Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest
A/R/tist in the spotlight - Testosterscone
Comments
-
What are your own favourite sessions?
Favourite session in terms of doability is either 600m/1 km reps I am not sure why but for what ever reason on track they are sessions I can bluff no matter how bad my fitness is.
In terms of favourite (most enjoyable/ one I feel I accomplish most with) I don't do the same sessions too often but I do enjoy following race week tune up
4x200, 2x400, 800, 2x400, 4x200
Everything is controlled bar the 800 in the middle which normally works out in around 1500m effort (low 2.20) The first 400m after that though is a bruise as you are going back to controlled race effort with jelly legsWhat are your next personal targets?
Right now fitness is at an all time low I have about 40 miles done in the last 6 weeks due to stuff going on at home that took my eye off the ball. With that in mind the next few months building fitness and that is sole focus. May look to something different when I do get back depending, 800/1500 indoor season come January has been one thought floating around but not gonna get ahead of myself with my current streak on 1 day running just taking it day by day getting the full grá back for it.0 -
Has having a child changed your perspective on life?
I don't think it has changed me hugely just yet.
Since he was born we have had huge upheaval and life hasn't settled down just yet so I don't really feel I have had a chance to settle into normal. I think my priorities have definitely changed fundamentally but I think the rest won't become apparent for a few more months when things finally do settle down.What was the last good book you read?
Reading has definitely been neglected as of late. I think the last good book I read was American Gods (Neil Gaiman) well worth a read even if you are not huge into fantasy.0 -
Hey Boss, great answers
Just a few easy ones!!
1. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? and have you achieved this?
2. Dessert island - 3 things you could not live without?
3. Favourite children's TV program, from your childhood?
4. If you could have 3 sports people as dinner guests who would they be and why?
5. If you could have 3 non sports people as dinner guests who would they be and why?
6. What would you cook for your dinner guest - a Starter, main course & Dessert?
6. Favourite post race meal?
7. What are your current PBs and which one are you most proud off?
8. Will I ever learn to like cross country (after 1 race ) or do you just learn to tolerate it for the sake of benefits gained
9. Can you imagine the names some of your coachees have called you while doing a session(not me obviously as I don't use bad language!!;)0 -
Testosterscone wrote: »Ideally clubs should have the funds to hire a full time coach someone who treats it like a job, not just supervising sessions but organising training groups, one to one meetings with athletes, organizing workshops in the club, reaching out to injured athletes etc.
Have them evaluated year by year by committee to keep them honest and their performance measurable outside of medals won etc. It is a professional world clubs need to approach it professionally.
It's a tricky one.
We pay an S&C coach to draw up training plans and kick off each training block. I'd be happy to pay an expert (x) coach to come in once a month and do a session with the better athletes who could benefit from it.
But we have some very good coaches already who aren't getting paid. How can we pay someone to coach high jump once a month, when there is someone in the club coaching long jump ten times a month for nothing? But then we can't afford to pay someone to coach long jump ten times a month.
Neither could we afford to pay someone a reasonable wage for a full time coaching/organising/whatevering position. I don't think there is enough work for a full-time position either, especially since a lot of the club members are only available outside working hours.
But even a part-time position with reasonable wages is a minefield. It's easy to say there'll be annual evaluations, harder to fire someone when you know they depend on you for a substantial part of their income. Even harder if they've been in the position five years and their life revolves around the club as much as the club revolves around them.
But then you're depending on volunteers, and rounding them up is a job in itself, and there's a conveyor belt of juvenile coaches being persuaded to join, acquiring skills, and leaving when their kids leave...0 -
1. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? and have you achieved this?
When I was in primary school I had my heart set on being a volcanologist. Admittedly I did not think this through given the island we live on
I had plans on going into Primary teaching but wound up in current job by accident. Went back to study while working for a couple of years for the therapy but have yet to pluck the courage to go at that full time for a number of reasons (as I mentioned before I am not a great salesperson)2. Dessert island - 3 things you could not live without?
To be honest I am easily pleased, a pair of runners to run in and after than I would survive and work with what I had. Have always found a peace in solitude so wouldn't bother me to cut ties with the digital world once the withdrawal face passed.3. Favourite children's TV program, from your childhood?
Dragonball Z. Looking back now I can kind of see why I was attracted to it, the Japaneese culture and the idea of perseverance and toiling to improve is always something which blended well with my personality (I was that kid who always invested hundreds of hours into completing computer games like Pokemon and Final Fantasy (7) ) by levelling up to the absolute limit4. If you could have 3 sports people as dinner guests who would they be and why?
- John Landy (his phenomenal work ethic towards the sub 4 mile as well as anecdotes of the legenedary Percy Cerutty)
- Andre Agassi (was immensely interested in his love hate relationship with Tennis)
- Arnold Schwarzenegger. some of the most eloquent descriptions of sport I have heard have been from him speaking about the sport of bodybuilding. His passion really shines through.5. If you could have 3 non sports people as dinner guests who would they be and why?
Gonna go a little philosophical heavy on this one with Plato and Nietzsche. Might melt the brain a little but I think it would be very interesting to delve into their minds and idea's (my philosophy minor in college coming to the fore)
To mix it up Joe Satriani, a man who has influenced so many of the worlds top guitarist over the years while still producing phenomenal musicWhat would you cook for your dinner guest - a Starter, main course & Dessert?
I like to cook but wouldn't consider myself a great cook so i'll keep it simple
Starter - Spicy fish cakes
Main Course - Duck Fillet with rosemary baby potatoes and asparagus
Desert - White Chocolate Cheesecake6. Favourite post race meal?
