This post is long overdue, but I have been meaning to write about my decision to work with a running coach and how having a coach helped me to run a successful marathon last fall. When Charissa reached out to me with some questions about my experience, I realized I should share some of my thoughts on the blog!
My decision to work with a coach
Ever since completing the RRCA training in June, 2014 I knew that I wanted to eventually work with a coach to learn what it’s like to be on the other side of that relationship. However, for my fall 2014 marathon I was so full of ideas from my training that I wanted to create my own training plan. When I started thinking about training for a marathon in 2015, I was immediately overwhelmed with developing a schedule for myself and didn’t know where to begin. So that was when I started really considering finding a coach.
In the past I had been hesitant to make the financial investment of hiring a coach, but after about a year of doing my own coaching I felt like I deserved to put some of that money back into something for myself.
Here are the questions Charissa asked me, followed by my answers, with a few additional comments I thought were worth adding:
How did you pick someone to be your coach? I’m curious as to your thought process behind it when you knew so much already having run a few marathons.
I worked with Kristy from Run the Long Road Coaching. I had been reading her blog for years and followed her on Instagram. Also, knew other runners who were coached by her and had heard nothing but great things. I also knew that she had run marathons in around the same time that my goal pace would be. Just to note- I also considered working with someone locally, but just couldn’t find anyone in my area.
I wanted to have a coach who also had a personal training background, because I tend to get injured alot. It was important to me to incorporate rehab exercises into my schedule. I was feeling overwhelmed because I had just recovered from an injury and was doing well with my strength training but didn’t know how I could keep up with it while also increasing my mileage.
How often did you have contact with your coach? Did you feel you needed communication daily/weekly/monthly?
We used a platform called Final Surge (which was amazing and I now use it for my own clients) so she was able to see my workouts every day and schedule my runs right on the calendar. I could usually see my runs for the next 3 weeks or so. We had 2 phone calls before training started but everything else was E-mail or via Final Surge (which has a way to comment and those comments get E-mailed to you).
When I was sick my first week of training we emailed just about every day. We also texted before and/or after races (like the day before my marathon she texted me to check in, and after I finished she would text me to congratulate me).
I thought it was a good amount of communication- when nothing big was going on we just commented on my tougher workouts once or twice a week, but some weeks when there was a lot going on we E-mailed daily. It was nice to have someone else to see how my runs went and help me analyze them!
Were you ever a little unsure about a workout you were given and how did you react? Did you decide to trust the process or talk to your coach about it?
All of my workouts were pretty basic, although some sounded overwhelming but I would just go out and try, and 95% of the time I was successful, so I began to trust that she knew what she was doing (and she also got to know me as a runner after the first few weeks). During one of my first speed work sessions I mentioned that it takes me longer than 1 mile to really warm up, so she started adjusting my warm ups to accommodate that.
How would you compare being a coach before having a coach yourself vs. afterwards? Did having a coach help you to better understand your own athletes?
I feel like I am wanting to incorporate similar workouts to what I was given, but I am also trying to remember not to lose focus of my own coaching style. It’s kind of like reading a new book about a running philosophy and figuring out if/how you want to incorporate it into your style.
The biggest benefit for me was removing the pressure off myself to come up with my own workouts. I think in my previous marathon training cycle I was doing too many hard runs at not enough miles at a slow, easy pace. Having a coach see those runs held me accountable to actually keep those runs slow and easy!
There are many things to consider when hiring a running coach, so I think it’s important to really know what you are looking for and what kind of a coach will be the best fit for you!
Thanks, Charissa, for asking these questions and giving me a starting point for this post! And of course, thanks to Kristy for being a great coach!
Have you ever worked with a running coach? If so, why did you make the decision to work with one?
What would be important to you when choosing a running coach?
Considering working with a running coach? Check out my coaching services here.
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It’s so nice to see your opinion! I just won free coaching from Laura at This Runner’s Recipes so I am excited to pick a race and have a plan from her. I haven’t worked with a coach before so I am very curious!
That’s really exciting that you won the training plan! I’m interested to hear what you think of the experience!
Maybe one day I’ll work with a coach – I know it would be a great experience Id only benefit from!
I definitely think it can be beneficial, but the timing also has to be right. I’m sure one day you will feel like its the right time!
I tried to use Final Surge with my clients, but I wasn’t as into it. I thought I would love it, but I just didn’t. You know what I say–a coach’s education is never over, and I think this is a great step in expanding your knowledge while also working towards your goals!
I think it helped to get comfortable first using Final Surge as I was being coached, because then I when I started using it for coaching I was already really familiar with it. Have you found a coaching platform that works well for you?
I have never worked with a running coach. I think i am too much of a control freak and like to do my own research to design my own workouts. However, that’s not to say I wouldn’t ever do it! I know I am definitely not an expert and I am sure there are people out there that could really help me. Not sure I could afford them, though!
I can be a control freak too but it was kind of nice to let go of that aspect of training! I still enjoyed having all my workouts laid out in a training plan for me:)
I can definitely understand how it could be freeing to let go of control. 🙂
Sounds like some really good training. I haven’t used a coach yet, but I do know if I decided to take on a big distance, I would need help and guidance.
I think its especially helpful for longer distance races!
