Making the Commitment - A Coach

“I knew the wheels were in motion after we spoke that night at Deschutes.” My

coach, Jaime Dispenza mentioned this recently when he looked over an earlier

blog on our first meeting. Back in April, prior to the Beaver Freezer, my wife and

I had met Jaime and his wife Heather for dinner. At that time Jaime was an

acquaintance and he and Heather were getting ready to move to Bend. By the

end of that evening I had a greater appreciation and admiration for what he was

doing. We ended our evening at the Deschutes Brewhouse. As we parted

company I knew I was at a turning point in my quest to become a triathlete. I

wasn’t necessarily sure what was going to happen but I had a feeling that Jaime

was going to have a part in what occurred.

In the coming weeks Jaime and I traded messages on Facebook. He offered

encouragement in my upcoming races – “be sure you have fun racing. Look up

and smile once in a while during the race, it helps!” As April progressed I shared

my race results and thoughts with him. He encouraged me to start working in

heart rate zones. After I got a heart monitor he offered suggestions and guided

me through the initial testing for the bike and the run. Once that was complete

he created my training zones for each.

By the beginning of May I had become hooked on tris and was feeling good. I

liked the fact that I was getting worthwhile information from Jaime. After a bit of

soul searching I realized I was ready to take the next step and approached Jaime

about coaching me in triathlons. I was a bit hesitant because I knew he coached

some elite athletes and was a great athlete himself. He put me at ease by noting

that he enjoyed coaching age groupers because he saw the changes from the

training so much faster and felt a sense of accomplishment from those folks.

We began with a training plan through Training Peaks. My week was full of

sessions in the pool, on the bike, or out on a run. My training regiment had a

sense of purpose and there seemed to be a method to the madness. My

workouts had variety, scope, and specific goals. Because I could input the data I

felt that there was a level of commitment. I had an investment in this process

and I also didn’t want to disappoint Jaime. We communicated a lot as he

tinkered with my plan. It was one of the benefits of having a coach. If something

wasn’t working it could be changed or adaptations could be made.

I will be the first to admit that I didn’t think I would ever have a coach. A coach

isn’t for everyone and if you do decide to make that jump it is important to pick

someone you feel comfortable with and trust. For the sake of the coach it’s

important that you’re willing to follow through on your goals and be committed to

the training. Communication is key. Listen, learn, and ask questions. In making

the commitment to a coach I gained many things – accountability, confidence, a

sense of purpose, and a new lifestyle. Most importantly, I gained a mentor, a

confidant, and a great friend.