3 surprising reasons you don’t have a running coach yet
You’re not good enough to have a running coach in the first place.
You don’t want the added pressure a coach would bring on top of everything else going on right now.
You’ve never really considered yourself much of a runner anyway.
Maybe the idea of a coach has crossed your mind, but you’ve dismissed it for one of these reasons.
So, you’re going it alone.
And the trouble is…
You know you’re missing out. Big time. The benefits of having someone by your side who’s been right where you are now are huge.
One thing I’ve learnt on my own running journey is that having the support of someone who understands the challenges, can help you build small positive habits and give you the accountability to drive you forward to achieve your goals, is the fastest way to make your dreams happen.
Let’s look at the 3 biggest reasons that are holding you back from having a running coach.
1. You don’t think you’re at a good enough to have a coach
This is the biggest reason I hear women tell me why they haven’t hired a running coach before.
“I just don't think I'm good enough generally to get a coach in the first place. I think people who have a coach are already pretty good.”
Let’s just start by saying I’m a big believer in the ethos ‘comparison is the thief of joy’. Run your way, for your reason and focus on YOU.
Apps like Strava are great ways to track training and engage with the running community but don’t get caught up in comparing yourself to every other runner out there.
No matter at what stage you are in your running journey, there will always be another runner out there who is quicker than you are and can run for longer than you can.
Stay focused on your own path.
You are good enough.
Running coaches are NOT just for fast runners.
If you don’t believe you are good enough to enlist the support of a coach, then we have a self-belief problem here.
2. You don’t consider yourself a runner
When I started running, six years ago, I had no idea what I was doing and had pretty low expectations about what I could achieve.
I’d never imagined I’d be able to run an ultramarathon.
I’ve run seven.
I share this because it shows how powerful our beliefs can be and how the stories, we tell our self can show up when we least expect it.
No matter what you want to achieve, you have to start somewhere, and you have to take responsibility for that.
I still remember training for my first ever ultramarathon. I had no clue what I was doing. I didn’t have a coach, I did no strength training, no speed work, there was no plan and the list goes on. I was still packing my race vest at midnight the night before because I was still figuring out what the heck, I should take with me.
But guess what, I did it and I crossed the finish line in one piece. And I learnt so much about what it takes to be a runner.
If you feel this is you right now, here’s my encouragement to you…
What would happen if you decided to put the stories you are telling yourself behind you and just kept showing up and trying to get a little better each day?
3. You’re afraid of putting yourself under too much pressure
First off let’s just get straighten a few things out here.
As a coach, I’m not here to play Sergeant major knocking on your door shouting at you to get off the sofa and lace up your shoes.
I’m here to plan with you, encourage you and hold you accountable so you can achieve everything you have a deep burning desire to achieve and so much more.
“If find that if I set some very serious targets for myself, I become very stressed about them. So not using a running coach is my way of not putting pressure on myself. I don’t want to let myself down.”
I see so many women online trying to do it all and not focusing on the things that actually move them closer to achieving your goals.
You think a running coach is there to pile on the pressure, on top of everything else going right now.
I am here to help you to less, not more.
You are afraid of letting your coach down.
Yes, you’ll try race strategies in training that don’t work, and I’ll be there to guide you every step of the way with endless support and positivity. But you’ll also try ones that do.
Why are you so afraid of failing?
Training is about failing with purpose. In school we’re taught failure is the lack of success but try flipping this mindset – what if success wasn’t is the absence of failure but despite failure.
What if you fail a thousand times over? If you never fail, you’ll never have the opportunity to learn and you’ll never take that step closer to achieving your goals.
I dare you to come and fail with me today. Imagine what you could achieve.