Episode 36: Running with Friends Series; Recent race recaps & discussing whether to hire a running coach
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Welcome to Chasing Life Podcast, where we talk about fitness, running, career, and life tips to inspire you to live your best life. I'm your host, Sarah Kane, and I hope you enjoy today's episode.

Hi, welcome to another episode of Chasing Life. Today's episode is from the Running With Friends series. I'm talking with Leti from Marathon Running Podcast. And today we're going to talk about the pros and cons of coaching, hiring a running coach, as well as catching up on our races. Thanks for joining me, Leti. Thank you so much for having me back.

So, Leti, you had a really big race recently, the 100-mile relay in the Florida Keys. How did that go? Oh, you know, Sarah, it was pretty amazing. And I'm glad you mentioned it was a relay because I wouldn't want anybody to think that I did the 100 miles by myself. We had six people total as runners and a driver, and it was accordingly fun. That's great. And how did your team do?

So our team did really well. We ended up finishing the race in 11 hours and 56 minutes, which comes out to a

seven Oh nine minute mile, which is pretty blazing fast. However, we did get a penalty of 30 minutes. And if you guys want to listen to that, there's a whole episode on this and I think it's episode 53 of my podcast. So I will, we'll link that in our show notes. Yeah. That'll be interesting to check out. Um, do you have any advice for anyone who might want to run that race in the future?

Yes. So it's a Florida race and it starts in Key Largo, goes all the way down to Key West. It's super hot. It's super humid. So just try to have fun with it. If you're not local, there's really no good way to prepare for it. If you are a local Floridian, then just get out there in the middle of a day and do those runs where you're almost dizzy because that's what it basically comes down to. And you know, the good news with the keys with those mileage exchange points was that

No run was longer than three miles ish, except for one that was seven miles. But so you'd think before you do the race that that would be way too short of a leg, but then when you're running it, you reach mile two and you start burning up. And so it's really nice to have those frequent exchange points. Yeah. And then you get to hop in an air conditioned van until the next point, right? A very air conditioned and very sweaty van. Yeah.

So how about you, Sarah? You had a 10K that you just did, and I think you won second overall. Congratulations on that. Thank you. I did. Yeah, that was very surprising. It was also a hot and humid race, considering it was in the Thousand Islands of New York. And so that's near Alexandria Bay. It's on the St. Lawrence River. So it's very picturesque.

But it's very warm. We had a headwind going out the course. And then when we turned around to go to the finish line, the wind was pushing us at our backs, which was nice because my mile paces dropped about 20 seconds the last half.

So that was really nice. But yeah, the, I was not expecting that finish. I ran with a friend and I told her, I was like, Oh, I'll run with you. I don't know how I'm going to feel. My ankles been coming and going. It's been better, but I don't know how, when I woke up the morning of the race, like I was really sore and I was like, Oh, this is probably not going to go well later. I probably shouldn't be racing today. So I really had no expectations. And

And so the race was kind of small. There was a couple hundred people maybe in at the start. And so I went out and we were following, we had just followed the,

They had a half marathon, a 5K and a 10K all at the same time. And the half marathoners had just run through the start line of the 10K. So we were like right behind them. As soon as they cleared out, we started. And so for the first three miles of my race, I was running through half marathon people as well. So I had no idea who was running the 10K until we hit the turnaround point. And I saw people coming back and

And so then when I saw a runner coming back with the bike escort, I started counting them and I counted two females. And then shortly after that, I hit the turnaround and I was like, oh my God, I'm third in this race. Like what, what is going on? Like I've never placed that high in a race before. And then I could see the second place runner and I just kept an eye on her. And eventually I caught her because she was walking at water stations and she ended up having to walk

because it was really warm. And so I passed her around like mile four and a half and ended up second overall, which was really cool and completely unexpected. So that was, that's so amazing. That's what a great experience in that kudos to you for actually doing a negative split for you use as a, for you listeners that don't know what that means. It means running your second half faster than the first half. So that's really hard to do in a race. I don't

never really been able to do that because you get so excited in the beginning and then you burn out. But apparently you had something left in you and went on a chase. So that's Sarah chasing runners. Yeah, right. Well, and I'm glad you brought that up because when I first started, I just kind of fell into a groove that was maybe around what I consider my temple pace. So not super slow, but had a good, steady, moderate pace. And I was like, maybe I'll just

