Ibrahim Jelian, runners of the American Distance Project, and Dr. Yilma Berta of the Ethiopian Athletic Federation.

After coaching teams at the club and collegiate levels*, Joe now dedicates his efforts to designing more efficient and comprehensive programs for individual runners.  His approach combines carefully crafted customized running programs with clinically supported techniques to help prepare the athlete for fast, high intensity endurance running.  Joe's expertise on bio-mechanics and postural distortions related to repetitive motion injuries has him regularly presenting at hospitals, rehab centers, running camps, and club events throughout the year. His methodologies, training approaches, and contributions to the running community have been featured in media outlets throughout the country. Recent sightings of Joe...
             

Track and Field/Cross Country 

Joe coaches individual youth, high school and post-collegiate athletes looking to excel in their respective events, ranging from the 800 meters to the 10k. Though his top athletes have competed at national and world championships, his coaching style and attention is given equally to those who are striving to be their best - no matter what level that may be.

Marathon Training 

Many of the runners Joe works with are marathoners, with most training for or trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  His balanced programs (regarding speed, strength and endurance), emphasize improved neuromuscular facilitation, assist with developing mental strength and strategies, and help guide the athlete over pre-existing barriers and on a path towards new achievements. Joe's marathoners have completed marathons throughout the world, including:

Arizona Rock'n'Roll Marathon, Austin Marathon, Bay State Marathon, Baltimore Marathon, Breakers Marathon, California International Marathon, Cape Cod Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Columbus Marathon, Detroit Marathon, Disney Marathon, Dublin Marathon, Eugene Marathon, Frankfurt Marathon, Hamburg Marathon, Hartford Marathon, Honolulu Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Long Beach Marathon, Maine Marathon, Marine Core Marathon, New Jersey Marathon, New York Marathon, Nike Women's Marathon, Philadelphia Marathon, Portland Marathon, San Francisco Marathon, San Diego Rock'n'Roll Marathon, and many more.

Injury Prevention 

Joe is a strong proponent of having all of his runners work to attain and maintain loose, pliable and healthy muscles throughout training. His thoughts and approach to this topic are presented in his book Pliability for Runners, a workbook of self-tests for runners to add to their regular homecare habits.



more on Joe
Joe's coaching philosophy
Joe works with elite coaches and athletes in Kenya and Ethiopia
Boston Globe article on Joe
Joe's athlete interviewed after historic run
A visit to Stowe Running Camp

*Prior to BRC, Joe was the Mens and Womens Cross Country Head Coach at Newbury College, as well as the head coach of the Harvard Running Club and the Cambridge Running Club.

Through her coaching, Jenn provides support, motivation and mindset training to train smart and safe. Her unique background in holistic nutrition, running and yoga allows her to create unique programs to help you reach new levels of fitness and endurance. She has coached individuals and groups for everything from a 5K to full marathons and is both RRCA and USATF Level 1 certified.

In her free time she is usually out training for a marathon herself, reading up on the latest running & nutrition news, cooking or out on a hike with her Wheaten Terrier, Hannah.

Additional Certifications:

Board Certified by American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP)
Certified Holistic Health Counselor, Institute for Integrative Nutrition
Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT), Yoga Alliance
Vinyasa, Yin & Pre/Postnatal yoga certified teacher

schedule a free consultation with Jenn

Jenn's Coaching Philosophy I work with my runners using a comprehensive approach to training that includes the development of endurance, speed, strength and stability. I am a strong believer in using a periodization approach to training, which allows runners to build a strong base similar to that of a pyramid before building upwards towards new concepts & challenges. My programs are all personalized to the goals and focus of the client and allow for a balance of stress and recovery of the body in order to produce safe, effective results.

I am a firm believer in finding balance not only in training but in life as well. I teach runners to listen to their body with regards to pacing, level of exertion and finding their ideal amount of self-care time to compliment training. Proper rest, stretching and nutrition are essential to helping us perform at our best.

