“I only started training for the championship in late September after almost a year of unstructured, low volume training.” – Coach David Martin

CCNS Coach David Martin just wrapped up a whirlwind year, finishing his PhD, defending his dissertation, graduating, getting married, buying a house, moving, and starting two new jobs.

After months of burnout from grueling PhD data collection and long days fueled by excessive caffeine, David struggled with motivation and early mornings. Sleep was elusive, and tough workouts, like two sets of 60 minutes at tempo, felt overwhelming. However, finding a supportive training community made all the difference, providing the motivation and camaraderie needed to push through and stay on track.

Leading into the Race

At Coach Aidan’s guidance, David adopted a different approach from his usual 12-15 hour training weeks, focusing instead on shorter, high-intensity sessions and specific tempo rides as the race approached.

The reduction in weekly training hours to more focused sessions led to lessened fatigue, giving David the energy to tackle longer, race-specific intervals. The workouts in all three disciplined were crucial not only for testing his body physically and mentally but also for getting accustomed to sustaining race-predicted power for the race’s duration. 

The result?  Improved power on the bike (personal bests by 15-20 watts in his aerobic output), reduced fatigue, and a fresh perspective on balancing training with life’s demands, all contributing to a more effective race performance.

The Race

The day brought its challenges. With temperatures at 47°F, David struggled with cold hands, making it hard to grab nutrition early on. Understaffed aid stations added to the difficulty. Starting the bike leg alone due to the time trial format, he eventually found another cyclist to work with, while also following the 12-meter draft rule to conserve energy. Despite personal bests on the bike, cramping hit early in the run, testing his mental strength. David pushed through the discomfort, maintaining his pace and determination to finish strong. In the end David finished with a 4 minute gap on second place.

“I loved everything about going through this process with David – as both a new CCNS coach and an athlete. Being able to have him fully immersed in the coaching process was the best way to help him learn how we try to help athletes improve both physically and mentally during the coaching process. His openness to some changes and execution of the process in training was exceptional, and the amazing result makes it that much more special.” – Coach Aidan Charles

Future Goals

Keep an eye out for Coach David’s performances as he plans to focus on competing in his strong suit, the Olympic distance national championships. His long-term goals also include qualifying for a ironman pro card, breaking 9 hours in an Ironman, and running a sub-1:20 half marathon during a 70.3 triathlon. He aims to fully realize his potential, which he has found in training but hopes to showcase in races next year.