I realize that there have got to be about a million free schedules available online and in your local running store. So, why bother hiring a coach? Well, for one, what do you do when you need to ask for responsible advice? What about if you get injured and need help coming back? What if you want to race and need help with strategy?

What if you want to qualify for Boston and don’t know where to begin? Having a coach can help you with nearly every aspect of your running. As a runner for over 15 years and a coach for the last 4 years, I have experienced more things than I care to remember! Even now, as a professional runner, I still have coaches.

I have had a coach every step of the way, since I was 13 years old. To be honest, I cannot imagine being any type of competitive runner without having some form of guidance. A coach can educate a runner, guide the runner, be a mentor, a friend, and even a kick in the pants when its needed.

As a coach, I have certain responsibilities. My top three include:

1. Being honest with an athlete. Whether it’s telling them that success may not come as fast as the runner wants, or telling them that they (the coach) can no longer help that athlete, a coach has to be completely up front with their athlete.
2. Educate. Part of being a good coach is educating the athlete. As an athlete, you should be able to know why you are doing any workout proposed. If the coach cannot or will not, then that is poor coaching.
3. Be flexible. Athletes have different ways of doing things. Athletes have different strengths and weaknesses. The coach has the duty to the athlete to recognize what those are and work with them.

• Be committed to running at a higher level.
• Seeking appropriate guidance from a reputable coach.
• Is committed to being the best runner they can.
• Keep an open line of communication with the coach, especially if there is a physical distance between where the athlete and coach lives.

• Unlimited emails: Most people I have worked with are not in the Detroit Metro area and prefer emails for general communication. I push for open lines of communication. The partnership is hard to be successful when communication doesn’t exist!
• Phone Consults: Sometimes, emails don’t express what we are trying to describe and the occasional phone call is needed.
• In-Person Consults: If you are in the Detroit metro area, it is possible to schedule in-person consults if it is desired.
• Goal Setting: An athlete’s training revolves around goals.Whether it’s just to finish a 5k or qualify for the Olympic Trials, goals remain important. I will help you set those goals, both short and long term.
• Training Log: Every athlete has access to an online training log and is a great tool to aid in the communication process.
• Training Packet: Each athlete receives a training packet with their schedule. Every time a section is updated, the athlete will receive the updates.
• Access to any running class or clinic that HCS provides. This falls under my education belief. I want my athletes to be educated to make themselves better runners.
• Supplemental Taining Advice: Whether you are looking for form drills, a good stretching plan, core training plan, or a strength training regimen, I can help you. As an exercise physiologist, and certified exercise specialist (American College of Sports Medicine) I am in a position to help.
• Nutritional Advice: While I am not a dietician, as an exercise physiologist, I have plenty of knowledge regarding proper diet for runners on a general and performance level.
• Race Strategy: Having the right strategy is crucial for race success. As a professional runner, the right strategy meant the difference between success and failure during my career. I can use my experience and put it to work for you.
• Yearly Plan: Success is a long term process and requires planning. We can plan not only your racing for the upcoming season, but the next year. Some of my athletes are planning for the next two to four years!

• Sign up by selecting the option you want (below). I realize coaching can be an expensive venture, so I have included subscription options for all of the long term options. Once you sign up you will have access to a download of the training packet.
• Make sure you fill out the training profile. This provides me with your training background, goals, time commitments, etc. I will use this to create your custom schedule.
• After receiving the training profile, I will look over and be in contact with any questions and follow up that is needed to provide you with the best training schedule possible.
• After any follow-up done, I will create the first several weeks of your training program. Also provided will be my analysis of your goals and advice, my overall plan for your training block, description of paces that are provided based on your fitness levels.