I have been a big fan of Tacx ergo trainers since I got my first Grand Excel back in 2000. Locally I have helped make this unit one of the top selling trainers in Calgary. Consider a fleet of 30 units at TC the first 3 years of existance, at least 50 clients and class participants who purchased a unit based on my testimonial and referral, the recent acquisition of 30 new units not to mention the replacement parts and accessories. Hmm, you'd think I could have received one for free by now...

There is an issue however that warrants a discussion to help people understand the units a bit more, that being the "accuracy" of the wattages reported by the units.

In the first year we used them straight out of the box without any consideration as to their accuracy and real world applicablility. At races I would hear athletes speak of how they crushed our 5km time trials by riding in excess of 450W for 6-7min despite them remaining pack fodder in category 4/5 cycling races.

When I finally made the leap to a PowerTap hub direct force power meter (DFPM) I could finally work with "real" and consistent wattages reported through the strain guage technology embedded in the hubs. Long story made short, I performed a series of trials on randomly selected units while riding with the PowerTap wheel. I measured the power produced at the various slopes on the Tacx units in tandem with the power reported from the PowerTap and determined quickly that there was a vast difference in the reporting of power between the two units.

After many trials of changing the factory scaling in the Tacx computer and repeating the process, I was able to settle in on an acceptable range in which consistency was noted in the reported power for both units. The outcome was a reduction in the power that people were accustomed to riding at and a lot of "humbled" riders. In effect I helped to provide a more "real" world power perspective for people to train by. This was a shotgun blast to the ego for many.

Fast forward now to the past month and I have under gone the same process with several of the new units which I have calibrated to my Quarq Cinqo DFPM. This go around was less laborious for me as I was able to settle the scaling factor very quickly.

Now a few caveats to this.

First, I have noted a difference in reported wattages in the Tacx compared to the Quarq Cinqo if my inputted weight is not correct in the Tacx unit. My assumption then is for everyone to make sure they input "their" correct weight into the units and not my weight.

Second, the roll down calibration must be in the area of "0" to "+4" for the best results. So ensure that the correct pressure is applied to the rear wheel AND that you have 100psi in your rear tire. All my trials were constant at 100psi.

Finally, when doing short high intensity micro-bursts or intervals the reported average wattages will not be the same due to the reporting and recording average of the Tacx unit being slower than that of the sampling and recording rate of any DFPM. The DFPM is very sensitive to the application of force and will report near instantaneous wattage values - hence the reason to see such and up and down or on and off nature of power in a DFPM file.

When I performed a 3min and 20min time trial a few weeks ago, my 3min average wattage was 386W on the Tacx and 409W on the Cinqo. For the 20min time trial an average of 292W on the Tacx and an average of 294W on the Cinqo. I am quite happy with this result.

JVD

Is Riding Inside On A Trainer "Real Riding"?

Okay, I have almost stopped laughing at a comment a friend told me late last week. The comment was something to the effect that "riding inside on a trainer is not real riding so I don't want to do it this fall or winter". Apparently there is a "cult" of riders locally and I am sure they are everywhere, that believe that you are of a weaker kind to ride indoors rather than outside.

While I will be the first to say that 10 times out of 10 if it is practical I would ride outside versus inside. Hands down outdoor riding beats the crap out of riding a trainer. HOWEVER this does not mean a trainer is not "real riding" as riding a trainer can dial in and make a training session "count" more in terms of training a specific energy system, neuromuscular pattern and/or facilitate recovery more so than riding outside can. Especially when injured, pressed for time or when the elements place too much stress on the body.

Many of the athletes I coach and have coached can attest to the fact that the indoor trainer yields real world results and performance gains when out on the roads or trails. Specific training sets and intervals are the norm when using an indoor trainer, not mindlessly riding to watch the Star Wars dvds (all 6 of them). Real world results are what matters most and even the world's best can say that a stationary trainer becomes an invaluable training tool at some point in time.

It comes down to how the athlete will use the trainer as far too many riders are used to just riding around for long periods of time to derive a training effect. On the cold winter days one needs to decide if the added stress on the body and immune system from riding outside is a worthwhile addition of stress to evoke a training response. Hmm, lowered immunity has never been an athlete's friend nor resulted in improved performances.

I am not looking to convince anyone to join the indoor training revolution but would encourage many to think outside the box for ways to improve as you may never make the next step if you don't. You make your choice but quit bashing those of us relegated or forced to use an indoor trainer.

Vacation Is Over - Getting Back To Training.

After the Masters Provincial RR a few weeks ago, my family took some time off to going "camping" at Crimson Lake - about 14km west of Rocky Mountain House. This camping entailed the use of my in-laws 34ft RV and there was no tent in sight at our "campsite".

