Faster, Stronger, and a Whole Lot Lighter

by Coach Matt Russ

When I first started coaching Chris Powers I realized I had my work cut out for me. As we rode together last fall, Chris kept falling off the back. I felt I was barely touching my pedals, yet he would fade on the climbs. His form needed a lot of work, specifically his knees out pedaling, and he was fitted poorly on his bike. He was overweight and under trained. It was time to roll up my coaching sleeves.

There is never an easy way to tell someone they need to loose weight. Chris is a very analytical and technical person. I explained that power to weight ratio is perhaps the most important aspect of an athlete's performance. He took this to heart and made an appointment with our Registered Dietician / Sport Nutritionist, Ilana Katz. Ilana has done remarkable work with our athlete's and I knew he was in good hands. Next we had to address his fitness.

Chris is one of those rare athletes that not only want to train hard; they want to train with absolute precision. The technicality of our coaching system appealed to him. He purchased an uploadable GPS heart rate monitor and was very diligent in recording his work out data in his training log. He was consistent not just in completing his work outs, he completed them as prescribed.

Next we addressed his run and cycling form with video analysis. With practice and persistence both gradually improved. He grasped the biomechanics of the sports very well. A proper bike fit helped improve his comfort and power output. His stride rate improved.

The weight was coming off at a slow and steady rate, just the way I wanted it too. He had enough energy to train without depletion, yet was still creating enough of an energy deficit to loose body fat. Speed was coming along nicely as well.

Chris is a gear nut. If there is a product out there that can gain him some speed he will exhaustively research it and purchase the best model. He purchased a top shelf time trial bike and added the best components available. A power meter really helped us add more precision to his cycling training, and the weight he lost decreased his aerodynamic profile. We got more aggressive with his bike fit.

50 pounds lighter he was not longer �big Chris.� In fact, if you had not seen Chris in a while you probably would not recognize him. His legs had become lean and powerful; he looked like an athlete. His accolades now included Southeastern duathlon champion in the Clydesdale division. A designation I did not expect him to keep much longer. And he had set many PR's along the way.

Chris was voted �Athlete of the Month� by the North Atlanta Multi Sport Club. His transformation alone was enough to earn him this award, but Chris is a genuinely nice guy who gives back to the sport. He would give you the shirt off his back if you asked for it. In fact, I had to warn him not to lend out any more of his equipment!

Nearly 11 months after I started coaching Chris we raced together once again. This time however, a funny thing happened-- he passed me. As I was climbing a hill he suddenly appeared next to me he said four words I will never forget; �are you all right?� I was in fact, all right. In fact I was working my ass off. I managed to stay with him the rest of the bike leg but could not pass him. I watched him climb long hills at over 18 m.p.h.. I watched his smooth, steady form and cadence. His back was flat, knees in, head down, and he was focused. It was one of my most proud moments as a coach.

In his next sprint race he lopped nearly 14 minutes off the previous seasons time�a huge improvement. We still have work to do. Chris tends to be a bit hard on him self and can loose focus during a race. I am sure this will fall into place with more experience and training. But Chris is a perfect example of what determination, dedication, hard work, and discipline can bring you; in just 11 months.

Matt Russ has coached and trained elite athletes around the country and internationally for over ten years. He currently holds expert licenses from USA Triathlon, USA Cycling, and is a licensed USA Track and Field Coach. Matt is head coach and owner of The Sport Factory, and works with athletes of all levels full time. He is a free lance author and his articles are regularly featured in a variety of magazines such as Inside Triathlon, and Triathlete. Visit www.thesportfactory.com for more information or email him at coachmatt@thesportfactory.com