Why Someone Would Work with a Coach
1. Structure
What I loved about college the most was the structure. I knew almost exactly what every week during the current semester was going to look like. Based around the class schedule, I did almost the same work, training, food, etc schedule every week. It made me feel good to have that structure. Giving this training structure to athletes often makes it easier for them get the work done.
2. Accountability
With myself being coached, the #1 benefit I noticed was the accountability factor. This is Huge! Knowing that someone put the work in to fabricate training specifically for you and that they will be looking at your log expecting you to have successfully completed a workout increases compliance 10 fold.
3. Collaboration
The ol “two heads work better than one”. As a coach, I don’t simply tell the athlete what to do in regards to training and racing, I make suggestions and we dialog back and forth until a decision is made. This is so we hopefully make the best decision possible.
4. Experience
I spend my time reading, writing, and learning about running. I’ve tried many different types of gear, strength work, diets, etc. If I don’t know an answer, I know someone who does. Many times I get new clients who simply want someone to tell them what to run so they don’t have to think about it.
Here is a great read from an athlete of mine about her decision to seek & hire a coach.
Training should follow the athlete, not the other way around.
-Renato Canova
There are hundreds of free training plans on the internet and training books available in stores. Each one of those books can have up to 15+ training plans in them.
But, they are lacking. They are lacking the 1-3 weeks of back and forth emailing to determine race, season, or yearly goals. Online plans don’t give you the “good luck” text message or the “how was the race?” email. Books won’t be there to give you a “nice job!” comment in your log or answer a question you have for tomorrow’s workout. Books don’t keep notes from months past.
They don’t crew you for the first 80 miles and pace you during the final 20 of your first 100 miler. They’ll never look at the 10 day forecast for your city and plan your long runs for the warmest days. Free plans from Runners World will never remember your son’s birthday and plan it as a rest day before you do.
Those general plans won’t care if you skip a workout or two, run too hard and get hurt, race too often and burn out, or hold you back from making too sudden of a training change and getting injured. They’re cool with that, they say nothing when you skip a early week track session and cram it into the end of the week between longer runs.