Coaching

Dan is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a USA Triathlon level II certified coach. He has his B.A. in psychology and his master's degree in exercise science. He has gained invaluable triathlon training and racing experience competing as one of Minnesota's top 10 triathletes for the past 9 years. He was nominated 2000 "Rookie of the Year" and 2006 "Most Improved Triathlete" by Midwest Events Magazine. Dan was also a nominee for "Triathlete and Duathlete of the Year" for both 2007 and 2008. He has completed six Ironman races and has many podium finishes as well as several overall victories. With his strong educational background and personal experience, Dan has helped many athletes reach their athletic goals.

Qualifications:

• St. Mary's University, B.A. in Psychology
• M.Ed. Kinesiology, University of Minnesota
• National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS)
• USAT Level II
• Professional Duathlete

Kris has been a competitive presence in triathlons since 2001. He has completed six Ironman races including Wisconsin, Canada, Switzerland, Arizona and holds a 10:45:47 personal record. From 2004 to 2007 he was selected as a USAT All-American Honorable Mention athlete. Kris is currently the Midwest Regional President for USA Triathlon and is the head coach of the Minnesota Junior Elite Team (MJET's). In 2010 Kris was selected as the Official Team Coach for Team USA by USA Triathlon and accompanied Team USA to the ITU World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Kris has coached athletes ranging from Professional to first time amateurs. He strives to help people achieve the ultimate balance of family and sport in their lives.

Qualifications:

• 2010 USAT Midwest Regional President - Team USA Head Coach
• B.S. in Law Enforcement, St. Cloud State University
• USAT Level II
• USATF Level I
• USAT Youth and Junior Certified

Jonathan was a collegiate wrestler at Moorhead State University, a rugby player with NDSU, and an intercollegiate soccer player. In 1992 he started into the world of endurance sports, including everything from mountain bike racing to offroad endurance motorcycle racing to adventure racing. He gradually moved into triathlon. He has completed multiple Ironmans and 100's of other races. Currently he has started dabbling in ultradistance running, is the lead instructor of the Personal Training Program at Saint Paul College, and is working on completing his BS in Kinesiology.

Qualifications:

• Degree, Health and Exercise Science, Minnesota School of Business
• Certified USAT, USAC, USATF
• Certified NASM Personal Trainer
• Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES)
• Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES)
• Certified Spinning Instructor

Devon has loved racing and hard training since his days of high school swimming and running. He found his athletic home in the sport of triathlon during college and has been steadily learning and improving for the past five years. A surprise offer to be assistant coach of his old high school swim team got his coaching career started back in 2006. Helping athletes achieve their personal bests had grown from a part-time job to full-time passion. Whether it is high school swimmers, age group triathletes, or the MJETS, nothing is more satisfying than seeing athletes drop time and race beyond what they thought was possible.

Qualifications:

• B.S. in Kinesiology and minor in Coaching, University of Minnesota
• Currently in Master's program for Applied Sport and Exercise Science, University of Minnesota (graduates May 2011)
• USAT Level 1 Certified

Greg has been a competitive triathlete since 1985 and a competitive marathoner since 1973. He has completed two Ironman races including Florida and Wisconsin with a 11:02 personal record. He has a marathon PR of 2:46 from the Chicago Marathon in 1982 and has completed 81 marathons including two Boston Marathons, in 1977 and 2000. Albrecht has qualified for Boston for over 20 years. From 1999 through 2010 he has been a top 3 age group winner in the Midwest Multi-sports Series winning his age group in 2001 & 2003. He has completed over 200 triathlons and has coached over 250 triathletes over the past 11 years. Greg is a certified USAT Triathlon Coach and has coached beginners to Elite level triathletes. Albrecht's coaching philosophy is to have a purpose for every workout and to make it fun—plan the workouts and work the plan equals success on race day!

Qualifications:

• M.B.A. Human Resource Management & Development, Dominican University
• B.S. in Business, University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management
• 10 years Triathlon and Marathon coaching experience
• USAT Level I

Jeremy Sartain, head of the Massage Therapy and Personal Training Department at Saint Paul College has been an instructor since 2001. He has twice received Faculty Excellence Awards for his innovations in teaching, including curriculum development.
Jeremy is also an experienced coach. His favorite part about coaching pertains to individual outcomes and seeing specific outcomes in each of his clients. "If an individual client meets or exceeds potential that I see in them, that is my favorite moment in my job," he says.
Jeremy feels his life and career experiences greatly enhance his coaching abilities. Ultimately he wants prospective and current clients to know that he is absolutely passionate about what he does and is open and available to help with individual success throughout their training journey and beyond.

