A weekend or online certification is only the beginning of being a running coach. Run coaching requires a commitment to continual education and refinement of your training philosophy. The best approach? Read everything you can. These books are what I (and from what I have read, many other coaches) consider the essential texts for running coaches who train distance runners on the road. Daniels’ Running Formula by Jack Daniels Daniels’ Running Formula is one of the seminal works of ...
Ask a Running Coach
Ask a Running Coach: Motherhood and Running
Motherhood poses a unique set of circumstances for a runner. You navigate running through pregnancy, returning to training in the postpartum phase, breastfeeding, and balancing the demands of childcare with your training, even when your children are older. It is a lot to balance. I inquired for questions about motherhood and running on Instagram for this edition of Ask a Running Coach. From breastfeeding to postpartum marathons, here are some answers! How do you balance breastfeeding ...
Ask a Running Coach: Treadmill Running
For some runners, the treadmill is their lifeline for running. Others not-so-affectionately refer to it as the dreadmill. No matter what your opinion on the treadmill is, it's a useful training tool for runners everywhere. The treadmill makes winter running, training with infants and toddlers, and zero dark thirty runs more feasible for the casual runner and dedicated marathoner alike. While it's the closest substitute to overground running, there are some physical and mental ...
Common Marathon Training Questions
No matter how many times you complete it or how fast you run, the marathon is always a challenge. Likewise, marathon training is always a puzzle of figuring out exactly how hard to push yourself to improve - without pushing yourself so hard that you overtrain or resent running by race day. On one end of the spectrum, you have cookie-cutter plans or overly rigorous methods. You must run six days per week, 60 miles per week, to run a marathon. You must spend 18 weeks training. On the other ...
Ask a Running Coach: Long Runs
The long run appears simple: you run for a long time. But whether you are a novice or experienced runner, first time half marathoner or seasoned ultra runner, you likely know that long runs are not always as simple as they seem. I put out a call for questions about long runs on Instagram and Facebook. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions on long runs. Before I answer the questions, it is essential to define the long run. The primary purpose of the long run ...