My break from training was 5 days! I did bring along the MTB which has seen limited use over the past 7 years now and had a blast riding around with my kids. We took a nice MTB trail over to Twin Lakes and all I could beam about was how I was MTB riding with my kids and they weren't complaining! I then spent another day hunting Geocaches in the area with my son without any luck finding the actual caches.

Did I feel guilty not training? A little but I am smart enough to know the value of rest mid-season. The time off also helped me recover from the RR and my quads felt fully mended come Monday when I rode downtown to work. An interesting feeling to note when you start to ride after a break is how "off" you feel. You feel rested but don't have any snap or pop in the legs. It takes a few days for that to come back.

Tuesday was a nice ride with clients up Cochrane Hill 2x. It was a beautiful day and felt like a "no chain" day - that feeling of the legs turning over without the feeling of any strain. Once you have experienced it on the bike, you want to recapture that feeling again and again. I had hoped to do the Tuesday night crit but a wicked storm blew in to force a cancellation. I pulled the plug on riding over and set up the trainer in the basement instead. Yuck - riding inside in July.

Wednesday I performed the dreaded 3min and 20min time trials with Grant Burwash again on trainers. Yuck again. Crappy numbers, crappy feeling over all, dead legs, no pop or power yet in the legs. Yesterday's "no chain" day was a tease since I didn't actully ride hard. Was I discouraged? Not at all as I expected such results.

Thursday was back on the trainer due to tight timelines and I was able to rail off a solid 3x 6min @ 300-320W with 3min rest. Pretty much my FTP wattage. Legs felt better and I felt overall more in control of how my body felt during each interval.

Today I woke up tired with some soreness in my quads. I had thought about a rest day but felt the need to ride. Once I had wrapped up my work commitments for the day, I was getting dressed to head outside into an overcast day. The rain then came pouring down on me. Good thing I left my trainer setup in the basement. Yuck, another day spent on the trainer in July. Despite feeling blah today, I had a great ride as the legs responded well once I found my comfort zone between 250-270W. It is true that the trainer can be a friend in the summer and not just the winter months.

So after 5 days completely off and a return to training of 6 sessions in 5 days, the legs are coming around nicely. Just in time for the next key races - Tour de Bowness and the Jason Laperierre Memorial stage race. The key for me now in preparation for these events will be on specific sessions to maintain and consolidate the gains I had made from the training done thus far as well as to sharpen me up for the demands of each event. The timeline is too short to truly build further fitness now so rather than just riding around, I am better served doing more specific and intensive sessions. This even means getting back on the trainer for a number of key sessions where I can focus on some very specific interval sets and wattages. This plan worked well for me in 2009 when I placed 3rd in the Cat 3 ITT Provincial Championships and I hope to replicate the feeling I had that day - a "no chain" day.

JVD

Old Man Racing Again: Part 2

No that is not me in the picture but it is Ryan Barr and Dave Holmes - both buds of mine. Unfortuantely Ryan's rear tubular rolled off the rim. When we inspected it afterwarsds it looked as if it was mounted with scotch tape!

Last time I wrote I was “riding” high after our bike camp and was excited again at the whole bicycle racing world. Am I still enjoying it? Heck yeah! As most racers will tell you it is great to ride and race when you are in good form but it really sucks when you are not on any sort of form. I enjoy being in the mix of races as I am competitive by nature – so my wife says.

The Tuesday Night Crits have afforded me that feeling as I feel I have been a legitimate contender albeit in the “B” group each week. Several people have pointed fingers at me to move up to my rightful spot as fodder in the “A” group but my argument is unless I outright win a “B” category race why move up? I am back after a 5 year break from bicycle racing where I spent little time in the red zone or pain cave of the peloton so I am cutting my teeth again.

As the weeks have progressed I have regularly featured in the top 8 of the races with my best placing being 4th. My Niklas teammates and I started to work together on a more regular basis and last week it finally culminated in us winning the race. At the time the race felt both easy and excruciating. The pace felt fast as we four teammates took turns keeping the pace as quick as possible. I was able to bridge the gap to my teammate Carlos and then was able to go solo for the final 4laps. This is where it became excruciating as I was in time trial mode. Carlos did a wicked smart thing as the group had in fact bridged back to us and he then let the gap open in which no other rider came through. My other two mates Dave and Dan then also helped to slow the pace and chase back to me. One rider did bridge to me on the finishing straight but when I saw him on my left I said “not today” and sprinted easily for the line as I heard him utter defeat! What is cool about the win is that it really was a team effort. There is no way I could have held off the group without the help of my teammates.

