by hattenburrow | Apr 25, 2017 | Coaching, Training
Last weekend I travelled to Cyclopark in Kent to take part in my Level Two Road Cycling Course with British Cycling.
The two day course started with a development day and then assessment on the Sunday. Before the course start date we had an online learning platform where I completed a online assessment on road cycling (86% yay!) and also has to plan for a 10 minute coaching session on development day. This was also an opportunity to meet the other participants which was very helpful.
I chose countering an attack as my technique and worked on a 10 minute session which included seated and standing attacks as well as countering attacks from a bunch.
On development day we each had a chance to learn as a participant in sessions and to coach our own session. When it came to my turn I decided to leave out my first activity worried that I had packed in too much content. I started my session with an introduction which in hindsight was probably too long and then set my riders off. Sadly my session over ran as I tried to pack in far too much content. My session needed a clearer goal and refining for assessment day but I understood where I could improve it to make a more active.
The rest of the morning was spent being a participant in other people’s sessions this was really valuable as being a rider in a coaching session you can learn different ways of being coached and also look at coaching from a rider’s perspective which helps me to improve my own sessions. It was very wet and cold but the learning experience was so valuable.
In the afternoon we went through how to really drill down and create specific goals that related to types of road races and the components of fitness. This really helped me think about my own sessions and how I can create better coaching sessions with specific goals to be reached by riders by the ends of sessions.
My brain active and full of ideas I went back to my hotel Saturday ready to adapt my session plan ready for the 15 minute assessment on Sunday.
Sunday arrived and luckily the rain didn’t! My assessment went well instead of my goal being around countering an attack I looked more specifically at how riders can gain free speed. I focused on keeping my riders doing the same type of activity with subtle changes and adding in coaching points and checking for understanding as I went along.
My session went very well and I got good feedback from Richard and also lots of ideas on how I could adapt and progress my session further.
In the afternoon we did coach led racing which is different from ‘normal’ coaching sessions as you set up scenarios which could happen in a race, let it play out and then come in and discuss tactics and get feedback from the riders on what they did and how they would improve their performance. This was a really interesting way of coaching and I think with older kids and adults could work very well for coaching road and mountain bike sessions as it puts learning into practise in a more realistic setting.
I am really glad that I passed my Level two Road qualification it was a good weekend and I learnt so much and have loads of ideas for road racing sessions, now all I have to do is put some times in the diary to run some.
If you are interested in road racing coaching sessions in Hampshire and West Sussex please contact me.
by hattenburrow | Apr 14, 2017 | Biking Adventures
After the Trans Alp last July my Mum decided she would like to take on some cycling challenges, as you can imagine I was thrilled at the thought of being able to share some biking adventures with her.
On Sunday the adventures started with a trip to the New Forest to take part in the Spring Sportive.
Since buying her road bike a few months back my Mum has managed a few rides but had not really been out for any distance so this was a great test of her endurance.
We arrived in the New Forest early Sunday morning to cloudless skies and warming sun. We picked up our Power Bar goodies and numbers and headed to the start. We were soon pedalling our way through country lanes around the New Forest on our 30 mile route.
The miles seemed to fly by and soon we were at the feed station, a very pretty village hall where we stocked up on jammy dodgers and flapjacks. 12 miles down we rolled out for the final 17 miles Mum was doing really well and we were averaging around 13/14 miles an hour eating up the miles passing through quaint villages, farmers’ fields, New Forest ponies and even a Donkey greasing the verge.
The elevation of the last section included a few steady inclines and I could tell this last 2/3 miles were becoming difficult for her so we eased off enjoying the views. The great thing about Sportives over races in the huge mixture of abilities enjoying time on their bikes, there is no pressure to go fast you can take things leisurely.
Cycling through the New Forest
We soon turned back down the long track to the finish line to complete our first mother and daughter sportive. I am sure there will be more to come!
