Starting a fitness trainer program with a sport specific coach, such as a marathon coach, can help you plan your training routine so you will be prepared and successful on race day. Online marathon coaching is another convenient and popular option for those who prefer virtual training and need minimal in-person supports. Online trainer fitness can help runners stay on track and stay motivated during training with online accountability groups and motivational support. Working with a marathon coach can also help support knee injury prevention by actively monitoring your progress and making modifications based on performance.
When searching for a marathon coach, you will want to look for a few important features to make sure your coach will be a good fit to help you reach your personal fitness goals. One important feature your marathon coach should have is having completed a marathon themselves already. Book smarts can be helpful, but the actual personal experience you go through when running a marathon yourself can teach you so much more. All runners experience highs and lows in their training and on race day. Having a coach that has been there and dealt with it will have a greater advantage in helping you with the mental training aspect of marathon training and will be able to relate to you on a personal level through shared experiences. A second feature you want to look for is how many clients does that marathon coach currently have and how many of them are injured. It is common for many runners to experience some form of sports injury during marathon training. The longer distances put extra strain on the joints and something small like poor running form or wearing the wrong type of shoe can change your gait and lead to injury. If a marathon coach has many clients with injuries, their training approach could be questionable or they may be using a one-size-fits-all training plan which should never be done. Your marathon coach should create a personalized training plan just for you based on past performance times, current running routines, injury risks, long term goals, and amount of time you have to commit to training. The third important feature your marathon coach should have is a proactive approach to injury prevention. This could mean sending you to an orthopedic exercise specialist if you are having problems with foot injuries or have a high risk for injury. Functional fitness exercises should be done for active recovery and to strengthen the joints that take the brunt of the force from running. Yoga and pilates are both great active recovery workouts that improve flexibility and release tension from tight muscles reducing your risk of sports injury. Another way a good marathon coach will be proactive with injury prevention is to schedule you a minimum of one rest day where no working out at all is done. A second day should be cross training such as outdoor rowing machine or swimming. These practices help promote healing, reduce sports injuries, prevent burnout, and improve motivation and mental strength. Marathon coaches can help you plan your training routine for success and set you up to enjoy the sport of running for a lifetime.
