Catriona took her third win in 3 races at the Texas Ironman

There are athletes, and then there are athletes.

I have had the good fortune of working with some of the best athletes in the world. At Cat’s level, you get all sorts. There are the athletes for whom every setback represents a catastrophe, and those who tough things out besides discomfort or injury. And then you have Cat. I once joked that Cat is the sort of athlete who could suffer an amputation mid-race, and would call me afterwards and say, very calmly:  ‘Yeah Phil, my foot fell off halfway through the run, but I tied it off with a bit of shoelace and kept running on the bloody stump.’

Catriona has had an amazing season so far. She had great wins at the Texas 70.3, a hat-trick at St. Croix, and now this. There are all sorts of lessons to take from our approach to training and racing. The most important is the benefit of a calm mind and a rational approach. Two weeks before this latest race, Cat emailed me pictures of an outrageous blister on her foot. In all honesty, it was one of the worst I have seen in my medical career. It wasn’t the sort of thing you wanted to see when an athlete is trying to get in their last big workouts before one of their biggest races of the season.

The thing is, nobody freaked out. Cat, though a bit nervous, was basically calm where other athletes have called me in similar situations in hysterics. I assured her that this was no big deal, that there was plenty of training in the bank, and with a bit of adjustment of the taper using RaceDay Apollo, she would still smash the Ironman, which she did. There was no attempt to train through the injury, and there was no panic-fueled attempt to squeeze in extra training at the last minute afterwards. We simply decided it was a non-issue, and that recovery needed to be the main priority if we were still going to race well. We used the data we have carefully recorded to adjust the plan going forward to account for this setback. Problem solved.

Maintaining a calm outlook is also of great importance while in the thick of the race. Cat and I were both trained as scientists. The beauty of this is that we are able to dispassionately review and evaluate data. By keeping careful track of her training and racing, we know exactly how hard she can ride, and how long she can ride that hard for. We know how she will run after riding at different power outputs. This knowledge lends a certain amount of security. The other competitors in the race become a non-issue. People rode past Cat with their hair on fire, and we were happy to let them go. We had a rational plan and we stuck to it because was  supported by data, not the emotional reaction to what others are doing. You can see the results every time Cat walks up that podium.

The take home message is this: Learn to separate your emotions from the situation you find yourself in. The best athletes, firefighters, doctors, or soldiers succeed under pressure because they are able to dispassionately assess very stressful situations and then act accordingly. This is a learned skill. Get out there and practice it

Cat ran her way into 3rd place at Abu Dhabi!

Catriona had a great season opener at the Abu Dhabi triathlon this weekend, capturing a 3rd place finish.

Most importantly, due to some off season gait tweaks and training adjustments, she was running comfortably. This bodes well for our upcoming big races. Well done, Cat!

Madame Pele Giveth, and she Taketh Away...

As always, Volcano Goddess Madame Pele giveth and she taketh away…

Winning her AG at Oceanside 70.3 earlier this year, PhysFarm athlete Colleen Capper was looking for the race of her life in Kona: a podium slot, and the coveted wooden bowl trophy. We trained, and devised the plan down to the watt and minute per mile. Colleen swam 1:34 and biked an impressive 6:04, but it really all came together on the run. She held back and ran steadily for the first 17 miles of the run, allowing her competition to beat themselves up in the heat. Then, she put the hammer down, dropping her pace by almost 1.5 minute per mile. No one was able to answer her, and Collen crossed the line with a 3:51 marathon. It was not only a Kona PR, and not just a marathon PR: Colleen ran faster than any of her previous stand-alone marathons save one. Colleen finished 5th in her age group, collecting the magic wooden bowl. She’ll be eating her Wheaties out of that from now on. Or possibly drinking her mai-tais from it…

Colleen is pretty hard-core. No, seriously. I know you think you’re tough and all that, but check this out: Colleen broke her wrist in a crash in the middle of September. Undaunted, she got a gore-tex cast that she could swim with, made some adjustments to her aerobars to accommodate the cast, and just kept training. The cast came off three days before the race. Unreal.

PhysFarm athlete (and BPC Coach) Joe Donahue also had a fantastic race. Last year, after a rough bike leg, I watched he and Pele duke it out to a painful 11:18. This year, he was looking for something more, and asked me to coach him to the finish he knew he was capable of. Once again, it all came down to the run, but this year Joe came out swinging. Joe swam 1:05, and rode a strong 5:31 before setting out on the run. Joe hung tough for a 3:45 marathon in the Kona heat, which was good for about a 45 minute PR!

