knowledge Archives - foultips.run

Is An Online Running Coach a Good Fit for Me?

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Jul 1, 2025 | Article, Coaching, Opinion, Personal

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Before I answer the question in the title, I want to answer something else: Is this a self-serving post? Yes. It is. I am a running coach. You are looking for one and have questions about how this works and whether it’s a good fit for you. I am here to provide you with answers. So, here we go.

An online running coach will develop a training plan tailored just for you (Image by ChatGPT)

If you Google “running coach,” as I just did, you will get over 300 million results. If you Google “marathon training plans,” the number is severely reduced to just 150 million. How are you supposed to sort through that? How will you find the right plan or coach that is a good fit for you?

A runner I coach told me once that a buddy of his stated that a running coach was a waste of money because you can download a free marathon plan from the internet. My client responded by saying: “It is more complicated than that. You need to know what you’re doing, and you must read about 40 books. My coach has the experience and has read them all. I don’t have time for that.”

According to a data study by RunnersConnect, runners with custom plans ran 10% faster. They were injured 36% less than those using basic, generic plans. If that wasn’t enough, they also achieved their goal 54% of the time, compared to 29% with stock programs.

It is essential to know that unless you live in your coach’s city or are part of their running groups, you will see very little of your coach in person, and you may never meet them. This is normal. The only coaches present at every one of their athletes’ sessions are either high school or college coaches or elite coaches. If you are searching for an online coach, most likely you don’t fit that description and your goals are different.

So, what are the advantages of hiring Foultips.Run as your running coach:

► Experience and Knowledge: I’m the head coach at Foultips.run with over 40 years of running under my belt. I hold an RRCA Level II certification, have completed over 150 races ranging from 5Ks to marathons, and I stay current on the latest scientific and physiological insights in the sport. To learn more about my background, click here. The coaches I work with are handpicked; each one personally vetted and backed by proven expertise.

► Individualized Plans: Downloadable programs are dime a dozen. Some free, some paid. Those programs, you must understand, are generic and do not consider neither your starting point nor your specific running goals. They apply equally to the Olympic swimmer transitioning to marathon training to the overweight middle-aged want-to-be runner just getting off the couch after 15 years. Additionally, they are not flexible and usually lack cross-training. Additionally, you won’t have access to the person who wrote it should a personalized adjustment be needed.

The access to your your running coach is just a text message away (Photo Pexels)

► Access to your coach: I cannot speak for other coaches, but with Foultips.run, your coach is a phone call or text message away. We pride ourselves on not just telling the runner what to do but educating them on why we recommend a specific workout or an extra day off. Access to your coach is the primary reason you chose an online coach over a downloadable static program.

► Tech platform: Foultips.run works with the FinalSurge software, which is included in the athlete’s monthly fee. This platform syncs with multiple fitness watches, allowing the coach to provide feedback based on all the performance parameters your watch records. This makes adjustments to optimize progress a common occurrence.

► Guidance: An athlete wishing to run needs a different level of guidance than an experienced runner pursuing another PR or returning after a hiatus. Your running coach has the necessary experience to understand the different stages of your journey, so you can be guided accordingly with the correct feedback and resources to navigate your process.

► Flexibility & Customization: You are not a professional athlete, and life will eventually get in the way. Maintaining a life/run balance is paramount, so sometimes runs need to be adjusted or shuffled. Sometimes it all needs to be scrapped and go back to the start

► Motivation, not cheerleading: While keeping the athletes motivated is vital, especially during the inevitable downturns of a running cycle, your running coach is not a cheerleader. They will guide you through thick and thin but will not sugarcoat it if you have screwed up. It is never a failure if you get a valuable lesson from it.

► To read what athletes have to say about their experience training with Foultips.run, click here.

► To read success stories about athletes who achieved their goals with our guidance, click here.

► To read our Google reviews, or with to leave one, click here.

Ready to get started with your online running coach? Leave a message below or send a message by clicking the WhatsApp logo icon at the bottom right of your screen.

Running With a Pacer

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Dec 13, 2022 | Article, List, Personal, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

A few weeks ago, I participated in a local half marathon. I didn’t feel in the shape I would have wanted, so I decided to join one of the pacers. I found the sign with my desired time (2:15) and introduced myself to a lovely lady named Veronica. And off we went running.

Around mile 5 or so, one of the runners in the group asked something that blew my mind: “When are you taking the walk breaks? Or are you running straight?” I couldn’t believe it! The time to figure that out is not on mile 5 of a race. And thus, this blogpost was born.

Most halves and marathons have pacing teams. Take advantage of their presence and let them help you achieve your goal.

Pacers have become a ubiquitous part of races. Eliud Kipchoge and his fellow elites use them to set them up for world record pushes. Elite women pushing their limits use male pacers that lead them while doing part of the groundwork. Even Roger Bannister used pacers in 1954 when he became the first human to go sub-4 in the mile.

Regardless of your point of view on pacers, they are here to stay. So, take advantage of them if you can. But running with a pacer requires certain understanding and ground rules. Here are some that I’ve come with:

1 – Let the pacer do the work for you: The pacer is there to set the pace, hence the name. If you are planning to run a sub-2 half, don’t run ahead and spend energy worrying if the pacer is catching up to you. It takes more energy to lead than to follow, so take advantage of the pacer and follow. Run with the pacing group and when you are ready, leave them behind and accomplish and your goal

2 – Know your pacer’s plan, ahead of time: Pacers are easy to spot with their signs and/or balloons. In major city races they usually have a booth at the expo so you can meet them and discuss if their strategy suits yours. Some marathons have multiple pacers with different strategies for the same time. At smaller races, they can easily be identified by their signs. Don’t wait until the National Anthem or the starting gun to figure out if the plan fits yours or not. Or mile 5.

3 – Pacers are humans: If you join a pacer, you must understand that regardless of their qualifications to be there, they are human beings. If you join in the 3:30 pacer in a marathon, you can’t expect to be his/her sole responsibility to get you to 3:30 on the dot. They may get dehydrated, need to go to the bathroom, had a bad night or whatever issues that may affect them just as it could happen to you. So, understand they are an aid, not a guarantee.

4 – Be prepared to drop your pacer if needed: Pacers are runners that compete way faster than what they are pacing. This ensures that in normal circumstances they won’t burn out. If you are running with a 4:30 pacer on a marathon, that runner should easily go sub-4. Therefore, it is your responsibility to make sure you are on your pace and be ready to drop the pacer off if they are going too fast or too slow. Do not let them burn you out, and I learned that one the hard way.

Find the sign that works for you and let its carrier do work for you.

5 – Don’t tell the pacer what to do: Pacers have a race plan that you should have discussed before you joined the group. If you feel they are going too fast, bring it up. If you feel they are going too slow, ask why, so you can decide what to do. This is different from demanding they pick up their pace or telling them how to perform their duty. They are there providing a frees service, which you are free not to use.

6 – Make new running friends: There’s usually a nice crowd around the pacers. Runners from all over the place that have similar goals as you. Take the opportunity to meet new friends and make the run more pleasant. If you prefer to keep to yourself, it is your prerogative, just know what to expect and accept you will be part of a social group during the race. It may be the price to pay for being paced.

7 – Thank your pacer: Even if you finish ahead or behind the pacer, if he/she provided a service, you benefited from it and it was free, a thank you is always the right thing to do. You can do so once you decide to go ahead of them or if you see them after the race.

Any other tips on racing with a pacer? Let me know in the comment box, below.

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