Investing in cycling support rather than cycling gear… But why ? Here is a list of few questions you might ask yourself about the cycling coaching I provide. Have a read and please send us a message should you have any other question !
What is a coach?
Coaching, whether it’d be in cycling, in business or life, has been widely developed in the past years : whereas 20 years ago endurance athletes were seeking software and ways to gather and analyze data, they now tend to seek expert instructions and advices, as well as motivation boosters. Successful coaches are, first and foremost, successful motivators. Coaches impact their athletes by teaching life skills in hope of developing positive relationships. A coach will listen to you and orientate you through the myriad of existing tools and processes. A coach will support you not only to improve your performance, but also to assist with building a character and growth in order for you to foster and blossom in your own life.
What exactly do I get with your cycling coaching ?
By committing with us, you will have the opportunity to improve your cycling performance in a fully integrated way, balancing your cycling practice with all other areas of your life (family, social, work and/or other sports): I provide a holistic approach to healthy sports performance. Through our 100% personalised plans, I am dedicated to providing you with the foundations to improve your health and overall well-being to simply flourish on a daily basis.
Based on your goal and availabilities, You will get a weekly plan with weekly feedback and interactions with your coach. Each workout is provided with details to help you do the session right, and explanations are provided regarding the interest of each session within the overall training goal.
Why would I need cycling coaching?
You are the only one to know or feel if you need a coach or not; anyone could benefit from a coach as a great accelerator of improving, reaching goals you wouldn’t reach as efficiently alone, but I sure am biased writing this ! Hiring a coach is like calling a plumber for your house : if you need a quick tap fix, then you might as well do it on your own, but if you want to upgrade or revamp your installation, it might be wiser and more efficient to call out a plumber. Same goes with your cycling training and coaching which needs to be combined with all your other life obligations.
A coach will bring her or his knowledge and experience, and their experience gained while working with other athletes. (S)he will provide objective analysis and feedback in a kind and safe environment for you to ride at your true potential, (s)he will give you motivation and inspiration, will make you accountable, (s)he will support in the way you need it, when you need it, and take care that you don’t overtrain or burn out.
Being coached requires the willingness to commit to your own training and the desire to listen to and trust your coach. It is a win-win partnership where both the coach and the coachee commit to a positive relationship with each other.
Do I have to know anything about training?
You don’t need to know anything about training, my mission is to share my knowledge with you; I will explain the objectives of each session planned and give you keys to understanding your training if you are curious about it. I provide the knowledge and objectivity !
Do you just focus on building FTP?
I support the athletes in improving their overall power output as well as their overall well-being on and off the bike. I will provide workouts aiming at building on the strengths of the athlete and improving her or his weakness(es), be it intervals, long endurance sessions, core training, strength conditioning, yoga sessions or even meditations !
Can I use my own software?
I use TrainingPeaks and WKO5 as well as WHOOP to analyse the athletes’ data and prepare their training plans; you don’t need to buy it and can of course use your own software on the side. This will be the case for instance if you start using one of our pre-built training plans.
Why should I trust you?
It takes time to build and earn trust. A simple paragraph is one of the multiple steps of the relationship we’ll build together. Some words about me will probably help you best understand where I’m from. I achieved cycling goals through self coaching and commitment to continually observe and learn. I have spent some years in that crazy city life with a promising career trying to juggle between the obligations of work, social and personal lives. However, I evolved to a more quiet daily life in the Pyrénées mountains to align with my calling of sharing knowledge and supporting people around me to flourish.
My scientific background and insatiable curiosity led me to continually add to my knowledge and experience on many areas related more or less closely to cycling. Thus, sports physiology, nutrition, yoga, life coaching, positive psychology and meditation: all these fields have shaped my mindset.
What methods do you use?
I believe that “one size fits all” approach can bring ideas and inspirations to your training, but will not allow you to reach your potential or true well-being. Therefore, I only propose a service that fits only you, from the options you choose to the price you pay. This is the first step of the trustful relationship I want to build with each individual I coach.
I have been trained and certified as a cycling coach by Hunter Allen, who “is considered a foremost authority on using power meters to excel in endurance sport” (velopress). I have also been certified by Yoga Medicine as a yoga teacher,as well as female physiologist by Dr Stacy Sims. Based on these teachings, I have developed a method to take into account all areas of your life into our training planning strategy. Indeed, I see you not only as a cyclist, but also as a family member, a social human being, a professional commuting every day to work.
Do I have to pay for 12 months of cycling coaching up front?
At the beginning, you’ll pay for the initial setup and first three months of coaching. This will give us a real chance to learn to work well together. After that, I then work on a three months basis that you can cancel anytime.
What do you do with the money?
My time is dedicated to two main areas : coaching you and my continuous education. The coaching side is analysing athletes’ workouts, providing feedback and planning so that they reach their goals in due time.
In order to provide you with the best service, continuous education is key in a world where technology and scientific breakthroughs change perspectives. Thus, I want to deepen my knowledge in areas related to cycling (nutrition, hydration, mental skills, coaching technique..), I take time to train and to expand knowledge and practice in areas less directly connected to cycling (business coaching, joint health and mobility, psychology, yoga, physiology).
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