like float around this pace for a while. Maybe I'll just run even splits the whole race. Like that's my goal. And so I was just kind of running, you

not super uncomfortable. So this wasn't a PR time for me, but I was really happy with how I paced myself because the last 10 K that I ran, which was about six months ago, I went out too fast on the first mile. So then by a 10 K, which is 6.2 miles is long enough that if you go out too fast, you're going to feel it the last mile, if you don't pace well. And so my first two miles were the same pace. And then once I hit the turnaround and

then my miles started going down and honestly, I wasn't like trying to run faster. I was just trying to run even, but the wind to my back helped. And, um, I ended up, yeah, just kind of, I was really proud of myself for doing that negative split and not going out too fast. Um, and that way I felt a lot better toward the end of the race. And that was definitely really helpful.

That's awesome. And it'll give you the perfect fueling for your, what you're setting yourself up to do, which is your upcoming races and your training that you're trying to do. So can you perhaps tell our listeners again and remind them what you're training for and what your goal is that you're going to put on the fridge on a sticky note? Yeah. So we'll talk about this probably every episode that people will get sick of me saying it, but I'll just put it out to the universe.

is that my big running goal that I'm working toward hopefully will be achieved in less than a year from now is qualifying for Boston. So the time I'm going for is a sub 335, but I'm hoping to closer to a 330 to add just some buffer to be able to get into the Boston race. So

That's my goal. So that's your goal. And how are you going about achieving it? Are you obviously signed up for that race? And then are you doing any fall races as well? Yeah. So I have two half marathons this fall. And so I'll start training for the first one. I got a pretty good base going on. So I'll probably do a 12 week training plan for the half marathon that I'm running at the end of September. That'll kind of be my goal race. And then I have

Three races back to back in the fall. So I'm not going to make all of them a goal race. So I'll probably train for new PR my half for half on September 26th, the weekend after that.

I'll just run a half. And then the weekend after that is a 15 K, which I'm also hoping to hit a PR with on that course. Um, so yeah, definitely a packed fall that I'll officially start that training soon. That's awesome. Speaking of fall, how is your marathon training going?

I started officially calling it marathon training about maybe a couple of weeks ago. So it's going to be very, very long training plan, 20 weeks. But of course, you know, at least,

Well, probably 12 of those weeks will be just building a high mileage, solid base to where then after those 12 weeks, I can start rolling in workouts along with that. And as you know, I have a coach that is recommending and watching this very closely. And right now, really the goal is just to bring up the mileage level.

to around 70 ish miles a week. And that's a lot of miles for somebody who is not an elite runner. So, you know, just trying to do that safely without getting injured is right now the goal. Yeah. And that takes a lot of time too. So do you find right now that it's manageable or what kind of adjustments do you have to make to your week in order to fit in all of those miles? Yeah.

Oh, you know, 5 a.m. is my jam. I can't do it any other time because I live in Florida. And as you know, it gets super hot during the summer months. And so we have to be out the door by 5, 530. Not just because of the heat, also because obviously we have a life, we have jobs and that kind of thing, kids, stuff.

Summer, you know, kids are off out from school. So it's not like you really have the option, nor would you really want to run in Florida at 12 o'clock. So it was just getting used to getting up early and then making sure you go to bed early enough to get some sleep because I'm

at fault for that. I have major FOMO sometimes when I go to bed, I want to be awake for as long as possible because otherwise I feel like I'm missing out on the day. But then when you wake up at five o'clock in the morning and you're not well rested, then obviously that's just something that, you know, it takes a toll on your body too. And you're more fatigued, but yeah. So that's, that's that in a nutshell. Yeah. I think that's a great reminder about sleep. I've been trying to

Get to bed on time too. I'm not a 5am-er, but I have been getting up at 6am, which is a win for me. And it's a, I have to remember to like start to actually get ready for bed at like 9.30 so that I'm like lights out or like trying to fall asleep by 10 because I'm

I read a statistic recently that was talking about how like the more miles you're running, the more sleep your body needs. And often, you know, I think runners forget that as they're like, well, let me just get my seven and a half, eight hours, but I'm running 50 miles a week or seven, whatever, whatever

