I'm a firm believer that everyone has an inner athlete that can be unlocked. When you train properly you strengthen the body, the mind and set yourself up for performance gains that surpass expectations.

Some people are able to figure things out on their own through trial and error but having a great coach is often necessary to get you to the next level and beyond.  Ideally your coach will have the experience to see the overall picture, the patience to focus on incremental growth over many cycles and understand your individual strengths and weaknesses in order to make corrections that lead to big improvements.

I'm committed to helping people reach their potential and looking for motivated, goal oriented individuals that are searching for direction and assistance in their running and racing.
 
Please contact Coach John Loftus at [email protected] or use the contact form above to start your journey. I will send you complete information about the Run Your Potential individualized training program and a questionnaire to fill out so I know more about your running history and goals. Then we can talk on the phone to answer questions and discuss issues that impact your training schedule. I look forward to working with you!

Are you looking for an individualized training program and a qualified running coach for the 2018 Boston Marathon?

Run Your Potential has assisted over a 100 runners (113) with Boston Qualifying, training and running the Boston Marathon over the last ten years and we have another 10 runners entered for 2018.

Coach John Loftus is returning for his 8th Boston Marathon and another attempt at an age division podium finish. He was 1st  in his age division at Boston in 2009 and 1st again in 2013.

The historic Boston Marathon course is unique and requires specific training and strategy to do your best. Many runners are most concerned about the Newton Hills which start shortly after mile 16 and end after cresting Heartbreak Hill at mile 21. But honestly the 4 Newton Hills are not that steep, not that long and have ample breaks between them. If the hills are difficult it's mainly because of the steeper down hill course profile in the first 4 miles and the tendency for many runners to go out too fast and hard for the first half of the race. So specific downhill, uphill and rolling hill training is required along with a good strategy for holding onto your energy and endurance for the final 5 miles.

And there is a lot of time in the days and hours leading up to the race to let mental games and bad judgement get the most of you. You are surrounded by thousands of good runners and the city if full of excitement and nervous energy. If you get too sucked into the electricity you can burn up lots of energy that would be much better saved for the race course. So I will have some specific instructions on how to spend your time in Boston and keep your calm so your Patriots Day results match up to your goals. We will doing group easy runs on the 2 days leading up to the race and a carb load lunch on Sunday.

Training properly is not just about the Boston specific workouts but also about your recovery, nutrition, strength training and maintaining balance with all other aspects of your life. This is where individualized coaching comes in. Step one after signing up is to fill out a questionnaire that documents your running and training history, strengths, weaknesses and unique particulars of your lifestyle. Once received, Coach John will call to go over the questionnaire and discuss the training.

An on-line spreadsheet training plan is then set-up that will give you the daily workouts, training paces, weekly volume etc. You fill in what you run each day along with comments on how it felt and any issues that arise. The coach is available through phone, email, text messaging for any questions, concerns and discussion. Modifications and adjustments can  be made on a daily or weekly basis  for any issues that come up.

The cost for the Run Your Potential 2018 Boston Marathon training program is normally $160/month. But if you sign up before January 1, 2018 the price is reduced to $140/month for a 3 month sign up. 

Please contact Coach John at coach@runyourpotential or use the contact form above if you have any questions.

Over the years I have tried a lot of different nutritional supplements to see if they worked for me.  For example I used to get painful muscle cramps in my legs during my sleep. It was suggested that I increase my daily intake of Magnesium and that took care of the issue right away.

I would take protein powders mainly in the Whey and Casein form for recovery and rebuilding muscle after hard workouts and races. I felt it was helpful, especially the Casein protein powder I would take before sleep. This form of protein power digests slower than Whey protein so it is bio-available during the sleep cycle when the majority of muscle rebuilding occurs. But I didn't like the extra calories, the slight stomach upset of drinking it so late in the evening or the concern that protein powders can tax the kidneys/liver.

Then I heard about a product called PerfectAmino which is a special formulation of the 8 essential Amino Acids that has an eye-popping 99% Amino Acid Utilization (most protein powders and supplements only average 16% body utilization and most dietary food proteins average 32%) I've been using this supplement for over 8 months now and have been recommending it to my running group and other endurance athletes.

As mentioned I have tried a lot of different supplements but usually can't tell much if any difference in performance or recovery. But with PerfectAmino my recovery after big workout/race days has improved considerably and a hamstring issue that plagued me all last year cleared up in the first month of use. I've been doing a lot of high mileage in the spring of 2017 leading up to a 50 mile and a 63 mile ultra race. Peak mileage weeks were in the 90 to 100 mile range and I ran a 37 mile Saturday run and followed it up with a brisk 16 miler up/down Blackstar Canyon the next day without soreness.

I also find an increase in energy levels by taking PerfectAmino before my workouts. Generally I take 5 to 8 tablets in the morning and then another dose after moderate or heavy exercise. It is also avail in powder form for those who don't like taking pills.. PerfectAminoXP - Drink Powder. I've stopped taking Protein Powders and rely solely on PerfectAmino to supplement my dietary protein intake.

If you are looking for better recovery I highly recommend you try out PerfectAmino.

And if you use the code LOFTUS10 on checkout you will get another 10% off (this code works on nearly all the BodyHealth products anytime, even when they are on sale)

The first half of 2017 is about over and RYP has been having a great year of consistent training and racing both near and far.
From local So Cal races like the Catalina 50K, So Cal Half, Surf City, Spirit Run, Tustin Hanger Half, Ragnar, Carlsbad 5000, Whoos in El Moro and OC Marathon to more distance races like the Boston Marathon, Phoenix Marathon, Mt Charleston Marathon, American River 50, Miwok 100K, Yosemite Half, Beach to Bay Relay and Comrades Ultra.
Road, trail, short, medium, long and ultra we set big goals and chase after them with purpose.
Looking forward to the second half of the year with more big goals on the horizon!
Cheers,
Coach John

the dog days of summer are usually a period marked by lethargy, inactivity, or indolence.. not with this dedicated group of athletes! #runyourpotential #newportcoasttriathlonteam #groupworkoutsynergy

Strong group run this am.. most are training for the Boston Marathon or Ojai Mountains2Beach Marathon so ran the Quail Hill rolling hill route with an optional climb up Bommer Canyon into El Morro.
Best of racing to all the SoCal Ragnar Relays runners, IM Oceanside 70.3 triathletes, Paris Marathon and Carlsbad 5000 runners this weekend!! #runyourpotential #NCTT

Coming up on 3 months of training for 2016 and all systems are GO! Can't wait to see how everyone performs with all the big races coming up. RYP Strong! #NCTT #runyourpotential

Great start of 2016 for Run Your Potential racers at the SoCal races today. Aya won the 18 mile race with a 6:40 average pace!! Marzena ran a one minute all time PR in the Half, 3 minutes,29 seconds faster than last year and 4th place woman!! Amy ran a big PR.. 3 minutes,11 seconds faster than last year!! And Karol ran a big PR.. 4:12 faster than Ojai!
Lots of hard work/great training paying off big time. Next up Surf City!