Episode 165. Improving Mental Performance With Tammie Bennett

What happens in your head before the starting line, through the hardest miles, and long after the finish line matters just as much as the training under your feet. In this episode of the Nike After Dark Tour series, Coach Bennett sits down with mental performance coach—who happens to be his wife Tammie Bennett AKA “Coach Bennett the Greater”—to unpack the race before the race. From writing training plans in pencil to understanding that shifting your goals when life happens isn’t weakness, Tammie shares why defining your "why" and approaching big ambitions with kindness is the true foundation of sustainable running.

When starting-line nerves take hold, Tammie explains how to find that sweet spot between apathy and panic using tangible tools like visualization, reset breathing, and a simple hand-to-heart promise that you will meet yourself with love at the finish, no matter what the clock reads. If race day derails mid-stride, the focus shifts to immediate, controllable actions: dropping your shoulders, relaxing your jaw, and swapping self-criticism for scientific curiosity. By asking open-ended questions like “Let’s see what happens if I run by feel for a mile,” runners can silence spirals of doubt and treat every challenge as data rather than judgment.

The work doesn’t stop when you cross the timing mat. Tammie and Coach Bennett dive into the often-overlooked post-race letdown and why it is critical to dissect your wins, give yourself credit for the grit you showed, and schedule intentional time to simply rest and revel in your accomplishment before jumping to "what's next". Plus, Coach answers a listener question offering essential guidance for first-time racers on celebrating early and defining a great race beyond the numbers on a watch.

Cheers and thank you for listening!

Coach Bennett

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Episode 164. Run Your Way With Beba Guzmán

Running is one of the most democratic spaces in sport—there’s no mold to fit into, no pace threshold required, and no single way to be a runner. In this special episode from the Nike After Dark Tour series, I sit down with Beba Guzmán: runner, director, producer, community leader, and founder of a movement dedicated to getting more women to the starting line.

Beba shares how stepping directly toward discomfort sparked a journey that evolved from a tentative 2K into crossing the finish line of an 8K race, discovering running as both a megaphone and a canvas for storytelling. They explore the vital importance of representation, why taking up space in sport matters far beyond race day, and the powerful community movement Beba created for International Women’s Day in Mexico—uniting thousands of women without corporate agendas or registration barriers, purely to reclaim space, honor history, and demand safety and equality.

Plus, stick around to the end of the episode as Coach answers a voicemail from listener Katie, who shares her moving story of lacing up and running through cancer treatments.

Cheers and thank you for listening,

Coach Bennett

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________________________________________________________________________

AFTER DARK TOUR SERIES

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Episode 163. Embracing Your Community With Swetha Subbiah

In this latest episode of the Nike After Dark Tour series, Coach Bennett sits down with coach, community builder, and Sisters in Sweat co-founder Shwetha Subbiah to unpack how running transforms when we stop doing it alone. From leading an impromptu race warmup that led to her very first 10K to building an inclusive running movement across India, Shwetha shares how borrowing belief from a group breaks down mental barriers, empowers new runners to claim their space, and turns intimidation into joy. Plus, Coach Bennett answers a listener voicemail about trusting your training and tackling race-day pace goals.

Cheers and thank you for listening!

Coach Bennett

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My book This Is About Running. This Is Not About Running. is now available for pre-order!

USA readers can order my book by clicking this sentence.

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________________________________________________________________________

AFTER DARK TOUR SERIES

If you have a question or story for the special After Dark Tour series of episodes please leave me a voicemail by tapping this sentence.

__________________________________________________________________________

Be sure to send any and all questions and comments for Coach Bennett to the mailbag:

Coach Bennett’s Podcast

57 South Main Street #215, Neptune, NJ 07753

Be sure to check out the Two Coach Bennetts Merch Store for t-shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs, pint glasses and more! - https://twocoachbennetts.com/merch

And if you need even more Coach Bennett in your life you can scratch that itch by subs...