How to get coached

Coaches are important and many athletes have one…sometimes even two that work together.  They help take you to new levels and they help see your weaknesses from a different perspective.  

Generally, a coach is not only giving you a training plan, but they’ll also be following up with how each particular day or week progressed, making further adjustments as needed.  The key here is to be 100% honest in your training log.  Your coaches daily plan is a guide, but if you couldn’t finish the workout, don’t keep the full workout in your log.   It’s not shameful to tell your coach you couldn’t finish a workout, it’s important to tell them why you didn’t finish the workout and how much of it you actually did.  At the other end, perhaps things feel too easy and you want train harder.  Well don’t go out and double the workout or throw in 3 extra intervals because you felt good.  Ask your coach about it, maybe next week is going to be killer and you need to be ready by training a bit easier this week.  The most important thing is to have open, guilt free, lines of communication.  You have to be honest or you’re leaving your coach in the dark.  If your coach isn’t taking your input to heart or simply dismissing your thoughts, they aren’t doing their job properly.

It is also good to note that coaches are not necessary.  Particularly because Ironmantriathlontips.com is around!!! haha.  Only joking.  But seriously, don’t worry too much if you can’t afford a coach or don’t feel comfortable following a set plan.  There’s a lot to be said for having the freedom to wake up and train the sport you want to train on a particular day.  You’re supposed to be having fun after all.  If you decide to coach yourself, you’ve got learn quickly from your mistakes, and you have to be highly motivated to push yourself with no one else to care about what you’ve done  (perhaps a friend to brag/ be accountable to would be good).  You’ve got to learn how hard is too hard and how little is too little.  You’ve got to learn when fatigue is worth training through and you’ve got to learn when that fatigue is a sign that you need to back off.  Find your limits.