We sit in our cubicles, tap, tap tapping away, entering data, answering phones, dealing with ungrateful bosses and grumpy co-workers.
We pound away at our jobs, or even our own businesses that we have grown to hate, just staring at the clock, waiting for it to tick by so we can get free of the 9 to 5, let loose and rip out a fast 10-miler after work - where we can finally feel alive.
If only we could do this all the time... But the grass is always greener, isn't it?
If you've ever talked to an elite athlete who bows to his (or her) sponsors just to get a measly paycheck and a free pair of shoes then you know exactly what I'm talking about. For the most extraordinary runners, sweet sponsorship deals are few and far between, and it feels like selling your soul...
So, how can the "normal runner" do it full time? Is it a pipe dream, or is it actually possible?
I've finally made the transition - and it feels great. Here are a few of the things I have learned.
1. Most runners are beginners. The great thing about running is that almost everyone who is starting out feels too "out of shape" to go running with their friends who run because they are scared that they won't be able to keep up - or that they will slow their friends down. So they don't start. If you've been running for even a year or two then you have learned volumes of information that people will happily line up to pay you for - in several different forms.
2. Coaching - If you want to work with local folks, doing private or group coaching sessions is a great way to get started making an income from your knowledge of running. There are successful running coaches across the country who do a weekly track or distance workout for the community for free and gain all the clients they need from these simple workouts they would be doing on their own anyway.
3. CD sets - Recording everything you know onto a CD or DVD set (can now be done from a laptop with a decent microphone for under 100 bucks. You can use a service like Corporate Disk or just type in "print on demand CDs" into Google and you'll have more options than you can shake a stick at. Sell these online on Amazon, Google Checkout, Yahoo Shops or any of the thousands of online malls that have customers ready and waiting to purchase your knowledge to help them get in shape and become better runners.
4. Downloadable MP3 training programs - A far better and more profitable way to distribute your knowledge, selling your audio or video recordings in a downloadable format is the single most efficient business model that has ever existed. Instantly accessible information for the customer, no hunting or wait time - and the biggest profit margin humanly possible for the author. Selling your knowledge in a downloadable format simply can't be beat.
5. Phone coaching - as we get busier and busier with our lives phone coaching has been getting bigger and bigger. iPhones make phone coaching even better now that we can access our coaches real-time, exactly when we need some support or advice. There are great "per minute" services out there that you can plug into right away like Keene that allow you to coach people all around the world and get paid by the minute to do what you love.
6. Social Networks - If you're more interested in building a community first and training people second, then the number of free, or virtually free social networks that you can start out there are endless. One of the best (and most user friendly) is Ning - it allows you to start a super-targeted social network quickly and easily for FREE - and if you want to make it more pro, their upgraded packages can't be beat. It's a great way to build an online community so you can interact with your prospects or clients real-time and find out exactly what they want and give it to them.
7. Blogs - Blogs are the easiest, free-est and fastest way to get online and start getting traffic. It's well known that runners generally have a bit of a higher IQ than the average Joe out there - and you'll find thousands of Bloggers who are Runners out there teaching folks how to run, how to run faster, how to run better and even How To Run Barefoot (Thanks Ken Bob and Barefoot Ted!)
Using Wordpress is a quick and easy way to start blogging today and trying your hand and connecting with the running community to see if they vibe on what you have to say. I recommend that you blog at least once a day and focus on helping people - then selling them more training based on what they are looking for.
Or, you could just say that marketing is evil, go back to your crappy job and wish you were spending more time running. But that's up to you.
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