Partial to a pizza, used to be Domino's till I was introduced to Base Pizza. The last 2 years though with the huge increase in racing I try to not indulge to often as I would be racing myself out of shape very quickly haha7. What are your current PBs and which one are you most proud off?
Probably my 5 mile (26.35). It was a 46 sec PB at a distance I ran every year It was also a race where I seemed to do everything right and was holding on for dear life in the last mile and left absolutely everything on the course.8. Will I ever learn to like cross country (after 1 race ) or do you just learn to tolerate it for the sake of benefits gained
I think you can grow to love it and the purity of it. Not one everyone will warm to but one I do think everyone should do (If it makes you feel any better one of the guys I grew up training and racing with was still moaning after All Irelands last year 20 years on from when he started but stood to him as he also picked up a National Senior track medal off the back of a cross country winter season)9. Can you imagine the names some of your coachees have called you while doing a session(not me obviously as I don't use bad language!!;)
Haha I am pretty sure what ever people have called me, TbL has probably already got there first in person back in the day when we did a few sessions0 -
It's a tricky one.
We pay an S&C coach to draw up training plans and kick off each training block. I'd be happy to pay an expert (x) coach to come in once a month and do a session with the better athletes who could benefit from it.
But we have some very good coaches already who aren't getting paid. How can we pay someone to coach high jump once a month, when there is someone in the club coaching long jump ten times a month for nothing? But then we can't afford to pay someone to coach long jump ten times a month.
Neither could we afford to pay someone a reasonable wage for a full time coaching/organising/whatevering position. I don't think there is enough work for a full-time position either, especially since a lot of the club members are only available outside working hours.
But even a part-time position with reasonable wages is a minefield. It's easy to say there'll be annual evaluations, harder to fire someone when you know they depend on you for a substantial part of their income. Even harder if they've been in the position five years and their life revolves around the club as much as the club revolves around them.
But then you're depending on volunteers, and rounding them up is a job in itself, and there's a conveyor belt of juvenile coaches being persuaded to join, acquiring skills, and leaving when their kids leave...
I do take your point on booting someone after a few years and it could possibly burn through good will of some who would be willing to do the job but if there is money involved sentimentality needs to go out the window and people would be going in with eyes open that there is accountability needed
This is not about making the role attractive for people to have an cushy job it's more about supporting those who are doing this for free anyway.
In terms of amount of work to support a full time role I think majority of clubs have this but they don't have the manpower to implement them and as such are not seen as crucial. I think that if the job is done right it could go a long way in terms of covering the cost
Just as a hypothetical
40 hr per week @ 20,000-22,000 (enough to make it worth while without being seen as a handy number to keep interest with genuine club contributors)
Job role : Athletic director (as opposed to coach)
Duties
* 2 hrs a day 5 days a week -
Taking sessions (Off 2 days a week to open weekend mornings) This is the bread and butter of coaching as we all know it - 10 hours
* Coaching strategy and development
Meeting with coaches, athletes committee to highlight area's to improve the club current structure be it recruitment, upskilling or coaching concerns - 5 hours
* Club PR duties - Answering potential new member mails/FB etc, possible park run recruitment - 5 hours
* School development officer
touch base with schools in local area, aim to develop links with schools and drive new membership - 2 hours
* Club admin - chasing up subscription renewal, competition fees etc - 2 hour
Other possible roles
- Race Organizing committee/ Fundraising activities
- AAI Sports Camps
- Organizing Coaching/ Athlete Workshops
Part of the evaluation doesn't even have to be just coaching but also additional revenues brought into a club through the work. If you make links with schools or park run and drive juvenile/ Adult members or provide extra support to summer camps to be able to facilitate more kids as well as potential new members the revenue offsets this.
400 a week might seem alot to pay someone out of the club coffers but people rarely take into account that by having someone in that position it may well generate an extra 150-200 through increased membership or even shoring up missing income. Maybe an extra 10e to membership and all of a sudden that outlay is not half as bad and the benefits are invaluable.0 -
Back in my younger days as a lefty activist, I knew a bunch of people in the Socialist Party and Socialist Workers Party. Both had paid employees, mainly to do with their papers IIRC but also just general political work. It always seemed like a bit of a problem to me, because it meant there was a two-tier system and the employee was bound to carry more weight than the volunteer. And then there were huge disagreements when one of them was laid off.
Even in an all-volunteer club, if you have someone in the same position for a long time it can be difficult, some people think they're stuck in their ways, others point to all they've done and all they know. You can get a situation where half the people are not happy if someone is continuing, but half will be unhappy if they're removed. Add money to the mix...
Maybe this is a problem that just has to be dealt with because the alternative is worse, I don't know.
22k a year is not a lot to offer anyone either...0 -
Back in my younger days as a lefty activist, I knew a bunch of people in the Socialist Party and Socialist Workers Party. Both had paid employees, mainly to do with their papers IIRC but also just general political work. It always seemed like a bit of a problem to me, because it meant there was a two-tier system and the employee was bound to carry more weight than the volunteer. And then there were huge disagreements when one of them was laid off.
Even in an all-volunteer club, if you have someone in the same position for a long time it can be difficult, some people think they're stuck in their ways, others point to all they've done and all they know. You can get a situation where half the people are not happy if someone is continuing, but half will be unhappy if they're removed. Add money to the mix...
Maybe this is a problem that just has to be dealt with because the alternative is worse, I don't know.
22k a year is not a lot to offer anyone either...
