I really, really need your guys' input.
I've been really dissatisfied with my coach. I have many grievances, but these are the big ones:
He is training me to be slow. I understand that a triathlon is a swimbikerun (as Rocketpants put it), not a swim, and a bike, and a run. But this guy wants me to do the swim and the bike so slow that I would have to have the run of my life to significantly beat my time from last year. The swim "Ironman pace" he has chosen for me is so slow that I have to interrupt my stroke to go slow enough to make it.- I feel like he's not listening to me. This ties into point 1, but it also has to do with conversations we've had where I've said, "In the past I've seen improvement by doing XYZ, not ABC." And he says there will be more XYZ in my program, but when I check my schedule, it's all ABC. He says one thing is tiring me out, and that's why I had a bad next workout; but all I keep thinking is a 45-minute swim/2-hour easy bike has never tired me out before. I didn't feel tired.
- I am so very bored! I knew that I liked being my own guinea pig, but I never thought that training would be so bland without it. I find myself dreading most of my workouts now that I can see them coming from a mile away. I hate training these days. The only workouts that have been fun are the ones I wasn't supposed to do.
I just can't afford it. I thought I could when I hired him, but something seems to come up every month. The cat gets tapeworm, the car needs an oil change, I need a new cassette... I just don't seem to have the financial flexibility to pay for it on my unemployment checks.- I've felt like I'm getting weaker. I haven't felt so aerobically out of shape since I quit drinking and smoking. It's hard to pinpoint, especially since he won't let me use bike speed as evidence of lost fitness, but I can feel when I'm having a bad day. I've been having a lot of bad days since I hired him.
I ran a fucking 41:58 for a 10K! This isn't just fast for me, we're talking is my Garmin broken? fast. I almost shit myself a month ago when I ran a 48.5-minute 10K. So where the hell did those extra SIX MINUTES come from? (I uploaded the data, and it seems sound).Last month's 10K: about 65º and sunny
This month's 10K: about 60º and cloudy/windy
Last month's 10K: on a flat to rolling course following a day off
This month's 10K: on the track as part of a brick, following a 90-minute ride
Mile 1: 7:24; 6:42
Mile 1.5: feel like I'm going to shit myself; feel alright
Mile 2: 7:37; 6:13
Mile 2.5: get a stabbing pain in my right kidney; get a stabbing pain in my left kidney
Mile 3: 7:53; 6:34
Mile 3.5: hit the wall and consider ditching the workout; slow down a bit as a preventative measure, poop feeling goes away
Mile 4: 8:00; 6:59
Mile 4.5: start playing mental games; begin to feel like my legs are drained and wonder how long I can keep it up
Mile 5: 8:08; 7:04
Mile 5.5: just aim to get through it; start feeling a bit nauseous but figure I have less than a mile to go
Mile 6: 8:02; 6:50
Mile 6.2: finish in 48:35, av. 7:50; feel like I'm going to throw up; finish in 41:58, av. 6:46; am convinced I am going to throw up. Somehow I don't
There are some things that might have contributed:
I take these pills called Optygen. They're fucking gold, I tell you. I kind of felt that they made me stronger, but I'd never been off them for more than a few days at a time until two months ago, when I ran out and couldn't replace them. This could have something to do with why I felt so weak, and why I feel stronger now that I'm back on them. (They're legal, by the way, and recently coronated as "the official supplement of Ironman"). However, I was still on them when I did the last 10K time trial in 48:35.- My nutrition has kind of sucked lately, and I've only been back on the ice-cream-free wagon for a week or two. But I've eaten well in the past and never run a sub-seven minute mile, let alone 6.2 of them.
- Is it the coach and the low volume, or is it that I've finally ignored his advice and gone with my own instinct that I'm better slightly tired than I am fresh? I'm sure that the answer lies somewhere in the middle.
- Could it be that my Garmin really was shitting itself? I mean, I was running on a track, and it seemed pretty consistent with the distance per lap... but there also were train tracks next to the field that could have fucked with the satelite signal...
- After about 2 months of running in 90-degree temperatures and stifling humidity, it's finally cool again. Finally I can cut loose again.
- I only started running again about 6 weeks ago, and before that I'd done significantly different training than my usual triathlon training program. Meaning that my 10K last month was on almost no run training in over 6 months. Maybe this time was already coming? Has cycling put me in better aerobic shape, which is only translating to better running times now that I've got about 6 weeks of running in my legs again?
Update: I really appreciate all your input, and it's interesting to hear everyone's take. I have some responses to the comments I've gotten so far.
BANDOBRAS: That's an excellent point. So you think that the fact that I didn't feel good till I chucked his plan in the trash is telling me something? (serous question)
TRIHARDIST: Boo! That's an EXPENSIVE gamble... But I'm coming around to the idea.
GRETCHEN: I was running so hard I had no idea WHERE I was.
To clear up everyone's comments, I WAS following the plan religiously for the first 5 weeks and feeling pretty miserable. Then I decided that he was full of shit and started ignoring it. That was a little over a week ago. After about 9 days of doing my own thing, THEN I blew my own times out of the water.
JUDI: I've only been working with the guy for 6 weeks, and only following what he said for five. I don't think ANYONE can give you that kind of fitness improvement in so little time (legally), they can only tweak something to bring out what was already ready to happen inside. But I'll take my own words into account in my decision. He has been telling me that I've never been rested enough to know what I'm really capable of. However, an ironman ends with a marathon, not a 10K. Less than 3 months out, the longest run I've been assigned so far is 1 hour.
BOBBY: Where did you get the idea that it was a run-intensive program? He has me doing about 60% of my training on the bike (I believe that the bike is not where the problem lies). If I were to follow his plans to the letter, I'd be running less the 15 mi/wk. The biggest change I've made since deciding to ignore him is swapping out bike rides for runs, adding about 50% more running. The run-intensive thing is all Claire and all in the last week.
11 comments:
I think one of the toughest things to do is actually try a new routine.
If you do his program as directed you can tell if it sucks or not. If you do half his and half yours you can't tell what was working and what wasn't.
I know from my own coaching of rowers that sometimes the toughest thing is convincing motivated athletes not to do too much.
I agree. You need to do this 100% if you're going to do it at all.
I say retain him until Cozumel, if you can afford it. Follow his plan so you can tell legitimately if his plan works. Consider Ironman the test. If you're not happy with the results, then you can kick him to the curb.
I can say from experience that a coach is just not a good fit for a particular client (and vice versa). Maybe that's the case here.
Holy shit you ran a 41:58???? Seriously Claire, you're a total badass. I don't know what my 10K pr is, but I'm pretty sure you just kicked my ass. And you ran fucking 10K on a track? By yourself? Are you nuts?? Oh my god, talk about boring, I would kill myself. Did I mention you're a badass?
Anyway, it's a tough call about the coach, but I have to agree with the above comments that there's no way to know what's really working if you're not fully following the plan. I know it sucks when you don't like what the coach is giving you, but that's why you hired him, right? Because maybe he'll get you to a place that you weren't getting to your way. I'm sort of leaning toward the "miracle worker" side of the answer here.
That being said, if running like a badass just isn't worth hating all your training or worth the money ... then ditch him.
i think a sub 7 10k pace gives you your answer. big duh claire.
Comment from the Southern New England Peanut Gallery:
It seems like your coach seems to be very run oriented and is trying to turn you into an ironman runner. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, look at the 10k split. also low volume can help you go faster ( I have my own evidence for this with my Patriot and Providence run splits which were nearly 5-10 minutes faster when I was running 15 miles per week instead of my usual 20-25 miles per week. Granted I also got stomped by someone who shall remain nameless due to low volume on the bike.) Likewise, to quote Scott Tinley, "Sometimes athletes need to be told what not to do in order to go faster." So despite feeling fat, lazy and way too full of energy his lower volume cycling and swimming plan might actually help you in the long run because you already have tremenadous base on the bike and your swim is average to slightly better than most, working your weakness might be just what you need.
Also what is his game plan for you for race day, what type of swim and bike split does he want you to pull? Does he want you just to finish? does he want you to be the next Chrissie Wellington? Does he want you not to have a death march run split? You mention he wants you to go slower in the first two disciplines to save some leg for the run but by how much? Did you meet with him to go over your goals for race day, does he even care about your goals for race day? To echo some of the above he seems to be a miracle worker for your run split but if he's not willing to analyze the whole package you might be better off with someone else.
Alright sorry for my long winded rant.
I think Bob's comment is a good one. Someone told me that it is better to give up 15 min on the bike and gain up to 45 min on the run in an IM. That might explain why he wants you to back off of speed on the bike slightly.
As for being three months out and only having an hour be your longest run, I think a lot of coaches back down long run distances in IM training. I think my coach gives a 2.5 hour run as the max to her athletes.
If you guys have talked about your race goals and this is what he's given you, then maybe trust him. See what results you get. If money is a huge issue though, it doesn't matter if the guy is amazing or not. You have to do what works for you and not put yourself in the poor house.
Good luck with your decision!
I think it is definitely true that too many miles on your legs slows your running down and once you truly back off you will see results. It is no big surprise to me that you pulled out that 10k time. As long as your running mileage is upped next month, i would imagine you'd be in good shape for IM. But regardless, if your coach doesn't listen to you very well, no matter how great he is as a coach in general, he's probably not the right one for you.
I've worked with three coaches in my life. Of the three, I'd highly recommend one of them, and not necessarily recommend the other two.
The first coach was high volume, very hands on and very attentive to detail. He meant well, but he ramped up my mileage too fast and I ended up overtrained and hating my workouts. After a poor 50 miler, while working up to a 100, I fired him.
The second coach was very laid back. He was cheap. He was also an elite athlete. At first, he sent me two weeks worth of workouts at once. Eventually, I was getting two months at once. We talked on the phone once a quarter or so. He was OK with me changing the timing of things, as long as I did the mileage. His schedule fit me well and I finished two of the toughest 100s in the country on that schedule. Then, he retired from coaching.
I tried a third coach. She was hands-on, very caring and dedicated, and I'd recommend her for a lot of people. But, even though I told her how I'd been successful in the past, she gave me a very different training plan and my fitness suffered. Eventually, after my DNF at mile 93 at WS in 2005, I questioned something about the "plan". She adamantly stated that the plan was perfect and I must be the cause of the DNF. I fired her.
In each case, I spent at least six months with the coach to give them a chance to prove or disprove themselves. I spent two full years with the coach who led me to the most success.
So, unless it's a killer financially, I say stick it out through this race. Something good is happening if you ran 10K that fast.
Damon
In all honesty, I think I'd have to see your schedule to really comment but FWIW, long, slow miles is what trains the system for Ironman. It sucks and it's boring but it works.
I'll never forget a conversation I had with my coach last year during IM training. I had been having some of the same gripes you have with your coach (mostly that I was sick of long and slow). I hadn't run or biked a single fast mile in months and then I pulled out my fastest run ever during a sprint. My coach happened to be there for that race. We were discussing whether or not I should sign up for a fall marathon after the IM and he asked me "well how do you feel about your speed right now?" and I said "I don't know. You never let me run fast so I have no idea" to which he replied "and you just ran the fastest 5k of your life after swimming and biking, right? Maybe you should learn to listen to me." And he had a point....
I am a huge fan of Jesse Kropelnicki's (QT2 Systems Coach...coaches Cait Snow and many other top athletes). This is worth a read: http://kropelnicki.com/?p=69
Hmm, this is a tough one.
Considering your cash flow, I would say you might be able to go witout a coach.
Considering your massive 10K PR, something is working. The question is, what specifically is working? You cannot be sure if it is your workouts or the coach's plan. I have confidence that you will do great on all of the legs of the IMCZ race, but the key is makng sure that you come to the finish line feeling great as well. Has your coach helped you to determine your 100 yd, 500 yd, and 1000 yd swim pace? Have they done any test sets on the bike to determine what your IM bike pace should be? Have they taken that 10K PR time and put it to the McMillian scale to help you find your marathon pace and a pace for the IM marathon? Have they helped you to figure out a hydration and nutrition plan to use in training that will be essential to the IM distance?
These are the paces that you should be doing your workouts at. If it helps, my coach makes me do most of my long runs at a Zone 2 pace. Tempo work is Zone 3 and 4. Track work is Zone 5a which hurts and sucks. My bike work is Zone 2 and 3. My swim pace is challenging but I am still able to hit all my swim intervals and not feel like I am going to die in the pool. Yes, it is slower than when I trained for short course stuff or only did one sport.
You have a ton of thinking to do here and I would suggest you do talk to your coach. Do they say, "Just trust me", or do they back it up with proven examples? If you stick with the coach, you have to hold back and not play Mr. Potato Head with the workouts. If you go on your own, you have to be aware of the fact that you will have to hold back a bit on your bike speed to have the legs for the run, but also that sound hydration and nutrition on the bike can make or break your marathon at the end.
Either way, you will still kick my ass in Cozumel, LOL!
First of all, Claire, you ran a 41:58. That is SO SO SO FAST! COngrats!
So. I think it could be that you RESTED for five weeks with Coach Slow, and then resumed for a week your training, and as a result you were fresh for the 10K on the track. See what you can do with a little rest?
That's what I think it is. I think you'd do great with a coach. Not this coach, though. Rest for five weeks is good, and I think what you needed since you never freaking rest for real. But you clearly aren't happy with him, and that is all I need to hear--plus I bet eventually you will get more out of shape than you'd like. I don't think he's a miracle worker except that he got you some rest, so then you could hammer.
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