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Why do you go with a tri coach?
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 2013-07-10 7:30 AM |
Regular  847    Akron |  Subject: Why do you go with a tri coach?Considering picking a coach after IMKY but why do you have one? I make my own plans and seem to do pretty well at them. I've continued to PR over the years with my running and just got into triathlon last year. I've seemed to be getting faster on my own, but wandering what a coach could really do. My dream is to get to Kona and I'm pretty sure I can get there. Last year was my first IM and I feel I did pretty well, except for a bummed ankle issue that kept from a quicker time. I had surgery on that in the winter to correct it and so far I'm back on track if not quicker. Is a coach just a glorified plan that can provide feedback for your training? I don't really need someone to stand over me and tell me what to do, however every once in awhile it would be nice to hear what someone says. So, if you have a coach why do you have one and what do they do for you??? |
| 2013-07-10 8:07 AM in reply to: SEADOCHA |
Master 10208 Northern IL | Subject: RE: Why do you go with a tri coach? What a coach does for you could be all over the place. It could be just a plan to follow, maybe some help in performance checks here & there. It could be very in-depth planning & analysis of everything about your training. It's really how much you want. What you should get out of a coach is more effective training. Simply getting faster isn't necessarily the only marker one can use. How much faster, and how much more can one continue to improve? Most people can do ok in seeing some level of improvement for awhile by figuring out how to get in some training on a regular basis. More effective training will have them going faster/farther or whatever the goals are in that same time frame. |
| 2013-07-10 8:10 AM in reply to: SEADOCHA |
Member 321 Spokane | Subject: RE: Why do you go with a tri coach? Generally you would try and find a coach that has more knowledge then you do. Who can give you better workouts that will provide more benefits then the ones you are doing. Hold you accountable for them, and keep you motivated to do them as well. Also some provide nutrition help if you are in need of that. But on the flip side some people don't need coaches to become great, I.E. Craig Alexander. |
| 2013-07-10 8:15 AM in reply to: dkahns51 |
Member 321 Spokane | Subject: RE: Why do you go with a tri coach? Also If you are thinking an online coach here is my coach i used. http://jvcwellnessconsulting.wordpress.com/ |
| 2013-07-10 9:54 AM in reply to: dkahns51 |
Pro 4723 CyFair | Subject: RE: Why do you go with a tri coach? Full disclosure I am a tri coach. That said I had one before I became one. Coaches can be very different things to different people. Basically FOR ME, I needed a second pair of eyes to be objective about my training. I needed a plan structured plans so that I recovered properly. Someone to force me to address my limiters while maintaining my strengths. |
| 2013-07-10 2:54 PM in reply to: uhcoog |
Expert 1360 | Subject: RE: Why do you go with a tri coach? I went with a tri coach when I jumped up to the IM distance. I have a pretty demanding career that can take me away from home at a minutes notice. A cookie cutter plan wouldn't work with my schedule. I probably know enough now that I could self coach myself to an IM, but I'm also an extreme type A worrier and it was nice to be able to put my trust into someone else and have them deal with my sometimes crazy work schedule (like being sent to remote Northern Ontario for a week during peak IM training and working 12-14 hour days). With the coach I majorly improved my cycling (so that I would say I'm not mid-pack) and majore improved my running (though this hasn't been reflected too well in my race results due to my propensity of getting chest infections before major races and spending the second half of last season battling injuries). I beat my IMFL time by almost half an hour at IMWI last year and IMWI is a MUCH harder course (both the bike and the run, equalled my bike time and improved my run time - swim time, stayed the same, but I am Front of MOP swimmer to start with). |
| 2013-07-11 8:41 AM in reply to: Daffodil |
Master 2500 Crab Cake City | Subject: RE: Why do you go with a tri coach? I have yet to do an IM but I am currently working with a triathlon coach for my first HIM which is in October. I decided I needed a coach because I can't fake my way to the finish of a HIM. I knew that the distance needed to be respected and I wanted to not only finish but train smart, safe and injury free. My coach is a local guy who lives a few blocks away from me. His credentials are great IMO and he works closely with our tri club and local CC & cycling teams in the county. I had previously worked with him as my nutrition coach and he created an eating plan for me which helped me lose over 60lbs and keep it off for the last 3 years so needless to say I trust him. Here is what I get out of him for my monthly payment of $110.00 First thing we did was sit down and have an initial meeting where we went over my goals, current base fitness, hours