Update: Almost settled

Started my first day of the new Degree in Applied Science majoring in Sport and Exercise Science yesterday. Should be an interesting course. It is a sport science degree so is not directly relevant to coaching will help me to, help to quantify your goals, assess where you are at, understand and select the best ways to prepare you, make better use of the data and feedback you supply me and to assess after the goal event where we can improve for the next event. There is ALWAYS room for growth and improvement!

There is a good mix of young and mature people doing the course. A girl there had a Cashmere High School 2008 Leavers Top and I mentioned that I was asked to leave Cashmere in 1989 because I spent too much time cycling. As well as the Sport Science Major there is a Health and Wellness stream so there will be scope to look at general health as this affects everyone even the elite. Many Elite athletes are held back because they are not actually healthy.

I am putting the finishing touches to my preparation for Track Nationals next week. Because we don’t have a nice indoor velodrome to ride on I have been making do with power efforts on the track or road and cadence drills on the rollers and windtrainer. It hasn’t been ideal preparation but I am 10kg lighter since October and have brought my body fat down to 19.5%. At one point when running my own business I was at a very unhealthy 38% body fat.

I will also be coaching and doing the National Junior Selector thing down in Invercargill at Track Nats. Before that I am heading up to Nelson for two days to attend my first Mountain Bike Nationals. Really looking forward to this and to see my Downhill and Cross Country riders do the business.

Now I have shifted into my new place, started School, left Bike HQ I should be settled. Again sorry if I have been a little quiet and if I haven’t answered any questions please fire them back through. Everyone has big goals for 2009 and I want to do my best to provide coaching support!

Congrats to Justin Leov on winning the Blenheim Round of the NZ Downhill Series and Will Bowman for taking out top U19 in the 2nd Round of the Benchmark Homes Tour and being part of the winning team. Amy Laird continued her success in the Open Women’s Cross Country in the Coronet Peak round of the NZ Cross Country Series.