How I coach
There may be a number of reasons why we run, but in the end we’re all in search of one thing - that feeling.
As athletes, we engage with the physicality of the effort. We understand that we need to put in the work to achieve our goals.
But what does it mean to put in the work? What should a training plan look like? And how much training is enough to reap the rewards?
The truth is there is no one formula, single workout nor secret training plan. Every athlete has their own lifestyle, physiology and psychology - which means we all react different to training, stress and recovery. Together, we’ll figure out what works for you based on your individual nature. I’ll try to take some of the guess-work out of training and provide you with a custom training plan, although that's just the start. Many other factors will be taken into consideration and of help to direct the training.
That said, there is always room for personal input and flexibility. This is your training and I’m here to guide you along the way.
Training principles
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Every athlete is unique and has their own physiology, personality, motivations and lifestyle. The individual nature of the athlete is at the cornerstone of my approach and translated into an ever evolving training plan. Adjusting the plan is a natural progression of the training and an honest athlete/coach relationship is a vital element in our collaboration.
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The set up of the training program starts from a scientific place and will be tweaked and optimised based on your subjective feedback. Together, we will analyse both numbers and sensations to determine the training direction.
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To maximise your potential, improving your physical capabilities go hand in hand with developing a strong mind. By introducing mindfulness techniques into your running routine, we will explore how to set your mind free. The advantages of a focussed and calm mind can positively impact your running journey.
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Running is much more that a habit or form of exercise. Understanding why you run and how it makes you feel can bring new depth and meaning to your running, as well as a greater awareness of where it can take you and what you’re able to achieve. We’ll keep training fun so you can fully enjoy the process!
Coaching philosophy
A solid training structure is the foundation of each plan, but that’s just the start. We often focus so much on the numbers that we sometimes tend to forget to tune in to our body. With a huge amount of monitoring tools and numbers thrown at us, it’s tempting to overly rely on data and loose touch of how we actually feel. To better understand your own body and follow your intuition can be both refreshing and effective in training. You are simply more than a random collection of numbers.
That’s why we will match numbers with sensations to direct your training. Together, we will create a plan that aligns your motivations and ambitions with your lifestyle. Finding a rhythm that you enjoy is a key aspect in the set up of the training plan. This is your journey and as a coach, I am here to support you every step along the way.
We’ll think holistically. To realise your athletic potential many other factors than the training plan come into play. This means we’ll look at things like nutrition & fuelling, strength & mobility and finding the right balance between (life) stress and recovery in order to optimise training as well as your heath.
You probably understand by now that the training plan is just a piece of the puzzle. Coaching really is a partnership based on trust and an honest coach-athlete relationship. It’s an open dialogue with communication and feedback as the key components to direct the training. Your feedback will allow me to adjust the plan as we progress through the training phases. One step at a time.
