Testimonials and Reviews From Cyclists & Triathletes
★★★★★
I started using Kevin @ Blackzone Coaching in January 2023. I’ve had a few coaches before, but for varying reasons, I was not compelled to stick with them.
Kevin has completely transformed my training, and in turn my racing ability. I started racing 70.3 events in 2018 and have consistently pulled in results putting me in the top half of the top ten in my age group. I challenged Kevin with top 5 with the real target being the Podium.
I have had 2 races this season (2023), and in both I have come away with significant PB’s (both sub 5:30 which was previously a dream) in a very competitive field. I will update this review once I’ve had my final race of the season in September!
Race 1 – Outlaw Nottingham – I placed 8th/68 – not the place I wanted but considering the competition and my finish time I was very happy indeed.
Race 2 – Outlaw Holkham – I placed 5th/38 – far better placing and even better finish time.
Kevin is dedicated to working with his athletes to help them achieve their goals. My run at Nottingham improved by circa 10 minutes, which is something we have really been focusing on as running off the bike was always my weak spot.
I wont be changing coaches any time soon – this is a long term project and I would highly recommend Kevin whatever your goals.
I started using Kevin @ Blackzone Coaching in January 2023. I’ve had a few coaches before, but for varying reasons, I was not compelled to stick with them.
Kevin has completely transformed my training, and in turn my racing ability. I started racing 70.3 events in 2018 and have consistently pulled in results putting me in the top half of the top ten in my age group. I challenged Kevin with top 5 with the real target being the Podium.
I have had 2 races this season (2023), and in both I have come away with significant PB’s (both sub 5:30 which was previously a dream) in a very competitive field. I will update this review once I’ve had my final race of the season in September!
Race 1 – Outlaw Nottingham – I placed 8th/68 – not the place I wanted but considering the competition and my finish time I was very happy indeed.
Race 2 – Outlaw Holkham – I placed 5th/38 – far better placing and even better finish time.
Kevin is dedicated to working with his athletes to help them achieve their goals. My run at Nottingham improved by circa 10 minutes, which is something we have really been focusing on as running off the bike was always my weak spot.
I wont be changing coaches any time soon – this is a long term project and I would highly recommend Kevin whatever your goals.
★★★★★
From the moment I stepped into the world of triathlon, Kevin was there, displaying an unwavering commitment and dedication that simply cannot be overstated.
His 24/7 availability, be it via text or call, is a testament to his sincere investment in each of his clients journey.
Coming into the sport, I was a complete novice. Yet Kevin’s expert advice and patient mentorship proved invaluable. From the initial stages of choosing my first bike, to meticulously refining my training regime, he equipped me with the tools and knowledge I needed to get from my first sprint triathlon to a half ironman and in 5 more weeks a full ironman. All in times I wouldn’t of initially dreamed of.
Whether you’re a novice entering the sport or an experienced athlete looking to level up, I wholeheartedly recommend Kevin. His top-notch coaching caters to all levels, meeting you where you are and elevating you to where you want to be. With Kevin, you’re not just training for a race – you’re embarking on a transformative journey, and there’s no one better to guide you through it.
Thank you, Kevin.
★★★★★
I am an early 50’s cyclist who returned to cycling during covid times after many years of not getting on the bike. I was inspired to take on a Haute Route challenge in September of 2022 and realised in early Jan that structured training could be of benefit.
I reached out to Blackzone where I met Kevin and we discussed his training approach for other Haute Route customers and we started to work together. We began a 6-month journey that put me through an increasingly tougher periodic training program. It was tailored to my need, and took into account family holidays and emergency business trips. Kevin’s approach was to continually stretch my abilities without snapping me, he pushed me to meet the goals we had jointly agreed and we communicated through emails, phone calls, and regular reviews of the data in training peaks. At no point did Kevin or myself physically meet but our interactions were small and often, pretty much every other day for a training regime which was 6 days on, one day off which was in line with the growth plan I had set myself.
The Haute Route was a success and my cycling fitness saw a large leap in FTP and the confidence to take on bigger multi-day events in Europe next year.
★★★★★
My success so far in just under a year of coaching with Kevin have included 1st Place 30-34 age group Scottish Sprint Triathlon championships 2021, and a successful campaign to get my qualification spot for the AG Ironman World Championships in Kona 2021, by finishing 26th Overall at the IMUK event in a time of 10:24:36.
