Two Similar Athletes Very Different Results

Athletes looking for multisport coaching come to us regularly. We are privileged to have a growing and successful coaching component to what we do at AETT and all of our Nationally Certified Coaches are passionate about helping athletes of any ability achieve their personal goals.
Recently two fellows signed up. As part of the process we do a very detailed "set up" phase of the coaching which includes a one on one meeting with the coach; some lactate testing; a functional and fitness assessment; a meeting with the nutritionist; a soft tissue massage as well. This portion of our coaching is integral in getting to know our athletes such that we can provide safe and effective plans for them. What struck me about these two fellows was that they were very similar. Both in their mid 30s. Both had one year of experience in the sport. Both came from Professional Hockey backgrounds. Both were very strong and terrific athletes in their own right. Both are moving up from half iron to iron distance racing.
Also a very important part of our coaching process is the team or holistic approach we take. Each month the coaches meet to among other things; exchange ideas; share new information; keep a pulse on the industry and generally stay on top or ahead of the curve!
At our most recent meeting these two athletes came up for discussion but for very different reasons. One coach was absolutely beaming because her athlete was following the program diligently. When he couldn't do a workout (which happens and we totally understand and appreciate that we all have busy lives) he notified her straight away so she could modify the plan, which is part of our service.  This athlete was improving and feeling challenged but healthy.
The second coach was frustrated. It seems that the other athlete wasn't so diligent when following the plan. He often did more than he was supposed to and when he missed workouts he decided to make them up when he decided to. And of course the first athlete filled out his online training log regularly and the second athlete filled it out sporadically. As a consequence of this the athletes improvement was minimal at best and he didn't feel refreshed after scheduled recovery  periods. The interaction between coach and athlete (which we encourage and take a great deal of pride in) is so important for long term success.
Next up for the frustrated coach is a meeting with the athlete to go over the plan and set some goals and objectives moving forward. Some of  these goals will actually relate to better communication; feedback from the athlete; (we don't take it for granted that the coach is 100% of the time articulating the message perfectly) and a schedule of regular meetings to monitor how the progress is. No doubt this will create a recipe for success moving forward!
Two very similar athletes two different results. Let us know if you have any questions about coaching with Absolute Endurance Training and Therapy! And we look forward to seeing you soon.