As a coach, I’m often approached by self coached athletes wanting to discuss their training, training plan and performance results.  Many times there are issues and concerns.  Things like injuries, lack of progress and even sliding backwards, frustration, confusion, anxiety, reduced motivation and a general lack of enjoyment with training and racing are very common.  Often the self coached athlete has spent hours every week searching the web, reading books, and talking to other athletes trying to “figure out” what’s wrong and what to do about it.  One of the difficulties in this approach is they are trying to be both an athlete and a coach.  These are two completely different jobs and skill sets.  Doing both can work for some athletes, and if you spend enough time searching and learning about how to be a coach, you can do a decent job of coaching yourself.  But even in this extreme case of the athlete that learns enough to self coach, the athlete can have a hard time holding themselves accountable and they usually can’t see their own blind spots.  So, at the end of the day, they are  not likely to be optimized and often times do not become the athlete they are meant to be.

One of the many benefits of hiring a professional, USA certified coach as your trusted advisor and mentor is to gain access to their vast knowledge base and experience of working with hundreds of other athletes.  As a self coached athlete, you it’s tough to gain that kind of insight.  A coach has seen it all and they know how to quickly access the limitation and opportunity areas for an athlete.  They rapidly develop the right solution to fix an issue or move the athlete to the next level.  Bottom line, they optimize an athlete quickly.  This fast improvement sometimes seems like magic to the athlete new to coaching services, but to the coach it’s just another great example of how the coach-athlete model in sports has always worked.   It’s no mystery that every team and every athlete that played sports growing up always had a coach.  It just works.  So why do so many athletes with super busy lifestyles take precious time away from their families, friends and careers to figure it all out themselves?

The best decision I ever made as an athlete was to hire my coach.  My coach optimized me quickly, moved my game up, made training fun, kept me from getting hurt and showed me the path to success in training, racing and life.  Of course I could design my own weekly training plans and do the workouts.  But I can’t hold myself accountable and I can’t see my own blind spots!  Thank you Coach, for all you’ve done.  I could not be the athlete (and person) I am today without your guidance!

Are you ready to optimize your training and racing? If so, contact us and we’ll get started today!

Here are a few words from some of our athletes on how being a coached athlete has helped.  You can read more of their comments on our Testimonials page and in our Athlete Stories section.

“…I went into that race with the confidence that I was fully prepared for the challenge ahead and knew if I stuck to the plan it would all work out, and it did, tenfold. I now know firsthand the difference between a coached athlete and a self coached athlete. The coached athlete trains with a sense of purpose and the understanding that if you lay the right ground work every reasonable goal is well within your reach.”  – Jim R.

“Coach Suzy was an integral part of my 2016 Ironman 70.3 training.  In five short weeks,  Coach Suzy organized my training, answered my questions, pushed me harder and never doubted that I could finish my race.  I appreciated that she researched the race course I was about to train on and gave me tailored advice so I could be fully prepared on race day.  I would highly recommend Coach Suzy as a coach and I look forward to working with her again next season!” – Kirsten J.

“I have been working with Coach Sarah for 3 months now, and in that time I have become a stronger, faster biker, a more proficient swimmer (although I still have work to do) and dare I say a runner…I am currently training for a 10k and I never thought I would be able to run a mile, let alone 6. She is so encouraging, wise, accomplished, and I have learned so much from her. Coach Sarah, thank you for working with me and I can’t wait to see what the next year brings. You’re the best!!!” – Sharon K.

“Thanks to Coach Jim Riga!  Several months ago I made the decision to transition to triathlon training.  The decision was exciting, but a bit daunting.  I interviewed with Coach Jim, went through my swim, bike, and run assessments and began training.  We set goals together, kept track of my progress, monitored any injuries, etc.  All this was, in my opinion, expected.  That’s basically what a coach does…right?  What was unexpected, is the encouragement, camaraderie, friendship, and hands on education.  This is an environment that allows you to train with confidence.  The “Experience” in Experience Triathlon is truly met in this great coach.  Thanks Coach Jim, you are awesome!” – Bob M.

“…I walked to the starting line of the Ironman with complete confidence in my abilities to complete 140.6 miles on one of the toughest IM courses.  And then I proceeded to exceed my expectations and had the most amazing day.  I owe that all to Kurt – an amazing coach and a true friend.” – Kendra F.

“…I have been on a continuous journey to discover my physical and mental capabilities for endurance athletics. Having Coach Joe there is invaluable as a guide to training safely and productively. He also serves as a source of accountability that I need to stay on the path. We work together to develop yearly goals around which my training program is tailored. As a result of having a personal coach like Joe, I have been able to see improvement in my races from year to year. I am now more physically fit than I was as a teenager and I view life in a more positive way than ever before.”  – Jeff P.

“…I decided I was ready to take my fitness to the next level but wasn’t sure how. After years of working out with no real direction, I decided to give ET a try. Since working with Coach Joe, I have seen a huge improvement in my strength and endurance. Even more importantly, I have learned how to push myself harder than I had ever thought possible. The phrase “I didn’t know I had it in me” definitely applies here!” – Alicia R.

Joe LoPresto is the CEO, Head Coach and Race Director of Experience Triathlon.   As leaders in the endurance services industry, Coach Joe and the Experience Triathlon staff help athletes of all ages and abilities achieve success in training, racing and life.  Learn more about Coach Joe and Experience Triathlon at www.experiencetriathlon.com.