This was the primary focus of my training and I gave myself 5 years in which to get there, so to achieve this so quickly is testament to the approach Kevin puts into my training plan. The approach is a perfect balance of the hard work, consistency, and importantly allowing sufficient time to recover to absorb the training loads, something I personally overlooked for years.
Kevin’s coaching plan are very specific to my race goals and perfectly periodised for me to be at my best for all my priority races throughout the year. I am now looking forward to the beaches of Hawaii as I step up my focus to what’s ahead.
★★★★★
I am a 50-something year old female who pretty much fell into cycling about 5 years ago as a way of regaining my fitness post-kids and as a means of gaining some much-needed “me-time”. I joined my local cycling club and quickly discovered Zwift, allowing me to ride and train all year round. Recently, though, I had hit a wall in my training but couldn’t work out what the problem was. I was working hard but I had begun to struggle to complete workouts, was repeatedly being dropped on my weekly Zwift Team Time Trials, my heart rate was racing, my legs felt heavy… I just didn’t feel right. (more…)
★★★★★
Why would a coach want a coach?
Objectivity, support, guidance, learning and so much more…
Having a background of triathlon coaching, training and racing from 2011 to 2016 as well as a plethora of academic qualifications in sport, one could easily assume that I know exactly what to do to reach my full potential as a triathlete. Coaching and being coached are two very different experiences which can compliment each other so long as there is immediate openness and honesty. (more…)
★★★★★
I was looking for a coach as I knew cycling was my weak point and I was lacking structure in my general training. I had qualified for the Sprint Duathlon European Championships and when I went to Kev my goal was clear – to win at the European Championships the following year. Kev always believed in me and was supportive yet still pushed my limits. I have struggled with injury niggles, so Kev also built specific gym workouts to address my weaknesses and as a result, I have never been as strong. Within seven months of training, he had taken 37 minutes off my bike 70.3 time and as promised, I won the gold at the Europeans! I have no doubt that I wouldn’t have achieved these results without him.
★★★★★
In June 2020 I came to a realisation with a big bump (a broken collar bone and eight broken ribs) that my abilities weren’t in match with my ambitions. Three months later and I was making the baby steps onto the bike with ambitions to get back to cycling with my mates and my club.
I actually enjoy training sessions and have benefited in other sports when I have followed a plan. Because of this I know my greatest risk is burning out whilst juggling work, training and family time (I know I am not alone in this challenge). I read about getting a coach but I’m not an athlete, I wasn’t targeting time trials, I wasn’t targeting races and had zero aspirations to do so – that’s what you have coaches for, right ? So, what would I do with a coach or more accurately why would anyone coach me? I decided though, if I don’t ask I’ll never know so contacted Blackzone Coaching.
Kevin was awesome straight away and walked me through what a programme would look like and assured me that I could find value in being coached. So we talked through my commitments and I received my first sessions all based around my hours and my needs. I loved it !!! No thinking just get on the bike/turbo and ride. The sessions are completely focused on getting the most out of my time and if I get stuck a quick text, a quick adjustment allowed me to keep moving forward. I can’t thank Kevin enough as whilst I’m not going to be the fastest or winning races, I am the fittest I have ever been. I am loving riding with mates more than ever and I’m even getting quicker uphill!
Is coaching for you? With a coach like Kevin being coached is for everyone whether you are racing or you want to enjoy and get the most out of what you have! He listens, shapes sessions for YOU, and keeps you on track! Unfortunately I can’t give him snippets like coming top 5 in an Ironman or winning a time trial but after 12 months I am still enjoying the challenge of every session, I am excited about where I can get my fitness to next year and looking forward hopefully bringing the pain train on a summer club ride!
★★★★★
Kevin is exceptional! My main sport is road bike racing as a veteran and I also ski and play tennis. I was getting frustrated at being dropped from the bunch in too many Cat 3/4 bike races and wasn’t getting much better despite following one of the many generic training programmes available in the cycling mags & books. To commit to another season my training had to be specific to my needs particularly for intensity & volume, specific workouts and rest days. I didn’t trust generic training programmes to provide this. (more…)
★★★★★
Thanks for all your help – couldn’t even swim 2 lengths before you started training so I’m delighted with a 23 minute swim! I know I can improve on that and can also improve the cycle and run with some more training. But delighted with where I’ve come from at the start of the year.
