Coach Carter

In the main, the athletes I work with are in their 30s or 40s – people that are established in their careers, maybe had their families, and now want to get back in to sport. Like I used to view the ‘mature student’ cohort at the University, a group that seem to know a lot more about what they want. I do love working with this type of athlete – they give back what I put in: a real reciprocal relationship. People need very little chivvying to get their training done (although training diary updates seem to be more like school homework!)

Last week though, I had an opportunity to work with athletes at the beginning of their careers in cycling. I have made links with VC Jubilee, the youth sectionof the Brighton Excelsior club. Last week, Dan and I (accompanied by two University placement students Elliott and Becky) drove over to Hove in “Mobie” to put 5 riders through their paces. The project is one where Sally, the head coach, wants her riders to benefit from fitness monitoring, but also for her coaching team to have some sport science support. For PBscience there are also direct benefits – working with athlete populations out of your every day norm keeps you on your toes, and keeps you learning. In preparing the reports today, I have been reading up on research I wouldn’t ordinarily get the chance to look at. Also, on the day of testing itself different skillsets are needed: making sure you are putting the athletes at ease, the different communication needs, explaining what we are doing and why, dealing with reactions to test scores / comparisons with others – like I say, it keeps you on your toes!

The group really impressed me – I tested some cyclists on the ‘Talented Athlete Scheme’ a few years ago, and a few of those riders are now based in pro teams on the continent. Some of Sally’s group are putting scores out very close to what I have seen before. It is a real testament to Sally and her team – they spend hours of their lives devoted to the sport and to many aspiring young athletes. I left the session inspired, and very reflective of my own sporting career: thankful to the people who gave up their time for me. Sport is a wonderful opportunity to meet people.

Last week was also the first time I had been out on the road with Mobie for a while – thankfully, it was afternoon testing, so things had warmed up a little. Unlike my test yesterday morning! I’m involved in a project with the Fitness team at Cycling Weekly. Alongside the coach, Oli (who happens to be one of my athletes!) the project is taking someone at ‘zero’ and turning them into ‘hero’ in 8 weeks (not my article title idea I assure you!). As it is, we have a ‘heroine’ Susannah, and she did live up to that moniker by having to get to Eastbourne in the most horrendous weather: train delays, cancellations and then traffic holding up her taxi. Then to cap it all, the coldness got to her and I had to do my best to collect blood samples from freezing cold extremities. We got there though, and all 3 of us (including Mike the photographer) felt the testing went well. Like the VC Jubilee project, all these opportunities are adding to my experience database.

During my busy times I have to remind myself the worth of taking these things on, even if what I feel like doing is staying behind my PC to work on data analysis and programme writing. I spoke about my ‘hibernation’ tendency I have with my own life coach, Leanne, on Friday. I explained how since getting back from Majorca, all I wanted to do was wake up and have the whole day ahead of me working at my desk – almost reclusive desires! We spoke about how normal that is, I imagine especially having given a lot of energy over “24/7” on camp. It comes back to the Stephen Covey concept of ‘production capability”. Getting my "P/PC balance" right is critical to keeping ahead as a coach, and making my business something people want to be involved in. Yes, it is vital I get on with the day to day core work (production), but I also have to invest in my long term development (production capability).

As I write this, I feel like one of the luckiest people alive – I really love my job, the people I work with, and the opportunities I am given. I feel very fortunate to have arrived in this place