Coach or no coach? 1/2 and full IM distances

I didn't have a coach and I achieved everthing I set out to do so far this year.  If I had a coach I know I would have done better and set higher goals for myself.  If money was not an issue I would hire best coach or coaches I could find without even thinking twice about it.

I'll say no coach as well.  I prefer to be my own coach, set my own rules/plans, and do my own research.  I've raced enough to see my most likely mistakes and greatest areas for improvement. 

For me, spending the money wouldn't add anything but a sense of obligation to do it his/her way when my own skills/training would get me to virtually the same place.  I did my first HIM this year entirely on my own with stats that made me happy. My teammate paid $$ to get coached and gained only a few minutes on me, and I can't say that it's because she was coached -- I suspect she may have just worked harder for it because she paid someone to coach her as an 'insurance' that she'd have 'done her all'.

If I were quibbling over minutes needed to qualify for Kona...or lacking confidence that I could do my goal distance, then I'd get a coach. 

I got a coach based, initially, on not wanting to put together my training plan. 

I ended up relying on my coach to tell me what workouts I was getting in and it relieved TONS of pressure off of me during my training.  I, personally, think that training for an IM is hard enough, and if you can do it, hire a coach to take some of the basic thinking out of it for you.

I was also introduced to MANY workouts that I would not have thought about on my own.  But most of all, a coach provided me with a bigger picture and didn't let me lose focus of my later season 'A' races.  If I had done my own plan, I would not have the overall gains that I have now.  I've PR'd in just about every race this year, and I'd say I can attribute 85% of that to my coach.  I'll take 10% and my IronSherpa can take the other 5%.

If you go without a coach for a HIM or IM, I would suggest planning out ALL your workouts for the season ahead of time.  Much less stress and you can still adjust them as life comes at you.

Actually, that sounds exactly like one of the benefits you'd expect to get from coaching.

I am doing my first half and a full next year. I hired a coach in december of last year and have had great success. This is only my send year but I feel my coach brought focus to my workouts as well as taking the stress out of planning what i was doing next.
She also helped with technique, questions I had that were silly, developing plans that fit my fitness level (because we tested a lot), and was there for support when I thought I was not doing better.

I say go for the coach

I hired a coach 18 months ago and have been amazed at the progress I made this year. No way would I have improved as much as I did without his guidance. Read my RR from when I started to now. I'm not ever going to win anything, but am proud at the progess I have made. My A race this year, I really was surprised how well I did...for me.

I think a coach helps hold you back often when rest is really the answer at times when type A tri people want to push push push and not take time off or doing less is more. I wanted my time spent training to be as beneficial as possible so a coach allows that to be true. He also encouraged me to think about my goals and helped create a long term plan to get me to them.

Hiring a coach now will help you the most as you have a great off season when most folks really can improve the most. I started with my coach in April....way to late to get full benefit that first year.

A lot of training and racing is mental strength. My coach has helped me with that a lot and I now race with more confidence and enjoy it more plus I'm faster as well. Plus having someone that really knows to bounce thoughts & ideas around is huge. I can not ever imagine training now without a coach, as I have seen such a difference in training & enjoyment of training/racing...as my workouts have a purpose and I know what it is.

I think the money spent on a coach far exceeds the value of some tri toys we all indulge ourselves with.