179. The Carbohydrate Revolution, Deep Thoughts on Coaching and Leadership, and Pacing Like Beautiful Idiots!
Nov 7, 2023
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The podcast covers various interesting topics including the carbohydrate revolution in endurance sports, coaching reflections from the NFL, an inspiring story from the US Trail Half Marathon Championships, a study on timing iron intake, the New York City Marathon, and hot takes. They also discuss the impact of high carbohydrate intake on performance, revolutionizing carb intake with new nutrition brands, the benefits of precision hydration, sustainable coaching, and the challenges faced by athletes.
Coaching success is driven by genuine care, respect, and empathy for players, rather than ego-driven tactics.
Josh McDaniels' failure as an NFL coach highlights the negative impact of prioritizing ego over player well-being.
Balancing self-confidence with empathy and respect is crucial for coaches to inspire and challenge players.
Building a positive team culture through love, respect, and mentorship leads to better player performance and team cohesion.
Deep dives
The Importance of Coaching Leadership
Coaching is not just about designing plays, but about connecting with and understanding the players. It's about showing love and respect, listening to their needs, and putting them in positions to succeed. Coaches who prioritize their ego over their players' well-being will struggle to gain their respect and commitment.
Lessons from Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick
Josh McDaniels, a former NFL coach, exemplifies the negative impact of ego-driven coaching. Despite his tactical knowledge, players did not respect or care for him, resulting in a lack of effort and commitment. On the other hand, coaches like Bill Belichick succeed by prioritizing genuine care and respect for their players. They create an environment where players are willing to push themselves to their limits and give their all for the team.
Understanding the Role of Ego in Coaching
Coaching is about balancing a strong sense of self with empathy, understanding, and respect for the players. A coach's ego should serve as a tool to motivate and challenge players to reach their full potential, rather than overshadowing their needs and abilities. Building strong connections and fostering a positive team dynamic are vital for creating a successful coaching environment.
The Importance of Mentoring and Love in Coaching
Coaching is not just about strategy and tactics, but also about mentoring and nurturing players. Emphasizing love, respect, and individual growth can foster a positive team culture and inspire players to perform at their best. Coaches who prioritize their players' well-being and success rather than their own ego-driven desires are more likely to build successful and cohesive teams.
Corny to Walter would win Ironman Kona or Tour de France fans with one season of specific training.
It takes very specific training and would not be true for elite male runners.
MRIs can sometimes be unreliable and not always necessary for diagnosis.
Sometimes MRI findings can be incidental and vary between radiologists.
Learning or practicing navigation skills with a paper map and compass is a crucial life skill for trail runners.
Having the ability to navigate without relying on technology, such as a phone, can be essential in case of emergencies or when devices die.
Our brain juices were really flowing on this great episode! The main story came from the pro peloton in cycling, where athletes are pushing the limits of carbohydrate consumption during hard races. In general, teams closely monitor fueling to get athletes to 100-120 grams of carbs per hour (400-480 calories), and there are hints that some are pushing the limits even farther. What can we learn? Our theory: "food doping" is not just for the pros, it's the way for all of us to access our greatest strengths and make hard training healthier in the process. Yet still, somehow, this is an unsettled area for runners. We bring the heat with our spiciest thoughts on performance fueling.
It's really hard to summarize this episode, so we'll just say this: as soon as the recording stopped, we agreed that it was the most fun we have had doing one of these. You probably know what that means... so many weird and fun discussions! Other topics: Josh McDaniels getting fired from the NFL as an excuse to wax poetic on ego-driven coaches, why the sports world has so often celebrated coaches who are bad people, what lessons there might be for leadership generally, why we love when athletes race as often as possible at shorter distances, our endless Halloween, a debate on candy flavors, the most incredible story from the US Trail Half Marathon Championships, a cool new study on timing of iron intake, NYC Marathon stories, Strava DMs, how to think about MRIs, and hot takes.
Our takes are like our crop tops and like all of our listeners. They are HOT STUFF.
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