Why I started Magical Miles Coaching

Hi, I’m Andrew, and I’m the founder and head coach at Magical Miles Coaching.. After I graduated college I started distance running as a way to keep myself active and to pursue some interesting goals. After my first half marathon at Walt Disney World in 2006, I was hooked.

The spirit of the people who do endurance sports is special. Everyone is focused on becoming a better version of themselves. Whether that’s going from couch to 5K, learning what it takes to conquer a long race that scares you, or pursuing something like a Boston qualifier, we train our attention and competitiveness at our former selves, not each other.

Along the way, I learned the value of having a training partner to keep me accountable and motivated. Case in point: the first time I ran the Walt Disney World Marathon, I “trained” with my good friend Zach. He was living in Pennsylvania and I was in Florida, but we downloaded a cookie cutter plan, followed it as best we could, and then met up for race weekend. The feeling of crossing the finish line at a marathon is like believing that you can conquer the world. But I was just getting started. For the next year, I found a training partner - my neighbor Arny, who also worked in my office building - and my time dropped by 45 minutes!

Then, I moved to California and discovered triathlon, where that same spirit of becoming a better version of oneself was applied to three distinct disciplines. (My brother calls it “my stupid triple-sport sport.) The variety of the sports and skills meant there was always something to improve, and always a success to celebrate. I trained with a team who were all focused on the same race, and on the big day, it was all celebration over competition, all encouragement over animosity. I kept going in triathlon, building to longer races, faster results (including a sprint-distance world championship where I got to represent the United States) and deeper camaraderie with my fellow athletes.

In 2020, during the pandemic, I decided to pursue further sport science education and earn a coaching license from USA Triathlon. Since then I’ve been able to help newbie and seasoned triathletes alike move forward in pursuit of their goals. I’ve worked with individuals, small groups and large groups, but my favorite coaching work was always having a group working together focused on the same race. Regardless of their pace or athleticism, having teammates preparing to tackle the same challenge meant there was someone to encourage you, to help you feel that while this sport may mean a solo effort, you are never alone.

So now, Magical Miles Coaching is here! I’ve done all the paperwork, setting up a real company, insurance, etc., etc., to help others feel the empowerment and positive influence of endurance sports, but with a unique angle on things.

We’re certainly able to help with 1-on-1 coaching where we provide custom training plans for individuals pursuing specific races (in both running and triathlon) or very specific goals and needs. But what we really love is nurturing a team of runners or triathletes who work together, encourage one another, believe in one another and build a community. Together as coaches and athletes, we can make sure that every mile will be worth your while. I hope you’ll find this is a place where you belong.