Nathan Ayers

Nathan Ayers


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Start Coaching with Nathan Now!

Glen Allen, Virginia


PCG Elite Coach

USAC Level 2 Coach - With Distinction

NICA Level 2 Coach

Training Peaks Level 1

UESCA Cycling Coach certification

Safe Sport Certification


Coaching Focus: Road, TT, Cyclocross, Mountain Bike, Running




Background


I began my endurance racing career in 1992 when I joined my high school cross-country team. Shortly thereafter, my passion for cycling began with mountain biking. Some of my fondest memories from my teenage years involve going mountain biking with several friends on the weekends and exploring the mountains surrounding Madison County, Virginia. I continued my running career into college at Averett University. But due to some chronic right knee pain after an attempt to ride across the United States in 1999, I had constantly pushed back racing my bike competitively until I was able to get my knee pain manageable. In 2005 I entered a few mountain bike races, and thus began my bike racing career. In 2007, at the end of my mountain bike race season, I decided to give cyclocross a try. It was hardest thing I had ever done! I immediately loved it. It reminded me of the cross-country 5K and 8K races I ran in high school and college, over varying terrain, and how even if you were not contending for the overall win in the race, you were still battling it out with someone else to move up in the field.


Unfortunately, while on a training ride in October 2008, I was struck from behind by a motorist at 45 MPH. This was a devastating injury for me. I fractured three lumbar vertebrae, suffered a serious concussion (which left me with no memory of the crash), broken ribs, and sustained nerve damage in my left leg. After spending 5 days in the ICU at the University of Virginia Medical Center, I came home to begin my long rehabilitation journey. I spent the next several years rehabbing my injuries. While I was fortunate to survive the incident, the journey back to competitive racing was long and difficult. In 2012, after almost 4 years off the bike, I competed in a cyclocross race again. I finished near last, and probably got lapped by most of the field. I was 35 pounds heavier than when I last raced, and extremely out of shape. Since that day, I’ve worked hard to return to being competitive and have completed over 175 races since my accident. Many times I’ve finished in the top 5, and landed a podium in a cyclocross race. I am pleased that I am still able to train and race, and that I was able to compete again, despite the nagging injuries that are over a decade old now. With over 25 years of experience as a cyclist and mountain biker, I’ve seen a lot of changes with bikes and with my personal life. I started my journey in this sport as an energetic teenager too young to drive a car, and now I’m a father of three with a full-time job.


Coaching Philosophy


My coaching philosophy revolves around helping my clients achieve their goals, whatever those goals may be. Everyone is different, and successfully coaching athletes to reach their goals is more than just following a structured training plan. Determining an athlete’s strengths and weaknesses is critical to determining what kind of workouts they should do, and what kind of races they should target. Also, as important as the power numbers are to guiding the design of a successful training plan, the “soft data” is equally as important. Just because the power file and numbers show that someone completed a workout, it does not tell me how they felt during the ride. If they felt terrible and struggled to finish the ride, that is vastly different than if they felt like the intervals were too easy and they felt like they could have gone harder. If they are battling a nagging injury, or not sleeping well, or stressed out from work; I want to know these factors also. It all adds up, and combining all of these variables together into a successful training plan is an art form, using science and technology to guide the way.



Notable Achievements 

2005 - 1st Place, Four Person Relay "18 Hours on the Farm" MTB Race 

2005 - 3rd Place, Poor Farm Fall Cup MTB Race

2016 - 3rd Place, Turkey Run Cyclocross Race

2016 - 5th Place, Rocktown Cyclocross Festival


Athlete Testimonials


"Nathan is a great guy to work with and understands the demanding schedule of people’s “real life”. One of the few that can work up a great program to fit around that and whether you’re a hard core racer or just a weekend warrior that just wants to get fit and faster he’s got the knowledge find something that works for you."  - Steve Hein



"When I first talked to Nathan I shared my fitness and cycling goals with him. But as a new resident of Richmond, VA, I also had some personal goals around getting out and meeting people that I hoped cycling would help with. Nathan took all of my goals seriously and because of that, his coaching of me includes advice around going on group rides, as well as the importance of consistency (yeah--I'm listening), training rides, long rides, nutrition, and sleep. In fact, Nathan seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of cycling. What I appreciate most about Nathan's coaching is that he somehow is able to remind me of my goals and what it takes to achieve them, without ever making me feel bad--only that there is another opportunity to advance." - Helen Humphreys



I have been working with Nate for approximately four seasons now and really appreciate his supportive and positive nature. “Life happens” and when it does, Nate is always there to assure me that he will get me to where I need to be by race day…and he does! As a result, I am getting stronger physically and mentally as a cyclist. I really look forward to seeing what gains I can make each year under Nate’s guidance. If you are considering a coach for the first time or are considering a change, I would highly recommend Nate and the Peaks Coaching Group. - Brad


View Nathan's Athletes' Accomplishments


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