Rockstar Triathlete Thierry Billet
Coach’s Notes: Only 3 months in and already seeing improvement. I’m so excited about this journey we’re on together. 1st place podium Sprint Triathlon Age Group and a 1:35 PR – half marathon a week later.
Thanks for trusting the process and ALL the changes we’ve made. They will add up to great results, even if there are some setbacks. Everyone knows the road to Ironman is never straight up. But I am so confident in the foundation we are laying.
Your skills are improving in each discipline and speed and strength have been the focus before adding on the volume that can lead to so much fatigue if we’re not paying attention to lifestyle and nutrition. Congrats on all the success so far, but this is just the beginning! Woohoo!
Age: 44
Profession: Photographer
Why you chose FCC to help you on your triathlon/health and wellness journey?
I was looking for a coach, spoke to several people but nobody really inspired me to work with them until I met Erinne during the Miami Man in November, 2021.
I totally recognized myself in her speech, my weaknesses especially. So we had a meeting over the phone to discuss my target, what I wanted to improve, and what I was doing currently. On top of that, we discussed nutrition which is one of the keys to success. At this time, I had one more race to do before end of season; a Half Ironman 70.3 in Haines City. I was super excited and decided to start my journey with Erinne.
What is your “A” race for this season?
My “A” race for this season is in August for the Ironman Juno, in Alaska. I am also doing Ironman St. George in Utah, as a challenge.
Please share your BIG goals:
Well my ultimate dream goal is to qualify for Kona, the world championships in Hawaii. I want to run a marathon in 3h30 and maybe who knows a podium in Ironman or 70.3 distances, those are really high goals but that’s what motivates me every day to train hard (like an animal lol)!
Tell me about your successes so far:
At first, I started running to quit smoking… lol. I ran a couple half marathons and twice, the Miami marathon. I started triathlon in May, last year by a 70.3 in Sebring and finished in 5h13 after in nice panic attack during the swim, because I had never swum open water before (a rookie mistake) but ended with a qualification for Team USA for the world championships in Almere, Netherland.
I trained really hard for the next 3-4 months; as a photographer I went to Tokyo for the Olympics for two weeks, and I could not stop training so I brought my bike and home trainer with me and set it up in my super tiny bedroom. I biked every morning before going to work. Then I found out two weeks before the race that it was a long distance full ironman not a 70.3. I almost passed out in front of my computer. Anyway, I trained crazy for it and decided to go and do my best. I finished in 11h03 with a 3h40 on the run, I could not believe it, crossing the finish line was orgasmic 🙂
What were some of your biggest Improvements in performance for the each of the following? Swim, Bike, Run, and Nutrition/Health. Please include any Personal Records and Goals achieved:
Swim: I did not start as a good swimmer but after my first session with Erinne, it took me 3-4 sessions to lower my 100m pace time by 10 seconds I was simply amazed.
*I did not start as a good swimmer but after 3-4 sessions with Erinne, I lowered my 100m pace time by 10 seconds. I was simply amazed!
*Bike: I am stronger on the bike with a lower heart rate and higher FTP (Functional Threshold Power) and of course I gained on speed as well, but now training or racing I am more focused on my power, HR, cadence, I understand that speed is not always in my control.
*Run: The first run evaluation session was pretty fun and epic. At 44 years old, I realized that I didn’t know how to run properly, for maximum performance. She asked me to change my running shoes, from Hoka to Altra, which was a big change for me not so easy at the beginning, but I have to admit now that I really like it because combine with the training it made me PR my half marathon to 1h35 last weekend in Miami at the 305 13.1 🙂
I also learned about the posture and training zones and when I think about it, every time I train I feel that I’m improving.
I feel that I’ve already improved a lot in the three disciplines; I won my age group sprint distance two weeks ago, but for the first time I was so fast in every discipline.
I’m also way more focused on what I put in my mouth since I started the nutrition program and I have to say the quality of fuel you ingest makes a pretty big difference on the way you feel through the day and training. I know there is so much more to learn.
Also, I changed my nutrition plan for my last 70.3, and I crossed the finish line not totally depleted and felt much better during the race.
Name 2 or 3 things that have made the biggest difference in your journey:
1. Getting a training plan structure, adapted to my level
2. Understanding the what and why of my training and how we have to put it together to get better
3. Less beer, more sleep 🙂
What excites you the most about being involved in triathlon?
First, being part of a group / community is so much better to progress as it’s such an individual sport. Then challenging myself, and racing of course !!!
What would you say to another person who was on the fence about joining our training program?
Don’t be a pussy, just do it!!! It’s so good! That’s exactly what I would say.
I was training with a friend in France last summer, basically we were doing mostly the opposite of what I’m doing now and the results are here to show that it works if you work.
I mean the Training Peaks is perfect, the group calls are really good because you learn from the others and you can exchange and I am really excited about the nutrition program.
The training program is really complete so, you are going to improve. Plus, the coaches are pretty sexy 🙂
Thanks a lot already to all of you for making me a better athlete and sleeping so well at night!
Curious about Full Circle’s Triathlon Transformation program?
You too can become a triathlete! Use this link to schedule your FREE Triathlon Breakthrough Session Now! WWW.SCHEDULEYOU.IN/5ZISVAU
Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. Creator of Triathlon Transformation. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom, Mermaid and much much more.
