Coaching for Runners – Mindful Runner

Helping ordinary people do the extraordinary

How Coaching Works

We have four levels of coaching services, depending on how much involvement you want from your coach. We have a Blue package, which is a once-off 12 week plan, and then Bronze, Silver and Gold monthly plans.

All the plans include :

Two strength sessions a week.
Access to your coach via WhatsApp, EMail .
Membership of the Mindful Runner Web
1. Online training courses
2. Regional training Group meetups
3. Preferential Invitations to Mindful Runner training clinics
4. Preferential Invitations to Mindful Runner adventure camps
5. Support at trail and road events (see the race schedule for a list of events)

Things to consider when selecting a Running Coach

The Coaches

We have handpicked coaches who exemplify the Mindful Runner ethos. All of our coaches are passionate about running and fully committed to the Mindful Runner mission of Helping ordinary people do the extraordinary.

You can choose a coach to work with from our group of Coaches or we can assign the best coach suited to your abilities, goals and location. We limit the number of athletes that any one coach can work with and your first choice might have a full roster.

Coaching Plans

The Onboarding Process

For all of our programs we will ask you to complete a running history form and do a home assessment (which you video and email to us). We then arrange a call, either voice or video, to discuss your training needs, goals and how we work. Thereafter, your program is drawn up and delivered to you via the Training Peaks app. You link your GPS watch to Training Peaks and each run/workout you do is then automatically uploaded to Training Peaks. What happens after the upload, depends on the service level you have chosen. Each program also includes a strength program based on the results of your movement assessment.

Your Goals, Your Plan

All of the monthly plans include an Annual Training Plan. This is the long term view of your training for the year or season. It will include all your races and what priorities we agree upon for those races. It will also include areas to improve upon in the year. For instance, it might be to work on improving your speed, hill ascending, technical trail skills, running form etc. The annual training plan is a holistic view designed to improve you as a runner. Your coach is available to provide guidance on which events best suit your needs, if you want that kind of advice.

This includes your monthly training plan. Feedback on each run is is done once a week by your coach.

Your plan can be adapted on a monthly basis. The monthly plan is drawn up in the last week of each month in response to that month’s training and within the framework of the Annual Training Plan.

The weekly strength sessions are allocated in accordance with your needs and the stage of training you are currently in.

You are allocated a 1 hour Face to Face session with your coach to discuss your program, goals and progress every 3 months. You book that session at your convenience in your coaches planner.

Bronze is recommended for

Runners with a good understanding each workout, how it should be executed, how it fits into the ATP and how to use Training Peaks to assess the effectiveness of each workout.

With a stable monthly schedule which which will allow them to get to every workout in the month.

This includes your monthly training plan. Daily feedback allows us to identify and correct issues early on.

Your plan can be adapted on a weekly basis. The monthly plan is drawn up in the last week of each month in response to that month’s training and within the framework of the Annual Training Plan.

The weekly strength sessions are allocated in accordance with your needs and the stage of training you are currently in.

You are allocated a 1 hour Face to Face session with your coach to discuss your program, goals and progress every month. You book that session at your convenience in your coaches planner.

Includes all of Silver.

This plan is for those who are serious about getting the best results possible. You get daily feedback on your training. Your plan can be adapted on a daily basis depending on your needs.

The strength program is precisely tailored to your needs. Your strength program includes general body shaping as well as your running strength work. These sessions are designed to improve general strength and mobility over and above your running needs. We fully accommodate home gyms in the strength plan.

Performance coaching looks at the mental aspects of training and racing. We use Mindfulness practices along with habit and life coaching techniques to equip you to be your best mentally: in your running and daily life.

Nutrition plays a vital role in getting the best from your training and racing. Your nutrition coach will draw up a monthly Meal Plan, taking into account your preferences, goals and current stage of training. The nutrition plan includes recipes and a shopping list. Healthy habits are created through regular feedback to your nutrition coach, who will also keep you accountable to your goals.

A running skills plan is designed to turn you into a more skillful runner. Skills include speed, hill ascending, hill descending, pacing, racing strategy, and a wide variety of trail-specific skills. The plan includes drills, gym work and exercises to get you running at your best.

A weekly meeting with your coach to discuss your training. Virtually via voice or video or in person at a local coffee shop.

You book that session at your convenience in your coaches planner.

This is for those who are happy to dig into the details of their own coaching. We draw up your 12 week program based on our assessment meeting. This might be towards a race goal or one of a number of running goals. Where possible we fit this into an Annual Training Plan ATP.

It’s up to you to follow the program as it has been laid out. You analyse your own data and manage yourself based on the Training Peaks stats. Your coach is available for general advice.

We will also make 1 change to your program if life happens and you require adjustments.

Your program includes 2 x Strength sessions a week, focused purely on improving your running.

Membership to the Mindful Runner online site and courses.

Blue is recommended for

Runners with a good understanding of each workout, how it should be executed, how it fits into the ATP and how to use Training Peaks to assess the effectiveness of each workout.

With a stable monthly schedule which which will allow them to get to every workout.

The Mindful Runner Orientation course, available to all Mindful Runner subscribers, teaches you all you need to know to analyse your own workouts on Training Peaks. Completing the course will improve your training experience and clear up questions you might have related to your program. It is vital that Blue and Bronze members complete the course in order to get the best from their training programs.