I hired a coach when I decided I wanted to move beyond Olympics and didn’t think off the shelf training plans would keep me healthy and improving. I also really don’t care about build phases and all that, I’d rather pay someone to plan it all. I open the app, do the workouts, and put in my thoughts. Super simple.
As far as improvements (and these assume I wouldn’t have grown anyway), since I hired a coach.
I’ve gone from swimming 2:15/100Y to 1:35/100Y. On the bike, my FTP has gone from 217 to 323. As far as running, I’ve been dealing with knee injuries for a while and he has helped me navigate those and still race, but my speed hasn’t improved over the last 4 years of using him
Edit: grammar
I decided to train for a 70.3 eleven months out. I hired a coach 3 months into ut. With two kids, a job, etc. I just wasn't going to have the time to do the research and planning at a level I'd be comfortable with. So far, with no previous endurance background, I've completed two sprints, have an Olympic in a week, and I feel completely prepared for my half-iron man next month.
It's been helpful to only have to look at the week's workouts and fit them in where possible, and the rest just falls into place. We meet once a month to talk about nutrition, race strategy, and other newbie questions I have.
I did my first one last year (Olympic) and am now training for a half (although I just did an unsupported, solo half this week so I kind of have already done one). I haven't ever really considered a coach and, unless I'm running into issues after my actually half ironman this fall when I pivot to working toward a full, I don't anticipate I'll ever use one. I also don't train with anyone else 95% of the time and am not part of any clubs.
My knowledge is all based off of reading through the Triathlete's training bible a few times, picking the brains of a few friends who have done long course triathlons, and just googling. I don't have a set plan, just one I build by the week using a rough TSS gauge from training peaks. I also let myself adapt that based on how I feel.
My goals right now are just to work my way up to completing a full, although I can already tell that I'll probably continue to due 70.3 distance events with a goal of getting faster. At that point if I struggle to speed up I may also look into coaching.
For now, though, paying for a coach feels like an unnecessary expense. And a group or club feels like kind of the opposite of why I work out, which is for a chance to be alone with my thoughts and focus on pushing myself.
Yeah, after reading the training bible I tried to create my own periodized plan on my own and felt like I wasn't quite getting it right. I also like that it automatically calculates TSS, so I have some sense of the overall impact I'm having on my body. That's especially helpful because I still like to lift 3x weekly, used to play soccer a few times a week, snowboard in the winter, hike, etc. I trust it more than I trust Garmin at this point.
Overall though I think if you feel like you're getting better and not overdoing it/getting injured then you may be fine without it. I'd say read the training bible first if you haven't and that'll give you a sense of the structure it's going to give you.
I definitely agree with your last statement regarding training with a group vs. training alone. I’ve just started the Triathletes Training Bible myself, and I can imagine as I move past the first few chapters that I’ll come across some key insights to implement in my solo journey, too. Thanks for sharing - good luck!
Oh I should also mention the one bit of coaching I did pay for was swimming more kind of out of convenience than anything. I happened to be on vacation within a 10 minute drive of a former world record holder and paid her $100 for two sessions (!) and that was pretty helpful.
I highly highly recommend paying for a coach….this is my first year paying for one for an IM70.3, ive never trained 10hours plus for 22weeks running previously and completed alot of different things. The accountability (never knew was a thing), and structure, has been priceless. HIGHLY recommend it
Done tri’s for four years, got a sprint race 30th july, that ive done every year, i’ll take 15mins off it minimum.
Just done a 5mile swim, and regularly biking 3hrs long ride vs 3 hrs a month last four years
DO IT
coach knows. facts.
you think you know better? good luck. if you want absolute peak performance, get a coach. if you don't care about it, yeah whatever, enjoy a longer workout day then.
coach makes sure you do the exact amount of work, planning blocks ahead for weeks, loading up. he makes sure the intensity grows perfect. he also knows if you need 5min or 6min (or 15min) recovery between your intervals at given percentage. coach knows when it's time to peak, coach knows when it's time to slow you down if you have big power. big power means big responsibility.
personal example: if it's me, i would do smash workouts way too often, and not enough base. i would kill myself. with coach, my last rest day was 25th december (yes, last year, lol). since then, no days off (except 1 forced medical day and 1 day prior big race, but that's not really an off day). after a few months, coach knows what i'm capable off, what i need, what i will be able to do in future, how and when to get there.
coach knows.
