I was an around-the-neighborhood “play” triathlete years before my first triathlon.
Spent a lot of time as a kid . . .
- swimming on the neighborhood pool team
- biking with friends around dirty construction sites, and
- running around playing tag, soccer and chasing balls we smashed over fences and into other people’s yards.
In 2008, friends approached me while I was an officer in the student body association at BYU and asked for help to start a club: the BYU Triathlon Club.
My pediatrician was a triathlete — an Ironman, and had posters and race bibs framed in the office to prove it — so I knew about these swim-bike-run events from the time I was very young. I was maybe three or four when I formed my aspirations to one day become an Ironman.
Pointing these friends in the right direction to charter an official student club was the first bit of energy given to a dream long on pause. In just a few months, I officially became a triathlete finishing the inaugural True Cougar Tri, taking 6th in the men’s mountain bike division.
Yup, ask almost any triathlete about their first race and you’ll find out they raced on whatever bike was available to them, often a mountain bike.
I did the race again in 2009, volunteered at IRONMAN New York City in 2012, did a 70.3 in 2013, and in 2014 trained for and finished Ironman Maryland in 11:54:47.
The rest is history.
Triathlete: My Training, Racing + Events/Community Manager
I’m also the Event Marketing Manager for Suunto in the U.S. 2017-2018 was a community marketing manager; more on that here.
I’m a triathlete and mentor for the Intermountain Tri, a community welcoming people of all abilities to engage in triathlon as a meaningful step in the path to LiVe Well, and supported by Utah’s premier health provider, Intermountain Healthcare.
For the 2016 and 2017 season, I raced exclusively for Team TriggerPoint, a national team of endurance athletes supported by TriggerPoint and the Implus family of brands, as well as additional sponsors.
While now on IntermountainTri, I am working out a new arrangement to stay involved with TriggerPoint as I’m a big fan of their products and their mission — to empower people to live better by learning to move better.
Before you order gear from any of the displayed companies (plus Newton Running), holler at me. I probably have a discount code and am happy to share it.
I didn’t know several of these brands before joining the team so here’s a quick summary:
- TriggerPoint: foam rollers and other tools for self-applied massage and myofascial compression techniques (MCT). Best way I can explain MCT is by relating it to brushing your teeth. We brush our teeth to remove stuff that builds up naturally throughout the day and as we eat (e.g. plaque). Similarly, our muscles have build up throughout the day from normal use and even more from exercise (e.g. lactic acid). MCT is like tooth brushing for your muscles. You get in there with a roller or a ball and move the muscles around a bit to help flush lactic acid and other byproducts. Keeps things fresh. (The TP education pros are rolling their eyes at me … but hey, this is the best I can explain it right now).
- Implus: parent company of TP and … Sof Sole, Balega, Harbinger, Perfect Fitness, Yaktrax and others
- Skratch Labs: plain, simple, good nutrition products without the junk
- ROKA: pretty baller swim gear, primarily wetsuits and goggles
- Newton Running: shoes that promote healthy running gait (forefoot action, landing with foot under body and not extended); I’m on my first trail and third road pairs, and love them
- Balega: makers of sweet athletic socks, so comfy
- ISM Saddles: if you’re a triathlete or a time-trialist, check out these makers of sweet saddles for us (they’d probably also say general cyclists); I bought a Time Trial model last year well before joining the team and am very happy to have it as it is more comfortable when in aero position
#TeamTriggerPoint is a beautiful family of people.
Favorite Races + Training Routes
As a triathlete, I’ve raced across incredible terrain in 11 states and worked out or done other events in another four. Here are a few of my favorites:
Tris
TriUtah Jordanelle Triathlon (Park City, UT; sprint) swim t1 bike t2 run
New York City Triathlon (Manhattan, NY; olympic): swim t1 bike t2 run
Race on the Base (Los Alamitos, CA; reverse sprint): run t1 bike t2 swim
Aukeman (Juneau, AK; sprint): swim t1a+b bike-t2 run
Bikes
LOTOJA (Logan, UT to Jackson Hole, WY; double century)
The Alpine Loop (American Fork, UT to Provo, UT)
The Nebo Loop (Payson, UT)
BCC > Guardsman > Park City > Parley’s (SLC, UT)
Sandy > Suncrest > Highland (UT)
Intervals on the Bountiful Dump Road (Bountiful, Utah)
Black & Blue (Boone, NC; double century relay)
Runs
Central Park Loop, (Manhattan, NY; 10k)
Mt Juneau Half (Juneau, AK)
Mt Roberts (Juneau, AK)
The Haunted Half SLC (Emigration Canyon)
Big Cottonwood Canyon (9 miles up from the parking lot, 9 miles down)
Little Cottonwood Canyon (Bell Canyon trailhead to Alta)
Mt. Olympus 10k (ok, this is more like a hike + climb)
Highland to Suncrest (UT)
Riverbank State Park (Manhattan, NY; for speedwork)
My Race History
Full triathlete + race history here, and my World Triathlon profile
Currently training solo. Maximizing speed is the game.
