The Winning Formula...Whether it is skills, race day preparation, day to day training or the complete package that you require, Jenny will help to analyse, direct and demystify your development as a mountain bike rider. While there are many resources available to aid your improvement it is difficult to know which advice to take, which equipment to select and which scientific argument to believe. It is easy to end up confused and chasing your tail! It is unreasonable to adhere to a "one size fits all" training guide and expect optimum results. Just as a sports car, supermini and 4x4 require different tuning, so athletes each have their own engine type that requires specific tuning to maximise power. What works well for one person may be wrong for another. Furthermore, what works for you one year may not be effective the next, as the body adapts and changes. This is where quality personal training comes in, by establishing the right training for you and adapting and developing what you do over time. So, while the basic aspects of periodisation apply to all, the detail from there is based entirely upon the individual. Methodology... Jenny's training and coaching methodology begins with great communication. Jenny understands the challenge of balancing life and training. Jenny combined her racing with a job, so she knows how the best laid plans can become compromised by other commitments. Jenny understands the mindset of a racer. Most athletes are high achievers and perfectionists and, while it may be this characteristic that leads to race wins, this can be a sure path to overtraining and burn out. Jenny spends as much time organising her athletes' lives off the bike as she does prescribing their cycling time. She is aware that an athlete trying too hard can be counter productive and, just as she plans periodisation in a physical sense, so she periodises the year in a psychological sense, so that when the big event arrives, an athlete can deliver in body and mind. Jenny works with her athletes towards realistic goals. Each event serves a purpose and is assigned a priority level. These priority levels define the training year, with the biggest peak saved for the most important event. By taking a holistic approach Jenny ensures that her athletes reach their target races ready to perform, fresh and with a positive mindset. Science... While the science of training plays a fundamental role in Jenny's advice, her background is not a scientific one. Everything Jenny has learnt has been interpreted as a layman and judged on actual experience in the field. By working closely with physiologists at the British Olympic Medical Institute Jenny has had access to the most cutting edge scientific training methodology and equipment. This exposure undoubtedly aids Jenny as a coach, but she will never blind you with science. Jenny is keen to emphasise that scientific input is just one of many ingredients that make a complete and successful athlete. |
Top Image Sylvain Garde
Bottom Image Luke Webber