Coaching
Written 02 September 2008
In my near 13 years of cycling I have had four coaches all of whom have dealt with my various idiosyncrasies in different ways. Some have had to coach me at more "difficult" times than others and I am happy to say that I consider three of my previous coaches to be very good friends. Recently however I have found a coach that really brings out the best in me and it has made me consider why she works for me and what happens when a coaching partnership does not work.
Integral to a successful coaching partnership is trust. Mainly the trust a rider has in what the coach is giving them to do, so that when the alarm goes off at 5.50am the rider is enthused to get on their bike and complete the day's session. �Once a rider has been in the sport a while they start to think that maybe they could coach themselves. Or when that fails and they do engage a coach they will second guess the programme based on what they have previously been given by other coaches, or based on what their mates are doing. �Alternatively if a rider is always tired and their riding starts to go backwards they also will start to ask questions. At this point programmes go uncompleted and coaching partnerships breakdown.
I trust instinctively everything I am given by my coach Amy. �The only questions I have ever asked of her is why? Why I am doing a certain workout and what is it meant to achieve. �I trust her because she understands that I have a fulltime job and therefore that riding 2 or 3 hours before work is not feasible. �She understands that work or family stress can upset the emotional balance and make you ride badly. �She adapts my programme for my life. �She also backs up all her training with unquestionable science. She knows and can explain why everything works the way it does.
The other quality she has is an unwavering belief in what she gives me to do and an unwavering belief that if I do it all and do it right that I will ride well. �Her faith in her coaching extends my faith in her. She also ultimately believes in my ability and I think that other people believing in you makes you believe in yourself that little bit more.
