Do I need a Coach?

I recently got an email from an associate asking for some advice as she gets ready for Ironman Kansas 70.3. Her situation is not unique, so I felt some info about her and my response might be of interest to others, so here it is:

Bit of Background:

She is the mother of a young child, is married to a supportive husband. They both have strong athletic backgrounds - marathons etc., but this is her first 70.3. She shared that she was feeling overwhelmed and was very busy with work, family and other commitments. She also stated, "I am getting little bits of information from everywhere. It's hard to make sense of it all and put it into practice." She went on to explain that she had a "plan" but was already concerned about it. "It's kind of like training for my first marathon, fear of the unknown." She wrapped up the email with, "I'm not sure that I need coaching, I just have a lot of questions."

My Response:

Dear ____,

Interesting that you say you don't need coaching yet you are overwhelmed, confused and afraid. Isn't answering questions and reducing anxiety part of what a coach does? The main reasons people hire me are so they don't have to figure it all out on their own and, as my motto says, they arrive at the start line "confident to go the distance".
My advice would be, if you developed or picked a plan then commit to it and be 100% confident in it. If you aren't sure about it before you even start then its not the right plan for you, that anxiety will only grow as you do your training. I believe for an athlete to succeed they must have confidence in three things, without all three the chances for success are greatly reduced:

1. Themselves
2. The Plan
3. The Coach

There are a lot of resources out there - too many. I have worked with athletes that want to try every new thing they read on some random website or in an article in Triathlete Magazine. My job as their coach is to keep them focused on the task at hand and have them commit to their training rather than spend time reading blogs or articles with lots of conflicting "advice".
With that said, the best book on long course triathlon training is Going Long by Gordo Bryn. I have followed Gordo's career as an athlete and coach for many years. I spent a week with him at a training camp last summer and I agree with his coaching philosophy. I recommend his book to any 70.3 or IM athlete looking for more knowledge. But, though reading a book can be helpful, trying to put the concepts into practice for yourself for an event that is less than 5 months away is another thing altogether.
I had suggested earlier that you consider taking advantage of the Kansas 70.3 training plan I have put together for KC Multisport members, I continue to encourage you to do so. If we work together to achieve your goals the anxiety will fade and your questions about what, how much, when, how often, how hard etc. will start to be answered.
Regards,

Ken

Tips for the New Year

Been discussing goals and plans with a lot of athletes lately so wanted to post up some ideas that I believe are very relevant for this time of year.

1. Set believable and achievable goals – Have a look at your past logs (hopefully you have kept one, if not see point # 2) and your race results. You can certainly improve your performance by training smarter, getting others to help you and improving your knowledge. But if you want to go faster or further then you will also need to figure out how to train longer and stronger. Do you have more time to commit to your training? If not, then planning on smashing your PRs might not be realistic. Ultimately you will need to put time in the saddle, on the road and in the pool if you want to improve.


2. Create and follow a structured plan – To get where you want to go you need a map; the same is true if you want to arrive at your “A” race completely ready to perform at your best. The plan must factor in your work and family schedules, your “B” and “C” priority races, your strengths and weaknesses as an athlete, as well as your past experiences. Once the plan is made you need to follow it, but be willing to make adjustments along the way as necessary. You also need to log what you are doing so you can see what went right and what needs improvement.


3. Work on technique now – Once your training gets hard and heavy you will have less time and desire to focus on the finer points of swimming, biking and running. So now is the time to have someone film your swim stroke and provide pointers. Concentrate on pedaling complete circles while sitting on trainer. If your bike is not comfortable this is the time to get a new one or add some new parts and get re-fit on your existing steed. As for the run, work on improving turnover and minimizing the time your foot is on the ground. Most top runners can maintain 90 steps per minute or better.


4. Focus on becoming a “balanced” triathlete – By which I mean, focus on your weakness. Look at how you compared to others in your Age Group in the three disciplines and determine in which event you are losing the most when compared with others. Then concentrate on being stronger physically and mentally in that event. (A note for those who believe it is "okay" to ignore poor swim performances – swimming is technique based, you can improve your speed and efficiency relatively easily as compared to the other sports by improving your flexibility and balance in the water. See tip #3 then stop giving up time to your competitors by putting yourself through a four-week heavy swimming technique phase in the winter, your riding and running will have plenty of time to get in line before your first race)


5. Don’t be a “January Champion” - Too often people train really hard in January and February only to be mentally burned out or physically injured long before the real race season gets under way. Unless you are training for New Orleans 70.3 or some other early event, there is no reason to be logging big miles and high intensity sessions over the winter months. Instead save the motivation and desire for May, June & July, when you really should be working hard and training long. Being really fit on Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean you will be that much more fit on the 4th of July. The health clubs and spin classes are full of people who don’t miss a session in January but are no where to be seen in June.