Run Coaching has evolved in a big way in the last few years for a few reasons. First off, we have AI – so resources like ChatGPT and Runna are now tools we didn’t have a few years ago. There’s also been a huge surge in the amount of certified run coaches, thanks to many certifications going purely or mostly remote since the 2020 pandemic. Certification programs have recognized they can crank out coaches at a much lower cost to the organization and with more ease. A runner interested in becoming a certified run coach no longer needs to commit a whole weekend (and potentially travel logistics) to become certified.
As a coach who’s been in the industry full time since 2015, and as a runner who began running and training for races in 2010, I am going to do my best to share the pros and cons of an AI program and a running coach. I will do my best to reserve my biases, though I’ll freely admit I have one.
When I signed up for my first marathon in 2010, times were different. There weren’t a ton of online training plans, I didn’t know run coaches were a thing, and I relied heavily on the Runner’s World Magazine to drop in my physical mailbox each month. I found a printable marathon plan on the NYRR website, and used that as my road map.
I was also very much living on a budget. I was in the tv and film industry full time, and I never knew when my next paycheck was coming. So investing in a magazine subscription for nuggets of wisdom and then using the printed plan as my guide fit my budget. My schedule was also unpredictable. You never knew if you’d have a 4-hour day or a 16-hour day on a set, so suffice to say I trained when I could. My journey to my first marathon ultimately looked little like that printed plan by the time race day arrived. Thanks to some dumb luck and good instincts, I got to the starting line of the Philly Marathon in 2010 healthy and capable of accomplishing my goal of a Boston Qualifier.
In the next few cycles, I got my hands on books – Daniels’ Running Formula and Pete Pfitzinger’s Advanced Marathoning, and they became my new roadmaps. But as we’d probably expect, I had to make changes to the programs to balance work, illness, injuries, vacations and so on. The beauty of these books was that I had to make changes and then trust my adjustments. I was never blindly following a plan.
I view ChatGPT and Runna as being in the similar camp as a book. For one thing, nobody can argue the price point. These resources are inexpensive or free. But the big danger, and something I’ve seen over and over: is that runners are blindly following these plans and assume that any “adjustments” made by AI are correct. We’ve become so accustomed to technology being reliable and sometimes smarter than ourselves, that we ignore our own instincts.
Another huge change since the 2020 pandemic: not only are there more certified coaches, there are way more runners! The running boom post-2020 has evolved in a way that still boggles my mind. It’s incredible how many people have fallen in love with running, racing, and being a part of running communities like run clubs. But we don’t know what we don’t know, and many new runners can and do easily fall victim to following AI blindly. This isn’t to say that Runna or AI are bad or dangerous, but they can be – especially when a runner is new to the sport.
Let’s not forget that due to the repetitive and high impact nature of running, about 60% of all runners navigate an injury of some kind every year. It’s an unfortunate consequence of the sport, but I’d also argue one that we could collectively lower by running and training more wisely. For example, many of us (new and experienced runners alike) build mileage, frequency and/or pace too quickly. Many of us also get excited and want to dive into something like marathon training without an adequate foundation, or we try to stack seasons without respecting the stress and need for down-seasons between builds.
When we ask AI for a program, we get the result of what AI collects via algorithms combined with what we share with it. In theory, AI will tap into training principals that you’d find in a book like Daniels’ Running Formula, but this may or may not be how it goes. And you are trusting that AI somehow understands your injury history, work/life balance, stress levels, vacation plans, and so on. An experienced runner or someone with coaching certifications could use AI to create a plan that they then adjust as needed. Having the experience and skills to adjust could make an AI program quite fun. Runners without the experience or skill set should proceed with caution.
Here’s where I’ll put on my run coaching hat: successful training is so much more than a training plan. It’s support regarding race strategy, nutrition guidance, motivation and inspiration, and empowering that individual through the highs and lows of training and of life. It’s also support in how to change a training plan for injury, illness and vacation. It’s about going beyond the data and empowering an individual to chase their goals and better their relationship with running and themselves as people.
I’ve personally been self-coached off and on since 2010. My resources? A dozen run coach certifications and their course material, and countless books with plans and guidance from some of the best coaches in the world. I also have data and race performances on myself from the last 15 years. And I currently have a coach. The best athletes in the world do. Not because they don’t know what to do, but because guidance from the outside, or experiencing different philosophies and strategies can change the game.
I get it, hiring a run coach isn’t cheap and can sometimes feel like a selfish use of funds. Coaches range from $75-500/month, often due to their location, experience, and whether they view this as a full time job or a side hobby. Many of us can’t or won’t want to invest in a run coach. Though I’d argue as both a runner and a coach, that if you really care about your relationship with running or racing, it’s beyond worth the investment if you can swing it.
Like I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, there’s been a boom (and I’d argue over-saturation) in the run coach space in the last few years. The good news is that this means there are eager (though potentially green) coaches out there at a lower price point. Your choice doesn’t have to be “free AI” or “$350/month coach.” You could gain the guidance of a coach while that coach builds confidence in themselves and their new craft. And selfishly, I’d like to see run coaches continue to be relevant instead of replaced by a computer that can’t do the same thing.
AI isn’t going anywhere. It can absolutely be a great point of entry for runners, as long as they don’t blindly follow it. We just need to recognize that no training plan, be it via Runna, Pfitzinger’s Advanced Marathoning or a program your personal run coach creates for you will be perfect as-is. There WILL need to be adjustments. Whether a coach is making those adjustments for you, or you are doing them on your own, remembering that the goal is to stay healthy and consistent so that your running can take you wherever you want it to go.
As athletes, we are constantly balancing load and capacity – the training for goals and the external factors. When the balance is off, injury risk rises, athletes burn out, and fitness tends to plateau. One of the priorities of the coach: keeping things in balance so that the athlete can achieve their goals. The challenge: some of the capacity will depend on personal scenarios to that runner. The coach and athlete have to be communicating so that the balance works.
