A Weekend Trip to Lancaster, PAI was on the road again this weekend, this time to the rolling countryside that is most of Pennsylvania. As background, I try to meet with all of my athletes at some point in the game, whether they come to visit me in Boston or I hit the road and see them. I find this really accelerates the coach/athlete relationship, and as long as I have clients, I will be on the road. :)
In reality, the coolest part for me is just to get to see each person's set up. For that reason, I really prefer to visit my athletes. It's kinda like going on a mini-tour of a tri-geek's life. You get to see their trainer, their fridge, their bike. You get to see their pool and run on their routes. It can be kinda scary for both the coach and the athlete, as you are walking into the unknown...but I have found that the resulting impact on performance is tangible. So we keep going...
The biggest thing about my visit to Lancaster, PA (home of the Turkey Hill Dairy -- see photo -- for you ice cream fans), was the chance to do a small meeting with the local tri club. We had about 20 folks show up on a Sunday to learn a bit about how to move their season forward. There is nothing cooler about our sport than to find 20 folks at 1pm on a Sunday, gathered to learn from one another, and serious about improving their training.
I kept the talk pretty short, trying to hammer home the concept that incremental changes (Adding core, Getting More Sleep, Mastering Recovery, Knowing Your Limiters) can have a much greater impact. I think most folks look externally for solutions to internal problems...can't climb? Well, you need a lighter bike (instead of, Well you need to work on force, technique and, well, climbing hills more).
I think the talk was relatively well recieved, but I walked away very energized and ready to do more outreach. Who knows, maybe I'll be coming to a clinic near you very soon! :)
Happy Training,
Patrick
