2014 was a great year and marks the second year I have been
coaching with Triattic. In January I added Youth and Junior Certified to my
coaching to be able to work with kids again. I have been given the privilege to coach some amazing people
this past year and look forward to 2015. I wanted to highlight the athletes I
have worked with over the past year and thank them for giving me the
opportunity to help them accomplish their goals for the season.
John Thompson
John had a great first triathlon season in 2013. He decided
to accept the challenge of doing a Full Ironman this year in Coeur d’Alene,
Idaho. He knew that it would be difficult fitting in many hours of training along
with his wife’s training for her first full ironman too. Having a toddler at
home made for some creative weekend “tag team” bike rides for John and Melissa,
but they some how got the training in and were ready for the big race. The conditions on race day were beyond crazy especially for
it being anyone’s 1st Full Ironman. I’ll never forget John’s eyes as
we were walking up to get into the water… they were huge with fear and
excitement all at the same time. He was very nervous with the wind howling at
our backs and the cold sand covering our feet. I remember telling him to trust
his training and know that he can do this. Once he took off he may have
swallowed lots of water, bumped into people, and dealt with the massive swells
in the lake, but through all that he had a great swim. The bike course was
challenging with a total gain of 5,760 feet, but on this particular day there
were sustained winds from 20-25 mph making it just that much harder. It was
inevitable that you would be pedaling on the rolling hills, but even the descents
you had to keep your feet moving. But again, John pushed through the tough conditions
and survived the bike. He was very thankful to be off the bike and start the
run. The run was parallel to the shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene for two loops,
with one steep climb at the southern turnaround point. Being on a course that
repeats, I was able to see John on the run. He was running every time I passed
him! He would always ask me, “Coach, am I gonna make it? “ I assured him every
time that he was doing great and that he had plenty of time to finish. I was so
proud to see him the last time around and knew he would be crossing the finish
line soon. John finished the race, his first full Ironman race, in 15 hours and
31 minutes. I could not have been more proud to be John’s coach. They say it is
the journey to becoming an Ironman that is most important and to have been part
of John’s journey was truly an awesome experience for me as his coach and
friend.
Andrea Stephens and I have been friends for a long time. We
met many years ago training for our very first marathon in 2006. I was thrilled when she asked me
to be her coach for triathlons in 2013. Her goal was to get back into shape and
had a list of races to motivate her to do it. Andrea is the most resourceful
and determined athlete I know. She will travel an extra 30 minutes to get to a
pool or a track to get in a workout no matter what obstacle stands in her way.
She came back this season improving each time she raced. Her last race was at
Freedom Springs, where she took home 3rd place in her age group!
This was a fantastic way for her to finish the season and year!
I was so happy when Deann Garcia became an “Official Triattic.” We all know how supportive and encouraging she has been to our team and her husband Morgan. This year she took the leap to becoming a triathlete. Last year Morgan bought her a bike for Christmas and she started running on her own. By March of 2014 she was ready to take on some races. Her challenges for the year included a 5K, 10K, a Sprint Triathlon and a Half Marathon.
Deann is one of the nicest people you will ever meet and to
be able to coach an athlete like her is such a treat for me. The first time she
ever did a time trial I was surprised Morgan didn’t call 911 because she pushed
so hard that her heart rate was off the charts! From that I knew just how much
of a pleasure it would be to coach such an over achiever. She continues to
amaze me on each workout pushing herself to new limits. One by one Deann
checked off each challenge throughout the season accomplishing her goals and
improving from race to race. Watching
Deann grow from her first 5K all
the way up to the Half Marathon has been a wonderful experience. She worked
very hard this year to accomplish her goals and I am so proud to be her coach.
Deann loved to use NUUN while training this year and now has been chosen to be
a NUUN Ambassador for 2015!
Charlie Boyle joined Triattic in April of 2014 after
completing his very first triathlon at Red Hills. His goals for the season were
to lead a healthier life style and to complete a 15k by the end of the year. This has been a transforming year for Charlie. His
dedication and determination to improve is evident when he shows up to track
workouts in freezing cold weather and never complains. When Charlie attempted his first time
trial and wasn’t physically able to complete it he asked for a Mulligan. This
just encouraged him to do more and get better at running. Charlie worked very
hard this season accomplishing so much more than he had planned. He went on to
race many triathlons this year and exceeded his goal of a 15k with completing a
half marathon in an impressive time of 1:59:15. Amazing things happen to people
that put forth such an awesome effort! I am thrilled to coach such a hard
working athlete and friend. I look forward to seeing what the year 2015 has in
store for him!
Claire Phillips joined the
Triattic team in August of this year. She finished Georgia Veterans Triathlon
with Deann and decided she wanted a coach. I was the fortunate coach she
decided to choose. Her goals for the season were to improve her time from her
previous Sprint and to build her endurance in running. She went on to finish
Beach Blast in August taking home 3rd in her age group and finishing
a 5k with an impressive time. Claire has huge goals for 2015 and I look forward
to helping her achieve every one.
Wade Eastman
I began coaching Wade in August. He competed in his first
triathlon when he was 10 years old and hopes to one day be like his parents and
become an Ironman. He swims for his school’s competitive swim team year round
and enjoys riding his bike in his free time. Wade is one of the most positive
athletes on the course and is always encouraging to his fellow competitors. He
competed in 3 Sprints this year finishing second in his age group in 2 of them.
Wade is a very motivated athlete that enjoys being challenged. He was ranked 16th
Nationally and plans to compete in his first Draft Legal Youth F1 race in
March. I am excited to see what happens next year for Wade. He continues to
grow stronger and smarter each day and works so hard to improve. I am very proud to be his coach and know
that 2015 will be an awesome year for him.
Max Eastman
I have been coaching Max since August of this year. This was
his 2nd year competing in triathlon and began at the age of 13. He
runs Cross Country and swims on his school’s competitive swim team year round.
He raced in 3 Sprint Triathlons taking 1st place in his age group in
2 of them and 2nd place in his age group in the last race. Max is a
very disciplined athlete that works very hard to improve in the sport. He is very encouraging to his fellow
athletes just like his younger brother. He was ranked 12th
Nationally and plans to compete in his first Draft Legal Youth F1 race in
March. Max is a dedicated athlete that loves competition. I am proud to be
Max’s coach and know this year will have many good things in store for him.
