Coaching Foundations
Our Running Coaching revolves around three axes:
Adhere to basic principles
Consider the Runner as a System
Adopt an improvement Mindset
Basic Principles
Our basic principles provide structure and vision. We strike the right balance between the basic principles as a framework, and maintaining flexibility around the Runner as a System.
Strong foundations allow for tall structures
Many trees have roots that extend far beyond their longest limbs. This gives them the structure and stability to grow. In exactly the same way, a runner needs a strong foundation as well. Running is a load-bearing sport, which means that with every step you take, your body takes a (small) hit.
Considering the thousands of steps you take during a run, you’ll soon understand that to go fast, long and strong for years on end, you need a body that can handle the load. A strong base phase, and well-thought out training plan architecture, provides you with the necessary means to improve your running.
Distance and speed don't matter
A good runner is a complete runner, and working different systems makes you more complete. This means that even if you run ultras, it is wise to incorporate a speed element into your training. Likewise, even an 800m runner will benefit from the occasional long run.
However, your body does not know distance nor speed, it only recognizes time at intensity. Doing hill sprints on a 15% grade? You are going slow, but the intensity is there! And while the workout might have taken you an hour to complete, don’t be surprised to have covered only half of your regular distance.
Consistency beats short-term spikes
Training leads to breakdown (muscle, tendon, bone…), which we recover from during rest. During the recovery phase our body adapts to the training stress by making muscles, tendons, and bones stronger. This leads to improvement over time. Too much or too hard training requires too long rest periods in order to adequately recover.
Any athlete should aim for the appropriate training dose that allows adaptation over the long-term, avoiding an unsustainable training load increase that leads to long-term injury.
Runner as a System
You are a runner.
You are also a colleague. You are a friend, a partner, maybe even a parent. What you do in running affects your life, just as life impacts you as a runner. Whether meeting a work deadline, being stuck in traffic, or completing a hard training run, your body registers these events as stress..And no, you might not get the same aerobic benefit from sitting worked-up in your car, but your mind and body still perceive it as stress.
We recognize that running matters, but it should fit into your life. Our coaches help you make the most of your time, so that life absorbs your running. Be a healthy runner, be a happy runner, and keep the balance between everything that matters. Let us guide your running journey, so you can preserve the energy you need to be the person you want to be in all your life aspects...
Improvement Mindset
It only makes sense for you to have expectations of the coach you hire. In return, your coach expects one thing from you: that you adopt an improvement mindset.
Whether you are an elite athlete, a 400 meter track runner or (ultra) marathoner does not matter. What matters is your will to improve. Regardless of the level you are currently running at, going 10% faster or further will require effort. Want to run your first 5k? Aiming for a personal best at the 10k? Dreaming of going sub-3 (or sub-2:30, or…) in the marathon? Great! As long as you want to become a better runner, we will be by your side.
The improvement mindset is not about going all-in all the time. It is about doing the right thing in the right dose at the right time. Sometimes your coach will ask you to go all-out, sometimes he’ll ask you to do nothing at all (this miraculous workout is called a “rest day” 🙂). Be honest in your workout feedback, be honest about how your legs feel. Races are not won in training, but good training helps you win races.
