Coaching philosophy

During my years of both training and racing Ironman events I have been able to define certain elements which I think form the backbone to achieving great success when taking on huge sporting challenges. These elements form the foundation to which all my coaching is based and what I expect from potential clients that would like to take me on. Why not take a look below to see if I might be the right kind of coach for you.

Attention to detail

This is essential to good coaching and no stone will be left unturned here. Whether it be in the detailed programmes I will write for you, what equipment to buy or what nutritional products to recommend I will endeavour to give you the best advice possible based on my experience.

Consistency

Consistency not intensity is the true builder of exceptional endurance fitness levels. This is consistency of low-moderate intensity over a long period of time and there are no short cuts. If you take short cuts and intensity is the basis of your programme then you are in real danger of becoming ill, injured or overtrained. Only a small part of Ironman training involves high intensity and knowing the right time to introduce it is crucial.

Rest & Recovery

One of the most important areas of endurance training & racing to get right and all too often athletes just don’t get enough of this. The volumes of training you will be doing will be unlike anything you have done before and there will always be the temptation to do too much, if you don’t let your body rest and recover it wont be able to absorb all the training you have been putting in. Even being 1% overtrained can have a catastrophic affect on health, mental status and physical conditioning. That’s why it is very important for me to continually monitor your mental and physical status so that we avoid this problem.

Open & Honest communication

This is a 2 way process, if there are any questions on your mind (however silly you might think they sound!) it is very important to ask it, as that’s what im here for. Regular communication is vital to a good coaching relationship, so whatever your thoughts and feelings are at the time it is essential you let me know so that your programme can be adapted to suit the situation. It becomes very difficult for a coach to know his athlete if there little communication over an extended period of time. And please be honest! If you have missed sessions that is absolutely fine as I understand you will have a busy life outside of triathlon.

Commitment & dedication

This is what I look for in the athletes I take on. If you want to get good at Ironman it takes a long time and lots of dedication and commitment so be prepared for this. We wouldn’t do it if it was easy and it takes a certain type of person to complete an Ironman. I only want people to coach people that are prepared to give to same level of commitment that I will give to you as your coach. If you are the type of person that gives up at the first hurdle then I would suggest that Ironman might not be for you.

Adaptability

This comes both from you as my athlete and me as your coach. You see as we progress together as a team we will come across a number of hurdles we need to overcome. It is therefore extremely important that we both be able to adapt to this new situation so that we can come up with the best solution possible for you.

Nutrition

The fourth element of Ironman racing, this can make or break your race and is all too often neglected. If you want to have any chance of achieving your optimum performance then your nutritional plan will be key. So often ive seen people’s races including my own destroyed by poor nutritional planning. This can lead to cramp, stomach problems, hyponaetremia and in the worst-case scenario a DNF (did not finish). It is essential we test this in training so that we find the right approach for you so that come race day we have the best possible plan for you. We will also tackle the issue of nutrition in your everyday life so that we can be assured what you are taking into your body is allowing you to perform and recover at your optimum level.

Positive mental attitude and self- belief

Virtually every triathlete I have ever met has a high degree of PMA and self- belief and it is an essential that you use this right the way through the training, racing and coaching progress. Even if you only have a small amount of self-belief this is very important, because if you can believe – anything is possible. I will do my utmost right throughout our training relationship to build this higher than you ever thought possible. If you are able to face challenges and set backs with the right mental approach then you will go very far in this sport. It is something which I pride myself on and will do my utmost to bring it out in you.