Rick Crawford
Premier Level Coach and Chief Operating Officer
Rick is a retired professional bike racer and professional triathlete. After competing in Olympic Trials in track cycling and posting seven years of successful triathlon results, Rick began focusing on coaching and mentoring other professional athletes in 1986. Rick has been involved with dozens of National Champions, multiple World Champions in various cycling disciplines (road, mountain bike, downhill), and several Tour de France participants. Some of Rick’s athletes past and present include: Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, Tom Danielson, Chris Wherry, Nathan O’Neill, Frank Pipp, Anthony Colby, Chann McRae, Todd Wells, Shonny Vanlandingham, Tara Llanes, Henk Vogels, and many more. Through exhaustive experience, and relentless self-study, Rick has developed an extremely comprehensive program that has been instrumental in developing some of the world’s best cyclists and triathletes, and is the basis of CPT's philosophies.
Rick’s basic tenet is “work hard to understand the athlete, learn what makes them respond, and never stop working towards their ultimate potential.” Hard work is the backbone of his coaching. Rick is constantly probing progressive training methodology, and believes the learning curve will be steep for many years to come. Rick believes in always building the base so it can support greater loads. At the hub of Rick’s coaching is the ultimate respect for the role of the Central Nervous System as the governor of success. Molding coaching programs to the athlete to create consistency and longevity is the key to achieving potential.
Rick lives in Durango, Colorado, with his wife Jackie, and their three boys, Sage, Gabriel, and Joseph. Rick has also coached the multi-time national champions, Fort Lewis College (FLC) cycling team and brings extensive knowledge to collegiate cycling based on this experience. Through Rick, FLC’s cycling team was able to emerge as a cycling powerhouse and the premier collegiate cycling program in the country.
For interest in working with Rick Crawford, please Contact Us.
Steve Owens
Premier Level Coach, Aerodynamics Specialist and Chief Executive Officer
Steve is the Founder of Colorado Premier Training and is among the cycling world’s elite professional coaches. He has been passionately involved in road and mountain cycling since 1990 and coaching since 1998. Steve holds a degree in Exercise and Sport Physiology with a concentration in Sports Medicine from Colorado State University (CSU) and had done some masters work in Exercise Physiology until an internship that turned full-time job with the United States Olympic Committee.
While working with the United States Olympic Committee, Steve helped physiological testing with top-ranked athletes, including Olympian Apolo Ohno, Mike Tillman, Hunter Kemper, and Sarah Hammer. He has also worked as the head physiologist for the Guatemalan Olympic Committee, where he helped their team at, and leading up to, the 2002 Central America and Caribbean Games.
Steve served as director for the CPT-Colnago Pro Cycling Team in 2006 and has coached many up-and-coming riders including Teddy King, John ‘Rolf’ Eisinger, Rolando Gonzalez, Ben Kneller, Melissa McWhirter and many others. Steve was also head coach for the Colorado State University Cycling Team for three years, during which time the CSU team was considered one of the nation’s best collegiate cycling teams in the United States.
More recently, Steve brought together one of the brightest arrangements in technological performance to CPT, wind tunnel testing in sport. In putting this together, Steve has had numerous opportunities to work with athletes and coaches such as Christian VandeVelde, Svein Tuft, Dave Zabriskie, Alison Powers, David Millar, Tom Danielson, Chris Baldwin, Nathan O’Neill, Katie Mactier, John Cobb, Allen Lim and many others. His philosophy is to bring great minds together to achieve the best possible results for athletic performance. "Our coaching staff meets weekly to talk about every little detail of our athletes' performances and things that each of us have learned. It's the best coaching education out there."
Steve has also been a contributor to Bicycling Magazine, Cyclingnews.com, ProCycling Magazine, VeloNews, Velonews.com, as well as other newspapers and publications. He enjoys mountainbiking and road cycling, skiing, snowshoeing, traveling, foreign languages, and music.
For interest in working with Steve Owens, please Contact Us.
