Hiring a Coach

[SheFly]

Have you read Joe Friel's "The Cyclist's Training Bible"? You can purchase this for $22.95, and come up with some pretty sound training. I read this before my first season of racing this year, and felt that it really helped me to focus my training as I followed the advice and planning outlined. There is also a women's-specific chapter...

Now, I was able to supplement this with coaching for my women's team through my local club, which also helped. You might want to consider this purchase/read though if you are looking for some advice on training.

Of course, the hard part is that you have to follow the advice yourself, without another person actually pushing you .

Good luck, and let us know what you decide!

SheFly

[velogirl]

Shefly brings up a good point. I actually recommend athletes read Friel even if they are working with a coach -- it helps them understand a bit of the methodology that most coaches use.

If you decide to self-coach, one thing I've done in the past is have a training buddy -- someone who reveiws my training journal, provides feedback, and keeps me honest -- and I do the same for her. I don't recommend this unless one or both of you have a pretty good sense of what you're doing, but it's another alternative.

BTW, coaching is probably not as expensive as most of you think. Like just about anything in life, you get what you pay for. I've seen online coaching packages as inexpensive as $25/month and I know other coaches who charge up to $450/month. Most coaches fall toward the middle of that range.

Usually you'll find the coaches who charge in the $200+ range are coaching full-time and working with fewer athletes (good for the athletes). Those charging at the low end are either hobbyists (ie they have another full-time job and just coach for fun, which means you don't get their full-time attention), or they coach huge numbers of clients (ie CTS) so you don't get very personalized attention either.

If cycling/coaching is a priority, you'll find a way to rationalize the expense. Maybe you substitute a month of Starbucks for a month of coaching (probably about the same price). Or dinner out once a week for a month of coaching.

[maillotpois]

Wow, Velogirl's comments are great!

I want to echo one of her comments - about not focussing on the coach's race resume. More important is whether the coach can watch and learn from you as to what it is you really need and then if he or she can put commnets into a description that you can follow. One of the best coaches I've worked with, Mike Cox, isn't necessarily a super fast or super long distance rider. But literally every time I ride with the guy, even when he isn't actually "coaching" me, I learn something about bike handling, timing of power moves, etc. When I do ride with him for actual coaching, he just has a way of making things somehow more clear.

It's hard to describe. But I guess what I'd suggest is to see if you can ride with a potential coach as sort of a preview (paying for the time, of course). But see how the coach actually works with you - is the coach watching you and learning from you what it is that you need? Can you understand the comments and instruction? How do you "fit" with the coach?

Have fun! Good luck!

[Eden]

Thanks Velogirl,
Thats all really great advice. I definitely don't think I want to go with an out of a book, self coaching. We have lots of books and I can read them all I want and process the information fine, but they can never offer the feedback or the expectations that another person can. One of my team mates was telling me her boyfriend had a coach for years, then decided after all of that time he should be able to put together his own training. Got the Friel book, planned it all out, spent hours putting spreadsheets together, and then with no one to be accountable to never followed through. So this year he's going back to his coach... I think I can be accountable to myself, but it sure won't hurt if I have to report to someone either. Plus, I really think that its difficult to objectively measure your own progress. My husband always sets his goals too high so usually dissapoints himself. I'm afraid I may not set mine high enough? One of my biggest hurdles I think is that I don't know what to expect from myself if that makes any sense.

I plan to go with a local coach and I guess I'm not terribly worried about hiring a friend - the women on the team who coach are all at higher levels than I am so I know them in passing at best and we had 98 members on the team this year!

The one I've been leaning towards joined the team late in the year, and while she has just gotten into road racing recently (she will upgrade soon I'm sure), she's been doing track for some time. She owns a rehab/coaching business and there is another certified cycling coach there as well, so I suppose there is a possibility that the other person would work with me as well. Their coaching service is reasonably priced and they sponsor the team, so its better for us as well. Their background being rehab the coaching package includes a lot of other services as well - fitting, physiological testing, pedal stroke analysis etc. They could be a risk as well though. They've been in the rehab business for some time, but I think coaching services they offer are relatively new.

I think we have at least 3 other personal coaches on the team. Two of them I know little if at all and one I shared a cabin with her and 4 other team mates at one race so I know her a little. She's a cat 2 on the road and used to race pro downhill otherwise though, so I don't ever race with her. I understand from others that she does coach that she's very good at teaching technical skills and we have her do our cornering clinic every year.

I should look into outside coaches as well I'm sure, but its so difficult to tell anything from web sites. Of course everyone wants to say they are the best and put up glowing references. I've started looking at the list of local USA Cyclilng certified coaches to see what other options I might have. One reason I have for going with a team member is that they are all women and they know what its like to be in my place.

Right now I think I'm in a good position to be a client. I just go laid off so I have lots of free time and no excuses. I don't think I'm going to be in any big rush to change that either. I know that I would train better with some structure to what I'm doing and I don't think that I'm going to improve without training better. I know I'm not one of these physically gifted people who can go from beginner to pro in a year. As far as I'm concerned the only reason that I did well this year is because I started reasonably fit, I was able to devote lots of time to training last winter, I had the time and endurance to race a lot during the season, and I understand at least some of the physics of a pack - I know that I am not the strongest rider out there, but I can stick with a group that drops stronger folks than myself, because I have some understanding of where and when to be. I'll be expected to upgrade sooner or later - I will and, I think need, to start next season as a 4, but I don't want to be one of those perpetual 4's who always comes in high and everyone grumbles needs to upgrade either. The next step is unfortunately up with everyone else. Our fields run 4's separate and 1's, 2's, 3's together so I'll have to be stronger if I expect to even keep up.

Anyway that was kind of long and rambling, but it will be the kind of stuff I expect I'll want to discuss with a coach so it's good practice I guess...

[velogirl]

I agree with everything you say, Eden. You're on the right track.

Don't forget, you can spend time interviewing potential coaches as well. Remember you're hiring them (not the other way around). Meet with them in person or on the phone. Let them know you're interviewing a number of coaches. Be very clear in your intentions, what you expect, what you need, etc.

I personally think that finding a good personality match is one of the most important factors in finding a coach. This doesn't imply that you're looking for someone just like you, but rather someone whom you can respond to and someone who can respond to you.

Oh, and if you're wondering, I've almost always had a coach in my cycling career, even though I could easily coach myself -- for many of the same reasons you mention -- objectivity, accountability, another pov, etc.

[traveller_62]

Thanks Eden and Velogirl for a great thread on coaching!

I used the Cyclist's Training Bible for a year to coach myself and learned alot. This year in mid-season I was cycling with the local club and connected with a former competitive cyclist who has ended up being my coach. The second half of my season was just amazing and a lot of it had to do with the advice I got and the adjustments to my training program that my coach has made.

Velogirl, your summary about coaching was terrific and would make for a great article in a cycling magazine. I think your points about understanding why you would want a coach and if you are actually coachable are really important. My coach really took the time to understand my goals and then asked me do things like rest more than I wanted to and give up other activities (running in certain races or riding with my hammerhead friends every Sunday, for example) that would be counterproductive to my overall goals. I took her advice to heart and it has really paid off for me. Everything from my bike handling skills to my time trial times have improved significantly this year.

Eden, congrats on an awesome season and good luck finding the right coach!

-traveller