Creating an atmosphere where athletes flourish has been our goal from the moment Practical Coaching was created. From the moment you walk through our doors you are treated like an athlete. Time is spent gathering information about you, your lifestyle, your family, and your goals to help us understand how to best help you reach your potential in the goals you have set for yourself. Training schedules are HAND WRITTEN and posted to your personal calendar; computer programs are NEVER used to create schedules or workouts. When you join the Practical Coaching team you are involved in a camp-like environment. From coached track workouts, group bike rides and open water swimming in the summer to group rides and runs in the winter your coach is with you every step of the way. With over 30 years of national and international experience with training and racing we are able to give you all of the tools and skills, both physical and mental, necessary for you to compete at the highest level.
Our coaches are USA Triathlon Level II coaches. We offer two COACHING PACKAGES and a multitude of services to help athletes of all abilities achieve their goals. Whether you are new to the sport attempting to finish your first triathlon, looking to improve your performance, or you are an elite athlete looking for assistance to take you to the top, Practical Coaching has everything you need to achieve your goals.
Benefits of working with Practical Coaching:
Initial design of an annual training plan-best done in October of year prior
Frequent and regular contact with coach to work on skills and sharpen your mind for competing at the highest level
Custom training schedules-We do not use any computer program to generate athlete training schedules
Review by coach of training log entries
Readily available to answer personal training and racing questions
One Stop Shopping for all of your Triathlon needs:
We encourage you to sign up as a user. As a user you will be able to maintain your own personal calendar with your training schedule and your racing events and you will periodically receive emails from us with helpful information.
Please feel free to CONTACT US to discuss any questions you might have. We look forward to helping you achieve all of your goals.
I started doing triathlons a little over a year ago, but I don't consider myself a
triathlete. I know I will never win a race, never end up on the podium. I do them
in a futile attempt to fight off an expanding waistline during the onset of middle
age. But I found along the way, the best part is the friends you make. So, when my
job took Mary Ann and I from Colorado to Malaysia last year, I thought I done my
last. But, whether you are good or bad, there is something about triathlons that
keeps you coming back. So, you figure out how to get some workouts in around a move,
a job, travel and family because you just don't want to give it up. I'm sure no
different than any of you.
Since the move, I have done a couple of small events around Malaysia, but nothing too
serious - only hot, I mean really, really, hot. Living in Malaysia is a big change
and every now and then you get the urge to venture out to someplace a little more
like home - a place like Australia. And, hmmm, if you plan it right, you can put a
triathlon on your itinerary. So, Mary Ann and I decided to pack the bicycle and go
for the big time - the Noosa Triathlon Festival in Australia. It's held the first
of November on the Gold Coast (technically the Sunshine Coast), about a two hour
drive north of Brisbane. It's the biggest race in Australia and attracts over 5000
competitors with about 2500 individuals and 900 teams.
Noosa is a resort town that gets it's name from the Aboriginal word meaning "shade"
or "shadows". It's a place to enjoy the cool afternoon breezes that come off the
turquoise green water while building a castle on the white sandy beaches. The Gold
Coast is a famous tourist destination that extends south of Brisbane past where the
ITU World Championships will be held next year. November is the start of summer in
Australia, so it's cool in the evening and warm during the day, with highs about 80
degrees. There are national parks within walking distance where it's easy to find
yourself among the koalas and kangaroos.
It's a festival over 4 days which attracts all the big time triathletes from
Australia, including Gold Medal winner Emma Snowsill. There is a 1000 meter ocean
swim (which this year was held in 4 foot seas), a kids triathlon, a fun run and a 5K
sprint. They even have a cycling criterium, which by the way was won by Robbie
McEwen. Yes, the same Robbie McEwen who has won two or three green jerseys in Le
Tour de France.
The triathlon is an Olympic distance race which starts with a swim around a small
island in the Noosa River. Wetsuits weren't allowed this year (much to my
disappointment) as the water temperature was just above 24 degrees (Celsius that
is). Even though it's called a river, it's sal*censored*er from the tide that brings the
ocean in.
The bicycle course is out and back and snakes through town around various "round
abouts" then up a climb simply called "the hill". A few more rolling hills and it's
time to turnaround and head back into town.
The run is flat out and back with a lot spectators lining the road (I particularly
liked those with spray hoses). It goes along the river, finishes in front of a big
grand stand full of people - who cheer for you, no matter what your finishing time.
So, if you ever get a chance, you ought to go to Noosa. Not just for the race, but
to spend a few days. The food is good, the gelato even better and the people are
great. It's a lot of fun if you like combining a little sight seeing with a little
racing.
And, oh, by the way, where else can you get a Practical Coaching cap with an Emma
Snowsill autograph - And "No, mine's not for sale".
2008 USA Triathlon Halfmax National Championships, Boulder City Nevada
My father moved to Boulder City, NV a couple of years ago and I instantly loved going to visit him just to have the excuse to explore the mountain desert that surrounded his house. When I heard that half-ironman nationals where going to be contested on his doorstep, I didn’t hesitate to enter. I understood that the course had the potential to inflict pain, but I didn’t quite comprehend just how difficult the race could be.
