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Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
OptionResults
I'd like one but it's too expensive87 Votes - [53.37%]
What do I need a coach for?31 Votes - [19.02%]
I enjoy writing my own plans23 Votes - [14.11%]
I use a pre-made plan12 Votes - [7.36%]
I use a custom training plan but not a coach (like BT Gold)3 Votes - [1.84%]
Coaches are dumb7 Votes - [4.29%]

2014-02-25 2:29 PM
in reply to: velocomp

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
I'm as BOP and low-rent as anyone on this board. So, I definitely have a skewed perception on what is expensive, what's normal, etc etc..... I mean, a second bike under $1000 was too much of an investment for me. I just sold it. (Sticking with the BT donor bike - which goes up for paying forward after IMMT this year.)

So, I am curious... for people who have comparable expensive hobbies, how common is it to have an ongoing "coach?" I am sure golfers pay for lessons, for example, but how many regular golfers have constant coaching?

Is it relative to the competitiveness? It seems a lot of us are well-content being hobbyists, and the idea of coaching to gain some percentages in speed is moot. Is that the case for other adult hobby sports? I am asking, I really have no idea.

We talked at length on my podcast about average (and below average) athletes having a coach. Our guest was my co-host's coach, and he is a slow BOP guy. I thought the case for one made sense. But the expense just was not feasible for me.



2014-02-25 2:34 PM
in reply to: bcagle25

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
Originally posted by bcagle25



Suzanne for your webinar I think one of the biggest focuses one must have that is self coached is a very honest and critical assessment of themselves weekly. I've had a couple discussions with Thomas Gerlach (a self-trained pro) about this, and he has a very interesting philosophy on training and development.


Ben thanks for your input. I don't know if you are on any of the emailing lists, but there was massive miscommunication on the topic. Jeff and I will NOT be having a debate about coached vs. self-coached...the webinar is 100% about how to be your own best self coach.


-how to choosing appropriate races
-how many races to do
-how to improve your endurance
-how to improve your speed
-when to focus on technique
-how to make adjustments depending on your age & experience level

Of course an hour barely scratches the surface but I will not be debating one way or the other, I'll be offering insight into what I do as a coach...which is teach athletes how to COACH THEMSELVES.

The truth of it is that few tri coaches can be with their athletes for every workout, every meal, every set, every wakeup, etc.

I try to teach my athletes how to listen to their bodies, what to look for in a training set, when it's OK to scale back without asking, when it's OK to do more, how to get from A to B etc.

As a coach I deliver trianing plans yes...but that's only a tiny part of it. I also provide lots and lots and lots of education. Many of MY athletes have then moved on to take up coaching on their own and get certified, or just get inovolved in teaching others.

I agree 100% that it takes the right connection between coach & athlete for the relationship to work.

2014-02-25 2:40 PM
in reply to: TheClaaaw

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)

Now I feel like I have to say more about why I did have a coach.    Each season I put together an insane race schedule:  runs from 1-13.1, duathlons, charity bike rides, triathlons of varying lengths.  I used the coach simply as a time saver, to built an appropriately periodized plan to get me from race to race.  It wasn't even about improvements or sharpening, necessarily, it was just getting from A-B.  I made sure she was up for this before getting started, it was my "main goal."  I got so much more, of course.

To answer TheClaaaw's question above, with some thought, I realize I also rely on a coach for yoga.   I could do a poor job of putting together my own yoga routines, but they would get stale quickly.  When I go to a yoga class I am led through something different each time, wiht someone who helps with form, etc.   That's worth the gym membership to me since I get more out of going to the class than I do on my own. 

It helps that my coach at $150/month was affordable to me. Also, my gym membership is quite cheap, and it's mostly for yoga now.  I don't think I could justify a membership at  a "real" yoga place, even though it's not a lot more than what I paid the triathlon coach.   As usual it comes down to priorities.

2014-02-25 2:40 PM
in reply to: TheClaaaw

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
Originally posted by TheClaaaw

I'm as BOP and low-rent as anyone on this board. So, I definitely have a skewed perception on what is expensive, what's normal, etc etc..... I mean, a second bike under $1000 was too much of an investment for me. I just sold it. (Sticking with the BT donor bike - which goes up for paying forward after IMMT this year.)