Ainslie MacEachran
Premier Level Coach
Ainslie understands what it takes to compete at the highest level as well as how to balance training with work, family and real world commitments - the basis of CPT's coaching philosophy. Coaching athletes is most beneficial if it’s realistic and personalized to fit your life, your time, and your motivation. In other words, manage the CNS and you will see huge success.
Ainslie has been an elite cyclist since 1991. He is an ex-pro with European experience, former national champion, took a legitimate shot at 3 Olympic teams and has transferred that passion to coaching. As a coach, Ainslie has led two separate collegiate teams to national championship titles, multiple conference titles and a multitude of race wins.
Ainslie keeps his clients motivated by having workouts be more targeted and focused. Instead of training more, he believes in training intelligently by monitoring the athlete's CNS. He's had success with coaching the CSU Cycling Team and formerly owner and coach with Gemini Training Systems, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the CPT Coaching Staff.
Ainslie resides in Fort Collins, Colorado with his family and enjoys endurance and snow sports.
For interest in working with Ainslie MacEachran, please Contact Us.
Rick Wetherald
Senior Level Road Cycling, Mountainbiking, Triathlon & Xterra Coach
Rick Wetherald is a Senior Level coach with CPT. As an independent coach from 2004-2007, he began under the guidance of renowned coach Rick Crawford (also with CPT). Rick’s skill set is coaching athletes in road and mountain biking, as well as general fitness.
Rick is extremely diverse as an athlete and brings aboard a tremendous amount of first-hand experience as a professional mountainbiker, accomplished road racer, triathlete and downhill/4x competitor. He began racing BMX in 1994 and competed as a pro in the 2001 UCI BMX World Championships. After Worlds, Rick made the transition to mountain biking. He started with cross country and quickly moved to ultra-endurance competitions. In 2003, he raced the 24 Hour Solo Mountain Bike World Championships where he placed 2nd in U25. He continues to race in all disciplines, including road and triathlon.
As a CPT Senior Level Coach, Rick brings his athletic experience to his athletes. He is a regular contributor to CPT Coach Meetings, where all coaching staff collaborates on ideas, concepts, research and scenarios in a confidential and educational environment. Rick will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Exercise Science from Fort Lewis College in December 2007 and currently lives in Durango, CO. To complement his human powered activities, Rick enjoys trail running, snowboarding, XC skiing, dirt jumping and drinking a strong cup of coffee.
For interest in working with Rick Wetherald, please Contact Us.
Kristin McGrath
Senior Level Road Cycling, Mountainbike and Triathlon Coach
Kristin is a Senior Level Coach with a wide range of cycling coaching experience. In May of 2005, Kristin graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Exercise Science from the University of Tennessee. After college, she started coaching endurance athletes; from cyclists to triathletes to long distance swimmers. Kristin draws from her experiences as a life long athlete. She competed in two Division I varsity sports in college and is now racing professionally for the Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light Women’s Professional Cycling Team.
Born and raised in Durango, Colorado, where she currently resides, Kristin developed her own work ethic and it's that ethic in which she makes her lifestyle. Kristin has learned the importance of discipline in training, nutrition, and mental attitude in order to achieve her goals. She bases her coaching on a balance of these three aspects to help athletes become the best they can be.
During the off season, Kristin enjoys skiing - alpine and nordic, swimming and mountain biking.
For interest in working with Kristin McGrath, please Contact Us.
Michael Choate
Senior Level Coach
Michael is a physical therapist in Lake Oswego, OR. He graduated from Duke University in 1992 and specializes in orthopedics and sports medicine. He works with several local high school, college and professional sports teams as the team physical therapist. He has always had a passion for cycling and frequently works with cyclist, runners, adventure racers and triathletes in his practice.
Michael is a competitive cyclist, enjoying road and mountain bike racing as well as on and off road duathlons. He is also an accomplished adventure racer and continues to race on a sponsored team. Michael has worked with area racers in multiple disciplines over the last several years developing training programs. He is certified Level 2 USA Cycling coach.
Michael lives in the Portland area with his wife Amy and two daughters.
For interest in working with Michael Choate, please Contact Us.
