No matter what your goal is, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” (Alexander Graham Bell)

For mountain bikers, “preparation” means quality time on the bike and in the gym, a well thought-out training / racing schedule, and finding an optimal nutrition plan for both on and off the bike.

“Preparation” is a simple concept, yet one that is often forgotten—either accidentally or on-purpose—and eschewed for something “easier”: a lighter frame, carbon wheels, a new supplement, time in a CVAC pod. Certainly, those things are helpful, but without a good, trained engine, they are virtually useless. They alone won’t get you that “belt buckle” qualifying time, the series overall win, or a ten percent increase on your FTP. You must prepare.

And that’s where I come in. A customized Fitness Coaching helps you prepare for whatever your mountain bike goal is, regardless of your age, athletic background, occupation, or current fitness level.

All coaching programs include an online training diary, via a Training Peaks account, so that you and your coach can easily view, update, and track your training anywhere, any time. Training plans are written to work within personalized heart rate zones, or power zones if you are training with a power meter. Benefits for coached athletes include discounts on camps, clinics, and classes as well as insider pricing on clothing, training tools, products, performance testing, and more.

Additionally, you will also have the benefit of consulting with me to get your general training questions answered, plan optimum race and training nutrition, and discuss race strategy.

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SEPTEMBER SPECIAL:

Sign up for any Level II or higher plan with a 6 month commitment and receive all your Performance Testing at no charge ($350 value). Testing includes Vo2Max, Lactate Threshold and DEXA body composition scan.

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Pricing is based upon the level of attention you want or require. See chart below:

 

* Not full on coaching, but includes 1 hour conversation with your strengths, weaknesses, goals, etc. Plus, a do it yourself fitness test and 3 month personalized training plan. Then it is up to you to make it happen. We’ll still check-in once a month, just to see how things are going. Plan changes will be billed at normal hourly rates.

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Who do I coach?

I specialize in Enduro, Downhill, XC and Endurance Mountain Bike coaching for riders of all levels, from beginner to professional. Check out some of my most recent coached athlete highlights below:

Paula Evenson

1st Place Masters Open Enduro (2015) USAC National Championship
1st Place Cat 2 Downhill (2015)
USAC National Championship
3rd Place Overall (2015)
SoCal Enduro / Kenda Cup
Cat 2 XC Upgrade Approved 7/2014
USA National Championship Winner Cat 3 XC (2014)
2nd Place Series Overall US / Kenda Cup XC (2014)

 Kris Gross

1st Place Overall Women (2015)
6 Hours of Temecula
3rd Place QOM & 6th Place GC (2015)
Belgian Waffle Rid
5th Place Overall Women (2015)
BC Bike Race
10th Place Overall Pro XC (2015)
Kenda Cup Series
Pro Upgrade Approved 7/2014
1st Series Overall Cat 1 XC US / Kenda Cup (2014)
1st Place Cat 1 XC Sea Otter Classic (2014)

Katie Araujo

Cat 1 Upgrade Approved 7/2015
1st Place Cat 2 XC (2015)
USAC National Championship
1st Place Overall Cat 2 (2015)
Kenda Cup Series
Cat 2 Upgrade Approved 7/2014
1st Place Cat 3 XC California State Championship (2014)

 

Hunter Weiss

7th Place Cat 1 XC (19-24) (2015)
USAC National Championship
7th Place Overall (2015)
SoCal High School Cycling League

 

Courtney Cowan

2nd Place AG Series Overall XC (2015)
Kenda Cup Series
Current Team Points Leader with Coach Richard (2015)
12 Hours of Temecula

 Eric Knowles

Completed his longest event ever! (2015)
High Cascades 100
100 miles, 9,000′ of climbing on 80% single track.

 

Jim Watson

2nd Place AG Series Overall XC (2015)
Kenda Cup Series
13th Place AG XC (Masters) (2015)
USAC National Championship

Todd Young

2nd Place AG Series Overall XC Quick n’ Dirty
5th Place Series Overall Clydesdale 35+ XC
Kenda Cup Series
1st Place Series Overall Cat 3 XC Rim Nordic (2015)

Stephane Roch

3rd Series Overall XC US / Kenda Cup Pro (2014)
1st Place AG Fireroad 100 (2014)
Pro XC Upgrade Approved 7/2013
2nd Place Cat 1 AG XC California State Championship (2013)

 

Evan Christenson

SoCal High School League – JV Overall Winner (2014)
6th Overall Pro Mammoth Kamikaze Games (2014)

 

Heidi Amundson

1st Place AG Cat 3 XC California State Championship (2014)
Fireroad 60k AG Winner (2014)
5th Place AG Series Overall XC US / Kenda Cup (2014)
1st Place AG Series Overall Beginner Women XC Racers and Chasers (2012)

Aaron Hauck

Leadville 100 8th Overall Single Speed (2014)
Fireroad 100 1st Place XC (Single speed course record 2014)

