![2014 By The Numbers]()
Jan 4, 2015 | Community
It’s been an amazing year! I’m not sure if there was anything useful to be said that I didn’t say in person to everyone, but here’s some pretty cool info that puts everything we do into perspective.
Understand that as an athlete, I don’t have a power meter. I rarely wear my Garmin and I’m usually with friends in the pool. Most of my training is done by time and without pace or power and just by feel, so when Vince of the StarNews asked me to keep a log for his stories, I was intrigued for many reasons. One, to see if I could watch the numbers and two, to see if what I thought about my time management really was true. See, this life and game of triathlon is all about balance and making friends with certain times of the day that can be “grumpy” friends. But, if you want it you can make it happen!
I love my athletes. I love watching others achieve their goals. I love the sport of triathlon, and I love racing, too!
Life is about adventures and living it, and 2014 had some great moments. Everyone can make it happen. So, here is 2014 “by the 
numbers” with some other interesting tidbits thrown in the mix. Hope your 2014 was a successful, bright and sparkly one filled with adventures, laughs and great friends and families!
Work total (not including driving time or phone time) | 2,751.5 hrs/year or 57.5 hrs/week
Veterinary Work | 1564 hrs/year or 130/month or 32/week
Coaching Without Limits | 1187.5 hrs/year or 98 hrs/month or 25.5 hrs/week
Volunteer Work* | 448 hrs/year or 9 hrs/week
*This includes Pink Ladies, B2B Committee, Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon, Susan G. Komen, Holiday Flotilla and Women of Hope Benefit. This doesn’t doesn’t include school visits, high school senior project mentor and others!
Training | 521.85 hrs or 10.8 hrs/week
168.4 miles of swimming with average of 3.5 miles/week
4888 miles of biking with average of 101 miles/week
933.43 miles of running with average of 19 miles/week
27 Half Ironman and Iron Distance Finishers in 2014
23 Races that Sue Bark did this year, and 14 Trips to the podium
19 Athletes that crossed the Ironman finish line
11 Century Rides
10 Triathlons completed…It’s all about that finish line
9 Disney Races that Pam Keenan participated in 2014
5 furry friends that always made sure I got up in the am!
3 swim events completed. Ha, who knew! (US OW Championships, Pinehurst Relay,B2B relay)
3 Setup Events series Top 5 athletes
3 Ironman events completed this year
1 TICKET TO THE IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN KONA, courtesy of IMFL 2014
PRICELESS = The number of hugs and laughs shared with all of my athletes. That is something that cannot be quantified and I am thankful for all of the talks, discussions on training, coffees, and gels along the way.
You are my inspiration and my rock!
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Dec 31, 2014 | Community, Training Advice
I have been a Triathlon and Running Coach since 2009. I love helping people reach their goals. I know what it is like to start at the bottom of the pile (when it come to physical fitness). As a matter of fact, I was 70 pounds overweight, a smoker and living a very sedentary lifestyle back in 2005. During this time frame I attended a wedding of a friend who sent me a picture, and that was the moment that everything changed. I realized how much I had let myself go, and from that moment on I began making changes that would put me on the right track.
I started walking, however I couldn’t even walk a half mile without the sensation of feeling like I was going to pass out. I kept at it with my workout routines and refused to look back. I absolutely LOVE the results I have gotten from the lifestyle I now live. It has changed me from a mental and physical standpoint. I want to share the experience with everyone I come in contact with to help them reach their fullest potential.
Not only am I an endurance coach, I’m also a triathlete and endurance athlete myself. The whole journey began several years ago when I decided to take a risk. I owned a bagel shop in Clemmons, North Carolina at the time and had regularly sponsored a local race. As a thank you for the sponsorship I always got a free race entry, but year after year I turned it down. In 2005, I decided to give it a shot. I literally had not done ANYTHING active in years, so I had a lot of work ahead of me. I started training and had no idea what I was doing—I felt lost, frustrated and confused. I knew that I’d feel much better about myself if I could just ask someone for a bit of guidance, but I didn’t know who to ask. I continued to go at it alone and ended up doing decently at the race. What surprised me most, though, was how much I fell in love with the sport. I started training for my next event almost as soon as I crossed that finish line. Looking back, I made a lot of mistakes that could have been avoided if I just asked for some help.
Since that first race I’ve let my passion lead me to learn more about the sport and to understand how important personal coaching can be. So far I have completed 4 Ironman’s, 9 Half Iron-mans 7 Marathons, 10 Half-Marathons, countless Sprint and Olympic distance triathlons, and 5Ks and 10Ks. Each race has taught me something different about myself, and I’ve enjoyed each one. And I enjoyed what I have found in the sport of triathlon so much that I decided to become a coach myself.
