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VLADIMIR KOUZNETSOV - From
newbie to age group contender in one season! "I am [was] a triathlon newbie living most of the year in Moscow. I began working with Steve in December 2010 when I started training for triathlon. By late March 2011, I won my age group in a local NYC duathlon and by late May I would have taken 4th place overall at a TriStar event in Germany if I didn't ride an extra 10K! Steve then encouraged me to participate in the US AG nationals, for which I qualified at my first Olympic distance race. Steve has given me a plan to train based on my strengths and weaknesses (including a crazy work schedule and bad climate); no-nonsense wisdom on everything from training to goal setting to equipment to nutrition; and grown-up encouragement, which I know I can trust, to reach for my potential. Every piece of advice I have gotten from Steve has been spot on. Because of his unassuming, no-nonsense manner and dry humor, Steve's guidance has helped me become and stay motivated. He has provided accountability which is important both on those days when you don't feel like doing the work and when you have over-exuberant desire to do too much. I am looking forward to moving up results pages in 2012, because I know the guidance is there to achieve it, all I have to do is do the work and then show up to race." |
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RICHARD CRENSHAW - Back
to multisport and still getting faster! "After a nine year hiatus from triathlons, I decided in 2010 that I would get back into the sport I loved so much. That decision lead to nagging hamstring issues. After a few months of nursing through the injuries, I decided I needed to find a coach that would put together a training program to keep me focused and injury free. After talking to numerous coaches and athletes, I decided to give Coach Steve a try. My decision was based upon his candor and willingness to share his expertise. I have been truly thankful of my decision. I did not realize I could improve so much in just one year. Run splits are minutes faster and bike splits are 2 plus MPH average faster. Steve’s ability and knowledge shines in his training programs. He knows how to prepare you for any distance race. I look forward to 2012 and qualifying for 70.3 Championship in Las Vegas. Thanks Steve!!!" |
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COURTNEY BAXTER - Finished
9th at her first OD Triathlon World Championship! "I have been competing in triathlon since 2000 and was always self-coached until 2010 when my husband decided to do Ironman Louisville. At that time he made a decision to hire a coach. He did an extensive internet search and decided to hire Coach Steve. He showed me Coach Steve’s website and after reading his approach and credentials, I too decided that hiring a coach may help me reach goals that I hadn’t been able to reach on my own. My goal for 2010 was to compete at Nationals and improve my prior performance from Nationals in 2007. I followed Coach Steve’s program closely and whenever I had any questions, he responded within 24 hours. I had a great season. I went to Nationals and not only did I improve my prior performance, I had a PR and qualified for Team USA to compete in the World Championships in Beijing China on the 2008 Olympic course. This year I continued to train with Coach Steve. I placed first in my age group in two of the races I did this year and, most importantly, finished 9th and was the 2nd U.S. woman in my age group at the World Championships in China. I credit my success to Coach Steve’s straight forward approach to training that prepares his athletes to meet their goals and then some all while remaining injury free. I can’t wait to see where Coach Steve’s program takes me next year." |
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KEN INADOMI - Back
to racing and staying fit for life! "I'm 56, live in New York, have an extreme job w/ travel, family commitments, nonprofit boards, a demanding dog, etc...but as they say, "something was missing." I wanted to 'turn back the clock' and recapture that great feeling of being in fabulous shape; my last triathlon was before I got married—way back in '87. So I contacted Coach Steve and said: "I just committed to the New York City Triathlon July 18th...I need you to get me in top shape, but NO injury and NO burnout!" He said, "OK, we don't have a lot of time, let's get to work." Well, Steve delivered big-time and continues to be my fitness coach. He trained me perfectly for the Empire State Building Stair Climb in February and I plan more tri's and the Alcatraz open water swim this summer, all under his guidance. Though he has an encyclopedic knowledge of virtually every phase of triathlon and nutrition, Steve's key impact on me is MENTAL, including learning to: Stay relaxed, anticipate adversity, and avoid overtraining. The right coach can take you to a performance zone you've never thought possible and, if you are willing to do your part, Steve can elevate your fitness and self-concept to the highest level." |
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JENNIFER SIMONIAN SIDANI - Training
and racing like a Swiss watch (in Switzerland)! "After graduating from University and starting life as a non student, I realized that without evaluations and goals (that were provided before just by being a student) I would have a hard time motivating myself outside of work. I spent the summer after graduation looking for the perfect hobby. After much reflection, I decided to try out triathlons. I was a swimmer in high school and had run a 20K once before—so I figured why not—and I directly signed up for an IronMan 70.3. When I found Coach Steve, I had never clipped in on a bike before, done an open water swim, or heard of a transition zone. In 9 months going from not being able to run more than 30-minutes, I completed 70.3 Rapperswil! I would have never achieved this without Coach Steve's personalized training programs that gave me accountability and helped me track my progress. After that first half ironman I signed up for the next year's race!" |
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MICHAEL VAN SKAIK - New
