Benefits of Hiring a coach:
Why should you hire a coach? It cost money that you have worked so hard for! I’m just an age-group triathlete… coaches are for the pros! There are millions of training plans that are free on the internet or that I purchase in a book. These are questions that you have probably been wrestling with while trying to decide whether hiring a coach is a good idea or not.
The main benefits to hiring a coach in my opinion are:
1. The main things a coach should be providing you are: Structure, Motivation, Guidance, support, direction and Success throughout your training
2. The coach will hold you accountable for your workouts
3. The coach will take all the pieces of the puzzle (your goals, workout preferences and available time) and put them all together for you.
4. The coach will be know which workouts to emphasize, when to push you and when to back off you
What are the main things you should look for in a coach?
1. Is he/she accessible? You want to find a coach that is accessible via phone or email. It doesn’t do you any good if it takes the coach 2-3 days to get back to you when you have something comes up.
2. Does he/she have solid credentials? Does the coach have certifications from USA Triathlon or USA Cycling?
3. How will you receive your workouts? Do they come monthly, weekly, by fax or email?
4. Does the coach provide one level for all triathletes or are there different levels? Does a triathletes preparing for a sprint race receive the same set of workouts that someone who is preparing for a ½ Ironman? Does a 15-hour Ironman get the same workouts that an 11-hour Ironman receive?
5. What will happen if I get sick or have something come up? How does this affect my training plan and key workouts? Does the coach modify the training schedule ensuring that the key workouts are accomplished?
What are you motivators and goals?
1. What are your goals for your next "A" race (overall time, swim split, bike split, run split).
2. What are your goals for next season (be as specific as you can be- ex. 2 hours at ABC Olympic Distance Triathlon))
3. What are your goals for the next 3 years (ex. To qualify for Kona)
4. What are your goals for each individual sport (swim, bike, run)
5. Why do you train? Is it racing, or is racing a side effect?
6. Why do you race? - what are your motivators?
7. How do you perceive your body - fat, slow, fast, lean..
8. What aspect of each sport do you think you're good at?
9. What aspect/s of each sport do you think needs improvement?
Here are some questions you need to ask yourself before interviewing a coach:
1. What do you expect from a coach (is face-to-face time important? Are you simply receiving a workout schedule? Are you looking for a teacher?)
2. What is your financial commitment to the sport (include races [entry and travel] , equipment and coach)?
3. How much time are you available for training each week?
4. How are you motivated (Bobby Knight or with kids glove and gentle directions?)?
5. What inspires you as an athlete?
MAKE SURE YOU DO SOME COMPARISON SHOPPING! Find the coach that works for you and is going to get you where you want to go. The BIGGEST aspect of selecting the right coach is making sure that you get along with the coach and that his or her program works for you. Do your research and ask questions! You will need to work with the coach to design the right plan for you… the one that will get you where you want to go! Once you find the right coach for you, make sure you follow the plan that you and the coach have designed… if you keep skipping long rides and long runs, the plan will not work!
Once you’ve found a coach, give it a year. Your first year should be about you and your coach establishing a baseline for communication, trust and what your body can handle in training. This will take one season at a minimum for you to truly get to know each other. Work hard to develop a deep level of trust with your coach… you are putting your entire season in his or her hands. Be patient, if you can’t trust your coach, you are wasting you time and money.
Follow the plan. If you don’t understand why you are doing something, your coach should have that answer for you. Over communicate! If you are feeling tired all the time or if you are feeling that you are not being challenged enough… your coach needs to know this in order to modify the training plan to fit you! You are paying for his/her attention; make sure you get your money’s worth.
I hope that you find the coach that suits your needs and goals, that you do the workouts given to you and go faster this coming season! You may not win, but you might just have the best year ever!
*Adapted from an article written by Mike Ricci
