Of late, coaching and training in cycling have all been about numbers: precisely drawing up a training plan (based on the athlete's abilities) to achieve a certain goal. Today, with the advent of technology, a coach doesn't need to ever have seen the cyclist he/she is coaching. It's great - one can hire a world class coach regardless of where you live. While virtual coaching is the norm today and is clearly working quite well, I think it lacks something important.
A lot of information about a ride/training session can be obtained from looking at the data but there are also crucial things that are missed. As a cyclist, nothing beats having your coach riding with you and giving you instant feedback - on your pedal stroke, posture, choice of gears, bike handling, efficiency, nutrition, reading terrain and winds, etc. And for a cyclist who isn't at an advanced level, these are really basic and important things - foundations, if you will. As someone who is beginning to get serious about cycling, my brief stint with a virtual coach was undeniably helpful - I had someone experienced designing workouts for me, looking at my ride data and giving me feedback. For me however, the feedback was too little and not quick enough. I thought It was also a little expensive for what I was getting. In addition to that, there are usually limits on how much interaction you can have with a virtual coach. All this experience had me wanting a coach that I could ride with.
One day, I'd like to be a cycling coach and not just a virtual one. What can I provide that a virtual coach can't provide? For starters, physical presence and all the benefits that I mentioned above. Being a geek and a gear-head, my knowledge of equipment could come in handy. I'm also an efficiency/optimization nut and I'll doubtlessly pass the madness on! At the moment however, I neither have the expertise nor the experience to be a coach but what I do know is that I have the passion and dedication for it along with the motivation to keep learning all the time. I need to start racing soon to translate all my bookish knowledge to firsthand experience. The journey has begun.
A lot of information about a ride/training session can be obtained from looking at the data but there are also crucial things that are missed. As a cyclist, nothing beats having your coach riding with you and giving you instant feedback - on your pedal stroke, posture, choice of gears, bike handling, efficiency, nutrition, reading terrain and winds, etc. And for a cyclist who isn't at an advanced level, these are really basic and important things - foundations, if you will. As someone who is beginning to get serious about cycling, my brief stint with a virtual coach was undeniably helpful - I had someone experienced designing workouts for me, looking at my ride data and giving me feedback. For me however, the feedback was too little and not quick enough. I thought It was also a little expensive for what I was getting. In addition to that, there are usually limits on how much interaction you can have with a virtual coach. All this experience had me wanting a coach that I could ride with.
One day, I'd like to be a cycling coach and not just a virtual one. What can I provide that a virtual coach can't provide? For starters, physical presence and all the benefits that I mentioned above. Being a geek and a gear-head, my knowledge of equipment could come in handy. I'm also an efficiency/optimization nut and I'll doubtlessly pass the madness on! At the moment however, I neither have the expertise nor the experience to be a coach but what I do know is that I have the passion and dedication for it along with the motivation to keep learning all the time. I need to start racing soon to translate all my bookish knowledge to firsthand experience. The journey has begun.
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