Why Should You Hire A Running Coach?
The majority of the running community is made up of “everyday” runners – runners of all ages, abilities and speeds who love the sport, but are nowhere close to winning the Boston Marathon. Average or not, we all have our reasons for running, and we all have our own personal running goals we hope to achieve, whether it’s completing our first 5K or setting a personal best in the local half marathon. Sometimes, fast or slow, experienced or beginner, marathoner or 5ker, we may all find a point where we require help from a running coach.
It is important to first consider why you want to hire a running coach. There are a number of things a coach can help with when it comes to your training and racing. You may only need help in one area, or you may want an overall guide to help you safely complete a training plan.
Specific Race Goals
A lot of experienced runners find themselves with a time goal in mind for a race, such as a Boston Marathon qualifying time, but aren’t quite sure what workouts they should be doing to help reach that goal. I will help take the guesswork out of your training by prescribing exact workouts, paces, and distances to help you reach your goal based on variables in your training such as recent race times and average weekly mileage. Also, I will be realistic about the time frame surrounding your attempts to achieve the goal; I’m not going to promise a brand new runner they will go from couch to 5K immediately into a sub 3 hour marathon, but instead give them more realistic goals to aim for.
Step up to the Next Race Distance
Going from a 5K to a half marathon, or a half marathon to a full marathon, can be intimidating. If you are looking to increase your weekly or monthly mileage, or perhaps train for a longer distance race, I can safely help you. I can help you design a training program in which you safely increase your training distance, in order to help avoid injuries.
New Running Approach
Many people run the exact same distance every day, run the same route every day, and run the same pace every day. Sometimes a new approach is all that is needed to rejuvenate your training and help you reach your goals.
Recurring Injuries
Are you continually experiencing some sort of pain or injury that is directly related to a biomechanical discrepancy or poor running form? Not only will I analyze your running gait and technique, but also suggest exercises to help you improve your running and help prevent injuries from ever occurring.
Up to 50 percent of runners sustain at least one injury annually with many of these runners decreasing or stopping their training.
Take Your Running to the Next Level
I can help you take your running to the next level, no matter what that means to you. Maybe you have been a 3 times-a-week runner, but you are looking to start competing in local races and earn your first age group medal. Maybe you are already competitive, but your progress seems to have stalled and you can’t get faster. Whatever the reason, I can help you take that step to being a better runner.
Running Accountability
Most importantly, a running coach will hold you accountable for your training and workouts. If you are a beginner looking for someone to motivate you to get into a regular running routine, or if you are an experienced runner who has a hard time sticking to your training plan, I will hold you accountable for running those miles. I won’t do the work for you, but simply having to check in with me at the end of a run or week is enough motivation to keep you on schedule.