coaching...success & what type do you use?

Hi Kathy, great question. I look forward to people's answers too, as I'm interested in coaching...

What is MOP and BOP?

Middle of Pack(er) and Back of Pack(er) - I only know 'cause I are one - BOP that is

-Frank

Kathy:

Let me first apologize to all the BTers on this site who are sick and tired of hearing how excited I am about my coach and the progress I've made by using him.

Now, that out of the way coupled with the fact that I now know what MOP and BOP means....

Coaching is definately worth the money if you get a coach that will tailor the workout to your lifestyle committments and really listen to your background, focusing on places that need improvement over others.

The great benefit of being a MOP or BOP is that your performance jumps will be increadibly large if you put in the time and don't skip workouts.

I did 90% of the workouts my coach told me to do since February 2004. I mean I was fanatical (sp?). If a 5K race with my friends didn't get approval from my coach because it would not fit in my schedule, I didn't do it. If a 30 mile bike ride with a group wouldn't work in my schedule I didn't go. I followed his plan to a T (ok 90% to a T).

I basically used myself as an experiment and said: If I hire this guy and do everything thing he says, let's see if it "works"

guess what?

It did.

1. I took 40 minutes of my marathon time (4:16 down to 3:36)

2. I took an hour and 10 minutes off my 1/2 ironman time (6:20 down to 5:10)

3. My resting heartrate dropped from 56 to 45bpm

4. My running race pace at lactate threshold improved dramatically....by almost 2 minutes.

I have never used a coach before and have attempted to self-coach my race season. The problem was that I only knew what I read and suffered from the "I don't know squared" syndrome. I didn't know what i didn't know, so if I didn't read it I didn't know it.

For example, I didn't know anything about lactate threshold and why I should be using that to figure out my training HR zones and not just use the maximum heart rate method that is spoke a lot about on this site. The difference is huge and the performance increase using LT rather than MHR is potentially just as huge for MOPs and BOPs particularly.

The benefit my coach has over other coaches I looked into is that he comes from a scientific background with 8 years of pharmacology schooling (did I spell that right?) and really knows how nutrition affects the body, how muscles work, what exercises to do, and is very good at diagnosing aches and pains.

Additionally, he is quite aware of the fact that Joanna is my complete opposite and that she doesn't understand why I HAVE to do this or that workout NOW and not tomorrow so he's sensative to that.

Regardless, whatever coach you use I recommend the following:

• be sure you spend enough $$$ to have your coach tweak/update your workouts a minimum of twice a month...preferably once a week



• select your coach based on results from their clients. just because someone is a good athlete doesn't make them a good coach. additionally, just because someone is not a pro-triathlete or pro-this or pro-that doesn't mean they are a bad coach. I know a buddy of mine who was coached by a pro-triathlete (name withheld) for an ironman race and his coach didn't have him do ANY heart rate training at all! just pure volume training. wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. That is a perfect example of a good athlete being a bad coach.



• be sure he/she gets a thorough analysis of yourself and your goals before even taking you on as a coach. you don't want some coach that just takes on clients to make money in their business. you want a coach that really wants to see you become a better athlete. they're happy when you improve



• they are certified. i don't know all the mumbo jumbo certification acronyms out there, but whatever coach you're talking to ask them their certifications and then do a little reseach on what are those certifications. USAT coaches, of course, come recommended for triathlon coaching for obvious reasons.

Self coaching is great. But to really make large improvements in your fitness and performance you need someone outside yourself to create (then modify) a plan for you.

The TB is a great resource and Gale is a wonderful coach also. But the hardest part about self coaching is NOT creating a periodized plan. Anyone who reads Gale's book or the TB knows that you can create your own periodized plan with about 15-20 hours of reading and working through the analysis.

The hardest part about self coaching...and the most benefit coaches provide athletes...is the insight and appropriate modifications during the training season to these plans based on our performances, injuries, and time constraints. That's really where the value of a coach comes in and that's why I recommend to get a coach that can adjust your plans at a minimum of twice a month, but preferrably once a week.

ok.....my fingers hurt.....


Edited by Steve- 2004-11-16 4:55 PM

Steve,

Who is your coach? I'm coached by Marty Gaal and pay $60 a month.

