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Coached or self coached?

Old 11-19-15, 12:07 PM
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Coached or self coached?

I'm starting to add more intervals into my training and I'm struggling to find the balance between too hard and too easy. I'm trying to look into coaching or buying a plan online. Coaching seems way to impersonal for $100+/month, but the plans on training peaks aren't cheap either. Do you guys have any recommendations? Any specific plans that you like or general tips?
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Old 11-19-15, 12:16 PM
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There is a sticky with a list of workouts you can do. If you search this forum, you will find several other discussions about whether you should find a coach.

I suggest you read those first and then come back with any specific questions.
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Old 11-19-15, 12:17 PM
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*cracks knuckles*
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Old 11-19-15, 12:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Ygduf
*cracks knuckles*
I saw you post about coaching someone in the suffer pic thread PM me if you want. If I misinterpreted this feel free to troll .
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Old 11-19-15, 12:43 PM
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If you're going by HR, Cyclists Training Bible was an awesome to have starting out. It's like 15 bucks on amazon.
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Old 11-19-15, 12:43 PM
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Originally Posted by topflightpro
There is a sticky with a list of workouts you can do. If you search this forum, you will find several other discussions about whether you should find a coach.

I suggest you read those first and then come back with any specific questions.
Thanks. I've been using those workouts already which are great and very helpful. My problem is doing too many of them in too short of a time span. Is there any information on how to space them out or what you should do on the easy days? I'll be getting the cyclist training bible from my friend soon which will hopefully help, but after bonking hard yesterday I got impatient.
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Old 11-19-15, 12:46 PM
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Originally Posted by TheKillerPenguin
If you're going by HR, Cyclists Training Bible was an awesome to have starting out. It's like 15 bucks on amazon.
I'm using power, and this brings up a random question. I've lost my HRM and was wondering if I need to get one since I use power?
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Old 11-19-15, 12:50 PM
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If you're starting from scratch, a coach can really help accelerate the learning curve IMO. Do you want to win races and advance quickly? If yes I say try out a coach and see how you like it. If you don't really care about that and like doing things on your own, then you can certainly go the self coached route and find success there as well. Matt and Fudgy are two examples of people who kick ass and don't have coaches.
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Old 11-19-15, 12:52 PM
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This conversation always seems to get acrimonious around here. And I say "always" because, yes, it comes up a lot.

I will say this: having a knowledgeable and responsive coach who also knows me, how I ride, what my strengths and weaknesses are and who I can easily get in touch with has been huge for my development. Since beginning that relationship in April, things were a little slow to begin with, but by the time cyclocross season came around, there was a major pay-off in results. Hopefully there will be a pay-off for road season next year, but of course that's the future. We'll see.

The thing is, this kind of responsive, personalized coaching by someone who can regularly see you and how you ride and race usually comes with a steep price tag attached. Even more so for coaches with established reputations. I am incredibly fortunate to be paying a pittance to my coach, who does this mostly as a side hobby to help out his friends rather than as a business. Most people don't get that kind of deal (I didn't have that opportunity for many years), and that makes it harder to justify. So that's kind of the question. What level of coaching can you afford, and how much will that benefit you? That second part is the key and it can be pretty hard to predict!
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Old 11-19-15, 01:00 PM
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Originally Posted by lupy
I'm using power, and this brings up a random question. I've lost my HRM and was wondering if I need to get one since I use power?
I use HR to monitor fatigue, but as far as workouts go I find it mostly superfluous. You either hit your numbers or you don't, and if you don't you call it a day.
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Old 11-19-15, 01:03 PM
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Originally Posted by lupy
I saw you post about coaching someone in the suffer pic thread PM me if you want. If I misinterpreted this feel free to troll .
I joke about coaching because every time it comes up there is a huge debate about the value.

If you like learning about training, about how the body responds, and don't mind experimenting on yourself then self-coaching is great. If you like believing that someone else is an authority on it, want training plans to be provided and like being accountable to someone that comes with coaching, go for it.

Both ways will produce results if you put the work in.

The thing I like to stress is that there's no secret way to getting better. Stress, rest, adapt. There's 4 million variations and ideas about which is "better" and google can give you more opinions than you'll ever be able to read.
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Old 11-19-15, 01:04 PM
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My first winter training with power I followed the plan in the back of Racing and Training with a Power Meter. I saw a pretty significant increase in fitness. While I realize it isn't for everyone it worked for me (but it was also my first winter of actual training)

Now that I think about it, I followed the plan the winter before I got power also using only heart rate.
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Old 11-19-15, 01:33 PM
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Originally Posted by TheKillerPenguin
If you're going by HR, Cyclists Training Bible was an awesome to have starting out. It's like 15 bucks on amazon.
I think this book is the best place to start even if not using HR/using power, it's 90% of what a paid coach will tell you to do.
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Old 11-19-15, 01:36 PM
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Originally Posted by misterwaterfall
If you're starting from scratch, a coach can really help accelerate the learning curve IMO. Do you want to win races and advance quickly? If yes I say try out a coach and see how you like it. If you don't really care about that and like doing things on your own, then you can certainly go the self coached route and find success there as well. Matt and Fudgy are two examples of people who kick ass and don't have coaches.
Ha, thanks.

