In a moment of inspiration, you’ve entered a triathlon. You’ve been on the internet for hours and just downloaded a 12-week beginner triathlon plan off the internet.
You’re pumped up, warmed up, and dressed up for that first workout, but then you read the description of the workout and don’t have the faintest clue what any of it means.
Once you’ve Googled the jargon, you realize your plan wants you to go and do a 20-minute flat-out run to work out some zones, and you make it to seven minutes before having to take a lie down on someone’s lawn and start thinking through your life choices.
Right about now is when you wonder if a coach might have been the better option for you. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons.
The Benefits of Online Training Plans
If you’re looking to get involved in triathlon training, you might be considering an online training plan or triathlon coach to help you out.
Online plans absolutely have their place, and there are heaps of different options available, from free pdf downloads to more interactive virtual programs that come with some coach engagement.
Depending on your budget and training goals, online training plans offer a useful entry point for beginners, particularly if you’re only entered in one triathlon and aren’t sure whether you will ever enter another (you will if we have anything to do with it!).
They’re also useful for more experienced triathletes who want a baseline of workouts but have experience customizing their programs to suit their specific needs.
And lastly, online plans, particularly if you’re on more premium offerings using platforms such as TrainingPeaks, offer maximum convenience, giving you the ability to train where and when you like based on your schedule, from the bike trainer in your basement to the pool at your local gym.
For one of the best providers of both free and paid online training plans, check out Phil Mosley at myprocoach.net
The Benefits of Joining a Triathlon Coach and Club
Signing up with a certified, experienced coach and team comes with lots of benefits for those looking to take their triathlon training up a notch.
For beginners, however, this seems like a big commitment particularly if you’re looking at competing in your very first triathlon and don’t want to over-invest.
But many certified coaches offer month-to-month payment options along with a sliding scale of engagement options, so should be able to structure a coaching arrangement that works for you.
With personalized coaching tailored to your individual fitness levels, availability to train each week, and desired outcomes, you as an athlete can focus on your performance goals while relying on your coach to ensure each workout is productive.
One often overlooked benefit of having a coach?
Accountability!
Skipping workouts because you’re binge-watching Seinfeld reruns every evening? Be ready for a conversation with your coach about that in the morning!
Let’s look at some of the specific benefits of working with a certified coach.
Working with experienced triathletes
It’s unusual to find a triathlon coach who hasn’t completed multiple triathlons over many years in the sport.
This means they’ve got many of the scars you won’t need to get if you learn from them.
They’ve vomited on their shoes from dehydration. They’ve learned that ‘never trust a fart on a run’ is meant literally, not figuratively. They’ve had panic attacks in the swim, lost their bike in transition, and hit the wall in a race because they got their nutrition all wrong.
They’ve ideally worked with endurance athletes starting out, all the way up to more advanced athletes looking to get podiums or world championship slots, so can help you every step of the way as your race goals evolve.
A coach’s experience in racing and coaching is arguably more valuable than any certifications they may have.
Access to various types of training programs
When training for a triathlon, having access to a training program specific to your needs is invaluable.
Online plans can be great if they fit your very specific context. You’ll see plans titled “12-week sprint triathlon plan for beginners”, or “18-week intermediate-level plan for half ironman®”.
While these sound specific, they really aren’t, as they only address three factors – how long the plan is, what your current level of fitness is (very broadly defined as ‘intermediate’), and the distance you hope to complete.
A triathlon coach looks for more detailed information upfront
They will look to meet in person (or on Zoom) and gather far more detailed information to tailor the best version of a plan to you.
Triathlon Coaches will ask for the following information:
- your sport background – (maybe you’ve been cycling for decades but have never swum a lap)
- what gets you motivated (winning, losing weight, getting healthy, looking amazing in lycra)
- current fitness and endurance levels
- any history of injury or illness
- family commitments and time available to train
- upcoming travel, work, or other commitments that need to be planned around
- long-term goals for the sport
- and whole lot more!
With all this guidance, you’ll get the training plan you need, rather than the training plan that paid the highest for your click.
Support from other members of your team
The life of a triathlete is usually a lonely one.
We’re working, raising kids, running errands, and jamming workouts into the gaps between these things. This means a lot of your workouts are done alone, whether you work with a triathlon coach or use an online plan.
Having said that, triathlon coaches usually come with triathlon clubs, filled with athletes just like you who are trying to crowbar this great sport into their daily lives, or trying to get their swimming to feel a bit less like torture, or thinking of reasons to avoid this evening’s track set.
When it comes to the benefits of working with a triathlon coach, being part of a like-minded (some would say crazy) team of athletes ranks a close second to the benefits of a personalized program.
Some of the benefits of being part of a team:
- hive-mind solutions to your problems. The learning curve on this journey is steep for everyone, and you can bet that whatever you’re currently stuck on was already worked out by others in your team
- someone to borrow a bicycle pump, energy gel, or toilet paper from at races when you forget to pack your own
- the chance to connect with people from many different backgrounds
- people to encourage you on race day who actually know what you’re going through
- instant resources to help with gear recommendations, rebooting your @#$@ Garmin watch, or fixing that flat tire three minutes before the race starts
- people to race on track day – there’s nothing like a little competition to get you running faster than you thought you could!
- and most importantly, a great social scene at recovery workouts at the local pub.
With encouraging words and fellow triathletes that understand where you’re coming from, it’s far easier to stay dedicated and motivated in training and racing.
So don’t underplay the social aspect, as it could be the difference between success and stagnation.
Deciding What’s Best for You as a Beginner Triathlete
The easiest place to start is with your goals, and what success looks like to you.
Sure, you want to do well in your next triathlon race, but how many hours per week will you sacrifice to reach that goal?
Is triathlon a one-and-done for you, with a single race in a month or two that you’re largely ambivalent about? If this is you, then getting a personalized training plan and building a relationship with a triathlon coach probably doesn’t make sense.
If your goals are longer-term – something to challenge you, a lifestyle change, a dream of qualifying for a regional, national, or international championship one day? Then a coach is the better way to go.
What to look for when choosing a triathlon coach
Trying to find triathlon coaches online is quite easy – just search for ‘triathlon coach near me’ and you’ll get a decent list.
More important than picking the first coach on the list however is to know what you want from your specific relationship with a triathlon coach.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but here are some criteria that you should keep in mind when choosing a coach.
What to look for in a triathlon coach
- Are they certified*? And if so, with a credible entity such as USA Triathlon or Ironman®?
- Independent of their certifications, what is their experience level as an athlete and as a coach? Do they have a track record of success in developing beginners into accomplished triathletes?
- Who do they focus on? Top triathlon coaches may be motivated by working with advanced athletes, and if you’re a triathlete who’s just starting out, will they be sufficiently dedicated to you going forward?
- What is their coaching philosophy? Are they into high-intensity monster training weeks, or lots of balance and recovery, or dogmatic low-heart-rate endurance training… and does this philosophy resonate with you?
- Do they take the time to understand your goals, context, challenges, and schedule challenges?
*A list of resources to research certified coaches is included at the end of this article.
Look for complementary skills that will help you
- If swimming is your weakness, choosing a coach who has a swimming background may help immensely as you can get qualified guidance from them on how to improve (vs. being told to join a masters swim team)
- They may have a nutrition certification which could help you reach your weight-loss goals without compromising training quality
- And lastly, as part of their business model, do they foster an active team environment for their athletes, offering support at specific team races, team workouts, and a social calendar?
Final Thoughts on Choosing the Right Option for Beginner Triathletes
When it comes to triathlon training, there are many options available to beginner triathletes. Although it can seem daunting at first, taking the time to research and decide between using a triathlon training plan from the internet or joining a triathlon coach and in-person triathlon club is important to make sure that triathletes get the best possible experience and guidance tailored to their individual goals and needs.
Ultimately, working with a triathlon coach has numerous benefits that cannot be found in an online training plan, including finding a family of other triathletes, insight from experienced athletes, getting real-time feedback on performance that you can actually understand, and even gaining access to training equipment and facilities.
For these reasons, beginner triathletes should strongly consider investing in an experienced triathlon coach and triathlon club before starting their triathlon journey.