Athlete Testimonials & Race Results
Hi guys,
First off, I took part in the last swim class (admittedly, I didn't make it to Walden, but will do a drop in later in the summer) and I loved it. I was steered to you by a friend of mine, Grace Steinley, and I'm glad she did.
Vic, I really identified with your column that was in Ali's newsletter. I too have been battling back from an injury - hip - from marathoning, and the fact that I'm back running after a year of struggling, even though it's only about 50 minutes, is all that matters. Maybe I won't run marathons anymore, but not being able to do anything is far worse!
Thanks guys!!
-Bethany Edwards
Growing up with a competitive background, I have always been drawn to
athletics with a bit of an edge. I played football at Plymouth State
College and spent my winters up there causing trouble on the slopes of
Loon Mtn and Waterville Valley. From there it was an easy transition
from a highly competitive collision sport to Olympic lifting and power
lifting.
Last January, after watching a televised repeat of the Xterra
world championship in Kona, I decided it was time to get out of my
comfort zone and train for something new. Since I work as a personal
trainer and strength coach, I recognized the need to reach out to
another qualified coach who was experienced and decorated by personal
success in triathlon. I approached several colleagues looking for a
coach that could transform my lead body into something that sort of
resembled an individual who could swim and fortunately stumbled across
an online flyer for the BPC (Boston Performance Coaching) swim groups.
To me, it was obvious that if I actually wanted to take my own training
serious, I would have to sacrifice my morning clientele on the days of
the swim group and invest in my own coaching. That decision turned out
to be one of my best investments in '09. After completing 2 consecutive
swim-group sessions with Ali and Vic, I transformed from a sunken rock
to a tadpole that completed the Hyannis Sprint I, 67th place overall and
had a swim time of 6:52! More importantly, my success from the swim
group was not just determined by general improvements in technique but
more so from the exposure of triathlon specific swim situations like
drafting, swimming in groups, sighting and hypoxic swimming. Thank you
BPC for my success in the water! I look forward to swimming with you
again real soon!
-AG
I've been working with Vic Brown since April and he has designed a workout regimen that has me running distances I never would have thought I could run. As a goalkeeper in soccer, I was not accustomed to running long distances, but Vic has brought out a love of running in me. In October I'll be running my first half marathon and I have never felt healthier or more in shape. This wouldn't have been possible without the help of Vic and the BPC.
-Stefanie Howlett
I worked with Ali to prepare myself for an iron distance triathlon. I signed up for the ironman with little triathlon experience and no understanding of what triathlon training was all about, so I knew I needed the help of a coach to get me to the finish line. I lot of things come to mind when I think back to my year of personal training with Ali.
- Coaching is not just about getting you to the finish. It's also about being healthy / uninjured at the start. Your coach is that person who knows your body better than you. The person who tells you to go to physical therapy before your tenderness becomes an injury.
- Stength training was an important part of my training, and what made the biggest difference in my performance on race day. I also enjoyed the comradere at the gym during the twice weekly group workouts.
- Ali seems to understand the personal needs of her athletes. Ali seemed to understand my needs, my challenges, and managed a schedule to suit me.
- Ali is a wealth of information. She is a very smart woman and know's what she is talking about.
-TK
