and that’s exactly the point I don’t find interesting.
My focus is on creating a net plus : athletes who are fitter, more aware, and capable of performing better — including improving their professional outcomes.
If the work doesn’t create meaningful growth or a real net benefit, I’m not interested . Making money from people ‘just playing’ is exactly what I did not like from day one and I consider useless work.
By the title, I kinda thought this thread would be about “when to cut the leader, let an athlete go, and take their trucker hat back?”
But it’s really “do I still want to do this?” vs “do I still want to do this with you?”
I’ve had a couple of marathon “coaches” in my life and I did OK with them. I say “coaches” because they were non-paid friends who simply offer advice, and training schedules, which I pretty much ignored
“Ignored” might be harsh; I simply took what they gave me, then overdid it by 10-20%
Neither of them offered to help anyone ever again, as far as I know. I’m still friends with one of them; I’ve lost touch with the other
Example: This conversation from a few years ago, pretty much sums it up
Saturday
Rand: I ran 7 miles, when I was supposed to take the day off
Coach: What’dya do that for?
R: It was nice out
C: Oh, okay. Take tomorrow off then
R: I’ll try
Sunday
R: I ran 8 instead of the 6 on my schedule
C: You ran 7 yesterday, no?
R: Yep
C: Are you trying to hurt yourself? LOL
R: No, I don’t think so
Okay. So this is how my brain works.
D’Girls decided to do the grocery shopping for me. Why? I don’t know; I must have done something right this week.
So I figured, while they were out, I could get a run in.
But, with time to kill and a light rain, I felt I needed to do something.
So, I figured, an easy 4 would be nice.
At the 2-mile turnaround, the voice in my head said - “You have 6 on your plan for today. Go for it”
At the 3-mile turnaround - “You did 7 yesterday; try it again”
Half a mile later - “You know … 8 today would make a 30 mile week”
Another half a mile later - “Go home knucklehead. You’re gonna need to put those groceries away. Otherwise, nothing’s gonna be in the right place.”
I’m a case. Sorry.
C: How do you feel?
R: Pretty good
C: How’s the hamstring?
R: Yeah, I think I figured that out! It’s from the way I was stretching while hanging laundry on the line. I made some adjustments, and it’s fine.
C: You got a step-ladder? LOL You going to take tomorrow off?
R: I’ll try
C: *~sigh~ *
I would’ve gotten myself fired, and forfeited my Trucker Hat
I’ve posted this conversation that I’ve had IRL a time or two, elsewhere around here, when people ask me “Hey - you’re a Runner, right?”
“I’ve been accused of that, yes"
“Can you coach me to do a 5K?”
“I’m the last person you should ask”
“But you run a lot, don’t you?”
“Yeah, more than what some people consider ‘reasonable.’ But I’m weird. Running is weird. I would avoid it if I were you."
I’m sorry, all of that is probably 0% helpful - or less
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that’s very helpful to get me out of coaching lol
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And that story above is exactly WHY I need a coach that understands me. Pushes me when I need to be (so many Training peaks sets I read and know they are too much of a stretch on pace/power, then get out there and nail them despite, admittedly in a pool of sweat and snot…) but the other side is when I want to go and do a long / hard set and the plan is 5km easy pace then I do work hard to do that knowing that my coach is way smarter than me at knowing what my body needs. He is also smart enough to know I always add 1km on to all my runs, so if he sees the distance match the TP then he checks to see what was going on.
Really I pay him for knowing when and how many easy days and rest days to programme (technically I have no rest days, but for a different thread), not the hard day sets.
Well even if you get an athlete to maximize performance, it’s still all playing in a sense that society can function with zero athletes doing sport. Doing sport by definition is just organized playing. But it’s not wrenching at a factory, harvesting wheat, hanging off an electricity pole to reverse the outage from the last storm. I think it is great when people can generate a living off optional/non essential things (and sport is not the only non essential thing out there).
My point is, that generally those in mission critical industries just get paid more as they do something that society can’t do without When I was in the semiconductor industry, all my team got paid waaaay more than all but a few pro triathletes on the planet. And they should be because without chips, modern society croaks, but without a pro or age group athlete, society just marches on as if nothing happened.
That’s why I am saying that if you have established a reasonable living that involves “play” of any kind, it’s a really fortunate place to be in. Linked to that it MAY not pay that awesome. So the question is what one wants.
Reading this and your replies I think you already know the answer.
If there is ever any doubt, then there isn’t any.
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I appreciate your reply. Doubt is normal when you care — it shows you’re engaged enough to question and improve. I lean far more toward improving than quitting.
This is the good thing about ST on the surface it’s a rough place but if you go a bit more in depth, i got a lot of very good replies in DMs
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Fair enough, your posts do t come across that way.
I don’t think what I said was rough at all, was genuine and truthful. Glad you received what you’re looking for in DMs, all the best.
Sorry , just to be clear i did not mean your comment was rough, at all.
It was more a general point of view and i knew the good advice would likely come from DM s
I should add one more thing.
I don’t know how old you are, I don’t know what nest egg you have built up for eventually when you retire, I don’t know your family obligations financially and I don’t know your runway to retirement and if you keep doing what you are doing now, you can put away enough to sustain yourself in the future, so that MAY factor into your decision making (or not).
Most people have to financially do something they really would prefer to not do if they are financially independent and don’t have to work. It sounds like you are doing something you really like to do and with some modifications, if financially you don’t need to do those other things, staying put with modifications may be the best path. But if you have financial constraints, that may pre determine the path to take
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cheers,and yes thats good advise, I am solid there.