Testimonials
The Atlanta Triathlon Club coaching staff is led by 5-Time Ironman Finisher Coach Jim Boylan who has been coaching marathoners and triathletes for the past 9 years. In 2005, Jim combined certain aspects of various coaching programs with his own training experience to develop a unique triathlon training program designed for athletes of all abilities. His triathlon training program is the first to offer group training 6-7 days/week. Athletes have been following this program for the past 5 years with great success. Here are just a few of their stories…..
Submitted by Marcia…
“I've always been a runner, participating in several marathons, but I wanted to step up my game and become a triathlete. There was only one problem, actually two, I didn't know how to swim and I didn't know how to ride a bike. How can I be a triathlete if I can't swim and don't know how to ride a bike?!!
At the time, Jim Boylan was the head triathlon coach of a local running/triathlon group and I've always liked Jim and valued his friendship, knowledge and expertise. What better person could I go to for help? He's done several Ironman competitions and he's a very approachable person. I told him what I wanted to do and just like I thought, he was more than willing to help me. In the summer of 2006 I rented a bike at the Silver Comet Bike Depot and Jim gave me my very first bike lesson right there in the bike shops' parking lot. I still have pictures of that day. There I was on the bike, terrified, and there was Jim running beside me holding the bike up, like a father teaching his daughter how to ride a bike for the very first time. Jim was so encouraging and so attentive that it gave me the confidence I needed to realize that I could do this. I continued working with Jim and he taught me about bikes in general, bike components, bike safety, and bike maintenance. I bought my first bike in the fall of 2006 and have been riding confidently ever since. In fact, I am proud to say I completed the 2007 Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG) which involves riding 400+ miles in one week!!
Jim did the same thing with my swimming. He encouraged me and coached me with such genuine care and concern that I was able to become proficient enough to do my first triathlon in early 2007. With Jim's coaching I have continued to improve in my biking and swimming and completed the Augusta Half Ironman in 2009. Thank you Jim Boylan!! You're the best.”
Submitted by Jay…
“Before joining ATC, I was an often injured runner. After dealing with several nagging injuries I decided to look into the world of triathlon. The only problem was that I was a terrible swimmer and had not ridden a bike since I was a kid. Also, I knew very little about the sport. I attempted the daunting task of entering the Tri-world without guidance and failed miserably. Then, I met Coach Jim and he helped me attain my goals.
Through the Atlanta Triathlon Club's training program, I learned how to swim, how to properly cycle, and continued improving my running. With Jim’s guidance, I completed 5 triathlons (3 Sprints and 2 Olympics). I went from being a triathlon rookie with no background in swimming or cycling to finishing in the top 15% at the Peachtree City Sprint Triathlon and being named ATC's “Most Improved Triathlete.” In addition, my running improved dramatically. I lowered my 5k PR by 2 ½ minutes, my 10k PR by 2 minutes (this was during an Olympic distance triathlon), and my half marathon PR by 13 minutes!! Since then, I completed my first marathon in January 2009 and completed Ironman Florida in November 2009. I could not have improved as much as I did without Jim’s guidance and the ATC training program.
Submitted by Sherry…
“I first met Coach Jim in April 2005 when I started training for my first marathon. I did not come from an athletic background. In fact, one year before meeting Jim my weight had topped out at an amazing 350 pounds!! By the time I had met Jim, I had already dropped 170 pounds and had built a running base of 6 miles. I had never run with people, nor had I played a lot of team sports. I felt out of place and a bit intimidated at the thought training for a marathon.
Jim being my coach was one of the best things that ever happened to me. He took me under his wing and answered all my questions and listened to all my worries about running, no matter how silly I thought my questions were. He checked in with me often to track my progress and gave me advice when needed. Training to run a marathon is not easy, but Jim helped me reach a goal which I only thought could be attain by people that were born with special talents. I learned, with Jim’s help, that dedication and hard work will help you achieve any goal. As a result, I can now say “I AM a marathoner!”
Shortly before my first marathon, I learned that Coach Jim was also a triathlete. I was amazed that someone would want to run after swimming and biking. Then I learned he was also training for his first Ironman, a total of 140.6 miles in 17 hours or less. I could not grasp the idea. I saw the Ironman a few years before on TV, but that was only for elite athletes, right? When Jim finished his first Ironman, I was hooked on the idea of buying a bike and learning how to swim properly.
In 2006, I bought my road bike and throughout the next few months Jim helped me with my riding and swimming skills. I did my first sprint triathlon just a few months later. I was hooked. In November of the same year, Coach Jim signed me up for Ironman Florida 2007. Me? An Ironman? I’ve only done a sprint!
Over the winter months Coach Jim provided me with a training schedule, swim clinics and group rides. He prepared me for my first Half Ironman, the Gulf Coast Triathlon in May of 2007. Jim finished about two hours ahead of me, but he waited for me at the finish line, cheering louder than anyone else. Jim mentored me throughout the summer months and helped me get ready for the big day, Ironman Florida. I had a blast, stayed injury-free and finished an hour and 11 minutes FASTER than my super-secret goal. I f I never met and trained with Coach Jim, I would have never heard Mike Riley announce, “Sherry Coulombe, you ARE an IRONMAN!”