Essential Coaching
A real coach, fully custom plan, no fluff. Built for self-driven athletes.
Essential Coaching is 1:1 online coaching done honestly. Your plan is built from scratch around your race, your history, your week — and rebuilt every 4 weeks based on what your data actually shows. Communication is asynchronous (TrainingPeaks comments + email, one-business-day response) which is what keeps the price at $250 instead of $400. You get the same brain behind 12× Boston qualifications and 18+ podium wins — just on a leaner contact cadence. Fully remote, anywhere in the world, in English, Portuguese or Spanish.
- →Self-driven runners and triathletes who execute the plan and don't need daily check-ins
- →Athletes 12–24 weeks out from a marathon, 70.3, or first IRONMAN
- →Returning athletes who need a smart, injury-aware progression
- →Anyone who's outgrown generic plans, apps, and YouTube workouts
Included
- Included: Fully custom weekly plan (run, bike, swim, strength)
- Included: Plan rebuilt every 4 weeks from your actual training data
- Included: Weekly written check-in + workout-by-workout review
- Included: Email + TrainingPeaks comments, 1 business-day response
- Included: Free TrainingPeaks Basic account included
Not in this tier
- Not included: iMessage / WhatsApp daily messaging
- Not included: 1:1 video calls
- Not included: Race-day pacing & fueling plan
- Not included: Strength & mobility programming
- Not included: Video form review
- Not included: Race-day live coaching
- Not included: Lab / field testing protocol
- · 100% remote — works anywhere with internet
- · New training week published every Sunday evening
- · Coaching in English, Portuguese, or Spanish
- · Billed every 4 weeks. Cancel anytime, no contract.
Want to talk first? Book a free 20-min strategy call — zero pressure, honest fit check.
Athletes on Essential Coaching.
No athlete has yet published a result specifically on Essential Coaching. The reviews below are from other 1:1 coaching athletes — each one is labelled with the product they actually used, so you can weigh it accordingly.
“Breno took me from a 5K runner to a full Ironman finisher. 5K 16:57, 70.3 in 4:30, and my first full at IRONMAN Arizona in 9:35 at age 39. The plans fit around clinic, the lab, and three kids — nothing was wasted.”
“Two years with Breno: 26 minutes off my 70.3 and a sub-11 full Ironman. The progression was patient and the workouts were the right ones at the right time.”
“I finished D2R2 180k — 19 of the 20 climbs are genuinely steep — and I finished it better than I expected. Breno had me ready.”
“Unparalleled value. Breno builds a methodical plan that actually targets the weaknesses you'd rather not look at — that's why it works.”
“Running faster. Breno taught me how to actually run easy so I could race faster — and now I'm running both faster and further than I have in years.”
“Busy parent of three with a full-time job. The flexibility in how Breno builds the week is what makes this sustainable for me — the training fits the life, not the other way around.”
“Personalized, motivating sessions. Breno meets athletes wherever they are — beginner or experienced — and the work shows up on race day.”
“A comprehensive, easy-to-follow plan that works for people with busy lives. Nothing feels arbitrary — every session has a reason.”
Verified results carry an external link to the official race result. Named results are the athlete's stated outcome without a public link. Athlete comments carry no measured outcome and are shown as opinion, not evidence. Coached with Breno? breno@brenoamelo.com.
Is Essential right for you?
$250 every 4 weeks — $3,250 per year. The cheapest way to have a real coach write your plan.
This is for you if
- You execute the plan you are given and you do not need a check-in to make yourself go out the door.
- You are 12 to 24 weeks out from a marathon, a 70.3 or a first IRONMAN.
- You want a plan built and rebuilt around your data, and you are content to discuss it in writing rather than on a call.
- A reply inside one business day is fast enough for the questions you actually have.
- You have outgrown generic plans but a coaching budget above $3,250 per year is not realistic.
This is not for you if
- You want to message your coach daily or get an answer the same afternoon. Essential is email and TrainingPeaks comments with a one business-day reply — that is Performance, at $350 every 4 weeks ($4,550 per year).
- You want video calls. There are none in this tier, at all.
- You want a race-day pacing and fuelling plan written for your A-race. Not included here.
- You want strength and mobility programmed into your week. Not included here.
- You need someone to notice within 48 hours that you have stopped training. Essential assumes you will do the work unprompted.
- $3,250 per year is more than you want to spend on structure alone. A self-guided plan is a one-off $35 to $99, and Apex is $4.99 a month.
What happens next
From application to your first published week of Essential Coaching. You are not charged before the fit call.
You send the application
About 5 minutes. Your goal race, current training, injury history and what has not worked before.
I read it and reply within 2 business days
Every application is read by me, not a form autoresponder. You get a real answer either way.
A 20-minute call, free, no pitch
We work out whether coaching is the right purchase for you at all. If a self-guided plan or Apex fits better, I will say so on this call.
You get a yes, a waitlist date, or a referral
The roster is capped at 15 athletes. If there is no seat, you get a date or the name of someone better suited — not a holding pattern.
Onboarding and testing
You complete a training history questionnaire and a field test to set your zones. Payment starts here, not before.
Your first 4 weeks are published within 3 days
Loaded into TrainingPeaks with every session described. You can start immediately.
Refunds, cancellation and pausing
- Cancelling
- Cancel any time by email, with no notice period and no exit fee. Your current 4-week cycle finishes as normal and you are not billed again.
- Refunds
- Cycles already started are not refunded, because the plan for those weeks has already been written and delivered. If you cancel before the first session of a new cycle has been published, that cycle is refunded in full.
- Pausing
- You can pause for injury, illness, travel or life for up to 8 weeks a year at no cost, and your seat on the roster is held. Tell me before the next cycle bills. Beyond 8 weeks the seat goes to the waitlist and you rejoin when there is space.
- Price changes
- Your rate is fixed for as long as you stay coached continuously. Published prices only apply to new athletes.