Having finished an IRONMAN, gone to USAT Nationals and World Triathlon Worlds … all tri goals are on hold until I run a sub-5 mile.
A brief history of my running goals:
- 2012: started talking about sub-5 mile. Outlined a 3.5-month plan for myself. Recorded 2 days of workouts. Then stopped.
- 2013: first full year of being self-employed. Injured myself in training for a 70.3 (ramped up run distance too fast w/insufficient recovery time), did the 70.3 anyway, waited out the summer waiting for tendonitis in my knees to go down.
- 2014: Finished Ironman Maryland, and then got back on the sub-5 mile train
- 2015: trained solid thru April, injured my left knee. Once it was healed, focused on tri training to qualify for USAT Nationals, which I did
- 2016: put sub-5 mile on back burner, chased sub-3 marathon to qualify for Boston. Shot my chances popping caffeine pills the morning of my A race (had never done that before). Injured my left knee (again) weight training soon after the race (hadn’t lifted in 2 years … too much too fast)
- 2017: put all trust in Andrew Stasinos’ hands … focus on overall tri training
- 2018: went to USAT Nationals, qualified for Worlds
- 2019: went to Worlds
- next: time to run a mile in the 4s!
Remaining goals:
- sub-3 marathon (BQ, then run it)
- 70.3 Worlds
- Kona
- Wasatch 100
- swim 100 free under :56
- swim 1000 free under 12:30
- meet qualifications to be a CAT3 cyclist
- sub-18:00 5k (open and off the bike)
- sub-38:00 10k (open and off the bike)
- World Triathlon Age Group Worlds Sprint + Oly + 70.3 Worlds + Kona … all in the same year … the Age Grouper Grand Slam
Completed goals:
- do a skimo race
2022
Utah Crit Series Co-Champion – C-Flite
Moab 240 – pacer – Geyser Pass to finish
Sugarhouse Crit – Utah State Champs – Cat4/5 + Masters B
East Canyon Road Race – Utah State Champs – Cat4
Spudman – olympic [9th Elite Men division]
Salt Lake City Crit – Masters 35+
South Valley Super Sprint [1st OA]
John Lauck Memorial Antelope Island Road Race – Cat4
Utah Crit Series – C Flite – 4/20, 5/4, 5/11, 5/18, 6/1, 6/8, 6/15, 6/22, 6/29, 7/6, 7/20, 7/27, 8/3, 8/10, 8/17, 8/24, 8/31
US TriSports Winter Run Series – 5k, 10k, 15k
2021
Sugarhouse Crit – CAT5 + Open
Spudman – olympic
Utah Mile
Utah Crit Series – B Flite – 4/21, 4/28, 5/5, 5/19, 6/2, 8/4, 8/11, 8/25, 9/1
TriUtah Ice Breaker – sprint [9th OA // 1st AG]
Wasatch Powder Keg skimo race – short course, heavy metal division
Utah Skimo Citizen Series – single lap – 2/23, 3/9
2020
SDRC Indoor Tri [1st OA]
Moab240 – pacer – various sections around Indian Creek, The Island, Bridger Jack and Dry Valley
Bear Lake Brawl – 70.3 relay, bike
Tax Day Circuit / John Lauck Memorial Race – CAT5
Deer Creek Open Water Swim – 1.5mi SUP crew
Beaver Doughboy Triathlon – Sprint [2nd OA // 1st AG]
Utah Crit Series – C Flite – 6/17, 6/24, 7/1, 7/8, 7/22, 8/5, 8/12, 8/18, 8/26, 9/9
BAM Emigration TT
2019
XTERRA Maui World Champs – Hula Grill Trail 5k [11th OA // 3rd AG]
ITU Age Group World Championships – Standard
ITU Age Group World Championships – Draft-legal Sprint
TriUtah Jordanelle Tri – sprint [3rd OA // 1st AG]
TriUtah Echo Tri – sprint [3rd OA // 1st AG]
TriUtah East Canyon Tri – olympic relay, run
US Tri Sports Daybreak Tri – olympic relay, bike
Sugarhouse Crit – CAT5
XTERRA Oak Mountain Southeast Champs – Championship – swim only
IRONMAN 70.3 St. George – relay, swim
RaceTRI Ice Breaker – sprint [3rd OA // 1st AG]
SLC Track Club Winter Series 5k [5th AG // 36th OA]
2018
USA Triathlon All American (Rankings: 2nd in UT, 13th in Rocky Mountain Region, 115th in Nation M30-34)
UtahTriBuzz State Ranking: 1st (M30-34)
XTERRA Maui World Champs – Hula Grill Trail 5k [2nd AG]
South Jordan Half Marathon
XTERRA Ogden PanAm Champs – Championship [8th AG]
TriUtah Brineman – Utah State Tri Champs – Olympic [1st AG // 6th OA] – State Champion M30-34
TriUtah Jordanelle – Sprint [3rd OA]
USA Triathlon Nationals – Sprint [10th AG of 80 // 70th OA of 1,761] – TeamUSA Qualification
USA Triathlon Nationals – Olympic [20th AG of 157 // 78th OA of 2,892] – TeamUSA Qualification
