James McArdle's remote coaching feedback

My name is James McArdle and I’m a cycling addict. And it’s all thanks to Cycling Inform. Trust me that’s not a bad thing.

I use to ride a lot when I was a teenager and started mountain bike racing about 3 or 4 years ago. I had no idea what I was doing with my training and just went out and did what I thought was right and I did allright. I started getting places and set some goals for myself. Within the first year I’d achieved all the goals I’d set and more.

That first year saw me win the Victorian State Sports B championship and repeated that the following year as well. Then for some reason I lost my excitement for racing mountain bikes and I started looking at road races and criteriums. This is when I started to take my riding a bit more seriously so I started looking at getting a coach.

I started my road career as such in D grade with the Southern Vets in February 2010 and just this week (January 2011) I have been moved up to A grade at the vets. Now to me that is just an unreal result and performance in just one year of being coached by David Sturt (Cycling Inform) and trust me when I say it hasn’t been easy but you only get out of the program what you put in.

When I started on the program I didn’t have much strength and I couldn’t climb. David Sturt has been able to transform me to what I consider to be a good climber now. I raced in the High Plains road race in October 2010 in D grade and I won the King of the mountain and let myself down with a mechanical and bad descending skills. From that experience I knew I had to work more on my climbing and also descending so I signed up for the Bright Boot Camp in November and also the Tour of Bright.

The Boot Camp is well worth it and you learn a lot about the area but more importantly, you learn more about yourself. The support and knowledge you can pick up is invaluable and I’ll keep it and use it a lot through out my riding days. You’re riding with riders that have been doing it for years and years and come across all different race situations and also different weather conditions as well. The weather can play a major part in your tactics and strategy in a race and being exposed and training all different environments, t will just make you smarter and more comfortable. The November Boot Camp saw some very, very wet weather but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I feel more confident riding in the wet now and know that when you get home you can always warm up.

Cycling Inform has given me the tools and knowledge to be able to become a stronger, faster and smarter rider. Their support as coaches is nothing compared to the friendship and advise you also gain from being coached. Feeling comfortable to be able call or email them to get advise, gives you even more confidence that Cycling Inform are there to help you. I’ve improved dramatically with my riding in all aspects such as strength, climbing, sprinting, stamina and most importantly tactics and without Cycling Informs support I wouldn’t be were I am today.

I would highly recommend getting onto a Cycling Inform program and trying it and see if it works for you. I know its hard work at first but the most important thing is to get that base training into you and then you’ll see the changes happening. Even with my riding improving I will continue on being coached by Cycling Inform because it gives you the incentive and structure to continue to improve yourself day in day out.

Yours truly,

James McArdle