I think that is why an athletic director type role would work. Yes there is more weight on them as part of their paid duties (organizing coaches as opposed to just working with there own group)
I agree with you something like 22k is not alot of money but that is half the point is to have this simply supporting someone with a genuine will to improve and help the club. As mentioned there are people who are doing this anyway for nothing (ala Dick/Pat Hooper or Joe Cooper (Clonliffe) )
Ultimately I think in sports bureaucracy in this country you are always gonna get an element of that whether money is involved or not but I do think there could be more good than bad done if it was implemented right (mind you very hard to convince any club such an expense is worth the risk when there is already a volunteer workforce)
I just think unless drastic measures are taken the club coach is dying out (in particular at a middle to long distance level)0 -
It could be the way to go... sometimes someone has to ignore the reasons why something is a bad idea and just do it, to show that it was a good idea after all!
I'll stop derailing the thread now anyway...0 -
Advertisement
-
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Mine is a pretty basic one I'm sure.
It's mainly all food related:
1. How much water do you drink each day on average?
2. What does a typical days food look like on a training day?
3. Prebaby, how much sleep per night would you get?
These are the areas I feel I need a bit of help with, hence my selfish questions0 -
Haha you must be a mind reader as I am currently trying to make some positive changes to their now that I am back training and in a bit more of a routine with work so that hopefully I can carry the positive changes into when training builds back up to where I wasBananaleaf wrote: »1. How much water do you drink each day on average?
Fluid intake is pint of water first thing in the morning with two to three pints throughout the day and one post run. The rest comes from copious
Amounts of coffee and the odd can of Fanta ( both I am aiming to reduce)Bananaleaf wrote: »2. What does a typical days food look like on a training day?
When I was heavy training was generally as follows
Breakfast - scrambled egg with diced spring onion mixed in or porridge with a spoonful of peanut butter
Lunch - Home made wrap (pesto grilled chicken jalapeños and cheese) toasted
Dinner -
- late shift in work - pesto pasta, hummus/feta cheese salad
- home - lasagne, steak, grilled salmon chicken stir fry
This was not overly strict mind you and plenty of treats snacks etc which I have to cut down on as with 5 month old sleep is a precious commodity and I know I am gonna have to look at nutrition as a way of keeping energy levels high as well as the immune system in check
If you are looking to make small changes I couldn’t recommend slimming world highly enough a great way to have more awareness of what you are eating and changing lifestyle (as opposed to a diet fad that is not sustainable) been in the house the last few months and I can certainly see the benefits.
Outside of that best advice I can give-
- prep is key don’t be afraid to batch cook
- plan the shop/ meals. Don’t shop while hungry
- it’s not about being perfect 100% it’s about making better choices most of the time. Avoid habitual eating ( scoffing a packet of biscuits before you realize as you were only gonna have one)
- Have your food intake match your personality if you are a 3 square meal a day don’t change that likewise if you are a grazer implement changes within that format. Look at it as quality control vs overhaul
- Let the plate manage portions. 1/2 plate should be veg/leafy greens with a quarter starchy carbs and 1/4 protein. Will work as good as the obsessive macro counting that will drive you madBananaleaf wrote: »3. Prebaby, how much sleep per night would you
Change in work means that for the first time since joining the work force I will have set hours so this should help things. Currently working on about 6 not ideal but I am up between 6 and 7 with the baba non negotiable so depends on work and training (my runs this week have been 11pm post work) ideal should be more but it has often been less not ideal but doable if you manage the other aspects of your health you can keep energy levels up and he immune system in tact0 -
For a typical track session. What is your routine? The latest you'll eat? How long of a warm up? Your drills routine? Cool down and stretching?0
-
Ok I've come up with a few too if I may
1. You get to the chance to travel to one race outside Ireland. Money, travel time, qualification etc no object. What would you pick?
2. You have a day & night off (no work, baby is being looked after elsewhere, house is already spotlessly clean...) to spend entirely as you wish. What would you do?
3. You get picked to represent Ireland in the Olympics, but it can't be for running. What sport would you compete in?
4. Favourite book / book that's had the biggest impact on you (if any)?
5. Any race mantras?0 -
A few more from me;
(1) Have you ever said NO to a request to coach someone?
(2) Do you coach other disciplines other than running (e.g. race walking / Steeplechase)
(3) Have you ever got so fed up with a coachee that you went seperate ways.
(4) If one of your athletes has a poor performance - do you do any analysis to see if the coaching could have been different or improved??
(5) Do you take it to heart if an athlete has a poor performance?
(6) Do you feel some of the credit if an athlete has a super performance?
(7) As we're all time poor - Name 5 Key S&C exercises for an athlete.0 -
Mellow Yellow 26.2 wrote: »For a typical track session. What is your routine? The latest you'll eat? How long of a warm up? Your drills routine? Cool down and stretching?
Things have been less than ideal as of late and the warm ups/ cooldowns were part of the thing I was cutting back on but in ideal I tend to try and replicate warm up for races to a certain extent.
My routine when I was diligent with this was as follows
Food - No more than 1 hr before warm up
Warm up - 2-3 miles
Strides (track sessions) 1 mile of jog bends and stride the straights
Drills - (not the greatest on official names so apologies)
A Skips
Side to side Cross over
1,2,3 s (emphasis on foot strike under hips - clawing motion)
Ankle step overs
High Knee (out in from followed by lateral)
High Knee Bounds (for vertical height)
High Knee Bounds (for explosive power and forward momentum)
Scorpion
2-3 mile cooldown
Fairly time consuming as you can see, but well worth it if you have the time (normally sessions used to last 2 hrs including all that)0 -
Advertisement
-
Thanks for the answers. I often wonder how long others will spend on the track. My sessions are around the same length, some of the guys I train with will go to the gym afterwards. I really admire their commitment0
-
Ok I've come up with a few too if I may
1. You get to the chance to travel to one race outside Ireland. Money, travel time, qualification etc no object. What would you pick?
