Does a coach have to be faster than their runners?
This question came up while I was chatting with a young man who is chasing a fast marathon time and is also a coach himself. There are some folks who would suggest that to be guided to fast times, the coach needs to have run that specific time (or faster) before. We reflected on the discussion we had and both concluded that a coach doesn’t need to be faster than their athletes. It certainly can help with a “been there done that” aspect but that is only just one sliver of a very large pie that makes up a coach/runner relationship. What say we to the coach who has rigorously studied a variety of training methodologies and the history of our running greats? What about the coach who had spent years cultivating a wonderful way of communicating? What say we to the many other metrics, feelings, and general gratefulness that makes up running?
Speed is not a qualifier of good/bad or experienced/inexperienced. There are plenty of coaches who once competed professionally but have turned their attention to guiding athletes and there are coaches who realized their own physiological talents perhaps didn’t tell the full story of their coaching effectiveness.
If you are an athlete who has explored paces your coach has not, think of constructive feedback for the coach. This is a forever growing relationship that supports runners as they explore their personal bests. Detailed feedback of how the body responds to the training, what goes through your head while pushing pace, and other little tips and tricks go a long way.
Paces are just a small part of the picture. Let’s not forget to keep running as a pure and inclusive activity. As I write this, I am also promising myself to see each runner as a unique person who holds a special reason to run. It is an honor to help anyone: from professional runners to someone breaking five hours in a marathon. Both are the same. The feelings, motivation, the emotional roller coasters are the same. The workout specificity is what is different.
Coaching is to serve the runner and when they help a runner solidify a deep intrinsic motivation to run, then the connection is completed in a beautiful and uplifting way.
Let’s talk about Coach Joe Vigil. In the 1950s he was a high school football coach who had the heart to help out three young men at the Alamosa High School in Colorado. The three boys wanted to form a track team but a coach was required by the school. Being the only hope for the trio, Coach Vigil assisted and became their coach; driving them to meets and overseeing their training. From there, he fell in love serving as a running coach and made that his singular focus. From 1954 through to present day! Yes, that is six decades of coaching.hi is now in his 90s yet finds strength, passion, and desire to continue serving as a coach. Coach Vigil is known for guiding stellar runners to top tier performances: Deena Castor to her Olympic medal and Pat Porter’s eight cross country national championships are just a couple examples.
Over the decades, Coach Vigil “did” by learning, guiding, and enjoying his path as a coach. He really became a true coaching great because of diversity.
He was an advocate and a coach for everybody by coaching elite runners and guiding community runners alike. He has been a long time supporter of female runners with his daily running clinics.
Another fine example of “doing” is the lifestyle he led. He continues to eat a wholesome diet, and you can find him in the pool for his exercise. A far cry from the running paces he guides brilliant runners, yet manages to be on the same wavelength as them. There is a great book about his life called Coaching Greatness by Pat Melgares.
What makes a coach great is their willingness to develop their communication with their runners and have a true desire to learn the paths to success both mentally and physically. Just as there are roads on a map, there are many paths to success. A great coach sticks with their athletes through both thick and thin. Prolonged and/or recurring injuries are often times when athletes need the most support. Lastly, the coach grows as the runner grows.
Can you think of someone who coaches yet does not perform the physical part; perhaps in another sport? Circling back to the introspective reasons to run: why do you run? What have you learned about yourself along the way? What would you like to share to uplift and guide our running community?
By Sandi Nypaver, with guidance from Sage Canaday and Ray Nypaver
Running Plan by Sandi Nypaver & Sage Canaday
16 Weeks of Mindset Training (+ bonus tips)
16 Weeks of Physical Training (+bonus tips)
Specific Advice for Mountain-Ultra-Trail Runners
Strength Self-Assessment (with pictures)
Pre-Run Warm-Up Routine (with pictures)
Core Routine (with pictures)
Training Guide (explains each type of workout)
Key Training Zones Chart
And more! (Heavy lifting, plyometrics, foam rolling, stretching, etc.)
This plan is meant to be an “add on” for any of The Sage Running Training Plans.It does not include an actual running plan. We’ve gotten amazing feedback on The “ALL IN” Marathon Plans, so we created this add on option so that everyone can benefit from the “ALL IN” materials, whether you’re training for a 5k road race or a 100-mile trail race.
*The above video was originally created for The “All In” BQ Marathon plan, but much of the information applies to The “ALL IN” Add On.
The “All In” Add On is unlike any other training plan on the market. Coach Sandi came up with the idea for this plan over 3 years ago, believing we could develop a plan that would do an even better job of helping people reach their goals. It combines years of research as well as all of our running and high-performance knowledge packaged together in a way so that all the information can be retained and utilized by anyone who uses this plan. We hope this plan will make you feel that you have us as your personal coaches, giving you all the information you need to be successful as you go.
The plan will take you on a 16-week journey, a journey that requires you to be “all in”. You’ll start off by performing a strength self-assessment that will help you prevent injuries and keep you running strong throughout the plan. We’ll also help get you into the right mindset to start the training plan. From there, for each week of the plan, there will be a section on Mindset Training and a section on Physical Training along with the actual running plan. The Mindset Training will give you the tools you need to perform at your highest level. We’ll help you learn to embrace any challenge, give you advice on how to decrease anxiety before key workouts and races, and teach you numerous mindset strategies that can help your mind relax and embrace the feeling of running fast. We aim to do all of this while making sure your joy for running is always there! (More on the mindset training below.)
