In the latest Personal Best column, Gina Kolata writes about her own experience with a personal running coach, and why some people prefer to go it alone.
It certainly is possible to train without a coach. The principles of training are well known, and widely available online, in podcasts and in the many books that have been written on training for various sports. Some who have used self-training programs say they are remarkably effective.
My colleague Henry Fountain, for example, hated running when he tried it 25 years ago. Last winter, though, he began training with a podcast that is supposed to train sedentary people to run 5 kilometers, or 3.1 miles.
“It was revolutionary,” he told me. Now he runs about three times a week and occasionally competes in 5K races.
Yet, as might be expected, coaches say their individual attention can make a real difference in a person’s performance.
If you are trying to train on your own, “the struggle will always be to maintain objectivity,” said Terrance Mahon, who coaches elite runners. That’s one reason a coach is needed, he added.
To learn more, read the full article, “I’m Keeping My Coach, but You May Not Need One,’‘ and then please join the discussion below.
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