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.
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
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.