After flying under the radar with online coaching, going
more by word of mouth than anything else, I have finally gotten around to doing
a write up on what I do and why. First off, I coach for multiple reasons: I love
running, I want to spread that love with others, I want people to train the
right way, and most importantly I want to keep people healthy. These items can
be spread to anyone and everyone, even if I cannot meet face-to-face.
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"Before I would
just run what I felt like running for the day, with no real plan, or
understanding of how to change things up to get better. I always heard people
talking about tempo runs, easy runs, intervals, etc.—before working with you I
wasn't really sure what a tempo run actually was, and I definitely never would
have done intervals." –Nathan, Orlando
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Online coaching works in the following
way: I design a plan around your life, if that is running four days a week,
then fine, if it is seven days a week (my favorite), then I do that as well.
Some people integrate their biking, others November Project cross training, yoga
class, spinning, etc. so we alter and adapt. Ideally we shape a running based
plan—for no one will hand you a bike in the middle of a marathon and say you
get to ride for five miles—but leeway exists for many people are wed to their
fitness groups and activities.
Once you have the plan, we talk after
runs, via twitter or email, and discuss what went right and what went wrong as
if I was coaching you in person (if you elect for daily communication, or we
talk weekly if not). While I can't deal with each interval as I do with the
runners I coach, I consult and edit and discuss. Where your random internet
plan will have runs etched in stone, I will alter things as we go. If your legs
are baked, we back off, if your paces improve, the workouts evolve. If the
weather goes wacko or a sudden life event pops up, same thing. Life is not
static and a training plan is not either. An online plan you grab from a website cannot account for life, but I can.
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"In April 2013 I ran 13.1 miles in exactly 2 hours. This was also the day
I got my first stress fracture due to over training. 11 months later, I
ran my first official half marathon (race) in 1:37. I had been working
with Steven for a little over 3 months at this point, and there’s no
doubt in my mind that the speed work he had me doing (plus the hills
with NP… it was a VERY hilly course) attributed to a 23 minute PR." -Jonathan, Boston
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So, why a coach? As mentioned above, specialization. Most people train for
marathons and 5k's from standard plans. Plans are not person specific, they do
not change or adapt to your needs. They don't transition or account for sudden
aches, pains, or life events. Coaching helps in that we can build an adaptable
plan, one that fits your wants and needs as a runner. Beyond that, I can think
for you, allowing you to avoid injury, avoid training too much or too little,
and thus work to reach your peak. The process is interactive.
About me, I have experience in all distances from the 800m to the marathon. I
strive to build plans that accommodate your current level of fitness while
working through various phases of training: building a base, early quality
training, transition to quality training, and final quality (key fitness
building workouts), and Taper/race time. Depending on time, I design a 6 week
plan for each phase. I hit every facet from warmup to core to other forms of
injury prevention. Proper, safe running comes from the ground up. You need to recover,
strengthen, and train with appropriate paces in order to fully achieve.
So interested in bettering your 5k or
running your first half marathon? Looking to take your marathon training to the
next level or get through injury free? Email me here with the subject of "Coaching."
