Athletes and coaches come in all
shapes and sizes! Most of us enter
triathlon without a coach but with a little trial-and-error and some good
friends to guide us, we decide if we like the sport enough to formally pay a
coach. However, when you reach this
milestone make sure to do your homework!
Not all coaches are created equal!
When I
first decided I wanted a coach, my criteria was to find someone who was fast at
the specific race distance I wanted to focus on. However, I learned that this should NOT be
the only criteria you consider when looking for a good coach. You cannot solely rely on certification
either. Alternatively, just because a
coach hasn’t raced the specific distance you are interested in doesn’t mean
he/she is not a good coach for that distance.
Below are a few of the important criteria I’ve learned make a GOOD coach
for me:
-
Train with them.
If they are not available for you to interview and/or observe in a group
session when you are considering hiring them, then they may not be available
for you after you hire them.
-
How do they interact with their athletes? Assuming most coaches have multiple options
for levels of support; do all athletes of a given level get the promised
attention? As a beginner, it is
especially important for coaches to pay attention since the athlete is still
learning a lot and may not know what to ask of a coach.
-
How does the coach track/record your progress
throughout the season, or do they?
-
Does your coach help analyze your specific
strengths and weaknesses (e.g. I’ve had back issues so my coach gave me
specific injury-prevention workouts to do along with my race-specific
workouts).
-
Does successful completion of your coach’s
workouts make you feel more confident?
-
Does your coach listen and modify workouts based
on how you feel (e.g. worn down may mean still recovering from a harder effort)
as to avoid overtraining and possible injury?
-
Do the athletes of the coach tend to stay
injured? Or healthy?
-
Will your coach tell you the truth even though
it may not be what you want to hear?
-
Do the athletes of the coach set personal
records (assuming they actually follow the prescribed workouts of the coach) or
make little or no progress?
Here’s a specific example:
I trained with a group of friends,
one of which is a coach, for a few months – we all started our long runs from
the same location, but I was not formally coached. This coach would share some knowledge with me
since I was there, and I’d get to see how her athletes progressed. I actually wasn’t even considering getting a
coach at first, but I started getting injured (hamstring troubles) and wasn’t
getting faster at my goal distance. I
knew I needed help and I saw her athletes getting faster without getting
injured. We met over dinner one night to
discuss what I’ve been doing to train/race the last few years and what she
could do for me as a coach. I was
floored! I was so impressed! She shared some examples of the resources she
has access to and uses and how she planned to use them for me. She took the time to learn about me
personally to help better prepare me as an athlete (e.g. I get sooooo skeerd
before races that I make other people uncomfortable). She’s already making ground on lessening my
pre-race anxiety! In fact, at Albany
Half Marathon, I remember her example of a race picture which showed a bunch of
guys with serious faces all starring at their watches and a single guy with a
relaxed grin. This guy was the one who
won! On race day morning, I continually
thought of my race plan – just stick to the plan. I thought of my preparation leading up to
the race – I’d run this fast already in training – I can do this! A few girls ran past me early on, but I stuck
to the plan. I was happy regardless as
long as I stuck to the plan.
Unexpectedly, I caught them in the back ½ of the race to earn 3rd
overall female because I stuck to the plan!
My coach’s plan for my success!
She helps me to feel more confident about myself and there is an amazing
camaraderie among all of her athletes – I truly feel I am part of a Team!
