Coaching qualifications

• British Cycling level 1 - skills coaching
• British Cycling level 2 - race tactics and group riding
• British Cycling level 1 - performance coaching
• Dr Stacy Sims, female hormone and menopause courses
• PETLLS qualification - preparing to teach in the long life learning sector (course development and learning outcomes)
• First Aid Teacher, developed a cycling first aid course and specialised in expedition and outdoor first aid
• Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist and Myofascial Therapist

I've been treating sports people for over 20 years, teaching for 15 years and a coach for the past 7 years.

I was privileged to work with a world tour cyclist to help rehab him after as crash left with a broken leg in 4 places. I was able to get muscles working that were dormant for 2 years and he went on to win his national champs jersey on the road and time trial. He was promoted to world tour after this.

I learnt a lot about the mindset of injured marathon runners, when rehabbing them, and how to get them through 'return to play' phases without going nuts from not being able to just run as much as they like.

Bikepacking experience

I've been bikepacking since 2012, I've taken to the starts of many races, including the inaugural TransAm bike race, you may find me at the road side dealing with an achilles tendon issue in the film 'Inspired to Ride'. Route 66 bike race, TransContinental, Slik Road Mountain Race, Tour Divide, Paris Brest Paris and the Hope1000. I've also been to a few weddings by bike where the furthest I rode to a wedding was London to Bordeaux and back again. I did carry my tent and wedding outfit but manage to squeeze my hat into someone else's bag. 

I'm also an active part of the Dotwatcher race reporting community, receiving best Dotwatcher two years in a row. This fulfils my passion for rider analysis, race tactics or just what it takes to finish one of these events. It's how I met Justinas and became his coach or perhaps consultant is more apt with a rider of his calibre. But that's a story for another day.

Before becoming a bikepacker I raced bikes, was sponsored by Wiggle and Blue Bikes, taking to the start-line at the World Masters back in 2010 and winning two cups at these races. Came second women in the Paris-Rouxbais Challenge, 7th women at the Etape du Tour, did a double lap if the Cape Argus (just for fun - about 220km), rode the 2011 Men's Giro D'Italia route for charity. So you can say I've been around the block somewhat with cycling. Or as I like to think of it, I've got a shelf of the cycling Encyclopaedia Britannica when it comes to knowledge, ideas and how to structure information.

It was this reason I started the Race Plans where all my knowledge is dispelled into an online 'learning' platform for you to plan your race.

Why I love coaching bikepacking

I only deal in bikepacking coaching. Why? There are so many aspects to consider when doing a race and it's a constant learning experience not just for the rider but for me as a coach. It is also not your standard form of coaching or training and I love developing plans that are tailored to the demands of bikepacking races. I've been coached by non-bikepacking and some bikepacking coaches and found most plans were similar to what I used when I was doing racing or sportives - that is not fit for purpose. Sure some would get me physically fit but they never quelled the mental concerns I had when preparing for a bikepacking race. I recently explained why i do 16.18 hour Zwift rides when preparing for something like Tour Divide - my head needs to know it can endure the much food and that much time in a dull environment to be ok out in a remote setting for 18-20 hours.

Being able to test out ideas and implement them successfully is rewarding. I'm a problem solver at heart, my brain loves churning over problems to solve and there are many in bikepacking and with the variety of people and personalities that head to the start-line, it keeps me on my toes.

I love analysis and race tactics, looking for patterns in training and what makes a bikepacker successful. This is not taught on coaching courses, it's taken me a few years to gather data and find what creates this successful training outcome and I've build this into my year two plans for athletes who continue to develop with me and who take up the Advance level of training where I have the luxury to delving into more data.

What is my ethos

All coaches offer their own style, different structures for how they deliver their plans, their communication style and their personality type. Getting a good match for all of these aspects can be a challenge. So here's my style to help you decide.

I believe bikepackers should be able to manage themselves well, either out in a race or while being coached. It's a fundamental requirement to succeed in these races.  I like to coach people who are motivated to train, are willing to do something different from what they've done before, especially if this has not worked in the past. I don't think an athlete should outsource their decision making to someone else though. So this coaching relationship is a 50/50 partnership, I'll do my job well and deliver a well thought out plan, you manage yourself and your training. I want the time I give you to be used to evaluate your training and progression with the plan, not to hold your hand to do the workouts. Simply, if I turn up on my end, I appreciate those who turn up on their end. And yes, I will be watching your Dot when you race, I love seeing people change and improve and a race is a performance of what you've practiced. No live performance is ever perfect, so if things do go astray, we'll find some solutions for next time.

But perhaps my most favoured ethos is to laugh, bikepacking should bring us joy, we should be able to have a post race debrief and laugh at the mistakes with a promise to fix them next time. A good sense of humour should carry you a lot further than a scowl and a pointed finger.