TrainingPeaks member profile: Selene Yeager, triathlete

After years of cycling and running, Selene Yeager switched to triathlons to keep everything more balanced. "I was a cyclist for a long time, as well as a casual runner. About 15 years ago, a friend of mine told me she was doing triathlons and I thought, 'Wow. That sounds cool.' I was intimidated by the swimming, but I loved the thought of the challenge. I stayed interested because triathlon is so much fun. It felt like recess to me as I bounced from the swim to the bike to the run. I just really loved it and it seemed like a healthy, balanced sport you could do for life."

As she started training for her first Ironman, Selene began using TrainingPeaks with her coaches at Endurance Multisport. "My coaches at Endurance Multisport used it. It was a tremendous communication tool between them and me. I was training for my first Ironman, so there were a lot of elements to keep up with and specifics to address. Training Peaks made it very easy for me to know exactly what I was supposed to do each and every day. My goal was to do well at Ironman Louisville - I ended up winning my age group and qualifying for Kona, so that all worked out! I would recommend it to a friend."

Although she appreciates the precision that TrainingPeaks offers, Selene also enjoys training intuitively, going by feel to keep her workouts sensible. "I train anywhere from 10 to 17 hours a week in general. I never listen to music when I bike; but often when I run, especially if it's over an hour. I prefer running and riding with just one or two other people; though occasionally a big group on the bike can be a good time. I train very intuitively, almost never using bells and whistles like heart rate, wattage, GPS.  I have a power meter on my bike. Sometimes I'll just use that to keep me from overdoing it on an easy day. But I like going by feel."

Still a big fan of triathlon, Selene also enjoys switching it up: she is currently training for a week-long mountain bike stage race in Canada. "I am training for the British Columbia Bike Race, a 7 day mountain bike stage race in Canada. I've enjoyed being able to look back on what I was doing this time last year and compare notes. It's also really great for tracking volume."

Happy training, Selene!