Sportives are a great way to test your endurance cycling ability in a safe environment knowing you can rely on feed stations and mechanical support if needed, making them a great opportunity for new cyclists to get out and enjoy time on their bikes and explore new areas on two wheels.
by hattenburrow | Mar 27, 2017 | Adventure, Mountains, Snowboarding
If Canada is the Mecca for adventure seekers then Whistler is the shangri-la of snow sports. Arriving for our five day whirlwind visit, Whistler was a hive of energy. 8,171 acres of powder, over 200 trails, Whistler boasts the longest unsupported gondola (4.4k,) joining the Blackcomb and Whistler peaks. In an average year they have 11m of snow making this a powder capped heaven! With a great mixture of blue, red and black runs Whistler has something for everyone.
During our (Martyn & myself) trip we ventured into the back-country for the first time with a guide. An experience that Martyn and I will never forget.
Back-country Snowboarding
We met our guide, J.F from Coast Mountain Guides at the bottom of Whistler gondola with nervous anticipation as we talked through the avalanche safety gear and created a plan for the day. J.F is a highly experienced mountain and ski guide with years of experience, he probably shares more in common with mountain deer than Martyn and I though, as we stood there un-aware of the adventure that was about to unfold.
Coast Mountain Guides was started by Guillaume Otis with his Dad back in 1998.
They operate year round and provide mountain guiding services for a wide range of client’s skills and abilities.
The first challenge of the day!
Once at the top of the lift system, to make our way into the back-country we had to take a toggle lift – sounds easy right! Wrong. I managed to expertly fall off the long pole not once, but twice… The first time I hung on thinking surely I can pull myself back up, this turned out not to be the case, after a few seconds I collapsed into a crumpled heap in defeat as others slid by without a care, not struggling to sit on the pole that seemed impossible to me!
Third time lucky! With some help from J.F to balance the beast I made my way shakily to the top arriving with a smile and a sigh of relief! I made it. Wow…and we have not even started the challenging bit, I thought to myself!
After a short run down we entered the back country gate, making sure our transponder’s where working as we passed through we left the lifts behind and walked into Mother Nature’s playground.
Whistler backcountry gate
The Ascent towards the unknown
Martyn and I had never been back country skiing before or, even walked up a glacier for that matter. So a brief lesson on how to split our board in two and then how to add the skins (sticky pads which ran along the length of each ski), so that we could climb the mountain. It was an odd feeling after being on a board to split it in half to use as skis it was easy to do once you got the hang of it.
Making tracks
We started the traverse to the summit. Using the ski tracks of the people that had been on before we slowly zig zagged up the side of the mountain not dissimilar to the way you would mountain bike up a steep hill.
Each binding had a heel riser so your heel stayed high to make walking up steep terrain possible, looking behind I was amazed at the distance we had covered considering we were moving slowly.
Walking up hill was hot work!
Reaching the summit, the Fitzsimmons Mountain Range stretched out before us in every direction, a majestic landscape, frozen and wild. The wind howled around us, whirling snow into tiny tornados. I felt in awe at the sheer power of the wind and the vast expanse of snow reaching out before us, I felt humbled by my surroundings and also a little chilly!
Looking into the back-country
We worked quickly to remove the sticky skins wrapping them back in our packs, releasing our bindings from each ski and slotting them back together to form a board.
J.F applying skins to skis
Carving Powder
With the wind thrashing around us we swooped over the edge into pure white powder, it was like riding through whipped egg whites, the board carved through the deep snow descending quickly down the slope.
We traversed the side of the glacier bowl staying high so we didn’t end up in the flat valley below. It was unbelievable gliding through fluffy clouds of powder making fresh tracks where no one else had been.
The clouds stole our view.
Making our way to the next climb, we stopped beneath a ridge. The approaching storm shrouded the tops and the dark clouds looks ominous, our perfect visibility was about to be snatched away from us. It was time to split our boards, apply our skins and make our way into the cloud. It was hard, hot work climbing pushing your ski forward with your toe and the pushing down with your heel so the ski gripped the snow.
At the top we used our skis to compact the snow, to make a ledge to work from, then it was time to reassemble our boards. The trees gave us shelter from the wind, we worked quickly to avoid chilling off. Stopping anywhere in high mountains in changeable weather can be chilly work and the colder you get the slower you get.
