Olympic medalists and the top pro athletes all over the world have one thing in common: they train with coaches. It is not a coincidence, but a recognition of the common need for guidance, support, and direction.
All these athletes want to be fully informed of when they need to go hard, when to take it easy, or when to take a break. Having a coach dramatically benefits them. Regardless of whether you’re a recreational triathlete or a beginner, your need isn’t different from them.
Many beginner triathletes often think that they don’t want someone telling them what to do, or worry about not enjoying the training plan set by their coach, or even anxious about getting along with a coach.
As mentioned in our previous blog post, these are things you have to consider when hiring a coach, as each coach has his or her own style and motivational techniques, and surely there is one that will fit the criteria you have as long as you communicate your worries and preferences with them.
Here are seven reasons why you need a triathlon coach:
Structure
For many athletes, the hardest part of training is setting up the structure. Several components are involved in preparation for an event, including experience, goal time, length of practice, and several others. These factors also make the process of making a structure confusing.
While you can eventually figure things out, it can be frustrating. Some athletes who decided to train with Team Enduro said that the “program is very much customized to each athlete, with no redundant workouts”. Another athlete also testified how Team Enduro uses science to formulate the plan.
Accountability
A coach can provide accountability, especially in one-on-one training. Some people stick to their workout routines better when they know that someone else is going to see if they miss or shorten a workout. For athletes who need to have someone else to be accountable to, training with a coach is the most effective option.
Motivation
Like accountability, motivation is another benefit you can get from training with a coach. While training daily helps you reach your goal, it can also be draining. Workouts like hard tempo runs and long bike rides can be daunting at times, and often, having someone to cheer you on and push you to your limits makes all the difference.
Having a coach to encourage you through training, especially through the bad days, can keep you on the track of reaching your goals. Never underestimate the mental aspect of training. When you have the right kind of support, you can inevitably reach higher.
Provide Wisdom/Smarts
For sure, there are plenty of resources available to athletes, but sometimes it can be too much. Going over a multitude of literature on training can eat your time and even cause stress. Having someone who shares your goal and is determined to help you reach it by providing a clear plan will allow you to put all your focus on getting the work done.
Coaches can also shorten the learning curve of endurance sports training by imparting some of their wisdom and experience, and giving the necessary feedback, impartial advice, critical analysis, and unbiased comments so you can avoid making the same mistakes repeatedly.
Lower the Chance of Injury due to Overtraining
Endurance training can be addictive, and there is such a thing as overtraining, which can cause real concern. If you have someone to monitor not just your daily workouts but your overall health, you can prevent yourself from overdoing your training.
Without a coach, you are at risk of doing too little or way too much. Additionally, rest and recovery are as crucial as training to make fitness gains. But for many athletes, taking a rest to allow for recovery is the hardest part of the training plan.
Coaches can help you get the rest you need according to your customized training plan. Going too hard or too often on your workouts can result in injury, which is something athletes never want to suffer. Having a coach who can tell you to take a break before an injury happens is highly essential.
Time Management
A coach can help with the time management aspect of training the most. Most athletes training for a race have limited time to prepare and need someone with the necessary knowledge to make sure an athlete is putting effort in where it counts.
Ensuring that every session matters and no time is wasted is critical to practical training. An unbiased professional who can create a training plan that goes with your schedule and directly addresses your strengths and weaknesses can take you forward without wasting your most precious time.
Takes Care of the Technical Aspect
Analyzing a run, looking at your overall season, or addressing a weakness, are just a few of the elements you need to incorporate into your plan. This can be overwhelming and technically difficult for many athletes.
Having a coach not only saves you time, but frustration as well. When you don’t have the luxury of time, you don’t want to spend most of it on thinking about what to do, but rather on improving your performance.
Every athlete has different reasons for hiring a triathlon coach.
Regardless of whether or not you are new to the sport, racing for Ironman is a huge undertaking, and hiring a triathlon coach to help with your training is a personal decision. At the end of the day, you need to think about your work, social commitments, and personal life – all of which can be overwhelming. It may be wise to consider training with a triathlon coach with Ironman experience to have a successful Ironman.
Team Enduro can provide you with a coach that will make your Ironman training a lot more enjoyable, educational, and rewarding. For inquiries about our coaching packages, please call us at 456-6969 or send us an email at wes@team-enduro.com.
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