Having a running coach isn’t just for elite, Olympic level athletes.  Sure they all have coaches, but anyone can have a running coach; whether you are trying to hit a personal best, getting back into running after an injury or long break, you are completely new to running, or you have hit a plateau in your times and need help pushing through.

Coaches are wonderful, even if I do say so myself. Not only do (most) coaches create a training plan specific to your needs and work around your life/work schedule, but our job is to keep you accountable, to support you, to believe in your goals, to give advice on every topic related to training, and ultimately help you train harder and smarter.  Now don’t get me wrong, coaches are not 100% your cheerleader; I will push you when you need to be pushed. Dreams only work if you do!

Finding the right coach for you is kinda like dating. You may kiss a lot of frogs before you find the right one. That’s why it’s especially important to do your research and have a consultation before you sign-up (fyi I do a free one-hour consultation).  A consultation is a great way for you to share with them your fitness goals as well as getting to know them, to see if they are the right fit for you.  They may have won all the races in the world, but that doesn’t matter, ultimately it’s down to having a connection with them. You need to be able to trust your coach 100%, feel comfortable telling them your biggest training dreams, and know that they are there for you.

If you don’t have that connection with the coach during the consultation, move on. It doesn’t matter if your best friend or auntie Joan or your work colleague uses this coach, if you don’t click with them, then they are not the right coach for you. Even with large coaching firms, you don’t need to just talk with the first coach that you are allocated with (it’s likely your consultation was set up with them because they don’t have as many clients as the other coaches). You can ask to talk to another coach within the coaching firm – heck, talk to them all if you can!

Once you’ve found the coach that you believe in, and they believe in you, the next step is working out what kind of coaching package you would like. These will range in price depending on what is included in that package. For example, I offer a monthly plan called ‘You’ve got this’, which is $95 Canadian a month, and that gives you a personalised training plan, ongoing support, adjustment of workouts when life gets in the way of training (which it does sometimes), and regular communication. You don’t even need to live near your running coach, in fact 80% of my current client list, don’t live on Vancouver Island! Online coaching is done via email, text, Whatsapp, skype and/or facetime.

I hope this blog has helped you in your quest to find your perfect running coach. Feel free to reach out to me if you have ANY questions on coaching, or the training plans I have on offer. Or if want to set up a free consultation, then BRILLIANT! Fill in this form and I will get back to you as soon as I can (likely within 48 hours).

Coach G

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