★★★★★
I had seemed to hit a plateau with my cycling and results in TT events and I really wanted to achieve much more so I set about the task of finding a coach. After emailing and chatting to Kevin I decided to go with a months trial and to be honest I have never looked back.
Kevin sends me over my structured training plans for the week through training peaks and initially I was saying to myself that there wasn’t any rest days! I started the training riding some days for only 50 minutes but the sessions Kevin has given me over the past two months have helped me achieve my first sub 20 minute 10 mile TT and the belief I have now with Kevin’s continued training plan is a sub 50 minute for 25 miles is a real possibility.
Kevin and I live at opposite ends of the country and have never met but with regular contact by email, texts and phone calls we have made this arrangement work.
★★★★★
I knew what I wanted from my training and I knew I was going to have to focus to reach my targets, and whilst I was making steady progress on my own when I was recommended to Kevin at Blackzone training I thought I would give it a bash and see how it would affect my progress. It has been four months since I joined and I have been amazed by the progress, I find myself spending less time training but when I am training the structure and intensity of the sessions give me more gains for less time input, this has given me more free time and more recovery time whilst progressing.
In the four months I have been focused on training but have still managed to get a new running PB after two years of stagnating in pace, took a high profile 40 mile OCR win improving from 9th place the previous year and took the win accompanied by a cash prize at the inaugural Scotland’s Tougher Mudder. I joined Blackzone with an 8 month goal to coincide with an event later this year, I never imagined I would have come so far in half that time and can’t wait to see what can be achieved in the future.
★★★★★
I was an injured runner when Kevin encouraged me to get a road bike and enter a triathlon which I did. At the time I could just about manage 2 lengths of the pool without stopping and hadn’t quite perfected the art of clip in shoes or learned the rules of the road. I joined and enjoyed training with a local triathlon club but when I decided to do a 70.3 I knew I needed a more specific training plan. Fast forward 10 months and I have completed Mallorca 70.3, various sprint triathlons, road races and time trials- 10 & 50 mile.
Kevin is an intuitive coach and I believe he knows my abilities probably better than I do so I tend not to think too much about my training I just follow what’s on the program each day and have improved considerably in all disciplines. The sessions are always different and challenging, carefully tailored to my own power zones and readapted periodically to mirror fitness gains. Kevin always takes account of injuries, work commitments and life events. Highly recommend getting a program and wouldn’t look further than Kevin for this.
★★★★★
Kevin Henderson is infectious. His knowledge, professionalism and enthusiasm ooze an inspiring passion for his profession and for the development of the athletes with whom he works and relentlessly drives to maximise their talents.
Cooking up a potent recipe of hard work, science, nutrition, rest and recovery, Kevin instils confidence, belief and a real desire to execute.
Don’t turn up if you don’t want to work, but if you’re ready to put the hours in results will follow!
Kate’s recent successes include
★★★★★
Kevin was my coach during the making of my BBC Panorama programme Catch Me If You Can, and was an essential part of my team.
He was in charge of producing 15 hours of mainly bike training per week for me, for around eight months, as well as closely monitoring my progress. I was involved in a secret experiment to help expose doping in sport, so I had to be sure I could trust my coach to be circumspect about what I was doing.
Kevin is a trustworthy and inspirational coach, who is extremely well versed in the science behind behind the sessions he was giving, and he always finds ways to be innovative; the training is never boring.
The results I got with Kevin’s training were quick and pronounced. And I continued to improve.
He is always on hand for last minute changes to training, or to stick in session at short notice. All he thinks about is training and sports, which is what you need as a coach. And he always knew when I needed an easy day. I’d wholeheartedly recommend Kevin Henderson as a coach.
★★★★★
Working with Kevin has introduced focus and consistency to my training. Like lots of people I have dipped in and out of exercise over the years with out any clear strategy. Working with Kevin has introduced challenging but achievable targets tailor made to suit my lifestyle and work commitments. As a club cyclist my main goal was to improve my power and endurance on the bike. I saw my FTP rise by 25% in the first 4 months of training with Kevin. That alone is strong motivation to continue. Kevin is clearly driven and passionate about fitness, always available for advice and motivational support. If you are looking for a programme that is carefully matched to you and delivers results then look no further.