I think that a lot of the time we measure our success by a time or by reaching the podium. This is great, but I think what gets lost in that type of measurement is the journey along the way. I sometimes forget that I couldn’t jog a mile just a few short years ago, and I become too hard on myself when I feel I don’t measure up to my own definition of what success is. The longer I coach and participate in endurance sports, the more I realize that success is measured by the journey to race day. I have found a love for endurance sports and want to share it with everyone.
I’ll leave you with this: it is important to realize that hard work toward your goals in life is the answer. Wishing you had the things in life that you want or reaching the goals you want out of life is great, but hard work is what gets you there. The follow-through is important, and I know you have it in you.
Many Without Limits athletes see me as the “quiet” coach, and that is true!! Inside that quiet coach is an enormous passion for coaching and endurance sports. I love sharing that passion with others and quietly watching athletes discover their true potiential.
Credentials
- USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach (2009)
- USA Track and Field Level 1 Coach (2010)
- USA Cycling Level 3 Coach (2012)
- Certified Personal Trainer (2008)
Oct 1, 2014 | Uncategorized
Endurance Team Results
Another great day on an epic weekend of racing. We had several athletes down in Augusta, Georgia competing in the 70.3 distance and Coach Sami and athlete Taryn Fimiani headed to Chattanooga for the full Ironman. These are all races part of the lifelong journey.
Congrats to Coach Sami completing her 11th Ironman at IM Chattanooga! This was her best time yet 36min PR, with the distance being 144.8 (instead of 140.6). Distance was added because of a course deviation. Sami only has one more 140.6 to finish before getting her 12 Ironman qualification for Kona! Florida is next.
Congrats to Taryn Fimiani for finishing in 12:21:53 – HUGE PR. This was a great race for Taryn who recently moved to DC! We are proud of you Taryn!
Other Wilmingtonians Erin Green Dale Lamb and Misty Brown also with successful races at IMCHOO
AUGUSTA 70.3
In her first 70.3 Jenny Perrottet got 2nd in her Age Group and 15th female overall with a 4:50:45 WOW! She qualified for World 70.3 championships in 2015 Austria
DOUG WHEELER PRed with a 5:04:26 – this was over a 40:00 personal best!
JOSE GONZALEZ PRed with a 5:08:02 – big PR for Jose
JOHN COCKRUM PRed with a 5:09:18 – awesome John battling dehydration during the race
PHILLIP DAVIS – 1st 70.3 and Nailed it! 5:31:45 with great execution all the way around
SHAWN WELLERSDICK – PRed 5:39:11 20 minutes better than Raleigh – still working on nutrition and hydration but great step
SUSAN CALDWELL – 5:43:08 great solid race!
ERIK HOFFACKER – PRed 5:57:04 – WAY TO REACH YOUR GOAL AND BREAK 6
OKTOBERFEST 15K in Brunswick Forest
Donnie Norris 1:03:54 PR
Steph DeLuca – 1:09:03 PR
Mike Duncan 1:09:03 pacing Steph!
Mary Margaret McEacheren 1:15:12
Erin Jackson 1:16:13
Shawn Tunis – 1:21:31
Lisa Kerr 1:22:09
Lynda Smith – 1:24:04
Kelly Vanscoy – 1:24:05
Charles Buckland 1:24:52
Camille and Dani McKeon – 1:43:45
Lauren Stephenson 1:53:28
Carry Cheatem – 2:00:00
Oct 1, 2014 | Uncategorized
“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them”- Bruce Lee
We had some awesome results from the Wrightsville Beach Triathlon this past weekend, with Endurance Team athletes absolutely crushing the podium! Check out the Endurance Team results below:
Also the Cherry Point Duathlon – Marcy Waters got 2nd overall!! Great job Marcy!
Matthew Wisthoff – 1st overall male 1:01:12 – Under Without Limits coaching instruction over the past year, Matt posted his best time ever in this years WB Triathlon which is also a course record. Matt works his butt off and does all of his training after long work hours. Matt is our computrainer instructor at the Without Limits Cycling Center. If you need a boost in your cycling – check out the computrainer center!
Bud Woodrum – 6th overall and won his age group with a personal best of 1:09:04
Tim Nichols – 7th overall 10 minutes faster than last year. 1:09:35
Neil Peterken – 8th overall 1:10:17
Cam Simpson – 9th overall 1:10:26 2nd in AGE GROUP
Coach Brian – 11th overall 1:10:38 – 3rd in AGE GROUP
Lawrence Landrigan – 1st in AGE GROUP big PR – 1:12:32
Ren Rotondo – 3rd in AGE GROUP – 1:15:18
Kyle Shepard – 1:15:19
Ty Rabon – 2 minute PR 1:16:32

Chris Ellis – 1:18:19
Chris Pope – 1:18:50
John Grooman – 1:19:14Bryan Hass – BIG PR – 1:18:52
Brad Southerland – 1:19:48 PR!!
Jeff Rooks – 1:21:36 – PR!!!
