My race prediction for Vineman: Indeterminate...

My race prediction for myself at Vineman on August 1st can be summed up as: Indeterminate. This year's race is the 20th Anniversary of the event – the longest running Ironman distance triathlon in the continental U.S. This year will be my 6th time racing the full Ironman distance event (2.4-mile swim / 112-mile bike / 26.2-mile run). In my five prior races, I have 2 x 1st places finishes (2001, 2007), 2 x 2nd...

Crafting a pre-race plan: Make your pre-race goals...

“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower, American President and General My client, LtCol Tom Impellitteri, USMC, is competing in his first Ironman (Ironman USA in Lake Placid, NY) this weekend. I’ve been working with Tom since January this year in his quest to hear the magic words from Mike Reilly, “You are an...

Race Report: Christiana goes 10:39 at Roth...

Christiana is one of my Ironman coaching clients who I've worked with since 2007. She had qualified and competed in Ironman Hawaii in 2006, incredibly finishing the race while running with a stress fracture. Rather than have me tell her story about her recent 10:39 PR at the Quelle Challenge Ironman in Roth Germany on July 12th, I'd like to share her race write up. If you're even thinking about doing an...

Beyer Project success: Bill earns his Kona slot!...

Ironman Coeur d'Alene on June 21, 2009 marked the final stage in a triathlon coaching and social experiment called the "Beyer Project." UPDATE: Download my article that appeared in the Winter 2010 issue of Tri-DC Magazine HERE. For 6 months beginning in January 2009, I was Bill Beyer’s "live-in" triathlon coach: working with Bill one-on-one, providing accountability, giving him real-time...

My client Fabrice finishes Ironman France in 11:29...

My client Fabrice Guillaume completed his first Iroman last weekend – Ironman France in Nice, France, finishing in a time of 11:29:51 on arguably one of the hilliest Ironman courses in the Ironman series. As his triathlon coach, I consulted with Fabrice approximately once a month since late last year as he first created a high level triathlon training plan with distinct training periods (e.g. off season, base building,...

From Coach to Athlete before the big race...

What should a coach say to his client the day before the most important triathlon of his life? My client, Bill Beyer, recently competed in Ironman Couer d’Alene (2.4-mile swim / 112-mile bike / 26.2-mile run) on June 21st. This was Bill’s first Ironman in 2 years after a foot injury in 2007 and surgery in 2008. Here’s what I said to Bill before the race: One more thought. You’ve done most of...