ironman without coaching?

Deb, if you proceed with the goal of doing IMTX in '13, I would encourage you to get a well qualified experienced tri coach.  You ask a lot of questions and look at lots of different options, having someone see the big picture and be there to keep you on track would be good for you. There are many coaches that are the $100-200 per month rate. I would avoid a personal trainer that has done some tris.

Plenty of BTers do IMs without a coach. Best to evaluate how you tick, what you like to do, and how you like to train. You seem to enjoy doing classes at the gym and struggle a bit doing outside alone workouts. Having someone else put together as your coach would write you training so all you do is execute.

Some tri teams have a combination of club workouts, group or individual coaching that might be something up your alley but may not be the best personalized coaching.

I did IMWI 2010 without a coach and am training for IMWI 2012 on my own as well.  However, I come from an endurance background and really enjoy pulling together my own plans (with help from folks like Friel, Fink, and the Interwebs). 

If I were in your shoes, I would take KathyG's advice and check out an experienced coach.  You may decide after a few months that it's not for you and that you've got all the tools in your toolbox to self-coach.  But, at the very least, getting a coach will help you get your training pointed in the right direction and/or reinforce that what you've been doing up until now has been effective.

In the end, spending $1000 on a season of coaching is going to be way more beneficial to you reaching your goal than say, buying a $1000 wheelset or wetsuit.

Excellent answer.  I have read many of GatorDeb's threads throughout the past 2 years and agree 100% with what KathyG said.  Find a reputable coach and maybe try to find a local tri club or at least a few folks in your area you can train with periodically.  

Oh I already belong to a tri club and love them.  I had a coach but they were not on board with me for IMTX 13 so we parted amicably.  "Interviewed" two coaches so far and didn't connect with them and was going to give up on the whole thing but getting in touch with a third one.  I loved my coach but they didn't want to train someone for an IM in 16 months ("years").

There's another coach I LOVED but $175 a month.  I think this one I'm getting in contact with will be a good fit, so hoping that works out, and only $100 a month.

Deb,

I have done 2 IMs. Both without coaching, but I did use the Endurance Nation plan for my first and kind of cobbled together a plan for my 2nd.

I am doing IM NY this year, and debating using a coach. 

The question I would ask yourself is what you want from the coach. If having a coach will help keep you motivated, and they will adapt to your lifestyle and interests, then find someone. It is worth the money if it helps you get to the start feeling good.

On the other hand, if you can stay motivated and mostly follow a plan on your own, using group rides and friends to keep you at or close to the volume you want, then I would say you may not need one.

Also Doing IMOO in September! 

Will be my first. I am following this plan: 

www.trifuel.com/triathlon/ironman-workouts/

Without a coach. Week 17 and so far so good. 

tuwood, a question, what kind of hours are you pullling weekly at this point?

Last week was just under 13 and this week 14.5 just wondering how it compares to the BT plan as I am not a paid member so dont have access to full ironman plans.

TUWOOD I am also in Nebraska. GI to be exact. GOod luck to all

MO

The plan I'm using for the IM is the "Intermediate Full Ironman - 20 Week" plan so I don't officially start it for another 2 weeks.  I've been doing a HIM plan right now so I'm bouncing around 9 - 11 hours per week, I plan to just start the IM plan on schedule and work my June 10 race taper into the plan somehow.

Looking at my IM plan the first 5 weeks or so bounce around 10-11 hours per week and from week 6 on it bounces between 13-15 hours per week.

Go Huskers!!!

Well the coach I like just messages me back but their fee is $25 more than stated on their website, and this puts me off just a little but.  But they sound great and like they will be  great fit.  Go for it or keep looking?  I wonder how common it is for their website fees to be outdated... their current contact info includes that website.  Sigh.  Other than that discrepancy they sound like a dream :/  I asked if the fee was the website amt and they said it was x amt, the $25 more... bring this up at all?

Well, now the website shows the right info so I was really out of it this morning or it was updated to current info lol

So is $125 a month pretty standard for plan/e-mail only?  They have a $300 a month that I wish I could afford that includes 3 swims and 2 strength a week.

I really got hooked into having a coach.  I don't need it for motivation but I just found the whole experience so enjoyable I want more lol

Deb - Why don't you start a BT poll of questions to ask a prespective coach before hiring.

If you think you're going to like this coach, maybe you could setup a consultation for a fee (25-40) and discuss who you are, and find out what ideas 'the coach' has.  Learn a bit about their training philosophy.  Are they the type who expects maximal effort testing every 4 weeks?  Do they customize the plan for your race schedule? yada yada

I would agree with you that it seem to be fairly common for coaches to have outdated websites.  Even some coaches that have impressive online presense with active fb, tweets, podcasts, web seminars ect, sometime have less that world-class web presentation skills.  You're interviewing a coach not a web developer.

Yay it's on with her.  And she's done a ton of Ironmans (11:XX!!),  Halfs, she's a runner.  Awesomeness.

Well I AM progressing   2:39/100m average over 2100m, right after a 1:02 10K training run, I'm sometiems doing 14 MPH on the bike now and I biked the Oly course in slightly over 2 hours.

That's for group workouts, not individual.  I am going to be joining a Masters Swim program and taking a lot more bike group rides.  It's coming along, at the beginning of January it was hard to go 2 miles, now I can click off a 10K any day with a smile on my face.

I love having a coach, I don't know why, I'm very highly motivated and love the training, but it makes me feel like whatever I'm training will work.

Doing the $125/e-mail and plan.  And she trains herself year-round for stuff and she invites all her clients to go out and train with her.

Deb
Im currently training on my first Ironman and I only spent $14 on coaching.

Im doing be ironfit by Don Fink.  Im on week 16 and and pulling a 15hrs a week of work out.  I dont feel a single burnout.  Hes got 3 types of work out plan from "just finish" "intermediate" and "competitive".  All you really need is the book and heart rate monitor and your set!  Hes also got work outs for swimming if you dont belong to a masters class.  I go to a masters class so I dont follow that part.  I just rearrange his competitive plan to fit my schedule and so far everything is working out!  The book is very well explained on why you do this and not that etc etc.  Check it out, it may save you a couple of hundred bucks.  Disclaimer I dont work for Don Fink, just happened to follow his plan and really love it and just would like to share!

As for a lot of questions that needs answering, I come to BT or ST to ask that and a lot of people are very helpful and knowledgable to answer them.

Good luck on your search!

For me, part of the challange was coaching myself.