Meet John Stark: EN NorCal Sleeper Cell Member and our Ironman Couer d'Alene Team Captain. John joined EN in October 2008. In that time his FTP on the bike has increased 14%, from 235 to 275w. Rich and John discuss his progress within EN and his performance at Ironman California 70.3.

Can your triathlon coach or training plan demonstrate a history of delivering results and testimonials like the ones you’ve heard in these podcasts?

Please create a 30-day free trial to check us out before the 5/1/2009 deadline.

Meet Kris Frazier. Kris is an EN OG, Charter Member of the Lil' Peeps Mafia, Ironman Louisville Team Captain, and a resident of Louisville, KY. She lives right on the bike course and is recently the former president of the Louisville Landsharks Triathlon Club.

Since training with Endurance Nation, Kris has seen a 24% FTP increase, 12% VDot increase, a 7' HIM PR on a hilly course vs her former flat course PR. She also finished her first Ironman, Louisville, "coherent and with a smile on her face," and is ramping up for another breakthru performance at L'ville this year.

Marianne is an EN OG (Original Gangsta), having attended Rich's Ironman Louisville camp in June 2007, and then joining EN from the very beginning. She is THE EN Denmother and the Don of the EN Arkansas Mafia.

Marianne and Rich discuss her challenging day at Ironman New Orleans 70.3 and her training for Ironman Lake Placid 2009.

Can your triathlon coach or training plan demonstrate a history of delivering results and testimonials like the ones you’ve heard in these podcasts?

Please create a 30-day free trial to check us out before the 5/1/2009 deadline.

Meet Tom Glynn of Danville, CA. Tom is another member of our EN NorCal Sleeper Cell and is fast becoming the EN Poster Boy for MOP to FOP progression.

Since joining Endurance Nation in the fall of 2007, Tom's VDot has risen from 51 to 55.  His Functional Threshold Power (FTP) on the bike has increased 43%, from 215w to 304w. That increased fitness has translated into some very impressive PR's: from a 11:55 at IMAZ'07 to an 11:12 at IMLP'08. Most recently Tom, PR'ed Ironman California 70.3 2009 by 25', on unrested, untappered legs as he focuses on Ironman Coeur d'Alene this season.

Can your triathlon coach or training plan demonstrate a history of delivering results and testimonials like the ones you’ve heard in these podcasts?

Please create a 30-day free trial to check us out before the 5/1/2009 deadline.

Meet Verna Mandel of Pasadena, CA. Verna has been with us since early 2008 and has made great strides on the bike and run. She and her 47cm bike are members of the Lil' Peeps Mafia, and she is also our resident WKO+ software expert: another example of how Endurance Nation is a unique learning environment in the tri-space.

Can your triathlon coach or training plan demonstrate a history of delivering results and testimonials like the ones you’ve heard in these podcasts?

Please create a 30-day free trial to check us out before the 5/1/2009 deadline.

Kitima, or EN Code Name Kitiboo, is a relatively new member. She gives us a great perspective on our power and pace focus, and is another example of how you don't have to be a skinny, bald, Type A, male 25-35 power geek to find value in training with power. Oh, and she's also a smart doc-type who gives us her expertise on a number of issues.

Since joining EN her running VDot is up 2 points and her FTP on the bike is up...wait for it, 36.7%!

Can your triathlon coach or training plan demonstrate a history of delivering results and testimonials like the ones you’ve heard in these podcasts?

Meet Todd Glass. Todd and his family live in St. Louis. He is another athlete who has been with us, off and on, since the Crucible Fitness days. He is currently in the rarified fitness air of an FTP north of 300w, and VDot in the high 50's. But he did a lot of work to get there. In the '08-09 Out-Season with Endurance Nation, Todd's FTP has risen 22%, from 265 to 325w. His VDot has climbed from 50 to 57. With an IM PR of 10:15, Todd is poised for even greater things at IMCDA in a couple months.

Matt Sullivan, another member of the EN Northern Illinois Sleeper Cell, is next in our podcast series. Matt's Functional Threshold Power (FTP) on the bike has risen from 175w to 222w, 27%, using our Out-Season training program this weekend. He has also set 45" 5k and 2' 10k PR's this winter.

Can your triathlon coach or training plan demonstrate a history of delivering results and testimonials like the ones you've heard in these podcasts?

Meet Helen Brauch (the one in the middle), or Nemo as she is known to the member of the EN Haus. Nemo has been with us since January '08 and is a charter member of the EN Lil' Peeps Mafia. While training with EN last year she PR'ed IMWI by 1:54. Her previous IM was IMFL, a much faster course.

She and a few other EN Chicas will be joining us for our Tour of California 2010 training camp!

Listen Now!

Can your triathlon coach or training plan demonstrate a history of delivering results and testimonials like the ones you've heard in these podcasts?

After meeting so many of our NIL Sleeper Cell, it's time to shift towards the Left Coast and talk to the leader of our NorCal Sleeper Cell: Steve Cramer! Yep, there is ANOTHER solid squad of EN athletes training and racing together in the East Bay area and Steve Cramer deserves much of the credit for bringing them onto the team by setting the local fitness and training example.

Steve has been inside the Endurance Nation/Crucible Fitness house since about 2006. His Ironman PR has plummetted, from an 11:37 to a 10:08, an effort at IMLP'08 that earned him a slot to Kona, where he raced to a 10:43.

Can your triathlon coach or training plan demonstrate a history of delivering results and testimonials like the ones you've heard in these podcasts?

Dave Halligan, THE Halligan, the Chuck Norris of EN, a giant of a man and a legend in the EN Haus after tearing the legs off of his coaches and fellow campers at our Tour of California camp!

Dave has been with EN for just over year. IMLP'08 was his Ironman, where he negative split the bike AND the run using our execution guidance. More recently, since purchasing a Powertap in January, training with our Out-Season program and joining us for the Tour of California, Dave's FTP has risen from 323w to 348, an 8% increase in six weeks.

More from The Halligan

Rich, I hope I didn't talk too much last night.  We didn't get to the part where  you ask me how EN has benefitted me the most.  Hopefully people with be able to get that from our conversation, but in case you wanted to add something here's what I would have said:

1. The community is what it's all about.  I'm not a social networking guy,no facebook, myspace, blog.  But EN is a different story.  It's like a private club for down to earth, regular folks who like to train and race, but are also people that work, support families, and have other interests. Then, you get to meet some of the people at camps, races, social events, and next thing you know, you have new friends to train, race, and do other fun stuff with.
2. The shift from LSD to interval work is huge!  Not only does it spice up the workout and make it more interesting, it makes you faster.  I was skeptical at first, but was a quick convert.
3. The EN founders.  Great guys with not a hint of mightier than thou attitude.  Completely vested in how their athletes do regardless of their level and/or experience.  Always willing to help and support.

Rich and Dan go way, way, way back to the early beginnings of his Crucible Fitness days. They have been business, virtual training, and trash-talking partners for years. Dan has a PR of 10:20 at IMLP’07 and recent placed 9th in a bitter cold and rainy Michigan time trial.

When Dan isn’t doing cool stuff with his fitness, like running 40 miles in the snow on his 40th birthday, you can find him coordinating the websites and marketing campaigns of his clients through Dan Socie Creative, or sharing a home office with his wife, Steph, as they tackle the birth announcement world through their shared business 2Peas1Pod