I decided in September of 2011 that I wanted to try my hand at triathlon as a way of keeping fit over the summer break. I googled “triathlon clubs geelong”, Enduranceteam was the one I chose, and I could not have been happier with the result. Stephane invited me to his house, we went through all aspects of what was involved in regard to goals, time available to train, nutrition, equipment, everything!
I left there knowing that I was in good hands! That summer, I know I bombarded Stephane with hundreds of questions from the obvious to the obscure, and all of which he was friendly and enthusiastic about answering. I always felt that I had someone that was working with my best interests at heart, and if I ever didn’t understand the theory behind the design of a session Stephane would be more than willing to explain the logic behind it.
It gave me a lot more motivation to go out and do the work, knowing that I had so many years of experience behind me, ensuring that I would get the best value out of my sessions, and avoid spending any “junk hours” out there pounding the pavement. Stephane took me in, as a mediocre runner, an ordinary cyclist, and a poor swimmer; and over the course of the next 18months he transferred me into an Ironman.
I thank Stephane so much for his assistance in guidance in getting me over the line, not only in a time that I was happy with, but also without any serious injury along the way (testament to his guidance and insistence on performing regular core and stretching work as part of a structured program). My nutrition for my race went so smoothly, and it was all designed by Stephane as well. I almost feel guilty when I talk to people who have done IMs without any professional guidance, and have found them incredibly difficult, because it feels like I almost cheated. That’s how good Stephane is as a resource and overall coach. While I hung up the lycra since finishing my first IM in March 2013, I know that if I ever get the urge to start training again and work up to another IM, I’ll be calling Stephane first to see if he’ll take me on as an athlete again. No hesitation!
