Four Things I Live By as a Running Coach
Every coach should have a philosophy—a plan, a compass, if you will—when it comes to training. Why does a coach write their training plans the way they do? Why did they prescribe a workout when they did? What do they preach to their athletes or on social media?
Of course, everyone’s philosophy can be built over time. Some may change their philosophy as they gain experience or as new research comes out with revelations on a particular topic or training method that proves more effective.
So, what are some things I believe as a run coach? What are some of the foundations of my coaching philosophy? I’m glad you asked—just keep reading.
Consistency Is What Moves the Needle
You’ve heard it said, “The best training plan is the one that you can stick to,” and this is true. If you have a good week, run 50 miles, hit a workout and a long run—that’s great. If you then get in one or two easy runs the next week, and the week after that you just get a long run in on the weekend because your week was hectic—that’s inconsistency.
That type of training is not going to produce the results you want. Sometimes I believe we want to do everything and end up doing nothing. For example, a runner may want to run 7 days a week, strength train twice a week, and do mobility 3 times a week. But in reality, they only have 30 minutes some days and skip strength training because they only have time to get in a run—leading to inconsistency in the gym.
All this to say, I believe you have to find a schedule that you can stick to consistently. Maybe that’s only running 4 days a week and strength training one day a week. If you can do that consistently week over week, you will be better off than the person who trains 7 days one week and one the next.
2. Volume Is King
It’s a funny thing—the more you do something, the better you get at it.
I think volume is more important than intensity (although some intensity is definitely needed). However, I believe adding volume will bring greater gains than adding intensity.
If you’re running 35 miles a week and 10 of those miles are at intensity, I would rather you increase your mileage to 50 miles a week while keeping 10 miles at intensity, versus staying at 35 miles and increasing the intense miles to 15.
Anecdotally, I have seen volume help tremendously in my own training. I signed up for a 100K and, at the time, was running 50 miles a week. I knew I wanted to increase that to 100 miles per week a few weeks out from the race, and I had 4 months to do so. I added 15 miles every 3 weeks and only had one “speed day.”
At the end of the training block, I set PRs at all distances from the mile to the half marathon during a 15-mile training run. I didn’t even plan to do that that day, but I was feeling so good at mile 7 that I just kept the pace and pushed a little.
A month after running the 100K, I ran my marathon PR around my local track (2:57:02) after not running too much between then and the race.
All that to say, it was the volume that led to those improvements in time. Most of my running was done in Zone 2 & 3 during that build. (Also, I won the 100K and finished about an hour faster than I had expected!)
3. Strength Training Is a Must
Regardless of experience as a runner or the race distance you’re training for, I believe strength training is crucial. At least one day a week, runners should be in the gym.
It’s going to help delay muscle fatigue, aid in injury prevention by strengthening the muscles around your joints, and improve running economy.
I incorporate some form of strength training into all my athletes’ plans. It can also be used to simulate running on tired legs by having athletes lift and then run on the same day. Getting in the gym is a must if you’re a runner.
4. Personalization Over Philosophy
When it comes to coaching, I believe everyone is different and needs their plan personalized. Although the basic principles of running are the same, tweaks need to be made based on what the individual needs at that time.
Some individuals may need to focus on building strength in the gym if they are injury-prone and therefore limited in how much volume they can handle. Others may be at their peak mileage and need to start increasing intensity. Or they may have only ever run at easy paces and need to begin incorporating intensity.
Everyone is unique, and therefore every training plan should look different based on the individual. What works for me may not be what is best for the next person.
This is partly why I love coaching—figuring out what each individual needs and helping them achieve their goals and discover what’s possible for them. That’s the best feeling as a coach.
“A good coach can change a game, a great coach can change a life.” — John Wooden
If this philosophy resonates with you and you’re looking for a coach to help with your training, I’d love to hear from you. Click below and go to the contact page to get in touch.
https://www.camiamendurancecoaching.com/
Coach Cam