I started training for my first tri last January, and after my last tri of my first season, I didn't quite know what to do in my off season, but I wanted to make my time productive so I hired Marty. I'm fully prepared to believe that many of my performance gains next season will be because I've trained longer and would have gotten better regardless since I only took up biking and swimming this year. But after running 29 minute 5Ks for the past five years, I got it down to 27:40 this summer, and with coaching, I just ran a 25:50 5K in 85% humidity. Not a huge difference, but I like the direction!

Overall, I am very pleased with my coach and I appreciate the training plans he provides me.

I'm newer at this than most of you, but I have a meeting with my triathlon coach for the first time tomorrow night so I will be back on here to tell you how it go's. The coach I am using actually works for the YMCA where I work out so she is free for members. She also leads clinics and group workouts for the local Tri club at the Y which are free for me as a member of the YMCA. When I talked to her the other night she told me we would work out a schedule around my life which if you know me is busier than most... She also said she would be avaliable to meet with me every couple of weeks to go over my training log book and make changes as needed. They also have a Nutritionist (is that what you call them) avaliable at the Y for free as well and I am planning on visiting him after I meet with the coach if she is not able to answer my questions well enough.

The YMCA is a swingin deal if you have one near you you should check it out. I have been to many gyms like Ballys, 24hr fitness, and several smaller independant gyms and never had half the support or resources avaliable that the Y offers.

I'll keep you all posted as to how this works out. It sounds too good to be true, and I dont know if every Y is as good as the one near me, but my understanding was that these services are prety standard accross the country.

Although I would consider myself to be self-coached, in the past year I have attended a couple of clinics and group workouts with the local tri club. The clinics were particularly helpful with my transitions and overall race tactics.
I also have a friend who is an accomplished masters swimmer who has helped with some tips and advice on my freestyle form.
Most helpful has been one of my fellow employees, an enthusiastic, experienced triathlete, who has offered many suggestions and much encouragement during the past year.
I will most likely join the local tri club next year - I have been too intimidated up to this point, but am feeling more confident since I have gotten a couple of races under my belt.
Although I think more coaching would certainly help, my main objective at this point in my fledgling tri career is more base training in all of the disciplines.

My coach is Brett Petersen and his fees vary depending on what you use him for. His pricing varies because he coaches one on one swimming, coahes a triathlon club, and does individual training schedules so it really depends.

He does lactate testing for the bike and run and also provides supplement/nutritional advice for training as well as racing. I never realized how important antioxidents (sp?) were during base training especially, until I trained under him.


Edited by Steve- 2004-11-16 10:51 PM

Steve,

You are one of the people I recall who has improved greatly with a coach...which is part of the reason I asked the question.

I'm glad you shared in detail how your coach has helped you and it is impressive.

I have checked out some coaching sites and have almost choked at price....you could buy a great new bike every year with the cost. The lower cost online coaching I'm not sure how helpful they are and how it compares to following a book. Some seem just a fancy computerized program that you submit info about where you are and what days you want to do xxx and that type seems to cost aabout $50-100 a month.

I ask to help learn and see what others have used successfully and maybe what to avoid.

I went to weekly run training with a triathlon coach and had bad experience and he is an approved coach. He had good ideas but doing speed work wasn't probably good for me since I needed to build my base. I wouldn't want to committ to spending a lot of money unless I knew I would be helped and would improve and it would be a good working relationship.

Kathy

Kathy:

I totally agree with you. I shopped around for coaches also (just like I did for Joanna's diamond ring years ago) before I decided on one.

"Coaches are peoplee too" and personality/theory conflicts do happen but I'm sure that didn't discourage you.

Another BTer just started using my coach and I told him, like I mentioned in my post, that he should do all the workouts because each and EVERY workout has a plan and purpose.

I don't know why I didn't get a coach sooner. I just felt coaches were for elite athletes and stuff.

Anyway, I was extremely interested in my self "experiment" with my new coach last year but now I'm really interested in what this next year will bring and how I will fair in the IM experience I've signed up for....only time (and a lot of work) will tell.

Keep us posted on what you do and how your "shopping" goes.

Besides, Lance may not be a very good coach anyway.

Yeah, I bet he's expensive.

Besides, I'd much rather go and have John Cobb do the WT test for $250...much cheaper I'm sure and just as effective.