I am not rich and I don’t have huge sporting aspirations but I have found that spending a few hard earned pennies on a  triathlon coach is very much worth the money. My coach is a good friend, the Mighty Vickster, who is studying for her Level 3 Triathlon Coaching qualification. I am her case study for this qualification. I have huge respect for the Mighty Vickster. She is a superb athlete (she won her age group World Triathlon Champs a few years ago) and she is very knowledgeable about what it takes to train as a triathlete. She also promotes a wonderful common-sense approach to training for those, like me, who have a very busy work and family life.

Great things about having a coach

These are in no particular order.

• A coach will help you to think about a goal, whether it’s a competition, to run faster or to lose weight (I am trying to qualify for the World Triathlon Age Group Champs in 2013).
• A coach can help you to be realistic about your goals
• A training programme makes the best use of your free time for sport. There is no need to plan  or think about what you’ll do. You just do as it says on the programme.
• Having a programme to follow day-by-day offers great focus
• You do not need to think about when you will exercise, rather when you will do the session that has been written down for you on that day
• You can trust in a coach to ensure you are training across all areas of sped and endurance.
• You are told when not to exercise, so you benefit from proper recovery
• You can trust in your coach’s knowledge to ensure you become faster and fitter
• Over the winter, a training programme has been vital for focus. I have maintained my cycling fitness because I have cycled when normally I would leave my bike in the shed until spring.
• A coach is the best person to discuss disappointments – and aspirations – in a frank and educated manner
• I spend my money on coaching rather than a gym because it offers focus and allows me to train outdoors, which I prefer
• Technique is important in each sport and a coach can help you to improve small areas of your, for example swim stroke, for greater benefit.
• Pushing yourself is important when trying to become fitter. A coach knows how much to push and when to pull back.
• I have benefitted form a coach by knocking time off my swim, cycle and runs times in only a few months. When you’re as old as me it’s amazing to be able to go faster instead of expecting to go slower.

Anyway, for the next two days my coach says I should recover. I will do as I’m told!