What is coaching ?

mossym

pgibbo wrote: »

WTF???????

let it go Paul, let it go.

tunney

I REALLY hope it snows this weekend. Met to snow up Cavan way. Cause I want to build a snow man

sconhome

Sure it's Friday we're only having Olaf...

mossym

tunney wrote: »

I REALLY hope it snows this weekend. Met to snow up Cavan way. Cause I want to build a snow man

nah, prefer the heat. Just imagine how much cooler I’ll be in summerrrrrr

tunney

mossym wrote: »

nah, prefer the heat. Just imagine how much cooler I’ll be in summerrrrrr

Back on topic. As Peter said the mental side of things is so important.

There's a beauty in it and also a danger. Fear will be your enemy.

tunney

And sure as we all know how racing in Ireland is going on the bike at least.

You don't have to keep your distance anymore.

mossym

tunney wrote: »

There's a beauty in it and also a danger. Fear will be your enemy.

true, but people are going to have to overcome that. and not all the coach, people need to take that on them selves. I'm not sayin' you can change them,
'Cause people don't really change.

pgibbo

Mod note:

I know it's Friday lads but please keep it on topic.

sconhome

I think for most people they want a coach that looks at them as a 'fixer upper'. Someone who can take what's there and knows that the only way to fix up this fixer-upper is to fix him up with a decent program.

tunney

pgibbo wrote: »

Mod note:

I know it's Friday lads but please keep it on topic.

Of course.

Could we get clarification of that topic please?

zico10

peter kern wrote: »

zico i have a serious question why did you become a teacher when you dont really sem to beleive in teaching ?

Like a lot of others, I'm not really sure what you want from this thread Peter, but seeing as you're making it about me again; the fact that I go to your swim session on Thursday morning, went twice last season, currently go to Interested's twice a week, once upon a time did a Total Immersion course, another time took part in a Swim for tri camp, have booked you for two blocks of ten 1-on-1 sessions two years in a row, and above all in June wanted you to be my coach, should tell you that I do believe in teaching. But I also believe in questioning and not just accepting everything you are told.

sconhome

The question has to be asked what is motivating a person in any sport.

For most people participation in sport is just tat, nothing more, nothing less. For most triathlon or running or cycling is just a leisure activity. It is only through doing a bit of training, doing a few races, developing a bug for the sport that people start reading about it, mixing with others and learning more about what they are doing.

Maybe by only igniting the inner competitive nature they decide to see how can I get better at this and then do what most reasonable people will do which is pick up a book, read forums, post questions and examine their options.

Maybe a season of this they might start realising hey, I could be good and look about coaching or like so many other people who are naturally talented they are obliviious to their own talents and it is only through a 3rd party that they go to a talent ID day or consider coaching. You know like an offhand comment at a race, "you've a great run/swim style, are you coached?" sows a seed.

I have yet to meet anyone in any sport, someone who watches an event and decides "I'm going to be that, let me get some coaching so I can be the best." It is human nature to try this out first so that if you fail, you fail in private.

Talent has to be there, recognised and available to be coached before anyone can consider coaching.

Dory Dory

peter kern wrote: »

ok lets start from the very beginnig when we start to think about how do i get better we have many options so the first step for a newbe would be to find out whats avaialbe and then one has to eliminate option

then we have to decide if i want to look for help or if i want to do it my way

I am right at the beginning of what i want to do for myself this year but more importantly 2016
this is what I have considert

book i have done that and is not what i need at this stage

online program there might be one iam intersted in but again this is not what i need

adviser would be suitalbe for me ie a second opinion somebody that will keep me honest and will read me well. I would be writting a rough plan based on a discussion we had, so in my case the adviser would be the 2nd paid of eyes some might think this is not as valuable asa coach in my case this is by far the most important thing i am loking for as when you train hard you often cant see the the wood for all the trees and its very important to have somebday that sees it from the distance .

a mentor is not going to work for me ( worked brilliantly though when I i started triahtlon)

coaching this is then something i would have to put into sub groups going from husband santa claus to prescribion but first i have to really decide if i want a coach ( in my case i also know the coaches i want are 250 euro a month upwards some 500 plus ( so this is certainy something very important in the process for me the budget)

no coach is pretty much ruled out at least from april onwards as explained above.

so right now this is the frist step of my process and realistically i can rule out book online program or program with one change in 4 weeks etc
and mentor .
so i have already naarowd down the process.


so question 1 I wonder how do people go about this first step and how many people really have considert this or another thought process or do you just think johnney does this so i will do the same.

I honestly think this could be a valuable thread....but it is confusing to me, as well as to others. I believe the confusion is honest on all parties, however - perhaps a translation/articulation thing.

But to your first question, Peter, if I am understanding it correctly.....and I can only answer from my own personal experience....and I assume we are only speaking in terms of our adult years...

The idea/desire for me to be "coached" (running "coach" only at the moment) came 100% from the exposure to other athletes here on boards - reading their logs, being inspired by them, considering new ideas and goals, being encouraged by others, feeling that spark of competition again....and then finding ecoli's DCM mentoring thread, which made me realize that I didn't have a clue what I was doing other than I wanted to do it, and that he was the one who could teach me how. It was what I saw in that thread that prompted my first step to consider being "coached", as prior to that moment it wasn't even a thought....and what I saw in ecoli through his thread and posts was someone who embodied knowledge, skill, patience, interest, the art of clear and concise articulation, and the unselfish desire to help others. Boards and its athletes jump started my desire to return to the competitive forum, but it was ecoli's writing (and his proximity on boards) that made me realize I could do so much better under the watchful eye of a talented guide.

Peter, I have to ask....what in the world do you get for 250-500 euros a month in coaching services?? What sets that/those coach/coaches and plan(s) apart from others??

Are we ready for question 2 yet?

zico10

peter kern wrote: »

zico write donw why you felt the book was helping you and for whom does is work and for whom not etc

Sorry I missed this earlier.

The book worked (I presume you are talking about 'Advanced Marathoning') because I committed to it 100%. I'd seen it recommended by Barry Minnock and I figured if it was good enough for him, it'd be good enough for me. That's what I meant earlier when I said reputation can hold a lot of sway. (Just for the record, I do think you have earned a good reputation as well.)

Regarding the plan in 'Advanced Marathoning'; I didn't wimp out of any sessions, I absolutely flogged myself in some of them, and ultimately ran every single centimetre I was supposed to have run. That's why it worked.

Yes, it's a generic plan, but people are generic. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. I see no reason why what worked for me wouldn't work for someone else. This is of course provided they stick fully to the plan. Which for whatever reason a lot of people don't do, fail, then instead of looking for the real reasons, put it down to the plan not suiting them.

I don't know if it's inevitable, but moments of doubt did creep in, but ultimately I had confidence in the plan, so I stuck with it. Had you coached me I would have placed as much confidence in you, believe it not.

All else being equal I believe the plan I followed would work for anyone. I've recommended the book to others since, but I'm not a coach, I've never pretended to be, and likely never will be (at least not as a career), so it doesn't matter if I'm wrong about this. Anybody who asked me for advice knows who they're asking, so I don't feel like I need to qualify it.

Anyway I hope that satisfies you Peter, as everything else I've posted in this thread seems to be wrong. (I'd sign off with a smiley, but I'm not sure which one best fits the mood of this thread.)

P.S. I followed a lower volume plan from the book to prepare for my IM marathon and I don't think it worked for me then. This is not so much based on my run time in Mallorca, but rather based on the fact I was missing targets far more frequently during my IM training, than I was in my training for Connemara. So I guess the plan might not work for those training for an Ironman marathon.