"...my plan prepared me very well for the race and [I] was confident when I started the swim."
 
"I highly recommend this system to others who want a comprehensive plan to improving their triathlons."

To understand how far I have gone with Tri4Him's training system you have to understand my humble beginnings.

I remember the day my friend, Chris Amman, first said, "Hey, let's do a triathlon." I turned around to see who he was talking to, and to my surprise I was the only one around.

The first time Chris and I went out for a bike ride, we had gone out a ways and I said, "Chris this is probably far enough for the first time." He replied, "Dennis, we haven't even left the neighborhood." I said, "What's your point?"

Several months later after my first few triathlons, Butler and I were on a group ride and I was telling him my woes of my prior race experiences. Most of my training was ad hoc and I wasn't really following a plan. At the end of our ride, he asked me "What was your average heart rate during the ride?" I said, "I had no idea. How would one know?" He said, "You don't have a heart rate monitor." I said, "What's a heart rate monitor?"

Needless to say, I had a lot to learn and boy did I!

After living in the triathlon wilderness during my first sprint and two Olympics I wanted to step up and do a Half Ironman in 2009. I heard that Tri4Him was in the final stages of development of a custom training plan methodology and some tools and educational stuff included. The system was still being tweaked and field tested at the time. When they asked me if I wanted to test a plan out for first my half Ironman, considering I didn't have another plan, I said absolutely!

Michael Butler, my coach, got a bunch of information from me about how I was currently training and my training background. Then he asked me how far out the race was. Once he had this information, he was able to develop my plan and calculate my heart rates zones and training paces for the bike and run. I now had a plan! This plan was really great because it was focused on all three disciplines in a way that was specific to me and allowed me to steadily build for the next three months.

Parts of the plan were much more intense than my previous unfocused training for my sprints and Olympic tri's. I remember how challenging the bike training segments were on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The runs on Wednesdays and Sundays were at a much harder pace than I had done in the past. But I had a strong running background and could handle them well and really enjoyed them.

My plan explained very clearly what I was supposed to do, how long I was supposed to do it, at what pace, and with what kind of rest and recovery. This made the plan very easy to execute each day. The plan and system not only helped me improve my fitness but my training and racing know-how as well. I now know how to train smarter and to get the most out of my time.

I really felt my plan prepared me very well for the race and was confident when I started the swim. I know without a doubt I was more than prepared. I highly recommend this system to others who want a comprehensive plan to improving their triathlons.

To me, racing in the Tri4Him colors is just another expression of my Christian faith and serves as an encouragement to the body of believers during the race and as an opportunity to share Christ to those who don't know Him. I'm proud to Tri4 HIM!

Blessings,
Dennis