About Kusala
The vision at Kusala Endurance is to help runners develop their fitness and athletic ability in harmony with their lives.
Helping You Train Happier, Not Harder
There is a moment that every runner has where they exceed their own expectations and they’re in awe of themselves — experiencing that moment with you is what it’s all about for me.
Coach Jacob
Aside from coaching, I’m a university lecturer in kinesiology, and I’m father of two teenagers, one of whom has a disability. Communication, mentorship, and leadership are coursing through these veins! I tend to connect with people easily due to my “protagonist” personality type (ENFJ) for what that’s worth. I’m an optimist who will give it to you straight when it comes to training and health.
My coaching approach is based upon teaching fundamental skills of running and endurance. Unlike coaches who are elite athletes, I’m more of an “Everyman Jack” (or Jake, if you will), so I understand the process of developing everyday people into endurance athletes. The principles I incorporate into my coaching and training plans are always grounded in sport science and make use of metrics like heart rate zones.
Everything I do is intended to help you identify, practice, and master the skills necessary to achieve your running goals without running your body into the ground. This is the Kusala approach that forms the cornerstone of my coaching philosophy. Simply put, a skillful approach is a wholesome approach.
Like most runners, nobody ever needed to convince me to get out and run. I’ve also experienced injuries, setbacks, time conflicts, and frustration that many runners know well. Even with two degrees in sport science and all the coaching training I’ve done, I realized a lot of it revolves around developing youth, collegiate, and professional athletes — people who unlike the rest of us, can spend a lot of time focused on their sport and not much else, relatively speaking. What I have observed is getting back to basics — or at least starting there — can be a highly effective approach.
Focusing on fundamentals, teaching runners the cues to pay attention to, and how NOT to hurt themselves is what I do now. This can have an even bigger impact on seasoned runners who have accumulated some wear and tear over the years. So, regardless of your experience level, I’d be stoked to help you achieve your goals using a new approach.
Benefits of Kusala Training
It’s important to move forward in a way that’s measured and respectful of your body’s ability to accomplish amazing things. From a physical health and mental health perspective, we need time to adapt to and manage increased stresses. By replacing non-functional training with smarter training and intentional recovery, you can experience having more energy, fewer injuries, less stress, and improved performance. The Kusala approach is effective and it’s built on simple time-tested ideas.
Health
Happiness
Harmony
Read more about the Kusala vision here.
Let's Make It Happen!
Maybe you’re not really in the market for a coach, that’s ok. If you want to talk running, or just kick some ideas around, drop me a message.
If I can help you find your stoke factor, awesome. Maybe you need a little beta on running in the High Sierra or the beautiful trails of Marin County? I’m happy to share my knowledge. Need a pacer for your race? Pacing is the best! If I’m available and you need some support, I’ll give it consideration! If you’re just getting started with running, I’m happy to provide some suggestions too.
You probably get the point. This isn’t just a job for me, it’s not just something to do. It’s my lifestyle.
Run Happy and Be Well
Take 2 minutes to complete a brief coaching assessment, and I’ll get back to you with some thoughts about achieving your goals. After that, you can decide if you’re interested in working together.