Do you need a coach?

Do you need a running or triathlon coach?  Well, that depends on your goals.  I needed more and thus I have done well with a coach.  I have run for years and completed several half-marathons on my own.  But I couldn’t get to the next step, the marathon.  Several times I had started training for a marathon but decided to run the half-marathon instead.  I had also toyed with the idea of completing a triathlon for years.  I had bought books and attempted to train on my own.  I was just overwhelmed and couldn’t do it by myself.  Then in the spring of 2012 I kept seeing a friend’s posts on Facebook (thanks Andrea!).  She was posting about training for a triathlon, I was instantly JEALOUS (in a good way).  Then I found out that she trained with Nacogdoches Endurance Training (NET) and they were going to hold a speed series training in Center.  The rest is history, I’ve been training with NET ever since.  After borrowing a road bike and taking swimming lessons at the age of 30, I finally completed my first triathlon in Sept. 2012.  Although I was a somewhat successful runner before training with NET, I have accomplished more that I could ever imagine possible since I began with NET. 

 Here’s what I’ve accomplished:

·        Completed the following triathlon distances:  sprint, Olympic, Half Ironman, Ironman

·        Completed marathon

·        Set PRs in 5K, 10K, and half marathon

Yes, I know that I always had the potential, my Coach unlocked the door.  I needed a coach to help push me over the edge.  I needed someone to bounce ideas off of, I needed a shoulder to cry on, and I needed reassurance that I was doing great and to keep pushing. 

Itis an extra expense but worth it.  We try to budget by not eating out and not buying stuff we don’t need.  But I did need coaching and looking back it was worth every penny.  I feel like I have made a physical and mental investment in myself, and that’s priceless!