No one can accuse world-class sprinter Usain Bolt of being less than confident. Hailed as the fastest man in the world today, he oozes self-assurance. But, when answering a question about whether or not he would leave the 100- and 200-meter sprints for the more arduous 400-meter run, he replied, "I don't know. I don't want to do it but if my coach decides I'm dominant over the 100m and 200m and let's try something new, I'll definitely try to put my heart into it."
There is a reason that even the best athletes in the world trust their coaches to make decisions about their training and racing.
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Whether you are a world-class athlete or a first-time 5K runner, it is important to have an objective, outside opinion on your training because chances are that you fall into one of two categories.
Category 1: You need to be pushed
You know who you are. When you need a good "kick in the running shorts," a coach can provide effective accountability. Knowing that a coach took the time to design workouts just for you, and that he or she is there to tweak your plan based on your feedback is often motivation enough to get out of bed and hit the pavement.
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Category 2: You need to be reigned in
If you're the type of runner who doesn't understand when enough is enough, a coach can be a partner who reaches out and yanks you back from the fitness edge before you plummet into overtraining and burnout.
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How All Runners Can Benefit From a Coach
A coach is like having an extra set of eyes that can see what you can't in your training. There's a lot of "behind-the-scenes" work that culminates in your perfect training plan, such as understanding how to build our anaerobic and aerobic threshold as well as how to develop both our endurance and our top-end speed.
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Cookie-cutter programs that simply run a list of personal records through a program and spit out a training plan fail to take into account an athlete's specific strengths and weaknesses as well as whether the athlete falls into category 1 or 2 (outlined above).
Don't have a coach yet or nervous that you aren't a good candidate for coaching? Take a look at the process a coach goes through when he or she begins working with a new athlete to give you an idea of what to expect.
How a Coach Assesses a New Athlete
Step 1: Assessment of Ability
What age category are you in? What are your personal best times? What does your training history look like?
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A coach will ask you about your athletic history to get a good idea about your current fitness, injury history and level of ability. This allows the coach to determine workout paces, weekly mileage and the rest of the "nuts and bolts" behind your training plan.
Step 2: Goal Setting
What are your big races coming up? Are you interested in competing, getting in shape, losing weight or something else?
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It is important to be open and honest about your goals and if you're unsure where to start, your coach can help you build realistic but challenging objectives. Goals provide checkpoints on the horizon that come in handy when it's tempting to forget what you are training for.
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Step 3: Program Design
Once your athletic history and goals are established, your coach will design a training schedule that will fit your needs.
Coaches understand that most athletes have busy work and family schedules, and will work with you to plan a program that will get you fit while allowing room for the other things that occupy your time.
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Step 4: Ongoing Communication
Once you begin training with a coach, one-on-one communication is vital. Regular feedback from you is how your coach will determine whether you are working too hard, not hard enough or right at the level where you need to be.
An open and honest stream of communication allows your coach to tweak your training as needed, giving you rest when your body shows signs of tiring or adding volume and intensity when it appears that you can handle more.
A good coach is also concerned with the mental aspect of the sport, and will work with you to build confidence and handle the pressure and doubt that often accompany a big goal race.
Of course, the coach-athlete dynamic doesn't always pan out as expected for one or both parties and it is perfectly fine to hold out for a coach that fits all of your needs. If communication doesn't flow openly and honestly, it may be time to search for a new coach.
Working with a coach is essential if you desire to be the best possible athlete you can be. While it takes time to build trust and hand your training over to someone else, there is no better feeling than the confidence that comes with belief in your training and the results it will produce.
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