I was contacted recently by a woman looking to improve her 5km parkrun time. She was weighing up whether a coach and a training plan would work for her and wanted to hear more about what was involved.
As we chatted on the phone, we asked each other questions and it became apparent that she would benefit from more accountability, more structure and from someone taking the guess work out of her training, so we decided to begin working together on her goal. I have had similar conversations, where it quickly becomes apparent that my coaching would not suit the other person. From my experience, certain types of people respond well to coaching and training plans. Others, not so much. That is absolutely fine. I have plenty of close friends who would never dream of getting a running coach. For others, with the help of a coach, they have improved beyond what they thought possible and are getting the personal best times that they were after. Running, training and exercise is highly individual.
So what can I honestly advise people who are asking themselves,"Do I need a coach?”