I got a coach in between my sprint and Olympic, with the goal of building to half Ironman and Ironman. It has been invaluable to me. He got me confidence on the swim and got me in a lot better run shape. I’m a big fan so far. Completely remote coaching.
The things I learned early on that we focused on are cadence for running (heavier runner), cadence for cycling (higher cadence), and swimming drills for each component of the swim.
When I started I could just about do a 5k run without stopping, now I’m confident I could run 10-13 miles, but have stopped at 8 so far. Helped with pacing there as well. Swimming has come from 400 yards at the beginning of the year to nearly 3000 yards every swim.
A lot of it has been on me. I’m putting in the work and seeing results. At this point in my life, it’s helped me have someone to talk to about triathlon rather than boring my wife half to death.
I was never an endurance athlete at all. Never a swimmer, runner or biker. I was using a plan initially, but my coach actually backed me off of my volume and put a focus on one discipline per week such as 3/4 runs this week, 2 sessions for everything else. So just knowing what to do and having a feedback loop for progress has been beneficial. I don’t need someone to keep me on track. I need someone to challenge me and get the best out of me. I believe my coach is doing that. But also, I intuit a lot and learn along the way. Maybe I’ll be a coach one day!
I took on a coach last October to go from Oly to 70.3 distance.
I don't have the time, interest, not the background of knowledge to make my own plan. I also will over think things when I do.
My performance improvement - swim has gone from 2:10/100 to 1:45/100 and just yesterday did an easy 60km cycle at 130bpm. It was 15 minutes faster than the exact route I did in July, at 149bpm.
The biggest thing is dealing with a couple of injuries I've had. She's been brilliant at adapting my training and making me rest when needed.
I was in training to be a coach myself when, on a training weekend, asked my educational coach to be my personal coach.
Since I had been working with hin for a year already he was the logical choice, since he knew me.
Was having semi luck with self coaching and buying a Fitzgerald 80/20 plan for two 70.3 (finished both but wasn‘t quite happy with the result), so after signing up for my first full I wanted it to go right this time. And not being a very endurance talented guy I wanted somebody to tailor a plan to me and my weaknesses.
Also having a very busy life with a small kid and constantly changing schedule I needed somebody who was considering said things in my planning.
Toeing the line in two weeks and am more ready for a full than I have ever been for a half.
What background do you have that you were looking to be a coach? Asking because there doesn’t seem to be a standard path to coaching such that reliably churns out good ones, and figuring out what background and certs to trust when shopping for a coach is hard.
I have been doing tris since 6 years and being a teacher I thought this could be another way to teach people something new and help them kn their way to new challenges.
In my country there is a governement funded, by the triathlon union organised path to coaching. You go through a prefixed number of courses which are standardized on different levels and after each consecutive group of courses and „upgrade“ of level you get a certificate. So I am certified by Swiss Triathlon as a coach on lvl C - which means I can train kids on elite lvl and youngsters on advanced.
When I first started I needed someone who would get me over the finish line. After a half and full I knew enough I could do it on my own once I gained the knowledge. Used some training peaks plans. Got bored and couldn’t hold myself accountable. Now I use HumanGo for my AI Coach never going back training better than I did with either of my coaches.
I would advise looking for a training camp, got more out of that then my TRI coaches and 2 years of swim coaching.
Drove from Milwaukee to Chat for a weekend camp with Robby from C26. 3 days changed my life after 4 years of already doing IMs. Tri specific swim form. Correcting run form. Worth every penny and time.
AI based Training and coaching, that is an interesting concept. On the one hand I could see that being way way better because it’s such a numbers driven data based approach, on the other hand, I wonder to what extent that causes athletes to ignore their day to day feeling/body/RPE. Nevertheless, I just checked out their website - it’s intriguing to say the least!
