initially found t2 coaching by doing a search on Google for “Ironman Certified Coach”. There were only several listed in my area. I contacted Wendy Mader; she interviewed me over the phone and took me on as a client for a 12-week program to prepare for a 140.6 full Ironman.

AT age 63 in 2018 I attempted and completed an Olympic distance triathlon. My motivation getting into tri was to improve my fitness, general health and most impor, aka short noveltantly attempt to slow or reverse the aging process. In 2019 I self-coached and completed Ironman Atlantic City 70.3 (half Ironman distance). I finished Atlantic City but suffered a little and made some mistakes. After completing the 70.3 I decided I really needed to complete a full Ironman. I was concerned as at this point, I was 64, I had no idea how to train, I never really researched it I just trained and ate the way I thought I needed to for the 70.3. I was never a gym rat or sports guy in school. I searched for a coach to get me through a 140.6 Ironman hopefully without hurting myself. Coach Wendy was my choice and I targeted Ironman Maryland the summer of 2020, but COVID happened, I worked with Wendy until Ironman Chattanooga fall of 2021, age 66.

Wendy was an ideal coach for me. We identified my strengths, weakness and had a clear goal in mind. We tracked my workouts in Training Peaks and Wendy provided insight and suggestions after almost every scheduled workout. My biggest weakness was swimming and Wendy is very strong in this discipline of triathlon. I went from not being able to swim freestyle (I was swimming breaststroke the first 2 years I raced pre coach) to doing a 62-minute 2.4-mile open water swim after coaching. Wendy is not a cheerleader; she is straight forward and honest. She will push you hard, she will work with you, listen, suggest, and design workouts that will allow you to succeed at your goal IF you are willing to do the work. I hated open water swimming, hated long open road hilly bike rides but Coach Wendy coached me through not liking, not wanting and I did the work, well most of it.

Coaching helped me to be much more disciplined with my time and my diet. I found I was sleeping much better, had more energy, less aches and pains, my disposition was brighter and at age 68 currently I only weigh a few pounds above my college weight. I can honestly say I reversed the aging clock for the last 4 years that I worked with Wendy.

I know working with Coach Wendy allowed me to safely and comfortably complete Ironman Chattanooga 116.6 (it’s 4 miles longer than typical, because I needed more bike) at age 66. I have continued working with Wendy using her as a sounding board as well as booking 12 week blocks pre-race training for several Ironman races in 2022 and 2023. I plan to keep working with Wendy. New goal, Ironman World Championships at age 70

I would without hesitation recommend Coach Wendy to anybody wanting to start or improve at a variety of activities/sports, not just Triathlon and Ironman but Swimming, Running, Tri, Ultra and more. The girl got the goods. As of this writing she has coached me off and on for 4 years. She is an excellent coach.