” I truly think this is one of the best things we could have done for our teams... were racing with more confidence and having more fun. The results also speak for themselves. On the women’s side we had our first NCAA XC qualifier in a decade and our men finished 11 spots higher than last year at the regional meet after losing one of our top guys to graduation.”
~ Jennie Swieton, Director of Cross-Country/ Track and Field, Central Michigan University
Focus sessions are 30 min, weekly, online lessons which I have been developing over the past decade. They span a wide range of content from practical tips to optimize performance, scientific info to better understand oneself, and stories which can deepen an athlete’s sense of meaning and purpose within sport.
In the fall the content will be discussed primarily in a cross-country context, and in the spring, a track context. However, the subject matter is easily applicable to all forms of competitive running, and honestly, life as a whole.
Myself, along with NAU alumni and current pros (Drew Bosley, Santiago Prosser, Nico Young, Alyson Churchill and more), are working to redesign this series. Although many of the titles of these sessions are the same as they have been in the past, expect a great deal of new energy and content! One of these athletes will join me live in each session. A short Q & A will be offered after each one.
This series is suited to high school age athletes, collegiates, professionals, coaches, parents and running enthusiasts. But, even if you are not a runner, or even an athlete, you will probably find plenty here that is applicable to what you are passionate about.
This year we are offering both fall and spring seasons. Although the content will build on itself as we progress, registrants are welcome anytime. Later registrants will have access to all prior content.
Registration will open mid-summer.
A full curriculum and further registration details are below.
FALL ONLINE FOCUS SESSION SERIES: MENTAL PERFORMANCE BASICS
OVERVIEW
16 weekly zoom sessions held on Monday evenings from mid-August to late November 2026.
**All sessions will be recorded for later viewing**
Cost: TBA
The fall series is an ideal intro to mental performance skills. The curriculum will include the topics below. Here are some clips:
CURRICULUM
SESSION 1: Introduction to Focus Sessions
- The mountain and the weather metaphor.
- Connecting to the heart of the race
Establishing a Foundation
SESSION 2: Who Do You Want To Be?
- What qualities inside of you do you want to access?
SESSION 3: How Are You Going To See? Part 1
- Outcome vs. process focus – establishing a performance enhancing perspective.
SESSION 4: What Are You Going To Do?
- The loose race focus plan.
- The pre-race ritual.
SESSION 5: Visualization
Basic Practices
SESSION 6: Weather Basics
- Understanding what gets in the way of our best.
SESSION 7: Mindfulness Meditation and RBF
SESSION 8: The Breath
SESSION 9: Confidence, Control and Focus
SESSION 10: Nerves and Fear
SESSION 11: Pain
SESSION 12: Handling Injuries and Setbacks
SESSION 13: Sleep
Expanding Perspective
SESSION 14: Working with Emotions – Tonglen
SESSION 15: Progressive Muscle Relaxation
SESSION 16: The Ego and the Explorer
- The ego mentality vs. the explorer mentality
SPRING ONLINE FOCUS SESSION SERIES: THE HERO’S JOURNEY
OVERVIEW
18 weekly zoom sessions held on Monday evenings from mid-January to mid-May 2027.
**All sessions will be recorded for later viewing**
Cost: TBA
The spring season will primarily address the “story” that athletes are living by and the relationship that they have with competitive running. We we will learn about some tendencies of the human brain, including why athletes react the way that they do in competitive scenarios. Methods to access one’s best and work with the “weather” that arises both inside and outside the race will be covered.
This series is well-suited to athletes who hope to have a long future in competitive running – those who wish to understand the roots of both successful and unsuccessful mental performance and choose what myths they train, compete and live by.
It is recommended that athletes are familiar with the fall season content prior to the spring season, but not required.
CURRICULUM
* Subject to change as the series continues to be revised
SESSION 1 — Intro to Story
• The power of the story through which we live sport.
SESSION 2 — The Hero’s Journey
• The story equal to the challenge of the athletic journey.
SESSION 3 — Initiations
• Finding meaning in struggle.
SESSION 4 – Relationship with the Race
- Establishing resilient and nourishing goals.
SESSION 4 — Inner State Strategies Part 1
- We’ll learn an exercise which helps ease mental and emotional “weather” before, during and post race.
SESSION 5 — Inner State Practice Part 1
- This session will be devoted to practicing the exercise learned in session 4.
SESSION 6 — The Wish and Fear of Finding out How Good You Are
- How to understand and work with athlete’s greatest desire and greatest fear
SESSION 7 — Inner State Strategies Part 2
- We’ll learn another exercise which helps ease mental and emotional “weather” before, during and post race.
SESSION 8 — Inner State Practice Part 2
- This session will be devoted to practicing the exercise learned in session 7.
SESSION 10 — Weather Inside the Race
- Understanding within-race challenges and applying learned tools.
SESSION 11 — Personalized Plans and Rituals
- How to customize and apply what we have learned.
SESSION 12 — Trust, Desire and Curiosity
- How to access these powerful qualities
SESSION 13 — Hope, Humility and Gratitude
- How to access these powerful qualities
SESSION 14 — Conviction
- Energy for our best selves.
SESSION 15 — Connecting to the Heart of the Race
- Engagement at its highest.
SESSION 16 — Belonging
- The most performance enhancing presence.
SESSION 17 — The Irreplaceable Athlete
- The race would not be the same without you.
SESSION18 — Generosity and Giving
- The power of a sense of abundance and generosity.
MENTAL PERFORMANCE 