Mercury Cycle Coaching

"Terry is a most enthusiastic person.  He gives total commitment to any person he coaches and is always on the other end of the phone for additional information or advice.  His training programmes are flexible and he is very aware that all his pupils are not all super cyclists and may require careful handling!

He helped me achieve my objective of completing the Fred Whitton Challenge in 9 hours."

For generations, 65 has been the age of retirement and ‘taking it easy’, synonymous with cruising holidays, cardigans, allotments and slippers.

Not so Roger Atkinson.  In January 2007, Roger decided he would set himself a real challenge.  Too old to be a ‘Baby Boomer’, he decided to set 65 as the new ‘middle age’, and set himself a challenge that would deter most young men.  Roger wanted to ride the UK’s toughest cycle route, the infamous Fred Whitton Round. 

This is a tortuous 117 mile circuit, classed as a classic, with its traverse of the toughest, highest and steepest Lake District passes, all to be crossed in one lung busting, heart bursting, leg sapping day.   It is a day of Agony and Ecstasy, especially long on the agony and exceedingly short on the ecstasy!

Roger was a keen and experienced cyclist with many European etape rides under his belt and he occasionally raced at short distance time trials, BUT the Fred Whitton required special preparation.  He approached a local cycle coach to help him prepare for it.  This entailed a detailed analysis of his current riding ability and a short benchmarking test to establish strengths and weaknesses.  

With his slight build and low weight, usually an advantage, the test established that, despite his experience on hill climbs, Roger did not have the raw power to tackle this tough outing.  A structured training plan was prepared that addressed each aspect to be improved. 

His coach emphasised that the high energy output needed to be balanced by a high energy input.  A body monitoring test showed that Roger, though only weighing 10 stones 3lbs, was not the mean, fighting machine that he needed to be!   He needed to lose up to 9lbs and reduce his body fat ratio without compromising his ability to increase his cycle power to the point where he could not only finish, but actually enjoy the ride.

The coach suggested that he meet up with a local health and wellness company who put together individual nutrition programmes, and most important, understood the cyclist’s needs.     

Both these exercises started in early February; Roger had just 3 months to prepare.  The training schedule was tough – it had to be.  Every day Roger fuelled himself with his nutrition products, then set off on his static training turbo, for 90 intense minutes, to build up his power base. 

It was a major learning curve - he had to master the use of a heart rate monitor that inter-acted with his coach via a computer.  Subsequent conversations usually involved words like ‘harder’ and ‘faster’.   

Despite a major set back, with a torn muscle at the beginning which involved 2-3 weeks physio and lost training time, typically, Roger persevered.  He then went to Majorca, where sticking with his nutrition and training programme, managed some 350 miles and a lot of hills in 6 days.  He was starting to feel really good about his chances in the ‘Fred’! 

Once home, he continued with his nutrition and turbo programme, boosted with  road sessions, and was soon seen climbing major Lakeland passes in style.  This culminated in a 100 km ride with some friends.  In fact it was a reconnaissance for a future ‘sportive’ route, that took in the very steep Kingdale Pass between Dent and Ingleton. 
Here, he just pulled away from his amazed friends, taking an 8 minute lead on this 1:4 climb.  He had become an accomplished climber and was nearly ready.  To ensure all was well, the coach carried out another test.  The results showed that Roger had reduced his weight by 5% and 6lbs. 

Most importantly, his body fat percentage had reduced by over 7% and lean muscle mass had increased by 8%, power to weight ratio had increased by over 12% and there was still 3 weeks to go.  In the world of cycle hill climbers, Roger had become a deadly weapon!
"I'm sure you had a lot to do with me winning this award - the first sporting award I have ever won.  Your training programme plus Martyn's diet coupled with your enthusiasm were a great help and I did ENJOY the Fred, as per your instructions!!  We have had some good rides together this year perhaps some more?

Thanks again for everything making  2007 a year to remember."