I will say this for me, I NEVER would have been able to accomplish what I have without a coach. NEVER EVER, EVER. There are just too many training nuances and pitfalls and wasted time for me to have been able to do it myself. I don't think it's about putting in the time. I think it's about putting in the time at the correct intensity for the appropriate duration for the workout, again and again. All this in a rhythm and progression. That was way too many moving pieces for me to figure out and do everyday.
The tri coach search went like this. I made a list of questions, some like these: Have you fired an athlete, why? Cost? Contract? Openings? TP, Excel, Race Day? Weekly scheduling? Limits on contact? Train with HR? Is a PM required? I used the search function here on ST. I asked around locally for referrals. I probably compiled a list of 7-8 names. I contacted them all via email to set up phone call appointments. I had one email me back saying he had no openings, great, one down. After narrowing the list from the interviews I used the search function and read probably 50 pages of posts from Jonny. I determined that we shared training philosophies. A friend of mine, Matt Barcus, had met Jonny at a training camp and told me that he was very impressed by him. Jonny had an opening and we decided to team up.
The swim coach thing was a little more trying. I had done 3 one hour swim evaluations that didn't really produce any results. I hired one swim coach a while back. She taught me how to swim a swim workout, but really didn't teach me how to swim. I have swam with an all inclusive tri team weekly in the winter, but receive no technical input there. Knowing that swimming was my weak link, prior to IMLou 2016 I started to amass a list of names from local referrals of swim coaches. I was going to find one that helped me. I'm black or white, no gray area for me. I asked a really nice Olympic trials swimmer for help, he in turn referred me to a swim coach. That's how I found him. He helped a lot. I also reached a point of diminished returns with him. I had kind of blown off the video review offer that Jonny had made to me. I figured how could he see anything that my coach on the deck was missing. Ya, I should have sent Jonny a video way prior to when I did. Live and learn. Be methodical.
The tri coach search went like this. I made a list of questions, some like these: Have you fired an athlete, why? Cost? Contract? Openings? TP, Excel, Race Day? Weekly scheduling? Limits on contact? Train with HR? Is a PM required? I used the search function here on ST. I asked around locally for referrals. I probably compiled a list of 7-8 names. I contacted them all via email to set up phone call appointments. I had one email me back saying he had no openings, great, one down. After narrowing the list from the interviews I used the search function and read probably 50 pages of posts from Jonny. I determined that we shared training philosophies. A friend of mine, Matt Barcus, had met Jonny at a training camp and told me that he was very impressed by him. Jonny had an opening and we decided to team up.
The swim coach thing was a little more trying. I had done 3 one hour swim evaluations that didn't really produce any results. I hired one swim coach a while back. She taught me how to swim a swim workout, but really didn't teach me how to swim. I have swam with an all inclusive tri team weekly in the winter, but receive no technical input there. Knowing that swimming was my weak link, prior to IMLou 2016 I started to amass a list of names from local referrals of swim coaches. I was going to find one that helped me. I'm black or white, no gray area for me. I asked a really nice Olympic trials swimmer for help, he in turn referred me to a swim coach. That's how I found him. He helped a lot. I also reached a point of diminished returns with him. I had kind of blown off the video review offer that Jonny had made to me. I figured how could he see anything that my coach on the deck was missing. Ya, I should have sent Jonny a video way prior to when I did. Live and learn. Be methodical.