The Physical Training topics include recovery, heat and altitude training, pre-race and race day fueling, posture and mobility, blood tests, running form, all aspects of tapering (carbo-loading, strength training, bodywork, etc.), creating a race day pacing plan depending on the course profile, and everything else you need to know about physically feeling your best on race day. Our goal while making this plan was to make it so that you’re not left with any crucial questions at the end.
You can’t be “all in” without including some running specific core work into your weekly training. Along with creating a core workout routine for you that can be made to fit into a busy schedule, we wrote in when we thought you should be doing your core workouts, mobility, and stretching under each day of the plan. This plan also contains a pre-run warm-up routine, examples of heavy lifting and plyometric routines, and advice on stretching and foam rolling. We wanted a plan that gives you every chance possible of reaching your goals!
More on Mindset Training…
There’s a reason why professional athletes and teams work with sports psychologists. At the highest level of sport, everyone is talented and ready to put in the work. The best athletes know that the difference between performing well and truly performing at their highest level possible is all in the mind. We realize that you may not be able to justify hiring a sports psychologist, so we spent years researching mindset training, neuroplasticity, and everything we could gather from the leading sports psychologists. In this plan, we share the best science-based advice with you that you can immediately incorporate into your training and daily life. Each week’s mindset training topic is multiple paragraphs long, providing the details you need without feeling overwhelming. Our goal is for you to approach all runs as well as race day with a relaxed confidence that will allow you to perform at your highest level possible, pushing past your former perceived limitations to have breakthrough performances. Furthermore, if you truly do the work of applying the advice, we believe this plan can help you create a high-performance mindset that will serve you in all areas of your life.
*The above video was originally created for The “All In” BQ Marathon plan, but the information applies to all of the “All In” plans.
The “All In” Marathon Plan is unlike any other training plan on the market. Coach Sandi came up with the idea for this plan over 3 years ago, believing we could develop a plan that would do an even better job of helping people reach their goals. It combines years of research as well as all of our running and high-performance knowledge packaged together in a way so that all the information can be retained and utilized by anyone who uses this plan. We hope this plan will make you feel that you have us as your personal coaches, giving you all the information you need to be successful as you go.
The plan will take you on a 16-week journey, a journey that requires you to be “all in”. You’ll start off by performing a strength self-assessment that will help you prevent injuries and keep you running strong throughout the plan. We’ll also help get you into the right mindset to start the training plan. From there, for each week of the plan, there will be a section on Mindset Training and a section on Physical Training along with the actual running plan. The Mindset Training will give you the tools you need to perform at your highest level. We’ll help you learn to embrace any challenge, give you advice on how to decrease anxiety before key workouts and races, and teach you numerous mindset strategies that can help your mind relax and embrace the feeling of running fast. We aim to do all of this while making sure your joy for running is always there! (More on the mindset training below.)
The Physical Training topics include recovery, heat and altitude training, pre-race and race day fueling, posture and mobility, blood tests, running form, all aspects of tapering (carbo-loading, strength training, bodywork, etc.), creating a race day pacing plan depending on the course profile, and everything else you need to know about physically feeling your best on race day. Our goal while making this plan was to make it so that you’re not left with any crucial questions at the end.
You can’t be “all in” without including some running specific core work into your weekly training. Along with creating a core workout routine for you that can be made to fit into a busy schedule, we wrote in when we thought you should be doing your core workouts, mobility, and stretching under each day of the plan. This plan also contains a pre-run warm-up routine, examples of heavy lifting and plyometric routines, and advice on stretching and foam rolling. We wanted a plan that gives you every chance possible of reaching your goals!
More on Mindset Training…
There’s a reason why professional athletes and teams work with sports psychologists. At the highest level of sport, everyone is talented and ready to put in the work. The best athletes know that the difference between performing well and truly performing at their highest level possible is all in the mind. We realize that you may not be able to justify hiring a sports psychologist, so we spent years researching mindset training, neuroplasticity, and everything we could gather from the leading sports psychologists. In this plan, we share the best science-based advice with you that you can immediately incorporate into your training and daily life. Each week’s mindset training topic is multiple paragraphs long, providing the details you need without feeling overwhelming. Our goal is for you to approach all runs as well as race day with a relaxed confidence that will allow you to perform at your highest level possible, pushing past your former perceived limitations to have breakthrough performances. Furthermore, if you truly do the work of applying the advice, we believe this plan can help you create a high-performance mindset that will serve you in all areas of your life.
Prerequisites:
This plan is structured for runners who will reach a peak mileage of somewhere between 45 to 50 miles (72-81km) a week. If you haven’t run a single week over 35 miles (55km) per week in your running career – AND if you haven’t done consistent Long Runs in the 10-mile (16km) distance range yet, then we highly recommend that you take several months (or even a year) to build up your mileage base so you are consistently averaging at least 30 miles per week (50km) on a regular basis without any serious injury before starting this training program.