It is. And the more miles you're running, you got to make sure you're getting that extra sleep. And, you know, maybe it's an extra nap on the weekend or maybe it's an extra 15 to 20 minutes each weeknight. But I do think that's really important. But also it is very hard to make sure you go to bed on time because you get to, I don't know,

watching a TV show or scrolling your phone or reading a book, whatever it is, but it keeps you up and you're like, Oh, I really need to go to bed. But that doesn't seem nearly as fun as whatever it is that you're doing at the moment. So. Yeah. Especially cause we all get so busy, you know, kids, no kids, it doesn't matter. We have stuff that we have to do during the day. You have to go to work, you have to do things. So then obviously selfishly in the evening, this is your time where you don't have to respond to other people in any kind of shape. And you can just,

Google or YouTube, whatever you want. So that makes it a little bit harder to step away from that. But, you know, we try, we can, all we can do is try. Right. Yep. Yep. And definitely just, you know, remember what our goals are too. Like,

But a previous guest, and I believe you've talked to him, Brian Green mentioned, it's just remembering what your goals are and the types of things that you're willing to sacrifice to help succeed more in that hidden training program, which has to do with the sleep and the nutrition and just lifestyle choices. And a question that I often try to remind myself of is, is this helping me to reach my future goals? And even if the goal is a year away,

These kind of habits, they build up over time. And so it's better to at least become more aware of things and try to adjust it as each week goes by. So true. So true. All right. So the other topic that we wanted to cover today was about hiring a coach because, as I might have mentioned previously, getting a coach is something I've been considering more and more lately with...

a big goal that I, with the Boston qualifying goal that I have. And I just want to, you know, make sure that I kind of utilize all the tools that I can. So Leti, you have been working with a running coach for a couple of years now. Can you tell us about your experience? Yeah. So my experience was a little bit out of the ordinary because prior to hiring a coach, I just ran marathons to finish them.

I wanted to get away from my desk or stop studying. And that was my excuse. I would go outside, run a marathon. I would do some running in the week and some long runs on the weekends leading up to it, but really never looked at my running watch.

And I hired a running coach kind of more by chance because I had had a second baby and I was trying to take running more serious and wanted to qualify for Boston. So I followed a training plan and followed the advice of a coach to the T, which cut off a tremendous amount of time from my previous PRs that were really just very insignificant PRs that I hadn't really worked for.

But the experience, it taught me the benefits of following a plan very closely. And it also helped having somebody, the mental aspect, having somebody in your court that cheers you on and makes you feel like you're worthy of hiring a coach. Because one of the few things that I thought about was I was 38 years old, 37 years old when I hired him first. And I thought, I'm a mom of two now.

and I'm trying to lose the baby weight. So who am I to hire a coach? You know, I'm not any kind of 20 year old that's an Olympic possible qualifier. So that was a adjustment in my head. And it kind of comes down to, you know, people hire personal trainers at the gym all the time. So you just kind of have to switch your thinking if you think like me and, and,

yes you deserve a coach and just try to see what you can do yeah thank you I feel like that's

really helpful just to kind of have that firsthand story and to realize that anyone can hire a coach. You don't have to have certain goals, but what a coach will do is help you to achieve more of your potential. And, and I think having someone else to take the training plan off of your mind and having someone else just give it to you and say, okay, do that just helps save your mental capacity, uh,

maybe a long day that you don't want to have to think about. That's why a personal trainer is great because they tell you what workouts do. And a running coach is the same thing because they tell you what workouts to do. So what do you feel like was some of the biggest changes when you started with a coach, like terminology or the types of workouts that you did or the length of the workouts? What was all that like? Oh,

Oh, it was such a steep learning curve, Sarah, because when I ran before a coach, I honestly thought marathoners just ran a certain mileage and the concept of these are your easy days versus these are your hard days was something completely new. I mean, I knew people would do a few track workouts, but I never really knew that, you know, you're spending 80% of your running time per week running slow and

slowly and then running the other 20% doing specific workouts. So that was a huge game changer. Yes, terminology too, fart legs and what are strides, like all those different things. It didn't help that the coach that I hired was

was a elite coach, an elite retired marathoner, because he grew up with running being his whole world. So whenever he would say certain things, he kind of just assumed people would know his terminology. And so he was learning that, you know, because he started coaching average runners, that we don't know what all this stuff means. And you have to dumb it down, because some of us don't speak up. And so then we're doing like strides. And we're like,

I wonder how many laps that is, you know, little things like that. So it was a learning curve for him too, I'm sure. You know, the more I hear about coaching, the more I realize that it's probably going to be, you know, the next step for me to help reach my goals. I know I've said that before, but just having that additional support and,

I feel like also a great thing about hiring a coach too, is they're going to mix up the workouts more for you than, you know, just getting a plan on, on the internet that maybe one isn't custom to your paces or what your current goals are.

