Why investing in a coach goes beyond triathlon performance

We know hiring a coach to work with you on your triathlon journey can help boost your triathlon performance. However, in this blog, Coach Jon looks into how a successful coaching relationship can give you benefits well beyond pure performance gains.

Why do athletes invest in a coach?

Hiring a coach is often regarded as the biggest’ bang for your buck’ in terms of improved performance in endurance sport. You could spend £3k on a new bike and gain a few minutes of extra speed, but for the same year, you could spend £600-3000 on coaching and make long term improvements. Those gains earned with the new bike are fixed, the coach doesn’t limit the opportunity, but to get the most out of the experience, you have to invest in that relationship. ‘Investing’ in a coach is not just financial; we need to invest in our coach emotionally and personally as well. Over time, if the coach and athlete work well together, this is where the ‘coaching relationship’ can begin to flourish. Managed correctly, the athlete and coach can become a team, a partnership, a joint venture, working together towards the athlete’s goals. If the set-up works, it is a clear sign that the coaching relationship can develop into something ‘beyond triathlon performance’.

How does coaching go ‘beyond triathlon’?

A coaching relationship is not only about making the athlete swim, bike and run faster; it’s how the coach can fit triathlon into the athlete’s life. After all, triathlon is a lifestyle, so successful coaching incorporates the lifestyle, not just the performance of triathlon. This is even more apparent when real-life events intersect with the sport - a new job, a new baby, a niggle that won’t go away; life can interact with triathlon in so many ways. This has been especially relevant this year - furlough, redundancies, financial problems, health worries and all the other negative things that have come out of 2020. Has your coach been there for you? Have you told your coach how you are feeling lately?

How to build a great coaching relationship?

Like any relationship, a solid coaching relationship is built on trust, honesty and open communication:

Trust - A coach’s vision, influence and plan can only be realised if you give it a chance. Naturally, things won’t always work out exactly as you both planned, but you won’t know if it’s working until you give it a try.
Honesty - From the outset, be honest with your coach about your goals, your limitations, and your expectations. Of course, these will change over time, don’t be afraid to change the plan. You should be able to tell your coach anything. If you feel like you need to hide important information like injury, illness, or stress, then perhaps your relationship with your coach is not entirely where it could be.
Communication - Ask questions, wanting to understand the why and the how around your training is not just ok; it’s actively encouraged. It’s a healthy part of the communication process. Furthermore, there are going to be days you’re just not ‘feeling it’, if you’ve got something bothering you, tell your coach. Don’t keep it to yourself and train through it. ‘A problem shared is a problem halved.’ Triathlon training is stressful - therefore, the physical stress called for by your training plan must be in balance with any additional emotional or mental stress faced in your everyday life. If your coach doesn’t know that your ‘stress bucket’ is filling up, they may inadvertently ask you to do more than you have the capacity for. That can easily lead to suboptimal performance, negativity and inadequate recovery.

The highs and the lows

Of course, things don’t always go to plan in both life and triathlon. This is where the ‘beyond performance’ coaching relationship pays dividends. Coaches should be there for the athlete through both the highs and more importantly, the lows. The lows are when the athlete needs the help and support of their coach. If problems crop up in the relationship or in the coach or athletes performance, remember this is a partnership, the athlete and coach can learn as a team. Together they can work out what went wrong, learn from mistakes and make a plan to do it better next time.

How do you measure success in a coaching relationship?

Maybe it shouldn’t come down to podium’s, medals and PBs?

Does your coach challenge you, inspire you, motivate you, make you laugh? Are they there for you? Can you tell your coach the ins and outs of your most embarrassing moments? On a recent call with your coach, did you spend 45 minutes chatting about the things going on in your social life before you realised you should probably talk triathlon? If so, your coach has just had a great chance to learn how full or empty your stress/motivational bucket is right now. This could be an indication that you have found a good match, you are open, communicative and on your way to forging a stable coaching relationship that goes beyond athletic performance.

We’re here to help

Tri Training Harder are one of the leading Triathlon coaching providers in the UK, using our wealth of experience to unite scientific and technological research with already well-established and successful best practices, to create a formula for triathlon and endurance coaching that works.

The result is an honest, dynamic, yet simple new way of constructing an athlete’s training to allow them to reach their potential.

If you’re planning your next season, just starting out in the sport or are looking for extra guidance at the very top end of the field, we are here to help, and our coaches would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us via the website, and one of the team will be in touch.

Jon ReillySeptember 18, 2020Jon Reilly, Coached Athlete, coaching, Training, PsychologyComment

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