Testimonial 1:
Dave, Junior Doctor, Ironman and Long Distance GB Age Group Triathlete.
I am a 26 year old long distance triathlete, just entering my second competitive season under the watchful eye of Fiona at F1 Coaching.
Before I met Fiona, my Ironman bike times were in the lower quater of my age group & this discipline was always my weak spot. However, under Fionas expert guidance I am now regularly performing in the top of my age group, both nationally & internationally.
Fionas laid back attitude but unwaivering commitment & enthusiasm to coaching is fantastic to work with. The training she plans is always detailed & every session is explained with a reason why you are doing that particular session. Although Fiona is a British Cycling Level 3 Road and Time Trial Coach & SW Club Coach of the Year 2011, her commitment to helping me with other aspects of triathlon has been fantastic!
She thinks nothing to research specific core strengthening exercises, advise on nutrition, hydration, & specific race preparation techniques. For me, this makes the F1 Coaching package holistic & subsequently very successful.
Fiona is always on the end of the telephone/email which is also great for some quick advice, help & support!
This year, I plan to improve my international performances – all under the guidance of Fiona at F1 Coaching.
Testimonial 2:
Tim, college lecturer, leisure and sportive cyclist and aspiring racer.
I have been working with Fiona for a couple of months now, initially I wanted to get some sort of structure to my training, and to regain some of the fitness I had after completing a trip from John O’Groats to Lands End last summer.
I have really noticed a huge improvement in both my fitness and more generally in my abilities on a bike, and feel much fitter now than I did last year when I completed my trip.
I can’t recommend Fiona enough as a cycling coach, she is a very friendly, positive and supportive trainer who will make a positive impact on anyone who wants to improve their cycling.
Testimonial 3:
Sue, retired nurse rediscovering cycling for health and fitness benefits.
It was a really great feeling to get back on a bike, and regain my confidence although bike skills and feelings were a bit “wobbly”. I thank you for what you have done.
My feelings on our sessions were that you were a great support, I felt that you were a very capable coach, and I was a very nervous pupil, and you gained my confidence in you in a very short space of time, and enabled me to ride, which two weeks ago I thought I could never do again.
I’m so happy I will be able to ride in France when I’m away on holiday and I think it will build up my confidence even more, and then I would like to come to the Sunday One and All Cycling Club rides.
Thanks again, Sue
Testimonial 4:
Simon, leisure and sportive cyclist and charity challenge enthusiast.
What can I say about Fiona and F1 coaching? Having started cycling only 6 months earlier I knew I wanted to develop and challenge myself too some sportives this year. Having spina bifida meant I was not sure how I would be able to cope on a bike and how I could improve my strength technique and stamina to complete my targets. Having had a chat with Fiona at a club ride I decided that she would be the perfect coach to help me. Soon after the first call to arrange I had all the paperwork to complete about my levels of ability and where I wanted to improve, following that we had our first one to one ride. Not only was this a chance to have a chat about the future but within minutes Fiona had worked out a problem that I had been having just getting on and off the bike.
After watching what I was doing, followed by clear and concise explanations and demonstrations Fiona spent much of that first session getting me to practice the correct technique. That in itself on my first lesson was enough to know I was going to improve under her coaching.
Not only were the sessions be it turbo work or road simple to understand in terms of what was being asked of me to complete, they were challenging and always helping you improve and reach overall targets. I always received my following month programme on time and with any new sessions always came advise as to what was expected of me.
I have now been working for 8 months with f1 coaching, I completed the 100km Dartmoor classic sportive in a time quicker than I expected. I have developed new skills and techniques that I would never have known how to do without the extra help and support.
I’ve progressed to being able to ride comfortably in a group that ride 4mph higher then when I first started, I now find that I can ride longer and faster and am looking forward to many challenges that myself and Fiona have set.
All of this has come from the help that Fiona and f1 coaching have supplied me with. Even when times were tough Fiona was there to listen to and help and her continued enthusiasm and belief in me means I now not only have a great cycling coaching but also a great friend!!
Testimonial 5:
Tim, leisure and sportive cyclist and occasional time trialist considering a racing comeback.
