“Well, doh!” you might say. There is a discipline one must adhere to, to generate the results you desire. You can train on your own, as many do, reading books and articles from the internet educating yourself on various methods and regimens. At some point however, this can only yield so many results, especially if you’ve never trained with a coach before or are blindly groping in the dark through a process of trial and error trying to find the light switch to brighten up your performance on the bike.

Coaching comes in different forms now. In the past, this was a much more direct, physical and almost intimate form — the coach was someone you saw face-to-face and who was physically present. With the way technology has progressed and the increasing connectivity that we have to each other, coaching now comes in different forms: a website where workouts are laid out for the week, daily emails to let you know what your workout for the day is, a phone call or two.

Training with a coach makes you accountable. Someone is now watching and watching closely. There are the days when you don’t want to get up and do the day’s work. The coach, while not physically present, is there on your right shoulder beckoning you on in spirit. Get up, get on the bike, do it.

A good coach may be hard to find. More than being results driven, you want to find a coach that you agree with as a person. The training is besides the point, that’s just work that has to be done. At the core, you need to find a coach you like, and most importantly, a coach you trust. You are putting your body and mind into the hands of another who will shape you. The coach understands your goals and how to achieve based on the way you life your life. A good coach gets you to train smarter with the time you do have — maximum results from minimum time in the saddle.

Knowing that you trust your coach and don’t want to let them down, you get up in the mornings and get the job done.