The Just Athletics Podcast

We decided to have return guest Dr. Ross Dexter back to discuss the impact carbon plated shoes may have beyond really fast performances. Do they cause injuries? Ross is our go to guru to discuss just about anything related to the physio world. Ross is now the Assistant Athletic Director for Health and Performance at Southern Oregon University. This is a great discussion with a true expert. If you want to send in any questions for our next show or send us any message, please reach us at justathleticspodcast@gmail.com.Please subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page. Plus we would love to have you rate the show! 

Alex Lyons competed at American University for Matt Centrowitz Sr. and Sean Graham, for two years before transferring to the University of Illinois to focus on academics. He coached at the high school level for ten years in the state of Illinois at Lyons Township HS and Downers Grove North HS. Alex moved to Utah in 2023 and started coaching at Olympus HS in Salt Lake City in January of 2024. During his stint in Illinois, Alex coached a girl who broke the state meet record in the mile. He has had 14 former athletes go on to compete at the NCAA Division One level.  Alex is a USATF Level 1 and 2 certified coach (in endurance) and a graduate of the Altis Mentorship Program. Recently Alex started Lyons Performance Consulting where he works with coaches at every level to improve their programs. Alex is also a licensed massage therapist. We asked good friend of the show, Jay Johnson, to share his thoughts on Alex and they are as follows: "I've coached for 25 year, at all levels of the sport, and I can say with confidence that Alex Lyons is one of the sharpest minds and clearest thinkers in distance running. Alex is one of the few coaches who truly understands both the science of coaching and the art of coaching. Perhaps the strongest endorsement I can offer is this: as a father of both a high school  and middle school athlete, I would trust Alex completely to guide my own children's training.If you're a parent with the opportunity to have Alex work with your son or daughter, you won't regret it. Alex's expertise and approach to coaching will set them up for success in high school and beyond.If you're a coach - at any level - looking to accelerate your professional development, spending time with Alex is invaluable. Whether you're trying to get your team on the podium or simply want to deepen your understanding of the sport, an hour or two on a call with Alex will do more for your coaching than attending a typical coaching clinic (and I say this as someone who puts on coaching clinics)."Alex truly is "so damn good" as Dave states on the show and this pod is a good representation of just how smart Alex is. We hope you enjoy the show! Also, if you want to send in any questions for our next show or send us any message, please reach us at justathleticspodcast@gmail.com.Please subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page. Plus we would love to have you rate the show! 

If you know of Dirk Lakeman’s running career you are probably in awe.If you don’t know about it, sit back and relax and listen to Dirk take you through his time at powerhouse South Eugene in the late 1970s under the guidance of legendary coach Harry Johnson, who after building the dynasty of all high school dynasties went on to coach a little professional group called Athletics West.DIrk was the best HS miler in the country in 1977. His 4:04.94 mile time set at the Pre Classic was an Oregon State record that held for 27 years until it was broken by another home grown Oregon Legend and Olympic medalist. His high school 4xMile team ran 17:05 and his DMR ran 10:07. Both of those records stood for 40 years. Dirk got it done before super shoes and altitude tents with pure grit, determination and good old-fashioned hard work. And he was coachable. He won state titles in cross country two times and on the track. His friendly, but fierce rivalry with the great Billy McChesney is one of the most iconic in Oregon HS history. It’s amazing to hear about it in Dirk's words (highlighted by their epic clash in the mile at the district meet their senior year).After HS Dirk went on to be an All-American at the University of Arizona, then on to a professional career that included National Championships in several distances and participation on World Cross teams. Dirk coached all four of his kids, no doubt highlighted by Caleb’s dramatic double victory at the Oregon State meet in 2022 in the 1500 and the 3000. Currently, Dirk is coaching cross and track at Clackamas Community College and his love for running has never been stronger. If you know Dirk, you love him like we do. If you don’t know Dirk, after this podcast you will know why we love him and you will probably love him too.This was a special one for the Just Athletics Podcast. Dirk is a legend, a great father and husband and a dear friend. We hope you enjoy this as much as we did.Also, if you want to send in any questions for our next show or send us any message, please reach us at justathleticspodcast@gmail.comPlease subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

No guest this episode. Chris, Dave, and Travis just talk. You must really like these fellas to listen to this episode. The guys talk about some random stuff, but mostly about training.  If you do enjoy the show, especially outside of this episode, please give us that five-star rating! Also, if you want to send in any questions for our next show or send us any message, please reach us at justathleticspodcast@gmail.comPlease subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

