Thinking of getting a coach (Read 271 times)

 

No.

 

First of all ask him define efficient vs. inefficient. Then ask him how he can know what's most efficient for every individual's unique bio-mechanics.

I got beat in my last race by a dude running on his tiptoes in sandals who ran a 6:28 avg pace on a 5 mile race.  He was in the Clydesdale division with lots of muscle and little fat so I think no one gave him too much grief on his running form.

I get beat regularly by this guy who isn't in my division but has this weird shuffling gait where I think his feet travel farther side to side than they do up and down.  He must run by himself a lot, because if you tried to run beside him I think he would trip you with his gait.

Could either of those guys run faster if they changed their running form?  Maybe.  I know the guy with the weird side shuffle gait has been running a long time injury free though.  I sure would hate to try to mess with my form and end up injured or something.

Isn't there a danger of some muscle/fascia groups making up for disproportionately weak ones, though?  The example that I remember reading about is the hamstrings taking on more stress than they should do to weak/inactive glutes.  This example was of a very experienced, fairly quick runner, as I recall, who had been plagued with hamstring pain for some years.  Granted, I haven't been experiencing anything like that (a few nagging pains here and there, nothing major), but I've always been interested in having someone more knowledgeable than me watch me run to see if there is anything I need to address, through strength training or whatever.

 

MTA: I'm not trying to be obtuse, just trying to understand why I should avoid talking to this guy if his advice is free and I can take it with a grain of salt.

There is a risk of imbalances developing, which can manifest themselves as changes in your form, and lead to injury.  I lost most of last year to such a thing.  But the solution is NOT to mess with your form (the symptom).  It is to work on core strength (cause) and, sometimes, flexibility (like hip flexors if you have a desk job).

Run lots, mostly easy, sometimes hard.  The credit should go to Trent, but I'll take the credit and the cash.  A check would be OK too, I'll PM my address to ya.

 

There is a risk of imbalances developing, which can manifest themselves as changes in your form, and lead to injury.  I lost most of last year to such a thing.  But the solution is NOT to mess with your form (the symptom).  It is to work on core strength (cause) and, sometimes, flexibility (like hip flexors if you have a desk job).

Right, and that's what interests me.  If he looks at me and, I don't know, there's something about my posture or the way my foot lands that indicates a problem, I know not to start trying to run while holding my back a certain way or make my foot strike differently, but I would be interested in hearing input on certain muscle groups that might need more attention in strength training.

But the solution is NOT to mess with your form (the symptom).  It is to work on core strength (cause) and, sometimes, flexibility (like hip flexors if you have a desk job).

This.

It sounds like this guy is a good salesman.  He's tapping into what his clients think they need. I too long for someone to Stride-Doctor me.  But I think it's a bunch of hokem science.  As others have pointed out, there are lots of elite athletes with terrible form.  Heck, Jeptoo looks like Dr. Frankenstein was drunk while reading the Lego directions.  Might as well run like a T-Rex.

Personally, I think form is the last thing a good and honest coach will want to talk to you about.

Now, if his approach is this: he watches you run and then gives you a list of bodyweight and core exercises to do, without mentioning any form modifications, then he might be some good to the running community.  If he tells you to lean forward for a midfoot stride, stop swinging your arms across your center-line, and take shorter strides toward X/minute.  Then you know he has a Runners' World subscription, and that's about it.

Bad free advice can be very expensive in the long run.

 

This.

 

It sounds like this guy is a good salesman.  He's tapping into what his clients think they need. I too long for someone to Stride-Doctor me.  But I think it's a bunch of hokem science.  As others have pointed out, there are lots of elite athletes with terrible form.  Heck, Jeptoo looks like Dr. Frankenstein was drunk while reading the Lego directions.  Might as well run like a T-Rex.

 

Personally, I think form is the last thing a good and honest coach will want to talk to you about.

 

Now, if his approach is this: he watches you run and then gives you a list of bodyweight and core exercises to do, without mentioning any form modifications, then he might be some good to the running community.  If he tells you to lean forward for a midfoot stride, stop swinging your arms across your center-line, and take shorter strides toward X/minute.  Then you know he has a Runners' World subscription, and that's about it.

 

Bad free advice can be very expensive in the long run.

Right, but he's not selling me anything.  And the gait analysis was in fact the last thing we talked about.  Point well made and taken about bad free advice, though.

LOL on Jeptoo's form!  MTA: and thanks for that link.  That was really interesting.