Running Instagrammers #8 I have a LIRF, you can trust me! Beginner to Marathon to A&E!

[flyscraper]

I've met them in real life and he's just as boring as you would expect from the videos. I don't understand how someone with the charisma and personality of a blank sheet of paper has so many people following him.

The other day I was thinking how strange it is that so many insta followers and you tube subscribers seem to just think "oh he/she is fast, he must know what he's doing". No one ever seems to give that respect to people who have been good in other sports and that's at WORLD level, not just club level. It's the equivalent of football fans going "Oh Wow, our new mananger once got substituted into a Conference game for the last 4 minutes! he must be a genius at football!"

 

[instaclowns]

Oh look, the man who buys followers and likes and realised he’s been found out and apparently because he’s ‘too big’ now he has to create yet ANOTHER account! I genuinely am curious how man accounts this idiot has created this year alone! Such a creepy individual this one

 

[runlondon21]

The other day I was thinking how strange it is that so many insta followers and you tube subscribers seem to just think "oh he/she is fast, he must know what he's doing". No one ever seems to give that respect to people who have been good in other sports and that's at WORLD level, not just club level. It's the equivalent of football fans going "Oh Wow, our new mananger once got substituted into a Conference game for the last 4 minutes! he must be a genius at football!"

This really bothers me. I’m a coach who runs decent times but I’m no sub-3 marathoner, and it definitely feels like some people take me less seriously because of it. I certainly feel the pressure to try and hit some of these ‘expected’ standards, like Boston-qualified, etc. Which is silly because I have so much to offer on a personal standpoint that has nothing to do with my times! These people don’t seem to realize that being fast doesn’t mean that knowledge is transferable - does a 2:20 marathoner really understand how a 5 hour marathoner trains? Or that there was even knowledge there in the first place! Sometimes people are naturally gifted and don’t have a grasp on the principles behind training.

The only other industry I can really compare it to is the fitness industry, where you have all these gym influencers flogging workout plans based on the way they look. It’s also hard here to tell who is properly qualified, or who’s just looking to make some quick money from their following. Again, the idea that “they have abs and big muscles, they must know what they’re doing.”

I wonder if part of it is down to the influencer model. These people share so much about their lives that they feel like a friend — and you trust a friend not to lead you wrong!

 

[GlassCup]

Oh look, the man who buys followers and likes and realised he’s been found out and apparently because he’s ‘too big’ now he has to create yet ANOTHER account! I genuinely am curious how man accounts this idiot has created this year alone! Such a creepy individual this one

Have to agree. Biggest creep!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FPbase]

This really bothers me. I’m a coach who runs decent times but I’m no sub-3 marathoner, and it definitely feels like some people take me less seriously because of it. I certainly feel the pressure to try and hit some of these ‘expected’ standards, like Boston-qualified, etc. Which is silly because I have so much to offer on a personal standpoint that has nothing to do with my times! These people don’t seem to realize that being fast doesn’t mean that knowledge is transferable - does a 2:20 marathoner really understand how a 5 hour marathoner trains? Or that there was even knowledge there in the first place! Sometimes people are naturally gifted and don’t have a grasp on the principles behind training.

The only other industry I can really compare it to is the fitness industry, where you have all these gym influencers flogging workout plans based on the way they look. It’s also hard here to tell who is properly qualified, or who’s just looking to make some quick money from their following. Again, the idea that “they have abs and big muscles, they must know what they’re doing.”

I wonder if part of it is down to the influencer model. These people share so much about their lives that they feel like a friend — and you trust a friend not to lead you wrong!

THIS!!!!!


I have some athletes (real ones, representing the country) in my extended family, and their coaches are the typical old man/woman with a cap and a whistle, that have been training athletes all their professional lives. Never been ask about their times, but the times of their trainees.

I think people (aka instagram people) have forgotten about genes, some people are naturally fast. That doesn't mean they are good coaches.

 

[Lastqueenofscotland]

Usain bolts coach famously was not a runner. He was an overweight bloke that sat in a garden chair and shouted at him. I think sometimes those types who really understand coaching rather than liking running and not getting why people can’t be good at it

 

[Northernscumpet]

A lot of the best football managers/coaches are/were pretty average at playing. My kid's football coach doesn't look like he could run for a bus nevermind play a full game of football but he's a great coach and gets the best from the kids. Understanding a sport and how to coach others to succeed at it doesn't necessarily require you to be talented it at it yourself. If I were looking for a coach I'd want one who had coached runners like me before and helped them improve, not someone who could run a 3 hour marathon and thought I could train just like them.

 

[runlondon21]

I hope someone reads this discussion before looking to hire the likes of Bester, WR, or Lloyd. All fast runners who don’t have a clue and just send out cookie cutter plans no matter the runner’s ability. I know someone coached by Bester who was given an impossibly hard plan, told him that it was too much and asked for it to be scaled back — but next month, it was exactly the same. And it was very obviously just what he did himself. These clowns don’t care as long as they get your money.

Another thing this lot has in common - they are all extremely egotistical. Find a “slower” coach who actually cares about their runners and less about their next Instagram opportunity, and I guarantee your money will be far better spent. Do you want that image of being associated with a fast runner, or do you want a coach that actually replies to your messages and cares for your well-being? Seems simple to me.

