Read THIS ARTICLE from TRIATHLETE MAGAZINE published in the 2004 March Issue about Coach Troy and some of his accomplishments in the field of multisport coaching.

NAME: Troy Jacobson
DOB: 06/16/1969
OCCUPATION: Triathlon Coach and Business Owner
FAMILY: Wife Brook and Daughters, Hope (born 2004) and Chloe (born 2007)
TOWN: Northern Suburbs of Tucson, AZ
FAVORITE FOOD: Anything Chocolate!
MOST NOTABLE ATHLETIC RESULT: 20th Overall/3rd American in Ironman Hawaii (1998)
FAVORITE BANDS: R.E.M., Smashing Pumpkins, Fleetwood Mac
FAVORITE WORKOUT: Biking - steady 2 hr aerobic ride
HOBBIES: Playing with my daughters, training, new business development, learning technology in audio/video, researching training methodology, watching movies.

THE COACH: A Long History of Achievement

Coach Troy winning Gulf Coast

Since he started coaching endurance athletes back in 1992, Troy Jacobson has been widely considered one of the top coaches in the United States for single sport and multisport athletes alike. His success has helped to revolutionize multisport coaching and has brought the profession of 'online coaching' to an unprecedented level of acceptance.

His coaching resume is a picture of success and the envy of other coaches throughout the world. He has helped athletes succeed in a variety of World Class events including:

- Race Across America
- The Hawaii Ironman World Championship
- The USA Olympic Marathon Trials
- The Triathlon World Championships
- USA Olympic Triathlon Trials
- The Olympics
- USA Triathlon Amateur National Championships
- USCF National Time Trial Championships
- State Speedskating Championships

Among his most accomplished clients is Joanna Zeiger who Troy coached from 1997 - 2001. Considered one of the top female triathletes in the world, Joanna placed 4th at the 2000 Olympic Games, the highest placing US athlete that year.

In addition to being a considered a pioneer in the field of online coaching, Troy also created one of the first intuitive coaching software packages in 1995, known then as TrainRight Coaching Software. This program was so effective, it was chosen as the official coaching software for Tri. Fed. / USA. In 1996, Troy was asked to sit on the inaugural USA Triathlon Coaches Committee with the mandate to design and implement a coaching certification curriculum now utilized by hundreds of USAT Certified coaches.

He is also the innovator and driving force behind indoor cycling and running workout videos and DVD. Starting in 1995 with his ground breaking CycleRobx workout video (starring Ron Keifel, Tyler Hamilton, Greg Welch, Karen Smyers and others), he has since created more than two dozen new Spinervals workout videos (www.spinervals.com) for competitive cyclists and Runervals Workout videos (www.runervals.com) for competitive runners. Starting in 2006, he began producing, marketing and distributing exercise DVDs for other coaches and trainers under his label, Troy Jacobson Fitness & Sports Training Videos. His videos are worldwide leaders in category of endurance sports training and fitness and can be purchased from over 500 specialty retailers in the U.S. and abroad.

It is not uncommon for Troy's former clients to become coaches and mentors themselves! They know his system works so they want to get involved in the success. Some model themselves after Troy and go off on their own but others join The Triathlon Academy, a network of certified coaches offering services to beginner and intermediate level athletes including online coaching and seminars, which Troy founded in 1999. (www.triathlonacademy.com)

Wanting to provide his athletes with the best products and services available, Troy founded TriSpeed Multisport (www.tri-speed.com) in 1998. Sold in 2004 to his former employees, Troy developed TriSpeed into a two-store retail operation (Sterling Virginia and Timonium Maryland) that continues to be the leading resource for multisport athletes in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Always striving for growth, with business development as a passion, Troy opened Strong & Focused Fitness, a 5000 sf personal training and group exercise studio in 2006, as well as founded Jacobson Property Management, LLC., a commercial property ownership and management company.

Hosting and conducting training camps and educational workshops since 1995, his programs have paved the way for an explosion of similar camps and workshops throughout the country. His training camps in Tucson Arizona, Lake Placid NY and elsewhere are among the best attended anywhere and a great bargain for anyone desiring a truly effective multisport training camp experience.

Troy is also a frequent contributing writer to Triathlete Magazine and Inside Triathlon in addition to being quoted in several other national publications including the New York Times, Popular Science and Family Circle Magazines. Once a personal trainer, Troy was selected "Baltimore's Best Personal Trainer" by Baltimore Magazine in 1997.

For 2007-2008, Coach Troy was named the 'Official Coach of Iron Girl' and his training DVD collection, Spinervals, has been named an "Official Training DVD of USA Triathlon". Presently, he serves as the National Director of Endurance Sports Training for Life Time Fitness (www.lifetimefitness.com, www.lifetimeendurance.com), a publicly traded leader in the health club industry (NYSE: LTM). He continues to coach athletes of all levels from around the world ranging from busy professional people to elite age groupers for events like the 5K road race to 40K Time Trials to the Ironman as well as advise clients on business and personal development matters.

The Athlete

Coach Troy with daughters Chloe (left) and Hope (right)

Formerly a 210 pound football player in high school and college, Troy decided back in 1987 to attempt a triathlon. With limited training, he was able to finish 10th overall in an Olympic distance triathlon with over 600 people! The "hook was set" and Troy began focusing on his new found sport.

Success came quickly as he began immediately to win local races. Then in 1990, he did his first Ironman distance race which at the time was the USA Triathlon Ultra Distance National Championship in Lake Sunapee, NH. He won in under 10 hours!

Since then, Troy has

- Been selected to the ALL AMERICAN list on several occasions
- Won three USAT Long Course National Championships (1996, 1997, 1998)
- Finished 20th overall (3rd American) at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships (1998)
- Had two 9th place overall finishes at Ironman Canada (1999, 2000)
- Fastest overall bike splits at Ironman Canada (4:46, 1999) and Ironman Florida (4:39, 1999)
- Finished 2nd Overall at Ironman Florida (1999, 8 hours 46 minutes)
- Ironman Hawaii PR of 8 hours 54 minutes (1993)
- Open marathon PR of 2 hours and 31 minutes
- Ironman marathon PR of 3:02 (IM Canada, 2000)

Competing in over 100 races in his career including 15 Ironman events and over 25 Half Ironman events, Coach Troy also has overall victories as an amateur and as a pro at the following popular national caliber events:

- Gulf Coast Triathlon - Panama City Beach, FL
- BlackWater Eagleman Triathlon - Cambridge, MD
- Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon - Lubbock, TX
- VineMan Half Ironman - Santa Rosa, CA
- Lake Sunapee Half Ironman and Full Ironman - NH
- Tupper Lake Tinman Triathlon - Tupper Lake, NY
- Muncie Endurathon - Muncie, IN
- Mohican Pineman Ironman - OH

Coach Troy, wife Brook and daughter Hope in Tucson (July 2008)

He has been successful in triathlon at all levels, from amateur to pro. His athletic success came as he coached others and grew a business. He knows what it takes to succeed while following a busy schedule. He is a coach who "WALKS THE WALK!"

Troy now resides in Tucson Arizona with his wife, Brook and daughters Hope (born 2004) and Chloe (born 2007).

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