4 Essential Things to Consider When Hiring a Triathlon Coach
With the large number of triathlon coaches offering their services, it can be hard to decide who to choose. Below, we’re giving you the four things that you should consider when choosing a triathlon coach to hire.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
When you talk to a prospective coach, make sure to ask questions, and relay your concerns. The perspective coach should ask about you and your goals. Have they worked with someone who has the same background and goals as you? Also, keep in mind that the triathlon coach who works well for your friend, may not be the best fit for you.
When hiring a triathlon coach, you will be faced with a range of options, including a variety of price points. Hopefully, you will get what you pay for, but this is sometimes not the case, so make sure you do your homework.
Here are four things that we suggest you consider when deciding who to hire as a triathlon coach.
CREDENTIALS
When you talk to a prospective coach, make sure to ask questions, and relay your concerns. The perspective coach should ask about you and your goals. Have they worked with someone who has the same background and goals as you? Also, keep in mind that the triathlon coach who works well for your friend, may not be the best fit for you.
When hiring a triathlon coach, you will be faced with a range of options, including a variety of price points. Hopefully, you will get what you pay for, but this is sometimes not the case, so make sure you do your homework.
Here are four things that we suggest you consider when deciding who to hire as a triathlon coach.
CERTIFICATIONS:
COACHING EXPERIENCE:
RACING EXPERIENCE:
Similarly, if you are looking to qualify for a championship event, get a coach who’s achieved a title or has worked with other athletes who have made such feat.
Is a good triathlete a good coach?
However, keep in mind that not all good triathletes make good coaches. While this can be the case, there are always exceptions.
COMMUNICATION
However, bear in mind that communication is two-way, which means it’s also crucial for you to communicate well with your prospective coach. Open communication with your coach will allow you to express your concerns regarding a particular workout routine or a personal issue that causes you to skip training.
As the athlete, you expect to be a priority to your coach and NOT a secondary responsibility. At Team Enduro, we make athletes our top priority. Our 1:1 client relationships allow us to address the questions and concerns from our clients immediately. Whether you choose a basic training plan or a 1:1 coaching, we make sure to provide unlimited communication through phone, text, and email.
HONESTY
Your coach needs must be someone who can give you “hard conversations” about your expectations versus your ability and constraints and training attitude.
Did you bite off more than you can chew with that goal? Do you need a day off? Are you going too hard when you’re not supposed to? Or are you wimping out on the final hard sets of a workout?
Honesty can sometimes hurt, but it is crucial to improving and setting realistic goals.
BALANCE: FAMILY / WORK / TRAINING
A good coach lives and understands life. For many athletes, triathlon is a hobby that needs to fit within our time constraints and other priorities. While different goals demand more time and commitment than others, nothing will be accomplished unless everything is balanced appropriately.
Our training programs at Team Enduro, specifically our daily and weekly training schedules, are specifically structured to fit our clients’ schedules and needs. We continually adjust our client’s training programs based on their feedback.
In other words, we work to set up each athlete for success. We make sure that our athletes can complete their weekly training load without sacrificing time for rest and recovery. Team Enduro understands that the last thing that an athlete needs is a training schedule that adds unnecessary stress.
Hiring a coach with whom you feel comfortable and who can create a training program that works for you and your goals is still the most important thing. Ask prospective coaches for references, and talk to a couple of their past or current athletes. Ultimately, hiring a good triathlon coach will allow you to maximize your time so that you arrive at the start line at your healthiest, fittest, and best position for the race you’ve trained hard for.
Coach Wes Fornes is the founder of Team Enduro. He has been in the triathlon coaching industry for 15 years and has coached athletes who have won national triathlon championships. He focuses on 1 on 1 relationship with his clients and creates detailed training plans specific to each of them, and requires all his coaches to do the same.
To learn about Team Enduro’s training plans and coaching packages, please visit our website or send us an email at wes@team-enduro.com. You may also call us at +303-456-6969.
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