@Chriswim I know a few people who have gone down the sports doc route (consultant in sports and exercise medicine).
It doesn’t seem like a particularly easy trail to blaze. They all have side gigs as GP or hospital locum or out if hours, some have military job.
The ones working with sports teams have their weekends chewed up & have to travel with the team, not ideal for family life, and except at the very top level will usually need another job too.
Obviously a lot of the treatment of sports injuries is led by physios, and when the physios cant fix them the orthopods get their chisels and hammers out. That’s where the real $$$ is IMHO. If I could rewind the clock, knowing what I know now, and wanted to get into sports medicine and make many coins - then I would probably train as an orthopaedic surgeon.
(Wouldn’t actually need to do that, because having rewound the clock I’d just max out on bitcoin and live on a tropical island. Maybe Mauritius.)
The other route I guess is to become a Dr Ferrari…
Gotta follow your passion though, and who knows what the future holds. Who could have predicted 10 years ago that there would be Peleton coaches earning $500K for example.
I always ask, how much per hour do you value your time and how many hours do you think an athlete takes up (average as there are significant outliers like season planning, race week)
ETA , I charge £100, based on 4hrs x 25 ph, which I break down as 1hr planning, 1hr call, 1hr reviewing and 1hr messaging but it’s closer to 8 maybe more. I should chare more really. It’s why I can’t see how any coach can make a decent living just coaching. Say you needed 40k pa to live, that 40 athletes on that money and probably 60hrs a week work!
Coach Ed, 1to1 technique sessions are where you can bulk it a bit but it’s a lot of work, all be it rewarding.
I know nothing about coaching. But in many other industries, some new tech platform emerges, and maybe a few talented or lucky people find a way to use it to leverage their edge?
In many other careers, you don’t need to get to the top to do OK though. You can be distinctly average and not starve too much (good job too, looking in the mirror). Coaching sounds tough.
When I started my L3 i did think I wonder if I could make a go of this full time but there’s no way i could get close to my salary expectations even with being a cookie cutter coach and getting 80 athletes + on board (which is easier said than done) One way is to professionalise a club so they pay you as a business or you join a community club and pry on novices for 1to1 work. My club hours and pay arent great either, my clubs pay £15 ph at swim club for L2 / £25 ph tri club for L3 (although I don’t take payment currently) but take my coaching hours last month was about 20hrs swim coaching total, this month would be 4hrs tri coaching and about 10hrs swim coaching so not going to feed the kids on that, and its all evenings or early mornings! I know some people do well and it can be done as you grow a brand, but you wont be earning banking software dev salaries and you’d need to live somewhere other than the South East! I am not pretty enough and do not have the abs too be on peloton either
This topic wasn’t really high on my radar but has moved up a notch after last night. This should probably be in the Existential thread but anyway…
Our CC had its AGM last night. We are a small local club with about 30 members and about 15 of the regulars turned up last night. I’ve only been out them a couple of times this year but did a lot of Zwift club rides last winter.
I’m very conscious of my weight at the moment and my own laziness in addressing it. A couple of guys commented that I had some padding since they’ve seen me last. (all true and all my fault).
We had a ‘most improved rider’ award that went to a guy that had engaged a coach for the last 6mths. The coach is BC Level 3 and is actually a member of my previous club at Winchester, he’s also a tri coach and has some good results at AG level and does some run coaching (and ultra).
Not really thinking of engaging this person but started the thought process of accountability and kick starting something. I’m happy with my physio and hopefully the hip strength is heading the right way.
Just considering whether this is a road to go down or just joining WADAC would achieve largely the same thing for a fraction of the cost.
I know there are no magic bullets but feels like something needs shaking up, as my run times have gone stale and my bike power is almost non existent compered to a year ago.
Family and life get in the way but that’s the case for most.
Are you sure we’re not twins. I can relate to a lot of posts you write @FatPom and I too need shaking up and I think a coach might help. Just wouldn’t know where to start to find a ‘proper’ coach, and not an actor. Giving this some serious consideration if anyone knows of someone in the Surrey area.
It could be that. I had the goal of Goodwood marathon for sub 3.30 but then amended that to Brighton in April, mainly because of the hip. I’m not sure if pushing that back allowed myself to be ‘let off the hook’ or not (possibly).
The other issue is that my goals next year are all around very long, slow moving utras and they’re so big, they aren’t really relatable on a day to day basis.
I think some faster paced interim goals would be great because my DNFs are ringing in my ears and ultras (same as IM) tend to be ‘all or nothing’ and I’m definitely suffering a bit ‘what’s the point’ at the moment.
I get this, who needs the stress of “failure” at a race when you already know you aren’t up to the task? Getting close to your goal at home or away from races anyhow builds confidence.
My brief foray with swim coaching was very positive, and you can’t ever know until you try so why not give it a go? Worst case is you learn that you don’t want coaching after all, best case is…is achieving your goals.
