RunBuzz - Running Podcast | 5k | 10k | 13.1 | Half Marathon | 26.2 | Marathon | Couch To 5k

Why would someone consider hiring a running coach when there are hundreds of training plans, books, and resources available? In this episode I share why you should consider hiring one. So a listener, named Nate recently reached out to me and asked what exactly can a running coach do for a person especially for a non-competitive runner who is not a professional athlete. He wanted to know whether or not he should seek out a running coach to help with his training or should he do his own thing. He also wondered why would someone consider hiring a running coach in the first place when there are hundreds of training plans available, books, and resources available to help you with your training goals. Well, these are great questions, and in this episode, I share my opinions and thoughts on the matter. While I am a coach myself and believe everyone can benefit from having a coach, I hope to put aside my own biases and provide an objective view on what a relationship with a running coach can bring to the table. I'll share what a great coach can do (and not do) for you, some things that they offer what types of coaching are available Like I said, when it comes to running coaches, I honestly believe everyone can benefit from having a running coach. Whether you are just starting out and have not fully acclimated yourself to a running lifestyle, or whether you are an experienced runner, a running coach can provide an objective look into your training and in most cases accelerate the speed at which you progress. Running coaches work with all levels of runners, regardless of skill level or ability. I have worked with people who were very obese and never ran a day in their life to Boston qualifiers. But most people I work with fall in between those two boundaries. Coaches are there to challenge you when you need challenged or in some cases more importantly, throttle you back when you need to step back. The fact is, most people derail their training not by what they don't do, but what they actually do. A running coach will keep you on track, keep you within reasonable limits of your ability, keep you balanced in your training activities, and keep you on task by measuring and evaluating your progress. Coaches will then make adjustments to help you dial in what works for you. They will keep your training focused so that every little running tip you hear or read about doesn't turn into shiny object syndrome and counteract what it is you are trying to do. Running coaches should partner with you, not just tell you what to do. In other words, you should have equal say and equal participation when working with your coach. If both sides are on the same page, the coaching relationship (and your progress) will be successful. Running coaches come as varied as they runners they train. Not every coach is the same and not every coach will be right for you. Coaches should focus their training based on sound, scientifically based, proven training principles in the fields of exercise science, physiology, nutrition and so on. Coaches should not be restrained to just one way of doing things, but rather changing their approach if necessary to do things that are right for you. Simply put, there are more than one way to train and sometimes another way is simply best for the athlete being coached. For me, it is about getting the best out of the athlete in a way that is best for the athlete. It is important to note just as there are varied approaches to training, there is also very little standardization in the industry as to what a running coach does and how a coach becomes a coach and delivers training. Fortunately, there are a few certifications that can help certify coaches. Accrediting agencies like USA Track and Field as well as the RRCA ensure that coaches meet a minimum standard.