available for training, travel schedule, etc. We came up with a weekly program (which days I will do what sports) that he will change every week after reviewing all of my data. We set up a training peaks account for me to upload my workouts for tracking and analysis purposes. He set me up in my current HR zones so I know where to keep my workouts. My workouts are sent to me daily but I can log onto training peaks and see the whole weeks workout ahead of time if I want. I can call him or email him with any questions I have and he always gets right back to me. Since he has my travel schedule and knows when I will be out of town without access to a bike, he will tailor that weeks workout and the weeks prior to accomodate which is nice because I don't feel like I am behind the 8 ball with training when I go out of town. Being that we live so close together and have worked together in the past, we are in the process of setting up some rides on my HIM course so he can further evaluate my pedal stroke, nutrition strategy, bike fit, and get a sense of how I will do on the course. Also, he comes out to his athletes races to cheer for them and comes to some tri club training sessions to watch his athletes and offer advice. I also think the most important thing he does is hold me accountable. If I were training myself and I didn't feel like working out, I probably wouldn't. Knowing that he is looking at all my data and times and will call me out when I miss workouts for no reason, is a huge motivator for me because I don't want to let him down. To me he is worth the money. I don't make a ton of money but I think that its a good investment to make for 4 months prior to my race. I think that if you can afford a coach, its probably a good investment and will only improve your training and racing. Good luck with whatever you decide |
| 2013-07-15 12:11 PM in reply to: dmbfan4life20 |
Champion 7704 Williamston, Michigan | Subject: RE: Why do you go with a tri coach? It takes the planning off my plate. I would probably either grossly undertrain or overtrain without a coach. I could read a book and work it out myself but I have a busy life and I don't care to do that. I don't want to spend hours on minuiate and planning. I look at the coaches plan and execute. Makes the tri experience easier and funner for me. |
| 2013-07-15 8:07 PM in reply to: Socks |
Member 326 | Subject: RE: Why do you go with a tri coach? I raced last year self trained. 5 Olympic distance tri's, 1 HIM, and 3 half marathons. I signed up for IM Wisconsin this year. So, I got a coach. The main reason I got a coach is I have someone to be accountable for. He sets out what to do in 4 week blocks and I do the work and he keeps me accountable. Last year, if I missed a day, or skipped a session, who cared. I never knew if I was over training, under training, to much rest, not enough rest. This way I don't have to think about anything. It is set out for me. He has been a couch for years, has multiple certifications, and has trained hundreds of people to Olympic, HIM, and IM distance finishes. There is no way I could read or research the amount of information and experience he has. You take your car to a professional, you go to a Doctor, etc. You always use a professional when you can, I don't see why triathlon training is any different. |
| 2013-07-15 11:37 PM in reply to: DeVinci13 |
| 643 | Subject: RE: Why do you go with a tri coach? I'm interested to know if people got a coach right off the get-go or did you guys try an IM or two and then go the coach route? I have my first IM soon so that will be my baseline but I know I won't be where I want to be with my back of pack swimming and so-so biking. I got a tri coach for 2 swim lessons but at $80/lesson + tax I called it good for now but it was nice to get video reviewed and get some quick pointers but I know I'll need to go back if I really want to improve. |
| 2013-07-18 12:30 AM in reply to: 0 |
| Subject: RE: Why do you go with a tri coach? I do not understand the online coaching option. Unless someone can enlighten me on how a coach can coach via emails. To me a coach is someone who critiques my swim style or goes for ride/run and offers advice on technique, equipment etc.. This would seem difficult for a coach sitting at Starbucks in another city. As far as advice and plans there seem to be plenty of plans available in books and the internet and I,m sure any question a triathlete could have has been answered many times on forums such as this and ST. The only advantage I see having an online coach would be accountability.. Edited by sidsail 2013-07-18 12:33 AM |
| 2013-07-18 3:54 PM in reply to: sidsail |