What is interesting to note from my power meter file is that the race was in fact “easy”. The speed was around 40.9kph as an average but the power was relatively low and not at all indicative of the efforts near the end. However it is interesting to see that when riding with teammates the explosive accelerations out of the corners are not as high as when the group rides as individuals. I still think there was something up with my Quarq Cinqo that evening…

Prior to this win I was re-introduced to bicycle racing at the prestigious Banff BikeFest. This was the first time I eve took part in all events featured for the non-invited riders. What a great way to get re-acquainted with racing! The Prologue/hill climb was a body searing 3:20m:s effort for me good enough for second last in Cat 3. By the half way point of the course I could no longer feel my arms and legs as my chest and lungs were in a tight spasm. I have not hurt that much in years from such a short and violent effort. The time trial up and around Lake Minnewanka went relatively well but I was not able to find a natural rhythm. Again I was able to turn myself inside out during this race and I was happy that the ability to suffer was reawakening in my mind.
The criterium was a humbling experience for me. I am usually a decent criterium racer but on this night I was a “beginner” getting schooled. The pace was unreal right from the start as there were guys looking to break legs and lungs right away. I was unfortunately lapped by the leaders at the midway point of our race and as such was forced to withdraw from the race. Talk about demoralizing.

The final day was a 7am start to the road race on Tunnel Mountain. Rain had threatened all weekend but for the most part we were spared in the Category 3 races. It had rained all night and I did not sleep well worrying about the rainy conditions and possible carnage going down the narrow and steep descents. As part of my warm-up I decided to ride down the treacherous section to check out the road conditions. It gave me confidence and belief I could hang on to the group for at least 3 laps. As the race got underway I found myself almost dropped at the back of the group as the front riders took the speed up past 50kph. As a bunch of us re-integrated with the group I found the pace very doable on the climbs and once we hit the descent I found that I was in fact riding well! A number of my teammates had dropped out of the race but as each kilometre went by I started to feel a surge in my confidence and abilities. On lap two I found myself climbing near the front and descending a bit quicker than the front riders evidenced by me having to brake harder to keep from riding into them.

Lap three was when two of my teammates were to attempt a break. Knowing this I moved up from the comfort of mid pack to the front to help them. Big stupid mistake. Everything in my gut was saying nothing was going to transpire from their move but I still tried to slow the group down and then made an attack to try and draw them away. In the end it just burned me out and left me off the back of the group and then pulled from the race. Our team did grab second place with Brian Green narrowly missing the win in a sprint.

I have to say I was upset with myself for making such a stupid decision at the time and had I just stayed in the group I may have had a shot at finishing with the main group. Next year…

This past weekend was the Masters Provincial Road Race out in Madden north of Calgary. A great course with lots of climbing, rollers and wind exposed sections. I was very pleased to have ridden to an 8th place finish in the 40-49 years old group as there were some strong riders in the group. The three strongest got away on lap 2 and a massive crash on lap 3 reduced our chasing group dramatically to about 6. I hope all the boys who hit the deck are doing well and will be back on their bikes soon.

The final lap was a lap of mental strength development for me! I was cooked and just trying to hang onto the wheels in front of me - these guys were strong Cat 2/3 riders. On one of the short steep climbs I was cramping in my quads and it looked as if gophers were trying to get out from under my skin – unnerving. After that episode the cramps stayed pretty much away – I did get one glimpse of my right medial quadriceps that was in a strange orientation as it cramped. The final climb to the finish was nasty. It is surprisingly about 5km in length with a gradual grade but when your back and legs are blown it still hurts and feels like Cochrane Hill. Despite having ridden 128km the day before with a small group (don’t ask) I was surprisingly strong for the Masters RR. Could I have done better if I had not ridden that far the day before? Maybe, maybe not. I am still stoked on how I raced but more importantly how I felt out there during the race. The non-quantifiable aspects of performance on the day are what really matter to me! The power file is however cool to review too…

JVD

Old Man Racing Again!

I am officially 40 years old and honestly nothing seems to have changed. My hair is still with me, my teeth are solid and I have all the normal aches and pains I experienced as I did when I was in my 30s (mainly from training) so I guess aging doesn't have to be all that bad.

In fact I witnessed some amazing athletic feats last week at our Aerobic Power Haus Bike Camp based in Vernon B.C. We had two gents in the realm of 67-70 years of age hanging with the group and getting stronger as the week wore on. One gent was even challenging me in uphill sprints on a recovery day. It goes to show if you take care of yourself on a daily basis the prevalent mindset of old age ravaging your body does not have to be true. Now I do believe these two gents possess great genes allowing them to age so athletically but moe importantly they both cite being active all their lives. I have a female client who continues to inspire me with here spunk and willingness for me to "push" her during our training sessions with the TRX and free weights. Her family has a history of living long lives despite not being athletically active but she does an amazing job of staying fit, eating well and "life" active daily.

