goals

The Sacrifices Runners Make

Achieving goals often requires us to change certain habits that can be tough to let go of, often termed the sacrifices runners make. It might mean adjusting our nutrition, or reshaping how weekends look. Perhaps it’s eliminating time spent doom scrolling social media, or even navigating shifts in personal relationships. Often without realizing it, we’re required to adjust schedules and become more effective problem-solvers. Whether training for a race, running for overall wellness, or chasing milestones, athletes make sacrifices to move forward and improve.

What’s not often discussed is the reality of sacrifice and the challenges that arise with it, especially as adults. 

Understanding Why Runners Make Sacrifices

Like most things in life, change is tough. It can be especially difficult for the people in your life who have a fixed image of you, the version of you who’s always flexible and available. But when your goals matter, setting boundaries is essential, even if others don’t fully understand them. Stay flexible, yes, but also stay focused on your goals.

That might mean blocking certain times off for the purpose of your training, or adjusting your availability for after you’ve got your run in. Being open with the people in your life about why your goals matter can help them see your perspective. If you’re training for a specific event or race, invite those who’ve seen your commitment come to support you. It’s a powerful way to show what it looks like to follow through and take on a tough challenge.

Team RunRunner Jay achieving his running goals despite a family busy life.
Team RunRunner Jay achieving his running goals despite a family busy life.

Fitting Training into Life

Balancing training with work or family commitments can be tricky. Many athletes juggle unpredictable schedules and packed calendars. Staying adaptable and working with a coach who understands your life outside of running can help you stay on track without burning out. Running isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s dynamic and constantly evolving. Sometimes it means shifting your training time or pushing dinner with a friend back by thirty minutes to make it all work. 

The Reality of Sacrifices Runners Make

The sacrifices runners make don’t require canceling every single personal plan—but it does mean learning how to effectively pivot, reevaluate, and manage your time so you can show up for your training with confidence. Sacrifices may come with headaches, conflicts, and maybe feeling a little lost. Know that the work that you are putting in every day is a tribute to your commitment and dedication.

Above all, remember that challenging yourself to be uncomfortable in a world full of comfort offers growth and achievement.

Tanner Amrhien is a coach with Team RunRun based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes improve performance through thoughtful training, science-based nutrition guidance, and injury prevention strategies.

Want to Actually Improve Your Running?

Ditch the One-Size-Fits-All Plan

If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you want to actually improve your running or, as is the case with a coach or friend, help another runner improve. This is the article for you.

Let’s get this out of the way: stock running plans aren’t cutting it anymore.

Sure, they’re accessible. Sometimes free. They look neat, pre-packaged, and “official.” But if you’ve ever felt confused mid training, plateaued in performance, or suffered an injury that “shouldn’t have happened,” then you’ve experienced what many runners discover too late: one-size-fits-all training plans rarely fit anyone well.

Two runners with Team RunRun coaches who write them unique and personalized plans.
Two runners with Team RunRun coaches who write them unique and personalized plans.

If you’re serious about improving–whether it’s chasing your first 5K, qualifying for Boston, or anything in between–it’s time to rethink your approach and consider what happens when your plan actually fits you.

The Illusion of Personalization in Stock Plans

Stock plans try to offer simplicity: pick your race, plug in your finish time goal, and boom, here’s your 12-week roadmap!
The problem: you’re not a spreadsheet. You’re not a series of formulaic, quantitative data that an algorithm can detect and use to optimize your training. You’re a human being with a unique history, schedule, stress levels, strengths, weaknesses, and recovery curve.

Stock plans can’t possibly account for:

  • Injury history
  • Work, family, and life demands
  • Other external stressors
  • Variation in recovery ability and training adaptations
  • Your natural pacing skill
  • Sleep, nutrition, health

The result? You attempt to force your life into a plan, rather than fitting your plan into your life.

Short-term, this might work for you and you may see results. Long-term, however, life interferes and any number of the above factors make strictly adhering to the stock plan, at best, challenging, if not impossible. Your progress stalls, motivation drops, and the goals you set for yourself now seem totally out of reach.

Real Coaching = Real Results

When you work 1-on-1 with a running coach, the difference is immediate and powerful. You’re no longer a name on a download list. Instead, you’re a person whose training plan evolves as you do.


What personalized online coaching actually delivers:

  • Customized plans built for just you, not mass-produced
  • Ongoing adjustments based on feedback, fatigue, or surprise life events
  • Direct communication with someone who knows your goals
  • Injury prevention and recovery support
  • Race strategy, pacing advice, and mental coaching
  • Accountability, motivation, and insight from an expert who sees your blind spots

But What About the Cost?

Sure, online coaching isn’t free. But neither is lost time through ineffective training, injury costs like doctor and PT appointments, frustration, or months of guessing. Let’s frame it differently: if you spend hundreds on shoes, gear, and race entries, shouldn’t you also invest in your training to make those other expenditures worthwhile?  


And here’s the kicker: 1-on-1 coaching is more accessible, and affordable, than you think. At Team RunRun, our coaching starts at $1/day, much less than a coffee–or energy gel–a day! In fact, that’s also cheaper than many paid stock plans and online programs!

