Enlightened discourse returns
Racers can be fickle, even promiscuous sometimes, when it comes to coaches. And now is the time of year when racers reflect upon the past year and quantify their successes—or failures—and assign credit, or more likely, start looking for someone to blame. It’s the time of year for the "coach break up". How have you broken up with your coach? With a short email? With a phone call? Do you take them out to dinner in a crowded restaurant? With a long, drawn out tearful discussion? Please let us know. But before you do, a caveat, please do not use any names or specifics that would identify the coaches in questions, because in all probability, it wasn’t them—it was you.
My coach moved away..
Hello, everyone. Some of you may remember me from a couple of years ago. I had been coaching a number of male and female racers in the area and throughout the Midwest. I’d built a reputation and a successful coaching business based on some progressive coaching techniques, including visualization and self-awareness (SA). Some of you disagreed with my methods, but nobody disagreed with the results of my riders, both in cycling and in life. I can’t even count the number of top 10’s and upgrades my riders earned under my program.
Unfortunately things went a little too well, and the success got to my head. Around 2008, I was also overwhelmed with business and I found that I could not say no to new clients looking to tap into my magic. The business got so efficient that we were cranking out upgrades as if they were coming off of Henry Ford’s assembly line. But then it stopped working and the wheels fell off, metaphorically speaking, of course. I started taking some of the medications I was giving the riders to help with their visualization work and staying up late just to make sure everyone got the coaching they needed. One thing led to another and before I knew it, the WADA was at my door asking me for a urine sample and a few days later, my car with the advertising sticker in the back window that helped generate so much business was impounded. I hit rock bottom.
The good news for my riders and those I have not worked with is that I have successfully completed a rehab program and am back stronger than ever. I have committed to fundamental changes in the way we do visualization work and am highly confident the positive test results are a thing of the past (for me and for the riders). And I’m back open for business. I was able to get the car sticker redone and to save enough money for a used Dodge Colt(you can take the Coach out of Detroit but you can’t take the Detroit out of the Coach!), which I will start driving to cyclocross next weekend. If you see me, say hello, and let’s talk about how we can make you into a better bike racer and person. And as a special deal, the first 50 riders who sign up will get 50% off their first two weeks of training and visualization sessions.
I’m not going to lie to you. The past two years have been very difficult for me. I had to do a lot of SA and meditation, but I’m proud and punch to be back with you and ready to coach. You’ve been like a family to me and I can’t wait to get back on the scene.
Sincerely yours,
Coach L
While troubled to hear of your tribulations over the past few years, I am sincerely thrilled to hear that you’ve successfully worked through them. You’ve been a great inspiration to me, and were obviously sorely missed over the past few seasons; it is great to have you back, Coach L.
i’m thinking of switching!
So who are the nyc area coaches?
I lost my pocket coach, fell out during a training ride in Central Park.
Coach L was missed hugely, all of his musings on this and that and his/her mystique not having a web-site, tel. number.
In no particular order:
Dave Jordan
Ann Marie Miller
Zoltan Tisza
Will Schneider
Deirdre Murphy
I’m sure there are many I missed.
Wait a second there Coach L, what medications were you giving riders to help in Visualization? And why was the WADA World Anti Doping Association? knocking at your door for urine samples?
Explain this Visualization thingy, is this like getting high on LSD before a ride???
Lots of beverages with lots of alcohol seem to work……
coach L thing is not funny, at all … take it from a former client … his “visualization” exercises were no more than administered doses of peyote (and they were generally weak as hell as well). he got no ban from usada only because mescalin is not on the prohibited substance list or performance enhancing. only way he avoided criminal charges was he was smart enough to list himself and his clients as members of the native american church and his training sessions were technically “religious ceremonies” and therefore using peyote was not prohibited. ridic.
No matter what Coach L’s story really is, it sounds SUPER sketchy, from both his perspective and 1:32. Although, it could sound fun for all you peyote lovers out there.
Any program that include names like ‘self awareness’ and ‘visualization;’ terms that are broad and grandiose are kind of scary. Sounds like “scientology+cycling+waking up with no pants on at Coach L’s apt” to be honest. . . .
Hey did Lance Armstrong break up with Chris Carmichael? If so who is Lance’s coach these days?
Hey I am finishing up my racing season and I’m looking for a fun, laid back way to keep competing and maintain fitness. I’d love to find a scene that isn’t as intense as road racing, where people don’t take themselves too seriously and like to ride hard and then go drink a beer. Is there anything like that this fall?
Yes, it’s called porno industry. You’ll need to move to the San Fernando Valley out in CA though.
Coach L had me on micro doses of LSD. I still experience a flash back or two when I go hypoxic.
