I think the outcome was certainly a reflection of hard work but even more reflective of the amazing coaching I've received over the last several weeks.

Rick, Jerry, wow. Your coaching has done absolute phenomenal wonders. I'm EXTREMELY excited not only for PP but for next season as well. 

Wow........

Credit to my coaches Rick Sorenson and Jerry Jacobs . They've been giving me workouts to reduce / eliminate my weaknesses and they work with me on strategy. I'm getting better because they're pushing me in ways I've never been pushed. Great stuff 👍🏾😊

Velojawn coaching under Coach Rick and Coach Jerry has been extremely beneficial for me as an amateur cyclist looking to get more out of the sport. Many of us have day jobs that require most of our time and my biggest concern coming in was 'Can I actually make time for coaching?'. Coach Rick and Coach Jerry are exceptionally good at understanding this and building around not only your schedule but also your goals. I was given a schedule that helped me build and prepare for my August event (the Triple Bypass in CO; the biggest I've ever done) but also taught me more bike handling skills than I originally anticipated as well as presenting me with various other local cycling opportunities. If you're looking to improve your cycling and also get more integrated into the local road cycling culture, Velojawn is a solid choice!

I moved to Philly in the fall of 2019. I had been riding on my own in California for a couple of years and loved cycling, but I had never raced or even done a group ride. I met coach Jerry around new year 2020. We made plans for me to start racing in the spring. Obviously, these plans went awry when Covid hit and essentially ended bike racing in 2020.

I kept training, solo, all through 2020 and the winter of 2021. I've got a family and sometimes it's tough to find time to train, but coach Jerry and I talked or exchanged emails every week, and even though there weren't any events to do, he guided me through a whole year of training as though it was a regular season. That winter, 2020-2021, was really tough. I think everyone had a tough time that winter, trapped inside and socially isolated. Training was a big stress reliever for me, and the hope that there would be some events in 2021 gave me something to look forward to.

The other good thing that happened in my cycling world in 2021 is that Coach Rick joined the VeloJawn team. Rick is one of the most successful masters racers ever, with 170-something wins in his career. He started doing a lot of the work on my weekly schedule. At that time I was feeling weak on longer efforts, and Rick took my concerns seriously and designed a lot of custom workouts for me. I saw my FTP jump 30 or 40 Watts and it's over 5 W/kg now. Not bad for a 40 year old guy who never raced bikes before.

I felt really strong coming into the summer, and despite some setbacks and relocating to Chicago, Rick and Jerry coached me to second place in the GC in the 2021 Green Mountain Stage race. This was actually my first ever race, and it's a super strong field that attracts racers from all over the country. When I first started training for cycling almost two years ago, I never imagined a result this good. It was no easy task getting through a four day stage race, and Rick and Jerry were crucial. To name just one example, we showed up early to the crit on the last day because I had never actually raced a crit. I was super nervous and was up half the night worrying about it. Rick and Jerry took me around the course and showed me how to take every turn, pointed out all the hazards in the pavement, and so on. If it weren't for this early recon with my coaches, I probably would have lost position and been pulled and ended off the podium.

Look, there are a lot of coaches out there, and I'm sure many of them can make you a good calendar with workouts that are appropriate for your goals. What you get with VeloJawn is coaches who will really go the extra mile for you. They really listen to you, how you're feeling, and get to know you. You get personalized coaching from them. I've been a coached athlete many times in the past, including in college, and you just don't find this level of investment in individual athletes very often. A lot of coaches will only really care about you when the results are good. These guys put in the hard work to help all their athletes get good results. 

I may have left Philly and live in a new city with new cycling friends, but I'm sticking with VeloJawn coaching. If you want to get results, if you want to learn to train and race, and if you want your coaches to treat you like an individual with your own unique physiology, schedule, and strengths, then you should give these guys a try. It's been a great experience for me. I'm only just getting started and I'm looking forward to a great masters racing career. I owe a lot to VeloJawn. Without them, I probably would never have even taken the plunge and started racing. Give them a shot, you'll be glad you did.