Coach Carl: frequently asked questions
Straight answers about what Carl is and how he coaches.
What is Coach Carl?
Coach Carl is an AI running coach that coaches by feel. Members text Carl how they are doing; he builds their weekly training plan and adapts it the same day when something hurts, life interrupts, or a goal changes. Built by ultramarathoner and running coach Jeremy Singh. Carl works over WhatsApp, SMS, and Telegram, with a web dashboard at app.coachcarl.run.
What is an AI running coach?
An AI running coach is a coach you talk to like a person, powered by AI, that plans and adapts your training in real conversation. Unlike a static plan or a dashboard app, it asks how training felt and changes your week based on the answer. Coach Carl is an AI running coach built around training by feel.
How does Coach Carl work?
You connect Strava or Garmin so Carl sees your runs, then you simply text him. After workouts he checks in and you reply with a grade (A to F), an effort score (1 to 10), and anything you want him to know. He builds your week, and when you tell him something hurts or life got in the way, he rebuilds the week the same day.
What does training by feel mean?
Training by feel means the primary training signal is how your body actually feels, with pace and heart rate data as backup rather than the boss. You run easy days conversational, score effort honestly, and adjust when something whispers instead of waiting for it to shout. It is the method Carl's coach, Jeremy, used across 12,000+ miles and 12 ultramarathons with zero injuries.
Does Carl adapt my plan when something hurts?
Yes, that is the core of the product. Tell Carl your calf is tight or your heel is sore and he adjusts the week immediately: swapping impact for cross-training, trimming sessions, adding mobility work, and watching the issue over the following days. Carl is a coach, not a doctor, and he will say so when something needs a professional.
Do I need a GPS watch or heart rate monitor?
No. Carl works with whatever you have. If you use Strava or Garmin, your runs sync automatically; if not, you can tell Carl what you did in a text and he logs it.
Can Carl train me for a marathon or an ultra?
Yes. Carl builds toward race goals (5K to ultramarathon) and non-race goals like building to a target weekly mileage. He sizes each week from your recent training, steps the volume up conservatively, and plans tapers and race weeks around your calendar.
Is Coach Carl a real person?
Carl is an AI, and he is upfront about it. He was built, and is actively coached and supervised, by Jeremy Singh, a running coach and ultramarathoner. The coaching philosophy is Jeremy's; Carl is how it scales to a text thread that answers in seconds.
How is Carl different from a training plan app?
A plan app gives you a schedule; Carl gives you a conversation. When a plan app's Tuesday goes wrong, the plan just sits there. When your Tuesday goes wrong with Carl, you tell him and the rest of the week rearranges around reality. See the full comparison in our guides.
How much does Coach Carl cost?
There is a free Journal tier for tracking how running feels, and paid coaching tiers for the full plan-building coach. Current plans and pricing are always on the homepage at coachcarl.run.
Start where most members do: the free two minute quiz. Is your watch controlling you?