I am currently training under RamkiranBallal who has around 15 years of experience in the health & fitness industry and is a certified strength & conditioning coach. I had never given much significance to it but last few months were an eye opener and extremely positive experience. I had interacted with various coaches in 2015 mainly for half ironman and all of them played significant role in the journey. Recently was in touch with Miten for Ultraspice race. Last month I got one event invite which had list of coaches one can contact. This amateur triathlon in Maharashtra had listed 10 odd coaches and sub coaches ,this prompted me to write on coaching.

The necessity for hiring a coach

A few years back, had you abruptly aspired to run a 10 or a 21 k, you would have casually got your registered for the event with somebody’s help, started practicing for the event with your own or your friends knowledge and then with the blessings of your well-wishers, simply given your best !!At that point you probably thought that words such as Core training,a Coach,Drills or workout sessions were not meant for you and concerned the real athletes or maybe the state or national level aspirants. Not anymore!! Welcome to the world of fitness seekers and the gyan giverswhere common folks like you and me are waking up tothe concepts of lifestyle fitness, protein shakes, strength training, intense workouts and many others and this awareness is a great positive change!! However, it is also very important that the rigor we set for ourselves is based on some basic understanding about the whole thin.

What is your End Goal and How do you plan to achieve it ???

If you are new to any physical activity, set achievable goals with the help of somebody who knows how to do it. This person can typically be another sportsperson who has mentored people like you or a professional activity coach. There is no shame in asking his or her credentials or doing a brief background check through your network before employing him for yourself. Always remember that you can always do more than you can think of and a good coach understands your limits very well. In case you are planning to change your type of activity (say from cycling to triathlon), there is simply no substitute for a good coach. The coach will help you to plan activities as per your abilities and help you to achieve them.

Remember that Self-Motivation is a must

People who are successful in sports or physical activities are tremendously self-motivated. These self-motivated people realize that they are the ones who ultimately get benefitted by their regime. However, for many people, remaining motivated throughout is the most difficult task and then you again need a coach who can keep you on your toes. The coach can also connect you with similar people and together, you can achieve your goals.

Networking for Resources

Getting trained for a sport or a physical activity may put you under some temporary monetary pressure. But this phase will subside soon after you see the benefits. Moreover, instead of ending up paying for an expensive hospital, you should be willing to pay these small EMI’s to keep you away from hospitals. Get yourselves equipped with the coolest gadgets. Remember that some of these gadgets have been specifically designed after ample research and will actually help you to improve your performance. A Good coach will know the best gadgets for the trainee.

Event related purchases

Many trainees trust get recommended by their coaches to buy a particular product. Most coaches have a commercial arrangement with brands to promote their products. Therefore, it is also the trainees responsibility to decide what he actually needs.

Travel and logistics

Athletes who train and travel in groupsusually get benefited with this arrangement;since you can avail travel/ stay discounts. The most important benefit is that you remain motivated throughout in a group and the coach looks after your event preparation.

Counseling or someone to talk to

You can open up with your coach and discuss the expectations form you and also about things that may be impeding you to perform to your best abilities. Get your activity plan vetted by your coach before you actually set it in motion.

So the next time you are thinking of participating in a marathon or a triathlon, hire a good coach and you will easily notice the difference.