Katie M.

I hired Tom in the fall of 2014 after completing my first half ironman and wanted to do a full ironman. I was pretty clueless when it came to training and racing for such an event and knew if I wanted to successfully complete the ironman I needed some guidance.  I knew Tom from doing his speed work clinics and felt like I had a good rapport with him and knew it would be a good fit.   

Having Tom as a coach was one of the best decisions I ever made.  He not only prepared me physically for the Ironman but he gave me confidence that I could get through it successfully and enjoy the experience. He helped me figure out my nutrition plan, made sure I took rest days (which were hard to get used to), answered any questions, and addressed any concerns I had.  He also taught me how to use my bike.  Prior to working with him I didn’t understand gearing or the importance of power.  He taught me how to utilize my gears and pay attention to power so I wouldn’t blow up during the run.  I learned so much from him in the past year and as a result I got to the start line of my first Ironman healthy and ready to race.  I completed the Ironman within my goal time and loved the training and race so much I signed up for the 2016 race and am having Tom coach me.

Tom not only got me ready to successfully complete the Ironman but he helped me get ready for a few fall races I was signed up for.  Four weeks after the Ironman I ran the Chicago marathon and was able to break 4 hours for the first time.

Tom is an awesome coach who is knowledgeable and understanding.  He truly loves what he does and he makes training fun and enjoyable. He quickly learns your strengths and weaknesses and how to develop your weaknesses so they become strengths.  He has a thorough understanding of how the body works and he’s a great teacher.  He is easy to talk to and is quick to respond to emails, texts, and phone calls.  Looking back I firmly believe I would not have gotten through my Ironman race if it wasn’t for him.     

Katie Mchugh