No one NEEDS a running coach, the question is more do you want one and will you benefit from one.
Full disclosure, I’m not coached. I self coach. I set my own blocks and my own sessions in advance (I will write an article about how I do it).
So let’s look at the pros & cons…
Pros
✔️ You don’t have to think about it
✔️ Accountability
✔️ Someone with an outside view so you’re more likely to get an objective view on your capacity & capabilities (if you have a good coach who’s tuned into you) as well as a subjective approach (again, as long as you have a good coach)
✔️ Experienced input
✔️ Support
✔️ Advice on racing, strategy & mindset
✔️ Some coaches provide nutritional advice (some aren’t qualified to do this and it’s based on experience, some are qualified)
✔️ Someone to blame when the session looks hard on paper
Cons
❌ Lack of atonomy
❌ Maybe a disengagement with listening to your body and just following the plan
❌ It might not be necessary for you
❌ Feeling you don’t have control of your plan when things come up and things have to change.
So, as long as you decide on a good coach then there’s definitely more pros than cons. A not so good coach can cause injury & exhaustion, may be throwing out a “one size fits all my athletes kinda plan” and unforunately there are some of those about so it’s important that you use a whole dollop of discernment on this one.
Consider a Coach When….
- You feel you need extra support, whether that’s in terms of conquering a new distance or gunning for a new time or you don’t feel you have the knowledge and understanding to create your own plan.
- If you feel you need accountability.
- You need guidance on returning from an injury.
Other Options…
A downloadable plan ~ yeah, these are one size fits all BUT they can be useful for you to start to understand what makes up a training plan & how to structure it.
A mentor ~ now this could come in a number of ways, it might be picking the brains of other runners, it might be paying for an hour of a coaches time to go through your plan & intentions or it could be through a running club. Remember that if you are gathering input from other runners then this is based on their own experience and their training strategy may not fit you.
A Running Club ~ you’ll often have groups in a running club who are training towards a specific event, it could be a local event or it might be Spring/Autumn half marathons. This can provide you with training buddies and access to qualified coaches.
My View
I know my body, I do a lot of reading and research into different training methods, I’m happy to test things on myself and I know if they are working or not. I don’t shy away (ok, there are some things that come up that are in a different blog) from a hard session. I’m not afraid to mix things up and I have a huge amount of intrinsic motivation.
So, right now, that’s why the choice is that it’s not for me.
BUT good Running Coaches are GREAT! Choose wisely 🙌