So, I am curious... for people who have comparable expensive hobbies, how common is it to have an ongoing "coach?" I am sure golfers pay for lessons, for example, but how many regular golfers have constant coaching?

Is it relative to the competitiveness? It seems a lot of us are well-content being hobbyists, and the idea of coaching to gain some percentages in speed is moot. Is that the case for other adult hobby sports? I am asking, I really have no idea.

We talked at length on my podcast about average (and below average) athletes having a coach. Our guest was my co-host's coach, and he is a slow BOP guy. I thought the case for one made sense. But the expense just was not feasible for me.




Golf is an interesting comparison...to swimming for example. lots of people I give swim lessosn to tell me how similar it is to their golf lessons.

But golfing is an activity that costs money every single time you go and not necessarily cheap. I don't golf so I don't know. Golfers aim to imrpove from week to week to week on the same or different courses. While i"m sure you need some central "conditioning" for golf I don't think that high VO2 necessarily separates the pros from the handicapped golfers.


When I hired a coach, it was to prepare me for the Escape from Alcatraz. I had made a big committment in entering the race it was on the other side of the country, I'd be travelling with a bike an undertaking a race that was longer than any I had done up to that point. I didn't need motivation...that I had plenty of. I needed plan that would help me cross the finish line feeling good, without injury and I wanted to enjoy myself in the 9 months inbetween and not be a constant worry wart.

Brett daniels gave me timely schedules, we talked every week on the phone, we reviewed drills for runnign & swimming and he held me accountable.

That's why I hired him. Granted when he had to raise the price on his end I had to think about the extra expense and eventually I felt like I had gotten what I needed and didn't need a coach any longer...at any price even if he would have done it for free.

I still bug him to this day with questions here and there!
2014-02-25 3:05 PM
in reply to: Guest

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
Too expensive for my tastes, I would try one out of curiousity if it was more affordable. Cost and some skepticism

I am a naturally poor swimmer, so I researched a bit and just couldn't stomach the cost. I am relatively succesful, making 6 figures after gaining experience, getting a degree and certifications and would have to pay at least twice what I make an hour for a coach per hour. That seems crazy to me.

The skeptic comes out as I get older. I've been running for a while now, started moving into swimming and biking more recently, I know talent plays a big part, but in my experience lack of success has more to do with lack of work than latest training technique/most aero bike/watch with the most gismos/power meter/best running plan. I meet a ton of people who think I'm somehow faster because of some aspect they can't control, when it's simply compare the monthly miles. As much as I hate to admit it, while there are always biological freaks, a ton of people that I meet that swim bike run faster, do so because they do it more. So I don't think my increasing success is as dependent on a better plan or tweaks as it is more work. I can figure that part out for free.
2014-02-25 3:32 PM
in reply to: chris948


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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)

I'm dead honest when I think coaches charge too much for personalized training plans for the typical Age Grouper. 

 

A very experienced and efficient coach will be able to write an athlete's weekly plan literally in <15 minutes, fully effective. Doctors can figure out much more complicated medical situations in less time than that for most (not all) of their patients, and I don't see why triathlon coaching requires a higher level of time commitment, as the problems solved are not necessarily more complex. 

 



2014-02-25 3:49 PM
in reply to: yazmaster

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
Originally posted by yazmaster

I'm dead honest when I think coaches charge too much for personalized training plans for the typical Age Grouper. 

 

A very experienced and efficient coach will be able to write an athlete's weekly plan literally in <15 minutes, fully effective. Doctors can figure out much more complicated medical situations in less time than that for most (not all) of their patients, and I don't see why triathlon coaching requires a higher level of time commitment, as the problems solved are not necessarily more complex. 

 




So coaching = writing a weekly plan?
2014-02-25 3:51 PM
in reply to: Guest

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
Plan?!? We don' need no steenking plans!

Well, sort of ... As others have said, I'm doing this for fun and general fitness, and currently just coming back very carefully from injury.