A few words from coached athletes…

“Hands down, the best investment I’ve made in my mountain biking! Coach Richard helped me increase both my competence and confidence out on the trails, and taught me overcome obstacles and master techniques I never thought I would be able to – from high speed cornering, steep descents, to drops, I have improved faster than I thought was ever possible. His knowledge is backed up by his own strength on two wheels, and his commitment to his athlete’s success and improvement is second to none. A patient teacher, strong rider, and experienced instructor, Richard has played a key part in allowing me to achieve my goals & I would highly recommend his coaching to anyone who wants to ride smoother and faster!” ~Katie Araujo [Cat 1 Mountain Bike Racer] 2015 National Championship XC AG Winner, 2015 1st Place Overall AG/Cat Kenda Cup

“I’m ten times the rider I was when I first started with working with Richard. With his help, along with access to the tremendous tool that is Training Peaks, I increased fitness, power, confidence and skills so that I was able to proudly finish my biggest goal, the BC Bike Race in the top five. His experience and expertise in endurance formats informed my training so that I was ready for my “A” event, and also crushed a number of events I never would have imagined completing along the way. I’ve also loved the opportunity to work with him through Ninja Mountain Bike Skills, which gives me the chance to share what I’ve learned the hard way over the past decade of racing, but in teaching, I find I still learn new things as well. Finally, Richard’s emphasis on working with data (HR and power for me) gave me the confidence to feel I had always done all I could, and progress has continued steadily. Thank you Coach Richard!!” ~Kristen Gross

“I worked with Coach Richard for the 2015 racing year, whose focus was almost entirely long distance/endurance events on mixed road, or gravel, or mountain biking. Events like Dirty Devil (123 mi), the Belgian Waffle Ride (143 mi) and the Dirty Kanza 200 mile gravel race in Kansas.

One of my issues with prior coaching was getting into an overtrained condition very early in the season (like May) and having terrible performance from that point forward. Knowing this, Richard made sure to keep a close eye on my TrainingPeaks Performance chart, optimizing my training calendar to ensure adequate recovery and maximizing my builds.

End result: I had a completely successful racing year with no overtraining symptoms at all, knocking an hour off my prior year’s BWR time, and feeling much stronger on the bike than I’ve felt in a long time. This is really good stuff.

Aside from the technical and racing aspects, Richard is the most delightful guy to work with – funny, humble, empathic and engaged with his clients. That, plus his tremendous depth of experience as both a racer and a coach, provide a cacoon of support. He’s out there doing it with us, he’s volunteering his time all over the place, and he really cares about doing the right thing.

That’s three thumbs up in my book!” ~Mike Sofen

“I was a causal MTB biker and wanted to learn some riding tips to minimize my crashes and improve my climbing skills. I learned about Coach Richards Ninja MTB Skills clinic through a local bike shop and signed up. I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised with the way the training was organized and presented. He covered the basics with the group, then each student got one-on-one time with their hot button issues, and we all left with some things to work on.

Since working with Coach Richard, I have advanced my skills to include hiring him as a cycling fitness coach. That lead me to competing in local sportsman MTB races, were I was able to win more than six races and take the championship in my class. That success has lead my family to be more focused on fitness and goal setting which has helped bring us closer together!

What makes Coach Richards program work is, he is an athlete, a racer, and an active cyclist — that is what he does every day, and that dedication comes through in his training programs and skills classes.” ~Jim Watson

“Richard is a wonderful coach and I would highly recommend him to any cyclist out there who wants a big improvement in their performance. Richard combines his vast mountain bike racing knowledge and coaching experience to develop individualized training programs that will challenge and reward you. Richard complements the training program with regular feedback on workouts, so you can always be sure to achieve your best result. Thank you Richard!!” ~Jessica Tomazic [Cat 1 Mountain Bike Racer | Team Duke] 1st Place Overall Rim Nordic 2011

“I have been racing and riding for about 3.5 years using old school training methods. Richard showed me ways to improve training. Getting faster, stronger and having a more effective racing season. He has tailored the training program to work around my extremely limited time per day. His use of Training Peaks as a way to log and deliver weekly workouts has been a huge help and has really paid off in my off season training. Richard has been very accessible and always willing to give great advice and modify the training to fit my needs.” ~Michael Page [Cat 1 Mountain Bike Racer | Team SDBC] 1st Place Overall Rim Nordic XC Series 2011

“Richard’s passion for cycling is inspiring. You only need to spend a short amount of time with him to feel energized by his engaged and focused approach. Whether your goal is to simply increase your fitness, do a multi-day bike tour, or even win a race series, Richard will help you get there. Before Richard started coaching me, I had never ridden more than 20 miles and had never stood on a podium for a cycling event. Now, a year later, I have completed a 4 day, 400 mile tour and placed in numerous races. Thank you Coach Richard!” ~Heidi Amundson

[Cat 3 Mountain Bike Racer / AG Triathlete | Team VeloSport / Sho-Air] 1st Place Overall Racers & Chasers XC MTB Series; 2nd Place Overall US Cup XC MTB Series; US National Qualified Olympic Distance Triathlete

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