Unfortunately, Pele was not so kind to some of the other competitors. An obnoxious head cold was making the rounds, most notably taking out Kona Queen Chrissie Wellington, but also PhysFarm athlete and podium hopeful Catriona Morrison. Cat was feeling well enough to toe the line on race day, and was able to execute the plan through mile 80 of the bike, but there just wasn’t enough left in the tank to throw down her storied run. She was forced to abandon shortly after the bike leg. It was a tough pill to swallow, after picking up the Swine Flu on the plane to Kona last year, but doubtless she will be back next year to look Madame Pele in the eye once again.

This program is designed specifically for athletes who are returning to training after a serious illness or injury. Once your acute issues have been resolved by your medical team and you have been cleared to resume vigorous exercise by your physicians and therapists, Dr. Skiba works one-on-one with you to specifically engineer your return to best possible racing form.

The program begins with an in-depth initial consultation to determine what your abilities were before your setback, as well as your training history and experience. We will then review your medical history and treatment, response to treatment, and current regimen in detail. Finally, we will carry out a detailed evaluation to determine current functional status. Using this information, we determine a set of reasonable goals and then devise the optimal coaching program to achieve these goals. We will optimize your nutrition and recovery strategies, and will manage every aspect of your training.

Throughout the process, we will confer as often as necessary by telephone, internet, and in person when practical. We will also communicate regularly with and provide reports to your physicians and other health care providers as needed.

This program is most appropriate for athletes recovering from a serious medical illness or injury. Examples include people recovering from cancer, recurrent orthopedic or musculoskeletal injuries (including major trauma), or heart disease.

Please note that this service does not include medical services or treatment. We will not prescribe medications or order medical testing. People interested in medical care should contact Dr. Skiba for more details.

Please note that travel expenses are additional.

Ready to sign up? Interested in learning more? Click here to contact us.

This program is designed for the athlete who requires more hands-on work and individual attention from Dr. Skiba. It includes everything seen in the Traditional Coaching package, additional services, and the ability to customize the program more fully. It is most appropriate for middle and front of the pack athletes who have very specific goals and are willing to work hard in the pursuit of those goals, or anyone who is interested in achieving his or her maximum possible performance status.

The Premier Coaching Package includes, but is not limited to:

• Exercise testing and training level determination
• Analysis of previous performances
• Specific training advice to improve weaknesses
• Periodized season plan based on your goals
• Monthly workout schedules, adjusted on a daily basis as needed
• Athlete/Coach communication by e-mail on a daily basis as needed
• 24/7 access to Dr. Skiba via his personal cell phone number
• Event specific advice
• Twice-weekly analysis of training logs and power/heart rate files
• Intelligent performance modeling, prediction and event targeting using our proprietary systems
• Dietary analysis, recommendations and meal planning
• Swim stroke form analysis and improvement
• Bike fitting, including unlimited adjustments
• Supervised workouts
• Gait analysis
• Coordination and communication directly with your other fitness consultants
• Coordination and communication directly with your health care consultants
• Coach attendance at races (max. 4 per season, travel expenses are additional)
• Discount access/admission to PhysFarm Training Camps and classes
  (Travel / lodging expenses not included)

Ready to sign up? Interested in learning more? Click here to contact us.

Our Traditional Coaching Package is a full-service arrangement. In addition to the benefits of the basic package, the Traditional Package includes much more coach contact by both e-mail and telephone. Additionally, it includes access to our proprietary software applications which can analyze your workout data and actually predict your performance. Furthermore, it is possible to use these tools to target a specific desired performance on a particular day. It is most appropriate for middle and front of the pack athletes who have very specific goals and are willing to work hard in the pursuit of those goals.

The Traditional Coaching Package includes:

• Exercise testing and training level determination
• Analysis of previous performances
• Specific training advice to improve weaknesses
• Periodized season plan based on your goals
• Monthly workout schedules, adjusted on a weekly basis as needed
• Athlete/Coach communication by e-mail on a daily basis as needed
• Athlete/Coach communication by phone twice weekly as needed
• Event specific advice
• Intelligent performance modeling, prediction and event targeting using our proprietary systems
• Weekly analysis of training logs and power/heart rate files
• Dietary analysis and recommendations

Additional services available at a substantial (50%) discount:

• Supervised workouts
• Swim stroke/form analysis and correction
• Bike fitting, including unlimited adjustments
• Gait analysis

Ready to sign up? Interested in learning more? Click here to contact us.

