If you want to make progress in your workouts, it may be time to consider the services of a running coach. You are investing your time, money and health, so it is important to take the matter seriously. Before you choose your athletic trainer, consider the following points.
Answer the question, “Why do you need a running coach?”
Why do you want to use the services of a coach? Each runner will have a different answer. Some are too busy to plan their own running workouts and evaluate their results. Someone needs extra motivation and guidance on how to run injury-free. Someone just isn’t sure they’re training right and wants to improve their running technique. What you want to get out of working with a trainer will determine your approach to training.
If you are a beginner, find a patient coach who will help you avoid mistakes and prevent injury. If you are looking to improve your running performance, choose an experienced coach with a scientific approach to the training process.
Consider personal experience and competence
A running coach should be a passionate athlete, an expert in physiology and an exercise guru; he or she should inspire and motivate. An effective coach has a deep understanding of the training process, whether he or she has a degree or not. You need someone who will explain why you are doing a particular exercise. If you don’t understand why you’re doing an exercise, you’re not going to make progress.
As for personal experience, a talented athlete will not always be a talented coach. Choose a mentor who adjusts your workouts to your schedule and takes your family circumstances into account, only then will you achieve a trusting relationship.
Find a philosophical approach
Different coaches have different styles of work. There is no concept of “right” or “wrong” approach, it is important to understand what suits you. Get to know your running coach in absentia (he may have been interviewed somewhere, have social media accounts or a website). Pay attention to whether your views on the training process and life in general coincide, whether his methods do not contradict your goals. Trust your intuition.
Pay attention to personal qualities
The success of the training process depends largely on communication with your coach. You should feel comfortable communicating with your coach. If you are embarrassed to say that you missed a workout for personal reasons, or you feel really bad about this or that exercise, you will not get the desired result from working with a coach. The more trust between you, the more successful your workouts will be.
Discuss organizational details in advance
What services will be provided by the running coach and what services will not be provided, you should know for sure. Here is a sample list of questions that will save you from misunderstandings and further claims:
- How often will you adjust my training plan?
- How often will we communicate?
- How soon will you be able to answer my questions, if any?
- How should I report on my training?
- How many days’ notice should I give you that I no longer need your services? (just in case you don’t get along, so to speak).
And, of course, remember that all people are individual, and what is good for one person may absolutely not work for another. So don’t be afraid to ask your trainer questions, because the success of your training depends on mutual understanding.
