Ironman.com publishes a lot of articles about training and racing triathlons. Everything from how to choose the proper gear, what races one might be suited for, what to eat and drink while training and racing, how to pick a coach, how much swimming one should do, etc., etc. There are other publications that write about the topic too. I see multiple articles every day being published on various websites that go into some detail about training blocks, nutrition, what's more aero, etc.
Earlier today, I saw this article about whether or not an individual should seek out a coach or simply coach themselves. The original article is here:
http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2015/01/can-you-go-the-self-coached-route.aspx#axzz3NrrgLBkU
After going through the pros and cons of being self coached, the article ends with this statement, "Self-coaching should be an option for almost all triathletes. Our sport is not terribly technical—we’re just swimming, biking and running—the three things we’ve done since we were five years old!"
Really? It's that simple? Maybe it should read, ""Self-coaching should be an option for almost all triathletes who don't want to improve." It seems almost irresponsible to make such a bold and general statement. What are all those coaches for that are constantly referenced in all the other articles? Are they chopped liver? How can Ironman.com constantly quote professional coaches and then in one article basically say that the sport is so simple, you don't need them? The article did not come right out and say that no one needs a coach and gave discussion points about various resources that coaches provide and to think about whether that is something one might require. And they did use the word option. But ending the article with such a bold statement seems to suggest the author believes that coaches are not necessary for the common triathlete. At least that is the impression I got when I read it.
Sure when it comes down to it, we are doing lots of swimming, lots of biking, and lots of running. Well, duh. But there is much more to it than that. Personally my coach is more than simply someone who manages my time for me. Don't get me wrong, this is a huge thing and I am lucky to have someone who knows how to structure my week, month, and year so I can get the most benefit from my workouts and races. And as far as accountability goes, my coach is good for that too. I want to turn my Training Peaks boxes green and I look forward to his feedback on those workouts. And does my coach motivate me? He sure does. But beyond all that, my coach really knows the sport inside and out. He knows what it takes for athletes to improve and race well.
Maybe not everyone wants to improve. Maybe some people just want a good healthy sport to help them with overall fitness. Plus there is certainly a social aspect to training and racing. Maybe for some people the social engagement is more important. I like those benefits for sure and for me, it is a healthy hobby. More than that though, it is fun. But what makes it fun is putting in all the work to improve, training hard and then on race day, executing the perfect race strategy that allows me to beat as many other competitors as possible. They do call it a race for a reason. And then doing it all again and trying to improve and beat more people the next time around.
As children we were often told that "it's not whether you when or lose, it's how you play the game." After playing soccer all throughout childhood and most of my adult life, I learned that that statement is only partially true. Fair play and honesty are no doubt the cornerstones of any competition. And while it is not really all that fun to beat a bunch of 5 year olds in soccer, it is a lot more fun to win when competing with people who are similar in skill and experience, drive and desire. Wining is fun.
The other day I had a bike trainer workout called "Anaerobic Sandwich". This was a challenging workout for sure. But my coach set me up to succeed. I am one hundred percent certain that not only was this workout challenging but since I was able to complete the workout as prescribed, I got the perfect stress on my body to help me improve as a cyclist. That's why I do it right? Sure I was queasy afterwards and slightly dizzy and the thought of eating made me a little pukey. But that is part of the fun. My coach knows what to throw at me that challenges me but does not set me up for failure. And we are not simply toughing out these workouts just so we can get through the workout. The end goal is to beat other triathletes to the finish line. No, I am not going to win. Not yet anyway. But I am going to perform better and chase down the competitors in front of me. Someday, I may win my age group. In fact, that is my goal. Thankfully I have a coach who knows how to motivate me and make me a better athlete all around. He does that with knowledge, science, experience, personality, and even humor.
Funny how one article on the Internet can drive me to babble on a bit. Thanks for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment