This year is moslty solo training year for me. I have just started getting into the gear of things, and already facing the challenges. Coaching is mostly through correspondence (and I don’t plan to change that for this year at least…after that I move to Greece, when new training adventures await me ).
Just to get some extra motivation (luckily, I have a fair amount of that, but some extra is always needed), how many here have to train completely solo for more than (lets say…) 3 months? With no coach?
When you’re at the track and have to complete a workout with extended warm up, stretching…drills…maybe plyos…sprints with long rests and a number of sets…and no one else is on the track… and then you have to go to the gym and lift the weights …what helps your PATIENCE and determination to just stay at the freakin track and/or weight room every day and don’t rush (or fudge up) through the workout in order to get done 15min sooner???
I have been basically training alone for several years. I highly recommend an mp3 player for the weight room. If I get really bored on the track I will make sure I carry a stopwatch and time all my speed stuff. I will also sometimes video tape myself if I think I have a big technical issue.
It’s not that bad. Of course training in a group is much better because your speed work will always be a fraction faster due to the competition or cooperative environment.
ahhhh those are the best ones I have even semi joked (becasue I was partly serious) to other athlete’s don’t you know this is my private track?
I enjoy people (well some anyway ) but value alone time. It is my chill out time Work and family is full on so to be somewhere alone even on a not so nice day is lovely. Time to just relax and think about things. Even when I’m at the track and others are there I ‘do my own thing’. I guess it helps coming from sports where you are often alone (I played golf for a fair few years and spent thousands of hours practicing alone).
I have been training alone for a loooong time now. sevral years. But now after getting some chances to train with others in a group I don’t agree. I always find it uncomfortable. Training has always been my private life and now I’m used to it this way and I can’t change it. Its may be the way you are used to. And the switch is the problem. that is the case. Used to a group and in time to switch to training alone or vise versa. But you can always get used to something. Enjoy the privacy…
I train solo and see no problem with it. Training with others can be better if they are dedicated and have similar goals, but poor training partners are one of the worst things you could have… along with the annoying wrist curlers in the weight room who talk while wrist curling 95lbs and doing calf raises.
I already feel much much better about it I agree that it’s a matter of getting used to…since I was 8 years old, I’ve done sports with other people around me, starting with tennis, which now seems surprizing how I actually enjoyed even practicing with snobby wealthy kids who thought the universe revolved around them… High school sports were all team oriented of course…and then college, same thing…I think I am going through a training-shock, but since the definition of a shock is something sudden and short, I will hopefully soon start looking forward to my daily couple hours of self track absorption!!
You have to be mad disciplined. I wear the IPOD for all sessions except for my major speed and speed endurance workouts. My objective is just to finish the workout because I dont know how many times ive wanted to quit.
Also,reward yourself at the end of the workout for doing something most people couldnt do.
Firstly, I greatly prefer training alone. We can just stipulate to the idiots in the weight room. I find lifting alone to be really peaceful and almost meditative. Yes, even when going for a PR – it’s a jacked up kind of spiritual quest, where I fuse mind and body and make both better. Thus I hate hate hate annoying idiots, which most people are, and even if they aren’t I find them distracting. One caveat: I’m relatively solitary by nature, like virtually all numbers jugglers :rolleyes:
Secondly, if you’re used to being with people to push you, it helps to have a relatively simple workout if you can. I find that the more complicated I make it, the more excuses I have to slack. Hitting a few things hard and getting the hell out works for me.
Only team training I’ve ever done is soccer training. I don’t like training with other people, it puts me off. I always feel like I have to compete with them and always feel really self-conscious. I hate it when people come and tell me I’m not working hard enough (“why are you stopping? The key is to keep running … you should run 200m, jog 200m, run 200m until you can’t go anymore”)
I’m weak right now so I can do weights at home which is great because all the gyms in my town only have machines and 20lb dumbells I don’t think you are allowed to squat etc.
I think you will like it. It needs more discipline but I enjoy it so no probs there.
When training alone, imagine that all of your competitors are at home watching TV and this is your chance to get better than them. (This works best when you have the track to yourself!)
I prefer to train alone, but the major disadvantage is not having someone to time your runs. Without that continual immediate feedback it’s almost impossible to track progress and make necessary adjustments over time, unless you want to shell out for an automatic timer system.
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I have even semi joked (becasue I was partly serious) to other athlete’s 
) but value alone time. It is my chill out time 
I don’t think you are allowed to squat etc.