As most know I have stepped away from triathlon this season and have focused solely on bicycle road racing this year (there will be the odd mountain bike event in there too). As we all experienced in March and April during the cold snaps and winter storms, motivation and desire were waning as we had to continue riding on the indoor trainer. Yes I was there too dripping sweat on the top tube and all over the basement floor. At our camp last week I had a moment with an athlete I coach where we reveled in the beauty of the surrounding country side we were riding through (checkout the picture up top for an idea) and right then and there we agreed that "the training we do inside is for days and moments like these out on the open road".

It was great riding 5 straight days, 21:15:27h:m:s over 538km and racking up 1042 TSS points. I was having fun out there despite some days being quite easy. Ash, Greg and I even did a Criterium race in Winfield on Thursday evening after riding a long 124km in 4:40h:m. We were unsure how our bodies would feel as we had just finished the 4th day of camp. Ash rode the A category race while Greg and I opted for the B category race. I haven't raced a crit in 2 years so decided to cut my teeth slowly. By the first turn I knew I had won this race and regretted not joining in the A group. I took the prime and the win on a solo break at the half way point of the race. I realized as the main pack of the A group came through that I could have ridden with them.

Last night was my first night back doing the Tuesday night crits at the UofC Research Park. I used to love these when I first moved to Calgary and would schedule my whole day mentally around them. After a few seasons and a change to triathlons the novelty wore off and I lost all interest in doing them. Funny how yesterday felt like it did 10 years ago! I was anxious, excited, nervous and unsure right until the start line. There are times I find the racing frustrating as I don't know many of the new riders or their abilities but after the first furious few laps, it felt like I had never left the sport. I was having a blast out there.

I gained confidence through each corner, with each surge, with each bridge and each turn at the front. The same frustrations came back too related to shaking a group or keeping the pace fast enough to knock riders off the back as it seemed that when I surged or someone else did, the group would react and shut it down but in the process the group would slow down too mcuh and everyone from the back would sprint up and integrate into the group again. The prospect of riding off the front as I did in Kelowna was not going to be an option last night. The B group is too reactive and yet too slow at the same time. By that I mean any attempt at a break is quickly squashed but the counter attacks are really not there. There is contentment amongst most riders to just hang-on and be there with the group at the end. This is why we see guys who dangle off the front for a few laps able to stay on until the end and contest the finishing sprint.

How did I fare? Well I was feeling pretty comfortable throughout but was in the wrong position on the final lap as I ended up behind riders who were riding above their capacity (witness they weave and swerve a lot and their heads are down). When the smack went down after corner two and the riders riding at their limts were coming into corner three and fading the front split was already hauling towards corner four. I was pleased that I was in fact gaining on the front group and hopefully was credited with the same time as them. I think I finished top 10 for sure but it was below my capabilities. Learning for me on the night will be kept to myself for now until I see if it works! Let's just say I would like to race again tonight to try some different things.

I will be interested to see how group B progresses as the weeks roll on. I recall the average speeds for these races being in the area of 39-41kph and I feel the headwind did slow us down on the two straight aways. My recorded average speed was 38.3kph, average power was 274W, Normalized Power was 313W, Max power was 1115W and 1min best power was 545W.

Why report these wattages? Beacuse these are some of the best anaerobic power and capacity numbers I have ever recorded...

JVD

I also signed up for a Twitter account! You can follow my tweets @jvdcoach.

What Is Training?

"Sports training refers to specialized strategies and methods of exercise used in various sports to develop athletes and prepare them for performing in sporting events." - Wikipedia

I can't believe it has been months since I wrote my last post! Where did the time go and what was I doing during that time? Well, as this post is titled "What Is Training?" that is exactly the question I have been asking since the Ironman. Training was pretty much non-existent for me. Sure I was still doing some weight lifting, running, swimming and cycling but it was all in a fashion that really had no structure. For once I could now classify myself as one of the legions of people who simply "workout" with no focus or direction. I had no goal to work towards so my focus was simply not there which led to many a missed day of "working out". You should gather by now that I view training as a much directed process with an end goal in mind.

As I mulled over my thoughts as to what I was going to train towards in 2011, I had stated a number of times that I wanted to do an XTerra off-road triathlon along with some sprint and maybe an Olympic distance triathlon event. But there was just no fire in the belly. I still am excited about the prospect of doing an XTerra or two but as of late what has been consuming my all thought is the prospect of getting back into road and mountain bike racing! Why?

Here are a few items that have prompted me in this direction;

1. This year I turn (gulp) 40.

2. Due to reason #1 I want to do something different this year than the standard fare triathlons I have done the past 5 years.