I don't think either of us are special (ok maybe Fudgy is), we're just hard workers. Smart racing also helps.
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Old 11-19-15, 01:39 PM
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if u can see the forest for the trees, self coach and google everything.

if u can't, pay someone to do it for you.

many ways to get fast just commit to whichever method and accept the pros/cons to either.
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Old 11-19-15, 01:40 PM
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Originally Posted by lupy
Thanks. I've been using those workouts already which are great and very helpful. My problem is doing too many of them in too short of a time span. Is there any information on how to space them out or what you should do on the easy days? I'll be getting the cyclist training bible from my friend soon which will hopefully help, but after bonking hard yesterday I got impatient.
I watch my TSB in Training Peaks pretty closely and this has been pretty useful in helping to make adjustments to avoid the big bonk. WKO4, Golden Cheetah, and Strava Premium all have it or something similar.
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Old 11-19-15, 01:55 PM
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I'm coached. I love it. We talk every day and things are updated based on how my body's responding (or if life stuff comes up). I like not having to worry about what I should do each day. I just do what I'm told and trust my coach to worry about my training.
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Old 11-19-15, 02:32 PM
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I went the coaching route because it keeps me focused. I ride with my coach (team title sponsor) often, so he sees my strengths and weaknesses and adjusts the workouts accordingly. I find I work harder knowing that someone will be scrutinizing my effort.

If you are disciplined, the book referenced a few posts above will be of great help with setting up a plan. I'm not disciplined and would just do group rides w/o a coach. Group rides are great and can be a great workout, but I'd only stress my stronger traits (sit in and wait for sprint) on them because I'm not disciplined.
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Old 11-19-15, 04:18 PM
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I'm a father of a 1 yo and 2 yo. Married, wife is stay at home so I'm the only working parent. I bring in just enough to cover family life & whatnot. Coaching is not gonna happen - for now. I self-coach and am disciplined enough to follow my own training plan. That being said, if I had the money to burn, I'd go with a coach. I've read training and racing with a power meter, and joe friels cyclist training bible and follow what is preached in those books. I feel like the limiter I have is time. A lot of fast guys I know racing in the midwest seem to put in a ton of miles per year, more than what I'm putting in. Once the kids get older I'm hoping to up my time on the bike (and time in the gym - I don't have any time at all for that now). I do however feel like my self-coaching process really hasn't been too bad. My main fail when I toe the line is racing strategy.
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Old 11-19-15, 04:44 PM
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Originally Posted by mattm
Ha, thanks.

I don't think either of us are special (ok maybe Fudgy is), we're just hard workers. Smart racing also helps.
Fudgy is fat now or something. Now is the time to kick him while he is down!
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Old 11-19-15, 05:17 PM
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I'm in the middle of the Sufferfest Advanced Road Training Plan. It's the best thing I've found to do self-coached.
I had a coach for about a year but it was very impersonal. I probably wasn't the best trainee, but getting an email once a week wasn't very motivating.

The Sufferfest plan is cheap. Of course you have to buy some videos if you want to follow the plan, but even then the overall cost isn't bad.
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Old 11-19-15, 05:44 PM
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Originally Posted by mattm
Ha, thanks.

I don't think either of us are special (ok maybe Fudgy is), we're just hard workers. Smart racing also helps.
I am lucky and completely Captain TryHard.

Originally Posted by misterwaterfall
Fudgy is fat now or something. Now is the time to kick him while he is down!
I'm not fat, I'm dense, and I'd still climb against anyone in this forum!
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Old 11-19-15, 06:57 PM
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I got to Cat 1 without a coach but I did get a lot of good (and a little not so good) advice from more experienced riders and racers. I wasn't afraid to ask a lot of questions to the guys I ride with. I raced a lot and I spectated at races to learn how to race well (which is different from riding well).
As mentioned by the other guys, there are several good books to use as a resource and lots of online information. A power meter and HR monitor would be great tools in helping you pace your intervals. I'd invest on those before I'd pay for a coach.
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Old 11-19-15, 07:09 PM
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I've had a coach and it was very helpful. It was sort of the same situation that Grolby describes: teammate/friend who was doing it more as a hobby/sideline than as a main biz. He moved away and since then I've made my own plans based on what's worked before and bits and bobs I pick up from books, blogs, other racers, and this place.
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Old 11-20-15, 01:03 AM
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*licking chops*

Not me...the various coaches that lurk around this forum.
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