Advice on getting the most from riding with a coach?

I have a gift certificate that I need to use soon that will allow me to get some testing (LT, VO2, bike fit) and/or several hours with a coach on the bike. I'm leaning towards coach time and away from at least full testing since I'm not a racer and don't see that I'd ever repeat them. (field tests, sure, but probably not an indoor lab type test.) And I had a fit last year and feel pretty good with that.

I'm an intermediate road rider, plenty of experience doing solo rides and events, but certainly no expert. I'm also way less fit than I usually am by now in the season, and plenty intimidated by the idea of riding with a coach, but suspect I'd learn enough to make up for that. I like to climb but am not terrific descending, so that's one area I'd ask for help. I also could see working on tight turns.

Other than that, I'm a bit unsure about what to ask for and how to structure it. In my learning style I tend to take some time absorbing/thinking after being taught something, so I'm considering maybe asking for two (or even three, if they let me schedule shorter sessions) separate sessions so that I can learn, go absorb/practice, and come back with questions and refinements.

Oh, if it matters, this would not be a coach I could keep on with -- the price is out of my range, so I'd be self-coached as usual for the regular day to day training I'll be doing.

Have you ever ridden with a coach? What was most helpful for skills development? What would you do differently? Any ideas, recommendations for my situation? For non racers (but training to improve overall fitness, and OK maybe trying out a CX race this fall :cool:) are there any advantages to formal testing I'm not taking into account? Thanks in advance!

bump for weekend eyes...anyone?

I have worked with a coach - mostly when I was racing - but some before too. The descending (and usually climbing to get there) was very helpful. Taking the right line and proper bike handling is essential. I would also have him/her teach you how to do an interval workout - useful for when you don't have a lot of time to train. You can get a great workout in less time. How about having them evaluate your pedaling technique - foot position, cadence, gear selection etc. Cornering technique is also good. Wanna learn how to trackstand? If you are riding in groups - how to correctly ride in a rotating pace line - hard to practice with only two though - but there are do's and don'ts. How to bunny hop your bike to avoid hazards or an accident.

I agree on the physiologic testing - it's just a number anyway.

Hope this helps!

debi

Thanks for the great ideas, debi! I'll definitely add cornering, interval ideas (I do them occasionally, but who knows how well) and especially pedaling technique to my list. I thought about the paceline thing too, but yeah, it'll likely just be me and coach. I appreciate the input!

I would love to have a coach for some things as well. I've never really investigated if one is available here in Mayberry. But, many things I have tried to self improve upon, it's been through reading / research. And any tips I can pick up from other cyclists.

However, the part I struggle with is getting any further from what I can improve with reading.

Example: cornering...
Until I read in some cycling books I bought, I had no clue on what to do with my feet and weight distribution to corner. Simply reading some guy's coach's words to really "slam down!" that outside foot made me figure out a lot. But, while I do that... I wonder how can I not corner even faster than some other riders? Is is practice? Personality, cofidence? Being totally fearless of crashing? Or... is is my technique could use just the right tweak to make the difference? THOSE specific things I think would be beneficial from a coach in that example. (same w/rate of speed descending)

I would love to learn how to rotate in a paceline properly. This is where it's hard to find some other riders willing to take the risk of you crashing them as a newbie to learn. And taking the time away from their own riding to help you.

There are many books on interval training. I'm self driven and don't need the person pushing me. Some people do. And the coach can be great for that if you need that.

Just some thoughts.:)

Regarding cornering - not only can and do you weight the outside pedal - you also point your knee to the inside of the turn - watch a youtube video of a pro. You also need to take the correct "line" entering and exiting. You can find info on that with diagrams on the web. also if you know a motorcycle rider - they can explain line choice to you. You should also countersteer - again look up that explanation. If you are doing 90 degree flat cornering - like in a crit you also need to have your pedals in the correct position to avoid catching your inside pedal.

Your bike has a lot to do with confidence and how it feels descending - bikes with a long wheelbase - (center to center of both wheels) corner more like a cadillac when going down hill vs a bike with a more aggressive geometry and shorter wheelbase that corners more like a sports car. When I switched from long to short it took me a long time to build back up my speed, which sometimes I still feel is lacking - but is a tradeoff for other features of the new bike.

No - fearlessness is not necessary - matter of fact I think it is a liablility. Build up to where YOU are comfortable - know where your personal limits are and respect them. Evaluate the road conditions - every road and day is different. Be safe - not sorry - I have seen some bad wrecks on descents ala a dog, gravel or too much speed.

Oh, and most of us can't descend as fast as a man - they weigh more and have smaller brains...ha ha.

debi

I had a professional coaching experience last fall, my only one. I have no idea how your coach will work with you. This is what mine did. He put my bike on a trainer and had me warm up and then had me ride as hard as I could for five miles (totally not fun on a trainer .. much harder than on a road). He observed my riding style, cadence and a bunch of other stuff.

My goal was simple, to get faster, particularly on hills. He gave me some tips on pedaling efficiency, position on the bike, breathing, etc. We talked about my goals, what is "realistic" for me like how many times a week I can reasonably ride, what types of rides I do and how I can incorporate training into what I was already doing, like doing intervals while on a weekly club ride.

Then I went home. He came up with a training schedule for me and mailed it to me with descriptions of how to do each ride or floor exercise he wanted me to do. (Didn't do the floor exercises. SO not part of the "realistic" part of the training plan for me!!!)

This was supposed to be about an 8 week plan and, if I continued with training, I'd come back in and do it again. See how I improved on the trainer and get another 8 week training plan.

So, that was my experience. Yours could be completely different. Just think before hand what your goals are. Write down every question you can think of. Your coach will help you figure out how to best use the session(s).

Good luck! :)

Thanks everyone! I committed to the coaching last night and now am waiting for someone to get back to me to work out the details.

Good ideas here. I especially like "write down everything you can think of" -- I definitely have the problem where I can remember the top couple of things and a few of the less important things, but forget a few in the middle I wanted.

I would hate the 5 miles on the trainer! I imagine we may do a little bit that way, but much of the stuff I'm thinking about (hills, corners, etc) would be much tougher without actually getting outside. I'm starting to really look forward to this when before all I felt was confused and intimidated. Yay TE!

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Originally Posted by Gowest

Your bike has a lot to do with confidence and how it feels descending - bikes with a long wheelbase - (center to center of both wheels) corner more like a cadillac when going down hill vs a bike with a more aggressive geometry and shorter wheelbase that corners more like a sports car. When I switched from long to short it took me a long time to build back up my speed, which sometimes I still feel is lacking - but is a tradeoff for other features of the new bike.

Oh, and most of us can't descend as fast as a man - they weigh more and have smaller brains...ha ha.

debi

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:)Thx for chiming in on cornering. I never thought about the bike part, re: the length. I got a new bike last season that was the correct size for me, with my other bike being 2 frames sizes bigger. What a difference. But, yes, trying to adjust to the responsiveness and weight of the new bike is a big diff. On the men (sorry, no offense to our wiser men friend here)... well, this is true... my riding partner and I will joke about trying to yell out "gravel" in group rides to only have a guy go flying around you to pass, corner quicker, and somehow deaf to heads-up on gravel.:eek::rolleyes: