Benefits of a Coach...and a Training Program

There is not much a coach can tell you that you can't find for free on the internet. Once you know your max HR, your AT hr, etc. you can google yourself a great training program. So, what is the benefit of a coach? Why would you pay $100 a month (probably the low end for a cycling coach) or more on a coach?

Here is the reason: a coach can zero in on issues right away. When I started to suffer in the VOS crit (before my flat) I got very discouraged about my fitness. After talking with my coach I was able to identify execution errors that killed my performance rather than fitness (e.g. riding on the hoods instead of the drops, too much braking, not pedaling through corners, not closing gaps, not drafting every possible moment). Encouraged, I went out two days later and jumped to the lead of the Tuesday crit and rode there until I decided I had proven to myself what I wanted to...that I could motor at the front of a Cat 5 crit race if I wanted to.

It has been said that even a bad training program is better than no program at all. I've got a long way to go before I'm happy with my fitness and performance but let me say this: I humbled myself in September, October, November and December. I got dropped on a regular basis as I pedaled around in Zone 2. I did not climb for those months; I stayed on the flats; I went on longer rides and missed "Starbucks time." But I stuck to my program. I made huge fitness and performance gains (I wish I had made more but I've had to accept my limitations). I made a big improvement in my climbing ability. The bottom line is that training programs work. When you combine a good program with a coach, you can see big improvement.

Finally, how does one afford a coach? All I can say is that you've got to make a personal determination about how important riding a bike is to you. Is it worth sacrificing something else to pay for a coach? That's not a question that has a universal answer for everyone. For some it may be yes and for some it may be no. If it is yes for you, I would urge you, without reservations, to find a coach you like.