I only have experience with one on-line coach, Adam Johnston at endurancelab.ca. He was recommended by a friend who dated one of the athletes featured on his website. I trained for IM Moo with him in 2003. Although the race didn't go well for me (I did get my first ever ambulance ride, but that's another story), I felt like he took me to the next level, way beyond where I was able to get to by coaching myself. Not the most technologically sophisticated program (although it looks like he has upgraded a lot since then), but very good personal attention. He didn't seem to have any trouble relating to all the problems a working father faces in training for an IM, and accommodated me very well.

Not to downplay his workouts, training cycles, advice, etc., but for me the biggest difference was having to answer to someone. If I was debating about whether to get a few more hours of sleep or get up and do that morning workout, I had to ask myself "how can I explain this to Coach Adam?" Most times, this got me up and going...

The fact that he's in Canada also made his services a bargain with the exchange rate.

trimycoach.com...Sonni Dyer is absolutely awesome. I'm in the military and have to change my schedule all the time. He somehow always manages to get me properly trained (and rested) for my A-races. His prices are reasonable, too.

Marty Gaal at OSB.multisport. Great guy.

Kent at Active Coaching and Nutrition System (www.acnsystem.com, but i think it's being redesigned) has been great. I started under him running marathons and the transistion to multisport has been easy. He's been successful at both and is very supportive, flexible and motivational in his methods. His customization for different people has worked perfectly for me and his differentiation between training women and men is great for me. He also has a registered dietitian working with him from a nutritional aspect for the interested. His prices are very reasonable and I've been given many months free by referring others to him.

TJ



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Long-time listener, first-time caller.

 If your looking for flexbility and simplicity, Markallenonline.com is a great. Ive signed up off and on for 2 seasons and have been very pleased. Luis Vargas and Mark are very prompted to answer any emails. The training is based on heart rates. Comparisons? dont have any, but I have read workouts from CTS and its sandscript compared to MAO. Results, look how many people are going to Kona from the site. Geeeeezzz!!!

D3 Multisport has been beyond-superb for me. I have been coached by Erik Cagnina for two-and-a-half years, and my overall progress has been dramatic. I could go on and on (and did so last week in a few letters to a prospective D3 client), but for here I'll just summarize the highlights:

1.) Individualized workouts, geared to where I'm at in the cycle and where I'm heading in terms of races.
2.) Abundant ample feedback.
3.) Sincere give-and-take discussion about my goals.
4.) EVERY workout having a rationale behind it - no "garbage" miles, or the equivalent.

Beyond those quick points, there is this. It still amazes me that, as a 56-year old, I can be coached so effectively by someone who is 21 years younger than I. This was a real concern for me going into this, along with the general notion of "I am not worthy". But for anybody out there contemplating on-line coaching, the key is in yourself -- How badly do you want this, how hard are you willing to work at it, how seriously will you take the workouts. D3 stands for "Desire - Discipline - Determination", and those are words that I think about very frequently. I truly believe D3 Multisport is an exceptional coaching service, but there are many, many other good/great programs out there that will work for any athlete who can look in the mirror and see desire, discipline, and determination. Age and serious natural ability - or the lack thereof - should not deter anyone from pursuing on-line coaching, and the good programs will work effectively and successfully for any client who is willing to do the work.

Related to this is accountability, which is a supreme motivator for many of us. I live in the country and train 100% on my own, so it helps me to have someone to answer to - just to keep me in line. However, it is essential for any age-grouper with a job and family responsibilities that there is some prudent "wiggle-room" in all of this. That is, if I miss or abridge a workout, it is fully (mostly) acceptable. I think we as clients have to "prove" ourselves to our coaches early on by demonstrating that we are neither wasting their time nor our own money. (Correct me if I'm wrong about this, coaches out there.) Once this is established - once the coach knows that the client is serious and committed to the program - then I think there is some necessary flexibility that comes into play. Of the many hundreds of workouts I have done that were set for me by Erik, I have "blown-off" maybe four of them; anything else I have missed has had a good reason behind it. Really, this is almost the coaching equivalent of "a chain is only as strong as its weakst link", in that I feel that every workout has a purpose (point #4 above) and that if I miss a workout then that serves to erode or undermine the whole plan.

Finally, it just helps that Erik is a Cleveland Browns fan and Mike Ricci - the founder of D3 - is a HARDCORE Red Sox fan. You gotta trust people who live and die with the right teams!

Everything was going well until you mentioned the Red Sox ;)

Oh well..

Go Yanks,

B.

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http://www.teamorganicnyc.com
Sponsored by: TBA

B.

We have to stop meeting like this.

S.

S.

Laughed out loud when I saw your name and the Red Sox reference.

Bill Buckner is my God.

B.

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http://www.teamorganicnyc.com
Sponsored by: TBA

  Nice review. Do you mind my asking what you pay per month?

Bump, I want more feedback from my ST brethren!