Health Coaching

In addition to coaching runners, Jenn also provides Health Coaching, a holistic approach to nutrition and health for all fitness levels. Together, you will look at all areas of your life to see how they are connected to develop a personalized plan to guide you towards your health goals. Sessions can be held on the phone, Skype or at the BRC in Brookline.

Common focus areas include:

• Weight loss
• Eating for energy
• Understanding food cravings
• Managing stress its impact on your body and diet

A note from Jenn - 'Everyones lifestyle is unique so their nutrition needs should be as well. During our time together, you will learn the tools and step-by-step techniques for lasting success with unlimited e-mail support between sessions. You will also receive done-for-you handouts and giveaways to support your progress throughout the program.'

Rick himself has qualified for the Boston Marathon for 32 consecutive marathons spanning five decades. He was selected as a torch-bearer for the 2004 Olympic Torch Relay and has participated in several ultra-running events to raise funds for various charities, including:

• 2002: Running entirely on a track, Rick completed 50 miles in ten hours to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
• 2004: For the Run Across Massachusetts, Rick ran 165 miles in five days - from the New York border to the state house in Boston - to raise awareness and money for the Special Olympics.
• 2006: Rick ran 62 miles on a track to raise funds for the Dr. Cynthia Lucero Latino Mental Health Program at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology.

Prior to his time in Boston, Daniel was the head coach of men's and women's cross country and track and field at Hunter College in New York City. During his three year tenure at Hunter, he led the women's team to two triple crown champions, multiple all-conference honorees and event champions, a number of ECAC event champions during indoor and outdoor track, and a women's cross country team that was recognized nationally as an all-academic team for earning over a 3.0 team GPA. Daniel spent his first year in New York serving as an assistant coach of men's and women's cross country for Sarah Lawrence College.

Daniel started his coaching career in Miami, FL. He spent a year at his alma mater, Florida International University, as a volunteer assistant. He oversaw the men's and women's cross country teams and distance group during the track seasons. Under his mentorship, the women's freshmen indoor 5k record was broken. Before FIU, Daniel spent four years as the head coach of boys and girls cross country and track and field at Doral Academy Charter High School. During those four years Daniel guided the first boys and first girls cross country teams to the Florida State Championships in school history.

Daniel started his running career in middle school and continued throughout high school and college. He attended Florida International University in Miami, FL. He competed in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track, where he saw action in the half mile race up to the 8k during the cross country season. Since college Daniel has competed in a variety of distances up to the half marathon and continues to run.

Training Philosophy

I am passionate about running and work to instill that passion with each client I work with. I have experience working with all age levels and experiences. I enjoy assisting clients with their running goals and I work to demonstrate key values that I believe play a role in achieving their goals; Patience, Consistency and Flexibility. Seeing progress in your work can take time and patience is key when working toward your goals in a safe and healthy way. Showing up each day is a big part of the challenge, even on days you might not feel up to working out. Flexibility is important because no training is written in stone and it can change week to week or day to day depending on the client. Communication I believe brings those three components together and are integral in a healthy coach-client relationship. More than working toward my clients running goals, I strive for my coaching to assist clients in identifying characteristics within themselves, such as building on confidence, perseverance, and focus. And most of all I hope they enjoy the process and journey as they work toward a goal!

Training Philosophy

As a coach it's important to be a part of the process early to help the athlete with goal setting and event selection. Ultramarathons come in all shapes and sizes and the athlete's training base and available training time will greatly influence the type of event and the goals that can be targeted.

Throughout the training process athletes can expect to train from least to most specific with blocks of VO2 Max, Threshold and Endurance. The amount of time spent training in each area will be influenced by the athlete's background and the amount of time until the goal event.

Building fitness is important, but fitness will only take you so far on race day. Each athlete needs to be well trained in hydration, nutrition and mental strategies so when they arrive at the start line they are confident and have the skill set needed to be successful. These strategies, as well as other training pieces like gear, elevation, heat, technical trails, etc will all be discussed throughout the training process - you will be prepared for whatever the day throws at you!

