Coach Chuck Schwartz

Great post! PATIENCE and PERSPECTIVE are critical! Sometimes the breakthrough follows a setback and months of quiet, consistent hard work. We ALWAYS need to cultivate gratitude!

Insecurity drives us to overtrain. Insecure runners don’t rest and recover. I know…I was one for my entire career! 😁

If you're worried about losing all your hard work by taking a few days off, don't be. True, cellular-level fitness doesn't disappear overnight. You can miss five days in a row without losing a bit of fitness. Even after extended time off, the loss is minimal. Train consistently, and don't be afraid to add Rest. #runningcoach #exercisescience #vdot #vdoto2

What a great place for a race finish! High School XC allows kids to see cool places, have great experiences and meet awesome folks! I was excited that one of my female athletes broke the course record, running 17:47 on a tough course. She was excited because she got to meet one of her heroes, Thomas Valles (McFarland USA)! Thomas is an amazing person who brightens every event he is a part of! Hats off to Marcy Epperson for putting on such a cool event. What a visionary, to conceptualize and make that race happen!

I’ve heard this gentleman’s story before and he was a fascinating person. Lifestyle and willpower will win out every time. Personal perspective is also a powerful thing. Ultras are probably less daunting to a guy who grew up constantly running as a part of his lifestyle. It’s amazing to observe high levels of adaptation. I was hiking the Napoli Coast in Kauai years ago and was worn out and tired. Sun beaten, I was thinking I had not packed enough water, sunscreen and snacks. A surfer with no shoes, no shirt and a broken board came cruising past me on the rocks. He had hiked a decent haul from Hannakapia Beach. He offered up a friendly greeting and kept right on going. He was a living example of adaptation. He was local, he was surfing treacherous waters and hiking out a pretty rugged trail in bare feet. This was a very normal experience for him. If we want to be better endurance athletes, we might consider these examples. The longer I coach, the more I see that lifestyle is key to success in endurance sports and that perspective is a powerful thing.

In 1983, the grueling 875-kilometer Sydney-to-Melbourne Ultramarathon drew elite athletes from around the world, young runners equipped with the latest gear and backed by sponsors. Among them was Cliff Young, a humble 57-year-old farmer in work clothes and rubber boots. Without any formal training or racing experience, Cliff quietly positioned himself at the starting line, ready to run just as he'd done his entire life while herding sheep.

Growing up on his family's vast, eight-square-mile farm, Cliff had never used cars or horses; his own legs were his transport. Whenever storms approached, he'd run tirelessly across the farm to gather up the family's 2,000 sheep, sometimes for days at a time. This lifestyle gave him endurance few could match. When Cliff discovered ultramarathons late in life, he embraced them with the same resolve, never considering age an obstacle.

On race day, the spectators and media were astonished. Here stood an elderly man without a crew, sponsor, or even a plan for rest. Competitors typically ran 18 hours a day, then slept for six, finishing in about five days. But Cliff wasn't aware of this strategy he simply kept moving forward continuously, day and night. Though he lagged behind during daylight, he steadily gained ground overnight while everyone else rested.

By the final stretch, Cliff was ahead, and he crossed the finish line in 5 days, 15 hours, and 4 minutes, beating the nearest runner by ten hours.

His victory inspired the entire nation, yet Cliff remained modest. He refused to accept the $10,000 prize money for himself, instead dividing it equally among the other competitors. This generous gesture, coupled with his incredible determination, transformed him into an Australian hero.

Cliff continued to run, even attempting a 16,000-kilometer journey to raise funds for homeless children. Despite battling cancer in later years, at age 78, he set a new world record in a six-day race in 2000. Cliff Young passed away in 2003, leaving behind an enduring legacy of perseverance and kindness, inspiring runners and dreamers everywhere!

Yes! I’m a big believer! You can take your running and coaching (among many other things) to another level!

#rachelmitchell #ladylongevity #businessdevelopment #personaldevelopment… | Rachel Mitchell | 106 comments Did you know that there is power in affirmations? Ever noticed how some people seem to attract success effortlessly? It’s not luck. It’s not magic. It’s… | 106 comments on LinkedIn

Forgot about this classic photo. Cool story-alumni got a bug to run a race and raise money for ASC. I believe it was Dave Cuadrado that organized it. At the last minute, we all drove up to Cuad’s house in Arvada and slept on the floor. Washington Park and the Alamo Alumni Run. Scored like an XC race, we ran against other college alums. With Pat Porter on your team in 1990 how are you gonna lose? Anyway, we perfect scored the field and raised a few grand for the program. Fun memory and that was how we rolled all the time back then as post-collegiate athletes. I probably slept on a floor 10 times on race trips. 😂

What a remarkable accomplishment. Great to see my Alma Mater and my good friend Damon Martin still providing an excellent place for athletes to grow and excel! This guy is a beast! Well done Romaine!

🗣️ “Another step to show that D2 is something special.” Adams State’s Romain Legendre was the top collegiate finisher in the men’s 5K at the 2025 BU Terrier Classic, running 13:02 to finish second overall. He spoke with us about how much the record-breaking performance means for himself, his school, and all of D2. He’ll return to race the 3K at BU in the highly anticipated Valentine Invitational in 2 weeks. Watch the full post-race interview with Legendre on our YouTube channel! 🎥 Interview via @will_loggia

Wow! Adams State home meet with Pat Porter mixing it up with the varsity. It was never beneath him to get out and run with the boys! This particular course was in Carroll’s Woods-curvy, bumpy, dusty, undulating and probably a long 5 miles…all at 7544 ft…also, looks like 1989.

Happy Birthday to my sweet daughter Cassie! She possesses the kindest spirit I’ve encountered and has a fiery determination deep inside! A gift from God to our family and living proof that miracles exist!

Pre-Nats Media photo! December 2024. My athletes defined grit in 2024, looking for big gains in 2025!

FloTrack did a feature on our program this past Fall. Provides a glimpse at our program and a bit of the training environment we have at the Academy. Hats off to my athletes for doing a good job (as they normally do 😁) in front of the camera and not overdoing the workout!

Defending Nike Cross Nationals Champions Air Academy High School Take on 6x1K | Workout Wednesday Earlier this fall, the FloTrack team caught up with the defending NXN Champions, the Lady Kadets, from Air Academy High School in Colorado, for an early-seas...