Fukuoka Marathon, one of the purest marathon races in the world without the Kamakazee element of Lake Biwa (well at my standard anyway I don't think I have a 10 mile PB in me at the start of a marathon haha)
The Cinque Mulini (Italy) is one of the few true Cross Country races with a deep tradition still around.2. You have a day & night off (no work, baby is being looked after elsewhere, house is already spotlessly clean...) to spend entirely as you wish. What would you do?
Always partial to a good hike or a walk. Have managed to get a good bit with the young lad as of late but still a bit young to hit the mountains too much just yet.3. You get picked to represent Ireland in the Olympics, but it can't be for running. What sport would you compete in?
Hmm I would probably say Slalom (Canoe). Developed a bit of a bandwagon interest for it as through family friends (as well as ties to their family being heavily involved in running which struck up a few conversations at family occasions) who were heavily involved (multiple Olympic appearances and gut wrenchingly close to medalling). Find it a hugely interesting sport to watch ever Olympic cycle.4. Favourite book / book that's had the biggest impact on you (if any)?
Probably Stormrider by David Gemmell. It's a good fantasy by no means a classic but it stoked my love for reading beyond academics.5. Any race mantras?
Race the man not the clock. Majority of my better races have come from when I have refused to look at the watch and just faced what was around me. If I saw that the group was gonna be small I would take the front of a group to keep them in it for as long as possible to work off him in latter stages, likewise I have known people that I could beat with a sprint and saved it for a short but decisive burst.
At the end of the day you are never gonna beat the watch. Every minor slip up in a race the watch will punish you for, a PB is only resetting the bar for next time where as people will drive you on to beyond what you thought was possible.0 -
AuldManKing wrote: »(1) Have you ever said NO to a request to coach someone?
Yes. For the most part I am happy to help anyone I can however If I feel I can't provide more than they are already getting or I feel they aren't gonna buy into the program or won't listen then I will say no or part ways. In those cases where someone won't listen you are both wasting your time and effort.
There have been some who I started to work with and quickly this became apparent.
Likewise there have been odd person I dropped the ball with for what ever reason and parted ways. For those I do apologize I have been coaching here for a number of years and have definitely made mistakes in this regard.AuldManKing wrote: »A few more from me;
(2) Do you coach other disciplines other than running (e.g. race walking / Steeplechase)
Not really. There is the odd crash course for the National leagues to get people up to scratch but as I am not down at the club more often tend to be pigeon holed a bit as I work exclusively with adults due to the remote nature and tend to want my distance expertise.
I did spend 6 months helping our sprints group in the club just to help take on some of the younger athletes and take the pressure off the head coaches. unfortunately given my work I was struggling to commit to set hours (shift work can be a nightmare in that regard)AuldManKing wrote: »A few more from me;
(3) Have you ever got so fed up with a coachee that you went seperate ways.
Yes as mentioned earlier if people are wasting my time (or I am wasting there's) then no point in relationship continuing as its wasting everyones time. I don't think there is anyone I have parted ways with on bad terms (that I know of anyway) but there has been plenty of coming and going over the yearsAuldManKing wrote: »(4) If one of your athletes has a poor performance - do you do any analysis to see if the coaching could have been different or improved??
Yes I think as a coach you never stop learning, about the person or the sport and every result good or bad provides more info to learn from. I rarely make knee jerk reactions to a performance (big PB or complete blow up) but I do take on board and hopefully learn from itAuldManKing wrote: »(5) Do you take it to heart if an athlete has a poor performance?
Yes definitely if someone puts there faith in me then I have an expectation on myself to deliver. If there are factors that can be isolated to the cause of the poor performance then I will leave it there but when can't see anything apparent it definitely does play on your mindAuldManKing wrote: »(6) Do you feel some of the credit if an athlete has a super performance?
Might seem a bit contradictory given my previous response but no. I can set up the greatest training plan ever (one that Lydiard or Canova would be proud of) and have an athlete not perform. The training I prescribe is roughly 10 hours or about 6% of the week. No matter how good that is there is 94% opportunity to cock that up. What we do outside of the training helps determine the success of a plan.
My job is to make sure people are running specifically hard (respective of their event), gaining confidence and recovering enough to implement it and not get injured. You can't outrun a piss up and kebab every friday night before a session, a post session take away and a regular all nighter it catches up with you in one way or another.
The training will look after itself as long as the athlete doesAuldManKing wrote: »A few more from me;
(7) As we're all time poor - Name 5 Key S&C exercises for an athlete.
Rather than try and cram all aspects into one here and have a mish mash session I am gonna do a list for each different purpose
Fundamental Strength (Barbell work)
Squats
Deadlift
Bench Press
Overhead Press
These are the absolute basics to weight training yet will work just about every muscle.
Conditioning (Bodyweight exercises)
Burpee
Mountain Climber
Single leg glute Bridge
Push Up
Lunge
Yoga/flexibility
Childs Pose
Warrior Pose
Cobra Pose
Pigeon Pose
Downward facing dog
Mobility (fine as part of warm up)
Inchworm
Donkey Kicks
Lunge Matrix
Runners Touch
Rolling Crucifix
Explosive power
Pogo
Single leg bounds
Jump Tuck
Bulgarian Split Squat Jump (advanced movement)
Lateral hops0 -
Great thread. I've enjoyed reading your post over the years in you different personas !
