My favorite part of being a cycling coach is working with such amazing people and committed athletes and being on this journey with them of striving, growing, learning and that feeling of being alive and doing what you love doing.

It is my hope and goal to highlight these badass athletes not just to showcase their awesomeness but also to give insights and training tips on the things that help them achieve their goals.

Enjoy

Chi

It’s hard to talk about the Vista Murrieta Bike team without talking about the Barney Family.

Let me introduce you to the Barney Family:

Matt - father, coach and hard working lineman
Amber - mom, the heart and soul of the team as the dedicated Team Mom/Coach
Jake - a freshman in high school and fierce competitor
Aubrey - a spirited 6th grader and the only girl on the team.

I first encountered the Barney Family last year during the Filthy 50 Recon rides that I hosted to help prepare racers or the annual mountain bike race organized by Quick’n’Dirty. It was during one of these rides that I had the pleasure of riding alongside Aubrey and Jake. I was deeply impressed not only by their endurance and bike skills but also by their politeness and composure.

The day was challenging, with a 30-mile trek that included tough climbs up and over Lusardi, testing the mettle of any rider. After the ride, I had a TASCO gift card to give out to someone who truly exuded stoke, and the Barneys were the clear recipients. Their enthusiasm and the whole family’s support for the kids were inspiring and made my heart swell.

Little did I know, that was just the beginning of many more memorable days with the Barney Family!

Team Vista Murrieta

I was beyond delighted and honored when I was asked to coach the the Vista Murrieta Mountain Bike Team for the upcoming SoCal League season that Amber and Matt were heading up and their two children were part of. The first step was to learn more about the league, races, goals of the team, individual racers and team dynamic.

My coaching strategy: I created the training plan for the team, incorporating the team’s goals and individual rider dynamics, and Amber & Matt executed and fine-tuned it based on different rider levels.

About the SoCal League

The SoCal High School Cycling League is a 501(c)(3) focused on youth development, community, and competition through cycling. Official training starts the first weekend of December, with the first race occurring in February, just two months later. The team meets twice a week on weekdays and has a longer practice on weekends. There are five races and are approximately 45 minutes long—fast and intense!

ABOUT THE TEAM

Diverse Levels: 20 kids ranging from 6th to 10th grade with varying biking and racing experience.
Team Dynamics: Initially rough, with kids reluctant to embrace structured plans and rides.
New Racers: Many new kids were unaware of the race's competitiveness and soon saw the value of structured training.
New to Training: Kids were new to nutrition, strength training, recovery, mindset, and race warm-ups.

Family support is everything to us and being able to manage running this team. We had a really good handful of families that came to both days on race weekends and became increasingly helpful in helping with our team pit and as much as possible with its organization. Seeing that develop and evolve throughout the season more and more has us very optimistic for even more participation for next season. Especially with the introduction of the contract that's just as much for our Parents as our Riders.
- COACH AMBER

THE PROGRAM

The training program evolved as the kids adapted to the routines. A sustainable plan is crucial, as a perfect plan is useless if not maintainable. For instance, hill repeats aren't effective without first building hill endurance.

Given the diverse group, all workouts were based on Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE), allowing every kid to put in equal effort regardless of their level.

Base Period: Albeit short, we started the first couple of weeks with zone 2 work. We then introduced kids to different levels of 'hard' with a mix of intensity. Bodyweight and core exercises were also introduced. We later added in workouts that had more resistance.
Race Ready: Threshold Efforts started to get longer in duration and more intervals as we neared the first race, incorporating VO2 max work. Introduced race warmups as well as pre-race plan and post-race reflections.
Monthly coach check-ins: I met monthly with Amber and Matt to discuss progress and areas to focus on. As the season progressed, we identified strengths and areas needing improvement (e.g. working on starting sprints, stronger hill climbing).
Adapting to Weather: During the wet winter months, the team used spin bikes for indoor workouts, which was an excellent and productive way to train.

We evolved quite a bit as far as attitudes and behavior go in practices. A good handful of our kids had a real lack of respect for the training, Matt, & myself when we first got started so much so that I really questioned what we had signed up for. From telling us “NO” to our faces when given the workouts, to telling us they didn't like the work and weren't coming back. When they showed up to races and started seeing the results from that hard work we really got way less belly aching.
- COACH AMBER

THE RESULTS

Podiums: The team went from achieving two podium finishes (top 3) per race to averaging 6-7 podiums in the final races.
Improved Positions: Many non-podium kids finished higher than in previous races.
Team Dynamics: The team environment transformed into a more cohesive and dynamic group of athletes with effective race warm-ups, confidence in their fitness, and improved bike skills. Coach Amber and Matt get all the credit for creating a team culture that fosters athletic growth, and that special balance between discipline and support.

I honestly don't know what I'm most proud of, it was a big season in a hard category and when I showed up ready and healthy to race. I gave it my all and am proud of that.
Don't give up, keep on trying. It's hard work, but so worth it.
- AUBREY

I learned that it is greatly beneficial to have a teammate to work with in the races and create gaps. I want my next season to be exactly like this reason with podiums and awesome results. Don't give up, and if you have a great season put the miles in over summer, because it will get harder.
- JAKE

The journey with the Vista Murrieta Mountain Bike Team has been rewarding, showcasing the power of structured training, adaptability, and the importance of a supportive team environment.

Way to go Team! and yes we are already planning next season!

ATHLETE HIGHLIGHT: Team Vista Murrieta