PRs at IronMan Canada and Oceanside 70.3! "Coach Steve's wisdom and training schedules have helped me improve significantly in each of the 3 disciplines. He put me on a tough final buildup for IM Canada and it worked perfectly. I just smashed my first Ironman time by over 2 hours on a more difficult course with worse weather! It would not have happened without the skilled direction of Coach Steve. He has an uncanny ability to know when it's good to push you and when not to. I'll do the work and I'm trusting him to guide me to a Kona qualifying spot next year!" |
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CHRISTEEN HODGE - Took
8th in AG at OD World Championship and won Sprint Nationals! "After completing the first triathlon of the season in April I wanted to see how good I could be. I have a swimming background so that part was easy, but I knew nothing about biking. I decided to hire a coach to help me improve my training. After doing lots of research of coaches online, I decided to contact Coach Steve not only because of his experience with biking and triathlons, but also because he was affordable and his schedules were personalized. This season he has helped me buy a new tri bike and fit me to it through pictures online. He helped me with race day nutrition, cycling and run technique, and quicker transitions. The workouts were planned around my crazy work schedule. He taught me to become more consistent with my training. As the season progressed so did the intensity to help me prepare for Nationals—including time trials on the bike which was new to me. He answered all my emails with questions about training and racing quickly, and always returned by phone calls within 24 hours. My goal for the season was to make Team USA for OD Worlds and Age Group Nationals was only my second OD event, but I felt prepared. I made the pass down list and was offered a spot on Team USA. I’m very excited to go to Budapest, Hungary! It’s only been 3 months since I started working with Coach Steve, I’ve improved a lot, and since this is only my second season I know I can go faster. I’m excited to work with Coach Steve through the off-season to improve my cycling and running, and into next season. I still have lots to learn and I’m looking forward to learning from Coach Steve." |
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ANGEL MACHADO - Set
a new Olympic distance PR in the heat! "After moving overseas to Malaysia, I was really struggling when racing on the heat/humidity of the South Asia region. My first Olympic race in Asia in 2009 took me almost 20 more minutes than my best time for the distance back in Dallas in 2007. I started working with Coach Steve and he pointed me in the right direction after working with me for a couple of months. He was always confident on his plans and directions, so he didn't make me work harder nor longer. He identified that my biggest problem when facing the heat/humidity was my weight/body composition. So, even though I had already lost 33 pounds since I started doing tri's, I was still far from being LEAN. Steve highlighted the fact that there was no training volume/intensity that could substitute for just getting LEAN by learning how to eat. I followed his advice and kept working towards getting leaner and eating for performance. In July 2010 I had lost 37 more pounds and noticed how my running times where coming way down without any other effort but the normal training plans. Steve knew when to start pushing for increasing speed and maintaining high intensity efforts on races. Finally in July 2010, I raced the PORT DICKSON INT Tri in Malaysia on a hot, humid, morning. My legs were good as soon as I started the run. I was able to keep pushing in the run and maintain a true racing effort until I crossed the finish line with a great 27-minute PR! I still have lots to improve and still way to go to get leaner. I know Steve will guide me through and set me up for better things and achievements for the years to come." |
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JACK DUDLEY - From
first-timer to podium with a little work! "I’ve been training with Coach Steve for several years now, and in that time I’ve been delighted with consistent and significant improvements in all three disciplines. When I first started with Coach Steve, I had almost no endurance sports background, little to no swimming at all, and had just purchased my first bike a few months before. I knew I was on to something good when in my second Olympic Distance race, I cut 30 minutes off my previous time after that first off-season of training. Coach Steve focuses not only on the techniques of swimming, biking, and running, but also offers his extensive expertise on motivation, diet, race and equipment advice, and bike fit, as well as mental training. And I’ve been able to draw on these resources whenever I need to, since Coach Steve offers his athletes unlimited emails and calls—we even once had a phone conversation while he was shopping! While many triathletes I know deal with burnout or injury, Coach Steve’s training plans have kept me injury and burnout free for years, allowing for consistent training and improvement. His training plans are easy to follow and individualized around my schedule and needs and with my input and feedback taken into account. Under his training, I’ve gone from finishing races, to racing in Australia at Sprint Worlds, to my first overall win and four overall podium finishes this season. I’m excited to keep working with Coach Steve and I always immediately recommend him when anyone asks about coaching!" |
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LOUKIA LOUKOPOULOS - Won
AG at European Duathlon Championship! "I was very skeptical about an 'ecoach' on the other side of the globe, yet I was in dire need for a fresh approach having tried a number of coaching options both here in Greece and in the US. Motivation has never been a problem, but moderate success in recent races left me with the feeling that I needed to shift gears and take my training a notch higher. One telephone call was all it took. Coach Steve endured a flood of questions without flinching—and to my surprise—answered them all with patience and a sense of humor. Now I'm on the podium at my target races and not burnt out. Coach Steve’s approach is simple—a balanced and challenging schedule structured around quality and variety rather than volume. But even better, the entire schedule is flexible and adaptable to changing abilities and needs. Coach Steve actually listens! I've tortured him with daily emails; changes to my work and travel schedule; complaints about the challenges of riding my bike in Athens, even the occasional injury. In response he suggested alternatives and offered advice about technical, medical, and psychological issues in a helpful yet not artificially supportive manner. He even fit me to my bike based on photos. Coach Steve is an unending resource of information and has an awesome ability to transmit it. The rest is...well, all up to you!" |