Hi everyone. Most of you may not know me. I am a previous instructor of the Nigerian National Cycling Team. I have instructed on practice of cycling for over 30 years. Most of the highest level people in cycling use my instruction. I have currently developed a program that is 100% guaranteed to increase your ability. The reason this program is not widely used (other than highest level people) is that because of current state of the Nigerian government I am unable to complete transactions to your country. However, I have cleaverly found a way around this. If you would like to receive my instruction and 100% guarentee that you will achieve highest level all you have to do is open an account anywhere outside your country. You can then wire transfer me the money. There is no risk at all. If you do not achieve at the highest level (which is very unlikely) you will receive all your moneys back. Please reply immediately through my personal email sending the following information: (1) Your Full Name/Address (2) Your Private Telephone/fax Number.
I look forward to your reply,
Coach N (NigCoachN@yahoo.com.hk
lol coach N… dying
Coach N it appears you have won the US lottery. In order for you to collect your winnings you will have to pay the tax on what you won. So therefore if you would kindly send me a check for US$100,000 I can send you your winnings of $1 Million US.
This is no BS
Send US
Regards
Lottery of USA
lottery@sendcashfast.com
matt koschara is really good
V02MAXOUT.COM
V02MAXOUT.COM
Are you maxed out yet?
Chris Carmichael is really good, you get to make two phone calls for free per month.
Does Matt use hallucinegens in his coaching program?
In one studio, you have Mark to fix your bike (Ifixbyx)
And Chad (Endurance Werx)to train you.
Best of all, no matter who answers the phone they say; “you got Purdy Butts”.
Hey kiddies, want some candy?
http://velonews.competitor.com/2006/04/news/six-years-later-strock-case-comes-to-court_9763
is this the same Wenzel from?
http://www.wenzelcoaching.com/
Best coaching service in the northeast:
http://davefoley.com/bikeracing/negacoach/
only three coaches get it.
Matt Koshara
Mike Sherry
Dave Jordan
For a little more money, hire Butts to fix your bike and Purdy to coach you.
Francisco Liuzzi
It’s spelled Koschara.
who does dave jordan coach? prensky? who else? just curious.
Jesus is my coach.
One of the coaches you mention sucks. The other two I have heard good things about.
I have had the benefit of working with three coaches, Dave Jordan, Ken Lundgren and David Taylor, each of which gave me help that I’ve carried with me ever since. In the former two cases, for different reasons I thought I could gain something from working with another coach for the following year, and I did, and in each case they were totally cool about it. Break up was by email and was fine.
There is a great benefit to a coach getting a sense of what works (and does not) for you over a longer period. But I also think there is something to learning from each coach some of what they have to give. Not saying that I got all that each coach had to offer, but got a lot and very grateful for it. Would recommend any of the three named above to someone looking to get beyond a plateau of performance.
DC
Matt Foley has been a great life coach for me.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/4183/saturday-night-live-down-by-the-river
A coach dumped me once for not “being focused on all the elements of cycling”
I guess it is not enough that the checks cleared and I was getting better results. I moved from top 60 in races to routinely getting to 40 results.
Don’t you love these long distance coaching services? $125 per month includes three emails, two telephone calls, but wait if you order now you can get 20 Text Messaging support (a $49.99 value)
how many have had to drop their coaches as an austerity measure?
I had to. $27K salary, $500 for my share of the rent, $350 in student loans. Yup, seemed pretty easy to cut out the cost of having someone tell me how to ride my bike in order to buy food.
Coach L seems to have disappeared around here. Is he still training people?
Dudes, it is cyclocross.
Wanna race tubulars, so what, go for it!
Wanna race with a power meter, awesome, go for it!
They wont make you any faster. But if they allow you more fun, then… do it.
It is cross. You can race with a dress, a PowerTap, or beer at the start line:
Who is Kenny L – is this Kenny Harris?
Ken Lundgren – Elite Endurance
only thing worse than papp is a moralizer
Yeah, yeah… Papp’s an asshole for selling dope. But people knowingly bought the stuff from him and used it. They are the real villians. If he’s hanging out at the playground pushing EPO to 2nd graders, that’s a different story. But when grown men (or women) seek out his website and buy illegal product to falsely boost their performance… Come on! Papp’s not the Devil, he’s just an asshole.
If I took a crap, and then my crap grew arms and legs and took a crap, and the that little crap junior grew a butt, and that butt developed a tumor, my shit great grandson’s butt tumor would have more integrity than Joe Papp.
Lets talk about Chodroff shall we?
http://www.thepotentialinside.com/about.php
Sad because he seemed like a really nice guy and tons going for him. I am guessing there is at least one big masters and elite rider from NYC on this TBA list of Papp clients. At least Chodroff has a college league degree to fall back on. This sport is so depressing once you get past the Cat 2/3 level.