I think I understand most of the principles but on a day to day basis, I wing it. I use single sport group coaching sometimes, i.e. masters swimming, run clubs, etc. I have also been doing a lot of Googling, reading, and research for a number of years now. That said, sometimes the more I learn the less I know for sure. I figure when I know nothing for certain, then I'll be ready to coach others.

j/k. If I was just getting started, Suzanne's approach sounds like something I'd be interested in.
2014-02-25 3:59 PM
in reply to: 0


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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)

Originally posted by AdventureBear
Originally posted by yazmaster

I'm dead honest when I think coaches charge too much for personalized training plans for the typical Age Grouper. 

 

A very experienced and efficient coach will be able to write an athlete's weekly plan literally in

 

So coaching = writing a weekly plan?

 

For most online coaches, yes, that's what it boils down to. You can say you offer more services, like motivational phone calls, swim video analysis, etc, but what they're really paying you for fundamentally is the written weekly plan.

 

For in-person coaching, I would expect to pay a (much) higher premium for the face time and personal service time.



Edited by yazmaster 2014-02-25 4:00 PM
2014-02-25 4:03 PM
in reply to: Guest

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
I tried to add another option but it wouldn't let me. I don't have a coach because there are none easily available in my area. I've thought about online coaching but am dubious as to how effective someone could be just be emailing information and looking at videos.
2014-02-25 4:06 PM
in reply to: Guest

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)

I answered #2.  But it's probably closer to #1.  I don't see enough value in paying anything close to a going rate for the services a coach might offer me at this stage. 



2014-02-25 4:36 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
Originally posted by yazmaster

Originally posted by AdventureBear
Originally posted by yazmaster

I'm dead honest when I think coaches charge too much for personalized training plans for the typical Age Grouper. 

 

A very experienced and efficient coach will be able to write an athlete's weekly plan literally in

 

So coaching = writing a weekly plan?

 

For most online coaches, yes, that's what it boils down to. You can say you offer more services, like motivational phone calls, swim video analysis, etc, but what they're really paying you for fundamentally is the written weekly plan.

 

For in-person coaching, I would expect to pay a (much) higher premium for the face time and personal service time.




I would disagree with this notion completely.

In fact I know many "online coaches" that do a whole heck of a lot more then writing out a plan. That plan is also unique to you, your goals, abilities, and current fitness levels, and what you want out of it.

A lot goes into planing behind the scenes. It may take myself 20-30 minutes to write a weekly plan, but then there is all the time invested in seeing what approaches work, what does the science say, spotting trends in power curves, where do the weaknesses lay, how is the athlete adapting to the training load, etc. I've said it already once today and I'll say it again the training plan is a small fraction of the services, but is the weekly foundation.

Edited by bcagle25 2014-02-25 4:37 PM
2014-02-25 5:00 PM
in reply to: bcagle25

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
Originally posted by bcagle25

Originally posted by yazmaster

Originally posted by AdventureBear
Originally posted by yazmaster

I'm dead honest when I think coaches charge too much for personalized training plans for the typical Age Grouper. 

 

A very experienced and efficient coach will be able to write an athlete's weekly plan literally in

 

So coaching = writing a weekly plan?

 

For most online coaches, yes, that's what it boils down to. You can say you offer more services, like motivational phone calls, swim video analysis, etc, but what they're really paying you for fundamentally is the written weekly plan.

 

For in-person coaching, I would expect to pay a (much) higher premium for the face time and personal service time.




I would disagree with this notion completely.

In fact I know many "online coaches" that do a whole heck of a lot more then writing out a plan. That plan is also unique to you, your goals, abilities, and current fitness levels, and what you want out of it.

A lot goes into planing behind the scenes. It may take myself 20-30 minutes to write a weekly plan, but then there is all the time invested in seeing what approaches work, what does the science say, spotting trends in power curves, where do the weaknesses lay, how is the athlete adapting to the training load, etc. I've said it already once today and I'll say it again the training plan is a small fraction of the services, but is the weekly foundation.



I agree with Ben that if a coach is doing all this stuff it's time consuming. If a coach charges $200 per month, that's $50 per week. It's not hard to spend $50 worth of time doing proper analysis of what is going on.