Or two, it's going to be like mile repeats. And those workouts can get very repetitive, just doing the same thing over and over again, where if you have a person that can personalize that training plan for you, it can help to just make your training more exciting instead of like, oh gosh, like I got to do this where this is the same workout I did last week. Like, and I feel like that's sometimes where

running can get really monotonous if it's just the same thing over and over. The workout might be hard, but you're like, well, I just did this. Like, well, I'm doing it over and over again. So absolutely. And I have to agree with that a hundred percent because I talk to my coach about that all the time, how it's not really possible for athletes

every person to have the same plan and succeed. I mean, you know, there's a fine line, right? If you're running to finish your marathon or if you're running one of your first marathons, you're probably okay. Even though what do we always worry about injury prevention? So when you have a coach, um,

And then a good coach, I want to say, because there's tons of coaches that just throw a month long training plan at you and say, good luck. If you have a coach that really caters and does the workouts to you for you and basically writes down, okay, Sarah did her,

thousand meters and I see that she's still weak at doing these because she keeps on getting slower, even though I tell her she needs to do the latter ones faster. Maybe I have to address this in a different way and they really cater it to you. Then you can fulfill your potential probably better

than if you were to follow the same training plan as me. If you and I were to sign up for the same race and have the same training plan, maybe you're better at doing stuff in one way. And we have different strengths and weaknesses, I guess is what I'm trying to say. And so a coach can recognize that and do your workouts in order to support your weaknesses and not to make you fall into a deeper hole of potential injuries.

Yeah, I think that's a great summary. Thank you. I don't even know what more I could add to that other than I thought I would share an article that I found of some questions to consider when you're looking to hire a coach. If you treat it like an interview, right, if you're hiring them to assist you in your goals, right?

So when you meet them, make sure the coach is willing to allow you to interview them so that you can learn about their approaches. Maybe their coaching style doesn't vibe with how you best feel supportive. You know, if it's a tough love coach versus a coach, you need to be fluffy and supportive. Or, you know, if the coach makes sure the coach understands what your goals are.

And that there's not a huge gap between what they're trying to make you do versus what your current fitness level is too. Yeah.

Also ask how much time and effort the coach will be able to spend with you to understand your specific needs and life circumstances, whether it's work or kids or just other scheduling conflicts in order to truly personalize a training plan that's developed for you. And ask them whether or not they're willing to modify and adapt your training plan when life happens, because whether it's an injury, you get sick, you fall,

You know, have to go out of town for unexpected reason. You know, whatever happens because of life. You know, how are you going to work around that?

And also whether or not they're going to be available along the way to answer your questions and strategize on upcoming race logistics. Are they the kind of coach that will just give you a plan, you know, for 16 weeks and leave you alone? Or are they going to be there each week and help you support the race? I think that's important. And it's going to vary depending on, you know, what you're seeking to, what kind of support you feel like you really need, whether you want someone checking up on you. I know for me, I like having coaches.

accountability, whether it's with friends or family members, just to talk about running, of course, any excuse to talk about running. But when you have that coach, just to check in with you to say like, how did those workouts go? I feel like that's really important. At least that's my feelings toward it. And the last question is,

Whether or not if they're local to you, are they willing to go on training runs with you and give you pointers on your running style and show you technique, you know, show you how to do drills instead of you just trying to watch a YouTube video about them?

And, you know, maybe also connect with other runners. Like, is there kind of a local, not just a running club, but like a running team that, that other people that maybe that coach works with that you can do workouts with or meet and, and.

I'll, you know, feel like you're just part of a running community too, because then they, then you have another group of people that are supportive of your goals, not just an individual, but then other people are going to be rooting for you as well. So anyways, those are some helpful questions that I found just through Google. So hopefully our listeners, you know, gave them, it gave them some things to think about. Definitely gave me things to think about. Do you have anything else you want to add, Leti? Yeah.

