In the fall of 2005 I decided I needed a new challenge and decided that a triathlon was the way to go. I'm a pretty competitive person and knew if I was going to do this, I wanted to do it well. I was already a runner and biker but couldn't swim my way out of a paper bag. I knew I needed professional help to become a swimmer. After talking to a lot of friends I heard Mark's name repeatedly and decided to give him a call. Within a few months of working with Mark one-on-one, I went from not being able to swim a single lap to participating in his Master Swim class. He helped me build the confidence to do something I never thought I could do. Mark was such a help to me with my swimming that I decided that to work with him as my all-around triathlon coach. For two years now I have participated in Mark's open water swim class and overcame my fears of open water. He has run me harder than I have ever run and I never thought I would spend so much time on my bike...ever! The experience has been great. Mark tailors the workouts to me, my abilities (the ones he knew I had, not the ones I thought I had), and set goals for me that were beyond what I would have set for myself. After a very successful first season I decided to sign up for Ironman Wisconsin. A couple months into my training we learned that I had a bulged disc in my lower back that was causing a number of other problems. With Mark's help I was able to rehab and train for my first Ironman. By race day, I was more than ready. I had a 1:14 swim which just blew me away and finished in 12:09:39. From where I started in the spring, I couldn't be happier and it showed on race day - I was all smiles. Thanks Mark! 2006 Galena Duathlon - 1st place age group winner, 5th female overall
2006 Lake Mills Triathlon - my first triathlon ever - 3rd place age group, 21st female overall
2006 Pardeeville Triathlon - 1st place age group, 8th female overall
2006 TDS Oshkosh Olympic Distance Triathlon - 1st place age group, 6th female overall
2006 Lake Geneva Half Ironman - 2nd place age group, 6th female overall
2007 Lake Mills Triathlon - 3rd place age group, 8th female overall
2007 Pardeville Triathlon - 1st place age group, 6th female overall
2007 Ironman Wisconsin - 12:09:39! - 19th place age group, 680 overall