How to Find the Right Coach for You
October 13, 2023
That may seem like a silly question since I am a coach looking to work with you. It would be naïve of me to think that I am the right coach for every athlete. I offer specific services that will work for some athletes and not others. This post is to teach you what questions may be helpful in finding the best coach for you. Afterall this is your process, you are paying for a coach, you are putting in the work, you are training and racing against yourself, you are running for you!
Research:
A quick google search will find you an endless number of running specific coaches in your area. To be honest, the google search probably doesn’t even scratch the surface of how many coaches are out there. A sure fired way to find coaches from your local running community is to ask people in your run community. Every 6 weeks or so, someone will post in my local run community Facebook group asking about recommendations for coaches. What follows is a long list of individuals and businesses that specialize in coaching. Everyone has their favorites that will always be touted as ‘the best’. What works for one person may not work for you. Remember what I said above, this is your process, run for you and find a coach for you!
Questions to ask prospective coaches:
Are you a certified coach? Find out the qualifications of the coach and what type of training they have. What type/distance of running they specialize in.
Are you my coach, or is there a team behind you? As an athlete you may want a more one-on-one experience. You may also like the idea of multiple people working with you to achieve your goals. Everyone is different in their comfort levels.
Do you use an online application to track my progress? Technology is ever changing, and people may want training information at their fingertips.
How many athletes are you working with? More athletes may mean less time to spend with each athlete if a coach is not part of a team. You may want a more personal experience from your coach.
How often can I contact you? Some people just want a program and to be left alone, others want the ability to ask questions as they arise. Flexibility in coaching programs may be important to you.
What if I get sick/injured during training? Does the program pause, am I expected to work through it, what am I paying for if I am laying in bed for a week sick or can’t run for multiple weeks.
Can you help me diagnose an injury? Hopefully this was answered by your first question about certifications. If your coach is not certified in a medical type of field, they should not be diagnosing injuries and I would question that person if they started to. You came to a running coach to be coached in running. If you get injured, seek medical attention and advice.
Can you provide me dietary advice? See above. Run coaches are not dieticians……usually. In many run coaching training programs, nutrition is touched on but only in a limited form. Seek advice from professionals if you have deep questions. Coaches can provide you with personal experiences and tips but remember these may not work for you.
Can I still do non-run things while in a training program? Make this known with any prospective coach during an intake meeting. I believe that there are large benefits to cross training and other activities during a run program. If my clients don’t tell me about them, I can’t incorporate them into training. Advocate for yourself, it is your program.
Why are you a coach? Time to get personal with your coach, listen to how they answer the question and how their body reacts while answering you. If you vibe with the energy they are giving off, they might be the right one for you.
Obviously, there are many other questions that you can ask your prospective coach. You are hiring them not the other way around. You need to be comfortable with them. You need to feel safe working with them. You need to feel like they are listening to what you are asking of them and have your best interests at hand.
Run for you!
Coach Dave
