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Coaching Philosophy

John Hall

Unless you cycle professionally no one is paying you to ride a bike.  You ride for the freedom cycling provides, or the joy of being outdoors feeling the wind on your face.  Many of us ride to stay fit and maintain our active lifestyles, to lose or manage weight.  Some riders are competitive souls and just want to go fast and beat everyone to top of the next hill; we all have our reasons. Regardless of your motivation to ride, many cyclists want to ride faster, longer or climb better, but don't know how; there are numerous books on how to do this. In my personal library I have at least 50 books on how to train, plus hundreds of e-articles on various aspects of training for cyclists and runners. There are countless on-line coaches who will develop plans for you to follow.  The books and on-line coaching may work for many riders, and can help reach your goals. Self-coaching or on-line coaching from former racers is clearly the most common tools available to athletes who want to improve. 

Another model for improvement is Personal Engagement Coaching (PEC). PEC is a process where a coach personally rides with you.  I believe this tool provides the greatest improvement for time spent riding than any other form of coaching.  Obviously, your coach needs to live reasonably nearby and will have a limited number of cyclists at any one time.  This coach will ride with you at various times to observe and comment on your technique, skills and general condition.  This form of coaching also allows teaching the correct implementation of each cycling exercise.  A coach that personally has ridden with you understands your strengths and weakness, goals and objectives, and can better ascribe a training regime that best fits your needs based on available time to train and current condition. 

My coaching is done personally and hands on with each rider.  I limit the number of riders I can train so as to devote the necessary time with each athlete. 

I coach all ages, but specialize in master age riders that desire that personal touch.  Many riders I coach want to complete their first century, a multi-day event, or reach a personal best at the next charity ride, or favorite Gran Fondo.  Some wish to start racing and need pointers on goal setting, training, nutrition, and techniques; I specialize in this type of coaching.  By limiting the number of clients I take at any one time, I am able to focus on each rider and their special needs. The process starts with the completion of a detailed questionnaire, goal setting and identification of one "A" event, and at least 1.5 hours of riding together.  Afterwards, a Threshold Field Test is completed along with strengths and weakness analysis.  All this information is used to develop a progressive training plan that allows the athlete to reach his/her goals within constraints of available training time. 

Coaching Credentials

USA CyclingCoaching requires science based knowledge to understand how your body adapts to training stresses, experience in the sport as a competitor, and strong communication skills to bring out the best in an athlete. I can help you reach your goals through the techniques of Personal Engagement Coaching (PEC) and my 30 years experience as a science based competitor.