Taking on a coach is a big decision. Having someone else tell you what to do on a daily basis isn't something that should be taken lightly and you should try to speak to a few coaches. We have been in the industry for 16 years and have seen people go from back of the pack to standing on the podium as well as help rekindle the enjoyment for endurance sports. This article gives you a clue as to what is involved with coaching.

Trust
  • The aim for any coach should be to gain your trust. If the coach is trying to get you to do something and you have a hesitation or reluctance to do it then it is the coaches responsibility to try to explain what the sessions will achieve and why they are trying to get you to do them. 
Communication is Key
  • We use a platform called TrainingPeaks to load in sessions. This allows us to analyse the data from your GPS/powermeter/heart rate monitor and make sure you are working to the correct levels. 
  • TrainingPeaks allows you to comment how how sessions went and allows the coaches to feedback on a daily basis.
  • We like to talk on the phone or meet for a coffee whenever possible. Our packages mean you can chat on a weekly or a monthly basis. 
  • Weekly schedules are determined on the amount of hours you have available rather than what other people are doing. We understand that each week can be different and that life and families are important too. 
Planning
  • TrainingPeaks has a calendar function (Annual Training Plan) that means we can plan exactly the intensity and duration of each session, week and month building to get you as fit as possible for your big day. 
  • Each day you can log in and see what session you have to do.
Motivation
  • There are times when you are really enjoying the training and have no issues with you motivating yourself to get out the door to train. However with the training you become tired and when you become tired you can sometime lose your "mojo". We remind provide you with the motivation and remind you why you are training and help you get out the door. It is only a stage and you will come out of it.
Accountability
  • Leading on from motivation - there is something about knowing that someone is "watching" what you are doing that will help you reach your goal. While we want the goal to be yours rather than the coaches we have found that there is a certain amount of wanting to please the coach.
Technology
  • Triathlon tends to be a "first adopter" when it comes to technology. Most people have GPS watches, more people are having power meters fitted to the bike and there is a rise in shoe technology. Each with every company saying their product is better than any other product. We can explain why some technology is more useful than others, advise you on how to get the most out of the equipment and which product we prefer to others. There are a lot of useful videos on YouTube but sometimes it can confuse you even more.
More than a voice at the end of the phone
  • Where possible we like to meet up at the start of our "relationship" to have a coffee and have a good chat about goals. Being in a relaxed and informal environment gives us a better understanding of what makes you tick.
  • Again where possible we like to come watch you race or even race with you. 
  • Every year we run a 9 Endurance training camp in the Spring. So we can see you train on a daily basis, give you feedback on skills and keep an eye on you to make sure you are understanding what and why we are getting you to do what you do.
  • If you live near us then we offer the opportunity to have 1-2-1 or small group sessions with us. Whether it is to help you go through transitions, correct your running cadence or help you set you FTP correctly. 
Nutrition
  • What you eat is just as important to us as how you train. Training makes you tired and how you fuel and refuel allows your body to recover quicker so you can train again the next day.
  • We can advise you on training and race day nutrition. You put in a lot of time and make sacrifices to train so it is important that you consume the correct amount of calories at the right time for your event.
Race Week Support
  • Your training has gone well and you have arrived at race week with no injuries. This is probably the most nerve wracking time for you. We talk to you regularly to make sure you aren't panicking and doing any more training than you are supposed to. 
Our Philosophies
  • It seems at the moment that there are lots of buzz words about training philosophies  -Periodized, Reverse Periodized, Polarized, SweetSpot, etc etc. We believe that working towards a goal and overcoming any obstacles that may come your way is hard to put under any one banner. Consistent training and being able to adapt to any situation that may come your way is important so varied training throughout the year is key. However we believe that jumping from week to week doing different types of training isn't good for your body to gain fitness. Going through blocks of 6-10 weeks focusing on one aspect is what we have found to work best. Let your body adapt and get stronger then challenge yourself again.
  • Get the hard work done. There are lots of motivational pictures floating around the internet. Our favourite is probably the iceberg analogy. You get out what you put in. We believe that your race result should reflect the training you do. We will help you along the way with everything behind the scenes and under the surface. We can't do the sessions for you but we will give you the right session at the right time.
If you would like to know more or think that we can help you achieve your goal then please get in touch with us on the contact page. We have 1 space available in May and we are opening up 2 more spaces in July.