ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Sarah Lorge Butler talks to Mike Smith about his transition from coaching cross country and track & field at Northern Arizona University to coaching Nike's Swoosh TC Flagstaff hub.

Mike discusses his decision to leave NAU, work-life balance in coaching, how building a pro team is different from building a college team, the impact of NIL and the transfer portal on collegiate running, and much more.

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Sports

Running

English

United States

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SHOW NOTES 🔗

00:00:00Intro

00:01:04On leaving NAU and skipping NCAA XC this year

00:08:05Does he have better balance in his life now?

00:09:25The Swoosh TC setup and who he's coaching

00:13:57On learning how to be a pro runner

00:18:50Team culture in college vs. the pros

00:25:02How his wife, Rachel Smith, is doing, seven months postpartum

00:28:02On athletes who excel—and those who don't—at the NCAA XC Championships

00:30:20The impact of NIL and the transfer portal on collegiate running

00:32:00On restoring some balance and making time to work out

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