Originally Posted by
topflightpro
This is something I take issue with, though I am deviating off topic a bit. Any good coach should adjust the training regimen around the individual's other life demands. If you are not getting a plan tailored to your needs and designed around your schedule, stop working with that coach and find a different one.
In fact, I would think given your new life demands, a coach would be an ideal solution to help you maximize your training given your limited schedule. (This assumes you have a definable schedule or the ability to commit x hours on y days per week, which you may not yet be able to do.)
How much personalization of a program you get from a coach is a function of money.
To get personlaization, you need a coach to use his/her skill and time to analyze the rider's past and current states (in depth) in order to adjust and assign for maximum progress during the next period. Skill + time = more money.
This is why many (read: all) coaches and coaching collectives have tiered programs (e.g. bronze, silver, gold, platinum) with services ranging from simply assignments emailed to you every Sunday with no other contact with the coach to "nite-nite" stories and warm glasses of milk at bedtime daily...and the fees scaled accordingly.
At this point, there are 2 options for OP (in my estimation):
- Pay medium to top dollar for a custom program to "min-max" his way to gains. (min-max: Do the minimum required for maximum results.)
- Pay minimum dollar for a budget program and received a series of assignments that are copy-pasted from a program that the coach has on deck for such clients. These have no personalization.
Here's why I think coaching, at this point, isn't worth it:
It doesn't make sense for a person who may not be racing soon to pay medium to top dollar for a custom training program when we all know what it takes to excel in this sport and OP's availability is likely severly limited (for great reasons) and OP is breaking entirely new ground in both track racing and fatherhood. There are more unknowns than knowns (from his POV).
All of the budget programs will be pre-canned workouts from a handful that the coach has in their library and, while effective if followed mostly to the letter, their effectiveness is most likely due to a couple of factors:
- Any new racer will likely experience tremendous gains under just about any basic program.
- um...that's about it.
But, if OP isn't able to complete a 5-6 day program, then that'll just add more stress from the added work and even more stress from training guilt (the guilt one feels from missing workouts or failing to complete them).
So...it's a lot...and likely not worth it.
IMHO, OP can still stay fit
and have fun in the sport by simply working out 2-3 days/week in his home gym and maybe trading one of those days for a few hours at the velodrome as pack fodder if/when his local velodrome safely reopens for racing.