Travis Baker – Raleigh Running Coach
A certified running coach that understands difficult schedules and wants to understand the full picture behind my athlete’s needs!
From: $150.00 / month and a $19.00 sign-up fee
Running Coach Description
Raleigh running coach Travis Baker knows how to balance a busy schedule with training for both road and ultra races, balancing nutrition, schedule constraints and fitness, and he can help you do the same. Reach out to Travis below to get started!
Specialties
With a background in Emergency Services, I understand the importance of being able to shape training around complicated schedules. My training plans are personalized in a collaborative fashion to achieve performance goals in a sustainable fashion.
I have a bachelor’s degree in nutrition as well as training in sports nutrition. I specialize in both daily nutrition for athletes and 1:1 consultation for performance nutrition.
Philosophy
I believe in developing training plans that encompass a “Full Picture” approach. This approach develops training that suits you and your goals. It will consider your training history, goals, preferences, and schedule. With this approach I will develop a periodized training plan that will help you achieve your goals while enjoying the process.
Coaching Experience
I have been coaching for several years with the goal of bringing as many people into this sport as possible and having them enjoy what this is all about. I have coached numerous athletes to PRs in the 5k all the way to 100 miles and even Ironman 140.9!
About Me
As a North Carolina native I was born and raised in the greater Raleigh area. I found running later in life after a significant weight loss journey. When I was in my early 20’s I lost over 100lbs and fell in love with running along the way. This passion has helped me throughout the years running long distance races and helping athletes achieve goals that seem daunting. Now, I am a Firefighter/EMT at a large municipal department which gives me a unique perspective on life, schedules, and training.
Big Influences
My current focus is trail running, it has an excellent community and takes you to so many amazing places along the way. Personally, my coach Jason Friedman has been a huge influence on how I view the sport of running and how I develop training plans for my athletes. He has been an incredible mentor that has provided me with knowledge that would otherwise take decades to acquire.
Race History
I have run in a variety of races from 5k road all the way to 100-mile trail and anything in between. Most recently I have run in the Leadville Silver Rush 50-mile race and paced a few athletes through the Leadville 100RUN. Those races have been exceptional experiences alongside other events that I have taken part in.
Certifications
- BS Holistic Nutrition
- UESCA Running Coach
- UESCA Sports Nutrition Coaching
Personal Records
- Asheville Marathon – 3:45
- 50k PR – 4:30
- Hell Hole 100K – 15hrs and 3rd Place Overall
- Yeti 100-mile – 27hrs
Contact Travis
5 reviews for Travis Baker – Raleigh Running Coach
Jason –
Travis is an outstanding coach. His approach is the perfect balance of motivation, knowledge, and encouragement. He takes the time to understand your current condition and goals—whether it’s improving speed, building endurance, or preparing for a race—and tailor training plans that are both challenging and achievable. Travis also emphasizes proper techniques, injury prevention and recovery, which has kept me healthier and more consistent in training. Beyond the technical side, Travis is a great motivator who knows how to push you without ever making you feel overwhelmed. He has also greatly expanded my knowledge of nutrition and fuel, especially for longer races. Since working with Travis, I’ve seen measurable improvements in my pace, stamina, and overall confidence as a runner and cyclist. I would highly recommend Travis to anyone looking to take their training to the next level!
Ryan –
Coach Travis was great all around. He worked around my constantly changing work schedule and made sure that I could still progress while not having to run at odd hours due to schedule changes. Coach Travis was also very willing to explain the “why” of workouts to satisfy my personal curiosity and provided continuous updates and feedback on my workouts and progression.
During my training with Coach Travis I not only met my goal of beating my 5k PR but I also was able to increase my knowledge of training, hydration, and fueling. In just over 6 months with coach Travis I was able to take my 5k from 22:37 to 18:55, surpassing my all time PR of 19:02 set nearly 10 years ago while I was in college.
I would recommend coach Travis to anyone of any running ability. I was a life long runner who had slowly gotten more and more out of shape since college. I have never received one on one running coaching but after doing several programs and trying to write my own training for years I am dumbfounded on why I didn’t hire coach Travis sooner.
Sofia Kluch –
I worked with Travis leading up to my first 100 mile race. When I started working with Travis I had a solid base and a few ultra marathons under my belt, but I lacked the knowledge and experience to take my running to the next level – especially jumping from 50 to 100 miles and navigating nutrition.
I hadn’t worked with a running coach before and I wasn’t sure of what I needed. I reached out and spoke with three coaches before picking Travis. The things that made Travis stand out were (1) his experience in Ultramarathon distances (including the 100 mile distance I was working towards), (2) his accessibility and willingness to listen and adapt (he worked with my schedule, understood my needs and concerns, and adapted his nutrition guidance to my vegan diet), and (3) his ability to help me strategize for race day success. For me, I didn’t just need help with the training plan, I needed to lock in nutrition and figure out how to minimize aid station time and manage my pacing.
Critical to my transition from 50 to 100 miles was experimenting and locking in a fueling plan that took me WAY outside my comfort zone. I had never taken a gel and only ran fasted before we started working together. He helped me rethink nutrition before and during a run that has honestly changed some of my relationship with food in a very positive way.
Travis provided all of what was expected – training plans, coaching calls, and responses to all my questions – but he also went above and beyond. He took my panicked call DURING MY RACE when things weren’t going as planned. He talked me down, got on the phone with my crew chief, and problem solved in the moment. He was invested in my success and believed in me. He was a key component to my first 100 mile finish.
If you need a coach to help you with the things that can take you from impossible to possible – and good to great – invest some time with Travis.
Michael Owens –
I have always been physically fit, but have never been able to achieve the next level that I was searching for. I reached out to Travis for some training to help me achieve that next level. We started with half marathon prep and quickly escalated to a full. With his knowledge and expertise I was able to crush my goal for the city of oaks by over 20 minutes. I am now under his guidance to complete my first triathlon, which happens to be an iron man. If you want someone who is going to push and inspire you to achieve the goals you have then I highly recommend using Travis as a coach.
Jake Lara –
I had never ran before and I hate running. I decided I wanted to become healthier so I started running and figured I could use a coach. In less than 2 years I went from never running, to regulary doing runs 2-8 miles. Now I run almost every single day, yay me. Travis helped me achieve my fitness goals, and will work with you to create a plan that fits your schedule. He is someone that practices what he preaches, and will work with you regardless of your level of fitness. He is also a running nut job. If you want a coach that is obsessed with something that you problably hate, and has the experience to actually be a running coach Travis is your guy.