Maleia Tumolo – 1:22:03
Christina Demers – avid Computrainer user 1:24:10
Cliff Ray – 1:24:47

Walker Taylor 1:25:43
Sam Catlett – 1:26:08 BIG PR SAM!!!
Alecia Williams – 1:27:11 – AGE GROUP WINNER
Renee Griffin 1:27:32
Shay Hutchings – 1:27:46
Marla Engrahm – 1:27:58
Leslie Jurado – 1:33:51 – 2ND IN AGE GROUP
Amber Howland – 1:35:42 – 2nd in the ATHENA DIVISION
Erin Collins – 1:36:46
Don Kays – 1:37:32 – 1st TRIATHLON
Andy McVey – 1:38:12
Angela Leonard – 1:39:25
Billy Lloyd – 1:39:34 BIG PR!!!!
Jen Spanner – 3rd in the ATHENA DIVISION – 1:39:44
Gary Cook – 1:40:15
Clark Wadlow – 1:50:29
Beth Brampton – 2:03:03
WITHOUT LIMITS TEAM RELAY – Coach Kristen, Steve Lewis, and Coach Tom – overall relay winners and congrats to Shannon who was on a relay with Ralph Walker and Jonathon Washburn.
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Aug 31, 2014 | Uncategorized
We all know the importance of sleep… or do we?
Sleep is still one of the most misunders
tood aspects of recovery in human beings today. It is unexplainable by scientific research why the human body will eventually die without the critical replenishing factor of sleep. Aside from the fact that we know we will die without it (eventually) does the average person know what things they can do to enhance their sleep to get the most “Bang for your Buck”.
1. SLEEP CYCLES
One of the most important facts about getting quality sleep is the fact that your body oscillates in and out of sleep cycles in 90 minute increments. It takes your body from initial sleep or Non Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) to REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. Both forms of sleep are essential in repairing and regenerating tissues, building bone and muscle mass, and appears to strengthen the immune system. Tip: Structure your sleep into 90 minute increments. It is better to have 7.5 hours of sleep instead of 8.5 hours of sleep due to the fact that you will have completed 5 full sleep cycles with 7.5 hours of sleep and be woken prematurely during a 6th sleep cycle if you sleep for 8.5 hours. It is best to sleep through a series of uninterrupted sleep cycles.
2. DARKNESS
There should be complete darkness in your room where you sleep. Certain chemical and hormonal production takes place most effectively with the absence of light.
3. TEMPERATURE
It is found that a room with a constant temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit is most conducive to producing reparative hormones such as Testosterone and HgH (human growth hormone).
4. NOISE
A silent room with no noise interruptions is found to be the absolute best situation when achieving adequate sleep cycles. Recent studies have also found light low decibel music or rhythms may help some people achieve deep and REM sleep. The delta waves of the brain are most similar to classical smooth melodies and nonviolent tunes.
5. FOOD & HYDRATION
For serious athlete’s adequate hydration is something that must be discussed. You cannot over hydrate to the point where you are interrupting your precious sleep cycles to use the bathroom! You must however be sufficiently hydrated to enhance your bodies reparative activities while you sleep. The absence of food before sleep is many times the best scenario to enhance blood flow to joints, tissues and muscles and not your stomach to digest a whole meal. Under certain circumstances some nutrition before sleep is beneficial. For example- After a high intensity, high volume training day one might not be able to fit enough nutrition into their diet to compensate for their caloric expenditure. A wonderful nutritious snack before bed can be cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is packed with Casein protein (a slow release protein not like whey protein) and will deliver BCAA and proteins to rebuild muscle damage and tissue over a longer controlled period of time while you sleep!
6. DURATION
With activity level and age comes different needs for how much a person must sleep. For a sedentary adult in their mid 60’s their amount of sleep needed is different than a teenager who is growing and playing sports for 2-3 hours a day. Think of yourself as having a battery and the bare minimum for recharging is 6 hours of sleep for a sedentary adult. As your activity and energy expenditure increases your sleep duration must increase. Keep in mind the 90 min. sleep cycles!!!
7. SUPPLEMENTATION
Some people find it hard to fall asleep due to stress, excitement, nervousness or whatever it may be. Supplementation is something to look at as an alternative to lying in your bed awake all night! Melatonin, Chamomile and Valerian are three over the counter supplements found in pill form or tea that have been found to help with insomnia. 8. ALCOHOL- Don’t be one to fall into the trap of using alcohol to fall asleep. Initially the effects of alcohol make you fall into NREM sleep. But after your initial doze your sleep cycles will be thrown into a non beneficial rhythm with no REM sleep until your body has processed and discarded the alcohol. Use these tips to maximize your sleep. Sleep is like any other biological function and needs to be fine tuned and specified exactly to the person while taking into account their athletic goals, age and activity levels. Take these eight aspects of sleep into account and keep a sleep log. Figure out what works best for you and then lock into your best sleep routine to get the most out of your sleep!
