Your Coach Is Your Filter: Information Overload For Athletes

Too Much Information Is Holding You Back (And Oddly No One Is Talking About It)

Scroll Instagram. Open YouTube. Check Strava. Listen to a podcast. Read a study. Before you’ve even finished your coffee, you’ve been told you need a new fueling strategy, a different cadence, a cold plunge, a carbon plate shoe, and a breathwork routine… or you’re doing it wrong.

Welcome to modern endurance sport.

As a triathlon coach, I don’t think the problem is bad information. Honestly, a lot of what’s out there is smart, well-researched, and genuinely helpful. The real problem is volume and context. Athletes are drowning in advice without a filter, and when everything sounds important, nothing actually is.

Here’s the truth most people don’t want to hear: What works incredibly well for one athlete can be completely irrelevant , or even harmful, for another.

That’s where coaching matters.

One of the biggest values of having a coach isn’t the workout you see on TrainingPeaks. It’s having a human being who knows you, your background, your history, your constraints, your goals, and can help you interpret the noise. A coach helps answer questions like:

• Is this something I should care about right now?

• Does this actually move me closer to my goal?

• Or is this just the latest shiny object pulling my attention away from consistent work?

Without that filter, athletes end up program-hopping, gear-obsessing, and constantly second-guessing themselves. Progress stalls. Confidence drops. Training becomes stressful instead of purposeful.

Good coaching isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about applying the right ideas at the right time, and ignoring the rest. It’s knowing when to simplify, when to push, and when to stay the course, even when social media is screaming otherwise.

The fastest athletes aren’t doing everything. They’re doing the right things, consistently.

And sometimes, the most valuable thing a coach can say is: “Yeah… we’re not doing that. Keep showing up. You’re right on track.”

In a world overflowing with information, clarity is the real performance advantage.

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*Time Trial Tuesday posts are intended to be short primer posts to get you thinking, but they are also challenges for myself to see how quickly and simply I can get the topic across to all of you. I give myself 10 minutes on the clock to write each one. No filter, No editing, Just the thoughts in my head..... Scary.

About Nick Farr

Nick is the owner and Head Coach at P3 Fitness and has been a dedicated triathlete and runner for over 20 years. With a passion for endurance sports, Nick brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to his coaching, specializing in triathlon, running, and cycling. As an accomplished athlete and certified multi-discipline coach, he has guided countless athletes to reach their personal bests and achieve their goals. In his role as a Triathlon coach at P3 Fitness, Nick is committed to helping each individual unlock their full potential through tailored training and expert guidance.