In this day and age we are spoilt for choice when it comes to information. There is so much knowledge to be gained through social media channels. What’s important to grasp when searching for more expert opinions to improve your running is it’s not always a case of “right or wrong”.

Success can be achieved in different ways and you’ll find individual coaches who adopt different philosophies to help their runners achieve their goals.

If you are considering working with a running coach, then it’s worth asking them some questions about what methods they adopt to help their clients..

Running technique is a good example. Take Shane Benzie for example. He’s gained a lot of recognition online in recent years and believes teaching correct running form can play a significant role in helping runners achieve their goals.

This is a running coach that has written a best selling book and charges over £100 for an individual session. Some of the runners I’ve seen who have gone to Shane Benzie for advice include Damian Hall, Ben Parkes and Paul Tonkinson.

I had a conversation with a highly regarded local coach about running technique. His philosophy is the polar opposite. He’s of the belief that trying to change a runners technique, will make no difference to performance and in fact increase the risk of injury.

So who is correct?

Well both of them to some degree. I’m in the very early stages of my coaching journey and I’m trying to soak up as much knowledge as possible. I value the opinion of both of these coaches.

My approach would simply depend on the individual runner. I would ask certain questions to any new client looking for a training plan. Questions like?

• How long have you been running?
• Do you struggle with injuries?
• How much time are you able to commit to your training?

A client who had been running for 20 years, with little history of injuries and only had 3 hours spare each week, I wouldn’t waste any of that time trying to change engrained technical habits. It wouldn’t be worth it.

But if I had a younger runner, who consistently picks up niggles, had clear flaws in their technique and has the free time available to do extra running drills, then yes, this is a scenario I would look to try and help them improve their running form.

As I stated above, this is a very early stage of my coaching journey. I have so much more to learn. But for now my primary focus towards my runners is to ensure they remain injury free. If you’re injured you can’t run.

From there, I want to make my training plans fun! Running fun? Are you sure? To do this I’ve tried to add variety to my runners plans and I’ve encouraged them to join up with groups and get involved with sessions to make their training more engaging.

I ask my runners to rate every run they do from an enjoyment perspective to help me set future sessions that they will enjoy. I’m working with club runners, not elite athlete. This is our hobby, so it has to be fun right?

I’ve spoken to several local runners who have made huge improvements in a relative short space of time working with a coach who sets aggressive training plans. What I mean by aggressive is getting the runners working really hard, pushing them to the limits.

You might be a determined individual that wants this from a coach and you might like the idea of pushing your limits. But several of these runners ended up injured and whilst they achieved great times, ultimately they had to spend time on the side lines as a consequence.

Other variables that you might find between coaches are the measurements they use. I’ve started using “time” rather than “distance” for my sessions. I like to use RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) rather than insisting runners go at a specific pace.

Some coaches might use “heart rate” as their main tool for measuring effort. Some coaches might really push Strength and Conditioning, others may say it’s not necessary.

In summary, always factor in that there will be a difference of opinion from coaches and experts. It doesn’t mean they are right or wrong. Try to find a running coach or your own approach, which fits in with your lifestyle, running goals and enjoyment.

I’m offering FREE TRAINING PLANS whilst I gain more experience. If this sounds interesting then visit the coaching page and send me your details. I will be in touch.