Hiring a Coach

[velogirl]

Hi Eden! This is a great question, and since I'm a coach, I'll share some thoughts.

First, let me share my opinion about being coached by teammates. This might also apply to being coached by friends, spouses, co-workers, etc. Once someone becomes your coach, the former relationship you had with that person will undoubtedly change, and not neccessarily for the better. Before hiring someone you know to coach you, I would really assess your current relationship (and how valuable it is to you). Your roles will change. You may or may not be able to separate the new role (coach-client) from the old role (friends, etc). If you choose to enter a coach-client relationship with someone you know, spend some good quality time thinking about all parts of that relationship and then chatting with your potential coach about it as well.

Since I know a little about you, Eden, I'll make some assumptions. If I'm wrong, correct me.

Since you want to improve your racing, I think it's important that you find a coach who not only understands racing, but more importantly understands women's racing and more specifically, beginner women's racing in the Northwest. The demands of women's racing are very different than the demands of men's racing. Distances are different, paces are different, pack size is different, etc. You need to find a coach who will coach you specifically for the types of races you'll be doing (not the types of racing he or his male clients will be doing).

For racing, I think it's important to find a coach who can actually observe you racing, which means finding a local coach. Luckily, there are lots of great coaches in your area, so you should have no trouble there. Racing performance is not only dictated by your fitness, but also your skills and your use of tactics, and it's important for your coach to be able to see this in a racing situation. Many coaches also have client rides and group workouts, so this would be another reason to find a local coach. There are also value-added services that many coaches provide -- bike fit, testing, skills coaching -- that a local coach can provide and an internet coach can't. If you don't have any coaches in your area (or any coaches you like), consider a coach who's out of the area but in a similar demographic.

Don't get too caught up on your potential coach's personal race resume. I know some pretty incredible road coaches who aren't former pros or CAT1 racers. I think someone else mentioned this, but most former pros don't know how to teach others, don't have the background in exercise physiology to understand the demands of the sport and how to train them, and probably aren't the best coaches. There are a few exceptions to this, but I don't know many.

Understand why you want to hire a coach. This is a super-important thought. Don't do it just because everyone else seems to have a coach. Sit down and list the reasons you think you need a coach. What will that person bring to the table for you? What are your expectations? How do you define the relationship? Then, share those thoughts with your potential coach candidates. They will respond in a way that will help you understand if the relationship is a good fit.

Determine if you're coach-able. As a coach, there's nothing more frustrating that a client who really wants to be your client, but isn't coach-able. What makes someone uncoach-able? A schedule that's so restrictive that there's no time to train. Someone who will do whatever they want to do regardless of what the coach recommends. Someone who isn't willing to give up their cardio-kick-boxing class five times a week + their run three times a week + their swim four times a week + whatever else isn't really helping them become a better bike racer. Someone who won't communicate with their coach, complete a training journal, answer phone calls, or fulfill their part of the relationship. Remember, it's a relationship: coach:client.

Interview lots of coaches. The interview process begins with your first contact. How long does it take someone to answer your email or phone call? Is it impossible to reach this person? Everyone gets busy from time to time, but if a potential is always too busy to interview, she's probably too busy to do a good job coaching you.

During your interviews, you can determine if there's a relationship fit. Don't be afraid to ask any question -- a coaching relationship should be an honest relationship. I think "fit" is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a coach. Remember, you're making a long-term commitment to this relationship (most likely at least six months), so you want to make the right decision.

Be willing to trust your new coach. You're paying good money for this person. So why wouldn't you listen to her? Trust, when she asks you to do something, that there's a good reason for it. Trust, when you don't see immediate results, that she will peak you for your goals in the spring/summer, not the training rides in December. Trust that she's always listening to you and has your best interests in mind.

Don't hire a coach who is so popular that he won't have time for you. If you want personal attention, don't hire the most popular coach in the area. If you do, you might find that you never see that person.

Take every reference with a grain of salt. Coaching references are tricky. I know some very bad coaches who continue to generate income as coaches because they have fancy websites, are good at marketing themselves, and no one dares give honest feedback about them. These bad coaches go through a constant stream of new clients because they can't retain the old clients. But no one wants to admit that they hired a lemon, so no one talks about it. Word of mouth is valuable, but always consider the source when you hear feedback (good or bad) about someone.

Don't necessarily listen to the recommendations you receive on a public forum, bulletin board, or email group. People are name-droppers. Half the time someone makes a recommendation, they haven't even met the person they're recommending. They just want to contribute to the conversation and probably think they'll sound cool for dropping the name they just dropped. 2nd or 3rd hand recommendations (what I call the "friend of a friend" are basically useless).

Also remember that most cycling clients don't really know a lot about coaching. I've found that if someone hasn't worked with a coach before, and now they're following a training plan, they'll improve no matter how good the coach is. Why? First, they have some accountability, so they're probably training more consistently than they did in the past. Also, just by doing things differently than they did in the past, they'll create positive adaptations. So, just by virtue of having a coach, not necessarily the actual training program, a client will improve.

But client performance alone isn't always the indicator of a good coach. One of my very first clients became a national champion in our first year working together. She attributes it to our relationship and the training I developed for her. While I think that's great, she was also a genetically gifted individual, with a background in competitive sports and a huge desire to succeed. And while I'd love to take credit for her national championship, I know that she probably could've attained the same result with any coach. Just because someone is coaching a super-star doesn't make that person a great coach.

The long and short of it is that the best coach for you is someone who will be attentive to you, treat you as an individual, and help you define and achieve your goals. That person might be local -- they may not be. That person might have a similar background or maybe they don't. But the most important thing is that you respect that person, trust them, and communicate openly with them. After that, you're almost guaranteed to be successful.