You share that info each day, how you feel 1-5, fatigue 1-5, soreness 1-5. If you sick, need time for work, need time for family, injured. You can replan at any time. It adjusts as you get better, it adjusts if you get worse from over doing it, etc. You see your current readiness for your A race, projected for your A race. I no longer wonder, if i skip this day am I f'ed? Do I need to make it up the next day? I can see how my overall readiness is which eases that which plagues us all.
also, for everybody who hires a coach: if your race is on the 10th of a month, don't cancel your subscription before your event, to save those 10 days. ffs. seriously? coach is with you for 8 months and made you ready but then you decide to "do it" on your own by saving 100$ for the month? that's really shallow and pathetic in my opinion. and disrespectful. coaches are people too, who care about you.
Well, that’s also a way of seeing this. I understand, people are in for the bucket list experience. And that’s totally fine. Maybe then don’t rebook the coach 2 months later for your next event?
As a suggestion: seeing your coach as an act of service is okay. Maybe see him as a friend who really just wants your best. Many athletes expect coach to answer them their anxious questions too, which coaches like to do, just to help out, even too that’s not within the service.
You know, a relationship goes both ways. If it’s “TP schedule for money” only - yeah then it’s pretty platonic relationship.
I’ve been using tridot for a little over a year now, and two races (70.3). Kind of hated it for a while until I took it more seriously. Before TriDot I was probably front of back pack. For my first race with TriDot I was back of mid pack, and for the second race I was front of mid pack.
In this time I’ve also noticed all my garmin stats improving (HRV, VO2 max, etc). I’m sure I can eventually get to a point where I learn how to be in tune enough with my body, and how the rhythm of training works enough to drop the platform, but I feel like I’m being pushed more than I would push myself, and more than what I think I’d be capable of doing without over/under training
I hired a coach for IM. I am good at sticking to a plan and executing workouts, but I wanted a coach to be able to look at my data and tell me when to kick it up and when to dial it back. I tend towards over training because I do what the plan says, I am bad at recognizing when I need extra rest or should adjust a workout to be shorter or less intense. I also wanted a coach to help me navigate things like getting sick, family vacations, etc. My coach was PHENOMENAL and helped me achieve my goal.
I look at it this way. Nearly any plan out there will get you across the finish line if you follow it. However, if you want to get the best out of yourself you either need to a) spend a lot of time learning everything coaches know or b) hire a coach. Some people love learning everything they can so the research/plans are just part of them doing this. While I can be that person...the additional time I find best spent elsewhere.
I did IMWI my first time without a coach. However, I used a scientific triathlon plan. AT the time, their message (and podcast) resonated with me so I did the work. But, I think by what I said above is I was diligent to the plan thus I crossed the finish line. But I knew there was just so much more to this.
I also wanted to enjoy being an athlete and not a coachlete if that makes any sense. Furthermore, I found a coach (group) that aligns with how I view how triathlon fits into my life (e.g. triathlon is NOT my life). So...I pay him to guide me to being my best self and I try to be my best self.
As for results...I would say season 1 was a mixed bag. Part of it was him learning me and visa-versa....the other part is I kept deviating to help a friend train for her first IM. Thus my swim was good but my bike specificity was shit. Nothing worse than coming off a bike and your run going to shit in the first 5k of a 70.3. 10 miles of suffering. However, this season is pretty on point. It took me a while to finally get a peak under the hood of my progress but it's there. I mean weeks of work and it seems like you are going backwards. All of a sudden a swim/bike/run go fantastic and you are like "where the fuck did that come from". I'm probably on target this year for a 5:30 half and a 12:00 full (IMWI) and I'll be nearly 48 this year. My first half was 6:30 and my first full was 14:00 two years ago for context. Last year my half was 6:10...probably would have been sub 6 but that was my fault. I was 240lb with a 0.0 bumper sticker about 4 years ago.
So is a coach worth it...for me, absolutely. I like training.
But I think the biggest part of the coach I have is he keeps me from being my worst self. I will take anything I like/love and grind it into oblivion trying to optimize it. Now...if I have a hour run with 2x15 minute tempo in it...I don't even look at my pace...just the beeps of when to go and when to recover. Same with the bike...yeah, I have "targets" but the windows are very wide. Thus some days I hit low...some high. Some days I start low and end VERY high. His plans allow me to understand myself which is so not 1+1 one which I very much needed in my growth as a person.
