Ah Robert, get out of the Midwest!! Then you'll go back and really won't give a hoot about what the neighbors think. In fact, you may realize it's GOOD to be a little different. At Christmas, I went with my mom to her water aerobics class thing three times and I was introduced to every person saying, "She does those Ironman triathlons." (with definite pride in Mom's voice)

Now, about a coach....why not? Do old tennis players or golfers still work with the club house pro? Come to California and you'll find pretty much most of triathletes (of all ages) either already working with a coach, considering it, or bugging their tri club to set up a training program for X race. It's really quite normal here. And, there are lots of fast (and not so fast) people at the races in your age group.

For me, I have-assed my way through some sprints, an Olympic distance and a half ironman, but I needed a plan to complete an IM, and I didn't want to sit down and figure it out for myself. Therefore, use a coach. Best thing I ever did. I currently do not have one since it was either a coach or a brand new truck, but I do have a few folks I can consult with. But, I'll have one again in the future.

Take the plunge! I think you'll be glad you did. And, he/she would have probably kept you from feeling blasted by the weights. ha

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I have to second the recommendation for Allan at http://www.smartsportintl.com . I've been working with him for almost a year now and have really come around to his way of thinking. It took some convincing as he really focuses on quality over quantity. Not to mention I have been continuously surprised at his availability. Calls and email are answered same day without fail. Workouts are generally given on a two week basis, but if something comes up he will change them on the fly. To say he is reasonably priced would be an understatement.



Mark S.

Dan's point number 8 ... capped at a dozen athletes is the most critical one I think. I have been doing the tri-thing for 13 years and was a competitive runner for 12 years prior to that and always train/coach myself. I am considering getting a coach this year. I have had a good deal of success just training myself (a couple of sub 10 ironman races and lots of age group wins in shorter distances) but I think that a coach might help me put the pieces together more subjectively and scientifically than I do myself. The reason that I think that having a coach with a small number of athletes under their wing is important is that when you go with the "large commercial" coaching systems you are just getting a pre-packaged program in most cases. I've seen some of these and they are no different than what I do now. A coach that you communicate with regularly and get feedback from will provide that extra bit of knowledge or insight into your training that you miss yourself. I believe that I read a Tinley quote that was something about most multisport athletes don't need a coach to tell them what to do, they need a coach to tell them what not to do. You only get this type of attention when your coach has a small stable of athletes.

That said .... I still haven't decided on whether to get a coach or just hammer out another season and rely on family/work responsibilities to keep me from overdoing it. When I have a detailed plan I tend to get a little too obsessive-compulsive ..... rare in triathletes :)

In response to Allen's post:

there are basically three types of Multisport coaching business' out there:

1) the full time independents, like myself and Julianne White to name a few. This is what we do full time.

2) the part time independents, they work a full time job during the day and come home and between other duties, coach on the side.

3) the big boys, CTS, Mutlisports.com etc.

so when someone says they keep a light load so that they can concentrate more on a few individual clients, see if they are doing this full time, or as a side to their full time job. There is a big difference. The coach that works with 10 clients after he/she is done working an 8 hour day is different from the coach that is working with double or triple that, but that is their full time job. Numbers don't always dictate level of service.

There are good coaches available in all three types of services, and there are some that aren't. It is a very individual thing. I know from this side, I have some clients that I work very well with, and I have had some clients that just were not a good fit in my system. No one coach works great for every single person. Find the fit that is best for you. Ask a lot of questions, expect to give feedback. Unless you are looking for a prepackaged program (some are), if the potential coach isn't interested in your feedback, your schedule outside of training, and doesn't seem to answer your questions, move on.

That being said, I have only worked with one triathlon specific coach ever. She's married to some old recluse guy that lives in the mountains. It was years ago before the market exploded with coaches, and I was very happy with the services recieved.

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Mike Plumb, TriPower MultiSports
Professional Running, Cycling and Multisport Coaching, F.I.S.T. Certified
http://www.tripower.org

Robert, this is my second tri(y) at triathlon as I quit in '85 and started all over in '01. I was 63 when I started again and haven't looked back. I think I need a coach as I want to be as competitive as I can be and as the sage Yogi said,"if you don't win, you lose." It sure is fun trying to catch the Don Ardells, Jimmy Flemings and Bob Alts of this world. It is also fun to catch one of your 40 year old friends in a race. Let Ms White or Mr. Plumb see if she/he can get that "aged" body to catch up with that fertile mind.I think I will give Mike a call when I get to SF for Valentines Day.

Bob Sigerson

one thing... i was not precisely correct in what i wrote on this point (i have been corrected by the coach herself). she WAS capped at a dozen, but has since relieved herself of certain other time-consuming obligations and now has upped that number (i don't know, 15 or 16, i'm not sure).

but the point remains the same. you only have so many hours in the day as a coach. if you are yourself in training, and you have camps, and other coaches you supervise, and office people you supervise, and you also coach, it's a tough go. some things fall through the cracks i think.

in that sense i think it's like being an artist. once you have a lot of other business obligations on your plate, it's hard to create your art.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

As Dan says, JulieAnne has freed up her schedule a bit this
year, and so she will be able to take more than 12 athletes in her full-time roster. Additionally, she's now able to offer some one-on-one work with athletes who visit her in Southern California. She also handles a handful of "special cases" each year, like her now well-known work with Peter Reid. And she's agreed to take the likes of *me* on again, in an advisory way, as I work through a challenge I've laid out for myself this year. So while I won't be coached by JulieAnne, I'm thrilled to say I'll have her advice. She's working with Melissa Spooner as she makes a comeback this year, too, after a year spent caring for her husband, Chris. And she's working with John Dermengian, a challenged athlete who is working to qualify for Kona. Those are just a few, but that should give you an idea of the range of athletes that JulieAnne can reach.

Amy White
Seaside, CA

Well, here goes the BIG ADVENTURE!!!! I started my first day with JulieAnne as my coach!!!! I have used numerous other coaches in the past. But there was something that "struck" me about using JulieAnne as a coach. I do not know what it was but, I am looking forward to having her working with me this season (and more???)!!!



Jim

I also have used Sonni Dyer @ TriMyCoach.com. He was a lot of helping in beefing up my running leg and overall endurance, but what I liked best was his good grasp of the work/recovery cycle. There was a weekly day off, and on that day each week I was really, really glad to have it. In between those, I never ever felt too run down to do the day's scheduled session.

Just thought I'd share my experience with coach Mike Ricci. www.d3multisport.com ... while I am new to the sport, he is not. He has a diverse group of clients, from Hawaii finishers to novices. What I've found is that he has the experience as a coach to focus on what I need. He introduced me to new training concepts that helped me shave time off my marathon and safely finish a 1/2 irondistance - with a good time to top it all off! I found his email and phone attention to be a great balance and value. His methods are simple enough for me to follow and challenging enough to keep me motivated. He has several levels of service which makes his program attractive for every budget (if I can swing it ... anyone can). The results are there if you follow the plan![reply]

Interesting discussion! Here in Denmark I can just join a specifik local triathlon club and receive a personal program from our former national coach who lead Peter Sandvang to three long distance world championchips, victory at IM NZ and more. The coach himself has won the worlds toughest IM in Embrun, France.

Well, lucky me :-)



Regards





Martin

you are lucky. gabor kloczl is one of the premier long-distance coaches in the world.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman