Thank you to all the athletes who submitted the following testimonials. We announced that we were updating our site and invited anyone to contribute if they desired. We were completely overwhelmed with appreciation and inspiration as these kind words began to trickle in. It reminds us why we love what we do. Coach Duane, Dorette and Nate

 
“Duane's individual attention and ability to adapt my schedule to fit my crazy schedule and personal needs has enabled me to reach goals I never would have thought possible. His expertise makes the most of any natural gifts I have and develops the many areas that need a little boost. I am able to relax knowing I am in such capable hands.”
--Kathy Winkler, Single mom, 2-time Ironman Hawaii age group winner, 2005 Half Vineman overall women's champion and 8-time Wildflower Olympic overall age women's champion. Trifiniti athlete since 2001


“I’ve been working with Duane for the past two years since I started training for my first Ironman. I can’t say enough good things about our work together. Duane is as knowledgeable a tri-coach as I have ever met in all three disciplines plus strength training (I should note that I am a sport psychology consultant to USA Triathlon, so I work with a lot of coaches). His training programs are thorough, detailed, and organized. They provide an exceptional balance of endurance, speed, strength, and recovery. I was well prepared for my two Ironman races and achieved my goals because of Duane’s coaching.
Perhaps the best thing about being coached by Duane is the person he is. Duane is positive, encouraging, calming, and supportive. Duane coaches for the love of triathlon, not to satisfy his ego (as so many tri-coaches do). He was always available to answer questions, give feedback, and adjust my training based on work schedule and how I was feeling. His personal involvement and caring, passion for triathlon, and desire to help others realize their goals are what separate Duane from the myriad of other tri-coaches out there. I doubt that there is a more capable and committed tri-coach anywhere. I thank Duane for not only getting me into triathlon, but also for creating a lifelong love of the sport (and I met my wife through triathlon).”
-- Jim Taylor, Ph.D.
Athor: The Triathletes Guide to Mental Training
Alpine/Taylor Consulting

“I want to thank you for all of your support and an excellent training program. With your help, the impossible was made easy. To all my teammates, it was great training with you... thanks for all your advice and encouragement.”
-- Kevin Kinkor, GGTC Ironman group participant and 1st time Ironman finisher.

“Duane is a very professional, dedicated, and knowledgeable coach. He listens closely to the individual and addresses their personal goals. Whether you are training for your first 10K run or your 10th ironman competition, Duane devotes equal time and attention to you. He makes every athlete feel important.”
--Kathy Meadowcroft

“I had been competing in Olympic distance triathlons for three years when I began working with Coach Duane at Trifiniti at age 46. I felt that I had plateaued in what I could do on my own, and i wanted to do the Half ironman distance as a new challenge. I knew that at the longer distances i would need some help in training to get there. I followed the Trifiniti training regimen pretty closely beginning in January 2006. From then until July I dropped my 10.5 mile time trial on the bike from 31:30 to 27:50. By the fall I ran my fastest 10-K of my life at 39:11 within one of my tempo runs, and brought my long course swim time below what I had traditionally done my Olympic swim in. {Between May and September I reduced my long course time by about 1 hour and was finishing in the top 30 percent of the age group. ) Trifiniti helped me get there recognizing I had a family and a job that required a lot of travel. I hope to continue improving this year with a greater focus on strength training on the way to an Ironman finish in 2008.”
-- Jim Scopa

“I first watched the Hawaii Ironman in 1993, I was so inspired by the race that competing in it became my quest. I had no idea how tough the Road to Kona would be until I began the journey. I trained as much and as hard as I could to try to qualify for Kona. The more I didn’t make it, the harder I trained. I knew nothing about training and I thought only the pro’s had coaches so the idea of getting a coach never crossed my mind. After about 4 years of racing half ironmans and not qualifying, my friend Scott told me that he had a friend named Duane whom I needed to meet so that I could learn how to train smart. I went from unsatisfying results, long tired days and general frustration to liking triathlons and of course a trip to Kona. Duane trained me for my first Ironman-Ironman California where I had a time of 11:20, but perhaps the most impressive was my marathon pr of 3:53, I PR’d my marathon in an ironman! Duane also trained me for Ironman Coeur D’Alene, where I placed 3rd in my age group and I was the 16th woman overall. He continued to train me for Kona, the place where my dream came true. I had a great race in Kona and I look forward to many more Konas. Perhaps the most important thing that Duane has taught me how to train smart and that pain does not equal gain.”
-- Beth Brewster

“Coach D, I wanted to let you know, 4 months out from the big day, that I am having a blast on almost every training day. I've never been so fit and feel great during and after pretty much every workout. The recovery week worked, as does the training plan. What an experience already... Thank you!”
--Andreas Wolf, GGTC Ironman group participant and 1st time Ironman finisher.







