How do I know if you are the right coach?

There are many coaches available to triathletes and many people that think they have the best coach. Before researching a specific coach, you should determine your wants/needs from the coach by asking the following questions. 

• Do you want someone that has a track record as a podium finisher? Ironman finisher?
• Do you want race support? Team tent? Coach present?
• Do you want to be a part of group workouts? 
• Do you want to be identified as part of a group? Team kit?
• What kind of personality do you want from a coach? Motivator? Blunt? Strict? 

For roughly the same price, an athlete can find a coach who will write a personalized training plan for the athlete, one who will provide a generic training plan, and someone in between. 

The key is finding out what you will get beforehand and making sure you are comfortable with the level of coaching you will receive. Here are some questions that I would ask of any coach before beginning to work together: 

• What certifications do you hold?
• How many athletes do you coach? Full or part time?
• How do you approach setting up training for an athlete? Annual training plans? Recovery vs build periods? 
• Can I see some sample training programs? 
• What results have you seen for athletes similar to me? 
• Can I talk to some current athletes? 
• Can I talk to some former athletes? 
• How do you monitor training? 
• Do you limit schedule changes? 
• How do you communicate with your clients? How often?
• Do you limit contact? 
• Are you continuing your coaching education? 
• How long is our agreement?
• What happens if you aren't satisfied?