getting support for running

I wrote this little bit for my friend Becky about my experience with Jeff Galloway's e-coaching program.

Jeff offers "e-coaching" for 6 months for $60 through his website. The price is incredibly reasonable considering the cost of other coaches and Jeff's huge knowledge and experience.  He does this by email. If you look at the very earliest posts on my running blog you can see my coaching reports & his advice.

Jeff's  assistant Michelle, who is great, sends a questionnaire about your goals, overall health and experience running (for instance, the longest distance you've run in the last three weeks, etc.). Then based on your goal, he sets up a program along the model you can find on his website. Two mid-week runs & a longer run on the weekend. Then you send a weekly report after the weekend noting your assignment, and answering several questions - basically you tell him what distance/pace/walk breaks were assigned and how you did with the assignment. Then you add whether you've got questions, aches, pains, etc.

Jeff then replies to your email usually by Thursday with suggestions, encouragement.  He'll warn you in advance there are a couple weeks where he gets really busy. He travels a lot, teaches often and of course runs marathons.  I had the impression he's not the most technologically handy fellow. Michelle serves as a back up if you don't get a response from him. Over the course of a year, there were a couple weeks where we had these kinds of communication glitches.  But we worked through them.

I found that nearly all the time Jeff seemed really responsive to the content of my individual emails - he has a gentle tone, and had a lot of patience. especially with my stiff neck about wanting more speed etc. even though my body needed more time to adapt.  I liked having the support and personal attention. It kept me accountable to my goals and I learned a lot.  He took me from 10 km to a successful marathon. I have grown to really appreciate his gentle approach. A couple "on-line buddies" I have trained too hard for their marathons, trained through injuries and blew up during the race and didn't finish due to those injuries. Jeff's approach is running in health.

I definitely recommend his e-coaching. You also get one of his books, so it's really a bargain. If you're interested, I can describe the books that I picked out to help you choose one. (he's got so many of them....)