Everyone needs a coach

 

I truly believe that everyone needs a coach all depending on their situation. It could be professionally, private or as for me, setting up high goals physically. Most people have friends, co-workers or family to talk to, but I is also important to talk to someone that is not emotionally involved in your life with values and their own agenda. 

My coach Andreas is awesome. He is a professional triathlete, and has an amazing track record. He is a Swedish record holder in a crazy challenge called "Super Classic" (Its a marathon 42K, 100K skiing, 300K biking and 30K swimming and it has to be done within 24 hours) And he just managed 3rd place in the Sweden half Ironman championships, "70,3".  We have worked together for nearly a year, and my journey to becoming a triathlete would have been so much tougher if I hadn't had him, or I might even have given up. The transition between cycling and running is like cutting your legs off and sewing on legs from 200 year old elephant. If Andreas hadn't convinced me that it´s temporary, I would have thought that I wasn't built for this sport. And he knew, that elephant legs feeling eventually would go away. 

My Ironman challenge would be close to impossible in this 49 year old body without Andreas. 49 years old is no age, if you have been running marathons your whole life. There are a lot of older triathletes. Actually I think its a good sport to grow old in, its time consuming and something that has changed drastically for me is that I have patience now a days. The thing is that biking, swimming and cycling are completely new sports for me, and trust me, It may sound simple, but it isn't. And if I do something I want to do it right.

Andreas does my monthly training schedules and we talk once a week. We talk about what has worked and what hasn't. We talk about me, we talk about him and we talk about life in general. I have never judged people by age, but sometimes its weird that my coach is the same age as my son. He is so wise, and I often wonder where his wisdom comes from. When he turns 50, he will be like this old indian man that everyone goes to for advise. Its a bonus that he is damn handsome. My mom who is 74 (I thought she was 78 yesterday and I will never call her that again, thats for sure... :-D ) is always asking me for pictures of him. 

Andreas lives in Mallorca where he and his beautiful girlfriend Ida arrange Training camps I have attended 2 of them. Björn, Madde and I are planning on going next year. I have learned so much from him. On my first training camp, Andreas had to push me up hill on bike, so I could keep up with the others (People walked faster than I biked up those mountains the first time). On my second training camp, my first time in my wetsuit, both he and I thought I was going to drown. It was crazy. He has been and is phenomenal. I am so looking forward to continuing to work with Andreas.