Why midseason is the perfect time to hire a cycling coach

June 14, 2016

Mid-season. At this point, often the initial excitement of racing has worn off and you start to feel increasingly tired with each race. With several great events left you this season, you want to eek out everything you can without hating your bike by the end. Contrary to popular belief, mid-season is a perfect time to hire a cycling coach! Here are six reasons why:

  1. When there are a lot of races going on, it’s really challenging to know when to push and when to rest, especially as you pass your peak and hit the tail-end of the season. When you are in great race shape, there are usually two modes people are in: “race so hard you bleed through your eyes” or recovery. You probably have a raised threshold from the racing although your data may not easily show it. A cycling coach can help you fine-tune that and take advantage of that gain, whereas most athletes let it fade away.
  2. Intervals any time of year can have short-term gains. Have a particular weakness? A carefully prescribed regimen of specific intervals can target your weaknesses while still leaving you enough energy to feel good for the weekend races. For example, Coach Mitchell Sides recently wrote and shared one of his favorite crit-specific workouts.
  3. Sometimes motivation dwindles and a cycling coach can help you strike that balance between fitness and motivation and make the most of it. There is no shame in lack of motivation. We’re all humans.
  4. It gives a coach a chance to identify your strengths and weaknesses with race data and help you set good and realistic goals for the next season. Once removed from the season, it’s easy to over or understate your strengths and weaknesses. An accurate picture of your ability will allow your coaching to be that much more tailored.
  5. To get the benefits of coaching, it takes months of work to see significant gains. Consider this your foundation. Athletes who have coaches have more goals and more motivation than uncoached athletes. Coach Grant Harrison studied this for his master’s degree. Nerd out on Grant Harrison- Master’s Thesis.  
  6. If you are new to coaching, a mid-season start up gives you time to learn the ropes of a coach-athlete relationship, understand each other’s communication styles and give you time to learn what you need from a cycling coach. For example, some athletes just want the workouts, some want to understand why they are doing certain things, and some want an involved, dynamic relationship. Each to their own, but it’s important to figure out what you need in that relationship and know what to ask for.

Having your best season yet is just around the corner. Establishing a solid cycling coach/athlete relationship will enable you to develop those concrete goals, feel more motivated, and give you workouts to help you balance your performance, motivation, and life. Learn more about our coaching services or contact us if you are interested in the next steps.