I spent several months searching for my coach. I wasn’t going to be happy with a cycling specific organization that slotted me into whatever rate category I was wiling to pay. I’m sure these companies have great success, however, as a multi-sport adventure athlete who enjoys xc skiing, climbing, mountaineering, surfing and, many other activities that routinely fill my days, I needed to find someone who had the adaptability and open-mindedness to create a cycling training program that, not only made room for my adventures, but would also use these activities to further my progress.
After digging 5 or 6 pages deep in to a Google search, I found the Toque Coaching web page and sent Ben an email. He got back to me promptly and our conversation began. Ben understood the dynamics of my situation and was able to apply his experiences in ski racing and cycling to create a program that has elevated my cycling to a level I’ve never achieved on my own. There’s a magic that happens when you work with a coach, when some else takes an interest in your progress. You level up faster and become accountable to your progress because of your coach. It’s a far more efficient approach that makes the investment into training well worth the fees.
Ben has the background, accomplishments, professionalism, and tools to accelerate any rider’s development. Plus, he’s a stand-up guy that is genuinely invested in his athlete’s development. I would 100% recommend working with Ben to realize your cycling potential.
Former Canadian National Criterium Champion and acclaimed Head of Coach Development for Cycling BC, Ben Chaddock, takes us back to his early days racing on the collegiate cycling circuit at Whitman College, pulls us through his experience in the pro peloton, and shares his vision for the FUTURE of cycling coaching in the latest episode of the Cycling BC podcast. LISTEN HERE
It is National Coaches Week, a time to celebrate the tremendous positive impact coaches have on athletes and communities across Canada. This week is an opportunity to recognize coaches for the integral role they play by simply saying #ThanksCoach. You can follow all of the National Coaches Week social media action on Facebook and Twitter using hashtags #CoachesWeek and #ThanksCoach.
Cycling BC would like to say #ThanksCoach to all the coaches out there for playing a crucial role in building a healthy and active community.
We will be posting a series of coach profiles on our website throughout National Coaches Week, September 22-30, and have asked athletes to take this opportunity to say “thanks” to their coaches.
To kick off our #ThanksCoach series, here’s a coach profile of our very own Ben Chaddock by athlete Cody Scott.
#ThanksCoach Profile: Ben Chaddock
Cody Scott is from North Vancouver and races for the Cannondale pb Fortius cycling team. Cody has been coached by Ben Chaddock for the past year and it has been a very new and positive experience for him. Ben is Cody’s very first cycling coach and here’s what Cody had to say about his coach.
What does your coach do that makes him a great coach? Ben always checks in with me to see how I’m doing and how training has been going. He provides new and challenging workouts for me to do and is always open to new ideas. Another thing that makes him a great coach is that he makes an effort to go for rides with me whether it be on road bikes, cross bikes, and even mountain bikes. Ben has deep insight into different training methods and always has an answer for my questions. Other than the sport they coach you in, what sport would you like to watch your coach try? I would like to see Ben try cross-country skiing. I got into it last winter and I really enjoyed it. I found it was a great way to keep my cycling fitness up while doing something different as well. It is also nice to get out in the snow and we’re fortunate to live really close to some great cross-country skiing. Share a fond memory you have about your coach. Last cross season, my dad, Ben and I went down to Washington State for a cross race. We were staying in a hotel so we had to go out for dinner. We decided to go to Whole Foods and get our dinner from their buffet; my dad and I got pizza. I can’t remember what Ben got but I do remember that when we were leaving the store, Ben was munching on a whole head of lettuce! For some reason, that image has always stuck in my brain. What is something that reminds you of your coach? Whole lettuce heads. Haha! Why do you want to say “thanks, coach”? I would like to say “thanks coach” because Ben puts a lot of effort and time into helping me achieve my goals in cycling. If I didn’t have a coach like Ben, I would be lost on what to do every time I went for a ride and I wouldn’t be getting the fitness gains that I am getting with structured training. He is also teaching me a lot of valuable things about training, cycling, and recovery as well. He’s not just giving me a workout to do and saying “have fun.”
#ThanksCoach
Cody Scott Mountain Biking at the BC XCO Championships