Do you sometimes find yourself in a funk? Do you struggle with the deep down desire to train, but maybe just feel "bleh", or feel like skipping workouts? Even worse, maybe you have found yourself in a cycle where you start running only to just walk away from it for weeks or months at a time before getting started again. Well, Sarah, a RunBuzz community member, has found herself in this exact situation and on more than one occasion. In this post I share some practical steps to digging yourself out a running funk and some tips on how to avoid it in the future. All this and more on today's episode.. I am excited to be talking about this topic, because it is one that I have struggled with on more than one occasion and one that I believe is pretty common amongst not only runners, but all people. We all go through periods of being in a rut, or funk, whether it be in our careers (been there, done that), our relationships (been there, done that) or our well being (been there, I got the trophy). Its a topic that I just did not feel right responding by email because I knew I could not get into the detail that was needed. Sarah writes ... How do you continuously stay motivated and get out of a funk when you get into a funk? I'll go through spurts and just quit running all together. It is usually before I have signed up for a race. I was signed up for my first half marathon in March and just up and quit running three to four weeks before the race. I finished the race at 2:59, but was miserable. I signed up for the 15k Boilermaker that was last weekend and backed out because I was not prepared as I had quit running for months. I am signed up for my next half marathon on 10/19/14 and just started a training plan this week. So far so good...but I am only three days into the training. What are your suggestions? The first step in figuring out why we fall into a funk with our running is to do a little self analysis. We need to take an honest look at ourselves and see what things are contributing to this situation as well as identify some actionable things we can do to get out of a funk and prevent it. Sometimes, just a few simple changes can snap us out of a funk and get us back on track, but other times it may require a lot of work. It can be a difficult road sometimes and sometimes we need the help of others to pull us out. A couple of things I would like to call out One is expectation. I do not believe it is possible to feel motivated to run 100% of the time. Some days it will feel like a grind to get out the door, other times it will be an enjoyable experience. When this happens, you need to be aware of it and aware that this is a normal feeling. Its part of being human and having these things called, emotions. But when a lack of motivation turns into days, weeks or months then what we have is a situation that is more chronic than just motivation or emotions. Ultimately what we are trying to get to is positive momentum, success, and then forward progress leads to more momentum. Once established, momentum is easier to maintain and can help prevent us from falling into a rut or pull us out of one. So how do we get out of a running funk? 1) First, start with your daily, life habits * What is your daily stress level like? Stress can be incredibly tiring and over time stress hormones can physically and mentally wear you down. * Are you going to bed at a decent hour? How is your sleep? Most of us get WAY too little sleep and many of us even have undiagnosed sleep issues. * Are you eating well and keeping your blood sugars stable? Try switching to smaller, more frequent meals, drink more water and start eating breakfast. * Get a blood test and look for nutrient deficiencies. For example,

I chat with Jill Angie from Running With Curves. Jill is a personal trainer, coach, runner, triathlete, blogger and author, who wants to live in a world where everyone is free to feel fit and fabulous at any size. She writes about the joys and challenges of being a curvy runner, and shares her experiences, knowledge and expertise to help her readers embrace their inner athlete. In addition to running, she has an unbridled passion for kettlebells, cupcakes, champagne, fuchsia and murder mysteries (not necessarily in that order).

In this podcast episode, I share how to recover from a bad race or run and what to do about it. I explore why bad runs happen and how to learn from them. Specifically, I share: •The most likely reason(s) why you may have had a bad race or run. •Are you being authentic with yourself? Do you really know what caused the bad race or run? •My story of my 3rd marathon and how I blamed it on everything else but my own training. •Cross training to strengthen my back and core using the Strength Training For Runners program. I share how it helped (and is helping today) improve my running. •How bad runs are not always blamed on bad training. •How you can avoid having bad runs. •Moving on.

In this episode, I chat with Eric Hunley from www.hamptonrunner.com about how he went from 283 lb to 3:27 marathoner. We talk about: How he went from a walker to a runner and challenges he faced along the way. How he went from 283 lbs to 184 through walking and running and his secrets for losing weight. Getting over tendonitis and a seized heel and how his biggest challenges has been injury. We share running tips that all runners can use to improve their running. What Eric would tell a younger version of himself if he had the chance knowing what he knows now. Eric's final one tip to improve your running!

In this episode, I share several strategies and tips for maintaining a running program. From training tips to mindset, these strategies will keep you from quitting. I recently posed a question to the RunBuzz Facebook group asking members to identify what was the hardest part of running. Was it starting or maintaining a running program? The overwhelming response was: Maintaining a running program was extremely difficult! I started tracking runners 4 years ago with the running club I run. Only 60% made it to the end of training. That means there was a 40% drop out rate. The good news is that so far (knock on wood), 100% of the people who made it to race day, finished. Let's just hope that record stands for a long time! Now there are a lot of reasons that may play into this, but at first this really messed with me. I wondered if it was something I was doing wrong, or something I was not doing right. It bothered me so much that I reached out to some other running coaches and running club directors I know to see if they had the same issue. Every one that I talked to told me it was pretty much what they were seeing amongst their clubs as well. Retention is something all clubs and coaches struggle with. Whether or not, you are in a running club or not, maintaining a running program is not always easy. We all go through phases that make it hard to stay motivated, stay active and stay on course. In this episode, I share lots of tips that will help you stay on track, stay engaged, and keep you running well into the future!