Qualifications:

• Certified Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP)
• Certified National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
• USAT Level I
• USAC

Chris Lundstrom is a national class runner with 12 years of coaching experience, including elite runners, high school and collegiate athletes, and a wide range of recreational and locally competitive runners. His primary coaching focus is runners, with particular expertise in the marathon. He competed collegiately for Stanford University, has placed as high as 3rd in the USA Marathon Championships, and represented the United States in the Pan-American Games (2007) and the World Mountain Running Championships (2010). He resides in south Minneapolis with his wife Taj and three dogs.

Qualifications:

• B.A. Humanities, Stanford University
• M.Ed. Applied Kinesiology, University of Minnesota
• Ph.D. Candidate, Kinesiology, University of Minnesota
• USATF Level II
• Certified CPR, AED and First Aid

Brett began at age 6 as a competitive swimmer. He continued swimming through High School where he also competed in cross country and track. Brett started participating in triathlons in 1986, and has competed in over 200 triathlons and duathlons. Brett has been named a USATriathlon All-American numerous times and competed as part of Team USA at the Age Group World Championships. He is certified as a pool operator, lifeguard, and in CPR, AED and first aid, and has coached kids and adults in aquatics for over 12 years. Brett is working on obtaining his USATriathlon level I certification. Brett is married and has 2 children and enjoys spending time with them at home, races, and at the cabin.

Qualifications:

• B.S. Psychology, University of Wisconsin
• USATriathlon All-American
• Certified in CPR, AED and First Aid

Tim is an ASCA Level IV Swimming coach and has worked with athletes of all levels from beginner to elite national level. His unique ability to analyze and assess each individual's swim stroke and program needs comes from his 27 years of coaching experience and 15 years as a competitive swimmer. Tim was head coach at Edina swim club for 8 years, and founded the masters swim clubs at Edina and Flagship Athletic club. Tim has also been a stroke coach for the St. Thomas Academy High school team and Blackline Aquatic swim club. In addition to his swimming background Tim is a Personal Fitness Trainer with 12 years experience and personal training certifications with A.C.E and NSCA.

Qualifications:

• A.C.E. Certified
• NSCA Certified
• ASCA Level IV Certified

Suzie has been a personal trainer for over 3 years designing one on one training programs, leading group training, and teaching group fitness classes. Her specialty is developing training plans for weight loss as well as core and strength training for optimal athletic performance. She has also been a personal trainer for an all boys hockey school and coached youth triathlon. A former college softball player, Suzie transitioned from 17 years of fastpitch softball to developing into a competitive triathlete and duathlete.

Qualifications:

• 2009 Minnesota Multi-sport Rookie of Year
• Corporate fitness instructor
• Personal trainer
• USAT Level I
• 2011 Duathlete of the Year

Kortney has been a competitive triathlete since 2008 when she was honored as a member of Team Minnesota and received the Minnesota Rookie of the Year award. In 2009, Kortney showed great improvements resulting in four wins, a #2 ranking on Team Minnesota and the Most Improved Award at the Minnesota Multisport Banquet. Following the birth of her second child in June 2010, Kortney raced in three triathlons, with two wins and a second place finish. Kortney has also been a personal trainer for a youth hockey team and is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Kortney is very excited about helping individuals have fun and achieve success and balance through a multisport lifestyle.

Qualifications:

• Competitive Duathlete and Triathlete
• National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS)
• USAT Level I

Scott Beesley believes a balanced training plan is key for both athletic performance and long-term physical health. His coaching career has evolved significantly since it began 15 years ago. He currently splits his time between coaching endurance athletes and teaching yoga. Through creative training plans, he helps his clients find the balance between career, family, and training ambitions. In the last two years his clients have included 5 first-time USAT AG National Championship qualifiers, 1 first-time ITU AG World Championship qualifier and 47 individuals who completed their first ever triathlon under his direction.

Walking the walk, Scott has spent his entire life as an athlete in one form or another. Over a decade ago he transitioned away from a lifestyle as a vegetarian body builder to that of a vegan triathlete, open water swimmer, and multi-sport adventure racer. He has visited the podium 7 times as an endurance athlete.

Qualifications:

• USAT Level I
• American Council on Exercise (ACE) Personal Trainer

Brendan Dolan is a competitive runner and triathlete with over eight years of coaching experience, including high school, post-collegiate and recreational runners. His primary focus is on distance runners. One of his proudest accomplishments to date is that he outraced Lance Armstrong at Boston Marathon in 2008 and still holds a faster PR. Brendan is actively involved in the greater running community through event volunteering and is very experienced in gait analysis and running gear recommendations. Currently he lives in South Minneapolis (mile 15 of TC Marathon course) and works at a bike product company as a staff attorney.