More on why our plan is different:
This plan is derived from the theories and practices of the most legendary distance running coaches and exercise scientists from around the world: Arthur Lydiard, Jack Daniels, Renato Canova, and Peter Pfitzinger to name a few. Unlike other “cookie-cutter” training plans that just list the mileage and a general pace, this Sage Running plan gives you essential specifics on how to do workouts at the right intensity for the most beneficial training stimuli. Furthermore, it does not follow a strict 7-day cycle (like most competitor’s plans), because at Sage Running we believe some workouts take longer to recover from and adapt to. Therefore sometimes recovery running days are extended and shortened appropriately to give you an ideal boost in fitness. Most other plans do not take this kind of periodization into consideration.
We realize that great coaching is both a science and an art – and we’ve used this philosophy (as well as knowledge gained from our own careers as runners) along with experience from coaching many others, to create a plan that emphasizes consistent, smart progression: A true Sage Running™ experience!
By Sandi Nypaver, with guidance from Sage Canaday and Ray Nypaver
Running Plan by Sandi Nypaver & Sage Canaday
16 weeks of Mindset Training (+ bonus tips)
16 weeks of Physical Training (+bonus tips)
16 week Running Plan* (in metric and imperial)
Strength Self-Assessment (with pictures)
Pre-Run Warm-Up Routine (with pictures)
Core Routine (with pictures)
Training Guide (explains each type of workout)
Key Training Zones Chart
And more! (Heavy lifting, plyometrics, foam rolling, stretching, etc.)
*While part of the actual running plan is the same as the original BQ Marathon Plan, we did make some significant changes to many of the key runs and workouts.
The BQ “All In” Marathon Plan is unlike any other training plan on the market. Coach Sandi came up with the idea for this plan over 3 years ago, believing we could develop a plan that would do an even better job of helping people reach their goals. It combines years of research as well as all of our running and high-performance knowledge packaged together in a way so that all the information can be retained and utilized by anyone who uses this plan. We hope this plan will make you feel that you have us as your personal coaches, giving you all the information you need to be successful as you go.
The plan will take you on a 16-week journey, a journey that requires you to be “all in”. You’ll start off by performing a strength self-assessment that will help you prevent injuries and keep you running strong throughout the plan. We’ll also help get you into the right mindset to start the training plan. From there, for each week of the plan, there will be a section on Mindset Training and a section on Physical Training along with the actual running plan. The Mindset Training will give you the tools you need to perform at your highest level. We’ll help you learn to embrace any challenge, give you advice on how to decrease anxiety before key workouts and races, and teach you numerous mindset strategies that can help your mind relax and embrace the feeling of running fast. We aim to do all of this while making sure your joy for running is always there!
The Physical Training topics include recovery, heat and altitude training, pre-race and race day fueling, posture and mobility, blood tests, running form, all aspects of tapering (carbo-loading, strength training, bodywork, etc.), creating a race day pacing plan depending on the course profile, and everything else you need to know about physically feeling your best on race day. Our goal while making this plan was to make it so that you’re not left with any crucial questions at the end.
You can’t be “all in” without including some running specific core work into your weekly training. Along with creating a core workout routine for you that can be made to fit into a busy schedule, we wrote in when we thought you should be doing your core workouts, mobility, and stretching under each day of the plan. This plan also contains a pre-run warm-up routine, examples of heavy lifting and plyometric routines, and advice on stretching and foam rolling. We wanted a plan that gives you every chance possible of reaching your goals!
Prerequisites:
This plan is structured for runners who will reach a peak mileage of somewhere between 65 to 80 miles (100 to 130km) a week. If you are looking to crack 3:40 or 3 hours flat (or even sub 2:50) for the first time and improve your personal best marathon time, then this plan is for you! If you are close to a Boston Marathon qualifying time (i.e. within 10-15 minutes) it is very possible for you to use this plan to attempt to improve enough for that standard to be reached! If you haven’t run a single week over 55 miles (90km) per week in your running career yet, we highly recommend that you take several months (or even a year) to build up your mileage base so you are consistently averaging at least 50 to 55 miles per week (90km) on a regular basis without any serious injury before starting this training program.
More on why our plan is different:
This plan is derived from the theories and practices of the most legendary distance running coaches and exercise scientists from around the world: Arthur Lydiard, Jack Daniels, Renato Canova, and Peter Pfitzinger to name a few. Unlike other “cookie-cutter” training plans that just list the mileage and a general pace, this Sage Running plan gives you essential specifics on how to do workouts at the right intensity for the most beneficial training stimuli. Furthermore, it does not follow a strict 7-day cycle (like most competitor’s plans), because at Sage Running we believe some workouts take longer to recover from and adapt to. Therefore sometimes recovery running days are extended and shortened appropriately to give you an ideal boost in fitness. Most other plans do not take this kind of periodization into consideration.
We realize that great coaching is both a science and an art – and we’ve used this philosophy (as well as knowledge gained from our own careers as runners) along with experience from coaching many others, to create a plan that emphasizes consistent, smart progression: A true Sage Running™ experience!
