Potential value of coaching for a non-competitive cyclist (me)?

[azfiddle]

The women's "team" I ride with (non-competitive) has added Wenzel coaching as a sponsor, and we are eligible for the coaching services at a discounted rate (with a minimum of 4 sign-ups, which has already been reached). There normally would be a $75 registration fee, but the team has paid for the sign up fee for all interested members.

So I'm trying to decide if it would be worth it to sign up.

I am 57, ride around 5000 miles a year, but am slower than almost of the other team members. Most of the other women are in the 30's-50's, but at least 2 are in their 60's. I can go a long way (century or more) and can get myself up to the summit of Mt. Lemmon (from 2400 feet to almost 9000 feet) but I can't keep up on group rides. It's discouraging Riding alone, my average is 14-16 mph, usually 15 or less. Riding in a group I sometimes can average closer to 16, rarely a little more. Most of our routes have 1000 of climbing or more- so it's never really flat except right in the city. I have done one series of computrainer classes and did not think there was much of an improvement although they said I had an 11% increase in power.

So.... there is an option ("semi-custom") that would be about $111/month with an up-front commitment for three months. The coach lives locally, and is she willing to work beyond the minimum to try to create a flexible program for any of us that sign up, whatever the goals are- not necessarily racing etc. My goal would be just trying to see an improvement in my speed and climbing efficiency on the bike. I'm just trying to decide if it's worth it. In addition to work, and cycling, I am in two bands so sometimes have two rehearsals a week- but lately neither one plays out very often. I have to consider both time and discretionary income in the equation.

Any thoughts?

[Irulan]

If you can afford and think you'll benefit, go for it!

Maybe talk with the coach about your needs and her services first to see if it's a good fit?

My two thoughts.

[SheFly]

What Irulan said. Talk to the coach first about your goals, limitations and what you are looking to get out of it, and see if it will be a good fit. You don't need to be a racer to take advantage of some coaching. That said, if this coach is focused on power workouts, it might not be the right fit for you. I interviewed coaches before selecting one, to be sure it was right for me. I have been coach-less for quite awhile now, though, having gotten what I wanted from the experience.

SheFly

[Crankin]

AZ, I could have written your post. I am *exactly* the same kind of rider, the only difference being, I am lazier! I have thought of getting a coach at times, but I don't ride with a group like yours. The main group I ride with is slower than me, but there's a growing segment of this group, who call themselves spirited. I rode with them twice last year, and while I did it, I felt like I was going to die for a day after the rides. They always encourage me to come with them, as I am clearly faster than the main group.
I say if you want to spend the $, try it. Me, I think I'll just make DH crack the whip on our rides. I cry most of the time I'm in those situations, but it works.

[OakLeaf]

What I would want to know is, since it's a team deal with the coach, would some of your team rides be prescribed workouts in a group, or would you be expected to do those on your own, in addition to the team rides? Especially since you mention a time restriction.

I'm working with a running coach for the first time now, and so far I'm pleased ... though I'm still six weeks from race day, and that will be the real tell. I hired him mostly because I knew I needed help setting goals. He's got me doing workouts that I could have sworn there was no way I could do them ...

I too interviewed a few coaches before making my choice. I found a very wide variation in pricing. I think you can pay a lot for a company's reputation, but flexibility and individual attention were more important to me, and I know my body well enough that I wouldn't be especially shy about backing off if I felt an injury coming on.

[azfiddle]

Thank you very much for your thoughts.

I have met the coach and she is extremely sensitive to individual needs and already has an idea of my goals and limitations. She is very personable and introduced herself to the team on Monday night, talking about her own experiences being coached in running, helping coach runners, and then turning to cycling and bike racing over the past few years. She is currently on a professional team (Team Cloud, formerly Team Kenda) but lives and trains here in Tucson.

The registration form is about 7 pages long and asks a lot of specific questions. Also, she mentioned that there is a network of 35 other coaches around the country, and if there is an issue she doesn't know how to address, then she can put it out to the other coaches for their input.

I think she could definitely incorporate some of the routines into the long Saturday rides.

I am leaning toward doing this.

[shootingstar]

Sound as she really wants to understand her clients and their needs with type of questionnaire.

Let us know how it goes!

[TigerMom]

If you can afford it for 3 months, I think that it is worth it. Especially since you will be using these lessons for the rest of your biking life....maybe all you need is only 3 mo of coaching as a recreational cyclist rather than a competitive cyclist?

Heck, I just signed up for a 2 hr mountain biking class to work on my downhill flow and switchbacks....$125 for only 2 hours of NON-Private 4-6 person class. This is not something that I will be paying for regularly due to cost, but I am excited to try it though.

