by Larry Eder
RunBlogRun presents
The Brooks Run Guide Interviews,
Episode 01:
Danny Mackey
Danny Mackey is the founding coach of the Brooks Beasts Track Club, where he coaches athletes from the 800 meters to the marathon. Most of his athletes are in the 800m-10,000m events .
His considered approach to coaching is a great way to showcase the art of coaching. Danny looks at each athlete as an individual and fine tunes each athletes’ planning and goals.
Danny Mackey comes from a strong high school and college running experience. Danny told us that he has wanted to be a coach since he was twenty years old.
In this episode, we asked Danny Mackey his thoughts on working with high school athletes
- How to Develop a threshold pace.
- How to vary workouts (threshold, fartleks): Our bodies crave variability, different paces is key.
- Starting to instill discipline, and an intential approach to running.
- Have fun, this is the workout.
- Thoughts on Recovery days, athletes keep is easy, Josh Kerr uses a near analog watch, others use heart race monitors, keeping heart under 130 beats per minute.
- Weight work for middle distance runners: Rudimentary, hip extensions, core strength, squats are good (posture is important). Close circuits, lap pull downs, bench press, setting up a good foundation. No more than 30-40 minutes in the weight room.
- Long runs for high school: 65-70 minutes for freshman-juniors, 85-90 minutes for seniors. But remember, it is so individual. Check them after 50-60 minutes of running. Remember Jack Daniel ‘s heart rate training. 90 minute mark where complete glycogen stores. Dependent of the athlete.
- Tempo Runs: 20-25 seconds slower than average mile pace in current 5k racing. Danny suggested even 25-30 seconds slower per mile than current 5k race pace.
Coach Danny Mackey with Josh Kerr and Brooks Beasts TC teammates, photo by Paul Merca /@paulmerca70601 - Modulating break days, maybe the second resting day, put pace monitor on, “I give Beasts Thursday a flex day. A fit guy can go 5:50 pace, but if it is slow, 6:45 for guys. Smart to give a second eacy day
- Fartlek: Danny’s staple high school workout fave: “We did 1 minute on, 1 minute off, times 10, on a trail. When we got older, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute, times 3, with one minute slow between each, two minutes on, two minutes off. “
- Danny Mackey suggests varying the surfaces, varying footwear (Ghosts 17 for hard days, Brooks Max on easy and long days). “I had a normal running shoe, then a Hyperion Max for fast work.”
- Are your top athletes, like Brandon and Isaiah in spikes/ “No, we only put spikes on if are doing 800m pace or faster, sometimes 200 meters in 25 in flats. I limit spikes due to plantar and achilles injury.”
- Warm-up? “Ten to twenty minutes of easy running, A skips, B skips, high knees, karoke, toy soldiers, straight legs, but kicks, then one 200m before workout starts.”
- Cooldown: “Brandon Miller, 6-7 minutes, walk, 6-7 minutes, Josh Kerr, could be 3 mile cooldown. “
- Intentional approach for Josh Kerr prior to Tokyo: “Did Grand Slam, London 1,500m, British Athletics 5,000m, Josh ran last 1k in 2:30, so I was happy.”
- How I describe Danny Mackey: Danny is “possessed by the scientific method.” I took that from a piece by the late and great Kenny Moore.
- Danny Mackey speaks about their coaching team.
- How would Danny speak to coaching young athletes ” I think having a philosophy is probaby educating athletes on it. If you have a point of view, a north star, then, focus on that.”
- Coaching Clinic value, Community part is important. If coaching gets lonely it is really hard.
- Coaching resources: Altis is a great resource!
#TheBrooksRunGuideInterviews and #BrooksCoachingNewsletter is a new collaboration between Brooks and RunBlogRun!
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/ runblogrunSpecial thanks to Mike Deering, original member of The Shoe Addicts, who edits, clips, manages and produces the podcast for Fortius Media Group, LLC and RunBlogRun.com.
Special thanks to Danny Mackey, founding coach of the Brooks Beasts Track Club.
To learn more about Brooks Running, please go to www.brooksrunning.com.