No, but I really like your point of making this an experience where it's not just it doesn't feel lonely because I know a lot of us are, you know, outgoing type A people and we're people driven. And if you find a coach and he is part of a team or he has that team that you're mentioning, then that's a it's a huge.

help because then you can also compare your workouts to others and, you know, try to do a little bit better and then maybe, you know, have a team trial or whatever where you just have more people. Another thing that people need to consider or the last thing that I can think of is the cost because some coaches are, you

monthly fees, some coaches are a little bit higher. And when you find those fees online on their website, a lot of them also have restrictions. I know that before I met my current coach who he's just amazing and has bleeding, bleeding heart syndrome. So he basically talks too long to everybody just because he feels like his runners need it, which is awesome for us.

But I know online there's a lot of coaches that restrict your contact. And I personally know some friends that had bad experiences through that because they didn't feel like they either didn't get their plan on time or it was a day before a race where I feel like a coach really should talk to you because you're going through that experience and they're not there to share it or, you know, just to have your runners feel

feel like they are cheering you on. So obviously everything comes with a price. I'm sure there's a price tag for having them babysit you every day, but I'm just talking, you know, just basic contact. You should be able to text your coach. You should have whatever training app they use. A lot of them use Training Peak where you can comment on your workout and say, look, I did this workout. My hamstring started hurting. So that way you have that communication with your coach where you give them feedback about, um,

what happened and they should be able to adjust your training plan accordingly. I think those are great points. Thank you for bringing them up. And cost is definitely an important factor in doing your research. And I also want to encourage people, and this is coming from someone who does a lot of research when it comes to buying things that a cheap cost doesn't necessarily mean it's the best value. You get what you pay for and find what will fit your budget. But

Also fully understand what service you get out of it too. Is it just, I'm going to pay for this plan and not have any communication or am I going to pay and have, you know, maybe pay a little bit more, but be able to have that regular feedback content and support. So I think those are great points. Thank you for bringing those up.

Yeah. And another thing is also you need to consider the timing of hiring a coach. Like, do you really want to just hire them for three months? Or do you want to give them the opportunity to get to know you a little bit and know what works for you and experiment with you? Because they're just people that...

would whatever you give them, whatever information you have from your watch, you tell them, this is where I'm at. And then they kind of have to play around with numbers and what works best for you to respond to. So give them maybe a little bit more than the 12 week training plan. So that way they can really see how you respond to certain things that they do. Like say you don't know how you respond to certain things and then give them a chance to try that out on you. Yeah, I think that's it.

Another great point of allowing them that grace period before maybe a goal race that you're working towards. So that way they can maybe even increase your potential, like,

Say, for example, the paces I'm running today aren't necessarily my race paces because my mileage isn't to my highest potential. And so just kind of, yeah, communicating and talking about like, where am I am now? Where do I want to go? And allowing yourself that time to grow, to get there and to grow together as well. I think that's.

That's a great reminder for anyone who's considering or looking for a coach. Now, one question I wanted to ask you, you actually took a run coaching training. Can you tell us about that experience and why you decided to do that and what you may or may not do with that education? Yeah, so I took this certification class, which is only one weekend long.

So I could be a little bit better versed for my podcast. And that's really the only reason. I know that it's a very easy certification to get. It's through RRCA, the Roadrunners Club of America. And basically, you

You sign up and with the pandemic, all the coaching certifications were available for online. So you basically have 16 hours of a class where you talk about nutrition, physiology, psychology, marketing, and that's that in a nutshell. It has...

good material because you have a textbook that has pretty good charts in it, which you could probably find online to, you know, pacing charts, you know, 5k, if you run a 5k in this time, then you should run your marathon in that time. And you know, what, what your tempo run pace should be. So that's probably the best part about the whole book I find. But yeah, so it's, it's good information. Yeah.

