What are your goals?
This is by far the most important consideration.
If you
have a realistic idea of what you want to accomplish in your cycling,
most good coaches should be able to outline how they plan to bring you
to that goal. Having solid reachable goals throughout will give you a
better measurement of your progress. Whether your goal is to reach the
next Olympics, hang in on the weekend group ride, or complete your
first century ride, you will want a coach who is as committed in time
and attitude to reaching your goals as you are.
What
expectations do you have and how much time do you have to devote to
racing and training?
How much
time are you willing to give yourself to accomplish your goals? In
addition, how much time can you devote each week and roughly
throughout the year to training and racing? Be sure to outline this
for a coach when he or she makes your program. While it doesn't do a rider
any good to try and follow a program that they don't have enough time
for, a good coach can help you make the best use of the time you do
have. Your coach should be willing to work with you and the time you
have available to train and have an understanding of the time you have
for recovery from training as well.
Are
you looking for a personal coach?
A coach/rider relationship is primarily a personal one. It’s your
coach’s job to learn about you and what motivates you and what
training will work best for you. An optimal training and coaching
program is NOT an Excel spreadsheet program and constantly rotating
beginning coaches. Make sure that you read
carefully when researching coaches. It’s our belief that a coaching
company can become too corporate and slick and consequently too
impersonal. For that reason, all Wenzel Coaching
programs include personal coaches and ample consultation time each
month. In many ways, the consultation time with your coach each month
is just as valuable as your written program. Make sure you find a
coach that you click with. Even if you are shopping coaching "brands"
be sure to shop individual coaches within those brands as well.
Does
distance from your coach matter to you?
At Wenzel Coaching we offer programs that provide both local and long
distance coaching, including telephone and email. In many states
around North America it is likely that we can provide hands on
coaching with you on a fairly regular basis with a coach living in
your area. Check our coach profiles for locations of coaches. Many of
our riders are long distance clients. We are accustomed to and
prepared for this from many years of experience in working with
athletes this way. However, some riders prefer more in-person
attention. The amount of personal attention that each rider desires
can be very individual. We can provide you with as much personal
attention as you require. Make sure when shopping for a coach that you
find someone who can supply you with the amount of coaching attention
you desire.
What kind of training and event background do you have?
Having an idea of what you have done in the past will give a coach a
better idea of where to start you in your future training. Any program
should be configured for your experience and development level.
Do you like
following a program written by a coach or would you rather write your
own program?
Our programs at Wenzel Coaching are complete programs that outline
what you should do each day. Your feedback is an important factor in
your program. However, some riders like to take that step further and
write their own program and simply have us guide them in that to
ensure that they are on the right track. We offer program evaluation
services that include a written evaluation and suggestions. Contact us
for information on program evaluations and training journal reviews.
Can you
maintain motivation if your training program calls for you to do
training that your local group ride may not fit into at times?
Training as an individual may mean just that at times. Sometimes your
training will fit into the local group rides, other times it won't.
(We often encourage riders to join our coaching program as a group in
order to have riders in the same area who are following a somewhat
similar structure.) On the other hand, most racers race because it's
fun! If local training rides are part of the reason that you ride,
your coach will make every effort to fit them reasonably into your
schedule as long as you both feel you are making progress toward your
goals.
What
style of coach might best suite you?
If you are a rider who enjoys keeping track of the most minute data in
your training, you may want to look for a coach who is more focused on
scientific training and data. If you are someone who is more flexible
in your training, who isn't that interested in all the data and enjoys
the game of cycling more than the science, you may want to seek a
coach who reflects that. Even within Wenzel Coaching we offer coaches
who are more focused on one aspect than the other. While we believe a
combination of both scientific and experienced based training is
ideal, each coach will lie somewhere along the spectrum of science and
experience. When you are shopping for a coach, be sure to ask what
each coach’s experience and education are and from where they tend to
draw their advice.
IHow much
follow-up time do you think you'll require?
If you are fairly self-regulating in your training and rarely have
questions, you may do better with a program with less consultation
time included. If you like more feedback from your
coach you may desire a more customized program where weekly (or even
more regular) follow-ups are included each month. All Wenzel Coaching
programs provide consultation time for follow-up and feedback. This is
a common price structuring point for coaches, so be sure to pay
attention to the amount of consultation time you receive from the
coach you choose.
What is your
budget?
Coaching can be an expensive endeavor but it doesn’t have to be.
Several price levels exist within most coaching companies out there,
and Wenzel Coaching is no exception. Most national level coaches price
their offerings on the time it will take to support each program. You
may be able to find a local coach who can make you a custom program
for an extremely low price, but keep in mind that it takes time to
make good programs. Coaches who charge too much are usually priced out
of the market. Coaches who charge too little are usually either under
qualified or soon find out that they have overextended themselves for
a price level they can’t maintain, and consequently the service level
drops with the addition of each new client. Find a fair price for both your
budget and your coach’s time and expertise, and the relationship is
likely to be more successful.
Have more
questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions
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