 

[muffinheeler]

Find a “slower” coach who actually cares about their runners and less about their next Instagram opportunity, and I guarantee your money will be far better spent. Do you want that image of being associated with a fast runner, or do you want a coach that actually replies to your messages and cares for your well-being? Seems simple to me.

This is exactly what I plan to do if I ever decide to run another marathon. I'll be looking for someone who is approachable and who won't accuse me of making excuses or not wanting it () enough if I struggle to fit a run in.

 

[Zerothree]

Another thing this lot has in common - they are all extremely egotistical. Find a “slower” coach who actually cares about their runners and less about their next Instagram opportunity, and I guarantee your money will be far better spent. Do you want that image of being associated with a fast runner, or do you want a coach that actually replies to your messages and cares for your well-being? Seems simple to me.

Totally agree with this. I know people are hustling to gain traction on Insta etc, but when a "coach" is mostly about themselves for vanity, and is constantly looking for their own validation or viral opportunity, to me it's a massive red flag that they're not gonna be a great coach

 

[instaclowns]

Open instagram for the first time today and see the sex offender Fudgie back at run through events! Is he still part of their huge brand rep team/kit team, assuming so as he’s back there. Hope brands are getting him back in to do stuff again

 

[Lastqueenofscotland]

This is exactly what I plan to do if I ever decide to run another marathon. I'll be looking for someone who is approachable and who won't accuse me of making excuses or not wanting it () enough if I struggle to fit a run in.

Honestly I think most people are better off with a hal Higdon plan (the app is clever and responds to what you do) than a coach! And pennies compared to what they charge.

 

[talkamongstyourselves]

I've met them in real life and he's just as boring as you would expect from the videos. I don't understand how someone with the charisma and personality of a blank sheet of paper has so many people following him.

The other day I was thinking how strange it is that so many insta followers and you tube subscribers seem to just think "oh he/she is fast, he must know what he's doing". No one ever seems to give that respect to people who have been good in other sports and that's at WORLD level, not just club level. It's the equivalent of football fans going "Oh Wow, our new mananger once got substituted into a Conference game for the last 4 minutes! he must be a genius at football!"

This is something I don't understand when it comes to Ben Parkes. I've lost count of the number of injuries or issues he's had in the past 2-3 years. Why doesn't that put people off buying his plans or hiring him as a coach? Why do people buy his overpriced clobber? All because he ran a respectable marathon time once, and also filmed London Marathon on a GoPro?

About the only thing going in his favour is he refuses to act as an influencer and sell any old shit like Welshtits and Kelloggs.

 

[runlondon21]

Totally agree with this. I know people are hustling to gain traction on Insta etc, but when a "coach" is mostly about themselves for vanity, and is constantly looking for their own validation or viral opportunity, to me it's a massive red flag that they're not gonna be a great coach

100%! An instagram account is par for the course these days, but I think if it’s a good mix of themselves, their clients and hopefully work with a club, that is a good indication!

This is exactly what I plan to do if I ever decide to run another marathon. I'll be looking for someone who is approachable and who won't accuse me of making excuses or not wanting it () enough if I struggle to fit a run in.

That’s the issue with this Instagram bunch! How dare anyone else have a job or obligation that gets in the way of their running

 

[oatybites]

This is something I don't understand when it comes to Ben Parkes. I've lost count of the number of injuries or issues he's had in the past 2-3 years. Why doesn't that put people off buying his plans or hiring him as a coach? Why do people buy his overpriced clobber? All because he ran a respectable marathon time once, and also filmed London Marathon on a GoPro?

About the only thing going in his favour is he refuses to act as an influencer and sell any old shit like Welshtits and Kelloggs.

I watched a YouTube of his and fuck me it was boring. I’m not being funny but he doesn’t look strong. It’s like he skipped leg day maybe he doesn’t strength train enough and just runs and that’s why he’s always injured.

 

[Lastqueenofscotland]

I think loads of them skip strength training and the cynic in me wonders if it’s so they can stay looking ultra lean and worry lifting might make them bulky, and it’s more about looking like a good runner than being a good runner

 

[GlassCup]

I decided to punish myself as a Ben Parkes video got recommended on youtube, looks like they're also on the Valencia bandwagon...his girlfriend always looks so bored and/or irritated in the videos. Also I can't imagine walking around day to day in a t-shirt with my own name on it

Honestly it baffles me how long he can keep going to sell his own name on merchandise, like aside from someone like a footballer or another big person, in the grand scheme it makes no sense to me!

 

[Humblebrag]

I watched a YouTube of his and fuck me it was boring. I’m not being funny but he doesn’t look strong. It’s like he skipped leg day maybe he doesn’t strength train enough and just runs and that’s why he’s always injured.

He's injured every 2nd week, and he's just posted today was a double day!!

 

[instaclowns]

Can we all take a moment to really laugh hard at this clown! 99.99% of people mark as *invite *pr invite *ad

Not carla_buysfollowers, she has to do something isn’t true and also something I’ve never seen before… *influencer invite

 

[runlondon21]

Can we all take a moment to really laugh hard at this clown! 99.99% of people mark as *invite *pr invite *ad

Not carla_buysfollowers, she has to do something isn’t true and also something I’ve never seen before… *influencer invite

Lol what I don’t understand is how she still gets invited anywhere or is gifted stuff. She hardly posts, barely does stories, and when she does, it’s all generic stuff about getting back on the wagon after falling off for the umpteenth time. Total snooze fest