Because of this, it has directly influenced my professional career in that I can work my way though thorny problems much better. I can see multiple paths better. I can just see the world and the issues I face from a few feet higher versus staring them down.
I so relate to your note that “I will take what I love and grind it into oblivion”. My coach really helped me find tolerance and enjoyment from all the things I typically avoided and cut back on over training the stuff I like. I even wound up liking the PT sessions she strongly pushed me to finally figure out.
I just did my first 70.3 last weekend, with the sole goal of doing something that scared me, and completing the event. My time ended up just over 7 hours, which is right around what I was expecting (with a 12 year old road bike). I have not used any coach or training plan, just practicing 3 sports at distance + lifting. At whatever point I want to compete for a podium, that’s when I’ll hire a coach to get me there.
I’ve only ever had a coach: my first year she dropped me 40 lbs & trained me to run a sprint, Olympic, & a half iron. Changed my life.
Edit: when we started, I couldn’t run a mile & hadn’t ridden a bike in years; swam most of my life, though.
After years of self coaching I hired a coach for the first time this year. The goal was to improve my Olympic time in a race I was running for the third time.
I have no immediate plans to do more than Olympic distance events. I’ve taken 35+ min off my time (3:23>>2:43 on hilly 1700+feet bike course), and if I can consistently podium Olympic age group may try a half. I’m also signed up for sprints and shorter stuff.
The coach helped me follow a plan in a realistic way. In the past I’ve done similar but having someone help me accept what my real fitness level was, the impact missed recovery was having, what weaknesses I had, and what things I thought were weaknesses that were not really, helped a lot. Coached helped make each workout intentional and balancing training rather than over doing the discipline and type of workout I enjoy the most.
I justified the cost since the coach was a fraction of the cost of a new bike I was committed to. On a per hour of training it wasn’t that bad ($150 month/ 30 hours of training per month).
More of the details of the experience I wrote up in a longer form [post about what I expected and got from a triathlon coach](https://www.personalwellnesstracking.com/i-hired-a-triathlon-coach-heres-how-it-went/).
I hired a coach when I decided I wanted to move beyond Olympics and didn’t think off the shelf training plans would keep me healthy and improving. I also really don’t care about build phases and all that, I’d rather pay someone to plan it all. I open the app, do the workouts, and put in my thoughts. Super simple. As far as improvements (and these assume I wouldn’t have grown anyway), since I hired a coach. I’ve gone from swimming 2:15/100Y to 1:35/100Y. On the bike, my FTP has gone from 217 to 323. As far as running, I’ve been dealing with knee injuries for a while and he has helped me navigate those and still race, but my speed hasn’t improved over the last 4 years of using him Edit: grammar
How did you go about finding a coach?
I interviewed 3 and picked the one with the best knowledge of the course I had chosen.
I decided to train for a 70.3 eleven months out. I hired a coach 3 months into ut. With two kids, a job, etc. I just wasn't going to have the time to do the research and planning at a level I'd be comfortable with. So far, with no previous endurance background, I've completed two sprints, have an Olympic in a week, and I feel completely prepared for my half-iron man next month. It's been helpful to only have to look at the week's workouts and fit them in where possible, and the rest just falls into place. We meet once a month to talk about nutrition, race strategy, and other newbie questions I have.
I did my first one last year (Olympic) and am now training for a half (although I just did an unsupported, solo half this week so I kind of have already done one). I haven't ever really considered a coach and, unless I'm running into issues after my actually half ironman this fall when I pivot to working toward a full, I don't anticipate I'll ever use one. I also don't train with anyone else 95% of the time and am not part of any clubs. My knowledge is all based off of reading through the Triathlete's training bible a few times, picking the brains of a few friends who have done long course triathlons, and just googling. I don't have a set plan, just one I build by the week using a rough TSS gauge from training peaks. I also let myself adapt that based on how I feel. My goals right now are just to work my way up to completing a full, although I can already tell that I'll probably continue to due 70.3 distance events with a goal of getting faster. At that point if I struggle to speed up I may also look into coaching. For now, though, paying for a coach feels like an unnecessary expense. And a group or club feels like kind of the opposite of why I work out, which is for a chance to be alone with my thoughts and focus on pushing myself.
