A
Message to Athletes I Coach!
(I sent this out to the athletes I coach in November of
last year. Depending on your goals, motivation level and
desire to race and train better, you will want to read this
if you are looking for a coach.)
Team,
We are getting into the beginning of the triathlon season
and everyone is excited about racing. Your hopes are high,
as I have helped make them so. For many of you, I have set
your goals in reach, yet very difficult to achieve. A goal
might even be just finishing a race. Goals are not to be
taken lightly. They are the blueprints for success.
When
I design your workouts, I plan them as if you are training
under ideal circumstances. This is taking into account work,
travel, family etc. In other words, I am assuming you are
not overly stressed at work or overwhelmed with family obligations.
Of course there are times when your body will be stressed
from training. That is a major way of how you improve fitness.
However, YOU need to listen to your body. YOU need to know
when to contact me and say, “Wes, I am tired and it
is because of the training, training/work, work/family,
work…etc.” I, as your coach, am a sounding board
for you so that you don’t have to rely on yourself
to make training decisions. Let me assist you.
The
workouts I give you are not set in stone. The workout planner
is a constantly changing amoeba depending on how you respond
to certain workouts as well as the outside stimuli mentioned
above. Listen, feel and learn how your body responds to
these stimuli.
On
another note, I have already discussed this with a few of
you. Don’t base your fitness on one or two workouts.
You may have breakthrough workouts where you kick butt.
You may have workouts that are at a worse pace then five
months ago. You may have both of these kinds of workouts,
dare I say, in the same week!!! Let’s use the adage
“steady as she goes” in trying to reach your
goals. You will have peaks and valleys with your workouts.
I want you to try to flatten and fill these peaks and valleys
so you are not influenced heavily towards the valley. (Of
course, I would always want you to have peak workouts!).
Don’t dwell on your performance in workouts over a
course of a day or a week. If you continue sliding after
a week or if you are improving over a course of two weeks,
then you get a better idea of your fitness.
Finally…DO
YOUR JOB! Yes, this is why you hired me. If triathlon were
totally recreational for you, then you wouldn’t have
me as a coach. Therefore, most of you have two jobs, work
and triathlon. I am not saying don’t have fun as that
is one of the three mantras during my triathlon career.
What I am saying is when you go to that start line, do your
job. You have worked hard to get to the peak level of fitness.
CLOSE THE DEAL! PUT THE NAIL IN THE COFFIN! Otherwise, you
are selling yourself short for the time, discipline and
sweat you have put into this job.
Wes