Jason On The Bike

Jason Digman is a coach and founder of Dig It Triathlon and Multisport, LLC. As a professional and full-time coach, Jason brings a commitment to helping his clients reach their goals while having fun in the process. Dig It athletes race multisport events of all distances across the country, achieving great and rewarding results.

As a lifelong student of endurance sports performance, Jason applies the latest research and technology to use with his athletes. A specialist in power based training, Jason helps his clients to use technology to its fullest. He can be contacted via email at Jason@digittri.com or by phone at (612) 723-0233.

Jason Kilderry
ETA Coaching LLC

Jason Hard At Work

Jason has a substantial background in endurance sports. A competitive runner in high school and college, Jason took to triathlon while studying at Rowan University. He became fascinated with training theory, and ended up with a major in exercise science.

As Jason searched for the “best” way to maximize his own training, he sought out the top coaches and most popular literature in the field. However, he found himself continually frustrated by the prevalence of unoriginal, belief-based and/or illogical training methods and philosophies. It was this lack of evidence-based coaching that led Jason to focus on the intelligent application of basic scientific principles to training. Using this approach, Jason found that his performances improved dramatically. This inspired him to take up coaching full time and to make an effort to help others realize similar success.

Jason is a USAT Level 1 certified coach as well as a National Strength and Conditioning Association-Certified Personal Trainer. He holds a degree in Health and Exercise Science from Rowan University. Jason is the owner of ETA Coaching, and is a member of the PhysFarm Coaching Consortium. Jason comes well recommended by his athletes, many of whom have qualified for events such as the NJ High School State championships, the USAT National Championships, and the Boston Marathon.

Jorge Martinez

Jorge Riding Hard

Jorge is been an active athlete for over 22 years participating in team sports, tennis, swimming and semi-professional soccer. Although his academic background is in business (Bachelor of BA and Masters Degree in Finance) Jorge became a USA Triathlon level 1 coach in 2005 and later obtained his USA cycling level 3 certification.

Jorge is been a student of the sport for many years, and has worked as an associate coach for Personal Best Multisport Coaching until becoming partner. His coaching approach is pretty simple: he doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all approach or force our athletes to mold to specific methods. Instead, he identifies and addresses each athlete’s specific needs and limitations using basic physiological and scientific principles, proven training concepts, application of the latest technology and  constant communication.

As a coach, Jorge has helped athletes from different background and levels achieve their athletic goals, whether completing their first race, qualifying for races such as the Ironman world championship, the 70.3 world championship, USAT Nationals, the ITU age group world Championship, the Boston Marathon, or  winning races overall or age-group.

As an athlete, Jorge is nationally-ranked, and has earnedUSAT All American status for various years. In 2006, he qualified for an elite card through the Triathlon Mexican federation. He has qualified for to events such as the 70.3 World Championships, USAT Nationals and the Boston Marathon.

You can check out Jorge’s blog here: www.jorgepbmcoaching.blogspot.com/

Scott Whitten

Scott Whitten is the Head Coach of Brain Loncar Racing, currently the USAT south central regions #1 ranked triathlon club and tests local endurance athletes at the RCSC Performance Lab in Dallas, Texas.

Coach Whitten competed in his first triathlon in 1987 and coached his first athlete in 1993 for triathlon. Scott ran for Baylor University and competed on the school’s cycling team winning the South Central Collegiate Criterium Championship two years in a row.

Coach Whitten has received many honors since becoming a triathlon coach, including being named Director of the National Juniors Skills Camp 2007-08 (USAT Sanctioned), but his biggest accolades come from the athletes he coaches.

To learn more about Coach Whitten, call 214-642-5516, email scottwhitten@yahoo.com or go to www.brianloncarracingteam.com

Dr. Skiba is a USA Triathlon certified coach, and gives back to the sport through his weekend lecture series, which is conducted several times yearly. An authority on training, Dr. Skiba has been interviewed on the radio and in the New York Times, among other publications. His research has been presented at international sports conferences such as the AAPM&R (2006), the ACSM (2007, 2008, 2009) and the AOASM (2007, 2008, 2010). In addition to his lay publications, you can read his work in academic journals such as Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, The Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the Journal of Applied Physiology. Below you may find some references for some of his selected lay and scholarly publications and lectures.

