Testimonials

★★★★★

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.

★★★★★

Exmoor 70.3 Ironman – 25th June 2017

Result - 1st in age Group 45-49 and 21st Overall

Not a bad day at the office but the Journey started 9 Months before this event.

This was my 5th year of Triathlon and as the years have passed I have been improving every year. After recently moving in 2016 from an onshore workplace to being back offshore on a 3 weeks away and 3 weeks at home rota I had no idea how to be able to train properly after working 12 hours every day. I entered Exmoor 70.3 in 2016 and only had a few months of offshore life to maintain a good level of fitness that I had. The course should have really suited me and I finished 3rd in age group. I was pleased with result but not with performance as I knew I could have done much better. I also missed out on a qualification spot to the World Championships by 1 place. So I had unfinished business in Exmoor and decided for the first time in my Triathlon Career that I was going to an event with a specific Goal.

’’ I want to qualify for the World 70.3 Championship’’

With no idea how to train properly offshore, I decide I needed a coach to help. I looked at many different options from online to personnel trainers and finally came across Black Zone Coaching. A couple of things stood out in his webpage when doing my research. 1. If you are looking for an easy fix you won’t find it with Kevin, but if you are serious about your goals and willing to commit to his guidance you will achieve what may have previously eluded you as an athlete. 2. Kevin has a 100% success record with his athletes reaching their goals. (’’Bold Statement’’) I started working with Kevin in September 2016 and the fresh approach to training gave me a new lease of life. He was very quick at knowing what I was capable of and the training programs are constantly changing which helps enormously with motivation. During my offshore rota, he has been able to adapt the cycling training plan to get the most out of a Watt Bike and Treadmill with High intensity, Short duration workouts. (If you call 1 ½ hours on a treadmill short) at times of high fatigue he can quickly adjust the programs to get me back on track, I honestly feel at the age of 48 I am fitter now than I have ever been in my life. Next step is Chattanooga on the 10th September to put myself up against the best the World has to offer. I have no idea what to expect or what I would be happy with. I will continue to follow Kevin’s cycling training plan and try and execute the race to the best I have to offer and see what comes from it. Most importantly I’m going to enjoy the whole experience. Finally, Thank you Kevin for being a big part in the Jigsaw in helping me achieve my Goal.

I started training with Kevin in November 2018. I wanted help to try to improve my run off the bike in middle distance triathlon, as I felt generally OK with my swim and bike up to that point but my run was always painful, slow and really disheartening. I had never had any coaching before and had always considered myself a (below) average triathlete! I was really happy with Kevin’s initial quick, business-like and professional approach and this really helped me stick with my new training plan. As the weeks progressed I really began to love the routine of my training programme; Kevin is really good at pushing you just enough, I have never been injured whilst working with Kevin. Workouts that were at the beginning of the training cycle eye-watering difficult, by the end of the month, were achievable which gave me huge satisfaction. I find Kevin’s bike training particularly effective – using a smart turbo and Zwift in conjunction with Kevin’s tailored interval sets saw huge improvements in my bike times over both standard and middle distance triathlon this year. I am someone who tended in the past to over train with a lot of junk miles, however, with Kevin it felt like I was actually training less than I used to but with much quicker and more noticeable gains. This meant on my downtime I could actually relax and enjoy spending time with my friends and family without the guilt that I should be training more. Kevin is always on hand to help me and is lightning quick with responses on text, phone and email. I was so happy to take 16 minutes of my 2018 time at the Cotswold Classic triathlon this year and in a major twist that I did not expect I actually now enjoy running the most out of the 3 disciplines with my newfound confidence and fitness. I absolutely love being coached by Kevin and the structure, support and confidence his training gives me. I have found the courage to sign up for Ironman Copenhagen in 2020 and with Kevin’s help hope I can do the training justice.

★★★★★

Just completed the Marmotte Alpes 2018 on Sunday in a time of 7h 27. That’s an hour quicker than last year and this year’s conditions were harder because of the hot temperatures. I improved my ranking from 2212 out of 7500 last year to 508 out of 7500 this year. Really pleased with the result and improvement in just 11 weeks of following your training program. I'm looking forward to carrying on with my program and getting under 7hrs next 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.

★★★★★

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.

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.

After injuring my hamstring during a training run for my first marathon, I approached Kevin for his help with maintaining as much fitness as possible while the injury healed and to catch up with my training once I was able to run again.  I chose Kevin as I regularly attended and enjoyed his spinning and bodypump classes and felt confident he’d be able to help me.  Having used a couple of personal trainers in the past, I’ve found that the real difference with Kevin is that your training plan feels truly tailored to you and your goals, your abilities and the results and feedback from previous sessions. The training schedules Kevin supplies are always challenging and varied, never boring and I know that my fitness levels and speed have increased beyond what would have been possible if I’d continued to train by myself.  You have to be prepared to work hard to train with Kevin, but the results are worth it and I’d thoroughly recommend him to anyone looking to improve their fitness or train for a specific event.

★★★★★

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

• British Athletics X Challenge Series Champion U13
• Scottish Schools Indoor 1500m Champion U16
• Scottish National 1500m Indoor Champion U15
• Scottish National Young Athletes Road Race Champion U13
• West District 1500m Champion U15
• Stirling Duathlon Champion TriStar 3
• Bishopbriggs Triathlon Champion Tristar 3
• Scottish Schools X Country Championships Silver Medallist U16
• Scottish Schools Aquathon Championships Silver Medallist U15
• Scottish National X Country Championships Bronze Medallist U13
• Scottish Inter District X Country Championships Bronze Medallist U13

★★★★★

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.

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.