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Issue 4
Interview With Coach Jordan Gusman, Hear From Joan Hunter, Running Tips, Enter Our Giveaway And More!
Austin Miller
February 01, 2023
This Issue is Brought To You By 2before
“2before gives me long-lasting energy during long runs/longer workouts and I love the satisfaction of knowing that this product is helping me before, during, and after all my hard training. Plus, as someone who is picky about what goes into their body before running, it sits incredibly well in my stomach and never interrupts my run or weight training. On harder workout days, I will have a second packet with caffeine, for extra energy to get out the door.” - Coach Drew
Interview with Coach Jordan Gusman (A.K.A Goosey)
What’s up, Goosey! Thanks for joining me for an interview. How are you doing today?
Thanks for having me mate. I'm doing great. Just finished up my easy week post-Houston half and getting back to some more serious training. We've got a pretty nice schedule moving forward which I'm excited about.
What’s new with you?
You know, I've kind of been all over the place these past few months. A while back I decided to transition to road racing and have since run two half marathons within a two-month period. Between the two, I spent 4 weeks back home in Australia and 4 weeks in Portland with my girlfriend's family. A lot of travel, but that's how it is during the holiday period. Other than that, I’ve just been dialing in on helping my Hammer & Axe athletes achieve their own goals and enjoying some downtime.
You’ve begun your transition to the roads. How are you liking it so far and what makes it different than competing on the track?
I am really loving it. It's a far less stressful environment and much more enjoyable. My body also really responds to the kind of training required for the roads which is a plus. I think it is far more about competing against yourself rather than competing with the other 20 guys in your track race, and I've really liked that aspect of it. I am getting on in age and I know this is my final chapter. I have mellowed out a little over the past few years and running for myself and the ones around me, trying to do the best I can each day is a new and refreshing mindset that the roads have allowed me to put into practice.
“Jordan started thinking about moving to longer distances not quite a year ago, spring 2022. He wanted to try a 10 miler and possibly the Houston Half. Part of his reasoning was that he has a hard time racing frequently, gets sick easily, and has struggled with injury. He felt that his body would respond better to less frequent racing, and being off the track and not having to wear spikes. He also enjoys simple training, with longer reps- exactly the kinds of workouts that road guys do! So, the plan was to have a normal track season in 2022, then when he went to Australia after the track season, he’d start the modified marathon training that I give everyone in the fall base season. Little did we know that life was about to get really hard for Jordan.”
You sadly lost your dad this year, if you’re comfortable, can you talk about how that’s affected you in life and in running?
It was a pretty sudden loss which I think was the hardest part. It was such a shock initially and quite frankly, still hard to believe. There were a lot of challenges associated with his passing, but trying to make sure the rest of the family was ok was especially tough, and it definitely put a halt to my running. That was part of the reason for the switch to roads. It also really helped me realize what was important in life and gave me a new perspective. I've been way more grateful for the things I have and found myself complaining a lot less.
“When his dad suffered an aneurysm in May, and it became clear that he was unlikely to recover, Jordan’s track season ended before it even began. He flew to Australia to see his dad before he passed away. He ended up in Australia for several months, helping his mom take care of things after his father died. He eventually got back to training and was enjoying the longer sessions, and was staying healthy. He had no access to a track and all his training was on roads. He did have a small injury setback but overall, his training was good and his mileage was higher than he had been previously with TME (though he had done some higher mileage as a younger runner). When Jordan returned to the US in mid-September, he was able to quickly integrate into Reed’s marathon build. He has stayed injury free and has been able to train consistently, something he really struggled with in the past. Perhaps most importantly, he has a renewed enthusiasm for competing and racing on the roads is new and interesting to him.
Although he might disagree with me, I think Jordan has done really well with his transition to longer races. But he’s still a rookie at these longer events and the roads. He seems to enjoy and is thriving on the longer work, and I think he enjoys working with our very even-keeled road guys!”
Moving into the new year, how are you looking to improve?
I used to really hate this answer. When I heard other pros say it when I was younger I always thought it was a cop-out and that they were holding onto some special secrets, but honestly, just being consistent and not getting hurt is how I think personally I can make the biggest improvements. I've shown some glimpses of brilliance over the years, but now it's time to put together seasons of those performances, and consistently training smart and staying healthy will do that for me.
We’ve got to know about the car, bro. Tell us why you bought it, what you’ve been doing, and why you’re so interested in that community.
I've always loved cars, ever since I was a young kid. I got that from my dad. We would always tinker with cars when I was a teen. For some reason, I fell in love with Hondas and really wanted an S2000 but ended up getting my friends at Revhard motors to find me the Honda S2000s little brother, the Honda Beat.
It was the last car I had ever spoken about with my dad and so I plan to hold onto that thing forever! It's currently getting a full engine rebuild to give it a few more years of life. Driving in Boulder and going to the few car shows I have, it's such an attention-piece and conversation starter, and regardless of whether it's a fast or slow car, people usually respect each other's builds. That's one of the best parts about the car community.
What’s your favorite game right now, and can our readers play with you?
Well, if anyone follows me on Instagram, they would know I play a LOT of Rocket League. I probably put in 5-6 hrs a day on that game and am always looking for teammates. Anyone who wants to play can message me on IG and we can figure it out!
Work With Jordan!
Coach Jordan Gusman works with all kinds of athletes from all over the world and would love to add a few more athletes to his roster.
Don’t need a coach? Try one of our training plans instead. We have plans for almost every distance and goal time you could think of (plus, they’re a good bang for your buck).
Training Tip of the Month
Training Tip: Experiment With Your Warmup!
Developing good habits that get your body warm and ready for a hard, race effort is vital to having a good performance. If you’ve ever wondered what coach Drew Hunter does before his own races, here it is! ⤵️
This is my “usual” warm-up before races. I start about an hour out from gun time.
Activation drills (wall swings, band work, hip stretch, glute bridges), 15 min jog, 2 minutes “uptempo pickup” (normally 5:20-5:00 pace), 1 min jog, 3x20 seconds on/ 40 seconds off (I start around 3k effort and I try to run faster each one) until I get to 3ish miles (around 20-21 min or so). I don’t overanalyze the pace of any of this: it’s all feel. I have run 5 min pace on these strides before races and still had a good result. Then I take about 5 minutes to decompress and take off some layers. Once I’m back at the track, I do drills for 10 min or so. I do about 5 walking drills and then 5 or so faster skipping drills. Finally, about 20-25 min from race time I will run 2-3x60m sprints faster than my race pace with full rest.
If you’re comfortable, we recommend experimenting with new warmup routines before workouts to find what works for you!
Giveaway Bonanza!
Last Month’s Winner
Last month, we did a 2before giveaway for a subscriber that answered our poll. We got a ton of responses, so thank you all!
The winner of that giveaway is… drum roll, please… [email protected]
We’ll be in touch with you so you can claim a free box of 2before ($50 value)
New Giveaway
For a chance to win a custom training plan ($90 value) from a coach of your choice, answer the poll below. The winner will be announced on 3/1!
What kind of content do you want more of on our Instagram page?If you're not already, follow @hammerandaxetraining on Instagram |
If you haven’t already, check out our other newsletter, The Axe, and read interviews from athletes that have used Hammer & Axe’s 1-on-1 coaching.
