The Informed Athlete (TIA)
As a preface to this, not all of us involved in “Sport” are interested in competing in some sport event, and that is ok. What I have seen while being involved in mostly the sport of Cycling, is that most want to perform better, longer or with more enjoyment and satisfaction as they do their Sport of choice. Usually there is some goal in mind when someone takes on a sport even at the most casual level.
The Informed Athlete or TIA is designed to help the casual to more competitive person understand some of the metrics available to help each of us improve and succeed at those desired goals.
I plan to rely on some of the info and data that is already out and available but to break it down in a way that can be more easily digested and understood. There are plenty of resources to find and read, listen to, observe and quite a few very smart coaches already working with athletes of all levels helping them achieve goals. What I have seen however, is coaches build plans and workouts that can be followed to grow and improve but often, the athlete doesn’t understand the process and how to “read” the plan, so they feel comfortable about what is the data says about each of them. It is just easier to follow the plan and hope for improvement.
There are lots of reasons why an athlete falls into the “less informed” category. They might not have a coach, using virtual coaching instead of a real person, they might not have time, money or energy available to closely follow and understand and participate in the coaching process. Maybe the set goals don’t seem like they require coaching.
Whatever the reasons, it doesn’t mean we can’t find value in understanding the metrics we may generate as we work toward success. We all seem to have some measurement device, Apple watch, Garmin devices, Wahoo, the list is long plus all the apps that collect the data, again a long list. It also just seems to be “human” to want to share and sometimes celebrate achievements and we all know there are numerous ways to share.
Here’s to hoping you will find value in what I post. I am always open to comments, discussions and suggestions to help improve my understanding as I am learning along the way with you.
Click here to start the process. https://pjwracingadventures.com/rat-racer-coaching/the-informed-athlete/