How do I get faster at 49?  Melanie answered my question this year guiding me through an injury free season, creating a fun squad training atmosphere and ensuring that I was ready when it was time to race!  I am at the top of my age-group (45-49) which should be a disadvantage.  The MelRad training methods brought back much of the speed that I had lost over the years by teaching me what “hard” and “easy” training really mean.  With Melanie’s help I won my age-group at three 1/2 Ironman races, place second at an Xterra and finished my season with a successful “Double” at the Ironman World Championship in Kona and Xterra World Championship in Maui.  I am already looking forward to finding more speed at 50!

Having Mel as my coach this past season was an incredible experience!  I found that she was constantly tweaking and updating my program to find a healthy, realistic balance between my work and home life yet pushing me to be my very best in all my athletic endeavors. The level of communication I received through out was astounding as she always made herself available to me by utilizing all methods of communication such as phone calls, texting and emails. Through out my season I felt Coach Mel was fully invested and committed to helping me achieve my lofty goals.

I have been coached by Melanie for two seasons of XTERRA and XC mountain bike racing.  During that time, I have gone from a pedestrian “middle of the pack” XTERRA competitor, to placing 6th amateur and 2nd in my 30-34 division at the 2010 XTERRA World Championships, to ITU Cross Triathlon World Champion.  Melanie structured a successful training program for me that balanced my work and home life with my desire to reach the highest level possible in my sport.  She keeps me focused and motivated, along with providing the training knowledge I need to compete at a top level.

You just don’t know until you Tri. If you are even a little curious about the skills it takes to do an off road triathlon or Xterra race then Melanie’s Tri the dirt camp is a must for you. Tri the dirt is fun and the coaches will hone those CX mountain bike skills! I loved it.

Melanie changed me as an athlete. I used to be content to “exercise” a lot and race by looking around enjoying the scenery. She taught me to find the fierceness in working hard, the enjoyment in racing hard, and that it’s pretty damn fun to get on the podium. She has made me see the value in being a balanced triathlete instead of simply relying on strengths. Mel is extremely knowledgeable in coaching methods, training techniques, human physiology, race nutrition & tactics, equipment, and the importance of all the “other” training around swimbikerun. She is also understanding of my need to balance a stressful job with training, and helps me incorporate being a triathlete into a busy life. Most importantly, she is a rad human being and I am better off having her in my life!