The Question Athletes Always Ask
“What training are the top riders doing?”
It’s a reasonable question.
If one rider is winning races, standing on World Cup podiums or making giant leaps in performance, surely there must be something special hidden inside their training program.
Maybe it’s a secret interval session.
Maybe it’s a unique periodisation model.
Maybe it’s a breakthrough coaching method that nobody else knows about.
What If Two Athletes Follow The Same Program?
But let’s think about this for a moment.
Imagine two athletes are given exactly the same training program.
The same sessions.
The same volume.
The same recovery weeks.
The same coach.
Do they achieve the same result?
Of course not.
One athlete might thrive.
Another might struggle.
One might embrace the challenge.
Another might look for shortcuts.
One might consistently execute every detail.
Another might only complete the parts they enjoy.
So if the training program is identical, what explains the difference?
The answer is simple.
The athlete.
The Things We Measure
When we look at successful athletes, we often focus on what they do.
We look at:
- intervals
- power numbers
- training load
- CTL
- race schedules
These things are easy to see.
Easy to compare.
Easy to measure.
But they’re only part of the picture.
The Things We Don’t Measure
What we rarely look at is how they think.
Do they believe they belong?
Do they trust the process when results aren’t immediate?
Do they respond to setbacks by finding solutions or finding excuses?
Do they keep showing up when motivation disappears?
These things don’t show up in TrainingPeaks.
There isn’t a chart for self-belief.
There isn’t a metric for resilience.
There isn’t a dashboard that measures how many times an athlete chose consistency over comfort.
Yet these factors often explain far more than the latest interval set.
Good Training Still Matters
This doesn’t mean training isn’t important.
Of course it is.
A poor program can hold an athlete back.
A good program can accelerate development.
But coaching isn’t just about writing sessions.
It’s about helping athletes become the sort of person who can execute those sessions week after week, month after month and year after year.
That’s why two athletes can receive the same program and achieve vastly different outcomes.
The program matters.
But the person completing the program matters more.
The Longer I Coach…
The longer I coach, the less interested I become in finding the perfect training session.
Instead, I become more interested in helping athletes develop the habits, beliefs and behaviours that allow good training to work.
Because when athletes ask:
“What’s the secret?”
The answer is usually disappointing.
The secret is consistency.
The secret is belief.
The secret is doing the work for long enough that the results eventually catch up.
And that’s not nearly as exciting as a new interval session.
But it’s usually much closer to the truth.
How I Help Athletes Develop More Than Fitness
At PCS, coaching extends beyond prescribing training sessions and analysing data.
Alongside physical preparation, athletes are supported to develop the habits, beliefs and behaviours that underpin long-term performance.
This includes helping athletes:
- build consistency
- develop self-belief
- trust the process
- respond constructively to setbacks
- focus on controllable actions
- develop long-term thinking
The goal is not simply to produce fitter athletes.
It is to help athletes become the type of person who can consistently apply good training over months and years.
Because while fitness matters, the athlete behind the fitness matters even more.
If you’d like support with your own riding or athlete development, feel free to get in touch via the website or social channels.
High Performance Mountain Bike Coach
Donna Dall
Coach, Athlete Developer and Founder of Progressive Coaching Systems.
Supporting mountain bikers to build confidence, durability and long-term performance through structured, athlete-centred coaching. Sharing experience-based insights into training, racing, athlete mindset and long-term athlete development.
