As 2008 comes to a close, the days go by with talk of the election, financial markets and world politics. If you’re like most people, you can’t help but wonder or worry about the struggling economy. From the choices we make to our lifestyle, each of us is bound to feel the strain of economical turbulence.
Step aside from that for a moment and consider where you have been and where you are going in our sport. Maybe you’ve decided to set out to win your age group, set a new personal best or finish your first Ironman. In any case, you might also be wondering how and if a coach can help. And, if they can help, how to justify the cost of yet one more multisport-related thing.
It’s a hard decision, I know. This sport is expensive enough with gear, race entry, travel expenses. Not only that but the struggling economy makes ‘extras’ anywhere in life an unlikely possibility. But what if someone could help you get more out of your sports-related investments in terms of financial, energy and time?
That’s how a coach can help!
A coach will help you maximize your time. We only have so many hours in the day to work, be a spouse, parent or take time for ourselves. Knowing how much to do each day is something a coach will plan for you. A coach will help you avoid doing what you don’t need to and help you get the most out of quality sessions in the shortest amount of time.
A coach will work closely with you work towards success at your goal. The more costly your goal, the more you might consider the benefit of working with a coach. Costs are more than just financial. Into our training and we racing we put emotional, physical and personal investments. The emotional and financial cost of a DNF, the physical drain of overtraining, the relationship toll of taking too much time away for the sport – this adds up. A coach will plan a program for you to spend only as much as you have, get as much as possible in return without overdrawing from your other funds (personal, physical and emotional energy).
A coach will keep it simple for you. Forget surfing the internet for hours looking for training secrets or buying yet another book. Do you really have the time for that? Through education and experience, coaches have a strong sense of how to work towards your goals. They will save you the emotional and mental cost of second guessing yourself (am I doing enough, too much, at the right time, etc) and allow you to instead focus on what really matters – being physically and mentally ready for each quality session.
A coach will help you save money on the expendables. Do you need really need that gym membership? What about the hourly cost of meeting with a personal trainer? Most multisport training can be done at your own home. Purchasing a few pieces of equipment can cut down on the cost of gym fees, personal training plus fuel and time expenses getting to the gym. Often masters groups are available for a smaller, separate fee through a local park district or organization. A coach will also provide you with home-based strength training routines that can be completed with a fairly inexpensive stability ball and mat.
A coach will help you make the most economical decisions about gear, races and more. Triathlon involves three sports – meaning three times the decisions to make, gear to buy and questions you have. Should you race two weekends in a row? What will be the cost of this to your wallet and your body? A coach will help you make a cost-effective decision about which races to choose, which gear to buy and more.
A coach will help bring out your best. Regardless of your goal, each of us seeks out our personal best. There is a huge personal and emotional value to performing at our personal best. To do this, you must arrive at a race rested, well-trained, mentally prepared and injury-free. A coach will plan a program that will help you achieve these things.
Add up the expense of race entry fee, travel, lodging, gear, etc. Then add to that the cost of your time in trying to find information, organize and plan workouts for yourself. How much is your time worth by hour? By day? Most quality coaches are reasonably priced between $3 to $8 dollars per day. When you consider how much your time is worth emotionally, practically and financially, choosing a coach might be the best bargain for your sports-related goals. More than ever, now is a good time to consider investing in a coach. Really it’s an investment to yourself and your success in the sport.
Contact us at multisportmastery at comcast.net to find out more about how a coach can help with your 2009 season goals.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
What It Takes
The 2008 season has been a successful one. I’ve had the pleasure of working with a variety of athletes from across the country striving towards many different goals. All ages, abilities, backgrounds, fitness levels and speeds. This is perhaps the most exciting – and most challenging – part of coaching, knowing that even with your one philosophy it must be tweaked in many different ways to meet the ever-changing needs of your athletes.
One thing is certain – success and what it takes to get there. Indeed there are key qualities, behaviors and mindsets that enable athletes to achieve their goals. Sometimes the goal is finishing, sometimes it is winning an age group, setting a personal best or simply not walking the run. Here are the habits and qualities of athletes that consistently reach their goals:
Ownership
Achieving athletes own their goals. They set goals, they revisit them from time to time. They use their goals as a motivator to get them through tough days, bad weather or other distraction. They have taken their goal and said – this is what I want and I will do what it takes to get there. In other words, they don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk. Few athletes are patient, committed and honest enough to walk the walk. Talk is much easier and pain-free.
Commitment
You can hire the best coach, you can buy the fastest bike, you can have a fancy power meter on your wheel. None of these will get you any closer to your goal if you are not committed to doing the work to get there. And that is what it takes – commitment to the work. All of it; physical work, mental, nutritional work. There is no substitute for that nor the commitment you make to that work.
Focused
Athletes that achieve are focused on themselves (not selfish, just focused). They set out to train with their workouts and goals in mind without letting others influence their plan for the day. They avoid training as racing which often means they do not win workouts with friends – and that’s ok. They are focused on themselves and their goal of winning at the race with their goal instead. Focusing on yourself, your actions, thoughts and goals in training pave the way for success at the race.
