When to Hire a Coach
Triathlon has always had a do-it-yourself mentality. In fact, this mentality is part of what attracted me to the sport over two decades ago. In the early years of racing triathlon, I had so much fun trying to figure things out on my own. It took time, energy, and effort as this was before all of the triathlon related material available on youtube and instagram. After serious research and trial and error, I would put together my training plan and make adjustments as I muddled through training. Most of the time it was enjoyable. Sometimes I felt like a mad scientist, testing different things out on myself: a new homemade hydration mix, homemade bars and gels, and different training modalities.
After a while, the fun of figuring things out started to wear off for a variety of different reasons (some of which I mention below). If you are serious about triathlon, then hiring a coach can be a significant game changer. A coach can help you achieve your goals faster, maintain motivation for training, and avoid injuries, and improve your overall performance. If you are thinking about hiring a coach, here are some reasons why it might be time to reach out to schedule a phone call.
When generic plans don’t work with your schedule. Generic plans are great for generic results and you are far from generic. You are unique! And your weekly schedule likely reflects that as work and life commitments ebb and flow each week throughout the year. Or maybe you have a training schedule planned out, but then an emergency pops up at work, or one of your kids gets sick, or you are traveling and the hotel only has a some random weights and a weird, old exercise bike.
When you are coming back from injury or have specific restrictions. Some of the most enjoyable coaching experiences I have had come from working with athletes returning to sport after injury or have dietary or physical restrictions. These athletes tend to be highly motivated and excited to do their best within their limitations. A quality coach will help design a training plan that helps you thrive!
When your performance plateaus. This right here is the main reason every time I hired a coach. My training was going well, I was fit and fresh, and then my race day performance was practically the same as before. It is disappointing when your race results don’t reflect all the hard work and effort you have put into your training and preparation. Often times, performance plateaus because we aren’t able to be objective with ourselves. A coach can be objective and can make tweaks to your training to help you get better.
When you want to transition confidently to longer events and have limited time. Maybe you’ve completed a few sprint and olympic distance races over the past few years, but now you are thinking about racing a 70.3 or Full Ironman and you also have limited training time. A coach will help you focus your training and make the most of your limited time.
When you want to qualify for prestigious events. Going from completing to competing is a big step. Going from competing to qualifying is a big jump. A coach can help you make that step or jump faster than if you are going it alone.
The best advice I ever received as an age group triathlete who has qualified for World Championships was, “Hire the best coach you can afford, not the cheapest one you can find.” If triathlon performance is important to you, then it ought to be reflected in your coaching. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at jim.rowe@playtri.com.
Jim Rowe is a Playtri Level 5 Coach and Coach Education Lead, a USAT LI Certified Coach, an NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and an Ironman and 70.3 World Championship Qualifier who works with adult athletes who are chasing PRs, moving up to long course racing, or want to qualify for a world championship. Learn more about Jim at www.playtri.com/jim-rowe.