For 15 years,  I worked in the high-tech world of aeronautical engineering. This was a highly demanding career which left precious little time for training.

Coupled with the fact that I was never a naturally talented athlete I had to evolve a training regime that would give the maximum 'bang for my buck' in no more than 10 hours a week. From an inauspicious start in the world of Time Trialling in April 2000, I have a palmares which includes -

71 open Time Trial wins
10 Mile PB - 19:34
25 Mile PB - 50:04
50 Mile PB - 1:42:40
100 Mile PB - 3:37:33
12 Hour PB - 276.5 Miles

2002 - BBAR Team winner, 8th in the BBAR, 4th in National 100 mile TT
2003 - BBAR Team winner, 5th in the BBAR
2004 - BBAR Team winner, 5th in the BBAR

Considering my PE teacher at school said I had the sporting prowess of a pot plant I don't think this is too shabby!

On the 2nd March 2007 I left BAE to concentrate full time on coaching. Since then I have coached riders from all cycling disciplines and all ages. Recently I achieved my first major goal as a coach of winning a national medal with one of my riders. This was attained by Derek Parkinson in 2010 in the national 12 hour time trial. This was a national medal attained not by some 18 year old prodigy but my a hard working father or two. These are the riders that make up the bulk of my clientele. Ordinary people like you and me who through super smart training can achieve extraordinary things.

As a rider I am still at a pretty good standard and am continuing to rack up the wins - well notch up the wins. I now have a wonderful little daughter called Emma who isn't too keen on me sleeping very much so I have to make my training smarter than its ever been before to cope! The experience of still being a weekend warrior while balancing family and work commitments I believe makes me a better coach because I understand and respect the people who I work with in a way that just having a coaching qualification or once having been an elite level rider or pro can't give you.


Click on the links below to view press articles about me from back in my care free youth -

Cycling Weekly 23/08/2003

Lancashire Evening Post 09/07/2003

I also write articles (when I have time) on fitness and training. Click on the link below to read an article I had published in FitPro magazine - a magazine for fitness instructors and personal trainers.

Article on Indoor versus Outdoor cycling Published June 2007


Qualifications

My formal qualifications are listed below. My real qualifications that can't be quantified by a certificate have been gained in over 10 years of racing at a high level and what I have learnt from great coaches, sport scientists, great riders and most importantly the guys and girls that I have coached over the years.

British Cycling Federation - Club Coach

To achieve this qualification I had to undertake an intensive 3 day training course at the National Cycling Centre where he learnt the basic fundamentals of the coaching process.

I then had to provide evidence in the form of a detailed coaching diary that he had coached a rider for 4 months and that the rider had improved. The diary was then rigorously checked by a senior BCF assessor.

 

Association of British Cycling Coaches - Coach

I am an ABCC Senior Level 3 Coach - I was awarded senior coach status in 2011 in recognition of my coaching achievements over the last 5 years


Premier Training International Diploma In Sports Psychology

I studied for a year to gain my diploma in Sports Psychology. This qualification allows me to use imagery, relaxation techniques, neuro linguistic programming and many other skills to bring out the best in my riders. To be a good coach you need to be able to understand what makes people tick - a strong mind and a strong body = results!