When I tell people that I also have a coach, I often get the question why.
'Why do you need a coach when you are one yourself?'
I will explain this in todays blog as well as why a running coach might be the best investment you will ever make (and I do not only say this because I am one, this is general truth).
Running coach
Lets start with walking before we go running. A running coach, what is that? In general, we help you become faster, stronger and better in running. Personal (gym) trainers help you with getting leaner, developing more muscle power or a combination of both. Running coaches focus (obviously) more on running. This can be for example helping you in your preparations for your (first) marathon, but also getting faster at a certain distance or assisting you in running every time a little bit further. It all depends on your personal goals.
My personal approach is looking at peoples background (performance, injuries etc) and discussing their goals. Once we have established what they want, the fun can begin! Because believe it or not, running is more a lifestyle than an actual sport.
My coach
As mentioned before, I also have a running coach. The main reason why I have one is to not overdo myself and to have someone who can look objectively at my trainings. I can be very critical to myself and I am comparing a lot how my performance was for example a couple of months ago (whilst I was still in a marathon preparation) with where I am standing now.
I have also learned a lot from my coach(es). For the Valencian marathon, I was training with a man (Len De Wit) and now I am training with a woman (Astrid Verhoeven) and the difference could not be bigger. They are both terrific coaches, but for me it just works better to train with a woman.
Although, I have to admit that before last year May I had never trained with a coach before. Nonetheless, since I started training with one, my performance has increased significantly!
Best investment
So why would YOU need a running coach?
First of all, you do not only need a coach if you can already run a certain distance. We too have started with first running 5min and then walking 4min so we know how difficult the beginning is.
Secondly, many people start and think they can go from 10K in a week up to 40K (especially during lockdown) without having consequences. I am sorry to burst that dream, but you should gradually increase your mileage and that’s why we come in handy.
Furthermore, when you have a tough day we are there for you to keep you motivated and remind you in the first place why you started!
And last but not least, we are always there to complain to but also to show all of your accomplishments without getting tired of them! So, are you interested in being coached?
