A Coaching Day

A good bit of coaching today with catch ups with a few of my athletes and now some writing of their respective programs.

This is the bit of coaching that really takes the time, with each program taking me a couple of hours to put together every 4 weeks. It is also the bit that I really like though. I mean I enjoy all of it, but writing the programs, while time consuming, is very satisfying.

The reason it takes me so long is because each of the programs is written for the individual. It would be nice and simple if I was just able to roll the same program out to everyone, but that isn't the nature of the athletes that I am coaching. For example, today I met somebody who is quite new to triathlon who is training for a Sprint triathlon, a FIFO worker who is training for a Half Ironman and a duathlete. As you can imagine, the programs that these guys need are all quite different, which is why the program writing can take so long.

While it takes a bit of time, I think this individual style of coaching is what works for me. To be honest, I am not sure how else I would do it. It means I can't take on many athletes, not with full time work, but I don't mind that so much as this allows me to coach in a way that is very satisfying for me.

For most of my athletes they are now getting close to one of the pointy parts of their season, their first race. The bulk of my athletes are either competing at the Busselton 70.3 in December, or the Western Australia Sprint Distance State Championships a couple of weeks later. I am pretty happy with how most of my athletes are going, with good gains being demonstrated by most of them. It is a nice confidence boost to have athletes reporting improved fitness and PBs. It gives you some assurance that you are doing something right. However, off setting those gains and assurances is the fact that a couple of my athletes are currently battling injury. When an athlete gets injured it is hard not to question your part in that injury. Did I push too much too quickly? Did I expect too much too soon? Those are the questions that you can't help but ask. While I may not always be directly responsible, in most of the injuries I have played a part.

Still, as when I was an athlete, as a coach I see every injury as a learning opportunity. Perhaps I did push too quickly with an individual. Perhaps a person needed more strength work before intensity. Perhaps they needed reminders not to over do it. Between the first athletes that I took on and my most recent I do think I have become better at this. Hopefully that will translate to less injuries as I go forward.

Now, if you will excuse me I have a bunch of programs to write.