But Yaz is right in that a lot of coaches don't do this, and don't know how to do this. The not knowing how is the scary part.
2014-02-25 5:13 PM
in reply to: marcag

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)

 

I had to answer this question for myself this year. I am doing my first IM in June, this race is my number one priority for the first 6 months of this year. My wife is on board and we have no kids so as much time as it takes, that is what I will do. This lead me to think about hiring a coach. If I am going to dedicate so much time, I should do it correctly so I have the best first IM that I can.

However, I decided that the cost vs. effect ratio was just not there for me. No offense to the coaches here, but being coached online is an easy way to get taken advantage of. Like some posters said, what are you really getting for your money? Yes some coaches will really spend the time on you, others won't. But even then the online coach can only go off of what you tell them. They can't physically watch you run, they can't tweak run/swim technique as you are doing it. I pick things up pretty fast so I really only need to be told once to do something and I will generally do it. That lends itself much better to getting tips from people in the know than from constant watching by a coach.

I ultimately decided that if I had a coach I would want someone who could physically be there. That would mean big expense and I didn't want to put that kind of money into it. Instead I am taking full advantage of master's classes, and group rides with some very good cyclists. The owner of the LBS rides the shop rides twice a week and is a former triathlete, I bounce ideas off of him when possible. 

I decided the $85 for a gold membership and the custom plan here was enough for me. I did not want to take the time to create a plan and hope that I created it correctly so the $85 is money well spent to me. I know that if I follow the plan I will finish and do well. If I wanted to KQ or race to the best of my ability then I would hire a local coach, but for now, finishing and feeling good about my effort is enough for me. 

2014-02-25 5:14 PM
in reply to: 0


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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)

Originally posted by bcagle25
Originally posted by yazmaster

Originally posted by AdventureBear
Originally posted by yazmaster

I'm dead honest when I think coaches charge too much for personalized training plans for the typical Age Grouper. 

 

A very experienced and efficient coach will be able to write an athlete's weekly plan literally in

 

So coaching = writing a weekly plan?

 

For most online coaches, yes, that's what it boils down to. You can say you offer more services, like motivational phone calls, swim video analysis, etc, but what they're really paying you for fundamentally is the written weekly plan.

 

For in-person coaching, I would expect to pay a (much) higher premium for the face time and personal service time.

I would disagree with this notion completely. In fact I know many "online coaches" that do a whole heck of a lot more then writing out a plan. That plan is also unique to you, your goals, abilities, and current fitness levels, and what you want out of it. A lot goes into planing behind the scenes. It may take myself 20-30 minutes to write a weekly plan, but then there is all the time invested in seeing what approaches work, what does the science say, spotting trends in power curves, where do the weaknesses lay, how is the athlete adapting to the training load, etc. I've said it already once today and I'll say it again the training plan is a small fraction of the services, but is the weekly foundation.

 

All of the stuff you mention should be built into the plan. That's great if a coach can offer all that on top, but ultimately, it's all about the plan. If the plan is inferior or lacking, it almost doesn't matter what extras or handholding you give - results will not be up to par and the athlete will be better served with a coach who gives a better plan, even if they lack the accessories you mention. 

 

Good coaches (I bet you fall into this category) can size up an AGer athlete very quickly based upon recent race results and prior training history. If they're one of your clients, you should be able to mentally formulate the training plan even faster - it should be essentially intuitively obvious since you've seen it and variations of it so many times before.

 



Edited by yazmaster 2014-02-25 5:16 PM
2014-02-25 5:14 PM
in reply to: marcag

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
Originally posted by marcag

Originally posted by bcagle25

Originally posted by yazmaster

Originally posted by AdventureBear
Originally posted by yazmaster

I'm dead honest when I think coaches charge too much for personalized training plans for the typical Age Grouper. 

 

A very experienced and efficient coach will be able to write an athlete's weekly plan literally in

 

So coaching = writing a weekly plan?

 

For most online coaches, yes, that's what it boils down to. You can say you offer more services, like motivational phone calls, swim video analysis, etc, but what they're really paying you for fundamentally is the written weekly plan.

 

For in-person coaching, I would expect to pay a (much) higher premium for the face time and personal service time.




I would disagree with this notion completely.

In fact I know many "online coaches" that do a whole heck of a lot more then writing out a plan. That plan is also unique to you, your goals, abilities, and current fitness levels, and what you want out of it.