Sorry if this has been asked before but I have not caught up on the entire thread.
I'm interested in how you approach remote coaching. I've seen more than a few situations where I've really wondered why an athlete sticks with a remote coach when it seems to me (as an observer) that they are just on completely different wavelengths, and I wonder it anything other than inertia keeps the relationship going. Recently someone told me about arguing with their remote coach after ending in tears after a failed session and I was really wondering whether this was doing either of them any good.
So I'm curious about the measurement v intuition balance,
What information do you use to decide on training.
Are you primarily looking at stats - e.g HR, or the garmin training effect (btw, what do you think of this) or is this just supplemental to what an athlete is telling you about.
To what extent do you "trust" what the athlete is telling you ?0 -
Great thread. I've enjoyed reading your post over the years in you different personas !
Sorry if this has been asked before but I have not caught up on the entire thread.
I'm interested in how you approach remote coaching. I've seen more than a few situations where I've really wondered why an athlete sticks with a remote coach when it seems to me (as an observer) that they are just on completely different wavelengths, and I wonder it anything other than inertia keeps the relationship going. Recently someone told me about arguing with their remote coach after ending in tears after a failed session and I was really wondering whether this was doing either of them any good.
So I'm curious about the measurement v intuition balance,
What information do you use to decide on training.
Are you primarily looking at stats - e.g HR, or the garmin training effect (btw, what do you think of this) or is this just supplemental to what an athlete is telling you about.
To what extent do you "trust" what the athlete is telling you ?
:eek:
Maybe it is the fact that money is no involved but the people who I work with approach me. They lay out where they are coming from and what they want and I reply in kind so from the start everyone is clear from the off. From there it becomes a bit of a dialogue and a sussing out period the understand the nuances (personalities etc) and it becomes a 2 way street. There is no commitment people are free to walk away at any point. There is a little bit of buy in but ultimately many people have come to me base on my track record. Alot of the time I will raise whether someone wants to continue with the training following a target race etc just to broach the subject to make people feel like they are not trapped out of guilt or obligation.
I have never experienced a heated argument with a coachee because for me at that point I would be thinking;
a) the athlete just wont listen so nothing I say will change that and it is time to part ways
b) Why did the session fail, for this there should be no anger with the athlete but rather questioning my coaching didn't work that is not on the athlete that is on the coach to figure out what is wrong. If a coach (and I do mean a coach not just someone who says do x and you will get y as that is not coaching that is a prescriptor and those sort of coaches have no place in the sport)
In terms of metrics I base my training off. I use a bit of everything to be honest
95% of my athletes are on strava so where HR is available its a good guide (not so much the exact figures but graph plot points can give a good idea of how hard they worked
Race results are a good gauge and as I give general pace guides rather than exact pacing sometimes the interpretation of this (if someone is always overshooting for example)
Boards logs and emails are also a great resource as often they give away information without the athlete even realising it. Often it is what is not said or how something is said that gives the info I am looking for. As you get to know the athletes as well you also learn to read between the lines somewhat0 -
Advertisement
-
Great thread so far. Thanks for taking the time. I'll get in with my last questions. I feel somewhat guilty so only 50% are for selfish reasons and the other 50% are actually to get to know the man behind the emails
1. How far in advance do you know a coachees training i.e are your coachees in training blocks that are planned far in advance and adjusted accordingly from feedback or is it purely week by week?
2. How would you recommend a general Joe Bloggs should structure their year? Someone who has no specific long term goals in mind.
3. If someone has specific goals eg wants to improve at 10k do you have a clear idea of how to structure things for the year or do you play it by ear and determine it from feedback? I often wonder should the coach determine the structure of the year or is it the coachee who should push the plan and say what races he/she wants to run. Reason I ask is I would imagine coachees sometimes don't know what's best for them. I might suggest I'd like to target a HM next when in reality speed training would serve me better long term for example.
4. Do you have some sort of Master Excel file with all the runs and sessions everyone you coach has run since you started coaching them with comments on their progress and observations?
5. What's the biggest challenge as a coach?
6. Greatest achievement in life?
7. Biggest regret?
8. First car?
9. Most scared you have ever been?
10. When were you last in a scrap? And did you win?0 -
I'll add to the list of those loving the thread so far, thanks a million.
1. Do you like the newly launched Dublin jersey? Are two tone shorts a step too far for GAA?
2. Have you ever asked a coachee to run a race of 5k or over without a watch?
3. Are Vaporfly 4% the running equivalent to the titanium headed golf driver? Are €250 shoes the future for PB chasing?
4. Do you prefer hard or soft boiled eggs?
5. If Ireland had a Grand Slam to compare to the 4 golf or tennis majors what 4 races should they be?
6. Has the Kia Race series been a success? I know this can be answered considering different metrics but the answer is up to you.0 -
Swashbuckler wrote: »
4. Do you have some sort of Master Excel file with all the runs and sessions everyone you coach has run since you started coaching them with comments on their progress and observations?
Yes - this has me interested too - how you manage information with the number of athletes you have and as per the previous Q, is it a set plan that's tweaked from week to week
I imagine a filing system, a dark room, leather bound books on dusty shelves, stretching back years that has taken up numerous boxes when L moved house recently...........0 -
Join Date:Posts: 7045
Oasis or Blur?
Stones or Beatles?
If you could live in another era which era would you feel you most belong? And Why?
Why don't you charge for coaching, like other online coaches?
Running clearly is your love. Do you envisage an angle where you could make a living from it?0 -
Testosterscone wrote: »:eek:
Maybe it is the fact that money is no involved but the people who I work with approach me. .
You don't get paid for your coaching ?! :eek:
I assumed you did, hence my previous questions.0 -
You don't get paid for your coaching ?! :eek:
Pretty shocked by this too! I've always paid any remote coaches I've had, would have assumed that was the norm if the athlete is getting value from the coach.
Going back to your earlier answer on the value of clubs paying coaches Testosterscone- why don't you get paid for your coaching?0 -
Me three!0
-
Credit where it's due, fair play L.
Racism is now hiding behind the cloak of Community activism.
0 -
But you're being paid for this thread, right???0
-
Swashbuckler wrote: »1. How far in advance do you know a coachees training i.e are your coachees in training blocks that are planned far in advance and adjusted accordingly from feedback or is it purely week by week?
General outline of what I wanna get out of the training block is done well in advance but the session specifics and finer details are generally done week to week. I used to sit planning out meticulously training plans from beginning to end but have come to appreciate that get more out of not being a slave to a pre determined plan as there are too many variables in life that can influence things from week to week.Swashbuckler wrote: »2. How would you recommend a general Joe Bloggs should structure their year? Someone who has no specific long term goals in mind.
Its a bit of a loaded question as you could go in many directions but I think you can't go wrong with staying in decent 10k training for most of the year but as an example I worked with a guy (3.30 last year) had a good aerobic background but we spent a couple of months post marathon in XC training. He then jumped into a little bit of indoor track for some shorter distance work training didn't change too much but offered a chance to work on turnover this catapulted perfomance in spring when he went back to 10k work marathon work only actually kicked in again 10 weeks prior to his target. Currently operating at a level where a sub 3 should be well in his wheelhouse.
Whatever about structure, consistency is where you will make gains. An 18-20 week training plan is all well and good but the real jumps in performance come from 10-12 months solid work put in.Swashbuckler wrote: »3. If someone has specific goals eg wants to improve at 10k do you have a clear idea of how to structure things for the year or do you play it by ear and determine it from feedback? I often wonder should the coach determine the structure of the year or is it the coachee who should push the plan and say what races he/she wants to run. Reason I ask is I would imagine coachees sometimes don't know what's best for them. I might suggest I'd like to target a HM next when in reality speed training would serve me better long term for example.Swashbuckler wrote: »4. Do you have some sort of Master Excel file with all the runs and sessions everyone you coach has run since you started coaching them with comments on their progress and observations?
I wish I was that organised haha
I did at one stage however between the alternating between work and home for emails I moved to Google sheets which ran into proxy issues at one stage. With that said I have my emails well set up to filter all correspondence so that I can look back on them as well as strava to look back on.Swashbuckler wrote: »5. What's the biggest challenge as a coach?
To fully buy into the whole plan (i.e cross country, all the ancillary work, trying track ) all the subtle things that can make a big difference.Swashbuckler wrote: »6. Greatest achievement in life?
Hmmm. Good question ultimately I would not highlight any particular achievements too much. Normally my expectations are ever shifting to the point where be it work, running, education etc I have always managed to elevate myself to the level required while always moving forward and progressing.Swashbuckler wrote: »7. Biggest regret?
Not learning balance earlier in life. When I was training I was training well, when socialising I was going 100 mph, when ate well I it looked really good but when I pigged out it was atrocious. There was no balance, no consistency I was obsessive (to an extent I still am) and I think this is why I tried to veer towards the more positive things to obsess on rather than try balance itSwashbuckler wrote: »8. First car?
A pocket rocket of an Opel Corsa. I believe it is still going strong nearly 20 years on and can probably be spotted somewhere in the North West of the country. Actually can I change my last answer, biggest regret was giving up that car :PSwashbuckler wrote: »9. Most scared you have ever been?
This year. After being awake for the best part of 50 hours I was introduced to my newborn son. While the OH was in recovery I was brought into a private room and left there with himself with the realization that I was responsible for another human being from here on in.Swashbuckler wrote: »10. When were you last in a scrap? And did you win?
Was never a big fighter (weighing in at a whopping 9 and 1/2 stone found it harder to find guys in my weight class to make it a fair fight :P) a few scuffles in my teens as a result of defending friends etc but more the usual shenanigans
My last incident was a result of little scumbags acting the maggot stealing our bins to burn. Confronted them however not long after a car pulled up and 4 guys jumped out and I ended up with a broken nose and deviated septum. Sadly this is the way of the world these days in that you are not just dealing with the person in front of you anymore.0 -
Advertisement
-
Testosterscone wrote: »
A pocket rocket of an Opel Corsa. I believe it is still going strong nearly 20 years on and can probably be spotted somewhere in the North West of the country. Actually can I change my last answer, biggest regret was giving up that car :P
20 years on?! You were driving when you were a toddler on top of everything else?! Some man, L - full of talent0 -
Duanington wrote: »20 years on?! You were driving when you were a toddler on top of everything else?! Some man, L - full of talent
Haha whoops, the car is nearly 20 not my driving (minus a few off road lessons on a Honda 50 growing up :pac:)0 -
1. Do you like the newly launched Dublin jersey? Are two tone shorts a step too far for GAA?
I do think the going back to the navy collar was a good move however I missed the shorts when I glanced at it at first. Mother of God :eek:2. Have you ever asked a coachee to run a race of 5k or over without a watch?
Yes, rarely worked. Half the time it's why I push for XC just to nulify the watch. Not against wearing one (do it myself) but it takes a hell of alot of discipline to wear one and not look at it so would advocate to not wear till you can get that confidence. In an ideal world I would love to not wear one in a marathon (or atleast get to that stage)3. Are Vaporfly 4% the running equivalent to the titanium headed golf driver? Are €250 shoes the future for PB chasing?
