by David B. Glover, MS, CSCS
I am afraid of heights but I liked to climb “things” as a child (I still have a scar on my chin and forehead as evidence) so I started indoor sport climbing a few months ago to try something after more than 15 years of being a triathlete. I have no illusions that I’ll ever become a climber like Chris Sharma, but I’d still like to become a “decent” climber (and quickly) so that’s why I’ve been taking classes every week (i.e. hiring coaches) at Boulder Rock Club. 
Hiring a coach helps me with four things:
- I accelerate my learning curve. I’m learning good technique and safe practices from the beginning. Efficient climbing is all about the technique.
- I learn how to train properly. Training for rock climbing is very different from training for triathlons.
- I save money.This may seem counterintuitive, but I place a significant value on my time. If I can learn to do something more quickly and effectively, I save time (and money).
- I am held accountable. It’s difficult to slack off or procrastinate when a third party is involved.
The good new is that you can find excellent coaches for almost anything that you need help with such as getting organized, changing careers, setting goals and, of course, triathlon!
Spending money on a triathlon coach may seem excessive, but if you consider that you’ll likely be training a minimum of six months for between 10 and 20 hours per week (or more) to do an Ironman-distance triathlon with its 2.4-mile swim/112-mile bike/26.2-mile run, that’s a lot of time wasted doing things incorrectly if you don’t know what you’re doing. Plus, because of the distance, it’s difficult to race more than one or two a year, so it seems like you’d want to have your best possible performance at each race – at least that’s what I want to do.
My advice for whatever you’re doing – and especially for sports like climbing and triathlon – is to hire a coach. Quicken the learning curve, learn how to do things correctly the first time and save money. Just be sure to do your due diligence to find a coach who has the experience and skills to help you achieve your goals.
