and do you use them year round, just for the season or just to get prepared for your A race?
Nope
.
No.
Nick, I about fell out of my chair laughing at your tag line.
No, I dont, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn!
Yep and all year. I’m generally pretty lazy so if I don’t have a schedule to get my butt out the door, I won’t. Plus in the off-season I’m working on my weaknesses so want and need his input.
ST is my coach.
Ditto what Cray said. I am lazy and need work on my running. I am thinking of hiring a whole team of coaches. One for Biking, one for swimming, two or three for running, a transition coach, a dietician and a dating coach(really need this one). My brother is a coach so I get his help for free.
It really helps to have someone telling you to get out there and train. Especially on those rainy days that you want to just go back to bed.
Yup!
Yes, ME!!!
I do this for fun. I don’t need somebody to tell me what, when and how. I do what I want everyday!
I don’t, I just add volume.
yes
year round mostly, though we are taking a little break until the first of the year
clm
.
No, but if I had some extra money I’d probably pay for one at least through part of the season.
No.
So many resources now it seems like overkill unless you’re new to the sport, a nutjob (thinking you’re never doing enough or improving fast enough) or get injured very easily.
Absolutely.
I find that having an objective person who understands my goals is critical to development.
As a coach, I’m not so egotistical as to believe I know everything. Having a coach makes me a better athlete and a better coach.
Cheers,
Jonathan C. Puskas
Yes, but only for my A race. Unless you count the master’s swim coaches in which case I see them 2 or 3 times a week year round 
No. I have been coached as a cyclist by Chris Carmichael, The late Dan Brown, Walter Gobelewski, Pierre and Eddie B. but I am not anymore.
I’ve mentioned this before on here. I don’t have a high degree of faith in the U.S. Triathlon coaching system. There is no *real *universally (nationally) accredited coaching curriculum and certification. USAT has several levels and that is a good start, but it isn’t enough to reliably verify the training, qualifications and credentials of everyone who calls themselves “coach” in the U.S.
Consequently, you and I can be coaches by visiting the local Kinko’s and printing up some business cards.
That is a problem. It is especially a problem for the real, good coaches who are out there who do have an exercise physiology background and know the sport. Many of the better coaches in the sport I’ve actually seen on this forum.
Also, I enjoy trying to learn as much as possible about the technical aspects of training and racing on my own, so I have always tried to be a student of sport as Cycling Hall of Famer Mike Walden (another famous U.S. cycling Coach who produced multiple Tour de France stage winners, finishers, Olympic medalists and too many World champions to count) said.
You bet. I can’t imagine training without one. I know there are many successful athletes that do, but I think having one can make a huge difference in terms of accelerating your growth within the sport. Sure you can mess around on your own and maybe over a period of years get things right. I’d rather have a coach that has already learned those lessons.
I’ve tried with a couple…one was a local star with exercise physiology degrees, and another time was an on-line attempt. But, I never can keep a schedule that allows me to do any workout schedule that I’ve ever seen. So, I go it alone…and hence have helped many others out that are in my boat…we seem to do OK, I’ve been to races where three of us that train in our haphazard, do-it-when-you-can-fit-it-in style took the top three places in the whole field! It just depends upon your needs and experience as to whether a coach will help or not…THEN, you have to get a coach that matches your individual requirements.
I don’t use a coach, except for specific things, like learning to swim properly.
For me, part of the challenge of this whole Triathlon thing is learning to do it on my own, teaching myself about cycling, nutrition, etc. Plus, just buying all the equipment is enough to put me in the poor house, without tacking on any additional expenses!