When Does A Coach Need A Coach? The 9 Reasons Behind My Decision

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People are sometimes surprised to hear that I've used a coach for my own training and races. But it’s my belief that even the best coaches should be coached. And here’s why.

If you’re reading this, you’ve possibly used a coach for sport. Maybe you’ve also sought out a coach for work, personal development, or during a specific time in your life.

So you probably already understand the value of coaching to gain new skills, to improve on something, or to get you through a particular challenge.

Me too. That’s why - even though I’m a qualified and experienced Triathlon Coach myself - I made the decision to seek a coach in my quest for a PB at Ironman Frankfurt. I approached Joel Filliol, who’s coached Triathlon Canada and the British Triathlon Association, worked with elite triathletes like Olympic gold medalist Simon Whitfield, Jordan Rapp, Richard Murray, Mario Mola, Sarah Groff (Sarah True), Katie Zaferes and Helle Frederiksen.

Joel’s credentials speak for themselves. But why exactly did I make the decision to hire a coach, rather than coach myself? Surely I have the knowledge to go it alone?

Well yes, and no. I truly believe that any athlete - even those who are a coach themselves - can benefit from being coached.

Here are the main reasons behind my decision to be coached for Ironman Frankfurt:

  1. A specialist coach would pick up on some things that I might not even think about (that’s their job!)
  2. Another coach would take the guesswork and doubt out of the training programme: all I will have to do is train
  3. He or she will use a combination of scientific methods, research, experience and intuition to design and tweak my programme
  4. They'll be an excellent source of motivation, feedback, encouragement and information even at the toughest points of training
  5. I’ll have an external, objective professional to turn to (far more useful than friends or family members, however well-meaning!)
  6. My coach will be someone to bounce ideas off when I’m feeling overwhelmed, emotional or confused
  7. I can go to my coach for the very latest ideas, research and opinions in this sport
  8. My coach will know exactly how to take into account my current fitness levels, training times and lifestyle
  9. … And when I get a training programme from a coach it will give me confidence to crack on, and not over-think things!

I ended up having a successful race at Frankfurt, but even if things hadn’t have gone to plan, I would have been glad about my decision to hire a coach. It’s so easy to get bogged down in questions, doubt and worry. And, as a coach myself, I knew there was a real risk of over-thinking any training plan I designed for myself.

What’s the main reason behind your decision to hire a coach (whether that’s in sport, career or life)? Is it one of my 9 reasons above, or something different?