Book Lessons with Coach Jim

I am a lifelong runner, student of the sport, and active practitioner. I've coached athletes to state championships in cross country and indoor & outdoor track. My athletes have run at the NCAA D1, D2 and D3 levels. I have also proudly helped brand-new runners (of all ages) complete their first 5k and fall in love with this lifelong sport.

I am a former high school varsity cross country and track runner, specializing in 800m - 3200m. I completed my first marathon when I was 14 years old and have run over 30 marathons. In college, I competed as a Cross Country Skier and returned to competitive running post-collegiately. I had the privilege to work with legendary coach, Jack Daniels PhD, and integrated his physiology-driven approach to my own coaching strategy.

I carry my passion for running to my full-time pursuit as owner and proprietor of Valley Forge Running Company. I outfit all types of runners with carefully curated performance footwear to help them train injury free.

I can help someone improve by empowering them with the belief that they are capable of achieving their goals through a systematic progressive training program that builds confidence and athletic ability. The training is based on proven physiologically driven training that includes the research and approaches of renowned coaches and exercise scientists including Arthur Lydiard (New Zealand), Bill Bowerman ( U Oregon, Nike), Bill Dellinger (U Oregon), Renato Canova (Itallk/Kenya/Ethiopia), Jack Daniels (USA), Mark Wetmore (U Colorado), Mike Smith (NAU), Steve Magness (Nike, U Huston), John Marcus (Portland State), Jay Dicharry (Dr. of PT), and others.

A typical training session starts with a debrief of your practice and activity since the last training session--what's going well and what isn't going well. We address any questions or concerns, including any changes that have arisen. Next, we review the workout scheduled for that day, and most importantly, its purpose.

Workouts start with an easy 5- to 10-minute warmup run (if experienced). Next are a series of active mobility exercises including dynamic drills. Short strides are next, about 20 seconds in duration. Then we will progress through the main body of the workout. Training sessions usually end in some additional strides or hill sprints, then a cool down run and static stretching. We'll review how aspects of the workout went and make a specific plan for what's next.

I've been coaching for 10+ years. I am the former head coach of William Tennent High School cross country and indoor/outdoor track teams, head coach of Newtown Friends School's cross country team, head coach of St. Catherine of Siena School (NC) cross country team as well as Assistant Coach of Archbishop Wood High School cross country and indoor/outdoor track teams.

Most recently, I've worked one-on-one with adults and student athletes as an individual Performance Coach, guiding runners to meet their individual goals.

The best coach I have ever was my high school running coach, John McGory. He was an inspirational support for everyone on the team, despite their ability. He motivated us to push beyond what we thought we were capable of and spoke from the perspective of a very successful runner. As an active practitioner of competitive running, and a passionate one, his advice and guidance came from the heart.

Part of my philosophy of coaching is making sure the athletes I am working with understand the "why" for everything that I ask them to do--from rest days to hill sprints to weekly and monthly cycles of training. Without that understanding, something gets lost and the coaching is not as effective. I am experienced coaching based on running pace, RPE (rate of perceived effort), heart rate, and power. I'm excited to share what each means and how it will make a difference in how you train.