COACH ANDREW PATTERSON EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

   Anybody who’s been around the mountain bike racing scene for the past 5 years probably already knows or has at least heard of Andy Patterson of Patterson Training Sport Science Support. Many of you have probably asked his advice, discussed training methods, or perhaps even received coaching from Andy.

   From the second the conversation turns to training, Andy really perks up and it becomes evident in short order that he is "in his element". If you have a seat-of-the-pants approach to your training and to you "Periodisation" only conjures up thoughts of grammar class, he’ll probably lose you after his first sentence. Make no mistake about it though, if it’s sound training advice you’re after, Coach Patterson has the education and practical experience to get you headed down the path to success.

We had a chance to ask Andy about the events that led to his current career path, his personal successes on the bike, and of course some questions about training that everyone could benefit from.

If you have a question of your own for Coach Patterson, check out Coach’s Corner on the race forum. Andy has kindly offered his services for those with questions concerning their training.

TMTBR: Can you give me a bit of background about how you came to being a coach?

AP: I have raced bikes from the age of about 12, starting with BMX and working up to MTB racing in my youth with some good results. When I had to get a job, I joined the Army where I stayed for 14 years. In the Forces, exercise and fitness is a way of life so you pick up a lot about training, especially when you have to do lung-busting exercise twice a day.

During that time, I spent 4 years road racing for the Army Cycling Union. I had no coach and too much time to train, which saw me suffering from chronic fatigue. Coaching at the time was sparse and mainly in the form of ex-racers who lacked any indepth knowledge of the coaching process.

I decided to get some physiology knowledge and in 1999, I embarked on an intense diploma in personal training and sport massage therapy, followed 2 years later by the British Cycling Club Coach award. For the past 8 years, I have been building my qualifications, which include a Degree in Sport and Coaching Science, and I currently work as an external coach tutor assessor for British Cycling.

TMTBR: How long have you been coaching?

AP: I started coaching in 1999 and specifically cycling coaching in 2000.

TMTBR: How many athletes are you currently coaching?

AP: That’s confidential -- it has been a long hard road to become a recognized professional coach. Getting paying clients was tough, but I am now reaching the point where I will have to split the business in two. One part will offer very specific structured coaching at a premium cost, while the other will offer more affordable sport and recreational coaching where coaching is more of a set prescription with access to an online database. It’s all very exciting for me, and I’m looking forward to what the future brings.

TMTBR: Last year was a big change for you going from being coach, bike mechanic, and all-around support guy for the Specialized team to starting up a brand new team and getting back to racing yourself……How did that all come about?

AP: Specialized were great to work with and they are staffed by great people who helped us out immensely -- I can’t thank them enough. Once they decided to shift funding away from domestic racing, we had to go our own way and we decided to run our own team. I’m afraid I can’t take the credit for putting the Patterson Training team together; Jenn did most of the organisation for that and Altura became our title sponsor. Not to mention Adele Greshon, who came to our rescue with a truly superb one-bike-does-all Endorfin when Scott failed to get us a bike as promised. Many thanks also to all the other sponsors listed on my profile. So the only thing I did differently was to do the odd Masters race, which Jenn made me do in order to use up some of the adrenaline that I would generate waiting to see my athletes come round the corner to the feed zone.

TMTBR: You obviously enjoy cycling but is your racing more about being able to test your coaching theories, like being your own lab rat, or is it just about having a good time on the bike?

AP: I purely enjoy cycling and will cycle as long as I am physically able. The coaching theories are put together from a mix of past experience, good knowledge-based physiology and sound coaching principles and practices. Gone are the days of coaching just because you raced once yourself -- that’s not good enough. My work with British Cycling Coaching and Education is to educate and assess potential coaches so that, unlike in my youth, kids can now go to an accredited club and know they will be coached by someone who has at least the basic knowledge of coaching.

TMTBR: I guess what I was alluding to above was, if you could be one, but not the other, would you be a racer or a coach?

AP: At this age, I would be a coach -- you can have all the success and joy of winning without the pain of training.

TMTBR: Your team had some great results last year; what is the primary focus for the team this year?

AP: We haven’t put a big emphasis on any one race; our main aim is to expand the team and support them as best we can. I will also be getting some of the team road racing as their natural abilities and strengths are weighted towards road racing. There will be the usual NPS and some marathon races in Europe with the main focus for Jenn being the World Marathon Championships.

TMTBR: Have you picked up any new riders?

AP: Yes we have one Master male and one Master female. I am trying to build a youth development squad and am just working on the funding for that, but it may not come together until next year. The team launch will be in spring.

TMTBR: How big is the team this year?

AP: Three official sponsored riders plus myself, and we have a handful of road and time trial racers who race for our team around the North West. If we could find more funding, we would bring more people in, but finding funding is tough.

TMTBR: In your opinion, what is the most common flaw in self-coached rider’s training?

AP: Lack of correct periodisation.

TMTBR: Okay, enough questions about coaching and your team. Can you give me a brief summary of your personal racing experience?

AP: Blimey, too much to mention or remember for that matter. A lot was in my youth in the early eighties; riding for The Cheshire and Peak MTB Club in the Cheshire classic and the Cheddar Challenge. Then when I joined the Army I had to give up MTB racing because it was not a recognized sport. So I turned to the dark side and raced the road, riding the SPOCO time trial series and stage races like the fantastic P&O Tour of the North and the Isle of Mann Cycle Week.

TMTBR: What category will you be racing this year?

AP: Master ‘cause I’m old and my knees hurt.

TMTBR: I can't resist... one more question for the coach. If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring racer, what would it be?

AP: Get a coach, not an expensive set of wheels! The wheels will last a couple of seasons, the coaching will be with you for life.