Coaching

Anonymous

Been thinking about coaching but it seems to cost a freakin' fortune!

I happened upon one chap that seems very reasonable though, Gorman Cycle Coaching. Anyone have any experience?

Percy Vera

At £20pcm he's worth a punt.
Let me know how you get on.

disgruntledgoat

I've found my coach to be a worthwhile investment. £40 for a 2 hour consultation including 2 or 3 months worth of trainign plans based on what you want ot acheive (Frank Schleck payed about £6500 for that!), plus £8 a week for e-mail support.

it's good to have somebody to hold you to account when you decide to stay in bed or race your mates for road signs when you should be training properly.

hopper1

Have you guys not got qulfied coaches in your clubs?
Or, are you looking for more than that?

Paul

Tom Butcher

Do many clubs have qualified coaches ? I don't mean people who are BC level 1 or 2 who can teach kids GoRide stuff but qualified performance coaches ?

nmcgann

NapoleonD wrote:

Been thinking about coaching but it seems to cost a freakin' fortune!

I happened upon one chap that seems very reasonable though, Gorman Cycle Coaching. Anyone have any experience?

IMO coaching is money well spent, especially if you are time-limited.

I'd much rather spend money on that than shiny bike toys

Neil

Splottboy

Problem I found is, people don't wanna pay for coaching. I tried it, but after a few weeks the riders just made excuses not to pay. ( I was very cheap too! )
ABCC/BC Tutor, 9 yrs as Police PT trainer, 6 yrs in Sports FE College, 4 yrs private fitness,
Former U23's Asst Nat. Coach, Mtb Leader/Assessor blah...blah...
I run a small cycling facility from home now, accommodation/guided rides etc.

If you go to the butchers, supermarket, fish mongers, you come home with something, ie, you actually have something to see/hold.

With coaching, people don't actually see anything physical, except the written programme.
There's nothing to measure or show, except words!
So, it looks as though there aren't getting much.
But like all recipes, it's the tasting/training that's the "proof of the pudding."

Coaching will only enhance the process, but if you want to be an Olympic champion,
pick your parents carefully!

disgruntledgoat

Very true Splottboy... I think people see it as "if I have a coach i'll get much faster without any additional effort" and it's just not the case. You have to work, in a lot of cases harder than you were working. You have to be prepared to live up to the plan given to you by your coach and take responsiblity for putting it into action.

Like everything in life, it's hard work. All coaching gives you is a direction in which to focus your work.

Percy Vera

Splottboy wrote:

Problem I found is, people don't wanna pay for coaching.

Tell Dave Lloyd that, and the other coaches who are making a living from coaching. I even know of a useless coach making a living.

Splottboy wrote:

With coaching, people don't actually see anything physical, except the written programme.
There's nothing to measure or show, except words!

Surely, your faster times is proof enough, staying with people who normally beat you, beating people who normally beat you, doing a longer than normal sportive etc. Whatever your goal, when you achieve it with your coaches help that would be proof.

Splottboy

As I said," it's the proof of the pudding that counts! " That is, better times, less effort,
more energy at the end of a long ride/race for sprint finish, tactically aware blah... blah...

I know Dave - and his riders - plus I've Taught/Tutored and Assessed over 150+ BC Level 2 Club Coaches, and BSCA Mtb Leaders up to around 300 + leaders, from Youth workers, teachers, police/fire officers, parents and even Professional Coaches.

Yes, I agree there are bad coaches around, and you have to be aware of this.

Coaches I've tutored are assessed externally, monitored and updated.
Some are ex-National Squad riders who now want to give something back to cycling.

Riders I've had dealings with have now got an Olympic medal, are on Pro teams etc. Coaching works, but it's not the only answer. think I've done my job well enough.

Percy Vera

Sorry Splottboy missed that bit about the proof of the pudding!

I can see where your coming from. Speaking from my experience if I had someone advising/coaching me I believe I would have been a lot better. I was totally clueless and didn't stop to think. As a teenager I would ride 100 - 120 miles on a Sunday, which would wipe me out until Thursday, then I would do a run on Thursday and rest up for the club run on Sunday! No one in the club told me any different. I guess that's the difference between athletics and cycling. In athletics there seem to be more structure with regards training at clubs.

Splottboy

Yeah, been there too! Luckily, I was interested in sports at school: Rugby/Baseball.
Then got into weight training - for the Babes! - at 15. Started Tae Kwon Do at 16 and while at college on day release, visited the library and learned about weights/fitness.
Got me a Bullworker - remember them?- Some Charles Atlas stuff, and then got my 1st Dan in TKD and this led to private fitness job. Learnt loads there but being made redundant went to sports college as mature student. Dozens of training courses/coaching awards then, public leisure facilities, 2 Dan TKD 9 yrs as a Police PTI/Self Defence instructor.
1st Dan Aikido. American Football, XC racer, Enduros.
Triathlons, road riding, then BSCA/BCF/ABCC...Ex Asst Nat Cycling Coach/Development Officer. Now got small cycling business.

BUT, and it's a big but...it all came from My Motivation to improve, get fitter, faster etc.
No one did it for me. You can do it without a Coach, and that was my point.
No one knows you like you do, so with some background basics, it's possible to get to a better level of fitness if the "Principles of Training" are applied.
Look them up, they're the bones to put the flesh on!

Alex_Simmons/RST

Splottboy wrote:

With coaching, people don't actually see anything physical, except the written programme.
There's nothing to measure or show, except words!

Power meters provide objectivity and accountability in the coach-athlete relationship.

There is definitely something to show for it. Improved performance.

Splottboy

ALEX: Totally agree, but this come "after" the training is undertaken. What I'm trying to get across is that people are reluctant to spend money on something that may not work...for them. Eg, if you buy a kettle from Argos, you get a Guarantee, and get your money back if it's not working correctly.
But Coaching relies on trusting the Coach, actually then physically DOING the schedule, and giving feedback to the Coach to discuss problems/benefits/the way forward.

It's the ACTUAL piece of paper/e-mail that people don't trust to give up their cash for.
Some see it as not worth it. ( Buying a lighter bike is what they think will work! ) People with experience of Coaches/Coaching know better.
I've had some amazing coaches, instructors, teachers who made a vast difference and improvement to my 30+yrs in Sports, Recreation and Leisure service industry.

It's the Mind Set that many find difficult to alter, I feel...