Author: Richard is the author of RUN., a modern reference guide on running mechanics, cost, and control. Unlike traditional running books that focus primarily on mileage, pace, or training plans, RUN. explores how movement efficiency, cadence discipline, and mechanical awareness influence performance across distances and competitive formats. The book is designed to be revisited — not consumed once — and serves as a foundation for understanding why running sometimes feels harder than it should.
Philosophy
Richard’s work is defined by a few consistent principles:
- Efficiency is earned, not optimized
- Cadence provides structure; it does not create speed
- Stride length expresses itself behind the runner when mechanics are sound
- Gear cannot solve mechanical problems
- Long-term performance depends on reducing unnecessary cost
These ideas appear throughout his coaching, writing, clinics, and public discussions — forming a coherent framework rather than a collection of tactics.
Public Work & Education
Richard regularly contributes to the endurance community through:
- Podcast interviews and long-form discussions
- Running clinics and performance workshops
- Educational content on running mechanics and efficiency
- Coaching and consultation for athletes worldwide
His teaching style favors explanation over motivation, and understanding over instruction.
Diaz Human Performance
Diaz Human Performance is Richard’s coaching and consulting practice, offering:
- Performance assessments
- Virtual and in-person coaching
- Running mechanics analysis
- Event and clinic-based education
The practice serves athletes seeking clarity, durability, and long-term progress rather than quick fixes.
Contact & Work
For coaching, clinics, or professional inquiries, Visit:diazhumanperformance.com
Richard Diaz - Coach, Clinican and Author
Richard Diaz is an endurance performance coach, clinician, and author specializing in running mechanics, movement efficiency, and long-term durability for runners and hybrid athletes.
He is the founder of Diaz Human Performance, where his work focuses on helping athletes reduce the hidden cost of running by improving how force is applied, absorbed, and recycled with each step.
Richard’s approach emphasizes clarity over trends, mechanics over gear, and understanding over prescription. His work spans athletes ranging from first-time runners to world-class competitors across road racing, trail, triathlon, OCR, and hybrid formats.
Professional Focus
Richard’s work centers on a simple but often overlooked principle:
Most runners don’t slow down because they lack fitness.
They slow down because movement becomes too expensive.
His coaching and clinical work address this problem through:
- Running mechanics and gait analysis
- Cadence as structural control, not speed manipulation
- Energy cost and elastic efficiency
- Metabolic assessment and effort regulation
- Long-term injury prevention through mechanical honesty
Rather than relying on generalized plans or external tools, Richard teaches athletes to understand why certain movement patterns demand more energy — and how small positional changes compound over time.
Coaching & Clinical Background
With over three decades of experience, Richard has worked extensively in:
- Endurance coaching and program design
- One-on-one athlete assessment
- Running gait and movement diagnostics
- VO₂ max and metabolic testing
- In-person and virtual performance consultation
His clinical perspective blends observation, biomechanics, and physiology with real-world coaching application. The result is a system that prioritizes durability and sustainability, not short-term performance spikes.