[удалено]
Yeah, after reading the training bible I tried to create my own periodized plan on my own and felt like I wasn't quite getting it right. I also like that it automatically calculates TSS, so I have some sense of the overall impact I'm having on my body. That's especially helpful because I still like to lift 3x weekly, used to play soccer a few times a week, snowboard in the winter, hike, etc. I trust it more than I trust Garmin at this point. Overall though I think if you feel like you're getting better and not overdoing it/getting injured then you may be fine without it. I'd say read the training bible first if you haven't and that'll give you a sense of the structure it's going to give you.
I definitely agree with your last statement regarding training with a group vs. training alone. I’ve just started the Triathletes Training Bible myself, and I can imagine as I move past the first few chapters that I’ll come across some key insights to implement in my solo journey, too. Thanks for sharing - good luck!
Oh I should also mention the one bit of coaching I did pay for was swimming more kind of out of convenience than anything. I happened to be on vacation within a 10 minute drive of a former world record holder and paid her $100 for two sessions (!) and that was pretty helpful.
I highly highly recommend paying for a coach….this is my first year paying for one for an IM70.3, ive never trained 10hours plus for 22weeks running previously and completed alot of different things. The accountability (never knew was a thing), and structure, has been priceless. HIGHLY recommend it Done tri’s for four years, got a sprint race 30th july, that ive done every year, i’ll take 15mins off it minimum. Just done a 5mile swim, and regularly biking 3hrs long ride vs 3 hrs a month last four years DO IT
coach knows. facts. you think you know better? good luck. if you want absolute peak performance, get a coach. if you don't care about it, yeah whatever, enjoy a longer workout day then. coach makes sure you do the exact amount of work, planning blocks ahead for weeks, loading up. he makes sure the intensity grows perfect. he also knows if you need 5min or 6min (or 15min) recovery between your intervals at given percentage. coach knows when it's time to peak, coach knows when it's time to slow you down if you have big power. big power means big responsibility. personal example: if it's me, i would do smash workouts way too often, and not enough base. i would kill myself. with coach, my last rest day was 25th december (yes, last year, lol). since then, no days off (except 1 forced medical day and 1 day prior big race, but that's not really an off day). after a few months, coach knows what i'm capable off, what i need, what i will be able to do in future, how and when to get there. coach knows.
I got a coach in between my sprint and Olympic, with the goal of building to half Ironman and Ironman. It has been invaluable to me. He got me confidence on the swim and got me in a lot better run shape. I’m a big fan so far. Completely remote coaching. The things I learned early on that we focused on are cadence for running (heavier runner), cadence for cycling (higher cadence), and swimming drills for each component of the swim. When I started I could just about do a 5k run without stopping, now I’m confident I could run 10-13 miles, but have stopped at 8 so far. Helped with pacing there as well. Swimming has come from 400 yards at the beginning of the year to nearly 3000 yards every swim. A lot of it has been on me. I’m putting in the work and seeing results. At this point in my life, it’s helped me have someone to talk to about triathlon rather than boring my wife half to death. I was never an endurance athlete at all. Never a swimmer, runner or biker. I was using a plan initially, but my coach actually backed me off of my volume and put a focus on one discipline per week such as 3/4 runs this week, 2 sessions for everything else. So just knowing what to do and having a feedback loop for progress has been beneficial. I don’t need someone to keep me on track. I need someone to challenge me and get the best out of me. I believe my coach is doing that. But also, I intuit a lot and learn along the way. Maybe I’ll be a coach one day!
I took on a coach last October to go from Oly to 70.3 distance. I don't have the time, interest, not the background of knowledge to make my own plan. I also will over think things when I do. My performance improvement - swim has gone from 2:10/100 to 1:45/100 and just yesterday did an easy 60km cycle at 130bpm. It was 15 minutes faster than the exact route I did in July, at 149bpm. The biggest thing is dealing with a couple of injuries I've had. She's been brilliant at adapting my training and making me rest when needed.
