ALL IN | AN ATHLETES PERSPECTIVE

WE WANTED TO KNOW

In an effort to be constantly improving, understanding our blind spots, and delivering a world class experience, we have been asking our athletes about their experience working with AP Racing and what surprised them most.

Below we share one athlete’s thoughts- We hope her insights can help another athlete whether coached by us or someone else as it really dives into the dynamics of coaching and being coached.

These are her thoughts… #unfiltered

HANDING OVER CONTROL

As someone who gets overstimulated and overwhelmed easily, and who generally likes to have a significant amount of control in the process, handing over full control to a coach and team I hadn’t worked with yet was daunting.

However, the goal was the goal and I knew if I wanted to reach that goal, I had to trust someone else that had way more experience and knowledge than I did. And like actually hand over the reins. It didn’t mean that I was just going to standby and be an observer in this process, quite the opposite. I had to fully participate, which also meant I had to walk through a lot of fears to participate in what was being asked of me in order for me to reach my goal.

Most of what I was looking for in a coach and team was exactly that. Others that believed in me, knew what needed to be done, and reminded me that they had me and were going to walk with me through this.

I GOT YOU…

I’ve lost count of how many times Daniel has said “I got you!” via text message during this last year.

But every time, it hit me like a ton of bricks and made this pretty isolating training journey less scary and daunting. And I trusted him. I’ve had many other coaches in my life, in triathlon and other sports, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt as holistically supported as I have with AP Racing (AKA DANIEL).

I was able to get away with doing things the way I wanted to do them with other coaches because I could. They didn’t push back or request I try something different. Daniel did. I think the athlete has to be emotionally and mentally prepared to do the things that are uncomfortable and scary and hard, but I also think it’s the coach’s job to push back when the athlete resists something that is one of the steps/keys/building blocks to getting the athlete closer to the goal they want to achieve.

Coach/athlete relationships are pretty intimate relationships. They take time, especially with someone like myself who can be very guarded for awhile until I trust the other person is actually focused on supporting me and helping me reach my goal, no matter how many set backs, life changes, or emotional roller coasters we hit along the way.

ARE YOU READY?

When I reached out for more info on AP Racing, I knew I needed to do some shit that scared me if I was going to even come close to being within the range of readiness to meet my current goal post. So, I think that readiness is key on the athlete’s part, but it’s also on the coach to accept where the athlete is at (being ready is one thing, doing the thing is a whole other thing), and asking them to do things (very slowly sometimes) that bring them closer to the goal. It’s really more like the work of a visionary.

That’s sort of how Daniel explained his process to me and that made so much sense. He works backwards from the goal point to where we are and asks me to do a bunch of uncomfortable stuff in the middle. But supported. And slowly. Nothing had to be perfect, in fact, quite the opposite.

Over this last year, I noticed a very considerable shift in my ability to be flexible. That’s saying a lot. He pushed me when I needed to be pushed for my own good and in the pursuit of a goal, but also knew when to pull back and let me feel my way through the mess.

Most importantly, there’s a passion for the work and the pursuit of big scary goals that comes out in every conversation or interaction I have with everyone involved in AP Racing. As someone who’s guarded and skeptical, it takes a lot for me to buy in and develop a rapport and trust with someone. Daniel made the effort to build it, even when I didn’t make it easy for him.

WALK WITH ME

A lot of people can call themselves coaches, put together training plans, say all the things, have a ton of training experience themselves. But it’s when the coach actively chooses to really walk next to an athlete through all the chaos and stand by them through it all even when it’s not necessarily convenient, that’s where the difference is made.

I officially just moved through the biggest training block I’ve ever done and had to walk through a lot of fear and discomfort in doing so. The only reason I was able to do that, was because of my coach.

He pushed me with a gentle force and honored who I am along the way, never asking me to abandon myself but to push myself into the version of myself the goal required me to be. That’s a rare gift.

IF YOU ARE IN. WE ARE IN.

Separately, but just as importantly, Andy and Daniel don’t half ass anything.

Whether it’s how camps are put together, coaching programs are created, how they communicate with their athletes and team, or how they represent themselves as humans, every aspect of AP Racing is authentic and represents how Andy and Daniel live their lives: all in.