The morning started in beautiful Lake Mead after many pleas from the announcer for the asking if anyone had come across the race director’s misplaced iphone. The water was a perfect temperate of 70 degrees. I lead the swim to the first couple of buoys, but the swimmers drafting off of me decided that I couldn’t swim straight; I gladly relinquished the lead and swam to a comfortable fourth out of the water. After an uneventful transition, I mounted the bike half a minute or so off of the lead.
I quickly rode past the three guys ahead of me. A Boulder, CO racer who I recognized joined me along the way to the front. The bike course snaked around the lake in what seemed to be a never ending up hill. The natural beauty of the mountains, lake, and desert proved distracting and after 20 to 25 miles of drinking in the surroundings, a group of two riders passed me to take the lead. One of racers would be caught on the run while the other cruised to the eventual win. Since they weren’t in my age group I wasn’t really concerned. At the turn around I was hoping to enjoy an easier trip back to the swim start before the real beast of the race came. Unfortunately, I was disappointed as the return back proved to be just as challenging as the way out. The nice part of this event was that two other races where taking place, a sprint and an Olympic, so I had the pleasure of passing a long line of bikers. Now the course would have been described as difficult if the bike course had a common T1 and T2. When I passed the 50 mile mark my bike split was 2:15, 3 minutes shorter than my 5430 bike split. I still had 6 miles to go. The last 6 miles were not an ordinary ride through a park. Lake Mead is at an altitude of approximately 1000 feet. T2 was in Boulder City at 2500 feet above sea level. There is nothing quite like having to climb 1500 feet after already riding 50 miles and I think I could have ended the race at T2 satisfied that I had completed a full days worth of activity. As it was, I transitioned to the run and jogged toward the start of the half-marathon.
Since I had been to Boulder City before I know that the bike finished up the monstrous hill, I was completely unprepared for a run that was all down hill for 6 miles followed by 6 miles up hill. After the turn around, I physically and mentally struggled to maintain focus at the task at hand. Luckily, I was only lost one place and I gimped through the finish line spent, but happy with a 4th place over-all finish and a division win. Not a bad way to end the year and a national championship.
Swim: 26.46
Bike: 2:40.13
Run: 1:32.19
Total: 4:43.11
Practical Coaching also wishes to congratulate:
Julie and Doreen for competing at Long Course Nationals
Kayla for competing in her first Olympic Distance race. And, by the way, her front brake was engaged for her entire bike ride! Way to gut it out Kayla!
USA Triathlon Nationals wraps up the season for many of our friends and athletes. It has been a great season with many great accomplishments for everyone. Congratulations to everyone at Nationals this year.
Anthony: 11th place in Age Group Qualified for Worlds*
Congratulations to Doreen for her performance at the Harvest Moon Long Course. Her time of 6:28:09 situated her in 4th place in her age group and qualified her for Halfmax Long Course Nationals in October.
The biggest congratulations ever from Practical Coaching goes out to Kristen who just completed her first triathlon at Tri the Creek! This is a girl who 2 months ago could not put her head in the water to swim. So many times, "I can't do this" came out of her mouth only to follow with doing more than she thought she couldn't do. Today with her friends in tow she and Kayla left at the crack of dawn to pick up packets, set up transition, chill out a little, do a quick warm up run, warm up in the water, and RACE!
Kayla had an interesting experience in the water with a man drowning, so we are giving her the GOOD SAMARITAN of Triathlon award for saving a man's life. After help arrived Kayla went on to finish her race.
The girls running Mt Evans today all met at 5:30 this morning at the T-Rex Park and Ride to head up to the mountain start. Everyone seemed well rested and ready to go. Beth's friend, Christine, offered to help us out by driving the team van up to the summit for the finish of the race. This eliminated us having to pack a summit bag and get it loaded in a summit van, but even better, we didn't have to wait for a ride down the mountain after running. It was wonderful having the van at the top. Beth and Michelle finished, got changed and set out a picnic spread and waited for the rest of us to finish. The weather was perfect for running up the mountain and we could not have asked for a better day. Everyone did better than they expected and left ready to conquer Pike's Peak!
Escape from Alcatraz is a race I think everyone should put on their "to do" list. The fact that you jump off a boat in the middle of San Francisco Bay and swim to shore is reason enough. But there is more; it is an incredibly gorgeous venue. The Golden Gate Bridge serves as a backdrop for the run, you get to run on Baker Beach, and you have to tackle the sand ladder. The bike is technical and tough and you get to bike through Golden Gate Park, and not to mention lots of CLIMBING for us Colorado crazies! Definitely well organized and BOAT (pun intended) LOADS of FUN!
Congrats to our friends and athletes who made it in the race via lottery or auction and escaped from Alcatraz this year:
Despite the confusion many people had on the multi-lap course and the issues it caused with some of the results we all had fantastic races! Congratulations to everyone for executing solid performances.
John M- Swim-31:42 T1-3:21 Bike-1:10:04 21.2 MPH T2-2:32 Run-49:28 7:58 pace Total-2:37:10 *Qualified for Nationals
Beth- 10th in Age Group- Swim-33:23 T1-2:36 Bike-1:09:16 21.5 MPH T2- 2:05 Run-51:43 8:20 pace Total- 2:39:05
Anthony- 2nd in Age Group 9th Overall Amateur- Swim-24:22 T1- 2:37 Bike-1:03:26 23.5 MPH T2- 1:45 Run-39:17 6:20 pace Total- 2:11:30