Coaching Philosophies: "Quality over Quantity" & "Hard on Hard Days, Easy on Easy Days"

Qualifications:

• B.A., History & Political Science, Luther College
• J.D., Law, William Mitchell College of Law
• 8 years of distance run coaching experience, Edina High School & individual
• Competitive Runner and Triathlete

Ben has been been a competitive runner since age 11, when he first joined a youth track and field league. After graduating from Farmington High School, Ben competed in track and field and cross-country for the Golden Gophers at the University of Minnesota where he earned his B.S. in Kinesiology with a coaching minor in 2009 and most recently his Masters of Education (M.Ed.) in Applied Kinesiology with an exercise and sport science focus in 2011. Ben has experience coaching runners at both the collegiate (UW La Crosse men's team) and high school (Cretin Derham Hall) levels. He currently works at Run N Fun in St. Paul and is an active member of their competitive racing team.

Ben's coaching philosophy revolves around the idea of individualization - creating a training plan specifically developed for the athlete. Nothing is more satisfying to Ben than seeing athlete's work for and achieve their goals - no matter what they are!

Ben lives with his wife Heather, who is an Asics-sponsored professional runner, in South Minneapolis.

Qualifications:

• M.Ed. in Kinesiology, focus on exercise and sport science, University of Minnesota
• USATF Level I Certified

Scott Blanchard has coached competitive swimmers ranging in age from elementary school to the collegiate level, from Masters programs to triathletes, for the past 16 years. He has taken many swimmers, to both the Junior and Senior levels, to Nationals and NCAA's. He is a certified Triathlon coach, having received his certification from ITCA (International Triathlon Coach Association). Raised in New York, he swam competitively himself for 14 years, both in high school and for Susquehanna University, where he received a BA in History. He received a Master's degree in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota. He began his coaching career at Minneapolis Southwest High School and has served as the head Junior and Senior coach at Blackline Aquatics since 2005. Away from the pool he enjoys spending time with his wife Jennifer, helping to raise their two young sons, rides his mountain and road bikes, trains and runs marathons.

Qualifications:

• BA in History, Susquehanna University
• M.Ed. Kinesiology, University of Minnesota
• ITCA (International Triathlon Coaching Association)
• USA Certified Swim Coach

Chris is a chiropractor and a USA Triathlon Level I certified coach. He has his B.S. in human biology and his doctor of chiropractic degree from NorthWestern Health Sciences University. Chris' first triathlon was in 2002 and he started racing in the elite wave in 2009. He has gained invaluable triathlon training and racing experience competing as an elite amateur triathlete for the past 2 years, earning several podium finishes. He specializes in sprint distance triathlons but has also raced up to half iron distance. With an emphasis on health and fun, Chris can help you reach your athletic goals.

Qualifications:

• NorthWestern Health Sciences University, B.S. in Human Biology
• NorthWestern Health Sciences University, Doctor of Chiropractic
• USAT Level I
• 100 hour certification in Applied Kinesiology

Tina has been training and teaching in the fitness industry since 2003. She specializes in sport specific training, functional training and weight loss/management. Her gentle demeanor masks a competitive athleticism and focus that makes her an approachable, but tough trainer. Tina's approach is simple: Show up, work hard and don't give up!

Qualifications:

• B.S. Sports Management Minnesota State University, Mankato
• Masters in Education Kinesiology University of Minnesota
• ACE Personal Training, ACE Group Exercise Instructor, Krank Cycling, YogaFit, LeMond & Schwinn Cycling

Kristin is a competitive runner and triathlete with over 10 years of coaching experience from the beginner runner to the athlete who is seeking a podium finish. She started her coaching career as a high school tennis coach and has been teaching spinning and yoga classes since 2001. She currently is an Exercise Science and Wellness Coordinator at a local community college, but has worked in wellness and cardiovascular rehabilitation centers in the past. She has written articles that have been published for active.com and other publications for the past two years. Away from the running world she enjoys spending time with her husband Ryan and her two boys. With a strong educational background and experience in all fitness areas, Kristin can help any runner or athlete achieve their goals.

Qualifications:

• M.A. in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, and Cardiovascular Rehabilitation
• USATF Level I
• ACSM Health Fitness Specialist
• RRCA Certified
• AFAA Personal Trainer
• YogaFit Level I
• Certified Spin Instructor

Sam has been on the triathlon scene since 2007. His first experience with triathlon was a relay that he completed with his brother and father, and after that he was hooked. Sam recently graduated from Saint Paul College, earning an AAS Degree in Personal Training and completed testing to be certified as an NASM personal trainer and a USA Cycling coach. With a background in competitive swimming that started at the age of 7 and experience working at a retail bike shop, Sam has a wealth of knowledge and a great attitude to share with others.

