To get a Coach, or not to get a Coach...

cleeve hill reject

I'm after a bit of advice really, I raced as a 4th cat this year, basically training by riding the local chaingang and doing a few interval sessions that I pretty much made up as I went along. I was on some good form, I picked up a couple of places in june and was feeling good, until that it I was caught up in a car crash and ended up on a sofa with whiplash for 4 weeks. Needless to say that put an end to my racing season.

What's put me on to this question is a VO2 Max test I've done recently - benefit of being a student and knowing the sports science guys! Febuary this year I did 60ml/kg/min and about 400W at max, a few days ago I did 72ml/kg/min and 448W. I'm just wondering if you guys think it's worth investing in a coach to come up with a structured training plan for next year, I've managed to imporve quite a bit by myself, should I just stick with it or is it worth spending my hard-earned student loan on a proffesionally done training plan?

Also, can anybody reccomend a decent coach? I'm in the Exeter area but I'd be happy to do stuff over the phone/internet etc...

Thanks in advance!

Pross

If you can afford one then get one, it will probably be the best money you'll spend on cycling. Don't know your area though sorry.

singlespeedexplosif

+1, if you can afford it, do it. THE best thing you can do to improve yourself!

Highly recommend Fran Newstead http://cyclingtraininguk.co.uk/

softlad

If you've got the money, then there's no reason why you should not be able to spend it however you wish.

But, at your current level, I personally don't believe that there's anything a coach could tell you that some of your more experienced club mates could not.

mackdaddy

Depends what you want to spend. A coach is a far better investment pound for pound than any fancy kit beyond buying a bike.

I disagree with softlad. Your club mayes experience is better than nothing but like the song says:

Advice is a form of nostalgia; dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal--wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts, and recycling it for more than it's worth.
(including this advice )

However, if you want to take advice, take it from someone who has sound basis and is objective. You will get better, quicker.

softlad

mackdaddy wrote:

I disagree with softlad. Your club mayes experience is better than nothing but like the song says:

Advice is a form of nostalgia; dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal--wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts, and recycling it for more than it's worth.
(including this advice )

However, if you want to take advice, take it from someone who has sound basis and is objective. You will get better, quicker.

I'm not trying to denigrate the role or purpose of a coach here, but at 4th cat level I would suggest that free advice from a more 'senior' club member who has been there and done it would be equally as valuable (if not more so) than paid advice from someone who you do not know - and may never even meet.....

Eddy S

What you get out of having a coach all depends what your goals and objectives are for next year.

You might be able to make ok/further progress on your own but if your current training lacks structure, then this is where you will gain further benefit and progression through having a coach.

I can almost guarantee that we’ll keep getting told that you can work all of this out for yourself by doing a bit of research and using the internet, advice from club mates, etc, etc. Maybe you can. But I don’t have time and I certainly don’t want bits of random, unqualified advice which is why I have a coach and I certainly wouldn’t have progressed as far as I have without one. As I said earlier, it all depends what you want to achieve.

The main issues with doing it yourself and using the internet or club mates is what it doesn’t do for you – where do you get an objective and honest view of your progress or get help and explanations when it all goes wrong or something doesn’t work? The numbers alone are...... just numbers.

This is where a relationship and building that relationship with a coach comes in to its own - distance coaching is more then just a training plan by email once a month and if that’s all you get, you need to look elsewhere. Talk to a few coaches to see what they offer and can do with/for you.

My coach is John Capelin and is based in Gloucestershire and does the internet/phone thing – www.sports-coaching.com

shockedsoshocked

Is there no way you can get support from the University? If there's a physiologist there, get some training zones established, get a HR monitor and a turbo and go for it, should cost about £150 tops (if you don't already own that stuff). I would imagine he'll be able to offer you some advice on how to train, diet etc

A friend of mine did a PhD at Exeter, so I assume they have quite a good sports science department!

cleeve hill reject

Thanks for the advice guys, will have a look at your coach Eddy, I'm based in Cheltenham when not down at universtiy. The sports science department down here is good, but there's no real support for cycling, not one of the targeted sports apparently. Still, I know enough people to get as much testing as I want done, ride with a HRM etc... so I think having someone to help me structure my training and explain numbers etc... would be very useful!

Kléber

I'd get some experience. Your numbers seem ok you don't mention the weight, the VO2 max suggests you'd make 2nd category. But most riders do this without coaching, they just ride. Take the time to read a couple of good books on training and see how you get on. You can always go with a coach later.

I find the coaches can help but you really need to pay. I've seen several people go to different coaches and they do a V02 max test, get told what their levels are and then get a training plan. The plan is basic stuff, it's very much a copy n'paste job from the coach only it says "personal training plan for [client name here]" and the numbers are tweaked to reflect your levels.

In summary, coaching can be a real help but you have easy gains within reach, go for these and once you can't seem to progress, then think about fresh ideas.

shockedsoshocked

Just out of interest, what is your weight?

bahzob

IMO if you are serious about competitive cycling finding a good coach is the single best and most cost efficient investment you will make.

Yes you can get advice from club mates but coaching, done properly, is quite different from giving advice.

My other game is golf and this is a subject which is very similar in both. I find it amazing that amateurs with so much to learn think that coaches are a waste of time/money. Bizarrely they will do everything they can to emulate the pros in terms of gear & gizmos but not spend any money on the one thing that every pro will have: a good coach.

In terms of recommendations, I know John Capelin and he is very highly qualified and very motivating. A first year racer in our local area used Dave Lloyd and without any doubt this, along with bundle of natural talent, is why he's gone from 4th to 2nd cat with 6 1sts this season.

And I used Ruth Eyles from this forum to help me train better for events and would very strongly recommend her.

cleeve hill reject

My weight is 71.3Kg, I think I was a little over 5 litres/min if I recall correctly. Could maybe loose a little weight but I'm 6'1" so not exactly a heavyweight. I have to say, the figures were a bit of a shock seeing as I've not raced since early July!

Feel no Pain

I reckon there are some good riders in your area who could give you some advice

Alex_Simmons/RST

Kléber wrote:

I've seen several people go to different coaches and they do a V02 max test, get told what their levels are and then get a training plan. The plan is basic stuff, it's very much a copy n'paste job from the coach only it says "personal training plan for [client name here]" and the numbers are tweaked to reflect your levels.

That is, IMO, highway robbery and sucks and does good coaches no favours. :x

bahzob

Feel no Pain wrote:

I reckon there are some good riders in your area who could give you some advice

Theres a difference between giving advice and coaching. Also no necessary correspondence between being a good rider and being a good coach. Look at football, the best coaches were run of the mill footballers at best. (and vice versa Maradona is the latest of a long line of great players- crap coaches)

bahzob

cleeve hill reject wrote:

My weight is 71.3Kg, I think I was a little over 5 litres/min if I recall correctly. Could maybe loose a little weight but I'm 6'1" so not exactly a heavyweight. I have to say, the figures were a bit of a shock seeing as I've not raced since early July!

This plus the answers so far on this thread is why a coach is a good idea.

A good one should be able to sort out the wood from the trees, and help you find out which figures matter and which dont. (e.g. IMO rather than above they should ask you to go out and do some real rides/drills on a real bike that will give some idea of how you match up to the demands of real events)

Crucially any advice should be specific to you as an individual.