Morgan McDonald – 4x NCAA Champion, 2x Olympian, and host of the infamous Coffee Club podcast – joins us on the guest side of the mic to share insights on his training over the past year after leaving OAC and the pursuit of finding trust, ownership, consistency, purpose and success in his running.Hear more on why Morgan decided to leave OAC, the differences he's felt after training more precisely with threshold training and why he says he's underdeveloped aerobically, and the full origin story and purpose behind the Coffee Club podcast - which has recorded over 200 episodes!We're grateful to partner with Stryd and LifeQuotes to bring you this episode. Learn more about each of our partners below. Stryd @Stryd Achieve your best run everyday by getting the most accurate power and pacing metrics in real-time. Learn more: https://stryd.live/haxLifeQuotesProtect the long run.Get your free quote today: https://lifequotes.com or call 800-955-6618In This Episode:00:12 Life and Racing Updates04:54 Training Shift With Mick09:54 Being Aerobically 'Underdeveloped'14:27 Lessons From Almgren18:59 Remote Coaching System22:24 Solo Training Support24:43 Weekly Training Structure Breakdown28:18 Double Threshold30:41 Leaving OAC Decision37:19 Lessons From Ritz44:39 The Rise of On And OAC49:08 Coffee Club Origins01:01:16 Favorite Episodes01:05:17 Race Schedule, Wrap UpCoffee Club Pod: @COFFEECLUBPOD ____________________________________________⚒️ About Hammer & Axe TrainingOur coaches work with runners of all levels, providing genuine relationships, proven training methods, and education that helps athletes train with purpose and consistency.1:1 Coaching | Take our quiz to find your coach: https://haxtraining.com/take-the-coaches-quizTraining Plan Library: https://www.trainingpeaks.com/partners/hammer-axe/Follow For Daily Training Content: https://www.instagram.com/hammerandaxetraining/Read Our Newsletter: https://thehammer.beehiiv.comUnlock the Ultimate HS Training Library:Want complete access to a library of 150+ training plans? We're excited to offer the HAX Athlete Bundle, with plans including base building and XC training to 800 through 5K specific plans across varying time goals and experience levels. Just $24.99/month gets you complete access alongside a premium TrainingPeaks membership. Get yours today: https://checkout.trainingpeaks.com/product/781dc3ac-6723-4bbf-93cb-bc0066c68201

OAC professional and world-class middle-distance runner Sage Hurta-Klecker joins us to reflect on her recent breakthrough year in the 800m, highlighted by a 1:55.89 performance in Tokyo last fall that made her the third-fastest American woman in history. She shares how she navigated races that didn't go her way, learned to manage the emotional highs and lows of championship racing, and continued to trust her potential in the 800m despite outside pressure to move up in distance as most runners do throughout their careers. Sage also discusses where she's at now and how she's approaching a unique summer season without a traditional World Championship, shifting her focus to the Diamond League circuit and the newly introduced World Ultimate Championships.She also opens up about the heartbreak of the 2024 Olympic Trials, her toughest competitors globally in the 800m, and what it's like being the speed-focused outlier under coach Dathan Ritzenhein on a team primarily built around longer-distance events.In This Episode:01:32 Summer Goals Without Worlds04:02 World Ultimate Champs Explained04:58 Ranking Points And Funding07:24 Peaking And Racing More08:35 Penn Relays 400m Race Recap10:47 Tokyo Breakthrough Story14:31 Navigating Championship Rounds20:51 Chasing The American Record26:49 Hardest 800 Competitors29:06 Standing Out In OAC34:37 From Steeple To 80042:06 Biking And Speed Work47:36 Training With Joe56:04 Defining Career Success____________________________________________HAX Show Partners: We're grateful to partner with Stryd and LifeQuotes to bring you this episode. Learn more about each of our partners below. StrydAchieve your best run everyday by getting the most accurate power and pacing metrics in real-time. Learn more: https://stryd.live/haxLifeQuotesProtect the long run.Get your free quote today: https://lifequotes.com or call 800-955-6618____________________________________________⚒️ About Hammer & Axe TrainingOur coaches work with runners of all levels, providing genuine relationships, proven training methods, and education that helps athletes train with purpose and consistency.Unlock the Ultimate HS Training Library:Want complete access to a library of 150+ training plans? We're excited to offer the HAX Athlete Bundle, with plans including base building and XC training to 800 through 5K specific plans across varying time goals and experience levels. Just $24.99/month gets you complete access alongside a premium TrainingPeaks membership. Get yours today: https://checkout.trainingpeaks.com/product/781dc3ac-6723-4bbf-93cb-bc0066c682011:1 Coaching | Take our quiz to find your coach: https://haxtraining.com/take-the-coaches-quizTraining Plan Library: https://www.trainingpeaks.com/partners/hammer-axe/Follow For Daily Training Content: https://www.instagram.com/hammerandaxetraining/Read Our Newsletter: https://thehammer.beehiiv.com

How do you structure the summer months for a high school cross country team comprised both of runners with zero running background, and those gunning for a national championship? In this episode, host Drew sits down with legendary coach (and Mom!) Joan Hunter for a full deep-dive on structuring the ultimate summer base-building phase.This is a guided discussion peeling back the layers of Joan's highly successful 9-week high school summer training blueprint. She breaks down her training philosophy for high schoolers of all levels, giving insight into her developmental, caring, structured, and strategic approach– one that led Loudoun Valley High School to win back-to-back national championships.High school XC coaches and athletes: this one's for you! Listen for a full unveiling of summer training knowledge from one of the best coaches out there.Want access to Joan's summer XC guide? Head to the Resources page on our website and download it for free! https://haxtraining.com/guidesIf you found this conversation valuable, be sure to like the video and subscribe for more! We have lots of exciting stuff coming up this summer 👀In This Episode:02:45 Run Walk For Beginners05:07 Injury Proofing Routine06:44 Long Runs09:58 Easy Days Easy11:53 Hills For Strength13:38 Team Culture And Warmups17:11 Training In Summer Heat20:21 Soreness Logs And Adjustments24:45 Team Culture26:03 Race Day Warmup Routine36:13 Modern Changes And Shoes38:44 Do Kids Need More Miles39:30 NIL And College Pressure45:33 Pro vs HS Coaching_____________________________________________________HAX Show Partners: We're grateful to partner with Stryd and LifeQuotes to bring you this episode. Learn more about each of our partners below. StrydAchieve your best run everyday by getting the most accurate power and pacing metrics in real-time. Learn more: https://stryd.live/haxLifeQuotesProtect the long run.Get your free quote today: https://lifequotes.com or call 800-955-6618______________________________________________________⚒️ About Hammer & Axe TrainingOur coaches work with runners of all levels, providing genuine relationships, proven training methods, and education that helps athletes train with purpose and consistency.Unlock the Ultimate HS Training Library:Want complete access to a library of 150+ training plans? We're excited to offer the HAX Athlete Bundle, with plans including base building and XC training to 800 through 5K specific plans across varying time goals and experience levels. Just $24.99/month gets you complete access alongside a premium TrainingPeaks membership. Get yours today: https://checkout.trainingpeaks.com/product/781dc3ac-6723-4bbf-93cb-bc0066c682011:1 Coaching | Take our quiz to find your coach: https://haxtraining.com/take-the-coaches-quizTraining Plan Library: https://www.trainingpeaks.com/partners/hammer-axe/Follow For Daily Training Content: https://www.instagram.com/hammerandaxetraining/Read Our Newsletter: https://thehammer.beehiiv.com