coaching

[hellosunshine]

stopped beiong coached this year as health got in the way and i couldnt think straight,seemed to have done a few better rides,knocked 1 min off my 50 mile tt and 11 mins off my 100mile time trial.thats by doing wht i thought best.


NOW!2008 looms!!!!


so,do you guys have coaches or rely on a training plan from a book and what do you reccommend??


trying to fathom out whether getting a coach is a new hysteria generated by the male cyclists,like a fsahion accessory etc etc


i have read Kendra Wenzels site and i warm to her as she has recovered from an eating disorder,but dont know whether a coach from another country would be a good/bad idea.i sort of fancy the idea of some advice outside of the uk,something different!

[crazycanuck]

Congrats on decreasing your times. Good job!

You may want to contact velogirl as she;s a coach & might be able to answer it in more detail?

take care

c

[LBTC]

Hello! So nice to see you again, and way to go! Excellent progress you've made on your own!

I've never been as competitive as you, but I have learned something interesting in the last year with my own health issues. Professionals can be really beneficial to our lives to help us reach our goals, whatever they may be. The interesting thing is that the professional who helps you most, may not have the profession that conventional wisdom says you need.

For instance, maybe it's not exactly a coach that you need, but you might click wonderfully with a kinesiologist, or a physiotherapist, or a nutritionist, or an energy worker, etc. More important than what precisely they specialize in, is that you can make a meaningful connection with them.

My own example is that when I was diagnosed with Crohn's about a year ago, no-one would have expected that a massage therapist and physiotherapist would be so instrumental in my path to healing! The naturopathic practitioner wouldn't have been a surprise, though....

Keep your mind open, meet lots of people, talk about your goals with anyone and everyone. You'll make contact with exactly the right person to help you reach your goals! Besides, I'm sending butterflies so that the right person will be radiant to you and you to them. You won't be able to miss each other!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[RoadRaven]

If you want to train using a book with training plans, Gale Berhardt's book "The Female Cyclist: Gearing Up a Level" is excellent.

She bases her training zones/ride types on Joe Friel's work, so it might be useful to have or borrow a copy of his book "The Cyclists Training Bible" as a refernece point and companion as he gets very much more in depth into all aspects of training than Berhardt does.

However, what Bernhardt does is help to translate all the technical stuff, and she also gives specific ride plans for specific goals with explainations of how to vary for individuals but you can just pick up a plan and follow it.

Plan 1 - ride 50 miles - 12 week plan

Plan 2 - ride 100 miles - 12 week plan

Plan 3 - ride 3 day tour - 13 week plan

Plan 4 - ride 40km time trial OR faster group riding - 25week plan

Plan 5 - improve hill climbing - 25week plan

[Triskeliongirl]

LBTCs remarks are really interesting. What helped my on bike performance the most was not a coach, but as you say other professionals that fixed problems that got in the way. This year I started seeing a great endocrinologist that got to the root of my metabolic problems, and put me on a diet that compensates. I lost 34 lbs and got a hell of a lot faster. I also used a professional (Tom Slocum of High Sierra Cyling) who built me a custom crank set that corrects for my 3 cm Leg Length discrepancy. So yes, professionals are important, but fixing underlying health and biomechanical issues is critical. So, perhaps HelloSunshine needs to be sure she has conquered her health problems before even considering coaching. With that being said, since I don't race, I can't comment on how helpful it is to have a coach, but I can guest that it would depend on how good the coach is. I think the suggestion of contacting Velogirl/Lori is a good one.

[hellosunshine]

i aqgree i think shes hit the spot-unfortunately i hada massive fall out with the free NHS professional and found some goddess who has 100% success rate in what ive been suffering from yet she charges £100 and hour-blimey and lives miles away,bother,.am on the case!

but how does one contact velogirl???

[Triskeliongirl]

I just pulled this from the bike fit thread (she also performs bike fits). You could also try PMing her here on TE.

"Bay Area bike fit

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was very happy with the recent bike fit I had with Lorri Lee Lown (velogirl, here on the TE forum). http://coaching.velogirls.com"

[Bklynmom]

I think you can get many excellent things from book plans and on line coaching - but they aren't going to be able to tell you if you are mashing the pedals, or pedaling in too low a gear.

I have both followed books and had an actual coach this year -- I just started biking in March. I do find the book plans helpful - I plan on trying to map out the Friel plan for next year. (Friel is pretty complex, I will get the book that was recommended here - Friel needs an interpreter)

This spring I did a few one-on-one sessions with a live coach, which were very very helpful - my coach Felix is what really made me into a biker. He is very old school - no heart monitor or even cadence meter. What he taught me was proper bike handling ie : pedaling style, when to stand, what gears to use when , position on the bike and bike fit. One of the most important things I've learned from Felix is how to ride in a group - something you just can't learn from a book. I will continue to ride with his group regularly.

[velogirl]

hi ladies! I'm here. my personal email is Lorri@velogirls.com.

Hello Sunshine, while I do have distance clients (as do most coaches), I actually recommend working with a coach in your region if possible. in addition to having better personal access, your coach may be able to watch you race, train with you, perform testing or bike fit, etc. there are lots of advantages to having a coach in your region.

of course, the other option is to work with a distance coach and then use local coaches to meet your other needs (such as above).

if your racing club has a coach or coaching program, I might suggest starting there to find a local resource (or recommendations).

or, is it an option to work with the coach you were working with prior to this season?

[nomummytummy]

Hellosunshine -a coach is a great investment. Find someone who you "gel" with. Shop around and interview them in a way that works for you - casual chat/lots of questions/recommendations for previous client.

My experience is that I was hardly riding this time last year, talked to a personal trainer who also rides and does triathlons. She gave me a month by month programme. It stretched and challenged me, but was realistic & fun. Then on the days when you just can't be bothered doing whats on it the plan....welll you know you need to front up to her next week. Funny how that helps you get your butt out of bed on a wet & windy day

That said I am a huge advocate of coaching in all it's forms - My DH is a business coach, I use a coach for my business, I "coach" my patients towards better health & then we both have trainers at the gym/cycling. A good coach will help you find better things inside of yourself than many of us will find alone.