XTERRA Beaver Creek Mountain Champs Trail 10k [3rd OA]
XTERRA Beaver Creek Mountain Champs – Championship – swim only
TriUtah Echo Triathlon – Olympic [1st AG // 7th OA]
SoJo Twilight Crit – CAT5 [8th]
RMR Tuesday Crit – CAT4/5 [2nd]
TriUtah East Canyon – Sprint [1st AG // 4th OA]
US Tri Sports Daybreak – Olympic [1st AG // 5th OA]
Sugarhouse Crit – CAT5 [5th]
XTERRA Oak Mountain Southeast Champs Trail 10k [1st AG // 4th OA]
XTERRA Oak Mountain Southeast Champs – Championship – swim only
RaceTri Salem Spring – Sprint [1st AG // 6th OA]
— Began racing/mentoring for Intermountain Tri —
Frigid 5k [2nd AG // 7th OA]
2017
UtahTriBuzz State Ranking: 3rd (M30-34)
Runtastic Haunted Half Provo [2nd AG]
Runtastic Haunted Half SLC [1st AG // 10th OA]
BYU Cougar Run 5k [1st AG]
ExtraMileRacing TOSH 5k [3rd OA]
Fallen Officer’s Memorial 5k [3rd OA]
TriUtah Brineman – Utah State Tri Champs – Olympic [3rd OA // 2nd AG]
TriUtah Jordanelle – Sprint [3rd OA // 1st AG]
Deseret News (Pioneer Day) This is the Race 10k
XTERRA Beavercreek Mountain Champs Trail 10k [3rd OA // 1st AG]
TriUtah Echo Triathlon – Olympic [3rd AG // 9th OA]
GoPro Mountain Games Ultimate Mountain Challenge [17th OA Men (8-way tie) // 4th AG]
GoPro Mountain Games Road Bike TT
GoPro Mountain Games Mountain Trail 10k
GoPro Mountain Games Mountain Trail 5k [3rd M30-39]
Run of Remembrance 1-Miler [1st OA]
RaceTRI Salem Spring – Sprint [1st AG // 11th OA]
RaceTRI Ice Breaker – Sprint [1st AG // 7th OA]
BAM Indoor TT Series 40k [5th M // 3rd M series overall]
BAM Indoor TT Series 20k [6th M]
2016
BAM Indoor TT Series 10k [9th M]
— Began training with Andrew Stasinos of Balanced Art Multisport —
— Finished self-coaching —
— Retired as a coach —
Millcreek Cold Turkey Run 5k [3rd AG // 9th OA]
T3 Turkey Trot Reverse Sprint [2nd AG]
Lake Powell Sprint [1st AG // 4th OA]
Wasatch 100 – pacer – Lambs to Scott’s Peak
Temple 2 Temple Steeplechase 5-Miler [2nd OA]
TriUtah Jordanelle Sprint [1st AG // 10th OA]
Book It! Fun Run 5k [2nd OA]
Utah Valley Marathon
Run of Remembrance 1-Miler [2nd OA]
Salt Lake City Marathon
— Began racing for #TeamTriggerPoint —
2015
The Haunted Half SLC [1st AG]
— Began coaching myself —
— Finished training with Garrett —
Silverman 70.3
LOTOJA – Double Century
USA Triathlon Olympic Nationals
Aukeman Sprint [2nd AG // 9th OA]
New York City Triathlon – Olympic [14th AG]
USA Triathlon Mideast Olympic Regionals
Be The Change 5k [2nd OA]
HarryMan Olympic
Equinox Indoor Sprint [Qualified for Nautica Malibu Triathlon]
Race the Base – Reverse Sprint [1st AG]
— Began coaching —
2014
Cincinnati Thanksgiving Day 10k
— Began training with Garrett Smith of DFS —
— Finished training with Alan —
Ironman Maryland [Finished 11:54:47]
Timberman 70.3
Mossman Sprint Triathlon
— Began training with Alan Gulledge of TriFit Evolution —
Black & Blue Double Century (100 miles)
New York City Half Marathon
2013
Black & Blue Double Century (75 miles)
VTS Kinetic 70.3
2012
Volunteer at Ironman New York City
2009
True Cougar Tri (super sprint)
2008
True Cougar Tri (super sprint)
Painter’s Half Marathon
Coach: Endurance Training
After coaching the 2015 and 2016 seasons, I hung up my triathlete and multisport coaching hat November 2016. It was never a big part of my life.
In the fall of 2016 I made a list of all my professional commitments and saw the 80:20 rule was real: 20% of my commitments were yielding 80% of my results and taking about 80% of my time. I decided to crop out, one by one, the bottom 80% of commitments to get even better results. Coaching was among that list.
The bottom line is: the people I was coaching will be better served by coaches who make triathlete and multisport coaching their life’s work. As much as I’d love to get an exercise science degree and continue studying and learning in that realm to teach others, I’d rather be a triathlete, learn what I need from my triathlon coach and invest time in my primary craft: marketing and storytelling.
Looking for a coach?
⇒ Here are my 6 tips on finding and hiring a tri coach or someone to help you succeed in swimming, cycling, running and endurance sports.