3. My plan in the fall was to build my running but my Achilles has kept nagging me to the point I cannot put in enough mileage to see benefit.

4. Due to reason #3, why fixate on an event that relies heavily upon running when I can't train it??

5. Face facts, I have demonstrated the running prowess of a sea turtle. (Mainly due to reason #3).

6. Coaching has really taken off for me this year which is fantastic, but what comes with the territory of added work responsibilities is a lack of training time.

7. With time being a factor I feel it would be easier to focus on a single sport in training versus juggling 3 as well as consistent two-a-day training sessions. These tend to really get in the way of a productive career long-term. I don't have to feel guilty leaving mid-day to get in a swim because the pool lanes are plentiful at that time.

8. A number of my clients are focused on the bike as are a number of my friends and peers and it would be great to get out and train and race with them again. They have motivated and inspired me to do so.

9. After my IMC experience, I was a bit let down by the sport and feel the need to step back or away from it for awhile and recharge. Perhaps burned out from it all is a good summary. I won't abandon triathlon as I do deep down enjoy it but something about the commercialism of it all has really frustrated me.

10. My wife got into cycling two years ago and I think it is totally cool. I enjoy riding with her and showing her new routes and it is a sport that we can connect with together. (She will roll her blue eyes reading this).

Wow, I came up with 10 reasons and I didn't even think about making a list of 10 items.

With that update out of the way, I did want to discuss what I feel training is. This was prompted by a recent discussion with someone who I will classify as a "talkative rider". "Talkative rider" really got to me when I joined a group cycling session in order to do my 3min and 20min time trials. As I finished the 3min effort with my common slobber-fest, vision in blackness and freight train breathing, "talkative rider" and a few others had promptly engaged in a discussion of where they would have lunch after the session. Fast forward to the finish of the 20min TT and having crumpled onto my top tube and handlebars, the discussion once again quickly began but I was not coherent enough to keep up to the content. "Talkative rider" was then producing excuse upon excuse as to why they never got better at their time trials and chalked it up to just not being good at them. In probing what they did for training it became quite clear that there really was no direction they were headed in. No actual program to follow but hoping that the process of “working out” would somehow lead to an increase in performance. Without going into the details of this discussion let's just say that this person will never improve with their current attitude and perspective.

It is sad really that this attitude permeates society in the sense that people are not striving to better themselves but are quite capable of rattling off excuse after excuse. There are many who seem to not want to face a challenge, commit to overcoming that challenge and growing as a person. This doesn’t have to be solely about sport either but could be related to marriage, relationships, career etc. I watch the Biggest Loser and get inspired watching people grow as they are pushed first by the trainers, then by their peers and finally by themselves. I admire the "fight" they develop and the desire to overcome what at one time seemed insurmountable. They no longer have fear or are scared to push themselves. They no longer have fear to challenge themselves and now seek out new and exciting challenges. Look how many past contestants on the Biggest Loser go on to do things that people with perfect health/wealth and physical abilities would never do or more specifically don’t believe they can do.

What I believe has helped transform people on the Biggest Loser has been the guidance given to them and the process of training each of them undergoes. This encompasses the nutrition, the medical, the psychological and the physical conditioning. Much like the training athletes undertake albeit their physical capacities are vastly different. There is a process in place that we often don’t see on the T.V. that the contestants follow so don’t think that it is always a “last chance workout”. The unfortunate thing is that the world sees this and then goes on a high intensity training binge day after day. Not realistic in my opinion.

Many people approach training more from a "I do a workout every day approach" which can be composed of doing a series of random sessions spread across activities like yoga, a spinning class, a weekday jog, weights, elliptical and "swimming" or as I classify them "bathers" or something else in the outdoors. When I speak of training I mean a more methodical approach towards a goal or series of goals and objectives. Cold hard facts and numbers coupled with an athlete’s perceived feeling of improvement. Specific assignments or daily prescriptions that are meant to see the attainment of our stated goals. These goals may be performance markers but what we are really looking to see is if performance in events or races matches their expectations and goals.

One of the key factors Jon Bird spoke of that he learned when I coached him was to focus on the details of the training and understand why I prescribed him a series of workouts. He learned to understand the big picture and how each workout was like a brick forming a solid structure. Each workout had a purpose in the grand scheme of things. I can honestly say there was nothing random about his training program.