A lot goes into planing behind the scenes. It may take myself 20-30 minutes to write a weekly plan, but then there is all the time invested in seeing what approaches work, what does the science say, spotting trends in power curves, where do the weaknesses lay, how is the athlete adapting to the training load, etc. I've said it already once today and I'll say it again the training plan is a small fraction of the services, but is the weekly foundation.



I agree with Ben that if a coach is doing all this stuff it's time consuming. If a coach charges $200 per month, that's $50 per week. It's not hard to spend $50 worth of time doing proper analysis of what is going on.

But Yaz is right in that a lot of coaches don't do this, and don't know how to do this. The not knowing how is the scary part.



Now we are getting somewhere . Excellent point. When/if hiring a coach this should be part of the athletes questioning. You should really dig deep on the coach and see how they work. Just saying hey will you coach me sets you up for a lot of unexpected.


2014-02-25 5:28 PM
in reply to: bcagle25

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2014-02-25 5:30 PM
in reply to: 0

Coach
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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
Originally posted by yazmaster
Good coaches (I bet you fall into this category) can size up an AGer athlete very quickly based upon recent race results and prior training history. If they're one of your clients, you should be able to mentally formulate the training plan even faster - it should be essentially intuitively obvious since you've seen it and variations of it so many times before.

 




If an athlete THINKS they are being taken advantage of then they are. The servcie is only worth what the athlete is willing to pay for.

As far as 'getting taken' by a distance coach, i can't even imagine one of my athletes feeling or thinking that since i communicate with almost all of them multiple times per week with specific feedback. They are paying me for my time, attention and availability as much as for my experience and weekly plans. Planing is the least interesting part of the job, really. the day to day interaction and feedback is what makes it valuable to me personallly.

The argument of in person vs distance coach is valid too...they are two different components of trianing. Peripheral skills like swim technique can't be delivered by email, but non face-to face communication via email, text , phone, skype, training peaks is all a great medium for education, counsiling, race planning, strategy, checking in, etc.

Once I have to start making motivational phone calls, I usually fire the athlete. I don't have time or energy for that.

Edited by AdventureBear 2014-02-25 5:31 PM
2014-02-25 5:38 PM
in reply to: yazmaster

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
1. I spend my money on gear.
2. Where does one find a coach? Are they in that weird building beside the carwash that says "No Washing Horse trailers"? or are they closer to the grain elevators down by the river? No wait, probably hiding in that corn field over there!
3. I have not yet maximized the improvement I can see though self-coaching
2014-02-25 5:39 PM
in reply to: TheClaaaw

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
Originally posted by TheClaaaw

So, I am curious... for people who have comparable expensive hobbies, how common is it to have an ongoing "coach?" I am sure golfers pay for lessons, for example, but how many regular golfers have constant coaching?


While my husband would not agree with it being comparable expense wise- I used to Event a horse. I took a weekly lesson which over a month is pretty similar to a monthly coaching fee. Not to mention horse upkeep, show entries, trailer maintenance and other equipment. I did that for years- and even did some eventing camps- pretty similar to tri camps.


That said- no coach now. This is a hobby to motivate me to keep fit and I already have enough people to answer to daily. Sometime my rides revolve around 4yo bribing destinations- I need a yogurt shop further away for this summer. Also would be hard to justify over college savings etc.

2014-02-25 5:52 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
Originally posted by yazmaster

All of the stuff you mention should be built into the plan. That's great if a coach can offer all that on top, but ultimately, it's all about the plan. If the plan is inferior or lacking, it almost doesn't matter what extras or handholding you give - results will not be up to par and the athlete will be better served with a coach who gives a better plan, even if they lack the accessories you mention. 

 

Good coaches (I bet you fall into this category) can size up an AGer athlete very quickly based upon recent race results and prior training history. If they're one of your clients, you should be able to mentally formulate the training plan even faster - it should be essentially intuitively obvious since you've seen it and variations of it so many times before.

 




A good coach will give you a two week plan. Based on the execution of that plan he will adjust it.
Through analysis of your workouts he will see if you are properly hitting your targets. Some people think they are, but actually aren't.
He will see how much you struggled to hit them. Analysis how you did your bike intervals, how they taper off, how your heart rate responds will tell him if you are working too hard or too easy. He will adjust the plan accordingly.

