At the start of this month I started working with a running coach, namely Michelle Mortimer. I have never really thought about getting a running coach as I have seen so much improvement just working off the club plans for the road. The change in heart has come from my decision to try do an George Fisher's (formally Abraham's) Tea Round and the realisation I was probably going to need some specific trail ultra and fell help. As far as I could tell, there wasn't anyone with space in the club group of coaches that had that kind of experience so it was time to go outside the tribe.....
Running coaches have exploded in recent years, in part because of the rise of the sport in general. A bit like a running personal trainer, they come with many different strengths and weaknesses, and finding the right one for you is a bit of a hit and miss event. When I was making my enquiries I had a few things that I really was looking for in a future coach. The first criteria as I mentioned was experience coaching fell and trail and ultras; a road speciailist might not include the off road experience or the elevation I was looking for. The second was someone used to working with real people. That is, someone who gets my running is my hobby and nearly everything (family, dog, work, friends) has to come first. And finally, someone who could cope with my crazy shift patterns because there is no point someone saying to me every Sunday is long run day, because I work at least one weekend a month(usually two) and have no work routine at all. Oh, and price, because I am not millionaire.
I must confess, my main source of information on potential coaches was the internet, both their websites and social media. You can get a bit of a vibe of the type of athletes someone works with from their social media, and there were a few people who were clearly not going to be interested in working with me!
I remember seeing Michelle on social media a while ago; she often appears on UKRunChat and has a very active instagram and twitter, and she also does canicross. When I finally plucked up the courage to send in an enquiry via her website, and explain my chaotic lifestyle, she replied with absolute positivity, and we arranged a phone call. She said she had worked with shift workers before and I could do weekly plans if that worked better for me. She seemed to think that the Tea Round was perfectly reasonable to work towards over a year, which was positive too.
So how have the first few weeks been? So far, excellent! The first week wasn't too different from what I would have aimed to do, which I suppose is a very sensible approach, but with some structure to my hill reps for example. She is also very flexible around the odd race I already have in the calendar or club runs I want to do. But the biggest thing is that I am more relaxed as I am not having to worry about whether I am getting enough sessions or the right sessions in! I love that aspect! I just open the plan, transcribe to diary and email thorugh next weeks hours. Amazing!
The first test of whether we are hitting the right level of training is going to be the Peak Skyline in August which will be an exciting test. I am actually getting quite nervous about being ready for this race as struggling to sustain pace and elevation but hopefully the process will work. I'll keep you updated.