I witness so many people who do a series of group training sessions in swimming, running and cycling but there is no overall structure in a manner that will yield results. How can it? I have no issue in people doing a couple of group training sessions weekly but I always ask the groups I lead to think about how this session impacts your overall training program. Did it address your specific limiter that you should be improving in the off-season? Did it or will it impact your next training session(s). Is your recovery impaired by it? Did the group sessions simply meet a social need? Are the sessions congruent with your training phases and build up towards your event? I have heard of groups training towards one goal event late in the season but there were athletes who were training towards an event earlier in the season and were prescribed the same training when they required a different training approach.
I have witnessed athletes who did 4 group cycling sessions a week, two at one coaching group and two at another. They should have got better at their 3min and 20min time trials but they in fact got worse. Why was that the case? How about too many hard sessions a week and not enough recovery or focus on training their aerobic system. Not a structured build-up and too long a period of time doing too high an intensity. Non-compatible zones and assessments where one used power and another perceived effort or heart rate. Poor scheduling of recovery periods will also impact performance or the readiness to perform.

The act of flogging someone takes no art or science and in fact has led to the proliferation of coaches and personal trainers making huge sums of money by tearing someone up once a week. Someone riding next to me last week fell victim to this as he had been pummelled in the morning by a personal trainer who knew the client would be doing a 2 hour cycling class in the evening. The client concluded that a weight training session and a cycling workout on the same day don’t mix well. I disagree and have seen a positive effect in my cycling performance within a 12 hour period of a specific and sensible weight training workout. However, beyond the 12 hour window there is a drop in my cycling performance but by properly structuring my workouts (and those of my athletes) I can account for this and build upon these sessions.

The take home message from this post is to be more cognizant of structuring your training in order to see improvement and the achievement of your goals. Know what it is you are training towards versus hoping something good comes from it. Randomly working out will not lead to long term improvement but rather frustration. Goal setting itself can provide more guidance and direction for an athlete or even someone looking to attain better health and fitness. This is another topic altogether but is imperative to the process of training. Remember “failing to plan is planning to fail”.

I look forward to training and racing on the road and mountain bike again this season!

JVD

Where Can I Find A Coach When I Need One?

Seems like a stupid question these days since the person next to you is probably a coach. I should be more specific with my statement and qualify that the coach next to you is probably a cycling and/or triathlon coach. Furthermore I would classify many of them as "hobby coaches" looking to "live the dream" in an unregulated profession who ultimately dilute and slow the professional growth of the coaching industry. Now I am not throwing everyone in this same category as there are many great coaches and coaching groups around the world who have helped to legitimize coaching and continue to build coaching into a credible profession and push the boundaries and roles of a coach.

How do I define a professional coach? This is a great question. For me I view them as having a minimum certification from a coaching association or other professional fitness organization that has covered the basics of physiology, training principles, coaching ethics, psychology. They have an athletic background in the sport, insurance coverage, experience and charges according to level of experience and expertise. They may also possess a University Degree in Exercise Science or Pedagogy and demonstrate seeking out additional knowledge via conferences and continuing education opportunities to grow themselves professionally. Many of these coach's will adjust their rates as they gain more experience and expertise is specific areas and then specialize in niche areas or demographics.

A hobby coach is someone who has success athletically and decides they know enough to sell their services. They don't obtain a certification of related training, carry no insurance and set rates equivalent to the most experienced coaches or low ball the average coaching rate. They may also work full time in another profession and look to use the coaching dollars to supplement equipment or travel expenses. They will work with anyone willing to pay them.

So what is with the rise of all these cycling and triathlon coaches these days? It is not just in Calgary but it appears to be a worldwide pandemic as coaches are multiplying exponentially and spreading their "knowledge" or in some cases "misinformation" to the masses of weekend warriors and potential hopefuls looking to make it to the big time. As I already stated above coaching is very much an unregulated profession, much like personal training or the fitness industry for that matter. Yes there are certifications from organizations (again some are great while others are looking to generate some vast network of certified fitness professionals which ultimately funds their existence) which can provide a scope of practice but even certification is not a guarantee for qualified professionals who represent that respective certification and it certainly doesn't limit who becomes a personal trainer or not.

Certain Coaching Associations like the Coaching Association of Canada (with specific sporting modules) and United States of America Cycling/Triathlon (USAC/USAT) offer various levels of certification for prospective coaches. USAC and USAT also require and offer continuing education opportunities for their coaching network which ensures coaches stay current and can add new ideas or methodologies to their coaching duties. Anyone can take these and upon completing all requirements can be certified as a coach. This is the easiest route to becoming certified coaches with the exception of saying you are a coach.

