BE A FASTER, STRONGER CYCLIST
A 3-6 month training program for cyclists ready to win races, grow stronger and get faster while still having a thriving family life, career and relationships.
This program is designed for the cyclists who want to:
Be ready for race day by getting faster & stronger, and have the mental wherewithal to dig deep and finish your race strong, knowing you gave it your all.
Have an individualized training schedule that fits YOUR life; you will be training at your fullest while enjoying time with your family and friends, whilst reserving energy for your business and career.
See your body get stronger and leaner so you can ride faster and feel (and look) good.
Work and family are a top priority for you BUT..so is your riding and racing..
How to balance the two?
More recently, you may have found yourself questioning what sacrifices you’ll have to make, believing it may not be possible for you to have it all...
You spend all your time training, and sometimes it can feel hard to balance it all without feeling like you got the short end of the stick
No matter how hard you train and how hard you work, it’s never enough - which leaves you feeling exhausted and frustrated.
Your body is sore, achy and you are wondering if fatigue is impeding performance - or worse yet, it may lead to long term issues.
You don’t have a lot of time and you're not sure what you should be doing to get faster on your bike.
You’re at a plateau with your performance and don’t know how to get to the next step with the time you have available.
If you’ve been feeling any of this, you’re in the right place and you are not alone.
Truth is, You’re sick and tired of feeling tired and fatigued.
You want to be able to….
Show up to your next group ride knowing you can keep up.
Train AND be with your family AND find your personal time WITHOUT feeling burnt out or exhausted.
Listen to your body when it’s letting you know something is off…and knowing HOW to give your body what it needs.
Get on that bike knowing you have the energy to ride as strong as you know you can be..
Not only in the races, but also IN LIFE.
So you can…
Come home from your ride feeling great, energized and excited to share with your family.
Step on the scale and see (and feel) your body get leaner and stronger from your hard work.
Have a bounce in your step at work and life - because you kick ass!
Here’s the thing….
If you’ve been feeling any of the aches, pains and frustrations we’ve talked about, chances are….
You have been using your friend’s workout(s)….but it’s not working for you.
You are riding longer than you need to and not giving yourself enough recovery between rides - you need a recovery routine for your life and training.
You have been showing up to rides under-hydrated, undernourished, and not having the energy needed to dig deep and push yourself.
You’re not eating the right things, thinking ‘it won’t matter’...(truth bomb, it matters..... A LOT!)
BUT it doesn’t have to be this way….
You can ride fast, keep up, finish strong without feeling guilty, exhausted or pulled apart by life.
You just need the right plan FOR YOU.
THAT, is where I come in….
Hi!! I’m Cynthia Planken
better known as Chi (a childhood nickname).
I’ve been riding bikes since I was a wee girl just trying to keep up with my older siblings and cousins, not knowing I was going to be pushing my limits into adult life.
I have a passion for TRAINING, and specifically into the body’s ability to adapt and change to push new limits. This passion led me to my education at Pepperdine University where I received a degree in Sports Medicine and a master’s in Education.
As my passion for learning grew with numerous health and fitness related certifications (including USA Cycling Coach (level 2) and Skills Coach), my love for riding and the outdoors grew alongside to include triathlons, cross-country racing, bike packing, backpacking, hiking, rock climbing, adventure racing, enduro racing and most recently, gravel riding/racing.
As a wife and mother of three daughters, I understand the demands of parenthood and family but also the desire to share QUALITY time with your children and spouse. I feel ya and there's A WAY to train hard, raise a family and have a successful career/business.
I’m here to show you how to make the most of your training - you’ll get faster, feel stronger and won’t be beaten up at the end of the day so you CAN enjoy time with your family, do even more in your career, and WIN at the race of life.
That’s why I created “BE A FASTER, STRONGER CYCLIST” - a training routine for real-life cyclists
"Be a Faster, Stronger Cyclist” is a coaching program for riders
who have a busy work & family life and want to make stay competitive and train smart.
It’s not an “if” but “when”. The balance of life, family, work and cycling is hard. One day the balance will tip in the wrong direction. We’ve all been there…and it hurts. So the big question is “how can I manage those delicate dynamics.” Well…..that’s my job!!
Based on your goals or race schedule, this program stretches from 3-6+ months to build YOUR program to fit YOUR life. We look at the energy systems needed to be successful in your style of riding, and develop a program to assess and build and optimize your ‘engine’.
You will get a strength training program to help with performance as well as address imbalances and posture issues.
Your health matters on and off the bike and you want to feel good as you get older.
Most importantly, we address your recovery strategies and nutrition habits.
We’ll dig into your mindset to build sound and lasting mental resilience that can and will improve your overall view of your life and what you can achieve.
By the end of our time together not only will you enjoy a hard ride..(yes ENJOY! - You’ll push past what you thought was possible.)
More importantly…
You won’t feel bad or guilty when you take a day (or two) off the bike.
Why?
Because you’ll know it will make you faster and stronger when you do. Here’s what’s possible after doing this program.
You will notice you’re getting leaner…not because you are eating less, but because you are eating smarter (and probably even more than you were before).
Which leaves you feeling so much more energized, clear headed, capable, and overall a more fun person to be around in every other area of your life
You have no doubt you will finish a race hard because you are 200% committed and believe in yourself and your training.
That hill that used to kick your butt..wait.. What hill? You’re zooming up it with no sweat feeling on top of the world (or the hill)
You notice your overall health has improved and you aren’t exhausted or fatigued. You are sleeping better and resting - and getting faster!
