Personalized Coaching

With Coach Charmaine

Personalized Coaching (“PC”) is a premium training opportunity offering the additional support required for marathon and half-marathon runners who desire to train with an individualized schedule and target goals that fit their life/work schedule while focusing on a goal race.

PC also benefits athletes that wish to train at a higher level with scheduled accountability and experienced guidance to keep them focused on their individual running goals and objectives.  

Personalized Coaching includes: 

  • Individualized schedules
  • a once-a-week quality workout coinciding with the general track workout, maximizing the group environment but specifically tailored to the individual’s schedule/goals with more individualized times and distances
  • encouragement to continue participating in group runs, when available, but with specific distances, paces, and objectives

While running is predominantly an individual sport, success is often greatly influenced by our training partners.  Personalized Coaching provides an optimal opportunity for the individual runner to achieve specific race goals within a team setting.

Training Methodology

The PC training methodology utilizes a combination of proven training protocols used by the best athletes in the world, focusing them on creating a “command performance” for each PC athlete.  The minimum training time for a goal marathon should be 4-6 months. Before beginning training, we discuss goal setting, and the necessary training duration will depend on said goal and from where the athlete is starting.

In general, training comprises three phases:

(1) The modified Lydiard Base Phase, (2) The Performance Phase, and (3) The Recovery Phase. Each macro-cycle phase will be divided into meso-cycles, focusing on different specific training adaptations. Each phase is essential to developing the aerobic and anaerobic systems necessary for dominating the half and full marathon distances. These phases are based on decades of training theory distilled into a highly effective and time tested half marathon and marathon training regimen and will include:

  • A Modified Lydiard Base Phase (10-14 weeks) – allowing the aerobic system to develop more effectively & helping the body develop the stamina necessary for the 13.1 and 26.2-mile distances. This development depends on the athletes starting fitness and fatigue state, but at minimum, establishing a base depth of 10 weeks that allows for a recovery week every 3rd or 4th week will help the athlete build to peak performance.
  • The Performance Phase (10-14 Weeks) – taking the stamina developed in the base phase & fine-tuning it to the marathon distance rigors at the fastest pace possible and addressing physical and mental training and racing techniques critical to culminating extensive training with a command performance.
  • The Recovery- Phase (2 weeks) – providing specific recovery-focused workouts in the two weeks after the marathon to effectively recover and decompress from the race and the training process. This phase will increase the recovery adaptations and decrease the recovery time and likelihood of injury. This phase will also allow the PC athlete to better transition back into the Lydiard Base phase for the next race.

What to Expect from personalized coaching:

This program includes (1) one-on-one communication with your coach, by email or text, (2) a weekly individualized schedule delivered online, and (3) the option to add-on in-person sessions and to discuss progress and issues. Additionally, if the athlete can participate in the group speed-work (when offered), they will have an opportunity for some individual coaching. Basic fueling and training nutrition, running form, injury prevention, and advice are also part of this training.

Participating in PC will also require the use of the online training application, including uploading their training information to Strava (free version available) via a GPS-enabled fitness watch.  Setting up is relatively simple, and we can assist those who have not used the app before. PC athletes must update their training in timely fashion.

Fee:

Fee depends on the number of in-person sessions desired by athlete – contact me to inquire.

Participants interested in signing up for Personalized Coaching need to (1) have a one-on-one meeting with the coach and (2) complete a running history document.