TriDot Check-In - Page 2

TriDot Check-In with Coach Jessica Baxter: Part 1

Jessica Baxter is a TriDot Coach, IRONMAN Certified Coach, Metabolic Efficiency Level 1 Training Specialist, and six-time IRONMAN. Having completed over 100 races of various lengths, including two 100-mile ultras, she is founder of Baxter Performance, which specializes in metabolic efficiency and optimizing nutrition for optimal health. She is also on the board of directors for Real Life Angels and Competing For Hope and is a three-time race director of Race for the Halo. A resident of Houston, Texas, she and her husband, Keith, have two boys, Austin and Ashton. Have you always been an athletic person? As far back as I can remember I’ve always been involved in something athletic. Even in first grade I competed in roller skating competitions.…

TriDot Check-In with Coach Jared Milam: Part 2

JARED MILAM is a professional triathlete, TriDot coach, and member of the Tri4Him Pro Team. He has 16 years of competitive running experience and 11 years of competitive triathlon experience with a half Iron PR of 3:59 and a full Iron PR of 8:30. Coaching under the TriDot system since 2011, Jared loves working with aspiring triathletes of all ages and performance levels. What are your greatest challenges in working with triathletes? There are always challenges. There are always going to be times when an athlete’s body just isn’t cooperating or performing consistently. I’ve been in this sport for a long time and I think I’ve got my training down, but there are some days when there is absolutely no reason I shouldn’t be…

TriDot Check-In with Coach Jared Milam

JARED MILAM is a professional triathlete, TriDot coach, and member of the Tri4Him Pro Team. He has 16 years of competitive running experience and 11 years of competitive triathlon experience with a half Iron PR of 3:59 and a full Iron PR of 8:30. Coaching under the TriDot system since 2011, Jared loves working with aspiring triathletes of all ages and performance levels. When did you begin racing triathlons? My first triathlon was ten years ago when I was 18. I had been a runner since junior high, and I did high school swim for a couple of years. My swim coach, who was both insane and also my role model, loved to do ultra-marathons and Ironmans. He had a passion for anything that…

TriDot Check-In with Coach Elizabeth James

Elizabeth James is an Ironman, a USAT Level 1 Certified Coach, and a TriDot Coach. She made the transition from running marathons to triathlon in 2012 and has completed sprint, Olympic, 70.3, and full Ironman distances. She and her husband, Charles, live in Garland, Texas. Her TriDot Score is 33-35-45. How many triathlons have you competed in and what distances were they? I have competed in numerous sprint and Olympic distance triathlons. I began tackling the longer distances in 2014 when I competed in two half Ironman events. This past September, I finished my first full Ironman in Madison, WI. How do you motivate yourself in training? There are a lot of things that go into it. Definitely goal setting.…

TriDot Check-In with Athlete Matthew Reibenstein: Part 2

MATTHEW REIBENSTEIN is the founder and president of Royal Homes in Conroe, Texas. A Houston native, he is currently the president of the Montgomery County Builders and Developers Division as well as a Board of Director member of the Greater Houston Builders Association. He also serves on the Advisory Board of Directors for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), southeast Texas region, and is the leader of North Houston Tri4Him. He earned a degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M and is the husband of Katy and father of son, Paxton, and daughter, Brinlee. What inspires you about triathlon? The reason I stay in triathlon has to do with the health aspect and to inspire other people. When I watch someone…

TriDot Check-In with Athlete Matthew Reibenstein: Part 1

MATTHEW REIBENSTEIN is the founder and president of Royal Homes in Conroe, Texas. A Houston native, he is currently the president of the Montgomery County Builders and Developers Division as well as a Board of Director member of the Greater Houston Builders Association. He also serves on the Advisory Board of Directors for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), southeast Texas region, and is the leader of North Houston Tri4Him. He earned a degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M and is the husband of Katy and father of son, Paxton, and daughter, Brinlee. What is your athletic background? I’ve been an athlete all my life. I played soccer, football, and baseball. My whole family was very athletic. All through high…

TriDot Check-In with Coach Natasha Van Der Merwe

NATASHA VAN DER MERWE is a professional triathlete, TriDot coach, and member of the Tri4Him Elite Team. In her first full year as a pro triathlete, she qualified for 70.3 Worlds. Natasha has coached more than 200 athletes covering all aspects of the sport from functional strength training to technique on the swim, bike, and run. Her athletes have qualified for 70.3 Worlds in their first year of triathlon, qualified for USAT Nationals, finished Ironmans much faster than they expected, and PR'd at all race distances. Her full Ironman PR is 9:29. Her half Ironman PR is 4:27. What is your background in sports and triathlon? I was born and raised in South Africa, where I grew up playing tennis.…

TriDot Check-In with Athlete Rodney Friend

RODNEY FRIEND is an IRONMAN and the founder and president of Merchant Management Group, a full service credit card processing company in Panama City, Florida. A city commissioner who is active on several boards as well as his local church, he is also a founding member of Team Reach, a triathlon group who raise funds and awareness for three non-profit organizations. Married to Jeanette, his wife of 27 years, they have a daughter, Katelyn, who is a senior in high school. How did you get started in triathlon? I didn’t have a big athletic background but I did a lot of athletic things growing up, like a lot of other boys. Basketball was my primary sport. I also competed…