- Who is Alison Dunlap?
- Alison Dunlap is one of America’s best-known and most successful mountain bike racers. Among other accomplishments, she became World MTB Champion in 2001 and competed in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.
- How long has Alison been coaching?
- Alison has been coaching professionally since her retirement from international racing in 2006.
- How much does coaching cost?
- Traditional coaching typically costs over $300/month. Here at Alison Dunlap Coaching, we offer world-class coaching for only $59.95/month.
- Why is this program so inexpensive?
- Our training plans are written by Alison and are based on the same plans she writes for her full-time professional athletes. The difference is a slightly less personalized plan and less personal communication. These two things, while valuable to an elite professional athlete, are also what makes her highly personalized plans cost $300/month.
- Will I improve or get faster?
- Put simply, yes. If you follow the plans consistently, your cycling will definitely improve. These plans are virtually similar – with certain differences for different abilities – to the plans she writes for some of the fastest racers in the country. Whether your goal is to stand on the podium or to finish that century, Alison Dunlap Coaching will help you get there.
- What will my time commitment be?
- Your time commitment depends on the program you choose – for example, a program for a professional athlete will require more time than one for a recreational cyclist. In general, you will spend between 5-12 hours per week training if you follow the plans faithfully (5 hours being a recovery week, 12 hours being a hard training week).
- What type of training will I be doing?
- You’ll be doing all sorts of things! Alison’s extensive experience and scientific approach will have you doing everything from VO2 intervals to tempo, endurance, and recovery rides to specific skill building exercises. All these different facets of training are brought together to create a cohesive and efficient training plan.
- How are the plans laid out (organized)?
- The plans are organized in four-week blocks, with three distinct weeks of involved training and one week of engineered recovery. Each day has specific instructions about that day’s scheduled workout, so that you know exactly what to do, for how long, and with what intensity. Longer workouts are typically scheduled on weekends to take advantage of your free time. To download a sample plan, click here.
- How often do I receive a new training plan?
- You will always have a new plan prior to the end of your current one. You will receive a new one approximately every 28 days.
- What if my program is too hard or too easy for me?
- Send us an email and we'll switch you to a program that better fits your needs. No charge of course to switch.
- Can I still ride my road bike if I signed up for a mountain bike training program?
- Of course you can! You can always change the type of bike you ride to keep things interesting. There will be certain days where I prefer you ride the bike you'll be racing. Those will be specified in your training program.
- What if I want to skip a month due to personal circumstances?
- We can place your account on hold. Then when you are ready we can reactivate it.
- What if I want to race on the weekend and it isn't on my schedule?
- You can always substitute a race for a weekend ride, especially early season. During the race season there will always be a racing option on your calendar.
- What if I don't have time to do all the workouts?
- Alison's programs are written with consistent workouts in mind. However, we realize that sometimes life gets in the way and the training time required by our programs may not be realistic for everyone. If you find that you just can't fit all the training into your schedule, here are some easy rules of thumb for decreasing training time while maximizing benefit:
- Maintain your intervals. These are very important.
- Cut recovery rides first. Active recovery is better than passive recovery, but if you need more time, passive recovery (time off the bike) will still work.
- Trim endurance ride length. If you have a two-hour endurance ride scheduled, ride for 60 or 90 minutes instead.
Obviously the more time you can devote to following the programs, the better your results will be. But you can use the rules of thumb above to make following the program more manageable, and still improve your cycling fitness! - What if I get sick?
- Here is my rule of thumb for an athlete that gets sick. If you have any kind of fever, then no exercise of any kind. Stay in bed and sleep. If you have a cold and it is only in your head, you can ride 1-2 hours at an endurance pace Zone 2. If your cold is in your chest, then very mild exercise indoors; maybe 30-60minutes on the trainer at a recovery pace. Do not resume interval training until you are 80-100%. Jump back into your program where you left off.
- What if I get injured?
- If you crash on your bike and injure yourself, you need to see either a physical therapist or an orthopedist. Do not resume training until you are given clearance by a professional.
- How do I communicate with Alison?
- You can use the contact link to send her an email. Alison appreciates communication and feedback from her athletes. However, due to her desire to offer these plans at a minimal cost, personal communication is somewhat limited. Alison routinely sends out messages through her Tips From a World Champion service to answer questions and share secrets.
- What are the terms of membership?
- You are billed once a month on the day you signed up. You can cancel anytime so long as you do so before the next day of billing. To see the full terms of membership click here.
- Is there a minimum time commitment?
- No. After signing up, you are charged for the first month; you are free to cancel at any time thereafter.
- What if I begin the program in the middle of the month?
- No worries. Our programs are not based on the calendar month but rather on 28-day blocks.
- What is the cancellation policy?
- You may cancel at anytime so long as we hear from you before your next billing due date. To cancel, contact us.
- Some of the pages don’t load correctly on my computer. Why is this?
- Different browsers may display the site differently. The most current version of Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome will display the site correctly.
- What type of file is the training plan? What program do I use to open the training plan file?
- Training files are in PDF format. If you do not have Adobe, you may download an Adobe Reader appropriate for your system from their website.
- Beginner
- If you are new to riding you should choose Beginner.
- Intermediate
- If you have some riding experience and are fairly fit you should choose Intermediate.
- Advanced
- If you are experienced and very fit you should choose Advanced.
- CAT 1 (Expert)
- This is a racer-specific program. If you are an experienced racer and are extremely fit you should choose CAT 1.
- CAT 2 (Sport)
- This is a racer-specific program. If you have some racing or riding experience and are fairly fit you should choose CAT 2.
- CAT 3 (Beginner)
- This is a racer-specific program. If you are new to racing or riding you should choose CAT 3.
- Pro
- You know who you are. Extremely fit and experienced, you need a plan that will keep your finely-tuned engine in perfect shape. It will take a lot of work!
- Masters 50+ CAT 1
- This is a racer-specific program for people over 50 years old. If you are an experienced racer and are extremely fit you should choose Masters 50+ CAT 1.
- Masters 50+ CAT 2
- This is a racer-specific program for people over 50 years old. If you have some racing or riding experience and are fairly fit you should choose Masters 50+ CAT 2.
- Masters 50+ CAT 3
- This is a racer-specific program for people over 50 years old. If you are new to racing or riding you should choose Masters 50+ CAT 3.
- Masters 50+ Beginner
- This program is for people over 50 years old. If you are new to riding you should choose Masters 50+ Beginner.
- Masters 50+ Intermediate
- This program is for people over 50 years old. If you have some riding experience and are fairly fit you should choose Masters 50+ Intermediate.
- Masters 50+ Advanced
- This program is for people over 50 years old. If you are experienced and very fit you should choose Masters 50+ Advanced.
Thank you so much for all your support and advice. My season would not have been the same without your coaching.
I love the comfort and ease that comes with following your training plan. I don't have to worry about what to ride to get faster.
I hate to admit it but the climbing thresholds you had me do really helped. Thank you for all your help and support.
The knowledge of how much I have improved from February to now only elevates the fact that there is SO much to come.
Kathy S, Pro MTB
I love the comfort and ease that comes with following your training plan. I don't have to worry about what to ride to get faster.
Michael R, Beginning MTB
I hate to admit it but the climbing thresholds you had me do really helped. Thank you for all your help and support.
Loreen O, CAT 1 MTB
The knowledge of how much I have improved from February to now only elevates the fact that there is SO much to come.
Sarah M, CAT 1 MTB