Drew Mikhail – Toronto Running Coach
$125.00 / month and a $19.00 sign-up fee
UESCA certified coach helping runners crush goals with tailored plans & support. Ready to level up? Contact me to start today!
Description
Toronto running coach Drew Mikhail is certified in both Strength Training and Sport Nutrition, and with personal experience running with diabetes, he has a unique perspective on training for road races all the way up to marathons. Reach out to Drew to see if you’d be a good fit!
LEVELS: Beginner, Intermediate
TYPES: Road
DISTANCES: 5k/10k/Half Marathon, Marathon, Ultra
TRAINING PLATFORM: Final Surge
TRAINING PLAN: Individual, customized training plan
COMMUNICATION: Unlimited email, unlimited text
RESPONSE TIME: Within 24 hours
LOCATION: Mississauga
SPECIALTIES
Introduction to road running and progressing to the full marathon distance (26.2 miles/42.2km) and ultra-marathon distances. Certified in Strength Training and Sports Nutrition.
PHILOSOPHY
My coaching philosophy goes beyond just running. I design complete training programs that include cross-training elements such as strength training, mobility work, and nutrition guidance. I also prioritize clear and reliable communication, ensuring you feel supported every step of the way.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
I have been coaching since 2010. I have led groups with various experience & abilities and coached adults to new personal bests. It is never too late and you are never too slow to train with me.
ABOUT ME
At the age of five I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and life seemed pretty limited. It wasn’t until my early 20s through the fitness industry I realized that I am capable of accomplishing so many great things. Since that discovery, I have completed 19 (soon to be 20) full marathons – including Toronto, New York, and Chicago. As a coach, I want to help and inspire others who may be going through the same journey.
BIG INFLUENCES
Running Room – My first run group. They helped me understand the various aspects of long distance running and introduced a structured approach to training. The community was very welcoming and supportive that my initial fears of joining a group quickly disappeared.
My run coach of 12 years introduced me to the various types of speed training and educating me on the benefits of every workout. I have PR’d in every distance I’ve raced during that time.
RACING HISTORY
In May of 2010 I ran my very first marathon. It was my biggest achievement proving to myself and others that I can manage my health condition and accomplish something as overwhelming as running a marathon. I’ll never forget seeing my friends cheering me on at the finish line. It was then that I decided to have more goals in long distance running.
CERTIFICATIONS
- UESCA – Certified Running and Ultrarunning Coach
- ISSA – Personal Trainer/ Strength & Conditioning/ Nutrition
PRs
- 5k: 21:20 (5/10/2015) Yonge St 10k, I PR’d in both the 5k & 10K at the same time
- Half Marathon: 1:38:10 (4/26/2015) Montreal Half Marathon.
- Full Marathon: 3:24:39 (10/27/2014) Dublin Marathon. Woke up with low sugar levels and nearly missed the race. Turned out to be my best race and I negative split by a second.
CONTACT DREW
Finding a coach who is a great fit for you is really important. We encourage you to email your coach prior to signing up so you can connect, communicate, and ensure a good athlete/coach fit.
SOCIAL
Miles –
As someone with T1D, Drew was an integral coach and support system for me. His experience and coaching helped me understand and manage my diabetes as a runner, and ultimately helped me crush my first half-marathon! Drew was very communicative, understanding, and adaptive when it came to my schedule, training requests, and general running questions.
Julian –
Coach Drew was a pivotal part in my first 35km race training. His plan was tailored to my needs and what I wanted to accomplish. Always encouraging and motivating me all throughout my months of training; and looking after the progress. Constant communication it’s his mark. He reached out after each training session to ask how I was feeling and was prepared to adjust the training if necessary. He’s very accessible and always answers any questions or concerns in a timely manner. I 100% recommend coach Drew for any of your running goals.
Brian Letourneau –
Coach Drew has been an incredible and invaluable resource in helping me prepare for my first marathon. He took the time to understand my goals and my running experience and structured a plan that worked for me. I appreciated his insight and flexibility throughout our training cycle. I felt very prepared going into the marathon, and am happy with my results. I can confidently say that I would not have performed as well as I did without Drew’s help. I would highly recommend!
Rashmitha Shetty –
Coach Drew has been an incredible support in my first half-marathon journey. His well-organized training program kept me on track, gradually building my endurance and strength. The speed workouts he recommended were tough but significantly boosted my running speed.
I greatly appreciate how Coach Drew prioritized my well-being by consistently checking on my health status after every run, emphasizing the importance of recovery and injury prevention, which ensured safe and injury-free training.
Overall, I owe a significant portion of my success in the half-marathon to Coach Drew’s expertise, guidance, and unwavering support throughout my training journey. And of course, sticking to the plan and doing my part helped me cross the half-marathon finish line with a sense of personal achievement and newfound discipline that continues to serve me in various aspects of life.
Ben Lee –
Drew has been fantastic and helped me work through my 2nd marathon as I was working through some injuries as well. Been super helpful at creating workout plans, changing them depending on your needs, and also offering encouragement as well! Would highly recommend and if you’re looking into a marathon then Drew is the man!
Pierre –
Very happy with engagement from Andrew. He helped the team to focus on goal of everyone. From people who never ran to people preparing half or full marathon.
Always on time and very engaged!
Thanks a lot
Carolyn Partyka –
Drew gets it! He listens and works with you, not for you. I booked a bunch of races at the end of 2022 for 2023 and thought I could wing it and do it on my own. Reaching out to Drew was the best thing I did for myself. We put together a plan at the beginning based on what I could put in. Things went a little sideways with me getting sick a couple of times, but he was able to work around it all. Drew was understanding and followed up to make sure I was OK with the training program. He genuinely cares about your progress. Even messaged me my race results before I had a chance to view the official time online.
If you needed a sign to work with anyone, this is it. Send him a message now – you won’t regret it. I promise.
Nobel Phipps Garcia –
Drew has been instrumental on raising my performance in the last year. He structured a plan according to my goals for the year and kept contact with me at all times and following up on how things were going. After following his plan for my full marathon back on Nov 6, 2022 I was able to hit a PR of over 11 minutes to my previous best marathon time. Not only Andrew (Drew) is a great coach that listens to you and creates a plan that matches your requirements but he is also an amazing human being. Fully recommended and I am happy with his coaching. Of course you have to do your part and follow the plan by getting the work done and if you do you will achieve greatness.
Karen Woo –
Andrew (Drew) has been a very supportive and encouraging run coach, listening to what my goals are and creating workouts and training regimens to support them. He provides a variety of workouts that are challenging but within reach, and is always able and willing to adapt my training and exercises to my needs. Andrew spends the time to explain the exercises he recommends, and provides demonstrations to ensure I understand them well. He has been responsive in answering any questions I may have. An excellent coach I would recommend to others!