When you decide you want to do something new or do something better, it often pays to consult with someone who specializes. If your kitchen sink is leaking, you call a plumber, unless you happen to be a competent do-it-yourself person. The same goes for triathlon. A competent coach has done some studying, keeps up to date on the latest knowledge-base and has the experience of seeing athletes and their responses to various training regimens and loads.

I know of several coaches who all meet the preceding criteria. So how do you choose YOUR coach?
1. Make sure you get along and communicate well with each other. Without that, the relationship will never work.
2. Ask about their training philosophy and methods. You don’t need every detail, but you need to know that your coach’s goals are in keeping with yours.
3. Ask other athletes who have been coached by that person to help get a feel for what the experience is like working with that coach.

Once you have a coach, believe in the plan they provide. Having said that, it is perfectly fine to ask questions so that you understand why you are doing certain things within your training plan. In fact, there are times when it is particularly important to know why you are doing a certain workout so that you focus on the correct things during that workout. With any concerns out of the way, you can trust that your coach’s plan will take you where you need to be. You can focus on doing without worrying about scheduling, whether you are doing the correct distance, duration, intensity, etc.

It is much easier to focus on the task of completing workouts if you don’t have to think too much about the planning and scheduling, especially if you are not the aforementioned do-it-yourself person.

A final caution, once you have chosen a coach (even if that coach is you):
Beware of the voices.

There are several different ways to achieve the same goal. As long as you choose one way and stick with it, you will be fine. The problem comes when you start getting advice from many different sources. This applies to all athletes, but especially those new to the sport. There are articles in magazines, articles on websites, blog posts, training forums and other people you know who are doing different things than you or have different training zones leading up to the same race. Things get muddy very quickly if you listen to all that (sometimes conflicting) advice. I often use the analogy of being in one area of a city and asking directions to another area. Ask five people and you will get five different routes. They will all get you there, but you want to choose one and follow start to finish. If you pick various parts of the five different sets of directions, you will more than likely get lost. The same goes for training for triathlon. Once you and your coach have a plan, stick to it. It is much easier to believe in one well conceived plan than to try to follow every piece of advice you hear, unless that advice fits in with your plan.

When you find the right coach and are able to focus on the task of training, it frees you to pursue new limits.

August 28th, 2011 was the 29th annual Ironman Canada in Penticton, BC.
Ironman is a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike and a marathon (26.2 miles 42.195 km) run

This year, there were six Finish Line Coaching athletes racing. This year was a hot one, testing both experienced and first timers alike. There were so many great stories from race day. As a coach, I was so inspired and impressed with the determination of this group of athletes. I’m so proud of them all. I hope to post those stories and more pictures here with the athletes’ permission.

Here are the times:

Cam Mackay 11:10
Craig Johnson 14:21 (First Ironman)
Doug Giles 9:57
Erin Lee 13:39
Michelle LaPorte 16:31 (First Ironman)
Patrick Okens 11:08 (First Ironman)

Congratulations one and all!

August 29th, 2010 marked the 28th annual Ironman Canada in Penticton, BC.

This year, there were ten Finish Line Coaching athletes racing. Athletes battled wind and cold rain to successful finishes. For eight of the ten, this was their first time completing the Ironman distance, while the two repeat finishers had personal best days.

Two of them, Nicole and Richele also qualified for the Ironman World Championship in Kona. That race takes place October 9th, 2010.

Here are the times:

Nicole Akeroyd – 11:20 – First Ironman – Hawaii Qualified – 1st in Age Group
Gregg Ambrosi – 11:12 – First Ironman
Dale Anderson – 12:49 – First Ironman
Will Dugger – 12:51 – First Ironman
Richele Frank – 11:09 – First Ironman – Hawaii Qualified
Cameron Mackay – 11:16 – Personal Best
Chris Revell - 11:30 – First Ironman
Don Smith – 11:26 – Personal Best
Kris Steed – 12:16 – First Ironman
Stew Weepers – 11:48 – First Ironman

Congratulations on some stellar performances!

One of the most important aspects of periodization is the intensity at which each workout is executed. For improvement to occur more effectively, training intensity needs to be measured and controlled.

The easiest measure to use is Rate of Perceived Exertion, or RPE. which is how difficult the workout feels. Also easy to use is percent, although what the various percents mean is open to interpretation. I also use my own “Talk Index” defining how easy or difficult it would be to talk at a given output. Then there is heart rate, with ranges for individual training zones. Average pace is a good indicator once an athlete knows their pace range for various intensities. Finally, power can be used on the bike (maybe someday on the run and swim too) with a power meter.

Each of these methods yield results of varying accuracy since our perception of effort is not always perfect and our breathing and heart rate can be affected by other things besides exercise. Power is a very good standard since it is not affected by these factors. As mentioned, currently this is only available for cycling.

It is my recommendation that athletes use a multi-pronged approach in their training, using some or all of the above-mentioned measures. Some athletes relate better to RPE, while others love to watch their heart rate, etc. By following more indicators, an athlete can dial their training into the correct zone and also find the measures that work best for them as an individual.

The longer I work with an athlete, the more we fine tune these measures, one of the keys to that athlete reaching their potential.

Episode Two of the Finish Line Coaching Podcast.

Shaking Up Your Training, Swim Transition and more…

Show Links:
Erin Lee’s Tri N Reality
“Pet” Hummingbirds

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