Chris Yenchek
Ironman Florida, 2023 and Wisconsin 70.3, 2023
Without a doubt, John's wisdom, guidance, and experience contributed a significant degree towards my successful journey of completing my first Ironman. There are a number of reasons why:
Flexibility: Throughout my plan, we constantly adjusted to how my training results were proceeding and what changes were necessary in order to deliver against the goal. He spoke with experience and credibility, providing concrete examples of how he made similar adjustments to his previous races and highlighted what effect that would likely produce. You'll never be short on the level of detail John will get into with you. Knowledge is power in the endurance game, and tapping into a wealth of knowledge is like a cheat code to start ahead of the field.
All-Encompassing: John's coaching also focuses on the mental and emotional side of training, which is just as critical as nailing your detailed plan. Through my frequent meetings with John, he'd really push me to self-reflect on my reasons for my goal, what my expectations for training and raceday were, how I was visualizing solving potential problems on the course, etc. He provided me tough love when I was wallowing in my own self-doubt, but also wrapped his arm around me when it was needed.
Confidence: He is one of the most optimistic, cheery, and encouraging people I've ever gotten the pleasure to know in my life. His energy and passion for training people to reach a goal is infectious. And, he does it all with a smile, humility, and humor! Trust me, when you are going through a long process of intense training, these personality attributes in a coach are like the boost of caffeine gel you'll take on-board at mile 18 of the marathon - it's a lifeline!
I cannot emphasize enough how critical of a role John played in my 8 month journey to become an Ironman, and the exceeding expectations I was blessed to enjoy on race day. I owe him a great debt of gratitude, and I want others to feel the same experience after partnering with John. Choosing John as your coach is your first step towards your successful journey!
Greg Langer
2023 Madison Marathon
For my entire life, I was the biggest, slowest, and most out-of-shape kid on any sports team I played on. In high school and college, I was about 300 pounds. I started taking my health more seriously in my mid-20s and lost about 90 pounds through diet and exercise, but at 33 years old, I had never run longer than a 5K at any point in my life.
When John became my coach, that began to change. I was brand new to the sport, John helped me set a goal to complete a half marathon after about 4 months of training. After developing a customized plan for a complete beginner and teaching me the basics of how to complete the first workouts, John checked in with me often to make sure I had the knowledge and strategy I needed to get stronger each week.
After completing my first half marathon, we set a new goal and developed a new plan to conquer my first full marathon. I had 11 months to get ready, and in that time, John helped me with everything from my workout schedule to how to improve my running technique and how to effectively fuel before, during, and after my runs. He was there
every step of the way to help me make smart, evidence-based decisions on what workouts to do, when to push myself harder, and when to give my body time to recover.
John was tough when he needed to be without being reckless with my body. If I had not worked with John for a year and a half, there is no way I would have been able to complete my goal of running a full marathon. Anyone with a background or situation similar to me cannot find a better coach than John. He truly gave me the tools, motivation, and example I needed to become the better and healthier version of myself I wanted to be.