Fresh off of the Boulder Running Clinic, we are thrilled to have Jonathan Dalby, Co-Head Coach of Cross Country and Track & Field at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch, CO. Jonathan is regarded as one of the best high school coaches in the entire country. His girls team won Nike Cross Nationals this fall by an impressive 32 points. This was the first national title for Jonathan, but his Mountain Vista teams have consistently been making trips to NXN on both the boys and girls side with multiple top our finishes. Jonathan was just recently named the National Cross Country Co-Coach of the Year with his co-head coach Eric Selle by USTFCCCA for the 2024 season. Jonathan shares incredible insight into his program at Mountain Vista and the dream season for his girls team this last fall. We hope you all enjoy the pod with one of this brilliant coaching mind and an incredible person in Jonathan. Please subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

We are fortunate enough to finally have Jamey Harris on the pod to breakdown his epic win at the 1998 USA Track & Field Championships in the 1500m in New Orleans. You can find video of the race here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us2CfrGmR_MJamey ran and graduated from Fresno State University in 1994 and went on to compete as a professional runner before taking his talents to the coaching ranks. Jamey is currently the Head Cross Country Coach at Cal Poly Humboldt, you can read more of Jamey's accomplishments as a coach here: https://humboldtathletics.com/staff-directory/jamey-harris/232It was fun breaking down Jamey's most glorious race....so far. We will have Jamey back for trivia or just to hang out, because if you're eve hung out at the Wild Duck in Eugene, OR, you know Jamey is always the life of the party.  Jamey also now has the distinction of being the first time we needed to label one of these episodes as explicit, how fitting. Enjoy the show!  Please subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

Chris, Dave, and Travis are fired up to breakdown a film no one has seen in "On The Edge" starring Bruce Dern from 1986. The best running movie ever made. If you want to see the film, you can find it here on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0stg_3P9fkM (note there is nudity in the movie). You'll probably want to watch the film before listening to the podcast, but still might be a fun listen without seeing it. If we didn't convince you and you want to see a trailer to see if this movie if worth your time, you can find the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHr4XtxViOY To learn more about the actor Bruce Dern's running background, you can read this article by Runner's World: https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a20852252/a-running-conversation-with-bruce-dern/We hope you enjoy the show, it was a lot of fun to record, any other film breakdown requests? Let us know on the social media.  Please subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

Sean Brosnan, an established coach in sport, discusses coaching arguably the greatest high school cross country team ever. They also touch on topics like NBA talent, changes in the game, reflections on training and coaching, and the importance of keeping athletes healthy.

After a LONG hiatus, the boys are back and with a new format....scandals and animals, OK not that, but TRIVIA! It is a clash of the titans as Chris competes against Dave in a 10 round trivia question format where you listeners can play along in the comfort of your homes, on a drive, on on a run. Moderated by Travis Floeck, this will be a series that we come back to regularly. Please enjoy! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

We have one cool cat on the show today and one of the best middle distance runners in the United States and the World. Craig Engels is only 26 years old, but already has an impressive resume as a world-class middle distance runner. He is the 2019 USATF 1500m National Champion in a race where battled the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist, Matt Centrowitz, to the line winning by .04 seconds. He went on to make the IAAF World Championship final that year in the 1500m, where he finished 10th, just .20 seconds off his personal best of 3:34.04. Craig started off 2019 with another USATF title in the mile at the USATF Indoor Championships. Another major highlight of his professional career includes a 7th place finish at the World Indoor Championships in the 1500m in 2018. He also has a personal best of 1:44.68 in the 800m. Craig is coached by Pete Julian and runs for Nike. Mr. Engels attended Ole Miss for a majority of his collegiate career after transferring from North Carolina State University. At Ole Miss, he was a multiple-time NCAA All-American, the first SEC Champion in the 1500m from Ole Miss, and the school-record holder in the 1500m. His senior season he finished 7th at the NCAA Championships in the 1500m, but just a few weeks later at the 2016 Olympic Trials he burst onto the national scene placing 4th in the 800m and 5th in the 1500m, nearly making the Olympic team. He was born and raised in North Carolina and attended Ronald W. Reagan High School in Pfafftown. He set school records in the 800m, mile, and 3200m and also won the best hair award at his high school. Craig's reputation as being cooler than the other side of the pillow held up in this pod. We hope you all enjoy it as much as we did recording it. Thanks Craig! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.