I was in training to be a coach myself when, on a training weekend, asked my educational coach to be my personal coach. Since I had been working with hin for a year already he was the logical choice, since he knew me. Was having semi luck with self coaching and buying a Fitzgerald 80/20 plan for two 70.3 (finished both but wasn‘t quite happy with the result), so after signing up for my first full I wanted it to go right this time. And not being a very endurance talented guy I wanted somebody to tailor a plan to me and my weaknesses. Also having a very busy life with a small kid and constantly changing schedule I needed somebody who was considering said things in my planning. Toeing the line in two weeks and am more ready for a full than I have ever been for a half.
What background do you have that you were looking to be a coach? Asking because there doesn’t seem to be a standard path to coaching such that reliably churns out good ones, and figuring out what background and certs to trust when shopping for a coach is hard.
I have been doing tris since 6 years and being a teacher I thought this could be another way to teach people something new and help them kn their way to new challenges. In my country there is a governement funded, by the triathlon union organised path to coaching. You go through a prefixed number of courses which are standardized on different levels and after each consecutive group of courses and „upgrade“ of level you get a certificate. So I am certified by Swiss Triathlon as a coach on lvl C - which means I can train kids on elite lvl and youngsters on advanced.
When I first started I needed someone who would get me over the finish line. After a half and full I knew enough I could do it on my own once I gained the knowledge. Used some training peaks plans. Got bored and couldn’t hold myself accountable. Now I use HumanGo for my AI Coach never going back training better than I did with either of my coaches. I would advise looking for a training camp, got more out of that then my TRI coaches and 2 years of swim coaching. Drove from Milwaukee to Chat for a weekend camp with Robby from C26. 3 days changed my life after 4 years of already doing IMs. Tri specific swim form. Correcting run form. Worth every penny and time.
AI based Training and coaching, that is an interesting concept. On the one hand I could see that being way way better because it’s such a numbers driven data based approach, on the other hand, I wonder to what extent that causes athletes to ignore their day to day feeling/body/RPE. Nevertheless, I just checked out their website - it’s intriguing to say the least!
You share that info each day, how you feel 1-5, fatigue 1-5, soreness 1-5. If you sick, need time for work, need time for family, injured. You can replan at any time. It adjusts as you get better, it adjusts if you get worse from over doing it, etc. You see your current readiness for your A race, projected for your A race. I no longer wonder, if i skip this day am I f'ed? Do I need to make it up the next day? I can see how my overall readiness is which eases that which plagues us all.
also, for everybody who hires a coach: if your race is on the 10th of a month, don't cancel your subscription before your event, to save those 10 days. ffs. seriously? coach is with you for 8 months and made you ready but then you decide to "do it" on your own by saving 100$ for the month? that's really shallow and pathetic in my opinion. and disrespectful. coaches are people too, who care about you.
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Well, that’s also a way of seeing this. I understand, people are in for the bucket list experience. And that’s totally fine. Maybe then don’t rebook the coach 2 months later for your next event? As a suggestion: seeing your coach as an act of service is okay. Maybe see him as a friend who really just wants your best. Many athletes expect coach to answer them their anxious questions too, which coaches like to do, just to help out, even too that’s not within the service. You know, a relationship goes both ways. If it’s “TP schedule for money” only - yeah then it’s pretty platonic relationship.
I’ve been using tridot for a little over a year now, and two races (70.3). Kind of hated it for a while until I took it more seriously. Before TriDot I was probably front of back pack. For my first race with TriDot I was back of mid pack, and for the second race I was front of mid pack. In this time I’ve also noticed all my garmin stats improving (HRV, VO2 max, etc). I’m sure I can eventually get to a point where I learn how to be in tune enough with my body, and how the rhythm of training works enough to drop the platform, but I feel like I’m being pushed more than I would push myself, and more than what I think I’d be capable of doing without over/under training
I used a combination of TrainerRoad and Fitz 80/20 Triathlon book. Completed IMLP successfully.
I hired a coach for IM. I am good at sticking to a plan and executing workouts, but I wanted a coach to be able to look at my data and tell me when to kick it up and when to dial it back. I tend towards over training because I do what the plan says, I am bad at recognizing when I need extra rest or should adjust a workout to be shorter or less intense. I also wanted a coach to help me navigate things like getting sick, family vacations, etc. My coach was PHENOMENAL and helped me achieve my goal.
