One has to really trust and communicate in ways that can be pretty uncomfortable to a Type A personality. I was a single mom, the only woman on most conference calls, the only woman taking my APICs exams.... I have done a lot of things On. My. Own. I am a textbook DIY kinda gal.
Enter Triathlon Goals...
I started in September and found myself some do it yourself training plans and was chugging along. Chugging... Doing all kinds of time and miles but not getting any faster. I decided I needed someone to tell me *what* to do in all these sessions I am logging. So.... I hired a coach.
She loads my first week and I am off and super excited. A couple weeks go by and I am getting faster, the regular time trials make this indisputable, and great. But, as I am watching my weekly duration/distance totals I see I am not adding any mileage and the duration is getting less. As much as an hour one week... In large part, because I am faster now than I was 5 weeks ago. Still, I want more! I want to be gaining in endurance AND speed. I have learned other things - I am slowly getting the nutrition figured out. And that is in HUGE part thanks to her.
I have more goals than one sprint tri in April. I want to finish a century, swim 2.5k, run 8k, complete n Oly distance Tri.... I am going to have to pick up the pace... er - you know what I mean.
Hiring a coach is lot more than paying the bill and following the plan. You have to trust... I have put my goals and my dreams in someone else's hands. Not completely, I own putting in the effort. It is kind of like she is the navigator. I am driving the car, but I have to trust her when she says turn here... That is difficult for me.
I have communicated that I need the endurance to pick up - and my new plan reflects that a little. I am going to have to be clear and somehow still trust. After all, she has done this before - coached many athletes who have achieved their goals. I haven't! She knows more than me... Period. Trust the process - le sigh, who knew swim/bike/run was so darn mental!!!
Are you a coached triathlete?
How do you handle the - I want more conversations?