Coach or No Coach?? Please Advise...

Yes, quite possible t do one without a coach.  Certainly the majority if IM finishers are not coached I would guess.  I did my first IM self coached,

When I did my second, I hired a coach as someone to hold me back and to give me a plan.  It's highly tempting to overtrain due to nerves.  Did I d enough (n matter how much you do, you will always ask this for your first).

Good luck

Its is certainly possible and many have gone that route.  I have had a coach for 8 years now.  I have a very busy work schedule and it is a huge relief to have the planning off my plate.  I would probably either grossly under train or grossly over train if I didn't go this route but that is just me.  There are lots of plans out there you need to find something that fits your life.  There are many coaches that are probably more affordable than you might imagine but it will take some research on your part

I've always used a coach in training and find it takes pressure off me to decide what to do or how to modify things and just do the workouts.

Not all coaches are $225/month. There are some that are under $100/month and many under $150/month.

Sure anyone can train without a coach. Really depends on you and what is best for you. Having someone looking at the big picture is key for me as I can get stuck up on all the little details.

Doable? Certainly.

I was planning on my first IM next year, but Army training just switched dates around and it may not happen.

I was planning to hire a coach - and I AM a coach.

Here's why:

My obligations (dog, Army National Guard, job, coaching, tri club, social life) makes my schedule a little tough to manage. I know if I was self-coached, I'd be constantly re-arranging and stressing over my training. I also wouldn't be racing just to finish, so I wanted someone very experienced to push me hard through my training,  without me really worrying about overtraining.

So, my coach would worry about all of that for me

Completely feasible.

Many have done it--myslef included (twice, each in what I consider 'respectable' times for myself).

Doing an IM is crazy.  Doing one without a coach doesn't make it more or less so.

A coach may help you make the best use of your training time.  Might help you avoid some pitfalls.  Or, might not do either of those.  It all depends on you and your coach.  It sounds like you can do fine on your own.  Use what you've leanred in the last 8 years, do some extra research (read, as you are doing) and ask questions in places like this when you need some extra advice/input.

Good luck!

I don't think it is a crazy idea. Many people do IM's without a coach. Most like to hire a coach to "ensure" that they will cross the finish line. Of course, no coach can guarantee you will cross the finish line or the time it will be done in. For both of my IM's I hired a coach.

And for my last one in 2010, I was coaching people myself. But I still wanted a coach. Although, the person I hired wasn't the best choice and I had to basically take over my training and fix it. Just make sure you INTERVIEW your coach before hiring him/her. Know what you want and ask the questions to get what you want. Good luck! 

 PS- I hired a coach so I didn't have to "think" about my own training plan. I also knew I would give myself want I WANTED to do... ha! 

Not all coaches are $225 a month! 

Originally posted by midwesttrimom What are everyone's thoughts on building the solid base, doing my early spring Olympic distance, running a couple of half marathons and THEN having my coach put together a plan for me, say in August. That way I'd only pay for Aug, Sept, and October. I have done the HIM and loved the training program I chose (Triathlete's Magazine) and it worked well for me. I will be using that for my early season training OR "Be Iron Fit". Need to review both. I try to stay in Olympic distance-shape almost year round. I typically back off from October-January and then hit it hard again and begin to add distance and speed. Thoughts? I would love to hear from someone who has done this. Not all coaches are $225 but mine would be around $125/$150. I know that I will not use a coach that I cannot meet with in-person. I don't just want someone to create a plan for me but also want some light feedback on my swim, aero form, maybe some HR testing, etc. I put together training plans for several people every year for the shorter distances but that's where my knowledge-base ends. I know a lot about nutrition but probably not the correct things to get me to the finish line feeling decent. Thanks for all the feedback! I love hearing all the differing opinions...

The longer a coach can work with you, the better the results. It's hard to really learn about an athlete in a short amount of time, and giving him/her only 3 months to work with you, before your big race, isn't really going to produce the BEST results. 

I would suggest giving him/her 6 months to work with you. They need time to build you to the level of training they need you at for your last 3 months of training, and they need to understand you as an athlete. 

But hey, I'm sure you can find a coach who will take you on the last 3 months of your training. If you keep track of all your training up until that point, it will help him/her a lot!