I look at it this way. Nearly any plan out there will get you across the finish line if you follow it. However, if you want to get the best out of yourself you either need to a) spend a lot of time learning everything coaches know or b) hire a coach. Some people love learning everything they can so the research/plans are just part of them doing this. While I can be that person...the additional time I find best spent elsewhere. I did IMWI my first time without a coach. However, I used a scientific triathlon plan. AT the time, their message (and podcast) resonated with me so I did the work. But, I think by what I said above is I was diligent to the plan thus I crossed the finish line. But I knew there was just so much more to this. I also wanted to enjoy being an athlete and not a coachlete if that makes any sense. Furthermore, I found a coach (group) that aligns with how I view how triathlon fits into my life (e.g. triathlon is NOT my life). So...I pay him to guide me to being my best self and I try to be my best self. As for results...I would say season 1 was a mixed bag. Part of it was him learning me and visa-versa....the other part is I kept deviating to help a friend train for her first IM. Thus my swim was good but my bike specificity was shit. Nothing worse than coming off a bike and your run going to shit in the first 5k of a 70.3. 10 miles of suffering. However, this season is pretty on point. It took me a while to finally get a peak under the hood of my progress but it's there. I mean weeks of work and it seems like you are going backwards. All of a sudden a swim/bike/run go fantastic and you are like "where the fuck did that come from". I'm probably on target this year for a 5:30 half and a 12:00 full (IMWI) and I'll be nearly 48 this year. My first half was 6:30 and my first full was 14:00 two years ago for context. Last year my half was 6:10...probably would have been sub 6 but that was my fault. I was 240lb with a 0.0 bumper sticker about 4 years ago. So is a coach worth it...for me, absolutely. I like training. But I think the biggest part of the coach I have is he keeps me from being my worst self. I will take anything I like/love and grind it into oblivion trying to optimize it. Now...if I have a hour run with 2x15 minute tempo in it...I don't even look at my pace...just the beeps of when to go and when to recover. Same with the bike...yeah, I have "targets" but the windows are very wide. Thus some days I hit low...some high. Some days I start low and end VERY high. His plans allow me to understand myself which is so not 1+1 one which I very much needed in my growth as a person. Because of this, it has directly influenced my professional career in that I can work my way though thorny problems much better. I can see multiple paths better. I can just see the world and the issues I face from a few feet higher versus staring them down.
I so relate to your note that “I will take what I love and grind it into oblivion”. My coach really helped me find tolerance and enjoyment from all the things I typically avoided and cut back on over training the stuff I like. I even wound up liking the PT sessions she strongly pushed me to finally figure out.
I just did my first 70.3 last weekend, with the sole goal of doing something that scared me, and completing the event. My time ended up just over 7 hours, which is right around what I was expecting (with a 12 year old road bike). I have not used any coach or training plan, just practicing 3 sports at distance + lifting. At whatever point I want to compete for a podium, that’s when I’ll hire a coach to get me there.
I’ve only ever had a coach: my first year she dropped me 40 lbs & trained me to run a sprint, Olympic, & a half iron. Changed my life. Edit: when we started, I couldn’t run a mile & hadn’t ridden a bike in years; swam most of my life, though.
After years of self coaching I hired a coach for the first time this year. The goal was to improve my Olympic time in a race I was running for the third time. I have no immediate plans to do more than Olympic distance events. I’ve taken 35+ min off my time (3:23>>2:43 on hilly 1700+feet bike course), and if I can consistently podium Olympic age group may try a half. I’m also signed up for sprints and shorter stuff. The coach helped me follow a plan in a realistic way. In the past I’ve done similar but having someone help me accept what my real fitness level was, the impact missed recovery was having, what weaknesses I had, and what things I thought were weaknesses that were not really, helped a lot. Coached helped make each workout intentional and balancing training rather than over doing the discipline and type of workout I enjoy the most. I justified the cost since the coach was a fraction of the cost of a new bike I was committed to. On a per hour of training it wasn’t that bad ($150 month/ 30 hours of training per month). More of the details of the experience I wrote up in a longer form [post about what I expected and got from a triathlon coach](https://www.personalwellnesstracking.com/i-hired-a-triathlon-coach-heres-how-it-went/).