When the Coach Gets Coached from Ekiden

Disclaimer: I received free coaching from Ekiden Coaching as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I am always wanting to improve my running, but until a few months ago had never had a coach. I had gone to a few coached workouts, but having a steady coach to create a training plan for me and bounce ideas off was not something that I had.

This is where Ekiden Coaching came in. When I was asked to participate in this coaching experience I was super excited. I actually love being coached, so I was excited to finally get back to my roots (my college and high school coaches really pushed me). Getting a daily workout plan that someone else planned for me was huge.

How It Works

I was set up with Coach Jenny from Ekiden. She actually works from the Bay Area, so I felt we had a bit of a connection from the beginning. We started our coaching with me filling out a survey and followed up with a 30 minute phone call discussing my goals and any questions I might have.

I specifically asked for more speed workouts since I am training for a 10k and wanted help with working on flexibility and stretching, because I am terrible at recovery!

Jenny then took my information and used it to create my workouts. From the app online or from daily texts, I would see my workout for the next day. If I had any questions or concerns or needed to reach out I would simply text her back and receive an answer within a day. Super convenient!

Pros and Cons

I loved being coached and I really like Ekiden's method. With everything there can be Pros and Cons. But the pros in this scenario far outweigh the few cons.

Pros

• Daily texts
• Check in phone call before training begins
• Easy to communicate with
• Knowledgable coaches
• Training plan is flexible, I was able to work with my coach to change my plan if I missed workouts.
• Coaching app syncs automatically with Strava

Cons

• No in person coaching
• Not a lot of form training since coaching is all virtual
• Doesn't sync with Nike+, which is the app I use to track my runs

Why You Should Consider a Coach

I had been thinking about hiring a coach for a while. This was finally the answer I had been looking for and I noticed huge gains in my conditioning and speed after the first month of working with my coach. I saw gains in speed, endurance and flexibility by following my coaches workouts and recommendations. Plus, I was excited about running again and about the new workouts I was doing.

A coach can help get you out of a rut and reach your potential by giving you the tools to succeed. I'm so happy I finally decided to reach out to someone else to help me get better. I am excited to see how much further my running can go with focused, planned out workouts.

Ekiden Coaching Discount

Are you ready for a virtual coaching program? Purchase 3 months of Ekiden Coaching today and get one month free when you enter code: BibRave16 at checkout. It's a great deal and a great way to get introduced to coaching! Give it a try.