Frederic Sabater Pastor

“I was once described as having a scientist’s mind and a teacher’s heart. Coaching athletes lets me put together my background in exercise physiology with my desire to help people learn, develop and achieve their goals. 

I think good coaching is about making the best possible decisions for the athlete. To make those decisions we must use insights from science, technology and data, but, perhaps more importantly, we must also consider the information we get from the athletes themselves, their daily life, habits, motivations, and sensations during training. With that information, we can work to learn what works best for each individual athlete and build the best training program to help them reach their goals.”

My love for endurance sports began when I first started running as a teenager, and it grew when I joined my university’s triathlon club during my first year as a Sport Sciences student. I have been studying the art and the science behind endurance sports for more than a decade, leading to the completion of a Ph.D. in 2021 on Performance Factors of Ultramarathon Running, focusing on running economy and fatigue. I am still an active researcher in the world of endurance sports, and I teach exercise physiology and training theory and practice to undergraduates and master’s students. I’ve been fortunate to live, study and train in several countries, including Spain, England, France, the United States, and Canada. I am fluent in Spanish, Catalan, and English, and my French is good enough that they allow me to teach at French universities. Outside of work I enjoy exploring the outdoors, running, cycling, skiing, and mountaineering.

I started coaching in 2014 when a friend, a pretty fast runner, asked me if I could help him improve so he could try to win some races. I have been helping athletes achieve their goals in different endurance sports ever since, including road and trail running, cycling, and triathlon. I have coached them towards a variety of goals, ranging from finishing their first 100 km ultramarathon trail race to victories in regional races. I also consult regularly with other endurance coaches, helping them better understand the physiology of endurance exercise and assisting them in building training plans for their athletes.