Is Your Coach Making These Mistakes? | Common Triathlon Coaching Pitfalls

In this episode, I dive into three of the most common mistakes triathlon coaches make—and how they can seriously impact your training, motivation, and results.

As both a coach and someone who’s been coached, I’ve seen firsthand how poor planning, lack of communication, and generic training plans can create unnecessary stress and stall progress. Whether you’re an athlete wondering if your coaching support could be better—or a coach looking to up your game—this one’s for you.

🔹 Mistake #1: Not planning ahead
🔹 Mistake #2: Leaving communication up to the athlete
🔹 Mistake #3: One-size-fits-all training plans

👉 Could your coach be doing better? Let’s talk about it.

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Transcript

As both a triathlon coach and someone who’s been coached myself, I’ve had a front-row seat to what works—and what really doesn’t—when it comes to helping athletes succeed. Coaching goes way beyond just writing training sessions. It’s about connection, communication, and building a plan that fits into a real person’s life.

In today’s episode, I want to share a few of the most common mistakes I see triathlon coaches make. This isn’t about calling people out—it’s about opening up a conversation and sharing lessons that can make the athlete-coach relationship so much better for everyone involved.

Let’s dive into it.

🔹 Mistake #1: Not Planning Ahead

This one drives me a little bit crazy. One of the main jobs of a coach is to reduce stress for their athlete, not add to it. And yet, I see it all the time—coaches who forget to load sessions in advance, or leave things until the very last minute.

This year, for example, my husband is training for an Ironman. He’s working with a big coaching company, and too often, his sessions are uploaded late or not at all. That kind of last-minute planning might work for a full-time pro—but for age-groupers with jobs, families, and limited time, it creates chaos.

Athletes need a framework. Sure, we can and should adapt when life happens, but having a plan in place helps them schedule pool time, organise family life, and mentally prepare for the week ahead. A bit of structure goes a long way in reducing stress and keeping everyone—athlete and family—in a good place.

🔹 Mistake #2: Leaving Communication Up to the Athlete

Another big one: relying on athletes to initiate all the communication. A lot of coaches expect their athletes to reach out when they need something, or to book catch-ups themselves. And while that might sound reasonable, it’s actually a recipe for missed information and missed opportunities.

In my experience, many athletes won’t speak up unless they’re invited to. They might not want to seem like a bother, or they might downplay what’s going on. But those small details—how they’re feeling, what’s happening in their life, whether they’re coping with the load—those things matter so much more than just what's in the data.

By checking in regularly and making that a part of the coaching rhythm, you open the door to real conversations. And honestly, some of the most important things I’ve learned about my athletes have come from casual chats—not their Garmin files.

🔹 Mistake #3: One-Size-Fits-All Training Plans

Let’s be honest—generic plans are tempting. They’re easy to scale, and for some athletes, they actually work okay. But if someone has a big goal, and especially if they’re investing time, money, and energy into working with a coach, they deserve more than a cookie-cutter approach.

Training for an Ironman or a 70.3 requires a certain volume, yes—but not everyone can handle that volume the same way. Life stress, work hours, kids, sleep... it all matters. If an athlete can’t consistently hit their sessions, they start to feel like they’re failing, and that can quickly drain motivation.

A personalised plan meets the athlete where they are, and makes the most of the time and energy they do have. And honestly? It’s a much smarter and more compassionate way to coach.

So, to recap—we’ve covered three common mistakes triathlon coaches make:

Not planning ahead and leaving athletes scrambling at the last minute.

Relying on athletes to initiate communication, which can lead to missed opportunities and misalignment.

Using generic, one-size-fits-all plans, instead of tailoring training to the individual’s life, goals, and capacity.

These might seem like small things on the surface, but they can make a massive difference in the overall training experience and, ultimately, performance.

Whether you're a coach or an athlete, I hope today’s episode gave you something to think about. Great coaching isn’t just about the workouts—it’s about relationships, consistency, and support. If we can get those foundations right, the results tend to follow.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe or follow the show—there’s more coming soon, including Mistakes #4 and #5, which dive into the balance between data and intuition, and the importance of recovery and realistic expectations.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts—feel free to reach out, share your own experiences, or let me know what you'd love to hear more about in future episodes.

Thanks for listening, and happy training!