The Athlete of the month award has been designed to highlight the hard work and determination of athletes that I coach. With a £20 wiggle voucher on offer each month then it can be a little incentive to help keep athletes motivated
This months winner is……
This months award goes to Richard who is part of the Ride Harder Academy. Richard has been coached 1:1 for a charity ride in 2019 and initially joined the academy using Heart Rate initially before moving over to power halfway. Richard just quietly gets on with every session thrown at him and despite having a very busy job rarely misses a session. It just goes to show that you don’t have to have a power meter to achieve your cycling goals
Name:Richard Goodwin
Occupation:
Consultant Radiologist
How long have you been cycling and what got you into it?
One year, for a charity ride in September 2019.
What’s your dream bike?
Should I say a Factor bike here
What are your goals for 2020?
To not die on the Fred Whitton
What is your favourite training session on the Ride Harder Plan?
The VO2 because it’s impossible to switch off.
What is your favourite cycling/training quote?
“Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill” – Fausto Coppi
What’s the best piece of equipment you have purchased to help you improve as a cyclist?
Garmin bike computer
How have you improved since being in the academy?
Pedalling technique has improved. Motivation to train has improved.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced since starting structured training and how have you overcome it?
Time commitment. By rearranging wherever possible and only mossing a couple of optional sessions
What one bit of advice would you give to someone who wants to improve their cycling?
Practice and training are not the same. If you really want to improve you need structured training not just miles on the bike.
As Richard has been coached 1:1 and also on the academy, I asked him how both options compared?
I have found the Academy different in that I have less direct contact with you but being part of a larger group all trying to improve is great. I have made less use of the Facebook page than others, preferring to just get on with it and only reach out if I need advice, although the initial Tuesday web chats were helpful in establishing the degree of flexibility with the sessions. Certainly, I have found the power pedals make a difference – for example, I know that as I tire during higher intensity session if I was to maintain my HR then my power would decline but with the pedals, I maintain my power and my HR increases – so I work harder. I must admit I had expected the Academy to require fewer sessions per week than the 1:1 program over the summer but in hindsight, I know that starting the summer as fit as I was at the end of last summer will only mean I am that much fitter for the rides in the coming summer.
