Monday: 20 min biceps, 10 min abs

Well, I don’t feel any better or worse right now, and still can’t tell if i’m dealing with allergies on top of a cold. I’ve been couching it up for the last few days and I want to finally share my thoughts on having a coach alongside my training this time around.

I’ve used training plans before, the kind you download off of a fitness or running website. These have worked just fine, and they do keep me on schedule better than not having a plan at all. But having a coach really has taken training to the next level. Lauren personalized a training plan to my current fitness level, running paces, goals, and how many days and miles per week I could realistically run.

She holds me accountable. Even though we live across the country from each other we keep in touch just like she lives across town. There’s no hiding from my coach! We Skype about once a week, she emails and texts to check in on workouts and has access to my RW Training Log to view the workout specifics. It takes a lot of discipline to stick to a schedule and not take extra rest days, but when your coach emails you first thing when a run is missing, it makes you think twice before you skip a run. Haha…Yes she did that, and no she wasn’t mad. 🙂

She got me out of my comfort zone. I like long easy runs. I like progression runs. That’s about it. One of the first things I told her was that I needed different types of speed work because I was bored and I didn’t know any other workouts except 400s & 800s. <—since I never ran track, lots of terms and workouts were confusing. She walked me through each speed workout and I have a much better grasp on what track work should really entail.

A coach equals extra support. Distance running is such a solo sport for the most part. I train alone, i race alone and I used to be my own coach. It’s hard to constantly be your own cheerleader, motivator and supporter. Having Lauren gives that extra support of knowing someone cares about you, your training and the racing outcome. It’s a fantastic feeling to have support as a runner.

My coach is more qualified and experienced than I am.  Which is why I didn’t feel like I was failing or less of a “runner” when I asked for help. When I came to Lauren, I was asking to learn more about the sport I love, from someone who has been running longer than me (and someone who is much faster than me.) It is a scary process, putting your training into another person’s hands, but she’s getting some great results and numbers out of me, so i have complete trust in her plans.

In the short amount of time i’ve worked with a coach, i’ve safely increased my weekly mileage, monthly mileage, pace and PR’d my 5K time by almost a full minute. I have a better mix of hill and speed workouts in my back pocket and I understand a lot more track lingo! I’m keeping Lauren for marathon training and i’m hoping I can continue learning and growing as a runner in this sport.

If you would like to contact Lauren and see how she can help you with your goals click below!

Do you use a training plan? Where do you download them or buy them from?

Ever consider a coach?