As we strategy the spring and summer season race season, hundreds of runners, each new and skilled, will search for steerage to realize their coaching objectives. Discovering a working coach will be difficult, with value being one of many pivotal components for a lot of. Hiring a coach typically comes with a excessive price, particularly when in comparison with different choices obtainable via Garmin Coach or AI expertise, which don’t.
Earlier than diving right into a critique of conventional teaching strategies, it’s vital to make clear that my intention is to not discredit private working coaches. As a coach myself, I acknowledge their worth, particularly for newbies who want help in bettering their working type, back-and-forth help/communication, and most significantly, to be held accountable to chase their objectives. Equally, on the opposite finish of the spectrum, elite athletes aiming for world-class performances require personalised consideration and around-the-clock communication to optimize their coaching and outcomes.
My concern lies with the prices related to one-on-one teaching. With free or extra reasonably priced options obtainable, the excessive charges of conventional coaches will be prohibitive. In Toronto, as an illustration, native teaching costs vary from $100 to upwards of $500 monthly, which may pose a big monetary barrier for a lot of runners, particularly those that are new to the game who may not know higher.
Whereas coaching for any distance calls for dedication, AI platforms like ChatGPT or Garmin Coach provide accessible, easy coaching plans for a fraction of the associated fee. I requested AI to generate a really commonplace weekly program for a 4:00:00 marathon, tailor-made to somebody who works full-time and has little or no working expertise, however has completed a couple of 5K’s. The AI platform supplied me with an eight-week progressive coaching plan, starting with 4 periods per week, with a gradual improve to 6 runs per week by weeks six and 7.
Though I get AI-generated plans have their limitations, reminiscent of an absence of personalization and consideration for restoration, it presents a viable no-cost different past conventional private teaching. Different free platforms like Garmin Coach are even higher, leveraging private knowledge analytics to tailor coaching suggestions based mostly in your sleep, restoration ranges, coronary heart charge variability and stress. Whereas Garmin Coach requires an preliminary funding in shopping for a bodily GPS watch, it’s cheaper in the long term in comparison with hiring a coach to in the end do the identical factor and attend a few of your exercises for $300/month–plus, your relationship with the watch will final a little bit longer.
Earlier than you rent a coach, take a while to put in writing down your objectives and what kind of steerage it is advisable obtain your goal. In case you are simply searching for some framework or minor steerage, there are many reasonably priced choices on-line to assist level you in the fitting course.