COACHING PHILOSOPHY
We believe that participation in the sports of triathlon, duathlon, and running helps us in the
pursuit of a healthy quality of life. We also believe that professional coaching should be
accessible to all who are pursuing these activities. Every athlete's goals are equally important to
us, from the beginner to the elite. Training programs should be based on each individual's
schedule, unique physiology, and personal goals. We also believe that it is our job to motivate
and challenge you, while making the training and racing experience as enjoyable as possible.
OUR APPROACH
Scheduling training into your already busy life.
One of the main aims of our approach is to help you get the most out of the limited time you
have available to train so that you can be well prepared for your sport. Over the past 24 years,
we have competed in triathlon, duathlon, and running events, while working as military officers,
civilian management, and keeping a sane family and well-rounded lifestyle. We personally
understand the time challenges that you face and our intent is to help you prepare for the
events of your choice and still meet your other responsibilities. So, we custom build a training
program for you based on your personal schedule and time limitations. Quality of training is
vastly better than Quantity of training, and this principle is key to efficient “time management.”
Training is a science.
We believe that a good coaching program should be individualized and pertinent to your own
physiology, personal limitations, and current fitness level. Our coaching methods include the use
of periodic fitness testing and heart rate monitors. To ensure you get the most out of your limited
training time, your program will contain specific intensities (based on your lactate threshold field
test results) and durations (based on your event goals and time available to train) at which to
exercise, so no time is wasted. We will use a Computrainer in order to measure your bike LT
levels, as well as to analyze your pedaling stroke technique to optimize your bike fit and pedaling
efficiency.
A common mistake for many athletes is the inclusion of "junk" miles in their training. “Less is
More.” We eliminate any unnecessary mileage and include only the training sessions that you
need. Another common mistake is for athletes to "go hard" at every training session. Again,
every training session has a specific purpose, and sometimes this purpose is to train at a slow,
aerobic pace. Having your training properly programmed and periodized also facilitates the
avoidance of injury, over training, frustration, and burnout. “Peak health always comes before
peak performance”, and by using a customized training schedule, with constant feedback and
monitoring by your coach, you will minimize your chances of injury and burnout.
Truly customized, individual training programs
When we say truly customized, we mean it. If an unexpected business trip pops up, just let us
know and we will revise your schedule. We plan for your travel days, too. Maybe you're not
traveling, but the kids got sick and you missed a few workouts. Again, just let us know and we'll
rework your training plan to get the most out of the remainder of the week. We maintain a
constant dialogue with our athletes to ensure they're getting the most out of their programs. Our
training programs also incorporate a high level of variety to ensure that each workout is never
boring. Efficient techniques will be reviewed and practiced in each sport to gain that critical “free
speed,” especially important for the athlete with a limited number of weekly training hours
available. This includes the incorporation of a scientifically derived triathlon bike fit and training
on the “Evolution” method of running. And last but not least, our training program will incorporate
the latest cutting edge sports specific strength training to increase core body strength and race
speed, especially important for the older (40+) athlete.
Properly periodized annual training plans.
We always write your daily workouts with your yearly plan in mind. During your initial
consultation, we go over your race schedule for the entire year, your goals, your limiters and
training objectives. At this time, you also give us your time available for training. We then create
a plan for your entire season, properly scheduling in base periods, build periods, peak, taper,
and rest weeks. After lactate threshold testing to determine your training heart rates (we give
you the testing protocols as part of your initial consultation), we build your first 4-week training
cycle (and subsequent training cycles) from scratch. You can be sure that this is a program
made just for you.
Lifestyle and Nutrition Counseling.
By using the best coaching software available, we will be able to closely monitor (as much as you
desire) your stress indicators, rest and recovery indicators, and your nutritional intake. This
close feedback will help us modify your training schedule as necessary to prevent overuse
injuries and overtraining fatigue. Additionally, the computerized nutritional database makes it
easy to track your caloric intake in order to achieve your ideal weight, optimized for a healthy
lifestyle and maximum atheletic performance.
In summary:
We measure our success by not only helping you attain your performance goals, but by helping
you learn how to swim, bike, run and train more efficiently and effectively. It is our hope that this
will also raise your enjoyment level of running and multi-sport, as this is what it's really all about.
Triathlon and other endurance sports is fun and will result in a better lifestyle, and a healthier
and happier you! We look forward to guiding you in your training and watching you succeed in
all your athletic endeavors!
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