About

Coaching Philosophy

My first mission as a coach is never to allow an athlete to compromise their livelihood, health, or mental well-being in the pursuit of performance goals.  I deeply believe that performance comes hand in hand with living a healthy and happy life, and thus our choices will always favor the whole human first and the athlete second.  

The core of my belief system is that every human is an athlete and a great mover, it just takes the right approach and consistency to allow that human to unlock their full potential.  The level and height of every person’s success can vary and be dependent on many aspects of their life, but I believe the satisfaction of achieving one’s goals and pursuits is equal for everyone.  From the Olympian to the Adult learning to exercise, reaching your goals leaves the same happiness and sense of accomplishment for all.  

Background

My coaching journey began in 2012 in Brooklyn as a Fitness Manager and Personal Trainer. I studied Biology and Exercise Physiology at Long Island University, focusing on Strength & Conditioning. Drawn to running by the NYRR program, I shifted to running events and performance improvement through run and movement training, participating in my first triathlon in Queens. I spent the next 7 years coaching and competing in triathlons, primarily in Olympic, 70.3, and off-road events.

In 2015, I moved to San Francisco to work with the Purple Patch Fitness team, coaching under Head Coach Matt Dixon. I was involved in coaching in-person sessions, including Sunday Swims, indoor cycling, and the track program for runners. This led to founding the Nth Degree Athletic Club, where I am currently the Head Coach.

In San Francisco, I’ve competed in events from 1500m on the track to 50-mile ultraruns and completed two marathons at CIM and Boston. I have been coaching athletes for over 12 years, focusing on performance and lifestyle approaches in triathlon, running, swimming, cycling, and rowing.

Want to learn more? Tune in!

Check out some of these podcasts / videos that Mike has been a part of. The topics are wide in variety, but you can get a good insight into the coaching philosophy and experience of Coach Mike here.

Here is a great chat with the epic Bay Athletes Mimi Albert Kellogg and Brigitte Bradford on the Runners of the Bay podcast. We talk about many things including the birth of Nth Degree AC, living in Brooklyn, and of course, PIZZA.

The 10k distance is the perfect blend of toughness, strength, and speed. There's no one better than Coach Mike Olzinski of Nth Degree Athletics to give us the goods with 3 KEY workouts.

Mike has a wonderful chat with his dear friend, colleague, and running buddy... Mario Fraioli on his epic The Morning Shakeout podcast! We cover some pretty deep topics and really do get to the "origin story" of Coach Mike, via his love for music as well!

Here is a great conversation with his long time mentor and co-founder / Head Coach of Purple Patch Fitness, Matt Dixon. This is a great conversation that discusses more of Mike's philosophy on strength training for endurance athletes, and why it is so important that they learn to lift.. and lift HEAVY!

These 5k training tips & workouts for strength & speed will really get you going in the right direction! Special thanks to guest coach Mike Olzinski, as he'll be sharing the very things he used himself to run a 5k in 15:58 on the road!

“I see coaching as an art form—and it’s the science [that] gives you the tools that you need—but just like we found out that you tie two strings together and you pluck it, it reverberates and it makes a noise, it doesn’t mean you can play Little Wing on the guitar. So we know what physiology looks like, what blood flow looks like, what muscle function looks like, but taking that and putting it into a program for a human being, to me, is an art form and that is an infinite pursuit.”

Mike Olzinski