“With a grueling work schedule, a baby on the way and an Ironman event around the corner, I only had time for one Trifiniti cycle class per week and a long weekend ride - significantly less than previous training regimes. Turns out it was more than enough! I broke a personal record on the bike (on a tougher course) and felt good enough to actually run the entire marathon (another first). Bottom line - less time on the bike with a better result.”
-- Fred Mendez

“Since I started attending the power cycling class offered by Trifiniti I've more than doubled the number of watts I'm churning out and I recently finished a bike race around Lake Tahoe in under 4 hours. I've found that 60 minutes in the studio with Dorette and Duane can produce the same benefits as hours spent on the road.”
-- Tom Koundakjian - Ironman finisher

“Duane has been my coach for over 3 years and during that time, my knowledge, performance, and enjoyment of multi-sports has grown exponentially. I'm hooked for a LONG time!”
-- Dave Lampert, Endurance sport enthusiast and busy traveler

“Just an hour a week in Trifiniti's Power Cycling classes over the past two years has helped me improve far more than my past efforts that just added unstructured hours on the bike.”
-- David Hearth, cycling and tennis enthusiast with an active family, and corporate lawyer."

“My results speak for Duane's ability to turn a middle of the packer to a top age grouper. Duane has a special sensitivity to those of us who are serious but have full time jobs, parenting and families to balance with our athletic pursuits. He makes it all work!”
-- Jeri Howland, Chief Development Officer, wife, mom and endurance junkie

“Our group of triathletes ranged from the beginner level to more advanced but Coach D created a training program that allowed all of our athletes to reach their individual goals. He was a knowledgeable and dedicated coach from the time the athletes jumped into their first chilly swim in San Francisco Bay until he cheered them all across the finish line at the 2009 AVIA Wildflower Triathlon.”
-- Robert Pinnix, Director of Endurance Events >1 (Greater Than One) Endurance Training Program. San Francisco AIDS Foundation

“In December 2008 I decided that I was going to run a marathon time good enough to qualify for Boston. After a failed attempt in March 2009 (4:06) I made a commitment to coming to GGTC track workout every week without fail with Coach Dorette. This was 1 of only 3 runs/week I would do to train for the Chicago Marathon in October 2009. It paid off - my 2mile TT time came down over 40sec over the summer/fall, and on Oct 11 I ran a 3:38 and qualified for Boston!!! I took 1hr3min off my first marathon in 2005! - I contribute a HUGE amount of that success to my devotion to track workout and Dorette's coaching. Thanks Dorette!!!”
-- Heather Singerman, Boston Marathon qualifier interior designer

“Having trained alongside many other Bay Area triathletes, I know firsthand that no coach or coaching program puts as much time and effort into its athletes. Duane and Trifiniti always over-deliver.”
-- Grant Richards, Multiple Ironman Hawaii and Advertisement Executive.

“I am a competitive squash player sidelined by knee injuries who returned to cycling in my late 40s and wanted to go to the next level and do some racing. Dorette's class was superb at giving me the training tools to do this. It is worth every penny.”
-- James Sabry, cycling enthusiast

“Nate has been coaching me since August 2008. With his guidance, I have improved in all three disciplines, learned how to bring out the best in myself on race days, and achieved more than I thought I could.”
-- Tom Trauger, Ironman Hawaii qualifier

“I think Trifiniti is a great program. I have used Duane's race plan that not only benefited me, but was also very accommodating to my life and responsibilities outside of training. I am also a member of Dorette's Trinifiti spin class at the Bay Club in San Francisco, which has made me a much better, stronger, and confident rider. Dorette also not only works with me in a cycling studio, but also on the track. Because of her running background and experience, she has really improved my running speed and strength. I have been able to run faster this year, than I ever thought I would ever be able to. ”
-- Erin Moody, age group winner and rising triathlon star

“I travel over 50% in my job, and having Duane establish my workouts and adjust them to meet my travel schedule really helps me balance my job requirements with staying engaged with my training.”
-- Dave Lampert, Endurance sport enthusiast and busy traveler

