Question:Why not hire a coach to answer all your questions and plan your training?
Answer:
I already did some triathlon, but without great performance, 2h40.
I'm really looking for programs and advices for improving my race.
Please feel free to forward me any relevant information.
That was a slightly self serving response, don't you think?
The primary purpose of this board is not to get clients for coaches.
Because I don't feel like paying you $1000 bucks a year to do something I
could do myself with "The Triathletes Training Bible" and Joe Friel's e-mail
address.
For those of us to whom success equates with finish, doing
it our way provides more satisfaction than lining some other buggers pocket.
No offence Steve, Im sure you are great at what you do. But for alot of us
who do it here, we do it simply because, not to be great. Greatness comes
from within, to paraphrase someone who I simply cannot recall, but Im sure
Brian will. I speak for no one but myself.
I certainly don't claim online coaching is the solution for everyone, and yes,
there are plenty of pre-written build-ups online and published for free, as
well as thoughful coaches who will answer your questions (I answer plenty of
questions for both clients and non-clients who seek advice)!
What I do for ongoing coaching goes deeper than that; I take into account that
home-town 10k you want to put into your buildup schedule...I figure-out what it
will take to get your weak sport up to speed and help you attain it...I take
the feedback I get from you and make constant adjustments to traininig so you
don't overdo it and risk injury, or underdo it and not get the most from
yourself. I look for the "cause" and "effect" of any scenario...look at your
work schedule and fit the training around that...perhaps most important...I get
a feel for your training "ethic," figuring-out whether you need someone to
motivate and get you "out-the-door," or if you're an obsessive-compulsive type
who doesn't know when to let up!
Also, I've make a point of meeting my remote clients...all but a few I've met
while traveling to races (or just traveling), at which time I analysed their
form in whatever discipline they requested for free.
Among the athletes I've coached are a few National and World Champions though
most don't aspire to those levels (33% of my clients are first timers
'tri-newbies'), but they are ALL driven to become better athletes whatever
their starting point may be, and that's what it's all about for me!
I for one, would love to have a good coach. I'm sore as heck because I
didn't realize that one hour of raquet ball plus 15 minutes on an elipsis
machine, plus 45 minutes fooling around in the weight room was harder on me
than a sprint! (dang, I hate getting old...)
I am going to hire a swim coach this winter, at least for long enough to get
some stoke advice. I can do the practice myself. And I would even go for
Steve's "Distance coaching" if I had the bucks. These days, it's payday to
payday with just the basics. But so what.... That's the way life is
sometimes.
If you are willing to pay for swim coaching, look into Total
Immersion. they offer a weekend of classes (was $400 when I took it) and
you come out a much better swimmer. they teach you all the necessary drills
to get you up to sped and they watch you swim and keep helping until you get
it right. they are also set up so that all levels of swimmers are
accomadated.
Somtimes things turn to shit, sometimes its good to have someone to turn too
for advice, someone that understands, sometimes its good idea to pay for
that!!!
I had heard about TI and have been meaning to check it
out. I think there is even a video which should at least get me to thinking
the right way until I can the "eye on" help of those guys. I was pretty
much amazed at how much improvement I had just by swimming long distances,
1/2 to 1 mile, down at the lake every weekend during season. I went from a
20 minutes swim time to 10:30 in three months. And even better, when I did
the 10:30 swim, I didn't even feel tired. I actually RAN to my bike, which
was another first.