Nate Keck
Senior Level Cycling Coach
Nate is a graduate of Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado with a B.S. in Exercise Science. While attending Mesa State, Nate was the head exercise physiology lab assistant and technician for two years. During this time he received extensive knowledge of periodization, body function, VO2 max testing, and altitude training while using a hypobaric chamber. Nate has also completed some advanced study on nutrition and energy demands placed on an athlete’s body during training and racing.
Nate’s competitive experience has ranged from participating in several solo 24 and 18 hour mountainbike races, to competing as a category 2 cyclist racing in several large NRC races. Along these competitions, Nate has raced both collegiate mountainbike and road cycling events over the last four years. Nate has managed to take two top 20 collegiate national finishes and one top 15 national finish with hopes perform much better this year.
Nate is also an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) certified personal trainer, CPR certified, and USA cycling certified coach, and class C official.
For interest in working with Nate Keck, please Contact Us.
Chad Wells
Senior Level Coach
Chad Wells is a Senior Level Coach with CPT and is currently a senior at Fort Lewis College studying Exercise Science, graduating in the fall of 2008. While attending school, he has taken part in a coaching internship under the leadership of CPT Premier Coach, Rick Crawford and acted as Treasurer of the very dominant Fort Lewis Collegiate Cycling Team.
Most of Chad’s experience comes from the balancing act of training, racing and working full time. He has first hand knowledge on how big of a role recovery must play in any athlete’s life especially those who must juggle the work week as well. 2008 will take Chad into his seventh season on the mountain bike, which will also see him enter the professional ranks. While he mainly focuses on cross county mountainbike events, he has raced in all aspects of the sport including winning four 24-hour races as four man team, two 12-hour races and an eight hour race as a two man team. Before moving permanently to Durango, CO, he gained the title of Michigan State Champion. 2005 saw him take up cyclo-cross and that same year he won the Cat 3 Colorado State Championships. He will now be going into his third season in the elite ranks this fall.
In his free time, Chad enjoys trail running, snow shoeing, Nordic skiing, snowboarding, and telemark skiing.
For interest in working with Chad Wells, please Contact Us.
Alex Hagman
Senior Level Cycling Coach
Alex Hagman is an accomplished cyclist in both mountain bike and road disciplines. On the road, Alex raced for the Toshiba- Santo team based out of Athens, GA, and before joining on with the southern squad raced for an English Continental Pro team based in Italy. Alex is an international racer and has spent time abroad competing. In 2004 he competed in the U23 World Championships in France, and has completed several tours in Mexico, like the Tour of Mexico and Tour of Chihuahua. When he is not traveling abroad he is home in the USA racing at the top level of road cycling.
During Alex’s education from Fort Lewis College where he studied Exercise Science, he went on to win two Short Track national titles, a Cross Country national title, the Colorado State Road Championship in 2006, and several team Omnium national titles.
Alex has been coaching on his own for over 4 years and has been working with CPT since the summer of 2008. Working under the guidance of Rick Crawford, he helped pilot a corporate wellness program and has worked with him as a personal coach since 2002. Alex specializes in working with mountain bikers and road cyclist balancing the demands of life with the demands of training.
Alex also enjoys skiing in the winter, and fly fishing the high country of Colorado’s many lakes.
For interest in working with Alex Hagman, please Contact Us.
Sonya Looney
Senior Level Road Cycling, Mountain Bike and Running Coach
Sonya Looney has diverse experiences with endurance sports, including running, cycling and mountain biking. She currently holds a bachelor's and master's degree in Electrical Engineering. In graduate school, Sonya focused on biomedical instrumentation and neurophysiology. Her interest in exercise science has carried through with a great degree of self research, and will most likely take her back to school for more clinical and human based care and research.
Sonya's motivating and positive style of coaching not only leads her athletes to success in a physical manner, but also on a psychological level. She truly understands time management; balancing work, family, friends, and training herself, and uses those personal experiences to best maximize her clients' training. Sonya enjoys holding cycling clinics, talking to athletes about their journey, writing for various publications, and is very accommodating to cyclists of all ability levels.
