9 months ago I said that I would embark on some formal coaching, as I wanted to see if the expense was worth it, in the grand old scheme of 40yo MTB racing as a relative newbie to the format – 4 yrs now, 9 months coached.   I thought I’d follow up with a quick note after last weeks testing, with my results in italics and with some facts thrown in;  I wondered that this might be useful for anyone considering paying for a coach.

1) Take it seriously, or don’t bother.  Decent coaches aren’t motivated to spend thier time and your money on athletes that don’t want to put the effort it.  They don’t enjoy it, neither will you.  Thier success is your success.

From day 1 I said I follow my coaches instructions to the letter.  I did, as I wanted to know that there was no other influence the would either change or not change my ability / performance – it was all due to the coaching.

2) Its hard.  You are accountable to someone every time you turn a pedal.  You also owe it to your coach and to yourself to perform the prescribed workouts to your best ability.  This will ultimately be tiring not only on the day – think cold winter mornings or evenings after work when you really don’t feel like it – but also at the end of 3-4 week training blocks where you can’t sit on the sofa without falling asleep.

Yup.   Lucky enough to have a small man cave, I’ve spent many an cold evening or 5am wondering why I’m doing this, dressed in bib shorts at -2 wondering when the oil filled rad will get the temp up.   Each time I made it.   One tip from me – as soon as you get in from work the first thing you must do is put your bibs on.  Don’t sit down.  Once the shorts are on, you’re most of the way there.

3) Its hard.  Doing nothing when you are told to is equally as hard but very import for mental and physical healing.

I learned this the hard way but slotting in some extras when I thought I could, then failing the next programmed interval.   I don’t try and over impress my coach that way now, I do it by hitting the number he asks me to, when he asks me to.

4) Its hard.  Nutrition and diet even at the very basics of sport science will impact on your ability to train and grow.  If you think six pints and a kebab the day before a set of intervals is helping you, it isn’t.  But equally you can’t train on a stick of celery.  Be sensible with your diet.

This is shit.  I like a beer and pizza like anyone else and sometimes you just want to binge.  You don’t need to go mad, but you can change simple habits.  I travel a lot for work and now instead of a Petrol station lunch / snacks I ensure I carry appropriate healthier food with me to have available.   I drink more water now than I ever have in my life, eschewing fizzy and off the shelf drinks.  I love unrestricted eating, and I often have to ask myself “how much do you want to improve, to be an “athlete”?

5) It takes time for your coach to learn about you, and for you to learn about him/her.  For example, where are your real strengths and weakness?  What workouts work best for you?  What schedule works best for you?

Trial, error and communication based on their educated foundation.  No more, no less.

6) Its lonely.   Its unlikely you’ll find a training partner who exactly matches your physiology.  When working in Zones/to power, you need to be doing this solo for the greatest effect.  Anything will be comprimising your efforts.

I’m lucky in that I’m quite comfortable in my own company.  In our club, we have TTer who spend 95% of his time in a purpose built man cave training for TT.  He wins the vast majority of the regional events he enters.

7) You do need some social interaction, see 6 above.  Most people need a bit of time to enjoy themselves on a bike or it all gets very boring and mentally stressful.  Your coach should know this and allow group/fun rides accordingly, but if not make sure you tell them.

Yes, and you can be smart about it –  I often turn a Saturday 4h Z2 into 3 parts – I ride in Z2 to a Club ride,  I ride the Club ride, have a chat over cake and espresso then go home the long way round in Z2 again.   Coach is happy, I’ve enjoyed some company.

8) Listen.  They know better, that’s why you paid them.

I can’t really add to that.

9) Talk.  They need to know if you are sick, ill, struggling, don’t perform well on <6hrs sleep etc.  They need to spot patterns to prevent injury, illness and to coax the best out of you.

This is key.  The can only see your metrics a they do not live with you.  Don’t lie about underperformance because you don’t want to admit to a late night.  It doesn’t help.

9) It works, but it doesn’t always reflect in race results as there are so many factors that can effect a result.  Don’t look at the result look at the effort / data to see how you are progressing.

I rode my first National this year.  I finished last – 33rd albeit there were 10 DNF’s – in Sport.  However I thourougly enjoyed that day and when we looked at my data I’d ridden 10% harder (power/HR & speed compared to the same course in Regionals 2 weeks before) then I ever had.  I just wasn’t good enough BUT I was stronger and faster than I ever had been before.  I came away happy.

10) It works, but it takes time.  Don’t get down hearted if nothing appears to have changed after 3 months, your body’s adaptation will come.

As I alluded to in beginning, I was tested last Friday.  My lactic HR – my Z2 basically – moved up 25% – that’s a big gain, yet at 10% lower heart rate.  FTP went up 3%, but more to the point my ability to perform that 20min test was hugely improved – a smooth ever increasing pace from start to finish/bucket.  My coach said that the things my data has show is i) my Z2 has risen so that I’m comfortably able to ride Z2 in excess of 200w on fat stores alone ii) all my other zones go up as a result iii) I now metabolise Lactic acid – recover – faster iv) I’m fitter and v) my ability to sustain threshold/subthreshold pace on long climbs has exponentially improved.

Also improved is my understanding of who I am and what I can do as a Cyclist.  I’m able to ride longer events strategically and not burn out or fade, I’m able too understand when and where I should make my efforts in races and how big those efforts should be.  I’m better in many ways.

So I’ve not become Nino Schurter in 9 months but I’m certainly better for it.  There have been highs and lows and it’s not been easy, but I’m certainly enjoying my cycling right now, racing or otherwise.  Outside of racing, people have noticed changes in my performance – stronger sustained climbing pace, winning sprints after 100k club rides, and a measured, intelligent riding style which for me is the most important.

I hope this text is useful for anyone considering making the move.  Feel free to add to it, I thought it may be useful to write down my own experience which is not me trying to be right or wrong, just a reflection of my own last nine months.

I love it, I’m loving what I’m turning into as a competitive cyclist, I’m carrying on.

K.