Some of the athletes I am currently coaching

Rob Holden - 70.3 World Championship Age Group Qualifier

I have been training now for around four years and had varied advice and paper coaching from people but cobbled this together with my own training ideas and experince. I had raced some longer distance stuff mainly Ironman and half Ironamn and faired OK with my PB being a 10.55 (Which I hope to beat this year, fingers crossed), but never really took on the fast stuff (from what I remembered it hurt!) After meeting Mark and chatting to him I decided to give his coaching a try, I had been looking at getting a coach before. This was just after Ironman Germany in 2005, I was building up to do my annual Half Ironman (this time at Longleat). Mark said I should do some shorter triathlons (almost Olympic distance but usually a shorter swim). We built some speed work into my training and I faired well at these races and cycle time trials and always finished in the top 10!. After this I was keen to go to the first UK's 70.3 Qualifier at Longleat. I had an amzing race and couldn't believe how well my race was going. I ended up qualifying for the 70.3 World Championships to be held in Clearwater, Florida in 2006. Mark is still coaching me and this Winter I have managed more structured training than ever before and looking ahead to this year.

Mark has an excellent pedigree as an athlete and this shows in his training programmes. He delivers his programmes in a detailed yet easy to read format, along with swim sessions for the week and is always on hand for advice and feedback.

Louise Wood - UK 70.3 Wimbleball Age Group Winner, 70.3 World Championship Age Group Qualifier

I started training around 18 months ago and the first triathlon that I finished was Ironman Germany ( I won't mention St Croix..too hot). After the Ironman I met Mark through my boyfriend. He gave me more structure to my training and suggested I race some shorter stuff for practice. It wasn't long before I was getting 2nds and 3rds in races. He has always been very encouraging and has beleived that I could improve to a better level. I hope I proved him right when I not only qualified at Ironman UK 70.3 at Wimbleball but also won my age group. I was over the moon and this was my first 70.3 ironman that I had finished.

Mark's triathlon training programmes are easy to read and he is always on hand should I have any questions. With living local to Mark I even get the odd training session in with him. I would not have any hesitation recommending Mark as a coach.

Andrew McCracken - 70.3 World Championship Age Group Qualifier

I became hooked on triathlons after being challenged to compete a sprint triathlon in 2003. Prior to this challenge I had not partaken in any sports activities whatsoever. At the time I was 33 years old, 141/2 stone health disaster waiting to happen.

Initially my goal was just to complete a triathlon, but soon changed to an all out desire to get faster. From my first sprint in 2003 to mid season 2004 I completed in many triathlons.

At first I set my own training plans and sessions using a few books and internet resources. These seemed to work reasonably well, but I lacked motivation and confidence in my sessions, questioning if I was training in the most efficient manor. This lack of confidence created inconsistency in my training.

Early 2004 I started to use the coaching services of Mark. Almost immediately my performance started to improve. My training became more focused and I was more motivated to do the sessions. I had confidence in the training sessions knowing that Marks experience and my commitment would pay dividends.

Having a programmed prepared for me and knowing that all the hours training were correct and the most efficient way to improve, provided great confidence and motivation. This meant that it was only a short time before my performances started improve.

In two years of being coached by Mark, I have gone from just completing a triathlon to qualifying for the Ironman 70.3 (Half Ironman, Longleat 2005) World Championships in 2006.

My improvements across all three disciplines have been very good. In two years my PB times have been slashed. Examples are:- 10K Run - 49 minutes to 40 minutes; 10 Mile Run - 1:16 to 1:06; 25 Mile TT - 1:12 to 1:03 and Swim 30 min down to 25 min for 1500m

I took 11 minutes of my Olympic distance between 2004 and 2005, improving to a PB of 2:16.

I believe these improvements would not have been possible without Mark's coaching.

I would not hesitate to recommend marks tailored programmes to any person wishing to improve their triathlon performances, whatever their ability.

Paul Cubbon

I had been competing at standard distance triathlons for over 10 years but had become frustrated by my lack of any noticeable improvements in performance from one race season to the next. I had decided that my training needed a much more focussed and structured approach and realised that the only way to achieve this was to contact a professional Triathlon Coach. I had previously set my own training plans based loosely on what I had read or even worse what I felt like doing on any particular day, My mediocre racing results reflected a lack of structure in my training and I knew it was time to change. Since contacting Mark 12 months ago my training has undergone a radical change which has seen major improvements in my performance. From my own individual training plans that Mark supplies I have seen my performance, speed and stamina continue to improve in all three disciplines. Thanks to Mark’s coaching throughout the last year all my race times have improved, I gained a podium place at The Salford Triathlon and qualified for The 2007 Age Group World Championships at Hamburg.

There is little doubt that my improvement over the last year is due to the Mark’s coaching and support. I would fully recommend the structure that Mark has brought to my training combined with his wealth of knowledge and understanding to anyone wishing to improve their performance in Triathlon.

Steve Wild

I set myself the goal of my first triathlon early in 2006 and did the initial training with no assistance. I was running 10K in about 50 minutes, 40K bike rides in 1hr 30 and 1.5K swim in 30 minutes. I didn’t seem to be improving at all and was concerned I’d even be able to finish. My wife suggested getting a trainer and Mark’s name was suggested. I must say I was a little sceptical at first and it took me a few weeks to decide but I can honestly say it was the most significant decision of last year. With Mark’s advice, I not only finished but, at the London tri, I swam in 27 minutes, bike 1hr 8 minutes and did a 45 minute run. I can’t speak highly enough of Mark’s approach, not only is his advice spot on, he listens to your comments and works the program around your lifestyle. He’s always available for a chat if you have any problems. I’m aiming for better times next year and now regard Mark as an essential part of my training