How is Coaching Different?
Chris Palmquist
December 3, 2019
Many area runners just completed a marathon while raising money for a charity (bravo!). As a perk for their fundraising efforts, the charity provided them with a “coach” during the training process. Each runner had one or two phone conversations with a coach, then the coach assigned each of them one of three possible levels of training plans based on their running experience and fitness. The runners then followed the training plan with little interaction with their coach. The runners believed that they had a coach guiding their training, but I would argue that they did not. Let me explain by defining the different options that athletes have to guide their training and achieve their goals.
Basic: The Generic Training Plan
There are three general options for organizing one’s training for a seasonal goal. At the most basic level, many athletes “coach” themselves. Their training may be random - simply running, biking and swimming when and where they wish during each week. Or the self-coached athlete might pick up a magazine, website or book-based training plan and follow it to the best of their ability. The pros of self-coaching include the ability to control your own schedule and the low cost. However, this athlete is less likely to reach his or her full potential. They are more susceptible to lose motivation or to become injured. Using (or not using) a training plan that was never tailored to the athlete’s goals, strengths or weaknesses will drastically limit results. And more importantly, the athlete has no-one overseeing his or her progress with an expert, caring eye. This can lead to burn-out, injury or lack of success.
There are some situations and athletes for whom self-coaching can work well. An athlete with significant prior experience might do well by following a generic or self-built training plan if they know when and how to modify it to avoid injury and experience the correct amount of training stimulus. This requires knowledge and confidence.
Intermediate: Custom Built Training Plan
The intermediate training option is when an athlete hires a coach to create a custom training plan tailored to the athlete’s specific goals, training objectives, strengths, limiters, energy and available training time. In this scenario, the coach and athlete conduct an extensive interview where the coach learns all the above characteristics of the athlete. Then, the coach designs a customized plan for several months of training for this unique athlete. The coach hands over the training plan, then the athlete takes the plan and “runs” with it independently from the coach.
The benefits of a custom training plan are that the athlete gets a unique, tailored plan at a low cost from an expert coach. The disadvantages to this scenario are that once the plan goes to the athlete, the coach will no longer be there to modify the plan, oversee the athlete’s progress, adjust for fatigue/illness/injury, give ongoing advice or to help with answers to all the questions that inevitably come up during training and racing. Even with the disadvantages, custom training plans are a big step up from a generic plan.
At Cloud 10 Multisport, we call these Custom Built Training Plans. Find out more here: https://www.cloud10multisport.com/custom-built-training-plans
Advanced: Performance Coaching
The best way to train successfully and attain your goals is to hire a personal coach. A good coach will learn everything about you, your goals, restrictions and your abilities. The coach will work with you to set goals and training objectives that will lead to success. Based on frequent communication and analysis of your workout data, the coach will design and prescribe training for you that will fit into your life, push your limits, rest you when needed and progressively work towards building your peak skills and fitness. A good coach will do everything possible to limit burn-out, illness and injury. When your work or family schedule suddenly changes, a coach will modify your training accordingly.
A good coach understands both the art and the physiological science needed to bring out your best. Most importantly, a good coach cares deeply about your achievements – working as your partner every step along the way. At Cloud 10 Multisport, we call this Performance Coaching. More information can be found here: https://www.cloud10multisport.com/coaching
Invest in your passion, reach your goals
The charity runners thought that they had a “coach” guiding them through their marathon preparation. In reality, they were just following a semi-custom training plan – a very different experience from real, one-on-one coaching. Although, they all enjoyed being part of the charitable mission together, they may have had more success in their races if they had a personal coach helping them with the daily questions and challenges that always occur on a training journey.
If you are serious about your goals and want to match your efforts with the proper training, answers and caring that you get from a real coach, make sure that you hire a personal coach. The investment that you make in true coaching will be worthwhile.