“This sport is so depressing once you get past the Cat 2/3 Level”
According to the CyclingNews article, the guy bought and used the EPO in early 2007. Out of curiosity, I looked on the USAC results page to see what category and what races he was competing in at the time. Cat 3. June 2007 he wins Fitchburg. Upgrades to 2 and keeps progressing from there. Prior to Fitchburg, he wasn’t getting great results. I’ll let you guess why.
It’s baffling at what level people will begin using drugs. It’s 2010, and I can bet that there’s more than a handful of Cat 3 dopers out there, and plenty in the Northeast.
Sad but true.
Nice guys make mistakes.
Nice guys cheat on their wives, lie, steal.
Guy is 23. Young, impressionable.
If anyone here can say they didn’t F*ck up worse before 27 years old speak up.
Now everyone knows his screw up, too.
but how he has handled it now, for a 23 year old, considering how many 38 year olds handle it, is important.
Honest and responsible kid.
and I raced him frequently.
i didn’t take a bunch of IV drugs as a cat iii and rob a bunch of people of medals and placings, so i guess i can say i haven’t
is hardly anything of any value.
unless you’re in the NJcup.
btw, its cat III or 3.
iii just looks retarded.
Go to a belgian kermesse.
Congratulations. You just met 70 dopers. Many doped up right now.
Get over it. NEXT.
he who is w/o cheating/fraud/lie in cycling please cast the first needle…or sack patch enhancer!
get lighter, “weight reduction”, sounds great in an irish accent…
get low, “aero dude”, look what wonders it has done for Obree, Levi, Colby, Shen…
get stronger, “hammer the hills sprints, until they become mtns…” or is it the other way around, I forget…
or buy drugs that can kill you in your sleep (let alone yours, and anyone you ewven met once, reputation) over the internets, with a good googles look-em-up-see researching…
i know what I am going to do this winter…
if results are too good to be true,they usually are. honorable contrition though.
This is the time when we start accusing every local racer who upgraded this year of being a doper. Go ahead.
any junior race in Italy or Spain…
oh and Chodruff should be giving speeches like Papp and Floyd right about now, instead of “I acted alone, please let me wash myself of this inconvenient truth” total and complete bullshit
Lets hear his team mates and coaches state shock and dismay?
They totally fn knew, if not participated, as well…oh yeah, cat *** (get it, 3 asterisks) 200 jackoff pounds, wins Fitchburg and Nationals, no problem…whats that take about 800 watts at LT???
he “confessed” because they told him they had all the evidence they needed. yes, smarter than sitting it out, but i wouldn’t go with super-honorable.
i also love it that he “confessed” to BUYING the stuff. not a word about using it. they don’t have evidence of that, i guess….
I’l break the wedge coach!!!
My coach was great (Coach Ken L), very responsive and very knowledgable and super motivational. I simply emailed him one day because my racing was slowing down and I could no longer justify the cost of a coach if I was only doing 5-10 races a year on 5 hours of training a week.
He was really cool about it and I would recommend him to anyone looking for a new coach especially if you are a TT guy or MTN racer (he is really into XC now) and/or live in NJ.
Missed the part about naming the coach – but hey, I have nothing but praise for Kenny so naming him seems ok I guess.
Isnt he a Cat3 who only started racing a few years ago?
Chad Butts. One of the only active coaches who produces great results with his athletes and can also compete at a high level. CHAD BUTTS!
Does one have to be a successful racer in order to be a successful coach?
in a word, yes.
Depends on who you are coaching. for nyvelocity, MR is probably a great coach for their needs. Will that translate to being a good coach of an elite level racer? No. For that one needs to have experience. So ex or current pro level racers usually make the best coaches. Even Hunter Allen raced professionally for Navigators. And he’s an expert on training and racing with power.
Those who can’t do…coach,
Those who can’t coach, coach cycling…
If this applies to your guru…get another one but don’t forget to send him the $499 a month and let him analyze your data downloads while he sits at home eating ice cream watching Big Brother. He will send you the maximum 3 monthly texts telling you to work harder.
Incredible! This blog looks exactly like my old one!
It’s on a entirely different topic but it has pretty
much the same page layout and design. Great choice of colors!
my blog post :: canon replacement zr
i think a development program needs a coach who knows how to race and can give new people a sense of what they’re in for if they continue to improve. a higher level racer already knows what racing is about and might just need some fine tuning with the physiology stuff.
Every time I talk w/my coach im thinking about another coach
I just follow Schmalz’ diary. Worked wonders. I improved my fitness and I learned my rodents.
Lets be honest, cat 4 racing is really just competitive exercising …
but I think I’ve found true love this time.
lets be honest, 95% of us suck
as a recently upgraded cat 3, will my associates degree in vacumn repair from de vry university qualify me to be a coach?
In addition to my coaching service, I am also offering a coach selection consulting service to help people select the coach that is right for you. Although I’m proud of the new and improved Coach L Systems which I redesigned in rehab, I realize that Coach L is not right for everyone.
