Running Instagrammers #7 Hard lives of the gifted ones full sending their boomshakalakas for validation

[WhatCouldGoWrong]

£175 a month for the premium coaching package at Best Althetics, which is with Nick, Matt or Anya. Eye watering price for what looks like a standard coaching package elsewhere. It looks like there is loads of demand so they're not having problems shifting spots at those prices. Madness

 

[irunforfun]

I was on here about a month and half ago crying about taking time off running due to lockdown (basically pissed off that all my races where I was going to get fucking huge PBs were cancelled), losing my mojo then getting fat and then pregnant and then fatter. (About 3 and half stone like you)

I just finished couch to 5k. I can run 5k now in under 35 minutes and am much slimmer from where I started. I have a good base and am ready to do more. I haven’t weighed myself but my wedding rings are much looser and am back in pre baby clothes.

Start now- you won’t regret it

(Thanks for the advice back then everyone)

I remember you - so glad you felt able to do c25k again and well done on building a good base

 

[ChrisMay]

I think the getting fast is very little to do with it.



I was on here about a month and half ago crying about taking time off running due to lockdown (basically pissed off that all my races where I was going to get fucking huge PBs were cancelled), losing my mojo then getting fat and then pregnant and then fatter. (About 3 and half stone like you)

I just finished couch to 5k. I can run 5k now in under 35 minutes and am much slimmer from where I started. I have a good base and am ready to do more. I haven’t weighed myself but my wedding rings are much looser and am back in pre baby clothes.

Start now- you won’t regret it

(Thanks for the advice back then everyone)

Thank you, think Im going to have to just go for it and build my base. I think im just panicing because the plan is Reading Half next year and I feel so far away!

Comgrats on baby and getting back to where you want to be!

 

[EverthingGlitters]

£175 a month for the premium coaching package at Best Althetics, which is with Nick, Matt or Anya. Eye watering price for what looks like a standard coaching package elsewhere. It looks like there is loads of demand so they're not having problems shifting spots at those prices. Madness

Crazy!!! You would think with the cost of living crisis £175 a month on a running coach would be the first thing to go!
That’s just ridiculous

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong]

Crazy!!! You would think with the cost of living crisis £175 a month on a running coach would be the first thing to go!
That’s just ridiculous

Their target market is London based young professionals. They've got plenty of money to waste

 

[runlondon21]

£175 a month for the premium coaching package at Best Althetics, which is with Nick, Matt or Anya. Eye watering price for what looks like a standard coaching package elsewhere. It looks like there is loads of demand so they're not having problems shifting spots at those prices. Madness

They’re basically selling it off the back of their own PBs and Insta popularity, not any sort of qualifications. It makes me quite sad to see them taking advantage of people who may be naive. I’m sure Anya’s impressive journey would make some newer runners think they could do that too if they are coached by her. The only person I’ve seen charge anywhere near as much was Ben Parks (£120 I think). Again, just another Instagram personality. And to think how many great coaches there are out there for a mere fraction of the price!

 

[techgurladpi]

These are normal people but have become possessed with the idea of become instaslebs. Madness. I think dropping £40 on an instacoach is basically them paying for shoutouts from their popular ‘coach’ and riding on their sweaty coattails.

This was me- fully admit it. A pal and I went with the coach on recommendation from another runner who was working with them, and we had the same plan. The coach was at least qualified and really knowledgeable, but it was infuriating seeing that we had the same plan.

£175 a month for the premium coaching package at Best Althetics, which is with Nick, Matt or Anya. Eye watering price for what looks like a standard coaching package elsewhere. It looks like there is loads of demand so they're not having problems shifting spots at those prices. Madness

What does premium get you? And then what is the basic cost and what does that get you?

 

[GlassCup]

What does premium get you? And then what is the basic cost and what does that get you?

Basic gets you a copy & paste generic plan.

Premium gets you the following:
1. A few nights with Bester
2. Access to his boom shakalaka
3. Blue hair tint
4. That crap vest
5. A stress fracture

 

[the_chafe_is_real]

Screenshots below - it’s disgusting. Trading off their natural talent - Anya with zero quals other than being fast herself.
So you don’t even get the full package for that price. If you want to consult with a coach about normal stuff, you have to pay extra…

 

[eyethinkyousuck]

There is a lot on there that someone who is unqualified has absolutely no business talking about. Overcoming injury? Speak to a physio. Strength training? Speak to a physio or personal trainer. Jesus Christ.

 

[Mabelsonthetable]

Who are Sam and Dan, I'd be a bit insulated if they've been there longer, more experienced and a newer face comes along charging top rate

 

[Lastqueenofscotland]

Jesus Christ. Those so many are so pricy it’s ridiculous. Joining a club is £30 a year and while some are of course better than others, I imagine the advice/plans would be similar!