Champion 5529 Nashville, TN | Subject: RE: Why do you go with a tri coach? Originally posted by sidsail I do not understand the online coaching option. Unless someone can enlighten me on how a coach can coach via emails. To me a coach is someone who critiques my swim style or goes for ride/run and offers advice on technique, equipment etc.. This would seem difficult for a coach sitting at Starbucks in another city. Coaching means different things to different people. For some, they need/like that in person perspective. For others, it might be something totally different As far as advice and plans there seem to be plenty of plans available in books and the internet and I,m sure any question a triathlete could have has been answered many times on forums such as this and ST. The only advantage I see having an online coach would be accountability.. You are correct in that just about any question one might have could be found on the internet. That is also true for law, medicine, accounting and a whole host of other professions. Yet people seek out all these professions for their advice, accountability and services. It's no different for coaching. It might come as a great shock, but some people don't sit in front of a computer all day researching triathlon related stuff all day. I also think you might be shocked how much disagreeing there is among knowledgeable people regarding the proper way to train. They don't want to synthesize five different sources of information to determine which one *might* be best for them. It makes things a whole lot simpler for some to take care of all their planning. It also helps to have someone to call/email/text when you have a question. In nearly 10 years in this sport I have followed this path --training ad hoc --training with a plan (BT) --hiring a coach --coaching myself --hiring a coach In my experience, my life is 10x simpler with a coach. For me, a coach takes away the stress and guesswork out a portion of my life. I have the knowledge to develop a plan. But I also have the knowledge to deviate from my plan and change courses. Waking up each morning with an objective plan streamlines my life very much. I don't second guess things. I just focus on execution. |
| 2013-07-18 9:16 PM in reply to: sidsail |
| Subject: RE: Why do you go with a tri coach? Originally posted by sidsail I do not understand the online coaching option. Unless someone can enlighten me on how a coach can coach via emails. To me a coach is someone who critiques my swim style or goes for ride/run and offers advice on technique, equipment etc.. This would seem difficult for a coach sitting at Starbucks in another city. As far as advice and plans there seem to be plenty of plans available in books and the internet and I,m sure any question a triathlete could have has been answered many times on forums such as this and ST. The only advantage I see having an online coach would be accountability.. I don't use a coach, but if I did, it would most certainly be online. I do just fine with holding myself accountable, but what I would need help on is managing my training stress and recovery. Making sure my hard workouts are hard, and my easy workouts are easy enough...then wrapping that up into a bigger plan that has me peaking for my A race. Going the online route gives me a better selection of coaches. I live in Hawaii, so my choices here are pretty slim pickings. I ride with a power meter, and can run with a HRM. That's really all a coach needs in order to manage an athletes training stress. If I pass that data on to a coach via email or online, he can analyze it just as well as if he were riding a bike or running right next to me in training. Same goes with swimming. While I may not get form instruction, a good coach can still estimate how much work your getting in simply by the sets you're doing. Think about all the pro cycling teams in the TdF. While their coaches may be there with them face to face...most of their actual coaching is derived from analytics based on their power files. Logging how much sleep they are getting, their nutrition, and their training stress. There is really nothing about that where a coach needs to be face to face for. Now, if we're talking about coaching a total newbie athlete who doesn't know how to swim, has never ridden a bike, or hasn't run in their life, then yes...an in person coach may be more appropriate to work out some of the things that a more seasoned athlete has learned on their own about form, technique or equipment. As with everything in this sport...YMMV. |
| 2013-07-19 1:10 PM in reply to: 0 |
| Subject: RE: Why do you go with a tri coach? When I told my wife I was thinking about a 2013 IM I told her I was going to get a coach to basically hold me back. I have a tendency to overdo things anyway. If 50 miles is good, 75 is better. IM makes that even worse. I have done all distances up to IM without a coach, so I do not need one to tell me what to do. I need hom to tell me what not to do. This means I have to trust him and not think "well, I think i need another .5 hour run this week...." That said, I've been extremely happy with the progression over the year, already got me to a significant PR at the HIM distance. Although I am not a KQ, looking forward to seeing what happens at IM ETA - mine is online, workouts thru training peaks. If I wanted someone to critique my form in S/B/R (and I have been thinking about that for running), I'd hire a S/B/R instructor for that limitd purpose. Coach, online or in person, assists with training and race planning, and adjusting those things on the fly as things change. Planning and interpreting testing. Etc. Yes, I can do that on my own, and I don't have a problem with accountability. Just my .02 Edited by ChrisM 2013-07-19 1:13 PM |
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