The Benefits of Hiring a Coach
General
Off-Season Training
Obviously, one effective way to stay motivated and to develop a solid training plan is to have a coach. A coach will help design your training plan and hold you accountable for your workouts. All of the Olympic Medalists have coaches, as do the top pro triathletes. Is it just a coincidence that they all have coaches? Of course not, they need guidance, support, and direction. They want to know when to go hard, when to go easy and when to take time off. Having a coach benefits them greatly. Why should age group triathletes be any different? I hear many triathletes say, “I don’t want someone telling me what to do” or “What if I don’t like the workouts?” or “What if we don’t get along?” These are important questions to ask as you interview your coach. Each coach has his/her own style, his/her own philosophy and motivational techniques. You communicate with your coach, which workouts you like, which workouts you don’t like. You explain to them your time constraints and goals. It’s their job to take all the pieces of the puzzle and make them fit together. Instead of blowing off that important bike workout because you made another commitment, your coach should re-adjust your schedule so you won’t miss the important workouts. Your coach will know what workouts to emphasize, when to push you, when to back you off. You should be able to build a good rapport with your coach. He/She should be trusted and come with a solid endorsement from other triathletes. Make sure your coach isn’t just churning out programs to athletes of all abilities. You want your program to be tailored to you.
- Structure. Your program should fit your specific needs. From long easy runs, to gut busting hill climbs to recovery runs and days on the couch. Your program should cover all areas of training.
- Motivation. So what if you have a bad training day and your motivation to train is nil? Your coach should provide you the motivation to get you back out the door the next day.
- Success. Yes, success. Your plan should help you meet your goals. As long as you follow the prescribed plan the program should work for you. If it doesn’t, sit down with the coach and ask questions, lots of them. You are paying for his or her help, so you should get answers.
Of course we think that we have a pretty good coaching company right here at D3 Multisport, but we know that athletes choose us over other companies due to more than just whom we know, whom we’ve coached or how many athletes have gone to Kona. We maintain long term relationships with our athletes and on top of that everyone keeps getting faster.
In summary, do your research, ask questions and select the right coach for you. Follow the plan. Don’t expect it to work if you keep adjusting the schedule or if you keep skipping your long bike rides. You need to work with the plan that you and your coach have designed. I hope you find a coach that fits your needs, do the workouts given to you and go faster next year! You may not win Ironman, but you can have your best year ever!