- USMCA: How long have you been riding motorcycles?
- AH: We have both been riding since the age of 5, and as we are now in our 30s, a long time!
- USMCA: Has it always been motocross-focused, or have you tried other disciplines of off-road or on-road riding?
- AH: Mostly motocross-focused, although we’ve both dabbled in woods racing in our younger years. Phil also raced Arenacross for a period in his youth, when that series was pretty big.
- USMCA: How long were you coaching and working full–time?
- AH: I worked full–time at a big corporate company while starting Shred MX Conditioning. I did both for two and a half years.
- USMCA: What made you want to pursue coaching full–time?
- AH: I have always had a desire to work for myself, and I could also see the impact we were having with the effort we were putting in with Shred MX. I wanted to take it to the next level and help as many riders as possible, on and off the bike, all over the country. That requires a level of flexibility that corporate jobs simply don’t allow for.
- USMCA: What choices did you make leading up to that decision?
- AH: To coach full–time and quit the 9-to-5 corporate grind meant we had to sell our house and live in our RV full–time. That was the biggest decision and the main thing that held us back from pursuing this sooner.
- USMCA: What does a typical week in your life look like now that you are coaching full–time?
- AH: A typical week consists of what I call “working on my business”– or the housekeeping/finance side of things – on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Tuesdays and Thursdays are set aside for “working in my business,” reprogramming workouts for our racers, having check-in calls, etc. Every day of the week, I am working on marketing and growing our presence, whether on social media or in person at the events we attend. We are still avid racers ourselves and have been attending as many of the amateur nationals as we can. We also schedule one-on-one on-bike coaching sessions at a local track, usually two or three times a week in the evenings. Our schedule varies from week to week, but always tends to be very busy.
- USMCA: Is there anything you wish you could change?
- AH: I wish I could change people’s perspective on health and fitness. We only get one body to use throughout this life, and whether you are trying to push it harder in your motos or simply trying to be able to ride a motorcycle well into your older years, if you don’t take care of your body from a fitness and nutrition perspective, it won’t continue to give you the best years of your life. Motocross and motorcycle racing in general are very physically demanding; the body will only take so much before breaking down if not properly cared for. Physical health is also a game-changer when it comes to riding and racing, which people don’t seem to understand until they put in the time to be more physically fit – at which point they understand the importance and are hooked!
- USMCA: Is it hard to work with each other?
- AH: Not at all! We have a good system of what each of us does. If either one of us needs help with something we are working on, we always step in to help. Phil supports me in this crazy dream I have and has done everything to make it possible to keep working toward it!
- USMCA: What advice would you give to another coach looking to step away from corporate America and coach full–time?
- AH: I would advise them to be very clear on their dream (goals) and their why. It’s not an easy industry to grow in organically, and it takes a lot of determination to keep pushing through tough times. If your why is good-natured and you continue to put yourself out there with the industry as a whole (riders and businesses), you can be successful with a lot of patience and some serious grit!
- USMCA: Tell us more about your coaching business.
- AH: Shred MX Conditioning provides online fitness and nutrition coaching for riders of all ages and skill levels. All of our services are delivered fully remotely via apps on your phone and can be completed from anywhere. We tailor each program to the rider’s goals, time availability, equipment, and dietary preferences. We believe strongly in long-term sustainability of health and not just quick-fix programs, so our fitness and nutrition coaching is all geared toward doing these things for the rest of your life. We also have one-off coaching clinics at tracks – usually three-day moto camps where we teach everything from form and fundamentals to jumping technique and more. We collectively have so much time and experience in this sport, and we do everything we can to help other riders feel the best they can when they go riding and racing!
