Do You Need a Coach? It Depends!

There are a lot of training plans online that are free or cheap. Why would I need a coach?

I’m not a pro, I just want to get faster and have fun. So, I don’t need a coach, right?

The answer to these is something you hear often from coaches: IT DEPENDS (but you probably would benefit from having a coach). IT DEPENDS is one of coaching’s most used phrases, because rarely can a coach give a direct answer without digging a little deeper.

Is a certain training volume right for you? It depends on your background, your training tools, possible previous injuries, your recovery strategy, your work schedule, your family or social commitments and so much more. All of these things need to be weighed when creating and executing a training plan. An experienced coach will weigh all these things, create a plan AND help you execute that plan, and adjust and pivot accordingly when life happens - and it so often does.

Here are five questions I ask athletes when they ask if I think they need a coach:

Do you think you will be able to follow a plan as written 100% of the time, with no need to make any schedule changes, swap workouts, ask questions, or take unscheduled days off? 

If the answer to any part of this question is no, then you would benefit from coaching. Really, we could almost stop here! A good coach doesn’t just give you a generic plan and walk away - they are with you every step of the way. This frees YOU, the athlete, to focus on the workout itself and bring your best to that.

Do you need an individualized plan?

The answer is a question, Are you an individual? If you have a busy and/or complicated life, having someone to help guide you when you need to change a workout and can help you get the most effective workout for your time is key. You would benefit from coaching.

During the throes of the pandemic, a doctor I coached messaged to say they had just spent 36 hours at the hospital but would “make up for all the workouts they missed right away.” I responded that they needed to sleep for at least 8 hours first, then do one specific workout, and then message me and we’d come up with a plan for the rest of the week based on how that went. While this may seem like an extreme example, endurance athletes tend towards perfectionism, and I hear variations on this OFTEN.

Are you equally strong in all disciplines of triathlon, including race nutrition, strength, mobility recovery, and mental endurance?

If you felt prepared for your last race, but bonked hard and suffered through the run, or overcooked the bike and had to walk the marathon, you would likely benefit from coaching. If you tend to nail your swim, bike, and run workouts, but NEVER focus on mobility, recovery, or your mental game and it shows on race day, a coach can help you find time in your training schedule for these critical disciplines that can help YOU show up better and healthier on race day.

Do you have an Athlete Mission Statement?

This one is a little unusual, even amongst coaches. Most people have GOALS, and those can be easy to throw down - a specific split, pace, or place. But when motivation is low, and it will be at times, what is really motivating you as an athlete? Do you want to get as fast as you can but also ensure that you spend quality time with your family? Do you want to give back to the sport? Inspire others?

Your coach knowing your mission can help when you’re at a crossroads - and will know when it’s ok to shut down training and load up with things that give you joy and help you be a better all-around athlete. They can help you keep your eye on the prize- and remind you what that prize really is.

Can you be 100% objective when looking at your life, your data, and your discomfort?

For myself, this could be the only question. When athletes ask me, a coach, why they need a coach, I often answer with why I myself NEED a coach. After all, I’m a coach with multiple certifications. If I’m good at my job, WHY would I need a coach? Objectivity.

There are many professions where your objectivity is compromised when you are too close to the subject matter. Surgeons not only cannot operate on themselves, for good reason, but also not on close family members. So too, it’s very hard for a coach to coach themselves. Some people can be incredibly clinical and objective when it comes to their data, but most cannot. As a coach, I still need someone to tell me when I can push harder, or need to shut down and take a rest day, or move a run and bike because I overdid it a little. Or that maybe I missed those intervals because I was tired and not because I am no good at this!

Finding a coach you trust means having someone who can silence your inner critic, or at least tell it when it’s being overly dramatic. Having another perspective can help you unlock a better version of yourself, as an athlete and more.

Want to get better results from your training? Let’s go, together.