I am always amazed by the number of people that will pay $3.59 DAILY for a coffee creation, but balk at paying for a running coach (for this article I will only discuss running coaches. I will cover other health professionals in another article).

I am equally amazed at the number of people who are picking coaches that have no business coaching. So here is a dummy’s guide to selecting a coach.

There are a lot of “coaches” out there that are only in the market for your pocketbook, not your health. I use parentheses because some coaches are not coaches. And people are becoming injured because of them. So how do you pick a running coach? Here are 7 things to look for when selecting a running coach.

#1) Are they certified? A certification should come from USA Track & Field, Road Runners Club of America, or USA Triathlon. However, anyone with a little money can get a certification. So just because they are “certified” does not mean they know what they are doing. See point #2.

#2) Personal Experience. Personal experience goes a long way. If you have never run a marathon before how can you coach someone and say “push through the pain at mile 21?”.  They have no clue what the pain feels like at mile 21! It would be like saying a pilot telling a passenger to go fly a plane.

#3) Coaching Plans. This is a BIG one. If you see a coach advertising one-plan-for-all, run fast. Run far. No pun intended. A coach should sit (or discuss over the phone) your goals, your past running history, injury history, future goals, time commitment to training, nutrition, and a host of other things. A coaching plan is for you and you alone. The person who wants to run a sub 3 hour marathon should not have the same plan as the person who is running a marathon for the first time.

#4) Fees. Back to the first sentence that started this article. People will pay whatever they want for things they like [daily coffee creation], they won’t pay for things that will make them better. Yes this frustrates me. People have money for what they want, not what they need. It all comes down to priorities. Elite and professional athlete’s know that a solid coach can help them achieve their goals. And you should approach it the same way. A coach should be not be “cheap”. A coach should not be priced out of this world either. However, you pay for what you get. A good coach will be worth every penny. Its kind of like a buying a knock off bag on the streets of NYC versus going into the store for the real thing. A fake bag [coach] will always disappoint.

#5) The Coaching Plan. A real coach will give create a plan for you and only give it to you a week or month out. If you saw your year long plan at the get-go, you would probably have a heart attack. A wise coach knows this and will protect you. Let him/her worry about the big picture, you concentrate on your workout of the day/week. The coaching plan should not be done by a computer or a program. I have seen plenty of computer generated programs that guarantee a Boston qualifier. Don’t buy into that hype/plan!

#6) Contracts. A coach should have you sign some sort of disclosure agreement. A coach becomes your friend, your advocate and learns a lot about you. Your personal information, frustrations, highs, lows are all a part of coaching. Don’t let your personal information become viral.

#7) Personality. The bottom line is that a coach should be fun, balanced, easy to work with, available for you, and have YOUR best interest in mind. A wise coach will work with your schedule, your injury’s, include strength training, and other workouts that appropriate for you. And a coach should not have a criminal background.

I do not like to see people get injured because a coach only had money in mind, not the health of the runner. A good coach is just as important as your 8 glasses of water every day (or your cup of coffee). Please research and choose wisely!

Now, if you are looking for a coach, here are 3 that I personally recommend.

Melanie Hevel (@xcwomac), Josh (@SpeedySaquatch) and Kevin (@KGranato). They all have different talents and credentials. But most importantly they are honest and smart about coaching. If you have any questions, please let me know!

Happy Running!

I’m still ticked off. It’s been 2 days and my blood is STILL boiling. No, not about the Landis confession- FOUR years & $2 MILLION dollars, a marriage, and countless friends later. Never mind the fact that he is also dragging others in his tell-all.

But that’s for another day.

What I am really passionate about is the truth. In particular Run Truth.  I don’t watch much TV. But I happened to watch some of the Biggest Loser episode this past Tuesday. (I refuse to even link to the show, so go look elsewhere.)

On the show they had the contestants run a marathon. 26.2 miles. On 30 days of  ”training”. The one guy gained 2 pounds. Then the trainers proceeded to mock him for it.

I am surprised people didn’t  hear my cry of anger across the nation. Why? Nothing makes my blood boil more then seeing (and hearing) people talk about running a marathon like its a walk in the park. Yes, I know I make it look easy, but trust me its not.

Let me explain 2  Run Truth principles and Run Myth facts. Edition 1, episode 1.

