Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/72380
Endurance By Darrick Meneken, Managing Editor Double your pleasure J ulie Vieselmeyer completed her first triathlon, an Olympic-distance event, when she was 15 years old. "I didn't know there were shorter distances," she says. "Ignorance is bliss when you're that young." Pam Leno was almost 50 when she completed her first. "It was raining. It was freezing. It was awful," she recalls. "Why did I get hooked? I have no idea." So begins the story of the WAC's two triathlon coaches, two women whose experiences bring very different—and very complementary—elements to the Club's triathlon tradition. When Pam began training for her first triathlon two years ago, the Five Mile Lake event near Auburn, she had never swum, needed to buy a bike, and reinvented her running style. That experience has helped her teach others new to the sport. In fact, working with beginners is her forte. "I want people who are brand new, beginners looking to improve their fitness levels and need a goal to challenge them, or those moving from beginner to the next level," she says. Her 30-plus years in the fitness industry have helped many WAC members, and her enthusiasm in leading spin and other classes is well-known at the Club. In addition to helping triathlon newbies get in shape, Pam focuses on practical lessons, including how to take off a wetsuit quickly, set up a transition area, find a bike in a mass of handlebars and spokes, and eat right in the days leading up to an event. "I like keeping the beginning level fresh," she says. Julie, meanwhile, revels in taking experienced triathletes to the next level. Though she recently signed on as the Two WAC triathlon coaches, twice the opportunity Club's newer triathlon coach, she has been coaching for about 10 years, including with some WAC members, and works with many "high-level age-groupers." "What it comes down to for many WAC members is that they have very busy lives," she says. "They're high-achievers in business, and they also want to be high-achievers in their sport. For me, this is really an opportunity to meet those athletes where they're at." Julie tailors training programs to fit those jam-packed lifestyles and asks herself one question: "How can I bring greater satisfaction to their lives and enhance their well-being?" The 31-year-old knows all about crazy schedules. During her undergraduate studies at Seattle Pacific University, she trained for crew from 5–7:30 am six days a week. Though she still lives on Queen Anne, she spent the past two years hopping back and forth to the University of Denver, where she recently finished her master's degree in sport and performance psychology. Her thesis focused on motivation in triathletes. be your best self?" she asks. "To me, triathlon should bring that out." "In the moment when it counts the most, how can you Contact the coaches Reach Pam Leno at 206.839.4781 or pleno@wac.net. Reach Julie Vieselmeyer at 206.859.9881 or TriCoachJulie@gmail.com. 22 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | JULY 2012 LUKE RUTAN (2)