“Duane Franks is a lot more than a triathlon coach. He is an enthusiastic evangelist for the "holy trinity" of sports who persuaded me to sign up for the 1998 Escape from Alcatraz. I was 40 years old and did not know how to swim; I had a lifelong fear of water. Duane was not going to give up on me, failure was never an option.
He set me up with a coach and a training group that swam in a four foot pool. It didn't matter that I am six feet tall, that pool might as well have been the San Francisco Bay. I swallowed a lot of water as I learned to swim and my terror grew whenever I ran or biked at the Marina Green. I would look at Alcatraz and think "My God, what am I doing?"
Duane would remind me that if I could lose almost 200 pounds, I could do the Escape from Alcatraz and inspire a lot of people to get off the couch and get healthy. Thus reassured, I relaxed and kept practicing and one day I magically was able to swim.
Race day came and I will never forget the triumph I felt as I completed the swim. I was truly baptized into the sport of triathlon and ready for more. The following year I attempted Ironman Canada and DNF'd, missing the bike cutoff by five minutes. The year after that, I attempted the inaugural Ironman California, once again I DNF'd by missing the bike cutoff.
I took a year off from racing an Ironman and thought long and hard about what I needed to successfully finish a race. I realized that the answer was with me since my first race. I was able to figure out how to lose almost 200 pounds in four years, I just couldn't figure out how to go 140.6 miles in one day. I needed experience, accountability and an attention to detail. I needed Duane Franks.
I asked Duane to coach me and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. With Duane's guidance I finished the 2002 Ironman Vineman, 2003 Ironman Florida and returned to Penticton for the 2004 Ironman Canada. The Canada course that humbled me with my first DNF had not changed, but I had. Duane helped me become faster and stronger but he wasn't finished... He spotted a flaw in my swim stroke and gave me some corrective drills that enabled me to take ten minutes off my fastest Ironman swim and finish Ironman Canada.”
-- Mark "XBigMan"

“Dorette left plenty of room for guidance in my personal goals. I noticed it was like that for the novice and seasoned running peers. Of course it was a great experience and look forward to my next training.”
-- Jesus Marez First time marathon finisher

“Programs I have participated in...
2007 group Ironman training program for IMCDA
2006 coached swim class on Saturdays at GGTSC
2007 Big Kahuna training program
2008 group Ironman training program for IMCDA
Trifiniti cycling: 2007 Bay Club, 2008 GGTSC, 2009 Bay Club + GGTSC

I would highly recommend Trifiniti coaching to anyone interested in endurance sports such as triathlon. I felt that, with the group Ironman training program, I was guided to increase my endurance, strength, and speed, gradually but steadily in a safe and effective way. The workouts were challenging but I felt like I was well-prepared. Coach Duane's background in exercise physiology gives him expertise on many issues relevant to triathlons and other endurance events. As an athlete with type 1 diabetes, I have felt comfortable discussing additional issues that I need to consider when training for triathlon.
The combined forces of Coaches Duane, Dorette, and Nate give Trifiniti a depth and breadth of knowledge to help train any athlete, from beginner to elite. Over the years, I have appreciated Duane's approach to understanding my goals and intuiting what approach would be best for me; he takes the training seriously, but still guides the athlete in a way that the sport remains enjoyable. I have enjoyed the many venues for our group workouts, and have especially appreciated the support on course from Trfinit coaches for our long rides and runs throughout the Bay Area.
The Trifiniti cycling classes are an important component of my training--I can count on a challenging, effective weekly workout without worrying about the weather, terrain or bike gear. In addition, the awesome music selections keep the energy going, even at 6:30 in the morning. I would recommend these classes to any cyclist or triathlete, from beginner to advanced, wanting to build their power on the bike. The classes are geared toward cycling fitness and technique, as opposed to spin classes, which may be geared towards general fitness.”
-- Anne Findlay, Trifiniti enthusiast

“My friends were so amazed by how much my riding improved through Trifiniti's Power Training that they joined me the next session. Unlike many of my riding partners, I don't compete, and I don't intend to. Still, Dorette's careful attention to my performance in class and her inspired coaching makes me feel like I could--even as I'm nearing age 60.”
-- Kathryn Luhe, cycling enthusiast and inspired athlete

“Just wanted to thank you for everything over these past 10 weeks...there is NO way I would have been ready for Sunday if it weren't for the Big Kahuna group. The training and the race were both awesome experiences”
-- Christina Gutowski, Big Kahuna triathlon finisher