Not in the slightest. Yes Kipchoges exploits are impressive and Ross Tucker would argue his improvements correlate with the shoes and yes the data supports improvements across various levels of ability but for me the two biggest caveats are;
1. Kipchoge is the greatest marathon runner ever. He ran 2.04 back in 2015 to win when his shoes were literally falling apart from 10k in
2. For the average punter if you are gonna invest $250 in shoes then you are gonna bother your h0le actually getting out and doing a bit of training and improve.
There are still plenty of runners performing that are non Nike athletes
(And I am not just saying this because I refuse to wear Nike shoes out of principle )4. Do you prefer hard or soft boiled eggs?
Soft boiled every time5. If Ireland had a Grand Slam to compare to the 4 golf or tennis majors what 4 races should they be?
I would aim to have one in each province and vary distance without putting in a marathon (keep the distances close enough to increase competition
Dungarvan 10 mile
Armagh 5k
Dunshaughlin 10k
Fields of Athenry 10k6. Has the Kia Race series been a success? I know this can be answered considering different metrics but the answer is up to you.
I think it has helped the races that are involved. All these are seeing record numbers. I don't think it has taken off yet in terms of promoting the high quality at the top end just yet but I think this will probably happen over the coming years. All in all I think it has been successful enough to continue and grow organically.0 -
Hannibal_Smith wrote: »Oasis or Blur?
Was always an Oasis fan growing upHannibal_Smith wrote: »Stones or Beatles?
I like both definitely however give me Blackbird or Norwegian Wood every day of the weekHannibal_Smith wrote: »If you could live in another era which era would you feel you most belong? And Why?
I am an 80/90s baby I feel like I was born in the right era. The cheesey music for pop before getting into the likes of Metallica (The Cliff Burton era and the height of the band)
It was also a golden age for comic books between Chris Claremonts run on X-men to the likes of the Batman/Spiderman animated series etc0 -
You don't get paid for your coaching ?! :eek:
I assumed you did, hence my previous questions.Kurt.Godel wrote: »Pretty shocked by this too! I've always paid any remote coaches I've had, would have assumed that was the norm if the athlete is getting value from the coach.
Going back to your earlier answer on the value of clubs paying coaches Testosterscone- why don't you get paid for your coaching?Hannibal_Smith wrote: »Why don't you charge for coaching, like other online coaches?
Running clearly is your love. Do you envisage an angle where you could make a living from it?
Just for clarity I have received gifts etc from people and people I work with have been very generous over the years (and I do thank them for that) but from the start it is made clear that I am not looking for anything and even am initially reluctant with gestures as I don't want anyone feeling like they have to give me anything. The only thing I expect from people is full commitment to the training and to not waste my time.
In terms of charging for coaching there are a few reasons for this;
1) As I said I am not a great salesman never have been and probably never will be. I like to let my record speak for itself and a bit like when I said I do take bad performances to heart to an extent I would probably feel guilty to the point of refunding if someone missed there target race goal etc, could probably implement a no PB no fee style lawyer claim but that in itself has a host of problems which brings me to my next point
2) I am not comfortable with the buying success mentality. I think there are many in Ireland who have a mindset where there is a relationship between price and value. If x charges twice as much as y then x has to be twice as good. This is a dangerous mindset to be in especially when it comes to coaching as the price is seen as assuring success which puts all of the onus on the coach which is all well and good but in a remote setting if you are drinking 4 nights a week, takeaway every second day and getting the sessions done as prescribed you won't see the value from the training and ultimately these factors ignored due to the price. A bit like the Vaporfly phenomenom where people are buying left right and centre and almost ignoring the other positive tenets which drive performance improvement
As for Kurt's point on an almost double standard view of coaching in club via remote in terms with payment this is actually part of the reason as well. There are plenty of very good coaches who show up at club week in week out working with people for no money showing up to races and getting damn good improvements. For me many of these are deserving of getting paid to the point where I would feel guilty charging when I know there are so many so much more deserving of this. The standard of remote coaching in this country (and in general) is relatively poor (I include myself in this) on a whole and well below the smaller pool of active club coaches who are getting real meaningful results.
This inverted revenue vs value aspect in some ways motivates me to not be financially driven (lucky enough in the sense that I have had secure long term employment for over 10 years as well as the supplemental therapy work)
Who knows that could change in time depending on circumstances and there may possibly come a time when this is feasible but the security of a full time job is something which I have always be conscious of as I am not the greatest risk taker in any aspect of life and only further compounded with a family now.0 -
-
Testosterscone wrote: »As for Kurt's point on an almost double standard view of coaching in club via remote in terms with payment this is actually part of the reason as well.
Send your stable a link to the transfer forms :pac:0 -
-
Testosterscone wrote: »Just for clarity I have received gifts etc from people and people I work with have been very generous over the years (and I do thank them for that) but from the start it is made clear that I am not looking for anything and even am initially reluctant with gestures as I don't want anyone feeling like they have to give me anything. The only thing I expect from people is full commitment to the training and to not waste my time.
