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 an athlete who learns enough to self-coach well, they can still 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 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 gaining access to their vast knowledge base and experience working with hundreds of other athletes. As a self-coached athlete, it’s tough to gain that kind of insight. A coach has seen it all, and they know how to assess the limitation and opportunity areas for an athlete quickly. 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 who 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 quickly optimized my training, 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, take a look at our Coaching Services Page HERE, 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 Joe took me from nobody to a two-time 70.3 World Championships qualifier. We spent two years together, and he opened my eyes to what a difference a coached athlete vs someone doing it on their own can really be. I had competed in triathlon races for almost a decade before I took the leap to challenge myself with the half Ironman distance. Coach Joe delivered everything I needed. Scheduled and customized workouts, phone coaching, and an outlet for expressing my feelings and challenges throughout the process. Thanks for everything you did for me, Coach; I’ll always remember this journey and what you did for me.” – Jay P.
“Thanks for everything, Coach! Without a doubt, the biggest impact I received from your coaching was doing more with less. When I used pre-built workouts for previous races, I was doing twice as much work, and I truly believe I was overtraining and stressed as a result. Thanks for helping me keep the right balance and find a pace that was much more sustainable for my fourth Ironman finish with a 50-minute PR to boot!” – Ben P.
“…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 leadership team 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.