FORDY RUNS Podcast is back with a big one: are AI chatbots quietly replacing running coaching apps? We've noticed more and more of our own runners moving away from paid coaching apps like Runna, Coopah, and URNN — and instead building their own training plans using free AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude. In this episode we dig into why that's happening, what people are gaining, and what they might be losing along the way. We'll cover the pros of coach-built apps (Runna, Coopah, URNN) — personalisation, watch integration, and adaptive plans built on real coaching principles — versus the appeal of free, flexible AI chat tools that can build you a plan in seconds but don't actually see your training data unless you feed it to them yourself. We're not here to tell you AI is the enemy or the saviour — this one's a genuinely open discussion about where the running app + AI space is heading, the risks of self-coaching with a chatbot, and whether the two worlds might actually end up merging. In this episode: Why runners are switching from Runna, Coopah, and URNN to free AI tools Can ChatGPT or Claude actually build you a safe, effective training plan? What coaching apps do that a chatbot can't (yet) The injury and overtraining risk of self-coached AI plans Our honest take as coaches on where this trend is heading Follow FORDY RUNS Podcast Prompts mentioned in this episode: Prompt 1 — Beginner Marathon (20-Week Plan) I'm a beginner runner training for my first marathon, 20 weeks away. Create a detailed 20-week marathon training plan for me. Here's my context: [current weekly mileage, longest run so far, running experience, any injury history, how many days/week I can train, and race date]. Please structure the plan week by week with: easy runs, one long run per week (building gradually, with a taper in the final 2-3 weeks), rest/cross-training days, and a couple of quality sessions (tempo or intervals) once I'm past the base-building phase. Explain the purpose of each type of run, flag any weeks with a step-back/recovery mileage drop, and give me general pacing guidance based on effort level rather than exact paces, since I don't have a recent race time. Also include tips on fueling for long runs and signs of overtraining to watch for. Tip: Fill in the bracketed details with your actual mileage, race date, and experience level for a more tailored plan. Prompt 2 — Half Marathon, Sub-1:30 Goal I'm training for a half marathon and my goal is to break 1 hour 30 minutes (roughly 4:16/km or 6:52/mile pace). Here's my context: [weeks until race, current weekly mileage, recent race times or time trials, days/week available to train, current easy/tempo/interval paces if known]. Build me a training plan up to race day that's structured around this specific goal pace. Include: a weekly mileage progression, one long run per week with some marathon/half-marathon-pace segments built in as the plan progresses, dedicated threshold/tempo sessions, VO2max or interval workouts to build speed, easy recovery runs, and a taper in the final 1-2 weeks. Give me target paces for each workout type based on my sub-1:30 goal, and tell me how to adjust the plan if I'm falling behind or ahead of schedule based on how key workouts feel. Tip: The more specific your recent race times and current paces, the more accurate ChatGPT's target paces will be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
