What makes a great coach?

So you have plunged headlong into your running era and probably have even joined a run club.

As you spend more time running, you are amazed by your gains. Then you begin joining races, starting from 5Ks onwards.

As you run more consistently and start having specific goals, like running your first half-marathon or marathon, or improve your personal record for a certain distance, you are now contemplating getting a running coach.

To be clear, you can be a runner and enjoy running without having a coach.

It is one of those rare sports you can engage in without having to be taught by a professional. As discussed in a past column, we were all born to run and running is one of the most natural movements humans have evolved to do.

There is also the option of do-it-yourself coaching. There are now so many internet-based references on the different aspects of running and numerous downloadable running programs that one can follow.

It is thus possible to self-educate so to speak.

However, once you begin dialing into specific goals or simply want to bust out of a training plateau, it may be worth considering hiring a Coach.

In my case, I had already run a couple of marathons and several half marathons and 10Ks when I decided on getting one.

I found out I was chosen via lottery to run the 2019 Tokyo Marathon in March that year, and as far as beginner’s luck go, had also gotten into Berlin and Chicago Marathons that very same year.

I figured, since I would be spending so much to run those three world majors, I better make them count and finish the races within a decent time.

This was when I reached out to Coach Ken Mendola, CK to his peers, who had been highly recommended by a runner-friend. I had seen Coach Ken pacing my friend during a couple of races and imagined the kind of boost that must have been for a runner.

Coaches are not just your ordinary runners who happen to have been running for a long time. To ensure they have the requisite knowledge and skill, they undergo training and a certification process.

Two of the most prominent bodies which certify Coaches are the USA Track & Field (USATF) and the United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy (UESCA). Both offer science-based coach training for various levels of certification.

I found out that Coach Ken trained with the USATF in the US. He had a nursing degree but found better use of his knowledge of human anatomy in running.

I eventually learned that running coaches also have their known specialties. For CK, it was marathon training, which was perfect for me.

During our initial meeting, we discussed his training philosophy, how he customizes his program for each athlete, my running background, training goals and expectations.

I was supposed to scout around for more choices but felt immediately at ease with CK’s very un-intimidating style.

So three weeks before leaving for Tokyo, I began training with him.

He told me that I should temper my expectations because three weeks is much too short a period to train for an “A Race.”

The plan was to do Tokyo but consider Berlin as my “A Race” that year. Those three weeks, however, were nothing short of phenomenal for me. CK had me do speed intervals at the track oval for the first time and it was just my much needed jolt.

Since CK had already done Tokyo, he very meticulously briefed me on what to expect and I followed all of his tips to the letter.

I finished the race ecstatic over the fact that I shaved off more than an hour from my personal record and finished with a time of four hours and 45 minutes.

After consistently training with CK, I finished Berlin in 4:42 and Chicago in 4:33.

That first year under CK’s wings, I knew I had made the right choice.

CK treated his athletes like family and was genuinely interested in seeing each of us succeed. He also has the uncanny ability of gauging our capacities, sometimes more than we ourselves can.

I would always laugh it off whenever he would say I could do a sub-1 10K, sub-2 21K and sub-4 marathon.

Four years on, I have unbelievably ticked off all those milestones.

So there are other factors to consider in choosing a coach like proximity, cost, etc.

But, ultimately, it boils down to whether the coach can propel you to greatness. In running, sometimes the one person who believes in you is not even yourself, but your running coach.

Choose wisely.