Lisa's Bio

This is my 11th year in triathlon and I can say that  having not grown up doing swim/bike or running has actually served me well when coaching athletes.  In order to reach my goals and move out from the middle of the pack I had to immerse myself in each discipline to fully understand what it takes to steadily improve my performances in each area. 

Some of my goals happened quickly while others required much more patience in the form of many seasons and some….well,  I am still working on.   I have made more mistakes than I care to admit but have continued to grow as an athlete and as a human being because of them.  Even after 11 seasons I can honestly say there is something to be learned at every race.

As it turns out learning the skills is not as hard as overcoming the mental limits we set on ourselves.   Once we overcome these obstacles I believe we all have the capability to continue to improve our performances regardless of our age.

When we put our emphasis on the processes necessary to become successful then the target goal will come naturally.  It has always amazed me how this sport seems to uncover many deep seeded fears that limit us from succeeding.   Fear of water, fear of failure, fear of succeeding (yes, athletes sabotage themselves all the time) fear of disappointing yourself or someone else and the big one…fear of suffering.   These can be serious hurdles for people to get over but I find that when we learn how to control these issues it also spills over into real life and THAT is what I call success.  For that reason I like to incorporate mental training as well as the obvious physical training into any plan. 

I believe ALL areas of our life need to be in balance to thrive.  We are not just physical beings and when we only feed that part of training  we are asking for a short-lived career in triathlon.   If your body doesn’t rebel you will likely pay for it in other forms such as your personal life, mental burn out or injury.  I tend to take a more conservative approach where when the body talks… we listen. 

This is where art meets science.  There is a certain discernment that comes with experience which will help you to know when to hold back and when to  push through.  When you lack that experience and  intuition, that is where I come in the picture to help make that call.   I also tend to be a purist when it comes to all the current technology.  While I don’t have anything against heart rate monitors, power meters, etc.. I think they need to be used judiciously so that you don’t lose that internal sense of pacing as well as attunement between your mind and body. 

My goal when working with an athlete is to provide encouragement and direction for them to achieve their goals.  These goals must line up with their lifestyles, priorities and season of life. I have worked with all levels of triathletes from absolute newbie to seasoned elite athletes.  I can help you improve speed for the sprints and Olympics or endurance for the half and full Ironman distances.  I have personal experience in every distance as well as pure running from 5k’s to marathons.  
 

Education & Qualifications

  • Bachelors in Health Science- Auburn University
  • Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology - Georgia State University
  • Licensed Sports Massage Therapist- Atlanta School of Massage
  • Have been certified through ACE, ACSM, YMCA (Group Fitness instructor), TRX training and Mad Dog spinning
  • Over 20 years’ experience in personal training and leading fitness/weight training classes
  • Over 10 yrs experience in Triathlon  (sprint to Ironman)

Recent season highlights: 

  • Ranked All American for 2011 season (top 5% of my age group)
  • Team USA 2010- Budapest
  • 1st age group- St. Anthony’s 2011
  • (Just qualified) for Team USA 2012- New Zealand
  • Marathon PR- 3:26 (Gasparilla)

Past Highlights

  • Qualifier for USAT short course World Championships 2010 & 2012
  • Qualifier for Ironman 70.3 World Championships 2009
  • Boston Marathon qualifier
  • Member of Hersports Elite Triathlon Team 
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