[Rubylvr]

HI Azfiddle-
I too tried Wenzel coaching a few years back, at 48 yrs old. It didn't help me much, but I think it really depends on who your coach is.
(I felt as if I wasn't being taken seriously since I wasn't "racing"). Since then, I have made some changes to my Ruby, most importantly
nice wheels, and that made a gigantic difference. Speedplay pedals have again made things even better. As for working on myself, I started seriously
working on my legs, especially my hamstrings, and the results have been very noticeable. Working on technique that I have seen on youtube and learned from
riding books and videos has also helped me improve. For me, coaching just ate in to my weight training and riding time, and didn't really help. FWIW, I am 51.

Good Luck!!

[Catrin]

Azfiddle - I concur with the others, if you can justify the commitment and you think after speaking with her that it will be of benefit, go for it! While I've never had a cycling coach, I've been working with other coaches for a few years now and found it worth far more than the expense. It is great to have access to their knowledge base and help in translating what your body needs to fit with your goals and time.

BTW, you are not as slow as you think, I am slower My average speed is between 12-13 and that is OK, & it explains why I usually ride alone. If I didn't have neurological problems in the bike I would seriously consider hiring a riding coach to help with gaining riding strength and speed - endurance was never my problem in the bike.

Whatever you decide, have fun!

[pll]

Go for it. You can always benefit from becoming a stronger cyclist and a good coach will give you workouts that challenge you and help you out. I had a coach for the first time last year (I was 47 then, a recreational cyclist). There were a couple of organized rides where I wanted to just ride better. As it turns out, bad influences led me to some racing -- I learned a lot that way, too. In the fall I dropped the coach, thinking I hire him again in January.

As it turns out, I ended moving to another different city, and I decided to get another coach to keep me sane. With the stress of the new and city, I decided having the coach would be a great incentive to force myself to workout. This coming week I will get a taste of the results as I will fly back to the midwest to participate in a gravel race with several friends.

You definitely can learn from the workouts you are given. I have friends who got a coach for a while and then decided they had learned enough to train on their own. I enjoy having someone assign the workouts and discussing the outcomes, getting feedback. The workouts on the trainer can definitely be challenging -- on Thursday I had one that left me totally out of breath, with achy legs (5 min lactate threshold intervals).

[Wahine]

I have coached several cyclists in your category and they seem to do well as long as they can stick to the program. So it's important to find out ahead of time what kind of time commitment the plan will require. There isn't much point in hiring a coach to write up a plan for you if you can't stick to it reasonably well and that might be an issue given your other commitments. I'd ask the coach about expectations in terms of total hours riding per week, how many workouts per week and the length of the longest workout on the weekend.

Based on what you've said about your riding, you have plenty of endurance but you'd like more speed and quick acceleration to be able to hang with a group better. These are two areas where some very targeted workouts once or twice per week can help a lot. So I'd encourage you to consider it if cost and time allow. Wenzel Coaching certainly has a good reputation around here.

[pll]

There isn't much point in hiring a coach to write up a plan for you if you can't stick to it reasonably well and that might be an issue given your other commitments. I'd ask the coach about expectations in terms of total hours riding per week, how many workouts per week and the length of the longest workout on the weekend.

Having time to do the workouts is important, but, if you are willing to put in the time, a good coach understands that (a) you might work full time; (b) that you ride for pleasure and, ultimately, a training routine should not be a source of stress. A good coach should be able to create a schedule that works for you, as well as adjust future workouts to account for unforeseen events (e.g., a meeting that ran too late and you couldn't ride that day). Two rehearsals per week might be your rest days. Whether it works for you or not might depend on the level of coaching you get. Perhaps, a program that prescribes your workouts on a monthly basis and gives you feedback once per month is not a good one. That was a consideration for me.

[Helene2013]

Wahine and PLL have good points. I have a trainer (she's a PT and Kinesi) and she built my plan according to a specific goal, and the time I had to workout in a week. At 1st we did not know how to go about the whole program (reality in training time, type of training on bike/treadmill, my real fitness status, etc.) Sometimes, we really want to work our butt off but daily activties, and unforeseen events may change that plan and we need to "re-adjust". So 1st visit, we planned on a 4 week one and we adjusted on how the reality of my schedule and fitness fitted in after that month. What was my reality then? It is much easier to work with her rather on my own. And it "forces" me to focus on a plan and target date. Every action/result is also logged in a software program and I type my own stats in an excel spreadsheet. It is amazing when you go back and check your first workout sessions.

If I did not have a "coach" I am sure I would not be where I am today. She is pushing me, but always respecting my abilities. I still have a long way to go. I'll never be a "Fromme". lol And that is just fine with me. At 51, I don't plan that far ahead. Working one goal at a time. I was stalled for almost a month with a bad cold, turned into bronchitis. My training was back a week ago but coughing and all is stalling me some (harder to breath). So she adjusted my plan so I can still enjoy my training, even if we are running behind schedule.

[azfiddle]

Thanks for the continued input. Still weighing the cost / benefit but tomorrow the coach is offering a free climbing workshop for anyone on my "team" for about 30 minutes and a core exercise class later in the day. Since I'm still on spring break, I'll get a chance to talk with her more and see about making up my mind.