Qualifications:

• AAS Degree in Personal Training
• NASM Certified Personal Trainer
• USAC Certified

"We have only one body to take us through life's journey; let's travel in style." That's coach Mike Dinneen's philosophy for health. And as a registered nurse and personal trainer, he knows that our health is our most important asset. Sometimes, it's just a matter of taking that first step to get there. For that first step toward fitness, Mike's simple-but-profound advice is, "Show up. Things happen when you show up." Since 1976, he has been a multisport endurance athlete competing in a variety of events including long-distance open water swims, long-distance bike rides, marathons and triathlons. With degrees in subjects such as personal training, nursing and psychology, Mike is also a NASM and ASCM Certified Personal Trainer. And while all that wouldn't seem to leave a lot of free time, Mike has a melodious side as well — as a singer-songwriter, he has recorded three albums of original music. Who better to help you get your body into perfect harmony?

Karen has two decades of experience training and competing while working and raising a family. A former All State Nordic Skier and competitive tennis player, Karen added triathlon in 2002 while looking for new ways to cross train for ski racing. Karen consistently places in the Top Three of her age group in triathlons (Sprint and Olympic distance) and XC skiing (skate and classic; 10 Km - 54 Km races). In believing that cross training and variety is key to making racing sustainable, she includes Off Road and Winter triathlons.

Karen's goal is to give the beginner and "middle of the pack triathlete the inspiration, knowledge, and confidence to become competitive in their age group and be proud of their results." She coaches with an emphasis on good technique, making the best use of proper equipment and cross training in order to maximize both fun and fitness while minimizing injuries. She does this by including variety and cross training (yoga, skiing, paddling or dance) into her training plans. Then adds speed, intensity, and transition training for race readiness.

Qualifications:

• B.S. Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Gear West XC Training Program Coach and Group Fitness Leader
• Wayzata High School Nordic Ski Team - Volunteer Coach

Alana is a general performance coach and yoga instructor whose life has been dedicated to sports and fitness. Her enthusiasm for health and fitness began with volleyball, sprinting and pole vaulting in high school. She then moved on to study yoga and personal training at Saint Paul College, and is now working toward a bachelor's degree in exercise physiology through Concordia College. She is also working as a yoga and strength conditioning instructor. Alana works with all types of general fitness clients and athletes but specializes in cross-training rock climbers. She has a strong belief that any person can achieve anything given the right goals, the right motivators and the right coach.

Qualifications:

• NASM Certified Personal Trainer
• Certified Yoga Instructor

Jennifer's interest in yoga began in her youth by studying books and practicing the poses. When she suffered an injury, Jennifer turned to yoga to heal her body. After taking various classes at community centers in Minneapolis In 2003, she moved to Arizona and began teaching at a yoga studio, it was there she discovered more about yoga & herself...truly beginning her journey on the path of yoga. In 2005 she completed her 200 hour yoga teacher's training (hatha & astanga based) through At One Yoga in Scottsdale. Jennifer enjoys sharing her love of yoga and all it's benefits with others, and believes that yoga is joyful and should be fun!

Patrick is a Registered Dietitian specializing in sports nutrition. He has been involved in athletics practically his entire life, allowing him to incorporate his knowledge of nutrition into practical advice for a wide range of athletes. Just as poor training can lead to sub-optimal results, Patrick believes that a personalized nutrition plan is a vital component to an athlete's success. Throughout high school, Patrick was competitive in cross country, basketball, and track, and he continues to compete recreationally in long-distance running events today. He is continuing his education at the University of Minnesota, where he is a Master's candidate in the exercise physiology program.

Qualifications:

• Master's Candidate in the Exercise Physiology Program

Dr. Nancy Cullen began her career in Sport Psychology in 1997 and is presently a consultant for the University of Minnesota’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and is in private practice. Dr. Cullen works with athletes from numerous sports backgrounds assisting them in mastering the mental skills of competition and achieving their best performance.

Dr. Cullen brings a unique blend of talent to the task of sport psychology and uses her knowledge, skills and experience to help athletes develop skills they need to achieve their goals and overcome barriers that may prevent them from moving to the next level. She does this by using positive psychology, setting attainable goals, developing relaxation and visualization techniques, increasing concentration, building confidence and more.

A former Division I athlete diving for the University of Minnesota’s women’s swimming and diving team, Dr. Cullen’s knows the pressures of sports training and competition. She has also achieved success as a national competitor in triathlons and as a Boston marathon qualifier. She is currently involved in equestrian sports and competes in show jumping and three day eventing.

Academic Degrees
Dr. Cullen received her doctorate degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN. She has a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and received a BS degree from the University of Minnesota in Health and Physical Education. Dr. Cullen has specialized training in Organizational and Sport Psychology and is a certified AASP Sport Psychologist.