Sonya has been a professional mountain biker since 2006, was New Mexico state champion, 24 hour national team champion in 2006, helped lead her collegiate team at CU Boulder to a national team victory in 2006, and has seen many XC and endurance podiums around the country. She also has a background in competitive distance running, and enjoys hiking, skiing, tennis, and trail running.
For interest in working with Sonya Looney, please Contact Us.
Chris Repka
Senior Level Running Coach
Chris Repka holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology and Sports Psychology from American University (AU) and a M.S. in Health and Exercise Science from Colorado State University (CSU). He is currently pursuing a PhD in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC). He teaches UNC’s Exercise Nutrition and Body Composition course for upperclassmen as well as Exercise Physiology labs. Previously, he had taught similar lab courses at CSU. He also works with the Rocky Mountain Cancer Rehabilitation Center at UNC, and his dissertation will investigate the positive effects that exercise has on cancer rehabilitation.
Chris ran on the AU cross country and track teams under two-time Olympian and former national record holder (5000m) Matt Centrowitz. While pursuing his masters at CSU, he competed on the triathlon team and was the team’s second finisher at collegiate nationals both years. Additionally, he acted as the team’s run coach. He was also a coach and recreation director at Nike’s Green Mountain Running Camp (Vermont) for four summers and has coached at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins.
Chris has been enjoying competing in a variety of races since moving to Colorado, and in just the last year, has competed in everything from the steeplechase to an ultramarathon (36miles). When Chris isn’t running, teaching, or learning, he enjoys hiking, cycling, reading, and drinking good microbrews.
For interest in working with Chris Repka, please Contact Us.
Becca Blay
Senior Level Road Cycling, Mountainbike and Running Coach
Education: Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH.
Certifications: ACE Certified Personal Trainer, USA Cycling Certified Coach.
Becca exemplifies a balance between fitness, training and lifestyle. She believes that the most important aspect of training and coaching is a healthy attitude. The training process, and being healthy, is the most rewarding aspect of a client’s regimen; the results are an added plus. Throughout the seven years that Becca has been coaching, she promotes a committed, yet balanced approach to competition. She personally attends to the need of each athlete; making sure that he or she is getting all that they need in order to compete at their best.
Her knowledge within the sport industry is extensive and stems from personal experience. She grew up ski racing in Vermont and New Hampshire and ran competitive track in high school and college. She continues to ski on the K2 Women’s Alpine Team and represents the SoBe/Cannondale Mountain Bike Team as a Professional Mountain Bike Racer. She also enjoys reading, gardening and sleeping.
For interest in working with Becca Blay, please Contact Us.
Shawn Mitchell
Resident Cycling Coach
Shawn grew up with adventure in many activities such as camping, hunting, skiing, motorcycle riding, and fishing. He built his own BMX bike from a frame and some parts he got from friends when he was 10 years old, and later saved enough money from odd jobs to buy a new Raleigh BMX bike….and he was hooked!
Shawn has been integrated into the world of competitive cycling and skiing for nearly twenty years, and is nothing short of a Northwest cycling legend. Some of Shawn’s (many) achievements include racing as a Professional Mountain Biker, Category 1 Road Cyclist, and Elite-Level Cyclocross Rider. Shawn has been involved with cycling in the media too, having starred in Saturn cars commercials, as well as Fox Sports “Ride Guide” for Ionic Cycles. In addition, Shawn is an accomplished competitive runner.
In 2004, Shawn began mentoring younger athletes on the Boise Development Cycling Team, and currently serves as the Team’s Director. Shawn consults on course design for the short track and cyclocross courses in the nationally recognized Idaho Velodrome and Cycling Park, slated to open in Spring, 2008. Shawn holds a USA Cycling Level 2 Coaching License.
Shawn, his wife Kristina (an accomplished competitive swimmer and triathlete), and their young daughter live in Boise, ID.
For interest in working with Shawn Mitchell, please Contact Us.
