How can hiring a running coach help me?
Often people in the fitness industry make wild claims that how you’ll get “shredded” if you do “insert oversimplified, unrealistic thing”. Luckily this doesn’t seem to be the trend with runners, as people get that you have to put in the miles and there’s no shortcut.
What will a running coach do with you?
This should depend entirely on your needs and will change over time. I’ve known coach-trainers to do nothing more than run with their clients, some people like that. If you ask me though there’s not much benefit to this over having a training partner which wouldn’t cost you a penny.
When I’m working with clients, I very rarely run with them. The first thing we do is look at HOW they’re running. A huge amount of improvement in endurance or speed can be gained from working on technique. Think of it as sharpening an axe before cutting a tree. It might seem slower to start with, but you’ll cut it down a lot faster than you would with a blunt axe.
What about a running plan?
Absolutely. Your coach should have some sort of plan for you with the detail being based on how well you know yourself and their level of knowledge or coaching skill. The plan might be drip-fed to you weekly or given as an 8-week mesocycle, but should always be adaptable and relevant to your goals and ability.
This is where having a coach is far better than using an off the shelf (running magazine) or downloaded running plan. They’re too generic and aren’t necessarily suited to you. I’m not saying you won’t get improvements if you use a generic plan, but it’s going to be less effective than one personalised to you.
Nutrition for running
Personally, I’d always advise looking at what a client is eating and drinking to ensure they’re getting the best results possible from their hard work, but again it depends on that person’s goal and the qualifications of the coach. If they want to be able to run a sub 20-minute 5k, then we probably don’t need to bother. Targeting a sub 3-hour marathon however, will be a lot more achievable with feedback on what to eat and when, as wee as weight management potentially.
Physical preparation
This is running coach talk for stretching, strengthening and drills. A good coach will include this aspect in your plan to make you stronger, as this will make every step that little bit easier to take. I’m very fortunate to have spent over 6 years working as a personal trainer in my own business before moving to running coaching, so have a wealth of knowledge and experience to help people here.
What does this add up to?
Overall this means you’ll be able to run faster, further or more easily depending on what your motivation is. You’ll have fewer injuries and get to your goal faster than you would alone. You don’t have to be the next Mo Farah or Paula Radcliffe to have a coach, you just need a desire to improve.
Written by Kyle Brooks, Running Coach based in Norwich, Norfolk