Reaching the top
Ready to go, the visibility was making our route through the trees tricky so J.F went first then I boarded down to just below him and then it was Martyn’s turn. My first tree run was good however, on my second run I didn’t turn quick enough and ended up as a tree decoration! The powder was so deep my left leg sunk out of sight and all the pulling in the world was not budging it, when I looked up all I could see was snow which was a little frightening. I shouted to Martyn who heard the slight panic in my voice and came to my rescue. Its times like these that you appreciate having mates around.
Watch our for that tree!
After extraction – we made our way down to where J.F had stopped to wait for us. J.F had scouted a jump for Martyn who expertly carved through the fresh powder launching off the lump and got good height landing softly in thick, thick snow.
What a show off!
As we split our boards ready to head back up through the trees the snow quietly fell and the only sound was coming from us, crunching back through the snow covered trees. It was hot work walking up hill and I was nicely roasting by the time we stopped.
Skins sticking to the skis to make walking up-hill possible
Our last back-country run of the day was epic! The visibility had been reduced to about 15m because of the storm. It took all my concentration to work out the contours in the snow so that I could make good turns. Once we were lower the visibility opened up and we weaved through the trees and dipped out into a long run down to Whistler village. Buzzing from our day in the back-country – full of stories, memories and feeling exhausted Martyn and I stopped for a well-earned drink and to share some amazing memories of the day.
Wine time…
Tips for back-country:
- Hire a professional guide, the equipment for avalanche safety is expensive. With proper knowledge of the areas guides can help you get the most out of your experience
- Layers of clothing is king. Going from snowboarding down to skiing uphill – your temperature changes constantly so having layers to zip and unzip makes it more comfortable
- Food and hydration. My water froze so a lucozade type drink would be better, every time you put your skins on take a sip to make sure you stay well hydrated
- Being able to put your helmet and goggles inside your bag will mean they don’t fill up with snow! Mine did it was a brain freezing experience outing them back on!
by hattenburrow | Mar 19, 2017 | Adventure, Mountains, Snowboarding
6 Days, 2 Mountains, Let’s go!
“The mountains are calling and I must go” – This quote by John Muir I have always found powerful. As a child I spent time with my family exploring majestic peaks, now in my twenties the mountains hold a special place in my heart, they are filled with wonder and adventure.
The real fun of the mountains I believe is in, the grin splitting, fist pumping, high fiving, that comes from sharing the experience with friends. To share the accomplishment of reaching the top, to be there when you fall and sit silently on the summit to take it all in is something quite special.
So it is with anticipation each year my boyfriend Martyn and I plan our annual trip to the snow.
This year was the big one, Whistler.
If Canada is the Mecca for adventure seekers, then Whistler is the shangri-la for snow sports, a hive of energy swirling around in a blizzard over 8,171 acres of powder and with over 200 trails. Whistler boasts the longest unsupported gondola (4.4k,) joining the Blackcomb and Whistler peaks. In an average year they have 11m of snow, making this a powder capped heaven! With a great mixture of blue, red and black runs Whistler has something for everyone.
As you can imagine I was super excited to get out there and test out the slopes.
Arriving late Saturday our 2 hour 30 min transfer from Vancouver to Whistler along the sea to sky road, was long! This is a stunning trip in itself following the meandering lakes. Arriving at our hotel the Fairmont Chateau a beautiful ski-in ski-out resort I knew we were in for an incredible week of luxury and snow!
Jet-lag couldn’t stop us, Sunday morning we were on one of the first lifts to the top to check out what was in store on the Blackcomb side of the mountain range. The gentle flakes of snow which had been falling from the sky since we arrived made the visibility low, about 30metres which was not great, so we spent the afternoon chilling out after a few runs enjoying the outdoor swimming pool and gym.
Having only snowboarded in Europe before I was excited to try somewhere new, Whistler is very different to Europe the trees are tightly packed together and the runs are vast, with large areas of off-piste.
We stayed on the Blackcomb side exploring the runs and off-piste areas for the first two days, the runs were beautiful and long with some mogul sections which I was not a fan of! The queues for the gondolas and lifts could be quite long but there was so much terrain you could be the only person on a run at times which was exciting, it was like you had the whole mountain to yourself.
