What Makes a Great Running Coach?
What separates a great running coach from a good one? Bob Dyer breaks down the 8 qualities that define an effective coach — from Lydiard-certified expertise to the intuition to know when an athlete needs a rest day.
Finding the right running coach can make the difference between spinning your wheels and achieving a real breakthrough. But what qualities define a great coach? Here are the key characteristics that set an effective running coach apart.
What to Look for in a Running Coach
1. In-Depth Knowledge — A great coach possesses a deep understanding of training principles and the underlying physiology. They can explain the purpose and benefit of every workout, so you're never just going through the motions.
2. Open to Dialogue — A good coach welcomes questions about training methods. Constructive dialogue leads to better understanding and better performance.
3. Values Commitment — Time and dedication are everything in distance running. A great coach emphasizes this from day one and holds athletes accountable throughout the journey.
4. Asks and Listens — By actively asking questions, a coach understands what's happening in the athlete's life and adjusts the training plan accordingly. Life happens — a good coach adapts.
5. Intuitive Adjustment — An effective coach knows when to modify a workout or call a rest day. Emotional fatigue and minor discomforts escalate if ignored. The best coaches catch this early.
6. Motivates with Honesty — Great coaches motivate without inflating expectations. They give straightforward evaluations of progress and fitness — even when the truth is hard to hear.
7. Real-World Experience — Having experienced training, racing, successes, and failures themselves, a competent coach draws from personal experience to guide athletes through the same challenges.
8. Accreditation and Expertise — Proper accreditation matters. It demonstrates a clear coaching philosophy and a thorough understanding of training methodology.
Pictured above: coaches Bill Bowerman, Nobby Hashizume, and Arthur Lydiard. Nobby is one of the world's foremost authorities on the Lydiard Method and has been an invaluable resource to Bob and Jennifer at Running Niche, helping interpret Lydiard principles and sharpen our coaching approach.
Ready to work with a coach who embodies these qualities? Bob and Jennifer are both Lydiard Certified Coaches offering personalized training plans for runners of all levels. Stop by the store or join Team Running Niche to get started.
Training Consistency
You’re in that period after your goal race. Heading into the holidays. It’s easy to fall into that trap of “Oh I’ll start my next plan in a few weeks” or “I’m still going to run but not in a set or structured way”. I’d ask you to consider the following as you set your path.
You’re in that period after your goal race. Heading into the holidays. It’s easy to fall into that trap of “Oh I’ll start my next plan in a few weeks” or “I’m still going to run but not in a set or structured way”. I’d ask you to consider the following as you set your path.
Under the Lydiard Method, just as the phases within a cycle build upon one another, training cycles in total also build upon each before it. Remember that training is an iterative process, disrupting this process leads to a decline in fitness. As you finished your fall cycle, took a month of recovery running if you ran a marathon, you’re ready to start the next cycle for spring. You are starting this cycle at a much higher level of fitness as you just completed 18-24 weeks of training. Your new training cycle plan will be consistent with your new fitness level. This means not only will the intensity of your Out & Backs, Progress Calibration Runs and Intervals will be higher but also your aerobic runs pace will be a bit faster. And your goal race projected time will be faster. As an example: A 4:20 marathon for Fall sets you up for a 4:10 marathon for Spring, if you begin a new training cycle. Or a 3:55 leads to a 3:45.
However, if you skip a cycle, essentially this means you are starting over at the same place you were as you began your Fall cycle. And that assumes you have maintained some sort of aerobic base during this down period.
I also understand that for some, moving into a new, equally intense cycle may not be ideal at this point in time. Remembering the principles of consistency and that training is iterative, the Lydiard Method offers additional options to maintain and build your fitness.
Different Lydiard® Method training plans offered at www.RunningWizard.net.
I advise our marathon runners to focus in Spring on a 10k or Half Marathon premium plan to work on enhancing their endurance and speed. While these can be 24 weeks in duration, they also can be shorter.
For some it may be best to embark on a “Base to Race” plan which focusses on aerobic conditioning and can be as short as 10 weeks.
In either case, each will help set you up to begin your Fall marathon training cycle in a higher state of fitness setting up the opportunity for you to again achieve your target race goals whatever they may be.
Lastly, there is a myth out there that the Lydiard Method is just for marathoners or “fast” runners. It’s not. The principles of periodization work for all runners regardless of their experience level. It’s personalized to you and your starting fitness level. That is why there are Up and Running or Up and Racing plans for those starting out in their fitness quest or coming off injury or surgery (like me).
If you would like to learn more about the Lydiard® Method, please stop by the store and talk with Bob Dyer or Jennifer Henderson, who are both Lydiard® Certified Coaches.
Struggling to stay consistent between race cycles? A Lydiard Method coach keeps you on track with structured plans that build on each other year-round. Join our Run Club to stay accountable with a community that shows up every week.