Getting Started; How Our Coaching Process Works

Coaching is not just for elite athletes. My athletes are mainly busy people who want to make the best use of their limited time. Coaching is for anyone who wants to train safely, effectively, and maximize gain for the effort they put forth. Beginners benefit greatly from coaching. Bad form is corrected before it is made into bad habit and the learning curve is greatly accelerated.

My athletes like having their work outs emailed to them daily with all their work out parameters; heart rate, cadence, pace, power, etc... The "gray" area of training is removed. Each work out they perform has a specific purpose and moves them towards their individual goals. No two plans are alike as no two athletes are alike. I consider all aspects of the athlete's life; their work, stress levels, lifestyle, sleep, nutrition, and medical history to name a few. Events always arise that affect your training; illness, unexpected travel, work or family responsibilities. I realize that coaching is a fluid science and requires constant analysis and adjustment to be effective. My job is to not only create a plan but to adjust it, keeping you on track, moving towards your next accomplishment.

Coaching has become a much more technical art and there is a bit of a learning curve on the front end as you learn our systems. I believe we have created one of the most practical and efficient coaching processes available, that maximizes the gains for effort put forth. Please do not hesitate to ask questions at any point; that is what we are here for. I will be tracking your progress through our coaching software but if I can be of assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

- Matt Russ, Head Coach coachmatt@sportfactory.com

1. Race Calendar / ATP. We start by outlining and prioritizing your entire season in an annual training plan and your training is "periodized," meaning that it moves through specific training phases towards your "peak(s)" or goal events. Your coach will send you a race calendar to help prioritize and organize your season. This is a very important step in the coaching process and can have an enormous impact on your season. Your coach will advise you on race selection, timing, and placement. You may also read; The A,B,C's of Planning Your Race Season. Your race calendar will be used to build your annual training plan (ATP), your macro plan for the season. This will detail your training phases, races, and how all of this will play out.

2. Consultation . Even though our start up questionnaire is very detailed we still have to gather more information to build your custom training plan. After a detailed consultation we create a custom coaching plan that is directly specific to your needs, considering such things as your individual lifestyle, competitive experience, number of weekly hours available to train, the days you would like to train on, injury history, individual fitness limiters, and long term goals. Realize that your plan is fully custom and is created from scratch. If you are located in Atlanta we would like to meet you in person at our location. The consultation usually takes 60 -90 minutes. Your start up fee must be paid in advance of your consultation.

4. Software. We use the most sophisticated coaching software in the world. Communication is the key to a coaching relationship and our system allows frequent coach contact via the software, email, and phone. Detailed work outs are emailed to you daily and you can access your calendar and see your custom training plan up to 4 weeks in advance. This coaching format is perfect for those who have time constraints such as work travel and it allows you access to great coaches from a distance. The Sport Factory software has the ability to monitor all aspects of the athlete; from sleep quality, reaction to training stress, diet and nutrition, and work out performance.

Now that we have all of your information we can create an account in our coaching software and issue you a user / pass. We will have to teach you how to use it, but it is pretty simple and strait forward. For best results you can upload your heart rate, GPS, or power meter to the software. You will also have access to a variety of exclusive features in ou r members area . Please note you will need a separate user / pass the members area files.

5. Performance Testing. Regular performance testing and evaluation is a major component of our coaching system. A performance test will be used to set your individual heart rate zones and / or power zones if you are using a power meter. We will schedule these either prior to your first week of coaching or shortly thereafter and retest you periodically. You will be emailed a heart rate zones sheet. It is optional (but recommended) to have yourself metabolically tested as well so we may get a more complete picture on your physiology and fitness.

6. Sport Nutrition. Sport nutritional guidelines are included in your package. The coaching software allows you to track you daily nutrition in detail. We will email you your individual sport nutrition data, and you can use the software to determine how well you stack up against it. If you need more specific guidance, our Sport Nutritionist / Registered Dietician can help you as she has done for a great many of our athletes.

7. Adaptation. Circumstances occur for all athletes that upsets their training; but your coach is proactive. When training interruption occurs we adjust your plan to keep you moving forward as safely and efficiently as possible. Custom coaching is not just about creating a great plan, it is about adapting it to the athlete's needs.

8. Specialty Services . The Sport Factory offers a wide variety of services to address all of your needs. These may include video stride or spin analysis, VO2 / RMR testing, bike fitting, sport specific strength training, physical therapy, private swim instruction, and more. These can be worked into your custom training plan and will be communicated to your coach. It is best to schedule these on the front end of your training process. For more information on our specialty services visit here

9. Your Job. Your coach makes sure you are comfortable with your plan and adjusts it as necessary to keep you moving forward as quickly and safely as possible. Now that you understand the process the most important thing you must do is communicate with your coach. The amount and type of communication will be dictated by the level of service you purchased. This communication is the key to being coached effectively. Although The Sport Factory uses the best coaching software in the world; this tool is useless if it is not used. You will be asked to fill out a daily log. This log takes only a few minutes to fill out, but can be very detailed if need be. The more information the better! As soon as you save your log file an email is sent to your coach with the data creating a constant stream of communication between you two. We will also have pre-race planning session and post race recaps for you to submit and go over with your coach.

We look forward to your progress and success!