All Weather Athlete
Achievers know that there is no such thing as bad weather only bad clothes. Rain happens, cold, wind, heat, humidity – all of these are conditions that can and will happen on race day. Athletes that achieve prepare for the conditions and realize that on race day they must be ready to deal with anything. They understand that you cannot control the conditions, only your response to them. That said, they are out there training in these conditions to learn how to respond.
Trusting
They trust the plan. They may question it and seek explanation for the principles yet underlying themselves is trust in the plan. In other words, they buy into it. They believe everything they are doing is dedicated to their goal. They never add or omit workouts because they felt the need to run or wanted to go longer or felt like going farther with their friends. They do what they have to do and not a minute more because it’s not part of the plan. This act of letting go is a huge stress reliever and lets the athlete focus on doing what it takes to achieve – train & recover – and the coach do what they are hired for – plan a plan.
Recovery
Successful athletes know that the time they spend recovering is just as important – if not more so – than the time they spend training. They take the time to eat well before, during and after a workout. They follow a fuel and hydration plan. They stretch regularly. They do the little things that add up big over time; ice baths, staying off their feet when possible, balancing their life, sleeping adequately.
Believe
Achievers believe in their ability to reach their goals. They started by setting realistic goals and then persisted with doing the work to get there. No matter what happens along the way – setbacks, pain – they never doubt their ability. They believe. When you believe in yourself you are confident about who you are and what you can do. This is more powerful than any workout you can do. Simply set the goal and starting believing you can get there. Do everything you can to make the most out of each day with this goal in mind. When you arrive at the start line, execute your plan and believe you are prepared and capable to follow it through to the finish – and arrive at your goal.
The best part about these qualities is that they cost you nothing. Anyone can become the athlete I described above. And that is what I have found – there is no body type, age or speed the equates to success. It is a mindset, qualities that are free - so to speak - that sets apart those that fall short and those that achieve their goals.
One thing is certain – success and what it takes to get there. Indeed there are key qualities, behaviors and mindsets that enable athletes to achieve their goals. Sometimes the goal is finishing, sometimes it is winning an age group, setting a personal best or simply not walking the run. Here are the habits and qualities of athletes that consistently reach their goals:
Ownership
Achieving athletes own their goals. They set goals, they revisit them from time to time. They use their goals as a motivator to get them through tough days, bad weather or other distraction. They have taken their goal and said – this is what I want and I will do what it takes to get there. In other words, they don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk. Few athletes are patient, committed and honest enough to walk the walk. Talk is much easier and pain-free.
Commitment
You can hire the best coach, you can buy the fastest bike, you can have a fancy power meter on your wheel. None of these will get you any closer to your goal if you are not committed to doing the work to get there. And that is what it takes – commitment to the work. All of it; physical work, mental, nutritional work. There is no substitute for that nor the commitment you make to that work.
Focused
Athletes that achieve are focused on themselves (not selfish, just focused). They set out to train with their workouts and goals in mind without letting others influence their plan for the day. They avoid training as racing which often means they do not win workouts with friends – and that’s ok. They are focused on themselves and their goal of winning at the race with their goal instead. Focusing on yourself, your actions, thoughts and goals in training pave the way for success at the race.
All Weather Athlete
Achievers know that there is no such thing as bad weather only bad clothes. Rain happens, cold, wind, heat, humidity – all of these are conditions that can and will happen on race day. Athletes that achieve prepare for the conditions and realize that on race day they must be ready to deal with anything. They understand that you cannot control the conditions, only your response to them. That said, they are out there training in these conditions to learn how to respond.
Trusting
They trust the plan. They may question it and seek explanation for the principles yet underlying themselves is trust in the plan. In other words, they buy into it. They believe everything they are doing is dedicated to their goal. They never add or omit workouts because they felt the need to run or wanted to go longer or felt like going farther with their friends. They do what they have to do and not a minute more because it’s not part of the plan. This act of letting go is a huge stress reliever and lets the athlete focus on doing what it takes to achieve – train & recover – and the coach do what they are hired for – plan a plan.
Recovery
Successful athletes know that the time they spend recovering is just as important – if not more so – than the time they spend training. They take the time to eat well before, during and after a workout. They follow a fuel and hydration plan. They stretch regularly. They do the little things that add up big over time; ice baths, staying off their feet when possible, balancing their life, sleeping adequately.
Believe
Achievers believe in their ability to reach their goals. They started by setting realistic goals and then persisted with doing the work to get there. No matter what happens along the way – setbacks, pain – they never doubt their ability. They believe. When you believe in yourself you are confident about who you are and what you can do. This is more powerful than any workout you can do. Simply set the goal and starting believing you can get there. Do everything you can to make the most out of each day with this goal in mind. When you arrive at the start line, execute your plan and believe you are prepared and capable to follow it through to the finish – and arrive at your goal.
The best part about these qualities is that they cost you nothing. Anyone can become the athlete I described above. And that is what I have found – there is no body type, age or speed the equates to success. It is a mindset, qualities that are free - so to speak - that sets apart those that fall short and those that achieve their goals.
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