In terms of charging for coaching there are a few reasons for this;
1) As I said I am not a great salesman never have been and probably never will be. I like to let my record speak for itself and a bit like when I said I do take bad performances to heart to an extent I would probably feel guilty to the point of refunding if someone missed there target race goal etc, could probably implement a no PB no fee style lawyer claim but that in itself has a host of problems which brings me to my next point
2) I am not comfortable with the buying success mentality. I think there are many in Ireland who have a mindset where there is a relationship between price and value. If x charges twice as much as y then x has to be twice as good. This is a dangerous mindset to be in especially when it comes to coaching as the price is seen as assuring success which puts all of the onus on the coach which is all well and good but in a remote setting if you are drinking 4 nights a week, takeaway every second day and getting the sessions done as prescribed you won't see the value from the training and ultimately these factors ignored due to the price. A bit like the Vaporfly phenomenom where people are buying left right and centre and almost ignoring the other positive tenets which drive performance improvement
As for Kurt's point on an almost double standard view of coaching in club via remote in terms with payment this is actually part of the reason as well. There are plenty of very good coaches who show up at club week in week out working with people for no money showing up to races and getting damn good improvements. For me many of these are deserving of getting paid to the point where I would feel guilty charging when I know there are so many so much more deserving of this. The standard of remote coaching in this country (and in general) is relatively poor (I include myself in this) on a whole and well below the smaller pool of active club coaches who are getting real meaningful results.
This inverted revenue vs value aspect in some ways motivates me to not be financially driven (lucky enough in the sense that I have had secure long term employment for over 10 years as well as the supplemental therapy work)
Who knows that could change in time depending on circumstances and there may possibly come a time when this is feasible but the security of a full time job is something which I have always be conscious of as I am not the greatest risk taker in any aspect of life and only further compounded with a family now.0 -
Advertisement
-
Testosterscone wrote: »In terms of charging for coaching there are a few reasons for this;
...
Excellent answer, on a number of fronts. It can be difficult to put a monetary figure on doing something you are good at (or something that helps others, or something you enjoy...) and its often easier to just do it and leave that figure at zero to avoid the hassles/expectations/entitlements that money can bring.
On the subject of "charging for coaching" there's almost an inverse relationship- its been my experience that the best coaches are reluctant to take payment (its clear they are not doing this primarily for the money, as opposed to the multitude of "personal trainer" gurus). However, as a coachee I feel more committed to a coaching program if I'm paying for it, so that's an aspect to consider if you do become a better salesman and decide to charge €X/month. A small monthly stipend squirrelled away for Juniors college fund would grow nicely and offer testament to the time and effort you put into helping others.
(apologies I don't mean to imply what you should or shouldn't do, just that I find the topic interesting and your honesty even more so)0 -
Kurt.Godel wrote: »(apologies I don't mean to imply what you should or shouldn't do, just that I find the topic interesting and your honesty even more so)
Haha your fine it's a conversation I have had numerous times previously (with another ex mod here funnily enough must be something in the water haha)
I do get what you are saying about accountability though and I have to say it is something I agree with in principle (though application is something I have not turned to yet) Ultimately I have a good group and I wouldn't change the dynamic we have.0 -
You can tell us the truth, I don't think Paschal reads this thread :pac:Still a few weeks left to file your returns :-)0
-
The biggest takeaway from this thread is gonna be T does all of this for free! Haha. I couldn't get over it when he first said either.0
-
Swashbuckler wrote: »The biggest takeaway from this thread is gonna be T does all of this for free! Haha. I couldn't get over it when he first said either.
I think the biggest thing is the pure passion and belief. Fantastic.0 -
skyblue46 wrote:I think the biggest thing is the pure passion and belief. Fantastic.
The reality of just how much passion is there didn't dawn on me properly til I saw just how many people were getting this coaching at no cost. Between coaching and novice/grad plans I'd say half the pbs on Boards are down to him. Anyway I'm sure I'm embarrassing him with this so I'll shut up.0 -
Advertisement
-
This thread has been a bit of an eye opener for me.
I have to admit I’m staggered what I’ve read here, and any previous opinion I’ve had about you has been completely wrong.
For that I apologize.
You are are decent skin and I am humbled.Racism is now hiding behind the cloak of Community activism.
0 -
Working class heroes wrote: »This thread has been a bit of an eye opener for me.
I have to admit I’m staggered what I’ve read here, and any previous opinion I’ve had about you has been completely wrong.
For that I apologize.
You are are decent skin and I am humbled.
Appreciate that B especially given some of our exchanges in the past. I think there are times when the picture built up through posts here and the real life don’t fully match.
Sure line drawn and we start afresh0 -
Swashbuckler wrote: »The reality of just how much passion is there didn't dawn on me properly til I saw just how many people were getting this coaching at no cost. Between coaching and novice/grad plans I'd say half the pbs on Boards are down to him. Anyway I'm sure I'm embarrassing him with this so I'll shut up.
Direct coaching and grads plans ect aside, he is coaching (to some extent) a lot without even realising it. There's an awful lot of nuggets of info in a lot of his posts. Even in this thread there are a few bits even if you know it before it can be a gentle reminder you should be doing certain things...
I've never met the man in person yet but have hugh faith in what he says. The couple of times he went offline the place suffered a bit......
Great thread.....0 -
martyboy48 wrote: »Direct coaching and grads plans ect aside, he is coaching (to some extent) a lot without even realising it. There's an awful lot of nuggets of info in a lot of his posts. Even in this thread there are a few bits even if you know it before it can be a gentle reminder you should be doing certain things...
I've never met the man in person yet but have hugh faith in what he says. The couple of times he went offline the place suffered a bit......
Great thread.....
If you met him Marty you wouldn’t believe it’s him, his levels of knowledge and maturity don’t match up to his facial appearance. He only looks about 15.......0 -
OOnegative wrote: »If you met him Marty you wouldn’t believe it’s him, his levels of knowledge and maturity don’t match up to his facial appearance. He only looks about 15.......
In fairness, when he sticks on the beard he passes for 180 -
Advertisement
Advertisement