Blog Entries for Coach Carter

All work, no play

helen@pbscience.com — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:17:03 +0100

“I’m a cyclist at my core, but these days my life doesn’t revolve around my bike the way it did. I’m a cyclist, but I am also a business owner. I don’t have endless hours to spend building up the massive endurance base that characterises so many classic training programmes. I don’t have the time to be the cyclist I was, and I don’t have the desire to be. My life is fuller, more fulfilling than it has ever been, and although I am glad cycling is an important part of my life, I’ [...]

My Sport Science heros

helen@pbscience.com — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 04:36:53 +0100

Sitting in Starbucks, Newcastle sharing thoughts on ideas for this blog post, I tell Dan of the title I am considering using. “Am I in it then?” he asks....that comment confirmed the selection of this title!!

When Dan and I first considered attending this conference, we looked at the keynote speakers and it won us over. It is not [...]

All in the process

helen@pbscience.com — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:59:25 +0100

I am enjoying reading of the new look Procycling magazine – I have been a subscriber for all my years as a cyclist, but their recent overhaul of the look and feel of the magazine is one I welcome. In particular, there are more features written by people across the cycling industry. The rid [...]

Back on the road

helen@pbscience.com — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:32:50 +0100

A week of holiday was just what I needed – good weather, nice cycling rides, plenty of time with my books and journal, and most of all, the time and space to let ideas come together.

Its incredible how the pace of life and work life in particular prevents creative thought. Often, we end up working on projec [...]

My turn

helen@pbscience.com — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:39:37 +0100

Well, its been a busy 3 weeks catching up with my riders - lab tests, rider mid year reviews (and copius coffee drinking). One thing that has really struck me this year is how many of the riders have 'matured' in their approaches to the sport, their training and their racing. The majority are now looking further into the future than before, i [...]

Coaching secrets

helen@pbscience.com — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:32:16 +0100

The Times recently published a series of articles on the philosophies of five coaches working with top athletes in UK sport today. Dan passed them on to me, and I have been spending some time reading them and reflecting no how my approach differs / overlaps with theirs. What I have done in this week's blog is to take one quote that really resonated with me from each of the five articles in the series, and give you my perspective on it.

Its always good to keep open to new approaches, a [...]

Sharing the road

helen@pbscience.com — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:33:06 +0100

This week’s post is being created at the wind tunnel facility in Brackley. My athlete Chris is on the rig – hoping to find some more seconds to take him further down into the “19 minute” bracket: he set a new PB for 10 miles last weekend – 19:59. From the data rolling up on the screen in front of me, he might be seeing those faster times pretty soon!

It was only this lunchtime that it dawned on me I had been having a recurring experience in the last fortnight: reminders that we ten [...]

If you can't stand the heat

helen@pbscience.com — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:22:49 +0100

This weekend saw the hottest day of the year so far: it has to happen each season, coming across a hot day for a race event - but what made this weekend so tricky for a group of my athletes was that it came out of the blue, and also on one of the biggest weekends of their season.

It was bad enough watching - as I stood on the dual carriageway in Warwickshire, the venue for this year's opening time trial championships of the year, the National 10 mile champs, it was 33 degrees. The sam [...]

why do we do it?

helen@pbscience.com — Tue, 18 May 2010 06:09:36 +0100

This week, there will be many cyclists around the country going through their final preparation for this weekend's National time trialling championships - around 400 people in fact. Even more athletes will be racing across mountain biking, road racing, triathlon and other competitive events. Athletes have spent hours getting ready for their sporting challenges; a lot of money has been spent; and undoubtedly the biggest investment is emotionally. It begs the question - why do we do it?

Sowing the seeds

helen@pbscience.com — Tue, 11 May 2010 07:17:37 +0100

(On writing that title, I have started singing the 1980s Tears for Fears hit! showing my age now)

Last week, I spoke of my time reflecting on where I am at, business and personal wise. We all need time to contemplate where we are, where we want to head and what steps we need to take in order to best 'arrive'. Life and sport, so similar. My weekend re-treat in "Mobie" allowed me to de-clutter and focus on the priorities I have set: 'tree felling' as I called it. The next step in the pr [...]

Tree felling

helen@pbscience.com — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:50:09 +0100

I've just got back from spending 3 days in the New Forest: spending some quality time with "Mobie" in his intended use: as a motorhome - have to say, the 'mobile lab' got some curious looks as I drove into the campsite on Saturday morning! The 3 days were more of a 'retreat' than a 'break' as the intention was always to take some time out in order to reflect on my current goals - personal and business. Where better to 'sharpen my saw' than in the New Forest?