Inspiring Conversations with Gerald Collins of RunRev Coaching LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gerald Collins.

Hi Gerald, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started running in 2012 to work through my grief after losing my mother to breast cancer. I wasn’t trying to get fit. No. I was trying to appease my wife who (rightfully so) threatened to leave if I didn’t take steps to change. I was miserable, irritable, and just in a bad bad place. I needed somewhere to put what I was carrying, and the road gave me that. Over time, running did for me what sitting still never could.

I ran my first marathon in the fall of 2013, and I dedicated it to her memory. I didn’t know yet how much that race would shape what came after.

Running gave me a lot over the years. The running community gave me encouragement, friendship, and a steady place to belong. I eventually realized I wanted to give something back, and the people I most wanted to reach were those struggling with their mental health who needed both faith and physical activity to support them.

That’s why I launched RunRev Coaching in January 2023. The coaching is built on five pillars: Faith, Mental Health, Community, Mindset, and Race Readiness. The philosophy underneath it is grace over grind. I realize that a standard plan and coaching just doesn’t fit the demographic. The people I’m called to serve are the reason I keep going.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t always been easy. Some days the anxiety makes it hard to get out the door, and some days it’s hard to move at all. It takes a lot of energy. But even the tough days teach me something. Running and activity have taught me to lean on God more, one day at a time.

The anxiety and depression days also help me connect with my clients. I don’t have it all figured out. What I can say is that I understand what they’re going through, and I can walk alongside them because I’ve been there too. I’ve made it to the other side of those seasons, and from here I can see light at the end of the tunnel.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
RunRev Coaching is a faith-based endurance running coaching business I started in January 2023. I’m the only coach behind it, so every training plan, check-in, and conversation comes straight from me.

My coaching is built on five pillars. Faith. Mental Health. Community. Mindset. Race Readiness. The philosophy underneath all of it is grace over grind. Training should build you up, not wear you down.

I hold RRCA Level I and 80/20 Endurance coaching certifications, I’m a USATF member, and I’m working toward RRCA Level 2 now. I’m a seven-time marathoner with racing experience from the 5K to the 50K, and I’ve also worked as a race director, so I know the work on both sides of the start line.

What sets the coaching apart is that I don’t separate the mental side from the training. The anxiety and depression days are part of my story, and they’re part of why I can meet my clients where they are. I serve runners locally in Southwest Ohio and virtually. You can find out more at runrevcoaching.com or on Instagram at @RunRevCoach_Gerald.

What I’m most proud of

Nothing makes me prouder than watching a client get their spark back. Some of the people who come to me think their running days are behind them. Others just can’t see where the motivation will come from to keep going. Then, slowly, I see it. The light returns to their eyes, and they’re moving forward again.

That moment is the reason I do this. A personal best is great, but seeing someone find their joy again is what stays with me.

I offer 1-om-1 coaching, custom training plans, one time strategy calls, and most recently, a group program called Team RunRev.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’d count my business coach, Michelle Lake, as my mentor. I know how important it is to have someone a step ahead of you. I ask my clients to trust me, and I don’t have it all figured out either. So I lean on my own coaching, and I look to Michelle to guide me and make me better.

One of her biggest catchphrases is the term “grow who you know,” and I truly believe that. It’s important to get out in the community and to connect with people. It’s what I do with my clients, and it’s just so important to make those connections, especially in the mental health world.

Pricing:

• Team RunRev $100/year
• Strategy Call $97
• Custom Plan $150
• 1-on-1 Coaching Price Can Vary

Contact Info:

• Website: https://runrevcoaching.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runrevcoach_gerald/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RunRevCoaching
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerald-collins-6184b2265/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RunRev_Coach