In my honest opinion, I think it's a good supplement for somebody who is really into coaching and has been doing it and needs to have some credential for it. But just because you are a coach through RRCA, I don't feel like that standing alone doesn't really make you a good running coach because I definitely can tell you I would not be able to

you know, come up with a great plan other than, you know, the little exercises we did during class. I think there's a lot more involved and a lot more experience needed to become a coach. Yeah. Another great point, right. Is that someone, you know, do your research in a coach and see what their years of experience were asking them how many athletes they've worked with. You know, if you're comfortable with a newer coach, um,

That's fine, but understand that their style might be different than someone who's five or 10 years of experience and coached hundreds of runners. So I think that that's really helpful. And yeah, and it sounds like, you know, if you have a couple hundred dollars, you can take that course, right. And say, oh, well, I'm certified in level one of our RCA, but yeah,

yeah, would you be able to put through the best training plan for someone who is maybe taken all, are there multiple levels? I think there are right. Like four levels of our RCA training or supplemental materials. I think one or two, but no, I mean, I think you're making a great point though, because even though I'm saying you wouldn't be probably the best coach for somebody who wants to be fast, you are making the point that not everybody has the same needs. So, um,

I mean, I guess I'd take it back because you could probably definitely write a plan for somebody if they want to finish a marathon or if they want to have a certain experience. If you're a really nurturing person and you just want to give them a few pointers of how to have a successful experience where you don't feel like you hit the wall at 22 miles. If you want to hold their hand through that, that's probably fine.

a good, you know, like you said, you know, if you have a certain level of experience, I'm just thinking of runners that want to run fast, but obviously that's not the only goal of somebody completing a marathon. So I guess I'm, I'm kind of taking that back a little bit. It depends on what you're looking for to do with your first marathon. So if you are trying to lose weight and maybe find a dietitian who also has a certification and run coaching, because I know a few of those, um,

And that could work well. Or if you are more about needing mental training and you have somebody that is great at being motivational that also does marathon coaching, then that could be a good fit, I guess.

Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know, having a coach too could just be the extra push of accountability, similar to what we were saying with a personal trainer, right? If you hire a coach and they give you a workout plan, then you want to make sure that you do those workouts because you don't want your money to go to waste. And so I think accountability is a huge factor for people hiring coaches. And then depending on what your goals are, whether it's a 5K, 10K, half,

a full marathon, ultra marathon, getting faster. You know, there's a whole variety of goals. So I think also really good reminders just to be clear of what your goal is when you hire a coach so that they know what it is to help you work toward. 100%, you just hit the, what do you call it? You hit the head on the nail. You hit the nail on the head. Yeah, so you know what, whatever you're looking for, there's somebody out there for you and it doesn't really...

I guess what I was trying to say is the certification doesn't mean you're going to be a great coach, but it's a good way of showing credibility that you did put in the 16 hours. But then remember, it is only 16 hours and there's another, there's a lot of other qualifiers that can, uh,

help you be a good coach without even needing those 16 hours. Because in reality, you could just go to Barnes and Nobles online, I guess, nowadays, and have some sort of book that teaches or that allows you to read that same information. Yeah, that's a great point. And I will link for anyone who's interested in the RRCA training, you did a great episode recapping what you learned. So I'll be sure to link that in the show notes as well.

Yeah, thanks. It was a pretty lengthy episode and it might be a little bit dry. So unless you're really into that information, I try to sum it up, but I think I get carried away a little bit, but yeah.

Hey, I found it interesting. I listened to the whole thing. Yay. One last question to consider when hiring a coach is whether or not it's going to be an online coach versus an in-person or local coach. And so that's, there's all kinds of options now with the internet that you can hire an online coach. I know I used...

an app called Run Coach. And within that app, there are coaches that you can hire. And so in theory, I could just push a button and get a coach that I've never met, but they have credentials because they're an elite runner or they've won national championships or whatnot. But, you know, there's a difference between that person who I've never met, probably will never have an in-person conversation with versus someone that might be local that I could...

go on a training run with or you know at least see them around at running events or something to that effect so you know if that's important to you too that's definitely something to consider and the personalization too of an online coach versus an in-person coach and just be able to provide that feedback letty what do you think about that

So, yeah, that's a great point. And I think that's really dependent on the coach because there's tons of businesses. I didn't even know about this app about finding running coaches on RunCoach. I think it's a great app, but it doesn't.

the information that you get from there doesn't really compare to recommendations that you get personally from people that have worked with coaches, be it online or be it locally. I think the benefits of having a coach that's local is like you said, you get to know them as a person and you go on training runs. But in reality with COVID,