You are home making dinner with your family or having a date night (something you can’t remember doing in a long time).
You are enjoying your lunch because it’s something you put together with some easy skills and you know you will have the energy to enjoy after work ride :).
You enjoy your morning strength workout because you feel stronger and taller all day and feel good at work. You got it!
You are FULLY supported by me as your cycling coach
The structure is simple, we work together over 3 - 6+ months where you’re FULLY supported by me as your cycling coach.
* You will get a training plan that we will review in detail during our hour long monthly call where we discuss milestones, goals, your concerns related to training, nutrition, time.
* We will do bi weekly quick check ins which allows us to quickly pivot and adjust training.
* The training platform used is Training Peaks that allows me to track and measure progress on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis.
* Each day will have a detailed cycling workout - no need to guess what you are doing.
* You will also receive a strength workout to compliment your training.
Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll receive in the content:
SAMPLE TRAINING PROGRAM
BLOCK 1 : SET THE STAGE
Initial Assessment - see where you are now.
Outline heart rate and power zones and training profiles so you know how hard to go and how it should feel.
Strength training programs and cross training. (no equipment needed)
After your first block, you will adjust to a new training style and schedule with new intensities and workouts. You will feel stronger from the off the bike training and enjoy the mobility from the cross training.
BLOCK 2: INCREASE INTENSITY
Introduce more threshold training and some VO2max efforts depending on your goals.
We will shift your strength training to compliment your training program.
Dive into nutrition pre, during and post riding.
Reassess performance and set new milestones.
Second block adds to the endurance base built and sprinkles in some harder efforts. It won’t be a lot but enough to ‘wake up’ the systems and set up a new schedule to integrate harder workouts. You may notice you are hungrier and nutrition will play a key role in both performance and overall health.
BLOCK 3: RACE PREP / RECOVERY STRATEGIES
Continue to build on threshold and all out effort intensity (goal dependent).
Race prep: strategy, mental training, nutrition, gear, and more.
Implement recovery strategies.
With the endurance and strength you have built over the last few months, you get to see first hand your progress and fine tune any gaps whether in gear, nutrition, strategy or whatever comes up for you. You will also have a chance to enjoy some solid rest. From a proper recovery program comes big gains.
BLOCK 4: RACE READY
The last block will be more “build” before pulling back on time and adding more intensive training.
Race ready!! This final block will take you to the start line with confidence that you can be successful in not just completing the race, but finishing strong and competitively. You have done the hard work, now it’s time to test new limits.
ARE YOU READY TO JOIN? HERE ARE THE NEXT STEPS…
PAYMENT DETAILS
This is a minimum of a 3 month commitment.
Each month is a $300/month fee that will be automatically charged to your account
After 3 months you are welcome to cancel at any time or keep the ball rolling!
Here's what will happen next:
Step 1. Submit your first payment by clicking here (once you submit your first payment, you’ll be automatically billed every 30 days until you decide to cancel!
Step 2. Once your payment is received, You’ll be receiving a health and cycling history from mtnbikechi@gmail.com
Step 3. Once you submit these documents to me, I will send you a calendar for us to schedule our first meeting and you can start training with confidence!
TESTIMONIALS
Let’s talk
Not sure if this is right for you?
I understand - this is a big step and commitment with your time and money. You work hard for your money and you don’t have a lot of time - both of which are valuable.
Your health and mental outlook are your assets as well. If you have been struggling and frustrated for awhile or tired of feeling a bit run down, those are areas that are draining your life and outlook.
I value your time and energy and everything on you training plan has a purpose and each purpose has a reason to helping you feel better, give you energy and feeling awesome on your ride.
If you are still unsure, email me at mtnbikechi@gmail.com and we can set up time to discuss your questions, goals, and concerns to ensure you’re in the right place.
FAQ
Is this a virtual or in-person training? The training program is designed to be a virtual experience - you get your training online, the strength training is detailed out in a training video specifying movements and form, and our meetings are over video or on the phone. If you happen to live locally, we can move some of these platforms in person, but the experience is the same.
How much time is needed to see improvement? Minimum of 4 hours is needed to see training adaptations. 6-8 hours is average and 8-12 hours for those wanting to complete longer events. I had a client who had an average of 6-hours who was able to complete the full Belgian Waffle Ride.
Can you guarantee me results? YES! We spend a lot of time working through your goals and milestones. Without those, we are like a road trip with nowhere to go. But with goals in place, I create a strategy that is fits your schedule. We work together to highlight easy wins and struggles. From there we shift and adapt to make shit happen! Nothing is done without a purpose - stated different - everything has a purpose and a reason. We highlight our non negotiable and move forward. It works. The only reason you don’t get results is if your goals aren’t aligned.
How is this program different from others? This program is tailored for you - your cycling goals, your race schedule, your time commitment, and work on any areas YOU want to improve. In addition to a detailed training plan, our coaching program includes strength training, recovery strategies, and nutrition guidance to compliment your training.
Do you offer refunds? After COVID & wild fires anything can happen. If you paid in advance and have an emergency, illness, or need a moment, your investment is solid with me. You have options - you can get back any investment not used, we can redesign a program that better suits your situation, or we can pause until situation improves. Nothing lost.
I’m still not sure if this is right for me, can I have a call with you? Absolutely! I am here to answer any questions or talk through your concerns.