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Thread: To be a coach

  1. #1
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    To be a coach

    I've been searching for a training plan to give myself some sort of order and strategy to my running. There seems to be an awful lot of running coaches without any real pedigree. Now I know you don't have to be a former Olympian to be a coach but there seems to be an awful lot of people knocking round with few qualifications who are now "coaches" charging £75+ for a training plan which you could get from a book.

  2. #2
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    What would you interpret the role of a coach to be Matthew?

    Do you think you would benefit from a coach?

  3. #3
    Master Travs's Avatar
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    Best off joining a club. Most fell club memberships are a fraction of £75 (in fact my road/track/xc club is not much more than that, and that includes entry into a stack of regional and national races, use of track, and access to coaches).

  4. #4
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    No sorry, you misunderstand and my original post is vague. I have absolutely no inclination to get a coach. I think I was rather just a bit baffled that having had a few years away from proper training and running that there seemed to now be this phenomenon of middle of the pack runners setting themselves up as coaches. One I saw had a “improve at park run for beginners” for 75quid. It seems pretty crappy to charge someone £75 for the advice of run more

  5. #5
    Master Travs's Avatar
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    ah yes... there's one or two in my club... I guess it's like Personal Trainers in gyms... not really necessary, but some people feel they need them, even though they don't really give out any info that you can't easily find elsewhere...

    I guess some people haven't got the confidence to go the whole hog and join a club, and this is the gap in the market...

  6. #6
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    It does appear to be a lot of money but in this time people think that paying equals improvement.

    Golf is a classic sport where the senseless spenders think they can achieve greatness.

    Personally I think most park runners would benefit slightly from a structured approach and motivational encouragement.

    But as you say this can be found in a book and encouragement could be a family member or friend.

  7. #7
    Master ba-ba's Avatar
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    I think there have been studies showing that shelling out for something results in a higher chance of you sticking to it. But yes there's a lot of cash to be made by some and plenty of eye-rolling to be had by us.
    Nic Barber. Downhill Dandy

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by ba-ba View Post
    I think there have been studies showing that shelling out for something results in a higher chance of you sticking to it. But yes there's a lot of cash to be made by some and plenty of eye-rolling to be had by us.
    Fair enough then.

    I might eye roll, but it currently seems like a better option than sitting marking Year 6 mock SATs paper to gather data for a test which isn't going to happen all whilst entertaining 3 children...

  9. #9
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    Good one on one coaching can make a dramatic difference to nearly everyone. A trainer can set you on a path that you'd never thought possible. I say this for both beginners and experienced athletes. Provided the athlete is gutsy a good coach will get the best from them. A good coach should also be able to recognise what events you'll be good at and also have a little medical knowledge so they can help with nutrition and injuries. Older people have a lot to gain from either employing or gaining advice from a trainer as certain methods of training hold such promise for them.

    The problem though is finding this expertise in amongst the incompetents. That is a difficult job as you can't just rely on qualifications in finding good people. If you eventually find someone who knows what they're doing they'll make a big difference to your fitness. Oh and sometimes this help is free but not always.

  10. #10
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    The tributes to the late Lindsay Dunn in a recent Athletics Weekly give a great indication of what I decent coach can do for a range of athletes of varying abilities.

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