Triathlon Coaching: What Does Commitment Cost?

I had a message from one of my athletes this week that caught me completely by surprise.

She asked me to review my coaching fees.

Not because they were too expensive but because she didn’t think she was paying enough.

This athlete has been working with me for almost ten years, and during that time the cost of her coaching has barely changed.

Her message was simple.

“I think you should charge me more.”

At first, I laughed.

But then she explained why. She told me that paying more would make her more accountable. More consistent. More likely to get out of bed for the early sessions. More likely to complete the training we’d planned.

It wasn’t really about the money. It was about commitment. The more she invested, the less likely she was to waste the opportunity.

I thought it was a fascinating observation – because we’ve probably all done the opposite.

We’ve signed up for something because it was cheap… and then skipped it because missing one session didn’t really matter. We’ve downloaded free training plans that sit unopened. We’ve entered ‘early bird’ races months in advance because it felt like a good idea, only to find our motivation drifting as race day approached.

Sometimes paying very little makes it easier to walk away.

Making an investment – whether that’s money, time or effort – changes how we think. It gives us a reason to show up.

“This matters.”

Whether that’s entering a race, booking a 1-1 session, joining a squad or simply deciding that today’s training is worth doing.

Commitment has a funny way of changing behaviour. And perhaps that’s what my athlete was really saying. She wasn’t asking to spend more money. She was choosing to place more value on the journey.

I thought that was a lesson worth sharing.

Bryan