Jeff Smith
Resident Cycling Coach
Jeff is a professional triathlete, and coach, with over 8 years of endurance training experience. He is well versed in many areas of endurance training, including exercise physiology, anatomy, and biomechanics. In addition, Jeff has a great deal of experience in the health and wellness industry with experience in massage therapy, myofacial release, nutrition, and general sports training. Jeff's approach to fitness is very specific to individual needs. He has been involved in professional training since 2005, working with all ages and fitness levels with professional assessments, education, goal setting, and creating the motivation necessary to assist others in realizing their true potential.
Jeff has a Bachelor of Arts in Health Science with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology, as well as four years of education in the field of Nursing. Jeff is also an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, and working towards his USAC Coaching Certification.
For interest in working with Jeff Smith, please Contact Us.
Daniel Nelson
Resident Cycling Coach
Daniel is a resident coach with CPT, and is currently working on a master’s degree in exercise physiology at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Daniel also completed his bachelor’s in the exercise sciences at BYU. His is in the process of finishing his thesis, which focuses on muscle soreness and the effects of repeated bouts.
Although an avid cyclist for over 12 years, Daniel has only been competitive for the last three, competing locally as a Cat 2 road cyclist, expert mountain biker, and single speed cyclocross racer. His father introduced him to cycling as a teenager, and has been a strong influence in Daniel’s love for the sport. Daniel still travels home every summer to ride with his father in their yearly traditional ride from Seattle to Portland.
As a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Physiological Society, Daniel is always looking for ways to further his knowledge of the human body and physiology. He plans to continue his education to the level of a doctoral degree, specializing in bioenergetics and athletic performance research.
For interest in working with Daniel Nelson, please Contact Us.
Nancy Eastman
Resident Coach
As a diabetic athlete, Nancy has learned that through hard work and perseverance you can achieve any goal you set for yourself. Diabetes has given her the unique perspective on what it takes to plan out and strategize those goals.
Nancy is an experienced triathlete in sprint, Olympic, and Half Ironman distances. In addition, she has completed marathons, half marathons as well as many cycling events. She has the knowledge to work with all levels of fitness, and prides herself on motivating, educating, and helping all of her clients have fun while training for any of their fitness endeavors.
Nancy holds a personal training certification through Cooper Institute in Dallas, and she is currently working towards receiving her USAT coaching license, as well as a USAC coaching license. When she is not at her day job, she is the Program Coordinator for Diabetes Training Camp, where she uses her attention to detail to run the logistics of their programs. Nancy is also a member of WILD (Women Inspiring Life with Diabetes), a triathlon team that is made up of all women with diabetes.
For interest in working with Nancy Eastman, please Contact Us.
Chris Furer
Structural Assessment Specialist and Massage Therapist
Chris Furer has been practicing bodywork for 12 years and involved with the cycling industry for nearly 20. He has trained extensively in the field of functional massage therapy. Over the years he has worked with Olympians, pro cyclists, and top collegiate athletes. By analyzing the body and it's imbalances through structural analysis, you can restore its' strength and prevent injury.
For the last 3 seasons, Chris has also served as soigneur for the Trek-VW mountain bike team. Clients he works with are empowered through education as to why they are experiencing pain, and learn supportive strategies to help them participate in their own healing and recovery process.
For interest in working with Chris Furer, please Contact Us.
Doug Owen
Collegiate Programs Manager
Five years of coaching college cycling programs. Doug built the Lees-McRae team from a strong 18 member Div II program to a 60 member, number one ranked Div I program in the country. At Appalachian State University he directed the team to their first ever cycling National championships. While coaching at Lees-McRae and Appalachian State University, Doug directed the programs to 6 team National titles and 2 TTT national championships. He also coached riders to 17 Individual National Championships. Doug also served on the USAC College Board of Trustees for 2 years from 2006 to 2008. While serving on the board he headed up the updating of the college rule book.
Before stepping into the Head Coach role at Lees-McRae, Doug built a number of Junior programs helping the teams pull in sponsorship and building the teams for junior riders to get important racing experience to help them develop their cycling skills. Doug also has multiple years managing in the business world with some of the largest corporations in our country.
Doug currently lives in Banner Elk, North Carolina.
For interest in Collegiate Programs development, Contact us.
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