TrainingPeaks member profile: Mike Davis, team sports enthusiast turned triathlete

Originally from a team sports background, Mike Davis never imagined he would get into endurance sports. "Growing up I never did much in terms of running or any endurance sports. I actually hated running (I could barely run a mile), for me swimming was sitting by the pool LOOKING at the water, and riding a bike was something that you did when you were 10 years old. So fast forward to 2003 and I was at the gym walking on the treadmill one day and I saw one of the program buttons which said '5K' so I pressed it just to see how far it was and started jogging! After what seemed like the longest 30+ minutes of my life I finally reached the end and thought 'that was interesting.' A few weeks later I entered my first 5k run and was hooked."

From his first 5k Mike moved onto adventure racing and eventually into triathlon. "From there I got into Adventure Racing and competed all over the Midwest in different events. I finally did my first triathlon in 2005 and going into that event I had only swam a couple of laps at the local pool but I thought no big deal, this will be a piece of cake! At the time I was doing 24 and 48 hour Adventure Races so how hard could a sprint triathlon really be? Well, I learned the answer to that question about 10 seconds into the swim as 100 people literally swam over the top of me and I ended up hanging on the side of a boat!"

Instead of climbing into the boat, however, Mike kept swimming. "I had to make a decision at that point: quit and just write this off as a bad idea OR get back out there and find a way to the finish line! I decided to get back out there and finish…which I did and after that day I was completely hooked on triathlon!"

Mike enjoys the encouragement and support he has found within the triathlon community. "There is something special about triathlon. While it is an individual sport, it is also a group 'experience' as you are surrounded by hundreds and sometimes even thousands of other people who are suffering just like you. Plus the people involved in triathlon are so supportive and encouraging…everyone on the course is enduring their own personal battle but they still take time to encourage and build up their fellow racers, which is something you do not find in most sports."

He also enjoys the competition, not with other triathletes, but with himself. "I love the challenge of racing against yourself. You can never really reach your peak in this sport, there is ALWAYS something else you can try to conquer and I love that!"

Training Peaks really helps me because I can upload my workout data right from my devices and track my progress. I can look back to see what I have been doing and then figure out where I need to go. Having that data available in one location is very convenient and helps make tracking workouts so much easier.

Mike's training schedule is pretty packed, but he uses TrainingPeaks to help him stay on track. "I do my swim training with a Masters group but my bike and run training is mostly done alone. I am a big believer in using a heart rate monitor for both biking and running. Also I use a power meter on the bike. Both of those tools really help you focus and dial in your workout. This is one way that Training Peaks really helps me because I can upload my workout data right from my devices and track my progress. I can look back to see what I have been doing and then figure out where I need to go. Having that data available in one location is very convenient and helps make tracking workouts so much easier."

Aside from the convenience of having all of his data in one place, Mike really appreciates the planning functionality of TrainingPeaks. "TrainingPeaks lets you look at an entire race season and then plan your workouts. No more training from event to event, now I can see the big picture and have my workouts build upon one another and peak much more effectively for my big events. I would absolutely recommend Training Peaks to my friends and have done so on numerous occasions."

Finally, Mike enjoys how TrainingPeaks allows him to instantly communicate with and receive feedback from his coach. "My coach also uses Training Peaks to plan my workouts and it is a great way for us to communicate. My coach is able to check my results and see instantly see how I am doing and what aspects of my training need to be adjusted. The interactive aspect of TrainingPeaks is great and being able to share your workouts, even just with friends and family, is a great way to stay motivated and help encourage others to reach their fitness goals."

Mike is very excited for the coming season, when he hopes to race more competitively. "I am just beginning my off season training as I look forward to the 2009 season. I have decided to step up my racing to much more competitive events in ‘09 so now being focused and organized with my preparation has become more important than ever. I am very excited as I look back and see where I have come from in this sport and look forward to where I hope to be. Triathlon has allowed me to meet some great people and experience some great places. And I believe the best is still to come!"

Comments

[Beth]

Great story! Loved the part about pushing the "5K" button on the treadmill. I bet you didn't know how much that button would change your life! :)