Scholarly Publications and Lectures:

2011:
Skiba, Philip Friere and Andrew M. Jones. Commentary on: VIEWPOINT: Michael J. Joyner, Jonatan R. Ruiz, and Alejandro Lucia. The Two-Hour Marathon: Who and When? J Appl Physiol 2010 (In Press). J Appl Physiol, January 2011.

2010:
Clarke, David C. and Philip Friere Skiba. Rationale & Resources for a Course Module in Athletic Performance Engineering. Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting. October 9, 2010.

Skiba, Philip Friere. Aerobic and Anaerobic: Understanding Modern Exercise Physiology. Invited lecture, AOASM Annual Conference. May 2010.

Skiba, Philip Friere. Putting It All Together: The Synthesis of Physiology and Human Performance. Invited lecture, AOASM Annual Conference. May 2010.

Clarke, David and Philip Friere Skiba. Athletic Performance Engineering. IAP, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. January 22-23, 2010.

2009:
Skiba, Philip Friere. The Physiology of Endurance Training. Invited lecture, Kean University. December 2009.

Skiba, Philip Friere. Ankle Injury In A Collegiate Field Hockey Player. Med Sci Sports Exerc 41:5, Supplement. May 2009

2008:
Skiba, Philip Friere. The Physiology of Endurance Training. Invited lecture, Kean University. December 2008.

Jimenez, Joseph and Philip Friere Skiba. Predicting Patient Response to Rehabilitation following ACL Reconstruction. American Academy of Physiatry.

Skiba, Philip Friere. Calculation of Optimal Taper Characteristics in an Amateur Triathlete. Med Sci Sports Exerc 40:5, Supplement. May 2008.

Skiba, Philip Friere. Genetics and Performance: Doping and the Future of Testing and Sport. Invited lecture, AOASM Annual Conference. May 2008.

Skiba, Philip Friere. Use of Performance Modeling in the Rehabilitation of Athletes. Invited lecture, Athletic Training Society of NJ Conference. February 2008.

2007:
Skiba, Philip Friere. Evaluation of a Novel Training Metric in Trained Cyclists. Med Sci Sports Exerc 39:5, Supplement. May 2007.

Skiba, Philip Friere. Testicular Mass in an Off-Road Cyclist. Med Sci Sports Exerc 39:5, Supplement. May 2007.

Skiba, Philip Friere. Evaluation of a Novel Training Metric in a Trained Triathlete. Scholarship-Winning lecture, AOASM Annual Conference, May 2007.

2006:
Skiba, Philip Friere. Quantification of Training Stress in Distance Runners. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 87:29. November 2006.

1998:
Skiba, Philip Friere and Vivian Bellofatto. Cloning of a Putative PBP-1 Subunit via RT-PCR. Molecular Parasitology Meeting IX, Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory.

Scholarly Awards:

2007: Medical Staff Research Scholarship. Union Hospital.

2007: Annual Conference Research Scholarship, AOASM.

2006: Medical Staff Research Scholarship. Union Hospital.

1999: President’s Leadership Scholarship. ATSU-KCOM.

Lay Publications:

2008: Skiba, Philip Friere. The Triathlete’s Guide To Training With Power. 120 pages. ISBN-13: 978-0-9794636-1-7

2006: Skiba, Philip Friere. Bike Fitness: The Cornerstone of Your Race. USA Triathlon Life. Spring 2006.

2004: Skiba, Philip Friere. Scientific Training For Triathletes: Guidelines to Training Healthy and Racing Smart.
127 pages. ISBN-13: 978-0-9794636-0-0

Corporate Lectures, Seminars and Keynotes:

2008: Skiba, Philip Friere. Getting America Healthy. Keynote Lecture, HeartZones Annual Conference, University of Denver, CO. November 2008.

2008: Skiba, Philip Friere. PhysFarm Level II: Training plan design and periodization: an evidence-based approach to athlete training. Kean University, Union, NJ. October 25-26, 2008.

2008: Skiba, Philip Friere. PhysFarm Level I: Biomechanics and Exercise Physiology in Practice. Yahoo Center, Santa Monica, CA. March 15-16, 2008.

2008: Skiba, Philip Friere. PhysFarm Level I: Biomechanics and Exercise Physiology in Practice. Kean University, Union, NJ. January 19-20, 2008.

The Many Roles of Dr. Phil

Sports Physician
Renowned Coach
Exercise Scientist
Cancer Survivor

My name is Phil Skiba. Welcome to PhysFarm.

