I Have a Coach!

I used to think that the only runners that had coaches were students on a school cross country team or elite athletes trying to hone their skills for the Olympics. But after I read this post on a running blog I read frequently, I wondered if a coach might be able to help an average middle-of-the-pack runner like me. It really isn’t any different than having a session with a personal trainer at the gym, right? And lots of people do that. And while I realized that a coach would never be able to turn me into an outstanding runner, I figured he could definitely help me become the very best runner I could be. That seemed like one of the best investments I could make!


I’ve been running under the guidance of my coach for a little over a month now, and I am thrilled with the results. After I filled him in on my running background, experience level, and my goals for the future, he quickly went to work in crafting a plan to help me achieve them. Each week he outlines my runs for the week, and then checks in on me regularly to make sure they are going well.

My fancy new running shoes after this morning's hill intervals

Even in a short period of time, I’ve noticed improvements in my speed and endurance. In part, I know this is due to hard work on my runs. But I also attribute part of that to the coaching as well. While I’m doing the sweating, I know that my coach has armed me with some useful tools, pointed me in the right direction, and then given me a nice push to keep it up. It works so well for my personality and level of discipline. If I have a run on the schedule, and if I know that I’ll have someone checking in on me to see how I did, I simply DO NOT skip that run. It’s been a great source of accountability!

I’ve slowly transformed from a person with a running hobby to a person with a running passion. I start to get that twitchy need-to-run feeling in my legs on rest days. I notice every single runner out on the sidewalks when I’m driving, and I feel a little camaraderie with them. I plan my day around my run, instead of planning my run around my day.

I’m thankful for the way my coach has improved my running, and for the way my running has improved my life.