Being coached as a triathlete has always been a touchy subject with me. I have always seen benefits from other people, but I have never really viewed it as something for me. But my mind is changing...
Most coaching platforms out there are an umbrella-style of coaching. Where all athletes receive similar type training at varying levels depending on their fitness. And when athletes come together to train together, the gaps between fitness levels can be quite vast.
However, the benefits of coaching can be immense. Especially for beginners. Getting a boundless amount of knowledge from not only the coach, but also other athletes you train with. As well as getting personalized training plans and information about how you should be training and racing can go a long way.
The hardest part for me when thinking about coaching has been dealing with the cost. I know the coaches themselves need to make money, since it is their living. However, putting out between 100-500 a month (rough estimates based on prices I have personally seen) seems fairly steep for some people. Yours truly included. Having limited means already makes taking the step of getting a coach that much harder.
But now as I learn more about coaches themselves and see the goals some have in mind and the strides they are willing to take to get someone like me to that next level, I am thinking more and more about jumping in. The biggest things for me are two: cost and time commitment.
So far, I have been able to do pretty well I believe for doing it all on my own with limited time and a very unstructured training plan. I am ready to jump in at this point and take on a coach, especially with some of the opportunities I have been afforded in the triathlon community in Madison as well as connections I have made working for the Trek Store.
So stay tuned as I try to fine tune my thoughts and figure out how far I am going to jump to work at that next level this off-season and into the coming year.
-Dave
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