Run Truth #1) Train Smart. To train for a marathon (26.2 miles) you need to have at least a base of 20-25 miles per week. And have to have run a long run of either 13.1 miles or  14 miles. The Biggest Loser had these poor people run 26.2 miles on 30 days of training!! This is neither smart, safe, practical or real. The body needs time to adapt to running that far over a period of time. There is a reason that the words “marathon training”  go together.

Run Myth #1) Training for A Marathon will make me skinny. This is such a load of crap! If you are overweight and sign up for a marathon and pray that the 6 months of training will make you fit into your skinny jeans or that suit coat from way back in the day, you are in for a rude awaking.

First, training for 26.2 miles requires you to eat calories (healthy ones). Because you need to fuel (food) to sustain your body while training for a race of this nature, using this as a weight lose method is not the plan for you.

Now I know some people use running as a way to lose weight. Running a perfect way to do this. But training for a marathon AND losing weight at the same time is just a recipe for disappointment.

Yes, you may lose weight while training for a marathon. Yes, you may gain weight while training for  a marathon. Remember this: Every Body is Different. What works for you, may not work for the other person. Some people may retain water. There are SO many factors that play a part in weight. I won’t go in to it today. Just remember this: Runners come in all shapes and sizes. Don’t judge someone because they aren’t a size 0/2.

Through my research neither Bob nor Jillian have run a marathon. I don’t know about you, but how can they tell or “train” someone to go run a marathon, let alone TRAIN them? If they haven’t run one, I am not sure how they can ridicule someone for gaining weight.

Bob, Jillian, I ask you to train for a marathon. Over a 4-6 month period and THEN give advice.

For the rest of you out there and you have been inspired to run a marathon, (and I will insert here, even a half marathon), please, I beg you for the love of god, hire a certified running/triathlon coach! I will write a future article on how to find the right coach for you. But for now, just know that you need a coach. (Insert shameless plug here- me).

Episode 1, part 2 will discuss more Run Truth principles & Run Myth facts and how the Biggest Loser is really the Biggest Liar. Stay tuned.

Will attempt to go about my day. Still ticked off about the Biggest Loser. Don’t be fooled people by what you see. Peace & truth to all!

Sarah Stanley is a sarcastic endurance athlete. She runs in her sleep. And is passionate about getting the nation healthy. Stay in touch with her by receiving her e-newsletter

Photo by aussiegall

My Day Job Versus IS My Passion

A lot of people who ask me “what I do”. I have a passion for fitness. I have a passion for running. I have a passion for life. For me it is not “my day job versus my passion”. My day job IS my passion. I believe in living your passion, not just talking about.

I think that sometimes we think that we can’t make our passion a vital part of our life, just a hope that it can be. Life is too short to not make your passion a part of your life.

So what do I do? I write. I coach. I train full time. I run (a lot). I inspire others to live a healthy life. I motivate & encourage people to get their butt off the couch & get moving. I speak to groups. I network. I engage others. And oh yes, I am passionate about everything!

Hi, I am Sarah and I am passionate. What can I do for you?

Photo by Annia316

So, for the month of July I had a **little** personal goal of running+cycling 1000 miles. Yup you read that right, 1k miles. I knew that it would be tough to get in the miles due to my travel schedule. Over the weekend I realized that I would have to get in 350 miles in 6 days. Totally doable.

However, a little thing called “taper” was going to start. AND. I was starting to feel tired. I really did not want to face the facts swirling in my head. Then I remembered what my coach told me a few months ago, “being an athlete is more then just performance, it is being a smart athlete”.

So with that thought, I made the hard decision to NOT go after the personal goal. I will be VERY close to it. But for my main goal to happen-and do it WELL-I know I made the right call. And, I said all of that for the next profound statement. Be smart, not head strong. This is mainly for me to read. But I hope it helps you as well.

As you know, I am a very focused gal. And sometimes I am SO focused on a goal that I don’t want to admit that it might not be the right thing to do. I am slowly learning the lesson. It has taken a few years. While I really want to do the miles this month I know that I will set my self up for injury, tiredness and a mile heavy body.

The lesson that I am STILL learning is to be smart. Not only in training. But also life. Sometime we have goals or things we would like to do, but how often are they really the smart thing for us? Its GREAT to have goals, but as you go about achieving them, make sure you are being wise about them. I know, easier said then done.

That is where friends, coaches and good, sound & wise counsel come in to play. Use it. Do it.

But watch out September, I will again go after the 1000 mile goal. And I know at that time it will be the right AND the smart thing to do.

Photo by Alainf1