2010: IM Wisconsin finisher
2011: Marathon PR

Joe’s coaching lead me to a super Ironman race performance. I completed my Ironman faster than I ever anticipated and while enjoying the entire day. I was able to finish it that way because of the guidance and advice that Joe gave me. I would like to say that he was dead-on right about everything he said, but there is one thing that was not predicted accurately: in our initial meeting I stated that my goal was to finish with a smile on my face and to enjoy the entire day. He said, “We can accomplish the smile, but you may not enjoy the entire day.” I believe that I enjoyed the day because I was so well prepared for race day.

He told me once during a training run on a tough weekend, that the Ironman race will not be as tough as my training; he was right. Although my training was tough, it prepared me well, and was structured to avoid injury yet pack on the miles. His many words of advice repeated clearly in my head during training and on race day. The nutrition plan was outlined such that I never bonked.

Many spectators commented on my smile, and I believe I was smiling that day only because I was well prepared and I had practiced race-day strategies in training. Bottom line: Joe laid out a training schedule specific to my goals and capabilities, adjusted that plan as necessary (e.g., for vacations), outlined a nutrition plan and race strategy, and provided many “words of wisdom” that allowed me to train and then perform better than I anticipated. Thank you Joe!