At 91 years of age, Harriette Thompson completed the San Diego marathon. So in honor of this very special woman, I decided to dedicate this podcast episode to her and share five things that I believe she can teach us about running. I am sure there are many, many things that she can teach us, but these were what came to mind.

In this episode, I answer a listener question around the feeling self conscious when she runs. I share tips to help overcome fear, the fear of failure, anxiousness, nervousness, negative thoughts, mindset and more. Specifically, I cover The degrees of fear and how it shows itself as being anxious, self conscious, embarrassed. Real vs. Irrational Fear and "Fight or Flight". Why failure is a good thing and how to use it to your advantage. The fear of failure and how to overcome it. Re-framing your mind and the application of positive affirmation. Self confidence and self-competence and how you grow it. How to scale yourself up and break past your comfort zone. How to avoid the negative "thought monkeys" or little devils that try to throttle you back to your comfort zone. Why using a time based interval training method is not ideal. Why I changed my approach to 5k training and coaching of beginner runners. Why "time boxing" a training plan benefits the coaching program and not necessarily the runner. How to train as a beginner that doesn't "suck". Aerobic zone vs. Anaerobic zone and why running is so tough.

I share how to apply rest and recovery in your training to maximize your running performance. I share how "it depends" based on your experience level as a runner, your age, your training goals, whether or not you cross train and a host of other factors that may make your situation different than other runners. So whether you are training for a 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, 50k, 50 mile, or 100 mile race this episode shares what you should be doing around rest and recovery.

I chat with Team Red, White and Blue executive director Blayne Smith, a former special forces commander. He shares how Team RWB is helping veterans as well as shares some insights into mindset and running.

This episode jam packed of running tips. In this episode, I chat with Coach Jeff Gaudette of Runner's Connect. We talk about his experience coming up as a collegiate and professional runner to his transition into coaching. Jeff shares some great running tips around Strength Training, easy vs. hard pacing and more! In today's episode we cover: How Jeff got cut from his high school basketball team by his coach so he could train for track. Jeff's transition from high school track to college track athlete at Brown University where he was became an All-American in Cross Country and set a school record in the indoor 5k. Jeff's experience as a professional athlete with the Hanson-Brooks development team. He shares what it was like to train with Hanson-Brooks and what life was like as a professional runner at the elite level. How and why Jeff transitioned to coaching in order to help recreational athletes at all levels train for 5k's, half marathons and marathons. Core training principles like long runs, the concept of hard/easy, the core foundation of the Hanson-Brooks training method as well as the importance of strength training. Why running long runs beyond 3 hours, is not necessary for all runners and how it may be contributing to your injuries. Why every training run should have a purpose. Why he bases his training philosophy around the Hanson running method. How advanced athletes training is not really that much different than beginner runners. Meb Keflezighi's Boston win and the importance of recovery. Why easy days need to be easier than you think. Jeff's shares his most critical training component regardless of what distance you are training for. How to optimize the aerobic system by training at the correct pace. How to slow down your pace without losing your running form. How improving your strength in your hips and your glutes can help reduce injuries. How strength training can improve your running performance. How to incorporate strength training into your schedule.

These top 10 running tips are things that I wish I would have started earlier or things that have led me to achieve the greatest gains in my running.

In today’s podcast, I chat with Lisa Hamilton of The Conscious Runner about her experiences with running and overcoming injury. Lisa has an incredible story of how she grew up as a competitive swimmer, became a collegiate cross country athlete, and went on to become a 2:43 marathoner. Like many runners, Lisa suffered from early…

In this episode, I share how you can establish strong, healthy habits which will improve your running and help you get your workouts in. Habits can make or break your progress as a runner.

In this episode of RunBuzz Radio, I introduce you to the podcast, the community, and to myself, Steve Carmichael, a recreation runner, running coach, running club director, and founder of RunBuzz.com.  Together, we’ll explore what makes this podcast different from podcasts I have done in the past and why, after two years, I decided to switch…