Going all in on trying new things.  Sometimes it’s easy…like going to a new restaurant.  But often it’s quite challenging…like doing a full-scale makeover on your training plan!  Some athletes fight this tooth & nail while others – like Phil Meyers – embrace it, integrate it & live it.  I can’t say enough how proud I am of Phil for being 100% willing to learn new techniques & trust in new training strategies.  Just goes to show that the more we expose ourselves to, the “smarter” athletes we become.  Way to go, Phil!

In Phil’s own words:

“In training for my 1st triathlon – 2023 Malibu Olympic Triathlon – I didn’t follow a structured training plan.  I just trained as much as I could, whenever I could.  That strategy worked just well enough for the Olympic distance….but I was pretty confident that it wouldn’t fly for a 70.3.  So, when I signed up for Ironman 70.3 Rio de Janeiro I was very eager to follow a structured training plan & focus on technique rather than pure volume & speed.  That’s when I reached out to Coach Michelle.

The training protocol we used for this race pushed me out of my comfort zone & changed my perspective on what leading a ‘healthy, athletic lifestyle’ looks like.  Whereas my go-to would have been volume, volume, volume, we instead focused on less volume, higher intensity & technique improvement.

In hindsight, I would say the most impactful technique adjustment was increasing my running cadence.  Reaching 170+ steps per minute did wonders for alleviating my knee & hip pain during runs!  Swim technique also proved to be extremely helpful.  I started my training most concerned about the 1.2-mile ocean swim leg.  But the swim leg turned out to be the easiest, best & most fun part of the 70.3!

I did this race with 4 college friends & we’re already talking about which race to do next year.  It’s looking like Ironman 70.3 Oceanside here we come!”