And everything being so much at a distance, we've also come to realize that so much is online and that there are ways of having a coach check out your running. You could do a video of yourself and then have them give you pointers of, you know, your, your stands and, and all that, because I know during COVID, I hadn't seen my coach in about a year, but

And even now, all the tracks are still closed or inaccessible. So it makes it hard to meet with that person unless they want to really come out and bike with you or meet with you on a Sunday, which is probably...

probably also a little bit more expensive. I have a coach I want to recommend on this note, and this is my own coach, just to give the listeners a little bit of his background. And I've done quite a few episodes with him on base training, etc. His name is Ron Tabb. He's a retired elite runner. He ran a 209 marathon in the 80s, back when the world record was 208.

And that's very intimidating because he's also coached Meb and Mary Decker for those of you guys that have heard of those names. And it scared me in the beginning, but I think that's kind of working for my benefit because you feel like you need to impress. You try just a little bit harder and

And he turned out being super down to earth. The best part about him is that he will treat you as if you were an elite runner and he makes you feel worthy of any little piece of advice. Because my fear was that I would be running my, you know, slower paced miles when he's used to people running the four or five minute miles and

Double that, there's me in the beginning. And he still makes you feel like you're super important. He celebrates every little milestone. So that's why I want to recommend him. So if you guys want to reach out, you can always shoot me a message. And his rates are $150 a month, which is super, super reasonable. He responds to your text messages. He picks up the phone and makes you feel like, you know...

he's in your corner for real. That's great. And thank you for that recommendation. And I'll definitely link to some of your episodes so that my listeners can check out all the information that Ron shares on your podcast.

Yeah, that'd be great. So with all that said, Sarah, what are your thoughts on getting a coach for your training for your marathon goals? So I think that's a great wrap up question because I've been kind of considering like, all right, backtracking. If I say I'm going to run my marathon in May of 2022, um,

Then I'm, and I'm also, since it's such a big goal, I'm probably going to want to follow a longer training plan, say 20 weeks. So that would get me starting training around the beginning of January or so, depending on exactly when my race is in May. But I...

But I have thought about how I probably want to start working with a coach in the fall at least, maybe sooner. And so with that in mind, fall is only a few months away. And so I need to kind of start doing my research, finding a good coach that will fit what my needs.

needs are, achieving the goals I want, but also, as we mentioned, the support and what kind of feedback they provide, what their platform are for providing the workouts. Is it through an app? Is it going to be via email? Is it going to be someone local? Is it going to be just...

you know, online, my thought right now, there's at least one local running coach. And I know that he kind of runs a little mini team as well. So at the moment, that's where I'm kind of leaning toward mostly because there's not a lot of running other running coaches in my area. I know that he has good experience. I know some of the runners that he's worked with and I've talked to them already. And I think that's also a good point too, is

To if you know of a coach and you know if people have worked with that coach to ask what their experience is and get that feedback. So before you invest in working with them. So, yeah, that's kind of where I'm at right now. The more I think about it, the more I think about my goals, the more I'm convinced that having a coach will be the thing that will help me.

Get me there faster. It's maybe, you know, the goal might be something I could do on my own, but it might take a lot longer and would also take a lot more research on my end and thinking of like, okay, well, I got to do this workout today, which means I got to hit this pace and like looking at it all up where wouldn't it be nice if someone just did all that for me. So that's kind of where, where I'm leaning and a summary of what my current feelings are.

Yeah, the convenience of that is definitely something, you know, I never really thought about that. But, you know, to have somebody just do the thinking for you, which is the biggest part, I guess, of this whole coaching. Well, I hope whatever you decide to do with your coaching, that you find somebody that's amazing because I want to see you PR and we'll keep our listeners posted on that. And it was great catching up with you.

I really liked all the questions that you raised and gave our listeners to think about what to consider when hiring a coach, because it's so important that you find the right match. Thank you, Leti, for sharing your experience for hiring a coach. Until next time on Running With Friends. And if you guys have any questions, you're always welcome to reach out.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed today's episode, please share it on social media. Tag me at Sarah Chasing Life or at Chasing Life Podcast. If you haven't already, please be sure to subscribe and rate this podcast. That helps me to reach more listeners.

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