By Tuesday evening it hadn’t stopped snowing and I was missing the sun. One of my favourite parts of snowboarding is the crystal clear skies and rays of sun creating jaw dropping views at every turn.
On Wednesday we were woken to striking rays coming through the curtains. The sun makes a huge difference, the mountains peaked through the clouds showing off their tremendous tips of white fluffy snow, the added visibility is also a huge confidence boost and allows you to really get into the flow.
As the weather had opened up we went across on the Peak 2 Peak gondola to the Whistler mountain side and into the Symphony Ampetheatre, a huge expanse of open off-piste, where we spent time making fresh tracks and enjoying the sun on our faces. Getting tired of falling over and digging myself out of waist deep snow it was time for a well-earned break and to plan our next lift.
We made our way back to the Peak 2 Peak lift and from there made our own routes down to Creek-side, for what turned out to be the best and biggest bowl of pulled pork nachos I have ever seen!
Back-country Snowboarding
Thursday we went out into the back country with Coast Mountain Guides. We met our guide, J.F at the bottom of the Whistler gondola with nervous anticipation. We talked through the avalanche safety gear and created a plan for the day.
Coast Mountain Guides was started by Guillaume Otis with his Dad back in 1998. They operate all year round and provide mountain guiding services for a wide range of client’s skills and abilities.
We took the lift up to the top of Blackcomb Mountain, to get into the glacier bowl we had to use the toggle lift, which I expertly fell off twice! We started to traverse the glacier ridge on foot it was absolutely stunning, in every direction mountains towered over us gleaming in the morning sun.
After a short run down we entered the back country gate, making sure our transponder’s where working as we passed through, we left the lifts behind and walked into Mother Nature’s playground.
Martyn and I had never been back country before or walked up a glacier for that matter, so a brief lesson on how to split our board in two and then how to add the skins (sticky pads which ran along the length of each ski), so that we could climb the mountain. It was an odd feeling after being on a board to split it in half to use as skis it was easy to do once you got the hang of it.
We started the traverse to the summit. Using the ski tracks of the people that had been before we slowly zig-zagged up the side of the mountain not dissimilar to the way you would mountain bike up a steep hill.
Each binding had a heel riser so your heel stayed high to make walking up steep terrain possible, looking behind I was amazed at the distance we had covered considering we were moving slowly.
Reaching the summit, the Fitzsimmons Range stretched out before us like a scene from an action movie, the wind howled around us, whirling snow into tiny tornadoes. I felt in awe at the sheer power of the wind and the vast expanse of snow reaching out before us. Although a little chilly I felt humbled by my surroundings.
We worked quickly to remove the sticky skins wrapping them back in our packs, releasing our bindings from each ski and slotting them back together to form a board.
Then we were ready, with the wind thrashing around us, we swooped over the edge into pure white powder, it was like riding through whipped egg whites. The board carved through the deep snow descending quickly down the slope.
We traversed the side of the glacier bowl staying high so we didn’t end up in the flat valley below. It was unbelievable gliding through fluffy clouds of powder making fresh tracks where no one else had been.
Making our way to the next climb, we stopped beneath the ridge, where we had to climb in the bowl for a lunch stop with a serious view.
The approaching storm shrouded the tops and the dark clouds looked ominous, our perfect visibility was about to be snatched. After a few bites it was time to split our boards, apply our skins and make our way into the cloud. It was hard, hot work climbing pushing your ski forward with your toe and the pushing down with your heel so the ski gripped the snow.
At the top we used our skis to compact the snow, to make a ledge to work from, then it was time to reassemble our boards. The trees gave us shelter from the wind and we worked quickly. Stopping anywhere in high up mountains in changeable weather can be chilly work and the colder you get the slower you get.
Ready to go, the visibility was making our route through the trees tricky so our guide J.F went first then I boarded down to just below him and then it was Martyn’s turn. My first tree run was good however on my second run I didn’t turn quick enough and ended up in a tree… The powder was so deep my left leg sunk out of sight and all the pulling in the world was not budging it, when I looked up all I could see was snow which was a little frightening. I shouted to Martyn who heard the slight panic in my voice and came to my rescue. It’s times like these that you appreciate the wild of the wilderness and understand the respect that should be given to outdoor sports and mother nature.
