Bella Banbury
I’ve been involved in the sport for about 7 years. Fellow ndurus athlete Sharon Barclay and I met doing a morning boot camp workout. Sharon suggested we try a duathlon, it was Wednesday, the race was that Saturday. I pulled an old mountain bike out of my shed and was ready to go. What a blast, but both Sharon and I agreed a little training might be a good idea next time around. The rest is history. My athletic background is made up of School sport and Field Hockey. I like to train in Alameda – my home town in the Bay.
My favorite race is Lake Tahoe Triathlon. Tahoe is my happy place. So much natural beauty and so many happy memories with my family. This race still has a totally grass roots feel to it. Add altitude, crystal clear water, climbing, trails and this race will give you a run for your money.
The most surprising part of training with ndurus is the total customization. There is always a plan, but the plan constantly flexes around my life. Since working with ndurus my mental game has been impacted the most. I have seen improvements across all physical areas, but how I approach my training, my fears, competition and recovery is all in the head. My bucket list event is my next race. That is my constant motivation.
“I am so lucky to be here. Use everything you have in this moment to the best of your ability” is my favorite race day mantra. And after a race, my go to is Endurox for right after and a Burrito or Tacos after that. Sauvignon Blanc always.
Darcy McCarty
In 2016 NDURUS helped me reach my season goal by becoming the Top Male Triathlete for the 2016 Tri Club Championship Series (TCCS).
My first triathlon was HITS Napa in 2015. Prior to triathlon I enjoyed local 5K/10K road/trail races, and riding road bikes. I spent close to a decade obsessed with rock climbing and climbing mountains, but no endurance sports. I never participated in organized sports in school. After my first tri in 2015 I joined Oakland Triathlon Club and started an NDURUS developed race plan for Oakland Triathlon Festival (one of my most favorite races). Having a structured training plan was amazing, and led me to join NDURUS at the end of 2015. Joining them has been a total game changer. I don’t say this lightly, It changed my life. I found balance between family and racing and it has taught me to train smart. All the hard work paid off during the 2016 season when I won the overall male athlete for the Tri Club Championship Series (TCCS). I was also recognized as the 2016 Oakland Tri Club MVP, a super humbling honor.
NDURUS is family. We look out for each, encourage each other, and always provide a much-needed pep talk or high five. Everyone has different goals and abilities, but we all share the desire to be better. I hope that I will one day qualify and race with my NDURUS mates at Ironman 70.3 World Championships.
In 2015 I finished the Oakland Olympic Triathlon in 2:50, after joining NDURUS’s full program with coach Mitchell in 2017 I was able to finish this year’s race in 2:18, 3rd in AG and 16th overall.
Lucas Riemens
I started to casually compete in triathlons around two years ago. With no background in any of the three disciplines other than casually, the focused program and detailed coaching with NDURUS has turned my interest into a budding passion. The diversity of the team makes all of the group sessions fun and the results are undeniable. Great training rides in the hills of Oakland are a personal favorite and Lake Merritt is always a beautiful run. The biweekly Otters Swim Squads have really helped develop my swimming abilities beyond anything I thought possible. I got to compete in my bucket list race this year, racing the Escape from Alcatraz, sadly my bucket was only half full as the swim was canceled. I am working on finding a new dream race, perhaps it will be in South Africa.
Jim Taylor
As the saying goes, I was going nowhere (in the pool) fast before I met Raeleigh. After returning from an 11-year hiatus from triathlon in 2019, I was doing everything I thought I could do to get faster in the water; putting in tons of distance and speed workouts. But I wasn’t getting any faster, I was really frustrated, and I was ready to accept that I just wasn’t going to get any faster. Then I serendipitously met Raeleigh during a swim workout and, as another saying goes, my (swimming) life has never been the same. I’ve been working with Raeleigh for almost a year now and, for the first time, I actually understand what it takes to swim faster (“It’s the technique, stupid!”). Literally every time I have a lesson with Raeleigh, she opens my eyes to something new that will make me a better and faster swimmer. Her knowledge, experience, deep understanding of every aspect of swimming, and just plain good cheer is unparalleled. Raeleigh’s swim coaching has produced marked improvements in my swim times, from 1:45/100y to around 1:30/100y. With Raeleigh’s support, I’ve qualified for Age-group World in four events in 2022 and 2023. In sum, Raeleigh is an amazing coach!
Brian Best
I get a lot from the personal attention – my weekly call was one of the things that I value most in your practice and I now realize how special that one aspect of your coaching is. Even a 15min one-on-one interaction with a coach on a regular basis is invaluable. NDURUS offering specialized support in discipline specific coaching, nutrition, and sports psychology is another invaluable aspect.
Again, the bottom line is that you have a really good training business and I wanted to share with you my experience. You are a wonderful coach and your level of client interaction (even cross-continent) is dearly missed. While the group training is nice and does help me to get out of bed in the mornings, your coaching is second to none in my opinion. Keep up the good work and the best of luck to the rest of your team.
(Brian moved to a local training group after 12 months and completing his first 70.3 IM race with Coach Raeleigh)
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