Personal trainer, coach or not?

I just met a former colleague, she was actually the one who struggled with her running so much she made me think I could do it. Running, I mean. She was running. She seemed to hate it, but at the same time she ran. And all the time and she was talking so much about it. On and on and on. I may be the first person she inspired. But as much as she complained she did it anyway and I wanted to run, I dreamed about running but was determined that I couldn’t…

I was thinking that if I could thrive on the passion rather than the negative as she seemed too – then I could do it. And I did.

Meeting her again was a adrenaline rush, she looked so good. She looked like I always picture a runner to look like. Slim, defined and muscular. I don’t think I could look like that ever, but I can be a runner anyway (I know that now). This post is not about looks, bodies and self esteem.

Back to the topic. She told me she now have a running coach. She never met her coach but they’re in daily touch thru an iPhone app. Four months down the line she lost 5kg and is running intervals. She was almost embarrassed saying it, but yes, intervals is a part of her routine now. I must have looked like “really?” and she admitted that it maybe wasn’t intervals out of a text book but heck it was the best intervals she’s ever made. Once again I am thinking, if she can do intervals, then I should be able to do it too. If she can find it in her to do it, than I should too.

I have a personal trainer that I have met five times now. It’s like an fancy workout and I am afraid I don’t use him for the best. I hired him cause I know I need to work on my abs, and back and knees and just everything that may take damage from my running adventures. But I don’t seem to be able to do my homework. I just can’t be bothered doing anything but running if I am on my own. I have different theories about this, one being that I am still obsessed by counting steps and if I don’t have more than 12,000 steps a day it’s a bad day. Which is not true if I have been to the gym, working out with my PT. I am useless with rest days. I just don’t do it. Rest days and intervals. And I eat too much. I really would have thought I would lose weight just by running.

I am far too comfortable when running. I don’t excel. I find my comfort zone and stay there.

Will I do better with a coach in my iphone? Someone who I’d reveal everything to? Who will tell me what’s god or bad? I know what I want to, I want to run 90k on August 20. But I don’t want to die on August 20. I don’t want to be disappointed or in any way forced to quit because I wasn’t prepared. I don’t want to get hurt physically, so that I will not be able to run again.

Coach or PT?

Or just a plain old road map/training schedule  for an ultra and do it myself?