I have never worked w a running coach and my goal isn’t really to run faster nor am I injury proned (luckily)so I don’t think I I would take up a coach. I have a hard time following training plans so I don’t think I would follow thru(just being honest). However, I’m sure it was nice to be on the other side this time learning tips you may have not known since you are a coach yourself.
A coach is definitely not for everyone! Especially if what you are doing is working, there is really no reason to change things up (at least right now).
Thanks so much for posting this. As I begin to think about a training plan for my first marathon, the thought of a coach has crossed my mind – it’s just a big financial investment and I wasn’t sure it would be worth it. Any advice is helpful!
No problem! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Great post! Seeing so many bloggers having hired a coach I recently hired one myself to get a faster half marathon and possibly start training for a full marathon. i dont know enough at all to train for a marathon on my own, definitely will need a coach if i decide to purse that!
Having a coach is definitely helpful when pursuing a new distance!
I love reading about others’ experiences with a running coach. I’ve never hired one (the financial aspect of it pulls me back a little), but I’m always curious about it. I like the personal aspect/feedback you get from it and having someone to check in with daily. I may consider going that route after my March and May half marathons if I still haven’t reached my sub 2:00 goal.
Its definitely a big decision, and took me years to get to a point where I was ready. I think its a smart strategy to see if you are able to make improvements on your own and then decide!
These were great questions to share, Lisa; I’m glad you’ve had such a great experience with your coach! For many of the reasons you’ve mentioned, I really appreciate having a dedicated coach, as well; it really takes all the guesswork out, for me, and I feel confident that I’m continually moving in the right direction.
Glad you had good experience working with a coach too!
Fascinating! I’ve been running for so long guided by only myself and whatever books/articles etc that have inspired me that it would feel really different to start using a coach. I don’t think it’s for me, right now at this time of my life, but maybe one day! I’m glad you found a good match.
I do think that the timing is really important. Last fall just felt right, and while I would love to work with a coach again it totally depends on how I feel before I start thinking about my next race.
After college, it was so much more difficult to run without a set group of girls and a coach telling us what to do. I’ve never hired a coach but after reviewing my log from Boston training last year it was obvious that my best runs were when I ran with a training group and the coach of that group gave us a set workout. Luckily a friend from my new job is a college cross country coach so he wrote me a plan which has been a tremendous help so far over writing my own!!
That sounds great! I definitely think there is something to be said for in-person coaching or running with a training group. But a good training plan will go a long way as well!
This is really interesting. Thanks for sharing! I did a consult with one of the Hansons coaches last year when I was using the book and had some questions. I really liked her and learned a lot from just that one consult. I’m going to do my first full marathon this year and have already decided I want to do Hansons because it works so well for me and I like it, but I also realize it’s probably much more than I actually need for a just-finish goal. So I plan to work with the same coach to come up with something more suited for me.
Glad you found a training style that works for you!
Your experience using a coach as a coach has made me want to try one, especially when you ran that awesome PR. I want to try to self-coach myself through my next marathon – I’d be like my own little marathon guinea pig as I still get a grasp on all of this – but I think in 2017 I’ll probably hire a coach. Like you said, it’d be a great learning experience!
That sounds like a good plan! I know its always fun to try out what you learned on yourself first:)
I haven’t hired a running coach specifically but I definitely see the value in it. I think they can provide the push we need to get to the next level. I’m really trying to do that for myself at the moment and am happy with my motivation.
Sold. This is such a great post. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a coach for so long and I’m finally starting to do something about it. I need to work with someone who can help gear plans toward my specific issues. I really want a faster half this spring!
Wow – thank you! I throughly enjoyed coaching you. Your 5-min PR at Route 66 made me as happy as if I PR’d myself! You certainly earned it.
I’ve worked with a coach twice. The first wasn’t a good experience unfortunately. I decided to try a second time because I felt like I was in a rut and needed someone who would take a different approach and it worked! I got a 12 min marathon PR!!
I’m glad you gave it a second try, and that it worked out so well!
Thank you so much again for all your thoughtful responses – I really truly appreciate it. And thanks for the shout-out! So glad my questions were useful for getting the topic out 🙂
I’m so glad you asked me those questions so I know what may be helpful for others!
I loved this post and your responses. I worked with a coach for Boston and it was hugely helpful, even from a day to day questions/strategy perspective. I am so glad its worked out well for you!
I think a running coach is a great idea, especially if you have big goals for your running. If I were to look for one (or just a general personal trainer), I think personality would be very important to me. I’m not a super social person, so if I were to work with someone, I would want them to be very focused on the goal at hand rather than socializing.
Really interesting post this. It’s not something I have done yet, but would consider in the future. The only thing that has stopped me is that I have a very tight budget at the minute.
It’s funny you say that about too many hard miles, I’m currently reading 80/20 which seems to promote lots and lots of slow mileage..
I am reading that book now too! And it makes sense. I do think that running more miles at a slower pace helped me in my training for my last marathon!
I would love to work with a coach in real life but I’ve had a hard time finding one locally.
Wow, I didn’t realize you worked with Kristy! She’s my running coach – well, we’re on a break now but will start up together in April! She got me through my last 3 half marathons and a bunch of other races in between, she is great to work with!
Thats so great that you have had so many successful races with Kristy! She really is great!