Chris Sweet

Background
My triathlon career began with my parents driving me to local sprint triathlons in the early 90’s. Later I was a collegiate swimmer and runner at Augustana College. After my collegiate career, I began racing triathlons more seriously. As an amateur I have raced the Ironman World Championships, 70.3 World Championships, ITU Off-Road Triathlon World Championship, and USAT nationals. I  raced professionally from 2013-2015. I’ve finished more than 100 triathlons including 10 Ironman races.

I have experience as a swim team coach and have been a USAT certified triathlon coach since 2009. I am also a USA Cycling and USA Track and Field certified coach. One of my greatest strengths as a coach is the ability to leverage my educational background in Library and Information Science to manage large amounts of training data and keep abreast of the most recent developments in exercise science. Over the years I have had the opportunity to be coached by, and learn from, some of the big names in the triathlon coaching world as well as two hall of fame track and cross country coaches. These coaches have greatly influenced my own approach to coaching..

Coaching philosophy
Every coaching decision from large to small can be answered by referring back to well-articulated athlete goals. Specific athlete goals help me to design appropriate training schedules for everything from qualifying for Kona to losing 10 pounds while juggling a hectic family schedule. Once goals are articulated I believe strongly in evidence-based training. I am an exercise science nut and continually read and apply the best new scientific research. I question everything and believe in science over tradition and anecdote. I believe in the physiological and psychological benefits of regular rest and recovery. You don’t get stronger by working out, you get stronger by properly recovering from working out. I believe in quality over quantity even for long-course athletes. I believe happy athletes perform better and stay in the sport longer. At some level all training and racing should be fun! I believe in helping athletes recognize and develop a manageable training schedule that doesn’t negatively impact work, family, and personal relationships. I believe intrinsic motivation is incredibly important and I help athletes seek answers to those big “why?” questions.

If you think a training program built on this philosophy would work for you, please contact me! I am interested in coaching everyone from beginners to elite athletes. I am also interested in coaching single sport (swimming, biking, running) athletes in addition to triathletes.

Read Chris’s Blog HERE

See Chris’s full race results HERE