ESPN has an article on the stress NFL Head Coaches face, for many to the detriment of their health. While not many endurance coaches face the same pressures as big money professional sports coaches such as in the NFL, the 12 month a year, 'no off-season' nature of endurance sports can mean many coaches don't unplug and take a break.
While many endurances coaches also participate in the sports they preside over, thereby keeping a level of fitness, the principle of taking care of ones self remains important to maintain and continually improve coaching standards. The same principles apply as with athletes, regeneration breaks are important for coaches to re-fresh creativity, for critical reflections and to gain new perspectives.
"I'd lose on Sunday, and I'd spend three days worrying about what I had to do win the next game," he continued. "And the enjoyment of a win would last a half-hour. But I'm not unique. I know two Hall of Fame coaches who came to me and talked about going through similar problems. I told them that there's only so much you can do. It's like an engine. You can blow up a Porsche if you drive it too hard, and a football coach is no different. You have to find a way to turn it off."
Leading into Olympic Games, a principle that often comes up in preparation meetings, is the coaches and staff arriving at the games fresh, fit and ready to perform, in much the same way as athletes must do.
Another great quote from the article is the following:
"you can't worry about every little thing in your preparation that you end up chasing ghosts."
This stands in contrast to the current in-vogue 'aggregation of marginal gains', or, put another way: don't lose sight of the forest for the trees.