Occupation: VP of Credit Policy – Modeling and Analytics
Goals Achieved: As a former high school athlete and an outdoors enthusiast, I was used to competition and living an active lifestyle. As I moved into adulthood with family and work responsibilities, exercise started to fall by the wayside and I gradually added some weight to my frame. My biggest goals were to be more active, control my weight, and generally feel healthier. Twenty minutes on a stair machine a couple of days a week wasn’t sufficient! I started running in the fall of ’05 and actually found myself enjoying it, despite not being very fast. I added biking in the spring of ’06 and really enjoyed my time on the road. Things really began to take off when I added some races and an actual plan for training intelligently.
Races Completed:
- Muddy Buddy '06
- Condell Classic 5K ’06 ‘07
- Prairie Crossing 5K '06
- Gurnee Turkey Trot '06 '07
- Samson Stomp 5K '07
- Beloit Wellness Biathlon '07
- Pardeeville Sprint Tri '07
- Lake Geneva Olympic Relay (run only) '07
- Runner’s Edge Trail ½ marathon '07
How has TFP Helped Me Reach My Goals: My first group program, Super Summer Speed in '07, helped with:
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Scheduling – I do much better when something is regularly scheduled. It also included a weekly running plan for me to follow on my own time.
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Motivation – Being around other athletes and seeing their dedication was very motivating as I am used to “going it alone”. Encouraging words along the way and at the finish line from a great group of people are much appreciated.
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Coaching – I had very little concept of heart rate zones, how to vary my workouts, and especially fueling, so the coaching provided here was critical. Admittedly, I did significantly focus on running and had a great deal of room for improvement; however, the results were clear when I was able to cut 1:15 off of my 1.5 mile assessment and 2:30 off of my 5K time.
Seeing results and knowing I had much more to learn has led me to TFP (Coach Matt) for a personal training plan. This helps me reinforce the items above – scheduling, motivation, and coaching. It also balances my training and gets me in the pool for some very much needed work. Additionally, we incorporated weight training which I hadn’t done since high school.
What's Next? Clearly, there are many more accomplished TFP athletes out there with much more significant race bios than me. Last year, I competed in my first triathlon without doing any swim training (not recommended!). This year I am more prepared and will compete in a few sprint tris, my first Olympic tri, a hilly 100k bike ride, and then the Chicago Marathon (hopefully on a comfortably cool day!)
Advice for Other TFP Athletes: I will never be an elite athlete and I am definitely a work in progress. One of the most enjoyable things is seeing the progress and remembering where I used to be. I have a long way to go but exercise, training, and competitions are wonderful stress relievers and mechanisms for a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, it is really important to keep a balance with religious, family, and work commitments. I have the benefit of having a wife who is also involved in the sport so we can support each other and train together. Enjoy your workouts and make sure to keep it fun! |