 

[Camperfan]

WTF is the £20 joining fee for?! A vest is not "free" if you are paying £175/month for the privilege. To be honest if people pay this money without researching other (better) options than more fool them. As the saying goes, a fool and his money are easily parted...

 

[stoopidIG]

My daughter is in a local athletics club- the coaches are all qualified. Their knowledge is brilliant and it costs £3 a month! For 2 training sessions a week and support at events.
And the vests are £10 and aren’t

 

[Lemming312]

Screenshots below - it’s disgusting. Trading off their natural talent - Anya with zero quals other than being fast herself.
So you don’t even get the full package for that price. If you want to consult with a coach about normal stuff, you have to pay extra…

Sam is the most qualified person there and yet Anya, with a LiRF which we all agree isn't much of a qualification, charges much more because she's faster!!

My daughter is in a local athletics club- the coaches are all qualified. Their knowledge is brilliant and it costs £3 a month! For 2 training sessions a week and support at events.
And the vests are £10 and aren’t

Same, we charge £20 a year or £1 a week, have 3 qualified coaches and our Ronhill vests are £12.

 

[runlondon21]

Screenshots below - it’s disgusting. Trading off their natural talent - Anya with zero quals other than being fast herself.
So you don’t even get the full package for that price. If you want to consult with a coach about normal stuff, you have to pay extra…

This is mad. The fact that you don’t even get phone call check ins at £115 per month??? How have they got so many people to pay this? Most other coaches offering similar charge £40 or so!!

 

[OldSchoolRunner92]

The cost is absolutely ridiculous. There are people out there I know of who are full of knowledge and experience and offer it for free, or for a cost that isn't totally ridiculous (including a coach I know of who trained an Olympian). Sometimes it feels like passion for running and genuinely wanting to help people has been replaced by people/platforms like Best Athletics just trying to squeeze as much money out of people as they can, and because they want to enhance their own popularity. It should always be about the athlete, not the coach. All these people are interested in is promoting themselves.

 

[flyscraper]

The cost is absolutely ridiculous. There are people out there I know of who are full of knowledge and experience and offer it for free, or for a cost that isn't totally ridiculous (including a coach I know of who trained an Olympian). Sometimes it feels like passion for running and genuinely wanting to help people has been replaced by people/platforms like Best Athletics just trying to squeeze as much money out of people as they can, and because they want to enhance their own popularity. It should always be about the athlete, not the coach. All these people are interested in is promoting themselves.

Yes!! All these shysters, ALL their posts are pictures of themselves. It's all about them, them, them.
I know someone who joined the Best cult for a bit - he's newish to running and super enthusiastic and positive about it. Left after about 2 months I think when he realised he was literally getting less advice and input than from the internet ...

 

[Putridpumpkin]

Not sure about all of their qualifications, but Best Athletics aren't shy of taking on people with very complex issues that inform their running. One of the coaches (I think it's Sam but I'm not totally sure) has an athlete with them who has severe mental health problems, some of them correlated to an eating disorder, and a history of chronic overtraining that makes Sarah Fit look positively lazy, running through stress fractures and worse.

It concerns me that they're willing to coach someone like that without the appropriate skills to do so. If they are certified in the correct way and I've somehow missed it then fine, but the ethics of, in some ways, endorsing disordered behaviour by reinforcing a high level of training when rest would be more constructive are fuzzy at best. I sincerely hope they aren't just willing to take on anyone and everyone willing to pay them, so long as they're going to run fast times.

It's really struck me recently with all the posts about marathon recovery and how much time the body needs to recuperate just how many insta runners do not give themselves adequate time off. A week off running? No chance - they're back at it within 48 hours. Still seem to get away with it without an injury though.

 

[Lemming312]

Not sure about all of their qualifications, but Best Athletics aren't shy of taking on people with very complex issues that inform their running. One of the coaches (I think it's Sam but I'm not totally sure) has an athlete with them who has severe mental health problems, some of them correlated to an eating disorder, and a history of chronic overtraining that makes Sarah Fit look positively lazy, running through stress fractures and worse.

It concerns me that they're willing to coach someone like that without the appropriate skills to do so. If they are certified in the correct way and I've somehow missed it then fine, but the ethics of, in some ways, endorsing disordered behaviour by reinforcing a high level of training when rest would be more constructive are fuzzy at best. I sincerely hope they aren't just willing to take on anyone and everyone willing to pay them, so long as they're going to run fast times.

It's really struck me recently with all the posts about marathon recovery and how much time the body needs to recuperate just how many insta runners do not give themselves adequate time off. A week off running? No chance - they're back at it within 48 hours. Still seem to get away with it without an injury though.

Sam does have a degree in Sports and Exercise Nutrition and has a Coaching Assistant qualification (although she says she's a qualified coach) so I think she would have a better idea of how to help an athlete like this than the rest of them, although I'm not saying she's the best person to coach them, just the best out of this lot of clowns.