Testimonials

'Scott was amazing in my preparation for my first 100 mile race.'

'Every workout Scott prepared had purpose. Scott understands the value of hard training, while also working it into your work/life/family balance. He's also always reachable and responsive if you need some advice or want to pick his brain.'

'I wouldn't have had such a fun day in my first 100 miler without the help from my coach. Scott's training program put me through the ringer and prepared me incredibly well. His knowledge got me to race-day with confidence, instead of looming questions like, "did I train enough?"'

'I worked with Scott for over a year, he helped me get through a multi day mountain ultra race, a 50km trail race and helped get me in shape to finish my first Ironman event! I won over my friends in each of the events (is there anything more important ;) hehehe just kidding) although my friends and I love having friendly competition between each other and I'm usually in the middle of them, so it was fun winning for once! I do have to say I feel a little bad because it feels like I was cheating by having Scott coach me as they were training alone as normal. Scott helped me stay focused and held me accountable for getting my sessions in when appropriate and being ok with missing some here and there as daily life got in the way with young kids and work etc. I had a blast working with Scott and his plans were effective and fun, highly recommended!'

'A student of the sport and well-versed in a variety of training techniques. I spent a weekend running the White Mountains with Scott and came away with many new insights that have made significant impacts to my training and racing.'

Having worked as an exercise physiologist in pulmonary rehab, Sarah has experience working with a variety of populations and fitness levels. Runners that Sarah has coached have completed races ranging from the 400m hurdles to the Boston Marathon. She has recently been featured in Boston Magazine.

Sarah's Coaching Philosophy

When it comes to distance running, it is brutally honest. Our success depends on our ability to train safely and effectively. As a coach, I want to ensure that the runners that I work with understand what is required to run a specific distance and how to get there safely. Part of a successful marathon program is recognizing and understanding the commitment that is required, both in terms of self-care and training. I like to approach my coaching with two goals in mind: 1.) keeping the runner injury free and 2.) ensure that there is variety, challenge and success integrated throughout the training to make it enjoyable.

I specialize in mind/body training for running. Running is just as much, if not more, mental training as it is physical. I find that we are not always cognizant of our true potential and therefore can inadvertently limit our success. I like to work with runners on improving their pace awareness and body awareness levels.

In my spare time I run! Being a competitive runner, I understand and love the time, commitment and dedication required to reach peak performance. When I am not running, I am usually eating or catching up on the latest celebrity gossip.

Testimonials from Sarah's runners

"Strength training with Sarah has been a terrific experience. Sarah's knowledge, professionalism and goal-oriented approach have helped me to get stronger, more focused and remain injury-free. As a runner, I particularly appreciate Sarah's expertise in how strength-training can enhance my running experience and improve my performance while boosting my love for the sport. Sarah's enthusiasm and dedication are inspiring and motivating!" - B. Weber

"Sarah helped me find muscles I never knew I had! Her energy and flexibility made my goals a reality in less time than I imagined. Sarah's passion for fitness (and running, especially) is infectious! She gives you that extra boost to keep working hard even when you're fighting for air. I'm always impressed by Sarah's new routines and creative exercises - she keeps my workout exciting and injury-free!"

"Before I started working with Sarah, I committed to five sessions with a trainer I had never met. I figured I could get a few tips and add some new moves to my fitness routine. But once Sarah Anderson became a part of my workout, I couldn't let her go. From push ups with a tricep kick-back to frog jumps on a padded mat, I felt challenged, always sweaty, and yet thrilled with my results. Sarah gives you more than just a workout - she's a reservoir of motivation, an amazing listener, and a problem solver. When I had trouble with my knee, she showed me how to maneuver around the tender muscle and still get a rigorous sweat session. Her knowledge of the science and how to best use your body offer an invaluable element to each workout. Sarah's iconic in her field because she has it all - the brains, the biceps and the best attitude ever!"