September 28, 2023 - To Coach Or Not To Coach

I have never used a coach for running or any of the mountain ultramarathon adventures I have taken on. I haven't done it for a variety of reasons. Chief among them, this is just a hobby and I don't really feel like spending that much money on a hobby. Coaching seems an expensive extravagance for a hobby. I've had a couple informal coaching relationships here and there, but nothing robust and nothing paid for. 

I've also found (and had confirmed to me by people that really know) running is a fundamentally simple sport to engage in and even do fairly well at. The concepts and building blocks of a solid training plan aren't tricky to grasp. Applying those fundamentals is not overly challenging. Sure, there are absolutely behavioral aspects that a really in tune coach could help with. It would absolutely be helpful to me to have someone says "just sit this one today out, Nathan." But the building of a training plan and understanding the purpose of the different pieces, not very hard at all. And I have enjoyed reading about this and learning it and testing it.

So, I've never used a coach. But that doesn't mean I don't want to use a coach. I'd love to know how they approach things differently, how they help me manage some of my need to never miss a planned run, what they would focus on in my training that I haven't focused on myself (for example, I have a very knowledgeable running friend who keeps imploring me to develop more speed, as I've been aerobic capacity focused for so long), how they help me prepare for race day. And I even know the organization I'd like to use if I ever chose to. An organization well versed in endurance events in high mountains with deeply experienced coaches and other resources available to them. I've used their training materials in the past, listen to their podcast, and have found everything VERY valuable. 

And yet, that price tag. It's a stiff one. For a hobby. That I can mostly figure out on my own. And probably meet my definition of successful. The price over a year would represent the cost of a relatively nice family vacation. The cost over a decade would be roughly the same as participating in a Himalaya mountaineering expedition. It is a whole lot of money. 

For now, I'll continue to not use a coach. Not because I don't think there's value in hiring a coach. I'm certain there can be. But for the reasons I've already listed. Because I'm a bit cheap. Because I enjoy figuring it out myself. But that all may change. I might realize I'm in over my head and need help. I might simply grow bored of doing the research and work myself.

But not today. For today, I will remain coachless.

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