Reading the ‘A bit Bitter’ post it made me wonder what you look for in a coach. Sure BS is eccentric, has a spotty moral record, isn’t good with any language but he has consistently got results.
So what do you look for in a coach then…
Andrew
Some qualities I think have made it worthwhile to work with my swim coach:
(1) Understands and can help me achieve my goals specifically (he isn’t trying to make me a 100m buttefly champion. He knows I am training for a 2.4mi swim that will be followed by a bike and run, drills/training/etc are all geared towards this).
(2) Explains how what I am doing is helping to achieve my goals (Doing this drill will help you with so-and-so…)
(3) Believes in and practices continual testing of progress (I have times for 50, 100, and 500 yard swims. Watching these times go down makes me feel better about spending the money).
One of the top triathletes of our era has no coach at all…
something to think about.
theres a lot of intertia out there to convince people that they need all sorts of services. you need a coach, you need massage, you need yoga, you need a chrio, you need a professional fit, you need a gait analysis, you need a profession shoe store to help you pick shoes
or
OR
you can just go out there and fuckin run and bike and put in the time, put in the miles, figure out your own fit and win.
=)
Reading the ‘A bit Bitter’ post it made me wonder what you look for in a coach. Sure BS is eccentric, has a spotty moral record, isn’t good with any language but he has consistently got results.
So what do you look for in a coach then…
Andrew
Makes me world-class ASAP.
One of the top triathletes of our era has no coach at all…
something to think about.
theres a lot of intertia out there to convince people that they need all sorts of services. you need a coach, you need massage, you need yoga, you need a chrio, you need a professional fit, you need a gait analysis, you need a profession shoe store to help you pick shoes
or
OR
you can just go out there and fuckin run and bike and put in the time, put in the miles, figure out your own fit and win.
=)
I agree that a coach is not needed for the athlete that has a knowledge base regarding proper training or at least someone who will take the time to learn how to develop a program.
I do think a coach is useful for the athlete that dosn’t have the knowledge to build a program or have the time to learn.
Sucess is dependent on planning and effort. A coach can not put in the effort for you but he can plan for you. I don’t use a coach and don’t plan on ever using one.
I would agree…if you have the genetics/time/resources then a coach should give you those results.
There is a certain amount of risk in changing a winning formula and it can be hard to get that mix of ingredients back to perform again.
Andrew
I need a coach to teach me how to swim
haha
One of the top triathletes of our era has no coach at all…
something to think about.
theres a lot of intertia out there to convince people that they need all sorts of services. you need a coach, you need massage, you need yoga, you need a chrio, you need a professional fit, you need a gait analysis, you need a profession shoe store to help you pick shoes
or
OR
you can just go out there and fuckin run and bike and put in the time, put in the miles, figure out your own fit and win.
=)
I agree that a coach is not needed for the athlete that has a knowledge base regarding proper training or at least someone who will take the time to learn how to develop a program.
I do think a coach is useful for the athlete that dosn’t have the knowledge to build a program or have the time to learn.
Sucess is dependent on planning and effort. A coach can not put in the effort for you but he can plan for you. I don’t use a coach and don’t plan on ever using one.
Right, it was a tongue-in-cheek way of saying that results in terms of race performance are the primary measure of the coach. But we may want other things as well, such as a reasonable fee and a personality that’s pleasant to be around.
"OR
you can just go out there and fuckin run and bike and put in the time, put in the miles, figure out your own fit and win."
Damn straight
.
The feedback I get from the few folks I work with training-wise is that they appreciate the fact that I lay everything out for them and all they need to do is execute the workouts…no planning, no chance to do something they like better, no doing too many workouts of the same style/intensity in a row…and we achieve results…verifiable, quantifiable improvements both in placing and performance metrics when it counts…on race day!
I try to be open, available and teach perspective as well as the physical aspects of the sport. I am there to push them when they need pushed and cushion the blow when they have a setback or injury; all the while keeping them focused on the long range path that is long course focused training.
Not sure I answered the question clearly but this is what I found most effective from the coaches I’ve used so I try to emulate that and I have gotten positive feedback so I continue in that fashion…
Paul
A coach should do no harm. Many coaches decrease performance. Many coaches aren’t even fun while decreasing performance. Many coaches injure their athletes while decreasing performance.
Every workout should be a fun end in itself that improves health and is part of improved performance. A coach must somehow add to that, or get away from me.