I Got a Coach!

Really, I’ve had a coach for a little while now.  And he’s already been hugely helpful.  I’m super excited about this.  I mean, now I have someone to hug when I come off the ice, who’s shoulder I can cry on when I miss my triple toe-loop, who can calm me down when the Russian judge snubs me… the way she always does.

In all seriousness, I haven’t transitioned to figure skating (tangent: what a crazy “transition” that would be – come out of the water, strip off the wetsuit, then put on a tutu, strap on some skates and start interpretative dancing… on ice, wild idea).  But definitely the biggest news for me coming out of the offseason is starting up a relationship with Chris Bagg, a fellow pro and coach living here in Portland.

How did it all begin?

Last year I must have been asked 187 times, “Who’s coaching you?”  “Do you have a coach?”  And I always sort of sheepishly kicked the ground and said “No, no coach.  Not even an assistant coach.”

“Oh.  Well, you should really get a coach” was always the response.  Followed quickly by, “You should probably think about a fashion coach, too.”  You hear that from enough people and you start to pay attention (I hired a fashion coach last fall and he is SO great).  Also I consulted some other pros, went on a man-date or two, and asked some other mentors I have in the sport.  This was always a recurring piece of advice: get a coach.  Someone who can be objective, who can provide motivation and accountability, who will write your workouts (a huge thing for me, turns out), who is another set of eyes and ears, who knows things you don’t.  Above all: someone who isn’t you.

The Rationale

To briefly recap my rambling, directionless post from last time, I’ve decided to go all-in this season.  Well, as “all-in” as you can go with an 8-week window of opportunity.  Med school presents this last glorious break after your first year to pursue… whatever you want.  Then, when year two commences next fall, things get real serious and it’s no more fun ever ever ever (at least that’s what I’m told).  Many students use this time to do incredible things like travel the world and participate in medical research.  I have opted instead to spend most of it running around outside in my skimpy little shorts.  To that end, starting a relationship with a coach seemed like the smartest way to spend resources, in the hope of getting the most out of this summer.

This...

or this...

...but I'm going with this.

A coach is an invaluable investment for all of the reasons just listed.  They are another set of eyes and ears who can evaluate your training and fitness.  They have the ability to look at things objectively, as an unbiased outsider, which can be hard to do when coaching yourself.  One of the most important things Chris provides for me is accountability.  He writes my workouts, and once they are written down it’s like they become more “official” or something.  I feel like I have no choice but to get them done.  Sleeping in, or just taking an easy day because I’m tired, isn’t enticing anymore, because it’s not really an option.  This further alleviates some of the motivational burden of training.  It is hard enough to climb out of bed at 5:00 am and drag your ass to the pool without having to come up with the workout and then do it by yourself.  And last but not least, Chris just knows way, way more than I do.  He’s been around, and knows this game inside and out.  He is able to use that experience for my benefit.  It’s a good gig.

The Selection Process

This part was a lot of fun.  I ran it a lot like the Bachelor, and had all interested parties take me out on a novel, thoughtful, and touching date.  I awarded points for class, style, and charm.  I narrowed the field down to 10 finalists and then called on a panel of my closest friends to help me make my final selection.  Of course I'm kidding.  It was basically a no-brainer for me: I've always respected Chris, so I approached him about over the winter and we worked it out.  I did have a few criteria though.  In order of importance:

Sure he looks nice.

1. Generally just be a bomb dude (or dudette).  Someone easy to get along with, who doesn’t stress me out or make me cry.  Chris has only made me cry one time, but that was after I missed my quadruple Salchow and Scott Hamilton said some terrible things about me on national television.  In hindsight, I think Scott is really the one to blame.
2. Be super knowledgeable.  Chris has got this in spades.  The guy knows everything.  I’ve already benefitted tremendously from his expertise.
3. Be around and available, so I actually see him.  This is a huge deal.  A lot of athletes are coached online by people on the other side of the world, who only see them via facetime or whatever.  Not desirable.
4. Be willing to put up with my meager budget.  Because I’ll be honest, I’m not exactly minting money these days.  Far from it.  Fortunately, the federal government is always happy to lend future doctors more money at a really competitive interest rate (here I am being… how do you say... ahh yes, facetious).  But since I’m a fellow pro, and don’t require a lot of hand-holding, Chris and I were able to work out a great deal that works for both of us.

So that’s it!  Very excited about this and have high hopes for this upcoming season.  Been watching some early season races and can hardly wait to get out there.  Maybe one of these days I'll actually sign up and race again, instead of just talking about it.

Next up: some season goals, and a tentative race schedule.  Hope y'all are enjoying the advent of spring.  Things are starting to green up here in Portland.

Take care,

Andrew