Understanding Coaching Bias: How Your Triathlon Coach's Training Philosophy Affects Your Performance
As an endurance coach, I'm well too aware of my biases towards Zone 2 training and long rides. It's probably not a bad bias to have for long-course triathlon training - Z2 work is the foundation we build from, and cycling is one of the safest ways to accumulate training volume without injury risk.
But what happens when an athlete comes to me with a completely different training philosophy?
The Clash of Training Philosophies: High Intensity vs. Base Building
Many athletes arrive with a "faster, harder, longer" mindset. Every session becomes about hammering themselves. It's a hard sell for any triathlon coach to convince these athletes to slow down and train easy-steady for the majority of their workouts. They're not wrong to value intensity - they've probably seen results from hard work - but the approach needs refining for long-term endurance performance..
The real question is: how do you coach effectively when your training philosophy doesn't align with your athlete's?
Building Trust Through Evidence-Based Coaching
Trust in coaching is always hard earned. Simply saying "trust the process" won't cut it, especially when an athlete has to slow down and feels like they're losing fitness.
One effective strategy for Zone 2 training development is tracking pace or power at the top of your Z2 heart rate. Over time, you'll see pace or power increase at the same heart rate - concrete evidence that aerobic adaptation is happening, even when progress doesn't feel obvious in the moment.
But data tracking is just one tool in athlete development. The initial conversation matters equally. I've learned to ask new athletes about their training history early: What's worked? What hasn't? What do they enjoy? Understanding their preferences and past experiences helps me meet them where they are, rather than immediately imposing my preferred coaching methods.
Case Study: Brett Sutton's Strength Training Philosophy
Even the best triathlon coaches in the world have strong training biases. Take Brett Sutton ("Sutto") - arguably the most successful triathlon coach in history, with Olympic champions and multiple Kona winners. He's well known for his approach to strength training for triathletes.
Sutto believes time is better spent doing discipline-specific strength work: paddles for swimming, big gears on the bike, hill running. For time-limited age-group athletes, I tend to agree. These sessions are specific, functional, and deliver measurable results.
When Traditional Strength Training Makes Sense for Endurance Athletes
But what about injury-prone athletes? Or masters athletes experiencing age-related muscle loss?
For these athletes, traditional gym-based strength training makes total sense. If you're a masters triathlete over 40, you could argue strength training should be mandatory twice weekly to:
Preserve bone density
Maintain muscle mass
Prevent overuse injuries
Improve power-to-weight ratio
Sutto's bias towards sport-specific strength isn't wrong - it's just not universally applicable. And that's the point about coaching philosophy.
How to Know When Your Coach Should Adapt Their Training Approach
Every athlete is different and requires an individualised approach to maximise their endurance training potential. The skill in coaching is knowing when to adapt your methods and when to hold firm on proven principles.
I'll push back when an athlete's approach genuinely limits progress or risks injury. But I've also learned that imposing my coaching bias without considering individual athlete needs is simply lazy coaching.
Questions to Ask When Choosing a Triathlon Coach
If you're working with an endurance coach, ask yourself:
Does their coaching philosophy serve your specific goals?
Are they adapting their training approach to your needs, age, and injury history?
Or are you simply following a cookie-cutter template?
If you're searching for a triathlon coach, pay attention to how they discuss training methodology. Strong opinions backed by experience are valuable, but flexibility and willingness to personalise programs separate good coaches from great ones.
The Bottom Line on Coaching Bias
Every coach has training preferences - that's natural and often stems from what's produced results. The key is ensuring your coach's biases enhance rather than hinder your development as an athlete.