He will give you workouts to specifically test your fitness without you knowing he is testing you.

If he sees you are hitting things too easily he will requests a re-test.

He will measure the load you took on and see how you reacted to it so he can adjust the next cycle. Through your workouts he will monitor if you are getting stronger.

If something goes wrong, he will figure out why. Recently someone here really struggled with a test. By analysis of the workout file we could spot an error in execution. This is the kind of stuff the coach SHOULD do.

The beauty of the gadgets at our disposal is they allow a coach to see exactly what went on in a workout : swimming, biking and running. You can see more what is going on in their workout than you could watching them with a stop watch

Analysis of the results of workouts takes more time than writing the plan. Writing the plan should be based on the results of the previous cycle.

Now, again, how many coaches know how to do this is another story.

Edited by marcag 2014-02-25 5:56 PM


2014-02-25 6:06 PM
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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)

@ marcag - I agree with ALL of what you wrote.

 

But I consider it a coach's responsibility to work all of that into the plan (and the feedback from the plan). And it really is NOT a lot of work for an experienced coach, especially one who already knows your goals and yearly schedule. They should be able to adjust your 2 week training plan very, very quickly (if not instantly on a gut level.

 

They don't need to look at all the dots on the power file, or all the paces on the run. They can find the key features of each workout that tell them on a macro-scale what you need and what you don't very, very quickly. It should be intuitively obvious to them at the AG level.



Edited by yazmaster 2014-02-25 6:08 PM
2014-02-25 6:11 PM
in reply to: bcagle25

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
Originally posted by bcagle25
Now we are getting somewhere . Excellent point. When/if hiring a coach this should be part of the athletes questioning. You should really dig deep on the coach and see how they work. Just saying hey will you coach me sets you up for a lot of unexpected.


The problem is that the people that could use a good coach, don't know what they don't know.

The coach can throw a bunch a mumbo jumbo about their FTP their CTL and their XYZ and they will nod their head and go "yep I need a coach".
They can throw out a bunch of studies they read last night and sound really knowledgeable.

Here's an idea of what coaches should do : they should charge based on results. You mutually set a goal, you set a fee for meeting that goal, you make it, everyone is happy. You miss it, everyone loses.

I doubt the coaches would like this :-)
2014-02-25 6:19 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)
Originally posted by yazmaster

@ marcag - I agree with ALL of what you wrote.

 

But I consider it a coach's responsibility to work all of that into the plan (and the feedback from the plan). And it really is NOT a lot of work for an experienced coach, especially one who already knows your goals and yearly schedule. They should be able to adjust your 2 week training plan very, very quickly (if not instantly on a gut level.

 

They don't need to look at all the dots on the power file, or all the paces on the run. They can find the key features of each workout that tell them on a macro-scale what you need and what you don't very, very quickly. It should be intuitively obvious to them at the AG level.




Yes I agree

I feel I am defending the coaches here, which I am not. I am not a coach !!!

Let's say a coach charges $200 per month. That's $50 per week. Is the writing and analysis of your workouts something that can consume $50 of time. Easily!!!. I can tell you I spend more time on my analysis of my workouts than that.




Edited by marcag 2014-02-25 6:24 PM
2014-02-25 6:22 PM
in reply to: marcag


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Subject: RE: Why DONT you have a coach? (please vote)

I agree that it's hard to measuring coaching for people new to them, but I do think you can do the prescribed regular field tests (or races) as well as perceived performance to gauge how well the coach is working for you. 

 

And of course, even if a coach's plan gives awesome results, you might not find it compatible with your goals. I COULD train 18-22 hrs per week, at great cost to my family, work ,and quality of life, and likely get lifetime PRs and even possibly qualify for Kona, but I'd probably hate myself and triathlon so much afterwards from the burnout that I would never want to race again (or at least for a  lonnnggg time.

 

Also personality, communication style, etc., all are person-specific. But I still stand by my statement - it's ultimately all about the plan. If the plan is wrong, or inferior, or leads to injury, all the other stuff on top is really useless. The plan HAS to be good. Even if it means sacrificing the quality of the other things. A good coach will obviously bring the plan, and a lot more to the table. 

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