Making my way down to J.F to rest, it was Martyn’s turn. J.F had scouted a jump for Martyn who expertly carved through the fresh powder launching off a jump into the air, landing in thick, thick snow.
As we split our boards ready to head back up through the trees the snow quietly fell and the only sound was coming from us, crunching back through the snow covered trees. It was hot work walking up hill and I was nicely roasting by the time we stopped.
Our last backcountry run of the day was epic! The visibility had been reduced to about 15m because of the storm. It took all my concentration to work out the contours in the snow, so that I could make good turns. Once we were lower the visibility opened up as we weaved through the trees and dipped out into a long run down to Whistler village. Buzzing from our day in the back-country full of stories, memories and feeling exhausted we stopped for a well-earned drink.
Tips for back-country:
- Hire a professional guide, the equipment for avalanche safety is expensive and with proper knowledge of the areas guides can help you get the most out of your experience
- Layers, going from snowboarding down to skiing up your temperature changes constantly so having layers to zip and unzip makes it more comfortable
- Food and hydration, My water froze so a lucozade type drink would be better, every time you put your skins on take a sip to make sure you stay well hydrated
- Being able to put your helmet and goggles inside your bag will mean they don’t fill up with snow! Mine did it was a brain freezing experience putting them back on!
Our time in Whistler was over too quickly. We met some wonderful people and you cannot fault the Canadian hospitality, everyone is super nice and welcoming. Whister village has a great selection of outdoor shops for perusing and a buzzing après ski scene, although to be honest we spent more time on the slopes than in the bars.
The Blackcomb side of the mountain has, in my opinion the better longer runs and on the Whistler side you have more powder and glaciers to explore. The blue runs are like red runs in Europe and the black and black diamond are more advanced. The whole area is vast and we only touched the surface on ticking off the runs.
We will be back!
by hattenburrow | Mar 10, 2017 | Coaching, Training
Should you hire a coach?
Last year I raced the Bike Trans Alp a stage race from Austria to Italy over 7 days, climbing 19,000 metres. I had never raced anything like this before. I had never ridden the distances required on multiple days let alone raced it! Climbing alpine mountains was also a new challenge, but I was excited about pushing my limits and seeing what I was capable of.
One of the key factors in getting me ‘race’ fit was hiring Mark at Velo Coaching. As a cycling coach myself I understood the basic principles of training and the sorts of sessions I should be putting together, to increase my endurance and also my ability to climb economically, however I had no real idea in how to put this together as a training plan that would allow for recovery and the adaptation in my physiology that I needed.
Mark and I worked together to look at my daily commitments like working hours, my own cycling coaching sessions and time to spend with my family. From there we plotted what type of training I could do around this and added in some important recovery time.
Having a plan made it easy for me to focus on a day at a time and not get overwhelmed with the task ahead.
I am a self-motivated person and if I want something I am prepared to make sacrifices to make it happen, having said this, having a coach there to motivate me and analyse my progress was one of the most helpful tools. Every week Mark would look at my training and we would discuss over Training Peaks what was going well and what wasn’t. As a cycling coach myself I didn’t need hand holding through my sessions I just needed the structure to work within.
The Trans Alp bike race came round in July 2016 quicker than ever and as my Dad and I drove to Austria I felt prepared, safe in the knowledge I had put in as much training as I could manage and was as ready as I could be.
It was in the Autumn after returning from the alps I had an email from someone about coaching, they weren’t sure if they were ‘good enough’ to have a coach.
My experience is that having a coach can make a difference to the small things like, for example as I have a lot going on in my work it made the task of planning and analysing my training a weight off my mind, I new Mark was there working that out so all I had to do is put on my kit and go cycling and not put too much thought into the planning stage it was all laid out for me. I think also from a confidence point of view having a coach to say it’s okay if it doesn’t go well every race or you need to work harder on hill climbing.
My thoughts are if you want to get better at something then it takes practise and patients. Getting expert advice whether you’re looking to just feel more confident when you’re out riding with your family or you are aiming for a challenge, anyone can grow as a rider and become better with the guidance of a good cycling coach.
If you would be interested in me helping you, please get in touch.
