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Nick Stenuf

@throughthecoachinglens

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Communication. Individualization. Relationships.

I talk about communication and individualization a lot, because I believe effective coaching starts with truly getting to know your athletes.

How do they respond to different situations?
How can you get the most out of them?
What style of communication and guidance works best for them?
How are they doing personally?
How are they handling the workload—athletically, academically, and personally?

Sure, data points like pace, volume, and performance tell us a lot. But numbers are only part of the picture.

How an athlete feels during different segments of a training cycle can tell a coach just as much. It can help us determine when we need to adjust the training, when we need to push, or when we need to communicate what an athlete should be feeling based on where they are in the periodization process.

A majority of my coaching comes from my biweekly one-on-one meetings with athletes.

I create a spreadsheet and share it with the team so everyone can sign up for a time. I typically set aside 4–5 days of meeting times, but I also make time outside of those hours when needed.

Eventually, I’ll have athletes who naturally stop by and check in periodically, and those conversations become an important part of our day-to-day communication. But the scheduled meetings are intentional.

They ensure that every single person in our program has dedicated time with me.

Because individualization isn’t just about writing a different workout.

It’s about knowing the person you’re coaching well enough to understand what they need, when they need it, and how you can help them become their best.

That’s coaching! by @throughthecoachinglens

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12 days ago

Individualization!

One of the biggest things I try to do as a coach is individualize training for my athletes.

To me, that means focusing on what each athlete needs to perform at their best. Sometimes that means working on weaknesses. Sometimes it means continuing to develop strengths. Either way, my first thought when structuring training is:

“How can I help them get better?”

There are a lot of things that go into individualizing a program:

1️⃣ What is the purpose of the week or session?
2️⃣ What training cycle are we in?
3️⃣ What controllable factors may alter what they are doing?
4️⃣ What uncontrollable factors may alter what they are doing?

We may not always get it perfect, but I believe attention to detail and communication give us the best opportunity to build a successful program.

In this video from our threshold session, you’ll see some of the athletes on our Boost treadmills, some on the normal treadmills, and some running on the grass fields.

What you don’t see are athletes cross-training through a simulated threshold session, and others running on our paved running path. Some even went at different times because of their class schedule.

Different locations. Different methods. Same purpose.

They are all doing what is best for them during this specific training block.

Sure, it takes time. It takes planning. And it means I’m moving between multiple groups throughout the session.

But that’s part of the job.

Individualization isn’t about making training easier. It’s about making training appropriate.

And when we can put each athlete in the best position to improve, we make it happen. by @throughthecoachinglens

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18 days ago

Talk it out.

As coaches, we have an obligation to do right by our student-athletes. Their well-being is priority #1.

With that comes the responsibility to have open, sincere, and respectful conversations. Sometimes those conversations are easy. Sometimes they’re hard. But no matter what, they need to be honest, effective, and rooted in respect.

Today was one of those days where I needed to listen to an athlete’s frustration, see things from their perspective, and also provide some tough love.

At the end of the day, when an athlete knows you respect them, care about them, and genuinely want what’s best for them, you can have a healthy dialogue—even when you’re telling them something they don’t necessarily want to hear.

Sometimes our job is to tell athletes what they want to hear.

Other times, our job is to tell them what they need to hear.

The best part is when both sides can walk away from that conversation understanding each other a little better.

I enjoy the hard parts of coaching just as much as the rewarding parts, because those difficult conversations are often where the most growth happens.

Coaching isn’t about always making someone feel good. It’s about caring enough to have the conversations that help them become better.

Better athletes. Better teammates. Better people.

And sometimes, the most important thing we can coach isn’t found on a track, in a weight room, or on a scoreboard—it’s learned through a difficult conversation handled with honesty, respect, and care. by @throughthecoachinglens

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25 days ago

One adjustment at a time.

One of my biggest beliefs when making corrections is to only change one thing at a time.

Sometimes, giving an athlete too many instructions at once can create more confusion, cause them to revert back to the root of the issue, or even make the problem worse.

As we continue working on our front-side mechanics and incorporating wickets, the goal isn’t to completely change everything overnight. It’s about making small, marginal improvements each week.

Through the first two weeks, the girls are already looking better—and each athlete has received, at most, 1–2 adjustments.

That’s intentional.

We’re building better positions, better habits, and ultimately more efficient athletes one piece at a time.

