Relaxed and Fast

Summer mileage is banked — so what comes next? Coach Eby and Coach Fiorentino break down Baldwin Wallace's transition from base-building into race-specific and sub-race-pace work, including how they decide when to make the switch, what a workout actually looks like in this phase, and how they coach athletes through the mental shift from "just run" to "run fast on purpose." Whether you're an athlete hitting race pace for the first time this season or a parent trying to understand what's changing in training, this one breaks it down in plain terms.

Coach Joe Eby and Coach Josh Fiorentino of Baldwin Wallace University Cross Country and Track & Field break down how their threshold training philosophy has changed over the years — and why. In this episode of Relaxed and Fast, the coaches cover: •How BW's threshold workouts have evolved from early-career approaches to today •The shift from fixed pace to individualized, effort-based threshold work •How continuous vs. broken threshold sessions are used differently now •Why lactate awareness and perceived effort matter more than a stopwatch •Practical threshold workout examples coaches and athletes can apply Whether you're a high school recruit trying to understand college-level training, a parent wanting to know what "threshold" actually means, or a coach building your own program, this episode gives real, specific insight into distance training philosophy. #ThresholdTraining #DistanceRunning #CrossCountry #TrackAndField #CoachingPhilosophy #NCAADIII #RunningCoach #BaldwinWallace #RelaxedAndFastPodcast

In this episode, Baldwin Wallace University Head Cross Country Coach Joe Eby and Coach Fiorentino break down the full 2026 BW Cross Country schedule — nine meets, five off weekends, and a championship path that runs through the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) and NCAA Division III postseason.   Topics covered:   •Season opener at Wooster (Wooster, OH) •Michigan State Pre-Regional (East Lansing, MI) — Varsity only, top 8 •Allegheny / Ben Mourer Invitational (Meadville, PA) •OWU/Lehigh split trip (Powell, OH / Bethlehem, PA) •Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble (Oberlin, OH) •OAC Championships hosted at Baldwin Wallace (Lorain, OH) •Great Lakes Regional (East Lansing, MI) — Varsity only •NCAA Division III National Championships (Northfield, MN)   Coach Eby and Coach Fiorentino explain how the schedule is built — why off weeks matter as much as race weeks, how meet selection prepares the team for postseason competition, and what recruits and parents should understand about the road to NCAA Nationals.   Perfect for high school recruits evaluating D3 cross country programs, parents navigating the college recruiting process, and coaches building their own program calendars.   #CrossCountry #BaldwinWallace #NCAADIII #OAC #CollegeRecruiting #TrackAndField #D3XC #RelaxedAndFastPodcast

In this episode of Relaxed and Fast, Coach Joe Eby and Coach Fiorentino of Baldwin Wallace University Cross Country and Track and Field pull back the curtain on what a real day in the program actually looks like — no highlight reel, no filter.   Topics covered in this episode:   •What a full day actually looks like, hour by hour, from wake-up to lights out •How much of the day is running versus lifting, meals, class, treatment, and sleep •What recovery really looks like day to day, not just in theory •The unscripted moments that happen in the van that never make it to social media •What surprises athletes most once they’re living the schedule versus what they imagined during recruiting •The people behind the scenes — trainers, managers, and support staff — who make the day work •The least glamorous part of being a college distance runner, and how the team handles a bad day   Whether you’re a high school recruit trying to picture what daily life on a college team really looks like, a parent evaluating programs, or a coach building your own team’s daily structure, this episode offers an honest, unpolished look at what it actually takes.   Follow Baldwin Wallace Track and Field & Cross Country: @bw_tf_xc Follow Coach Eby: @Run800met   #crosscountry #trackandfield #D3recruiting #collegerecruiting #dayinthelife #collegeathletics #distancerunning #studentathlete #teamculture #collegecoaching

In this episode of Relaxed and Fast, Coach Joe Eby and Coach Fiorentino of Baldwin Wallace University Cross Country and Track and Field pull back the curtain on preseason camp — and why running is actually the smallest part of it. Topics covered in this episode: •What preseason camp is really designed to accomplish beyond fitness •Why coaches teach the “why” behind training, mental fitness, and goal setting instead of just handing out workouts •How intentional discomfort is used to build growth, and where the line is between productive challenge and difficulty for its own sake •Where team culture actually gets built — vans, meals, shoe trips, bonfires, and the moments between scheduled activities •What freshmen should get out of camp, and the role returners play in creating that experience •Why team goals are set after time together, not before — and the difference between team-owned goals and coach-imposed ones •What separates a “successful” camp from one that just completed the workouts Whether you’re a high school recruit trying to understand what life on a college cross country or track team really looks like, a parent navigating the recruiting process, or a coach building your own preseason program, this episode offers an honest look inside a D3 program’s culture-building process. Follow Baldwin Wallace Track and Field & Cross Country: @bw_tf_xc Follow Coach Eby: @Run800met #crosscountry #trackandfield #D3recruiting #collegerecruiting #preseasontraining #teamculture #studentathlete #distancerunning #collegecoaching