Chances are that if you have found your way here, you are interested in learning about the best way to train for your favorite sport. Like many of my medical colleagues, you are probably also wondering how I ended up as a coach and performance consultant to weekend warrior and world champion athletes alike. The truth is that there’s no simple answer to that question, and like many such stories, mine is a very personal one.

Growing up, I was never particularly athletic, but I was a strong swimmer from summers spent at the Jersey Shore. I would eventually become a lifeguard, and then coach of a camp swim team. One of my fellow coaches was a triathlete, and convinced me to do more running and cycling as part of my conditioning, which I’d long enjoyed anyway. This conspiracy of events lead me to a secret wish to do the Ironman, which would fall by the wayside due to college, graduate school and, well…life. I was just too busy to worry about it.

A Change of Life

Part of the naivete of youth is that you look at life-changing events as some sort of cliche; that is, until one happens to you. In 1997, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and life-changing really doesn’t capture the flavor. I will never forget that clinical smell and mausoleum silence of my urologist’s office as he said to me, “From the size of your primary tumor, it is not unreasonable to expect lung and brain metastases.”

“I’m 23 years old,” I thought. My doctor told me I should be prepared to endure surgery, toxic drugs, radiation and whatever other horrors the oncologist might dream up. I realized that after the chemo shredded my lungs, I might never again swim in the ocean, at least not the way I used to. I’d never ride my bike up Mt. Airy Road again and I sure as hell wasn’t doing a triathlon. I walked home in a strange fog of disbelief. Cancer.

When I got to my parents house, the very first thing I did was sit on my childhood bed and make a list of all the things I wanted to do before I died. It included (among other things) getting a hot dog at Nathan’s, getting to know my youngest sister better, and the Ironman.

After suffering through the surgery, I was dealt an impossible stroke of luck. The tumor had grown in such a way that it had eroded an artery and bled out into itself. The pathology report and scans indicated that I was probably cancer-free. I wasn’t going to die, and I wasn’t going to spend months puking up my guts in pursuit of a cure. My father would later say to me, “You just learned that life is not a dress rehearsal, Philster. I’d hang onto that list if I were you.”

I hung onto the list. In fact, I added something that night: Go to medical school.

Finding My Own Path

Some of the things I wanted to do proved easier than others. Medicine would take over my life, but my sporting ambitions would come back around to haunt me in the form of my schoolmates Jim Carothers and Jeff Rasch, both of whom were former professional cyclists who were dabbling in triathlon. As they got me involved, and taught me about training, I felt there had to be something more. One of my professors suggested I get a copy of Astrand’s Textbook of Work Physiology. It is known as the bible of exercise science, and I was hooked immediately. The body responded to exercise according to some very simple principles. All you had to do was follow the rules. I began devising my own training plans, and in 6 months I had knocked more than 10 minutes off of my 5k time.

As I continued through school, and set my sights on Ironman Lake Placid, word got out to my patients that I was the guy to talk to about sports. They began coming to me for advice, and were pleased with the results they saw. Before I knew it, word had spread, and very talented professional athletes were turning up in my clinic not for medical advice, but for training tips! Suddenly, athletes were “accidentally” bumping into me at the pool. “Hey Dr. Phil,” they’d say, “Have a look at my stroke, would you?”

Birth of a Coach

Irrespective of desire, the Ironman is a cruel mistress. The 100-hour work week of medical school and my training schedule didn’t jibe, and even at 8% body fat, I was still well over 200 pounds. I dragged myself to the finish line in Lake Placid just before midnight, achieving my goal. However, I also learned something extraordinary. Many of the people who had come to me for advice before that race had set PR’s, some by a fair amount.

I suddenly realized that while I enjoyed (and still enjoy) racing triathlons, my real talent was coaching. As a scientist and doctor, I’d trained my mind to assimilate large volumes of information and cross-reference it with the reality of the person in front of me. It’s exactly the thought process great coaches use; I was simply coming at it from a different direction. I began working on my first book, Scientific Training for Triathletes, and PhysFarm Training Systems was born.

Coaching…and Medicine…and Research

As a scientist, I have an innate interest in probing limits. How far? How fast? How strong? Sports Medicine was a natural specialty for me, because my patients ask those same questions of themselves every time they take the track, or jump in the pool, or look up the side of a mountain from a bicycle seat. “Is this all that I have? Or is there something more?”