Want to Actually Improve Your Running? Here’s Why Coaching Wins

This Team RunRunner used a 1-on-1 coach to actually improve their running amidst a busy life and parenting.
This Team RunRunner used a 1-on-1 coach to actually improve their running amidst a busy life and parenting.

Let’s bring this home. You want results. You want confidence. And overall, you want to get to the start line healthy and to the finish line proud.

That doesn’t happen by luck. It happens when your plan:

  • Adapts to your [unique] body
  • Flexes around your [unique] life
  • Builds your [unique] strengths
  • Addresses your [unique] weaknesses

And none of that comes in a downloadable PDF.

Still Not Sure? Ask Yourself This…

  • Do I want to keep guessing, or start progressing?
  • Am I running the same race year after year with no improvement?
  • Do I need someone to help me balance running with my busy life?
  • Would I benefit from an expert guiding me to peak performance?

If you answered yes to even one, it’s time to leave the stock plan behind.

How to Actually Improve Your Running: Work With a Team RunRun Coach

At Team RunRun, we pride ourselves on having a coach for every runner. We’ve helped thousands of athletes:

  • Progress consistently
  • Stay healthy and injury-free
  • Crush new PRs
  • Qualify for Boston
  • Fall in love with running again

Our coaches listen, adapt, and coach the runner in front of them.

Ready to actually improve your running?
View our coaches here and get started today! 

FAQs

Here are some of the questions runners transitioning from a stock plan to individual coaching often ask me.


Q. What if I’m just a beginner?
A. That’s exactly why you need a coach. You’ll avoid common pitfalls and set a foundation that lasts.


Q. What if I miss runs or get sick?
A. Your coach adjusts the plan in real time: no guilt trips, just smart training.


Q. Can I still follow a race specific plan?
A. Absolutely, because your coach builds your plan around your race, your individual goals, and your unique timeline.


Q. How often do I talk to my coach?
A. That depends on your coach, but most runners get daily or weekly feedback and messaging support.


Q. Is online coaching worth the money?
A. Short answer: yes. Runners waste more on race fees, physio appointments, and gear than they would on coaching that prevents the disappointment of missing a goal or being injured.

Brant Stachel is a coach with Team RunRun based in Kingston, Canada. He works with runners and triathletes of all skill levels, from beginners to international and professional athletes.

New Year’s Resolutions Reimagined

Team RunRunner Laura after finishing the NYC Marathon, a common New Year's resolution for many.
Team RunRunner Laura after finishing the NYC Marathon, a common New Year’s resolution for many.

January 1 is just another day.

I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. There’s something about them that feels forced. It’s as if we’re declaring that January 1 is the day we suddenly become a different person, make massive life changes, or erase all the habits we’ve built over the years. The problem is, in most cases, change just doesn’t work that way.

Understanding Change

Change isn’t an event; it’s a process. As Steve Magness reminded us recently, everything that occurs is a delayed reaction to the hours, days, months, and years that preceded it. Whether we’re talking about physical fitness, relationships, career growth, or personal habits, the outcomes we see today are the result of countless small decisions we’ve made along the way.

The Case Against New Year’s Resolutions

The caution with New Year’s resolutions is that they can create the illusion that transformation is instantaneous or tied to a specific date. We start to feel like failures if we stumble a few weeks in because the resolution wasn’t about the journey—it was about the outcome.

But what if we shifted our perspective? What if we focused on the small, steady steps we can take each day? What if we recognized that every decision we make, no matter how small, is shaping the person we’re becoming? This approach acknowledges that growth isn’t linear and that setbacks are part of the process. It also removes the pressure of an arbitrary start date, giving us the freedom to begin—or continue—whenever we’re ready.

This shift in mindset isn’t just about avoiding New Year’s resolutions—it’s about embracing actions that align with our goals and values, one step at a time.

Team RunRunner Shane Winzar enjoying the process of running rather than obsessing over the race outcome. PC: Shane Winzar
Team RunRunner Shane Winzar enjoying the process of running rather than obsessing over the race outcome. PC: Shane Winzar

An Alternative to New Year’s Resolutions

Here are three small, actionable changes to work on in 2025:

  1. Be Honest with Yourself About Your Goals and Commitments:
    • Your goals and your level of commitment should align. If you’re unsure, ask your coach! We love these discussions and can help you clarify your path.
  2. Don’t Give Yourself an Excuse in Training:
    • Avoid falling back on phrases like “That’s good enough for today” if it becomes a habit. Push through when possible, and if you find this mindset creeping in often, revisit your goals.
    • Replace “I’ll try…” with “I’ll hold on as long as I can.” These subtle word changes can shift your mindset and approach.
  3. Journal Your Workouts and Races:
    • Start journaling consistently. You might uncover patterns or recognize issues you’ve been ignoring, like those small “niggles” that you keep brushing aside.

Every day offers an opportunity to grow and improve. January 1st is just another day—but today, and every day after, can be the start of something meaningful.

Corey Turnbull is a Team RunRun Coach based in Ottawa. He works with beginners just starting out or with seasoned runners looking for a breakthrough. Corey helps athletes maximize the limited training time they have, prioritizing consistency, focus and fun.

If you enjoyed this article, check out “What Are You Going to Do with All That Fitness?” also by Corey Turnbull.