Is online coaching right for you?

If you’re a person who runs regularly, you’ve likely heard about online coaching. It comes in a variety of forms but basically, runners who sign up, are getting their workout plans and daily reminders via email. There are a number of online coaching services out there. Not sure if it’s for you? Here are some signs it will work for you:

You live in a remote place

Hey, if you live really out of the way in a small town without a coach or club, online plans might be the way to go. Rather than getting in the car and travelling to where the nearest group meets, you may opt for simply getting motivation, workouts and tough love through your inbox.

Your group doesn’t fit your ability level 

Run clubs are a good way to go for many of us but what happens when the group is too fast or runs too long for you? Or maybe the situation is that you’re the speedy one of the lot. If you’ve outgrown the club, it may be time to look elsewhere.

You’re an introvert

This is a simple but fair reason to go online. There’s a large portion of us runners who prefer to run alone and aren’t so keen on being in big groups of people. Many use running to zone out and that’s hard to do when running with others. But just because you run alone doesn’t mean you don’t want to follow a regimented plan. Some introverts might like to do workouts with people some of the time but also want a fallback. That’s another option.

The work schedule is far from normal

Hey, most people work the Monday to Friday 9 to 5 p.m. routine. But what happens when you’re the opposite? If you can’t make any of the workouts, getting email notifications and doing it on your own time might just be easier.

The run group is getting stale

Maybe you need a shakeup and you’re sick of the same workouts (or you never liked them much in the first place). If the group is always doing the same thing and you’re getting a bit bored, there’s always the option to do some days with them and some on your own.

You don’t like coaches in your area

Sometimes there’s a willing coach and a group who is at your level but it just doesn’t work. Maybe there’s something about the coach’s ways that just doesn’t sit well. In that case, cut your loses and sign up for an online coaching service.