Knowledge Base

Coaching

Coaching endurance athletes is an art, a science, and a craft.

We offer this selection of coaching-related articles, videos, workshops, and guides to help coaches begin to explore the support available for coaches through Fast Talk Labs.

Contact us with your questions, clarifications, or requests at coaches@fasttalklabs.com.

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Marketing Your Coaching Business Thumbnail

Marketing Your Coaching Business

Frank Overton of FasCat Coaching streamlines a strategy for cost-effective marketing that can be scaled to fit any business. Couple a simple website with smart content marketing and you can get real traction that leads to growth.

FasCat Coaches riding on a gravel road

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Marketing

Frank Overton and Mike Ricci share more detail about their marketing strategies, both of which place a strong emphasis on attracting athletes with solid training advice.

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Managing a Coaching Team

Mike Ricci of D3 Multisport started out with a goal of getting to 100 athletes. He quickly realized he was going to need to hire more coaches. He describes the mistakes he made early in his career and how he manages his business now.

Coach Mike Ricci coaching triathletes

Mike Ricci, D3 Multisport

As a business owner, Mike Ricci personally interviews prospective athletes so he can match them with the coach who is best-suited to help them reach their goals.

Coaching business non-negotiables

5 Non-Negotiables to Include in a Contract

A good contract positions your coaching business for growth by creating opportunity and defending against unforeseen threats. Use your contracts to clearly define expectations for members of your coaching team.

Coach Mike Ricci training athletes

How to Hire Coaching Staff

Frank Overton and Mike Ricci describe how they go about hiring coaches to join their team. With hindsight on their side, these coaches explain why people and process factor heavily into their hiring decisions.

Coach Kendra Wenzel consulting with her athlete at Cyclocross world championships

Modern Profiles in the Craft of Coaching: Kendra Wenzel

Wenzel Coaching is a Portland-based business co-founded by former pro cyclist Kendra Wenzel. Today she coaches athletes at the highest level of the sport and equips her team of coaches to work with a wide range of clients. Find out more about her winning formula and her commitment to growing the sport of cycling.

A competitive marathon runner with arms raised in the air crosses the finish line at the Padova Marathon.

3 // Mapping a Season of Training

Anyone can make a training plan. But a good coach knows how to plan a season that unlocks an athlete’s true potential. Joe Friel is joined by a full line-up of master coaches in this module that will expand your thinking.

Illustrated headshot of Arthur Lydiard

Profiles in Coaching: Arthur Lydiard

Legendary running coach Arthur Lydiard revolutionized the sport with his approach to periodized training. In the 1960 and 1964 Olympics, his athletes rose to prominence, putting his 100-mile training week on the radar of running coaches worldwide.

Process for Goal Setting and Season Planning

Onboarding New Athletes

Goal assessment and season planning are two details you must attend to in taking on a new athlete.

Jim Miller USA Cycling Coach Fast Talk Podcast

What Makes a Good Training Plan?

USA Cycling’s Jim Miller reviews everything a coach must take into account to prepare a training plan that cultivates both performance and longevity for the athlete.

Rear view of a female swimmer looking into a pool

Athlete Profile: Triathlete Leveling Up to Ironman

Mary is in search of building a big aerobic fitness base for Ironman-distance racing. Ultimately, she has wants to qualify for Kona and she believes Alan Couzens is the coach who can help her make that dream a reality.

Lower half of a female triathlete running their bike through a transition area

Coach Alan Couzens’ Onboarding Process

There’s plenty of information to gather when deciding whether to take on a new athlete. Coach Alan Couzens responds to Mary to learn more about her training history and lifestyle.

Coach Alan Couzens teaches a swimmer

Season Plan for Triathlete Leveling Up to Ironman

Athletes often underestimate the amount of fitness that they lose in tapering for, and recovery from, excessively frequent racing. This is especially true in Mary’s case where she is looking to make a significant jump in training load in order to properly prepare for the Ironman distance.

Triathlon Coach Alan Couzens of MAD Scientist Coaching

Coach Alan Couzens

As head coach and founder of MAD Science Coaching, Alan Couzens works primarily with triathletes—amateurs, serious amateurs, and a few pros. More recently, MAD Science Coaching began providing training plans and testing to amateur athletes, leveraging Alan’s experience in the lab, testing pro athletes competing at the highest level of the sport.