Chapter Thirteen: Back To Coaching And Grateful For It
“You can do it on your own. But it’s harder. And lonelier. And eventually … you miss having someone in your corner.”
He hadn’t meant to leave coaching behind – not really.
It started as a break. Life got busy. Races were done for the year. He thought: I’ll just go solo for a while.
And he managed, at first. He still trained. Still pushed. Still cared.
But somewhere in the blur of half-planned weeks, conflicting advice, and too many sessions done too hard or too easy or too tired – something shifted.
What used to feel purposeful started to feel … scattered.
And then, after one too many solo rides where motivation dipped and no one noticed, he found himself scrolling through old training messages. The kind his coach used to send. Encouraging. Reassuring. Grounding.
He missed that. More than he expected.
So he came back.
Not because he didn’t know how to train – but because he knew what it felt like to train with someone in his corner.
The Veteran had spotted him at the swim session before he even said anything. You can tell. Something in the shoulders. The slight lift of the eyes when you return to something that mattered.
Later that morning, towelling off on the dock, they sat with coffees as the sun crept higher.
“Back in the fold?” the Veteran asked.
The Comeback Kid smiled. “I think I got a bit stubborn. Told myself I didn’t need coaching anymore.”
The Veteran nodded. “Most of us do, at some point.”
“I thought I’d save the money. Prove I could manage it all myself.”
“And how did that work out?”
A shrug. “Honestly? Exhausting. I was doing too much, chasing too many things. I thought I could be my own filter. Turns out that’s harder than it looks.”
The Veteran grinned. “There’s a reason even experienced athletes have coaches. It’s not about being told what to do. It’s about perspective. Having someone to see the things you can’t when you’re in the middle of it all.”
“Yeah,” the younger athlete said. “It’s good to be back.”
Another mile behind. Plenty more ahead.
P.S.
Coming back to coaching doesn’t mean you failed. It means you’ve learned.
That motivation and discipline are important – but so is direction.
And that it’s okay to want support. In fact, it’s smart.
Coach’s Corner
The athletes who return after time away often carry the richest insights.
They’ve seen both sides. They know how hard it is to navigate alone. How easy it is to get lost in the noise, or work away at something that doesn’t serve them.
When they come back, they usually bring a different mindset – one rooted not in dependency, but appreciation.
They’ve felt what it’s like to carry the mental load solo. To question every plan. To second-guess every rest day.
And now? They value clarity. They welcome collaboration. They see coaching not as control, but as partnership.
As a coach, that’s one of the most rewarding relationships you can have – not because they need you, but because they choose to trust you.
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