The Extramilest Podcast

#99: Sifan Hassan's Coach, Tim Rowberry Shares Training Advice for Runners of All Levels

The Extramilest Podcast

Show Notes

Thanks to LMNT for sponsoring this video! Head to https://DrinkLMNT.com/FLO to get your free sample pack with any purchase. Tim Rowberry is the coach of Olympic and World Champion Sifan Hassan. She won six Olympic medals. In Tokyo 2020, she earned gold in the 5k and 10k, plus a bronze in the 1,500m. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, she won gold in the marathon, bronze in the 5k, and bronze in the 10k. Absolutely mindblowing how Sifan and Tim pulled that off. She also won her first 2 marathons in London and Chicago. Tim is a thoughtful, curious, and highly analytical coach who blends science, psychology, and intuition to bring out the best in his athletes. We dive into his coaching philosophy, his approach to developing athletes over time, and the key lessons he's learned working at the highest level of the sport.

Watch this full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LzQK5Am2qyQ

CHAPTERS: 0:00 – Tim Roberry's coaching approach and working with Sifan Hassan 2:51 – How Tim started coaching Sifan Hassan 4:57 – Life and training camp experience in Kenya 7:37 – Keeping training fun and interesting 10:56 – Intuition as a coach and building a feedback loop with athletes 12:38 – Understanding your range: short vs long distance performance 17:27 – How Tim and Sifan adapt training flexibility 23:26 – Adjusting speed workouts based on Sifan's readiness 25:26 – Pushing vs backing off: how Tim reads the athlete 29:40 – Lowering intensity and building volume 33:36 – What data really matters in elite performance 36:05 – The role of food in training, racing, and everyday performance 38:15 – Advice Tim would give to his younger self 39:28 – How race day at London Marathon unfolded for Tim as a coach 45:13 – Tim's behind-the-scenes view during Sifan's marathon 48:15 – Tim's perspective on Sifan's historic win 51:00 – Tim's mindset tips for first-time racers 52:19 – How Sifan bounced back from the 10,000m fall in Budapest 55:14 – Common mistakes runners make 57:03 – Where to find Tim 57:44 – Tips to become a stronger, healthier, and happier athlete

FIND TIM ROWBERRY: ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rowberry

RUNNERS MENTIONED: ► Sifan Hassan - https://www.instagram.com/sifanhassan ► Eliud Kipchoge - https://youtu.be/7E6TNeoOC3Y

YOU CAN FIND ME, COACH FLORIS GIERMAN HERE: ► Our Personal Best Coaching Program: https://www.pbprogram.com/ ► Free Weekly Running Newsletter: https://extramilest.com/subscribe ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/florisgierman ► Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1329785 ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florisgierman ► Extramilest: https://extramilest.com/ ► Path Projects: https://pathprojects.com/flo ► Podcast: https://extramilest.com/podcast/

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ABOUT THE EXTRAMILEST SHOW: A podcast and YouTube channel where host Floris Gierman interviews world class athletes, coaches and health experts on the topic of how to become a stronger, healthier and happier athlete.

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