In reply to iusedtoclimb: I’d look at who they coach, the improvements of their athletes and their own background. I’m wary of anyone who hasn’t ran to a good standard. Qualifications are pretty basic. I coach collegiate and high school and go to the seminars/hold qualifications and many who coach coaches have little experience. It’s just textbook regurgitating. It’s all well and good but coaching is about feeling your athlete, getting them to peak, improve but stay fairly injury free. You add stress but manageable through a season. I see so many coaches with zero long term outlook for the athlete and just negligible experience.
But a lot is about what you want, do you want a strict schedule, how important is running to you? Some coaches are more flexible, some runners need a strict schedule.
i was paid $160 per month per client. Guys with money. They didn’t want to do the workouts, I’d email plans. NYC guys who wanted to seem like they were going to do well. It was pretty soulless work.
Don’t rush into an athlete coach relationship. I was self coached largely but used 3-4 people to bounce ideas off, book knowledge, experience and a long term commitment to a system.
I certainly don’t think you HAVE to be a runner to coach but it helps. When you tell someone to go out for a long run after a day in class/work it helps when you’ve done that. I think it’s a poor to ask people to do things you wouldn’t do.
the guys I will coach saw me doing an 8 by half mile workout today on my free block in school.