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RTA Triathlon coached athlete, Jim Williamson, recently slashed 1:00 minute off of his 500 yard swim test. This equates to 0:12 seconds per 100 yards AND a time SAVINGS of 4:14 over a 1.2 mile half IRON-distance swim or 8:28 minutes over a 2.4 mile IRON-distance swim. Needless to say, this is SIGNIFICANT!

Jim did this in only 8 weeks.

Here are the 5 things he did and what you can do to SHAVE TIME off of your next triathlon swim split.

Jonathan Schwartz has been an RTA Triathlon Club member since December of 2016. He’s a family man, typical type A overachiever and a pleasure to have on the Team.

When Jonathan joined our Triathlon Club in 2016, he had never done a triathlon before, but obviously that was his goal for the 2017 season. Jonathan came from a running background, but was looking for a new challenge. He decided triathlon was going to be it… except things didn’t unfold the way he had envisioned.

 Meet Ken V. He is a dad, husband and triathlete. He is also a 3 x Half IRONMAN finisher and soon to be IRONMAN.

He first became involved in triathlon about 7 years ago and has been a member of Team RTA triathlon club for most of that time.

Ken has slowly worked his way up in distance and improved his times over the years. Most recently Ken finished his 3rd IRONMAN 70.3 distance race in Atlantic City, NJ.

Shortly after, he “pulled the trigger” and signed up for IRONMAN Maryland, which will take place in the fall of this year. It will be his first “full” IRONMAN triathlon. He will swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles all in one day and in less than the 17-hour time limit.

So how does a regular guy get caught up in these crazy “shenanigans” (LOL)?!?!? Find out why and how by reading about Ken’s triathlon journey below.

In 1990 Jeanne first dreamed of becoming an IRONMAN, but she never really thought it was actually possible.

In 2015 she toed the line at IRONMAN Maryland, but she was ultimately disqualified for an innocent mishap during the run portion of the race.

In 2018 Jeanne got sweet redemption and finally became an IRONMAN!

Her journey wasn’t easy, but no one’s IRONMAN journey is easy. Everyone has a story. And everyone has obstacles they need to overcome along the way. Perhaps that’s why they say, ‘the harder the battle, the sweeter, the victory.’

Emily K is a text book overachiever. She knows what she wants and she goes out and gets it.

She graduated from college (Penn State!) in 2+ years and had her masters degree secured by the time most people get their undergraduate diploma. She now has more than one job, continues to work her butt off and is very successful.

Like any Type A, overachiever, she was looking for a new challenge. She had been a runner, but she wanted something more than just running.

“Why not sign up for a triathlon, she thought.” And even though she didn’t have a bike or know how to swim, that’s what she did. GAME ON!

 
Below is a short Q & A with Emily regarding her triathlon journey.

One highlight in his 2018 season was when he WON the competitive 40-44 age group at the JerseyMan Triathlon in Lebanon, NJ in May.

25 years ago Ken was kidnapped in Mexico City on a business trip. Only by the grace of God, he escaped and survived. Needless to say, this insane experience changed his perspective about everything in life. As he reflected and knowing anything is possible, he set a goal to finish the IRONMAN Triathlon.

Training for an IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon is a huge goal. However, with proper guidance from an experienced triathlon coach, anything is possible.

Initially, Ken’s plan was to follow a pre written triathlon training program in preparation for IRONMAN Lake Placid. However, he decided to call an audible and hire RTA Triathlon to coach him instead. According to Ken, this decision was a game changer and made all the difference.

Meet Jeremy – he’s a husband, father and an all around nice guy. Jeremy has a super busy life and a demanding job. He’s also a goal oriented-overachiever. Add in triathlon training and there’s a lot to manage. Sound familiar?

Jeremy came to RTA after being referred by one of his good friends and current RTA coached athlete. He was looking to conquer his next big challenge and after doing his first IRONMAN 70.3 in 2016, he decided hiring an experienced triathlon coach was a wise decision.

The idea was to efficiently use his time available to train to maximize his results, given his very busy life.

Meet Catherine – one of the kindest and most caring people you will ever come across.

In 2000 she had back surgery and was restricted with activities. However, as she recovered she stopped smoking and slowly started exercising. Then, 9/11 happened and she was in the mix of the chaos in NYC.

Following the events of 9/11 she promised herself she would always try to be fit in case she ever needed to physically help herself or another person.

In 2015 Catherine hired RTA to coach her for her first IRONMAN. She busted her butt and was ultimately successful.

After a few years off, she decided to she wanted to return to Lake Placid in 2018 for IRONMAN. She wanted to test her limits again. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to help guide her and over see her triathlon training program once again.

Below is a short Q & A with Catherine regarding her IRONMAN journey.