Ame For It Run Coaching was founded in 2016 by Coach Dave Ames after a long tenure of working in the run specialty footwear industry and coaching privately on the side. Demand grew and Dave quickly realized it was time to take his coaching full time. Ame For It Run Coaching is the new committed breed of private run coaching. Through research and study of the coaching industry (non-elite), Dave quickly found out many of today’s “running coaches” failed to deliver quality service to the runner. Communication, the key to it all in Dave’s mind, was sub-par, and simply put, there was a lack of care. Today, the market is even more flooded. Ame For It Run Coaching is one of the premier private run coaching services in the country today. We are successful because we are different. We are successful because we work hard. We are successful because this is not a hobby. It is a career.

We are not a coaching factory. We do not tout fancy “elite” names as coaches to then realize that coach is more concerned with his or her own training than yours. We are a private coaching collective. You will not get paired up with a coach to then receive a “training plan” (though we do offer less instructive services) and maybe an occasional check in once in a while from your coach. You will receive pure, good old fashioned private individualized 1 on 1 coaching, which has been our commitment to our athletes since we launched. You may not see a lot of our athletes on the Internet, as they choose to look at themselves for reflection vs. others. But believe me when we say this, they are out training. All with a smile on their face and purpose to the why they are out there. Interested? Let’s connect and chat some running!

Ame For It Elite, founded and coached by Dave, is a semi-professional US-based racing team, focusing primarily on athletes seeking to either turn pro, semi-pro, achieve or work towards an Olympic Trials Qualifier (roads or track), and die hard age groupers. It is an opportunity to make an investment to becoming one of the best runners in the US and beyond. This is so much more than a running coach. This is a place that if you want to start your career as an Elite, or make moves to polish that resume, we will do that for you. Please see Ame For It Elite page for requirements. Coach Dave will be more than happy to chat with you!

What comes with this? Not only does Dave coach you, he acts as your agent as well: reaching out to race directors for elite bibs and/or brand sponsorships, manages your race schedule, coaches you in person (if applicable) at various points in the year, and attends some of your races as well. We also travel as a team (always optional) to races where the coaching is not only individualized (pre-race gameplans, etc.), but also done in a team environment. This is unique and highly beneficial to the harrier. If interested, please contact Dave directly (ameforitelite@gmail.com) to set up a background running interview!

If I (Dave) had a 10 spot for every time I’ve been asked whose philosophy I follow in coaching, I’d be a rich man. Many coaches get this wrong from the get go. They try to copy someone. I learned early on the hard way. It doesn’t work that way. Sure, we all have mentors. You must absorb what you learn, then make it your own, which is exactly what our coaching staff has done. We follow our own methodology, built off of a massive wealth of study, legendary mentors, re-reads, case studies, and a whole lot of a yellow highlighter. While our coaches have a massively vast knowledge of the sport of running, we always are, and never will stop learning even more. As coaches, we never know it all. Therefore we must continue to grow, while also having a ton of success. In 2023, over 90% of our athlete roster achieved a PR at some point in the year.

Patience is a key you will need to have if you would like to work with our coaches. We like to take time with our athletes. Epic races are not founded on 8 weeks of training. They are founded upon years of work. This is why we are long term coaches. Our contracts are for 1 year +. We believe success cannot be achieved with an athlete, both in learning how they operate physically and mentally as a runner in one single build. Development takes time. We often tell runners it takes 1-2 years to really figure an athlete out. This includes having the ability to get into his or her head in a positive way.

Foundational base work is a big thing here, including running a ton of hills. We take a mostly aerobic approach to the sport, with anaerobic work mixed in when we need it to sharpen up. In 2023, the overall athlete health rate was 93% to end the year, an Ame For It Record. Strength before speed. Build the foundation, sharpen that foundation, speed up that foundation, then let it roar. It is our leg up every time to put healthy and powerful athletes on the line. Each week of training is also different. The body likes change. We believe big time in seasonal periodization, but also lifetime periodization. This includes mandatory rest and recovery breaks to keep the ship sailing smoothly from year to year, while getting faster along the way!

Running is a psychological sport. In fact, it’s where we spend a ton of time. Our weekly 1 on 1 phone calls with our athletes, or in person instruction, are guaranteed to have some tips for the athlete on the mind. A fast runner will never be a great or legendary runner if they cannot break down the mental obstacles training and racing at a high level can bring. We work on this weekly. We also love to educate the runner on why we are doing what in training. It puts the puzzle in their heads together before they even step onto the track for reps or hit the loop for some tempo work. This is important as it translates to how you manage yourself on that starting line. When it hurts, chances are an Ame For It athlete will simply say, “I have been here or felt this before” — in turn, they can push harder than the competition, especially late in the race.

We are highly organized, heavily self disciplined private distance running coaches. We will work hard to get every ounce of ability out of you. But what we want you to know is that we are also patient and fair, if you are willing to put in the work. We are very laid back. This creates wonderful long lasting coaching relationships that eventually turn into lifelong friendships. We coach to educate. We coach to teach.