Posted: May 24, 2005

Multisport: So You're Going Pro... Right

By Coach Tilis, © 2004 Bauer Triathlon News, LLC.

Soooo you want to be a Pro? Or maybe you just want to really push your physical limits. After all, you're really, really motivated to give it your all aren't you? So what do you do? You go out and get all the gear and shiny schwag. You get only the best bike, wheels, shoes, wetsuit, heart rate monitor, Compu-trainer, goggles and all the supplements. Never mind your lack of talent or that genetics forgot to be passed your way. Yes, I'm sure your mother thinks you're talented but being able to sing Celine Dion won't get you to Hawaii tough guy. You're not worried though - for you've hired a coach. In a few weeks you'll be talking it up on the run with Tim Deboom - right. At least you'll finally be able to beat that guy across town who seems so much faster. It doesn't help that he's such a nice guy and his wife doesn't look bad either - lucky jerk. That's all going to change now. For you have a coach.

Don't get me wrong. It's important for everyone to have goals. Whether it's keeping your bowels regular (my main reason for training) or becoming a ripped out Uber-Tri god, we should all dream big. In a brief moment of genius (don't get used to it) you decided to get a coach and that's really an excellent idea. There are few athletes out there that couldn't benefit from the guidance and experience of a quality coach. The problem is you got a coach but didn't get in touch with reality. Look I have aspirations of dating a supermodel who'll make me breakfast every morning but realize it's not going to happen. You becoming the next Ironman champ even though you have two young kids, a professional career and can only allocate 12 hours per week to train isn't going to happen either.

Most coaches (and some shrinks) are at least willing to help you try to reach your dreams. They may have a little goal setting session first though. Rather nice of them considering your inability to grasp reality don't you think? So, why do you blame your coach when you don't reach your ill conceived dream of a podium finish? You call and email them saying, "you didn't push me hard enough, you didn't have me in the weight room enough, you didn't...." Yes, it has to be the coach's fault. He's the one to blame.

Look coaches don't coach because of the money. They don't do it because of the groupies. They don't do it because of free schwag. They coach because they genuinely enjoy the sport and the Speedo tan. They like helping people reach their goals in the sport. It's just when they get blamed for a bad race when half the workouts weren't done and get called three times a day even though the $40 per month training plan allows for four a month that coaches question it all. Fortunately, people like that are rare and most athletes are a pleasure to work with. So if you're one of these too wound up and stuck on themselves people to admit you're not as talented as you think, take a little responsibility please. Is it really your coach's fault that you ran the first two miles of your half-marathon at 6:15 pace, crashed and burned at mile 6 when you could only muster 6:45 pace during those mile repeats? You're right; that was your coach's fault. I'm sure it won't happen again and I bet he has just the thing to get you back on track. Six days of Lactic Threshold workouts next week.

© 2004 Bauer Triathlon News, LLC - Posted with Permission