I think I am a fairly typical MAMIL, 46 years old with a young family and running my own business. Also fairly typically I believe in my mind I am still 18 and fit as a butcher’s dog. The reality was a fat dad drinking and eating too much and doing far too little exercise.
I have previously done quite a lot of cycling and running and was, once, fairly active. I wanted to return to cycling but a combination of factors prevented me from achieving anything useful. This included my lack of motivation as well as limited time, wanting to spend time with my family and the business commitments. After a few months of trying to get fit again I realised I was going to need some help.
I heard of F1 Coaching through the One & All Cycling Club and arranged to meet with Fiona. We discussed what I wanted to achieve and how I could best go about it. I soon received my first months training programme with the supporting notes. The pain had started.
Fiona provided me with a structured programme based on our discussions and built around the time I have available. This has been achievable (most of the time, life does sometimes get in the way) and as a result I have made huge advances. In early April I rode the Cornwall Tor sportive and just got around. By June I rode the Dartmoor Classic and I was just 7 minutes off a Gold standard ride. I would not have achieved this without the structured training, support and advice that Fiona provides. This has been especially important during the occasional crisis of confidence.
I have now been coached for 8 months and have achieved more and learnt more in this time than in my previous 15 years on the bike. Any questions about the plan have always been promptly and clearly answered.
Fiona provides a fully professional and realistic programme, excellent support and extremely knowledgeable advice. I have no hesitation in fully recommending her services.
Testimonial 6:
Chris, leisure and sportive cyclist and charity challenge participant.
As a newbie to cycling, I’d like to thank F1 Coaching for coaching & training me over 8 weeks, which enabled me to complete a 93 mile bike ride from Land’s End to Launceston.
Every year I say to my self, I need to get fitter and lose some weight, but then never do anything about it. This year was no different until in March I saw an opportunity on a work notice board to cycle a 95 mile leg of a 900 mile relay from Land’s End to John O’Groats raising money for charity. I took a quick look at what was required, and applied immediately. Thinking to myself I can get fit and do my bit for charity at the same time.…..
I heard no more until ten weeks before the ride start date, when I received an email saying I’d been successful in my application and could now start raising funds and to start training, they even attached a twenty week training schedule! I was a little shocked but determined to complete the training, so I got my mountain bike out and dusted it off, before setting out for a 5 mile ride to ease me into training….at the end of the fairly flat ride I was aching and it felt more like I’d ridden the whole 95 miles rather than just down the road!
After a week of solitary training and steady mileage increases, I realised that the training plan that I had to work from was not going to be sufficient and I really needed some help. I contacted my local bike shop, Bike Chain who I have always used, and they put me in touch with Fiona @ F1 Coaching.
This is where my cycling journey really began to take shape. I met with Fiona over coffee and we had a really good chat about what I wanted to achieve and the timescales in which I had to complete them in. Fiona really listened to what I was trying to do, reassured me that I would be able to complete the challenge, and made some really great suggestions – including ditching the mountain bike and getting on a road bike.
Another week later and I had my new road bike and a tailor made training plan for me, including a nutrition plan and stretching routine. I had a read through the plans and they were clearly written and detailed. I had a lot of questions, however Fiona was always available to answer my queries and sort everything out. If I ever had a problem or question or missed a session, I just got in touch and Fiona was great, she would give me the answer, or changed the plan to fit everything in or just advised how to incorporate it into another session. The plan was tailor made but very flexible so that I could fit my training in around work and looking after a 1 year old!
Needless to say I stuck to the plan, and when things were going well I often forgot to check in with Fiona, so I’d get an email or txt checking how things were going, which I really liked because this showed that Fiona really takes care of her clients.
One of my fondest training memories is going out in the evening when it was raining really hard to do some hill rep training. I was out riding up and down the same hill and went past a couple who were walking their dog 4 times during the session and each time they gave me a strange look. On my final trip I stopped and explained what I was doing and they just said “you must be mad”. I wasn’t mad; I was just really enjoying the training.
The charity ride is now successfully completed, and the fundraising may be over, but my cycling journey and work with Fiona has only just begun. I am officially hooked on cycling now and am currently seeking new challenges for 2012 and beyond………