The goal isn’t perfection.
The goal is progress. by @throughthecoachinglens

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a month ago

Through the Eyes of a Coach: Pre-Race Prep

Today I wanted to share a few pre-race coaching tips and a little look behind the scenes.

One thing I try to do as a coach is over-communicate and over-plan. I’ve found that the more information I can provide ahead of time, the less the athletes have to worry about when it comes to planning, logistics, and overthinking.

At the same time, I try to keep it simple and accessible. The goal isn’t to overwhelm them with information — it’s to give them everything they need so they can focus on what actually matters: racing.

As we go through our course preview, here are a few simple things I use:

🗺️ Laminated maps — Something physical they can reference while we walk through the course.

📱 Detailed information in the group chat — Even though the athletes already have an itinerary, I like to put the important details directly where they can easily find them.

📲 Saved race plan on my phone’s home screen — Quick, convenient access to the plan without having to search through messages or documents.

Small details, but they matter.

Good coaching isn’t always about adding more. Sometimes it’s about taking away the unnecessary stress so athletes can do what they came here to do.

Plan it. Communicate it. Simplify it. Then let them race. 🏁 by @throughthecoachinglens

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a month ago

Wednesday = Recovery Day. 🔄

For us, Wednesday can look a little different for everyone. Some athletes have a midweek long run. Some have an even-split double. Some cross-train. And some do everything in between.

But what I love most about these days isn’t necessarily the training — it’s the communication.

I get the opportunity to talk with athletes about what they need. Not just as runners, but as people.

I believe strongly in a holistic approach to coaching. Training is important, but so is everything that surrounds it. Today, we talked about the present and the future — school, work, relationships, goals, life, and everything in between.

We still got in some essential training, but we also took the time to check in, listen, and have real conversations.

Because coaching isn’t just about developing better athletes.

It’s about developing better people.

The life and joy of being a coach. ❤️ by @throughthecoachinglens

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a month ago

Hard days hard. Easy days easy.

Today we put in some threshold work on the grass, followed by a lift. Everything we do has a purpose and a place.

Our strength training isn’t separate from our running—it mimics the training block and complements what we’re asking the athletes to do on the track.

During a threshold session, I’m constantly paying attention to how the athletes are responding: their effort, mechanics, rhythm, and overall readiness.

In the weight room, our strength coach is doing the same thing.

Training isn’t about simply checking a box or doing more for the sake of doing more. It’s about training appropriately, training with intention, and understanding the “why” behind what we do.

Hard days hard. Easy days easy. Everything has a purpose. by @throughthecoachinglens

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a month ago

Through the Eyes of a Coach 👀 | Middle Distance Women

Today, our middle distance women worked through a plyo series, followed by some front-side mechanics drills.

Simple? Yes. Basic? Absolutely. But there’s a purpose behind it.

These drills help prepare the body and reinforce the positions we want to see before we get into strides and wickets. The goal is to create awareness of posture, positioning, and mechanics so that when we add speed, the body already knows where we want it to be.

This is not perfect, and that’s okay. We are working toward becoming more efficient, moving better, and getting stronger. There will be adjustments, imperfections, and plenty of room to grow.

This is just the beginning of the journey.

Simple drills. Intentional movement. Building better athletes. by @throughthecoachinglens

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a month ago

Today was about finding your rhythm.

Recognizing when to pack it up, when to push, and when to listen to how the body is responding today and go your own pace.

Today’s natural progression run was based on effort—not a prescribed pace. And we saw a little bit of everything: a big pack, a small pack, and a few individuals finding their own rhythm.

To me, that means the workout was done well.

The goal isn’t always to run together. It’s to learn how to read the effort, trust yourself, and execute the session the way it’s meant to be done.

Beautiful morning to get another solid session in.
Find your rhythm. Trust the process. Keep building. by @throughthecoachinglens

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a month ago

🔥 DAY 1: THROUGH THE COACHING LENS 👀

Today… HILLS PAY THE BILLS! ⛰️💰

What does coaching really look like?

Not just the workouts. Not just the races. Not just the wins.

I’m pulling back the curtain and taking you behind the scenes—the practice conversations, the instructions, the adjustments, the tough moments, the small details, and the everyday grind that make up this profession.

🎥 No filter. No fluff. Just coaching.

Follow along as I share the grind Through the Eyes of a Coach.

Let’s get to work. 💪🔥 taken in Coleman Coliseum by @throughthecoachinglens

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a month ago