My old coach used to say ‘you don’t select me, I select you’.
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Was he Sam Mussabini???
No but a similar age 
I’ve only ever one guy to coach me…. He basically point blank refused, in a really nice way.
The other two I’ve talked with… didn’t agree with alot of stuff they said, one more than the other.
Virtually everyone I know went faster with THE RIGHT coach.
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That’s where my methods of 25s come in, gradually building up. I’m the same due to lack of Swimming, ie can swim 20sec 25s off 30 all day, but reps of 200, no chance holding that pace, but with time you know you have the form, just need to stop that water slipping. It’s largely lack of concentration also. Resets and focus can help. I see a coach at swimming this week getting swimmers out of water to lay on bench with towels over heads for 10minutes, but its to get them refocused between hard reps. The feedback and times backed it up.
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I think you have got to be prepared to be coached……I mean trust the process………and be prepared to give it time. Personally I have no doubt had I been prepared to commit to being coached I would have performed better but I don’t think I would have embraced the whole concept.
A sports psychologist or someone who could untangle my motivation, stubborness and overriding need to smash myself in training/self sabotage events could have been an interesting angle.
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I have been coached for the last 3 years, 2018-2019 was off road Tri and then 2020 was just a big bike phase once we figured out everything was cancelled so it was group Zwift rides over zoom and long runs. The last 10 months was purely about the National champs and has brought my performance to another level that I wish I had 10 years ago.
I had to surrender to the plan and trust the methodology with being told not to race or add in a sneaky session and accept my CTL will not be at an all time high.
It has worked for me and I don’t think I would have got to where I am this year without the coaching. Another observation is that I do not think I would be capable mentally of turning myself inside out on some of the sessions if they were not part of the plan/TP🤷♂️
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Ive had athletes that no matter how much you explain the methodology, tell them it doesn’t happen over night or reinforce the process, they want to beast themselves from the start, because they read someone in 220 or on IMJ say “do intervals, its why I got to Kona” and think that is what they should do when they really need 3 months of just preparing the body with consistent training. They then moan that they are just prone to injury…no you didnt do the easy stuff to build resilience. I typically lay it out at the start and it costs me athletes as I dont BS. It doesn’t help with such an unregulated industry and fools filling their heads with " i knocked 5minutes off their 5km time in just one month, without the context that they maybe walked most of that! Its easy to make bold claims when they coach those with no real athletic background.
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Giving people what they need vs what they want. Not a problem confined to coaching! 
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Started being coached as of this week. One of the guys at my club is going for his BTF coaching qualification and needed a test subject. Using xhale as the tool. Looks basic but it works.
I’m going to have to just go with it and try to not miss sessions. Pressure 
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Good luck! In my first coached year and I enjoy just having to focus on executing the sessions, no fretting about too much/too little.
Self coached I;d always dig myself into too deep a hole too early and most of the actual race season was managing fatigue/trying to hang onto April’s form.
Feel much fresher at this point in the year, we shall see how performance pans out.
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which qualification? the L2 diploma I guess?
Can’t honestly remember, I’m sure he said at the time. There was a long proforma to complete and he’s being mentored by someone. Then I’m the guinea pig.
edit: looked at BTF website and I think you’re right L2 Diploma. He’s already one of the club coaches.
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Yer probably the diploma, they have to do a 1to1 with a test subject. A lot of people dont realise the amount of work the NGB courses entail, and seem to worship “ironman ™” courses that have about 13hrs of work to go through.
I’ve wondered about a coach for ultra or even just consistent, injury free running. Weighing that up against joining the AC. Everything is going up and coaching seems like such a luxury right now.
I need to do something different though. I can’t seem to make friends with the early AM like I used to be able to. Need that boot up the ass!
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It does look like a lot of work. It has to be a 12 week 1:1 programme, we’re doing weekly check-in calls and he’s monitoring compliance to the plan and then progress.
Really looking forward to the session next Friday 
Ramp test > 65 min endurance bike > 40 min run
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Presumably, adapting to missed sessions and changing priorities is a key part of the exercise though.
For him, yes.
For me, doing as much of the plan as possible.
Good luck @Jgav - what are you working towards atm?
@TROSaracen sounds like a positive move for you so far 
Does anyone have any experience with https://www.vitfor.com/ ?
A race is Cotswold Classic TT smackdown and I’d like to go under 5 hours.
edit: I hate making time targets and then telling people before the inevitable fail. I think the target is reasonable but it needs an decent improvement in swim (low hanging fruit?) and then enough endurance and conditioning to execute both bike and run.
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