Up until now, I have been fairly cagey as to where I train as I didn't want to appear biased or self-serving. Maybe you readers didn't notice but I have kept most posts fairly 'name-dropping' free and I will continue to do so (except for today!)
Aerobic Power Training Systems (APTS) is the brainchild of Kevin and Kate Masters. They are Calgarians transplanted to Edmonton where they are raising their family and inspiring athletes. A great combination! Kevin is a graduate from the University of Calgary in Kinesiology and Kate is a full-time nurse. More about the coaches later but let's get to the training part . . .
The bike training session was held in a facility that also housed a full gym complete with weight training machines, treadmills and cross-fit apparatus. Walking in the studio, I felt at ease and ready to get the sweat on. One thing I appreciated right away was the wind trainers were available for participants. It means one less thing for me to schlep around! I also noticed that each trainer was hooked up (like an IV) to a central computer. Really High Tech!!!
Kevin arrived quite early before our session started which I, as a teacher, value and tells me that he wants everything "just so" for his athletes. We chatted informally and I tried to get a sense of him as a coach and mentor. He has a very easy-going style so if you are looking for a "boot-camp" sergeant-like attitude, better look else where. I can see why he is popular with triathletes as we tend to be quite self-actualized and don't need someone yelling at us (especially women!).
My fellow training mates started to show up and each of them introduced themselves to me. I thought that a bid odd and I accused Kevin of setting me up with his best clients to make himself look good (not the case!!). Given that this was a complementary class, no one knew each other except for the married couple that got a babysitter to come and spin together (Love it!)
Kevin spent about 10 minutes making sure our bikes were set up properly and that the computer was calibrated individually for our workout. He explained that he uses a software package called CompuTrainer and has for several years. APTS has just added a multi-rider option so that feedback can be given to several athletes at one time.
He took us through several types of intervals: a nice warm-up, some single leg work, a few hills and then we finished off with sets of 6 minutes of effort. Each section was highlighted by a large screen which gave each rider a vast amount of data (watts, cadence, speed, average speed and, yikes, placing). There was enough detail for anyone fascinated by the numbers/splits and effort but if that is not your cup of tea, Kevin also played some good tunes and you could easily zone out :) I found it visually and physically stimulating as I was able to 'race' my fellow trainers. Given my penchant for competition it was, in a word, AWESOME!My training mates were equally impressed with the session with comments such as "I really made myself suffer!", from Paul, "Last but not least" from my fellow Diva, Jess and from the good natured Miles "Whenever it hurts that bad, it must be good!" It was definitely a very positive space where everyone was supportive and accepted at their own fitness level. My kind of peeps!
I spent some time asking Kevin about his background and what brought him to triathlon and coaching. The company masthead gives us great insight into Kevin's philosophy of training and performing:
In all endurance sports, the faster you wish to perform a given amount of work, the more power you will need to produce to do so.
This sort of pragmatic thinking has clearly led Kevin to his personal athletic achievements as well as his success in business. When I read his athletic resume on the APTS website, I was struck by how humble. and unassuming he is. "Getting to play a high level of hockey I was fortunate to get great strength training coaches which fuelled my interest and passion for it even further. I have been very spoiled, even to this day with the very smart people I have been able to meet and who have shared their valuable time with such a small scale operation compared to what some of them are doing in this area, so I am continually being re-energized and pumped up about what I do because I keep learning new things."
In considering whether to recommend this program, the quality and experience is certainly one of the apparent strengths of APTS. They are very organized with the studio and accompanying gym with swim workouts available at various local pools. APTS also offers on-line coaching and they have a variety of packages (see the link at the beginning of the post for more details about their programs starting in January). I checked out their staff of coaches on the website and I can see they have been chosen for their qualifications and race experience.
My only reservation (and it is really small) is where are the women? Clearly, my bias for women-only training programs is justified given the theme of my blog but I am always on the look out for programs tailored to women. I am a firm believer that our style, need for flexibility and desire to be a dive-unit makes for unique opportunities. I would also like to see more women in the training staff (only one according to their website). Don't get me wrong, I think Kevin and crew have put together a fantastic roster of training sessions with many positive comments from current and past clients. I think it could be time for APTS to branch out and offer something for the ladies.
I am confident and hopeful that Kevin et al will continue to grow and offer the Edmonton community a great service helping multi-sport crazies (that's us!) reach their goals. Be sure to check out the website under the "Links I Like" at the top of the blog.
Thanks again Kevin!
As an administrative note, I received no renumeration for this post and I participated in a free promotional session.
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