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DANIEL AHL - Set
a new PR at Ironman Sweden! “When I signed up with Steve I had been training for triathlon a couple of years and finished two Ironman events but to my disappointment my second was not that much better than my first, even though I put in a lot more hours (and spent more money on equipment). Last year I signed up for military service in Afghanistan and had very little hope for solid training. I was stationed in a small safe house with no possibility to run outdoors, but fortunately had access to some treadmills, spin bikes and weights! After about a month I began to have problems with both motivation and inspiration for my training so I researched coaches on the web and decided to sign up with Steve. I liked his coaching record and also that he had been an elite cyclist, duathlete and triathlete for a long time. The training Steve offered me was pretty different than what I had done before and with more variety, new drills and bricks. He also offered some crucial information about race day nutrition, tapering, equipment, bike positioning etc etc. I finished Ironman Sweden in 9:52 – 1:10 shaved off my previous best time! I also competed in my first half-Ironman this weekend and finished in 4.19.37. I would never have made these improvements and results without the help of Coach Steve!" |
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DAVID SIMS - Just
got back from Kona with a PR! "I've been working with Coach Steve for 18 months now and the results have been fantastic. I'm an Aussie living in Tokyo so almost all of our communication has been via email, yet no worries at all. I've been racing at various distances from Olympic to IronMan and I've managed to stay equally competitive at all with Steve's tuning of the schedule. Working with Steve has allowed me to fit in a solid, efficient, tailored training program into a long work week and to shave 40-minutes off my Ironman time in between Ironman Japan in July 2007 and Kona in Oct 2008 on a significantly tougher course. All questions I've had have been answered quickly and his tips on nutrition in particular have been invaluable for my ironman training and race days." Note that David's race at Kona raised $3000 for 20-year old Nina Deane who suddenly contracted HLH [hemophagocytic lympohistiocytosis] while training for a career as a nurse at Narita Japan. Well done David — racing for a cause! |
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SEAN THOMPSON - First
time Olympic Distance World Championship finisher!
"It's been exactly one year since I started with Steve as my coach. I had been away from triathlons with recurring injuries for six years. Every time I re-started running, nagging injuries would return. I had a friend coached by Steve and was amazed at the low mileage she was running and still getting results. Then I met Steve at Olympic Distance Nationals, and we decided that if I could actually train for the run I might be able to race the following year's Nationals, maybe even make Team USA to the World Championships. Early on I had some hamstring issues, but the right 'prescription' from Steve got me back on track. This season I raced two duathlons placing first and second, and eight triathlons, winning my age group in four. Without a doubt if I self-coached I'd be DNS for many races this season. I qualified for OD Nationals and made the World Championship Team! In Hamburg I was quite proud to finish mid-pack considering the caliber of athletes competing. This past weekend I challenged myself with a 15k. I had never raced that distance, and at this point last year had no idea I would be able to run more than ten miles a week, much less compete at that distance. I was second overall, first master, and negative split the race. More than Nationals or Worlds, that race points to my success under Steve's coaching practices and philosophies." |
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KATHY SALVADORE - Moving
up the results page at all distances! "As I reflect back on my race season, I look at what helped me succeed, stay motivated, as well as my weaknesses. Coach Steve was there to motivate me, keep me focused, and give me the feeling that someone was there to push me forward. I also became aware of my weaknesses which I plan to conquer next season! I decided to try Steve’s coaching regime after an early season swim session where his pointers resulted in a significant drop in my swim times. Swim tips, goals for bike mileage, and speed workouts on the track kept me focused and motivated throughout the season. I feel working with Coach Steve this season helped me in many areas of my triathlon competitions. I followed his concise, direct, and 'to the point' workouts. They were easy to adhere to, and I enjoyed having a set plan each day with a workout that was geared specifically for me. I also enjoyed Steve’s 'no fluff' approach and prompt responses. I trusted his expertise and knowledge in part due to his years of race experience. If you're looking for a coach who gives you high goals to strive for and leaves the cheerleading for high school football games, Steve is the coach for you!" |
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ERIC DYNER - Upgrading
his bike technology and fit! "I was about to upgrade my aluminum Cervelo road bike to a carbon fiber (size 58) when a friend of mine made a sheepish comment saying that he thought that the existing frame was too small for me. After doing a lot of research on the net and reviewing my print-outs from bikefit.com (for a TT set-up), I concluded that I was more lost than when I started. I needed someone who could provide me with simple advice – what size and what is the optimal set-up (for both Tri and Road bike). I hired Steve to guide me through these questions. By sending him many pictures and asking/responding to many questions I felt very comfortable when I placed an order for a 61cm Cervelo R3 (ie. no doubts that the 58cm was too small!). However, what I most liked about working with Steve was two areas:
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