From my experience with the cycling and triathlon modules under the CAC umbrella, the value in pursuing such a certification is for those who wish to coach a Provincial junior team at a Western Canada Games or Canada Games and possibly moving on to coach a World Championships or Olympic Team. There is no incentive to go this route for those not pursuing the above mentioned coaching direction nor are there any regulations that would dictate that one must certify through the CAC. My NCCP Level I for Road and MTB has allowed me to act as a "coach" to two National MTB Championship events and one Provincial selection event. Sounds great but really the role was more like that of a chaperon for the juniors than actual coaching a role that could have easily been completed by volunteer parents. This is not always the case but again that was my experience with the projects. I spoke with Kurt Innes several years ago and he stated that if my goal was to coach at the Olympics, then going through the process (political and course work) was required but if I wasn't interested in that route and would rather focus on helping athletes develop (age-grouper, masters, youth etc) there really was no need to pursue the NCCP to a higher level. The route I chose was obviously to focus on working with those who wanted to get better and more importantly who I felt I could help get better no matter their level of perceived ability.

I should also state that a Bachelors or Masters Degree in Kinesiology or Human Kinetics does not qualify someone to be a coach either. Yes it gives a good foundation of physiology and basic sport performance but many of the programs lack the ability to teach students how to apply the knowledge and as such too many textbook clones come out preaching what a "book" told them. I chose a route to understand the physiological basis of sport performance and how to apply the methods to the actualization of performance enhancement versus learning and then not applying the knowledge. This realization occurred once I entered Graduate school and did not happen in my Undergraduate Degree.

What has also led to an increase in the number of coaches out there is previous athletic prowess. Look at how many coaches are currently professional athletes or retired athletes. Again, this does not guarantee a qualified approach to offering a coaching service however I do believe many can offer valuable pieces of advice and personal experiences. The trick is whether or not they can convey and communicate the information to those who are not as genetically blessed as they are and of a different lifestyle altogether. Many age-groupers deem the athletic success of their favorite pros to mean that the coach/athlete can take them to the next level. This may or may not be the case. I have been in the company of several far superior athletically gifted individuals who really could not communicate to me or the group what the intent of a particular workout was in the macro sense of our training plan. Yes it was a tough workout but it was not specific to developing either the neuromuscular system, a particular energy system or event specific demand. When questioned on what we were looking to achieve from the workout the answer was reduced to developing mental toughness and sport specific power. Funny thing was when I asked a member of the coaching team what power was, they couldn't even compose the definition of power! It mirrored what many do in personal training where a workout becomes simply a flogging session.

Too often athletes who become a coach who have been coached previously replicate workouts they were given and pass them on to their clients who may not be able to tolerate, complete or absorb that level of training. Heck I have made this mistake in the past where I gave workouts a previous coach gave me and a group of athletes when we were in a certain phase of training at the wrong time to a bunch of beginners! The net effect was not favorable as they broke down mentally and physically and quit the sport altogether because the training was too hard and unrealistic for them. Live, learn, adapt and apply.

Often times the sports science or coaching nomenclature can be confusing and what one coach speaks of another one coins a different phrase for it despite the same thing being implied which is further "bastardized" by someone else and so on. Understanding the intent of various workouts is a key to progression and development of an athlete and hence all coaches and athletes under the tutelage of a coach should understand what their outcomes should be after a training period. If one requires an increased FTP, then the training had better focus on developing that ability and not on anaerobic capacity or power. I have also tested clients of other coaches and when I go over the results with the athlete, I ask if their coach will understand the results and know how to work with them in their training. The athlete assumes their coach will know the results but nine times out of ten the results are dismissed and the coach prescribes something they are more comfortable with.

I have reviewed training programs that were questionable in the overall intent or focus. However, there are many variables that need to be uncovered first before trashing someone else's program and to see what exactly their intent was. For example a client switched over to work with me after a 3 month period of working under another cycling coach. In reviewing the plan the client was given, I saw no progression, pattern or focus over 3 months and very little performance improvement. The client could not speak to what the focus of the training blocks were either. They simply trusted the individual because of the coach's athletic background, slick website and professional fee of $200 per month. The program was mainly comprised of various "tough" workouts that touched on too many aspects to develop at one time – VO2max intervals one week, anaerobic capacity intervals the next, anaerobic power, low cadence high torque three weeks later, a few FTP workouts mix and match as needed. Testing to determine FTP and wattage zones was inconsistent and the protocols were different when scheduled. There was also a research article listed in the training program in which the coach had prescribed the training protocol studied in the article. Upon tracking down the article (at first for interest's sake) I noticed that the protocols in the article and what the coach prescribed were not the same thing. When I spoke to the client about how they interpreted and executed the workout, they did something completely different and the client was lucky they didn't hurt themselves.

Now, there are various methodologies of coaching out there too. The typical image of a coach is one who presides over a workout with an athlete or team of athletes with a clip board, stop watch and a harsh voice from yelling all the time. There are those who write training programs and email or post online for clients to follow, those who coach a single sport or series of sport sessions for a group (swimming, cycling or running) and focus on technique, those who do a combination of both and then groups who have specialists from various sporting disciplines and ancillary support services like nutritionists, biomechanics specialists, psychology etc. Each one of these methodologies has a specialty and as such, one coach may not be for everyone.