Academically, I was pushing limits of my own. It was clear that the athlete’s body responds somewhat predictably to training. It turns out that this relationship between training and performance can be modeled by complex mathematics. I began researching this area, trying to devise a better way to train. After presenting my work at several sports medicine meetings, I filed for a patent on my system in 2007. Since that time, my amateur and professional athletes have gone on to achieve unprecedented results, including World Championship titles. In fact, Joanna Zeiger also set a World-Record in the process of winning her World title in November 2008.

I’m a lucky guy. I get up every day excited about what I do, and how I can help people be their best. I hope you learn something on my website that helps you do something you only imagined previously. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance in chasing your dream.

_________________________________________________________________

Dr. Skiba regularly speaks at conferences in the sporting and medical industries, and delivers keynote lectures for corporate functions. He can be reached at coachphil@physfarm.com.You can read more about his lectures and publications by clicking here. You can read more about his background and the many hats he wears by clicking here.

Coach David, Spain 2010

Although he does a lot of work overseas, David is working with a large stable of North American athletes. We thought it was time that he had a proper introduction to the US triathlon community.

How did you come to work with Dr. Phil?

In years past, when Phil was developing GOVSS, he sought the help of someone in the triathlon coaching community with an analytical mind and a head for spreadsheets and data. What was needed was a custom, complex spreadsheet that could be easily edited as the model was refined. This is where my research expertise was particularly useful and between us we honed the GOVSS model.

What qualifications and experience do you bring to the table?

British Triathlon Level III and 10 years coaching clubs and individuals from 14 to 65 years old and novices to World Class elite athletes (ITU elites, World AG athlete’s, Pro cyclists and Ironman athletes). Within this time I also carried out 4 years biomechanics research at Loughborough University and continuously broadened my knowledge and coaching experience.

What brought you to triathlon?

My interest in triathlon stemmed, ironically, from injury. My sporting background was originally in Rugby and American Football, I played rugby whilst at University and even coached whilst I was studying for a year at Texas Tech. I then switched to American Football and ended my career playing free safety for Great Britain students. I loved the game, but a particularly serious injury to my medial collateral ligament made me realize that athletic longevity may be better served by taking up a different sport.

The beauty of studying and carrying out research at Loughborough University is the depth of talent one is exposed to within sports. I joined the triathlon club as a novice and within two years was coaching training sessions.

How did you develop your coaching experience?

Moving to the northern part of England due to my day job meant that I was able to work with other triathlon clubs and individuals. Over the years I continuously developed my coaching qualifications, related knowledge and experience. My background enabled me to apply my skills in many triathlon related ways, for instance, my work in biomechanics research was particularly useful when athletes required gait analysis / intervention or bike positioning and the like.

I actually helped design a women’s specific triathlon bike for ‘Whisper Bikes UK’ that debuted at the Hawaii World AG Champs.

Throughout this time I kept a hand in competing in triathlons and ultra distance running. However as is often the case in multisport, other commitments in life meant I had to choose between sleep, training and coaching! Needless to say I wasn’t going to give up work and family so the coaching stayed….

Do you have a particular coaching philosophy?

What I’ve found over time is that every coach has their own ‘marketing persona’ and their own ‘unique way’ to help athletes develop. However, having cut through all the ‘noise’ I’ve learnt three things:

(1) Everyone is unique in their training needs and response to training.
(2) There are no ‘magic bullets’ that make an athlete fast tomorrow.
(3) Coaching is about two way communication, and not program writing.

I help people take pleasure in the process of striving to achieve their goals, I help people develop the work ethic required for success and I help people motivate themselves through the inevitable cyclical nature of training and its rewards.

Tell me about a recent success story?

Most recently, I’ve been working with a female pro Ironman athlete. A healthy level of communication, understanding and the tools Dr. Phil built into Raceday has meant in 3 months we’ve been able to add 7% to her threshold power on the bike, set an IM bike split PB and improve her running speed. Watch this space!

What is the current focus of Physfarm UK?

Physfarm UK is currently working with age grouper’s, pro athletes and National Governing Bodies. Although Phil and I set up PhysFarm UK to address our interests in Western Europe, the Internet has seen to it that he is regularly working with athletes over here, and I am working with athletes over there. Depending upon the needs of some athletes we also collaborate on their training.

Any parting thoughts?

The PhysFarm approach works because it is based on science and is custom tailored to you: your needs, your lifestyle, your particular gifts, background and physiology.

If you’re interested in achieving your peak performance through a truly individual service, please feel free to get in touch at david@physfarm.com.