There are several important characteristics of a coach that need to fit just right. Because I charge a fee for the service, I’m not going to tell you what they are for free, but here are a couple of examples. The most important (oh, here I go giving away the advice for free, but what the hay?) issue to consider is whether you want your coach to agree with you, or if you want someone to just be honest. Most cyclists, I’ve found, don’t want to be told the honest truth about where they need to improve and how hard they need to work to get there. At Coach L Systems, we have always had a policy of honesty where we listen to riders and then disagree with them. An example might be the amount of plyometrics training or the way we conduct visualization sessions and SA (self awareness). To many riders are content just riding to the frites store and having a laugh with their friends, when there should really just be less talking. We don’t plant listening devices on riders bikes or anything, but let’s just say I know when riders are talking too much on training rides. You need to know if your coach will disagree with you and whether you want to pay him (or her) for that.
Another area where there is a wide range among coaches is whether they offer on-site coaching at races. Some coaches just aren’t willing to go the extra mile and stay in hotels with riders at races. For many of my riders, especially those close to an upgrade, I will go to the race with you and sleep in your hotel room. Your habits and sleep quality are important aspects of race prep and need to be observed. And those private visualization sessions away from friends and family so close to the race can be really effective. Sure, there are some hangover effects, but I’ve found that the benefits outweigh the fatigue and dizziness. You need to decide if you want this and I can help you decide.
These are just a couple of examples of ways that I can help you decide which coach is right for you. I know most of the coaches in the country from the conferences, especially in the Midwest, so this service has a lot of value if you’re insecure or unsure what you need in a coach.
I look forward to seeing you this weekend at the cross races – Just look for the Coach L window sticker!
Yours truly,
Coach L
Hey Coach L – why would I pay you to disagree with me? My wife does that for free every day.
Ooh, that ain’t free. Nooooo sir.
I develop intense attachments to totally unattainable coaches to distract myself from the monotony of the workouts you keep giving me.
But I never really believe that they could replace you. God damnit, why do you have such a hold on me?
Coaches are for attention-seekers.
Awesome Coach L
You’ll come to my race & sleep with me in my hotel room!
How much extra does it cost me for the honor of paying for your room?
These messages from Coach L cannot be real.
incentive to keep clients over takes hearing the real feedback most people need to actually improve.
in other words a good coach will lose money cause most people “cant handle the truth”
1. there are no short cuts
2. training hurts, and takes years of focus and payoffs come slowly over years.
3. you maybe limited by habits or genitics you simpily will never overcome
ect ect ect
Coaching styles differ as much as the athlete. Roadies want the edge over their competition and look for unique training programs, nutrition and magic powders. Triathletes usually look for anyone that has been on a podium. Road racing coaches tend to focus on the individual while, at least locally, the tri coaches have group rides and make it more of a commercial business than training. Avoid any coach that gives themselves the title President of their business.
Is that the “Hair Club for Men ” rule?
OCTOBER 9th !!!!!!!!
had to say it. i miss tri guy posts
We have fantastic phone exchanges, but when I get out in the field with my coach, we just can’t relate.
my coach likes to rub embrocation on my legs before our weekly sessions in central park. is that normal?
Can Brother Historicus please weigh in to prove just how real Coach L is?
who is taking the time to write this shit?
Do you actually do work during the day?
“Does one have to be a successful racer in order to be a successful coach?”
No, racing and coaching are different skills and require different abilities. Talk to accomplished riders to get references to good coaches.
Dave Jordan !!!…great coach, great program, great real ride trainings…etc…actually he should be in front in the boards of directors in the bad manage CRCA organization and website….etc
CRCA board elections are coming up, so Dave Jordan could be on the board. Nominate him.
“honorable contrition”? are you serious? the guy got caught cheating and when presented with overwhelming evidence of his guilt, he confessed the minimum. where is the “honor” in that?
if i take a shortcut and come across the line with my hands in the air, then get dq’d for cheating, is it “honorable” to admit it? would i be known as a good guy because i didn’t deny it?
the same thing goes for joe papp. people act like he’s an anti-doping hero now, a crusader trying to clean up the sport. he didn’t turn over his list of clients voluntarily. if he hadn’t been caught doping himself he would still be racing, and if his list hadn’t been seized by federal agents he would still be making $80,000 a year selling epo to cyclists. he’s not “cooperating” because he now cares deeply about doping in cycling, but because he faces 10 years in jail for a felony. he was part of the problem his whole career. the idea that we should now applaud this scumbag makes me sick.
Joe Papp is a drug dealer and should be treated the same as the guys pushing heroin on street corners.
Fuck you man. I can get drop from a race all by myself. Fuck off and don’t call my number. Say hi to your wife and my kids. How is that for a break up?
so angry
Matt Richards coaches NYvelocity. They had a ton of results this year including a lot of out of town races.