Athletes need to determine what they require most whether it is a structured plan with a Periodized approach, technical advice and guidance, race strategy and tactical advice, advice on their personal physiology. Athletes also need to determine the value of a coach's service. What does the coach offer compared to other coaches or groups? Are they a specialist in one area or do they try and do too many things? I have seen technical coaches for running, swimming and weight training successfully correct an athlete's form but lacked the knowledge in how to implement a training program that would lead to an actual improvement in performance. They could now move more efficiently but still either over or under trained themselves. I have also seen coaches get out there and "pose" their way through a swim session or running session. In fact they lack no formal background in teaching a drill or set of skills. I attended a Pose Method running clinic a few years ago and was videotaped from a far and told I was a classic heel striker. I asked how they could truly determine this without a close up image or specific method to measure where my foot actually contacted the ground over such a short video clip. Now these were experienced runners and coaches and their response was simply that you exhibit a classic heel strike pattern, next. At the end of the day approximately five of us were sidelined with Achilles issues but were told we all improved our running mechanics. Both the coaches by the way are excellent runners however the way in which they each ran was not at all Pose-like – they ran better. I have pictures of Simon Whitefield and Kyle Jones I took in Kelowna and I could make a case that they are both classic heel strikers from the position of their feet in my pictures. I would never make this claim however.

I have seen programs that must have been developed while the coach was learning how to use the copy and paste function in Excel, training advice written on a napkin or the back of Bicycling Magazine, a printout from a website given to a client. Now the quality of advice is what I would usually look for but when that advice is "on Tuesdays do one hour of intervals" too many questions pop into my mind. It is too easy for many to hang a coaching sign on their front step or develop a website and begin working with clients. They can begin charging $200-$500 a month because that is what the top coaches are charging and say "dammit I am worth that much". However at the end of the day, I like how Gordo Byrn stated "thankfully, it will still take a decade to generate ten years of coaching experience."

I learned the importance of sequencing workouts and what it was to really Periodize a training program when I was completing my Masters Degree. Dr. Steve Norris constantly challenged me to think about the big picture while addressing the details. It all matters. Prior to this period in my career I was just doing what everyone else was doing without much thought as to what the training effects might be, what the best sequence or progression of workouts and training periods was. My eyes were opened to critically look at how a program is truly constructed and how everything interacts and leads to an improvement in performance. To this day I continue to address this and learn. I have been at this for over a decade now and am still learning and retooling my trade. How many others can say the same?

So what is the point of this long post or rant? Honestly this has been a few years coming now as I have seen so many coaches come and go. I have had former coaches who worked for me and athletes I coached set up their own businesses. It is a form of flattery for me as most go and find their niches, establish quality training environments that don't infringe on others and continue to learn and evolve as coaches. However some of them have stated they know the equivalent and have the same experience level as I do when speaking with potential clients. Using templates I developed, terminology, testing protocols and such does not imply you are equivalent to me. I certainly can't say that I am the equivalent to the coaches I admire, learn from and implement ideas they have presented.

Why does this bother me? It is not about the client deciding not to work with me but I would rather lose a client to another professional coach or group striving for the same thing I am versus someone looking to supplement their real job in order to buy a new bike – the "hobby coach". This would in my mind provide legitimacy in our profession that potential clients are basing decisions on established, experienced and qualified coaches and groups and not the guy who won last weekend's race and works in oil and gas or in the produce aisle.

I am exploring whether or not the business of coaching is truly a hobby business and whether or not I should I go and do a more impactful profession like being an entertainment news reporter. I believe what I do is a good profession especially when a client tells me that without my help they would not have achieved their goals and they learned more about themselves during the training process. One client stated that my profession should not be overlooked or dismissed since I help people at more than racing well, but to understand discipline and hard work, their health is important, there are other things more important and rewarding than chasing money and that I helped build more character and self confidence in them as a person. I may not continue to work with a particular client on a regular basis as that is unrealistic but pride comes when athletes continue to use the training methods I taught them.

As a final interesting statistic that Joe Friel stated at the USAC Summit a few years ago, based on the numbers of athletes licensed as members for USAC and USAT and the number of coaches certified by USAC and USAT, he predicted that in 5 years the ratio of coaches to athletes may be close to 3:1. Perhaps standards and minimum requirements need to be established.

If coaches continue to charge $50 a month and deliver a high quality service or charge $300 a month with poor customer service, questionable knowledge and misguidance the "hobby coach" industry will continue to grow and maybe the professional coaches and groups will be a thing of the past.

JVD