So I had been training for about a year with Felix Hinojosa, well-known and respected local coach. He started me out and I liked the way he brought me along - pushed enough to make progress, but not so hard that I got discouraged and crapped out. Had some complaints because it seemed like I dropped off his radar at times and that I very rarely got any one-on-me attention.
So I was in an airport in Albuquerque and ran into a lawyer whose wife is local triathlete legend Gretchen McElroy. He told me she was getting into the training business. I thought I'd see what a new coach might be like so we went to lunch. She agreed to look at my weekly workout schedule from Felix and give me some feedback. She also asked what my weakest sport was - no question, I freaking hate swimming!
Got Gretchen's feedback on my sked. The feedback was I'm a big ole tampon and not working nearly hard enough. Gretchen says she wants "quality not quantity" and proceeded to jack up my "quality" to unheard of levels. My quality swims with Felix? 1000 yards of drills twice a week. My first week of quality swims with Gretchen? Swim 5 times a freaking week for a total of 6300 (!) yards. Things changed.
I'm guardedly optimistic on the one-on-me front, because she's been out with me on the bike three times and once on the swim in the last 3 weeks of training. Swim doesn't count b/c I just ran into her at the pool but while there did a lot of good. She made 3 small changes and dropped my 100 yard time by 15 seconds. Unheard of! Mind you, this was on the first day. So I'm a little stoked!
Then came the hard part - how do I tell Felix? I kid you not when I say that I was scared. When you invest that much time in someone, in each other, it's almost like breaking up with a girlfriend. I even went so far as to ask the advice of others, which is pretty rare for me in itself in all my pig-headed stubbornness. Eventually I chickened out and sent a text. The response? Congratulations! Almost like I had graduated. Very cool.
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