Mark Beckwith

"I made the transition to triathlon in 2003 after 2 years competing in adventure race events. Not coming from a swim, bike or running background I concentrated that first season on getting familiar with the sport and gradually making my way into the longer distance events. At the end of the 2003 season I decided to sign up for Ironman Wisconsin and make this the focal point of my 2004 season. 6 months leading up to the race I knew that if I was going to put in so much time and effort into this race I might as well do it the correct way and hire a coach. After doing some due diligence Katja was referred to me by a friend who was a certified coach himself. Not only did her credentials, methods and rates meet or exceed anything I found from other available trainers, but if she was being used as a coach by a competitive Ironman triathlete who also happened to be a coach I knew she was the best choice.

Previous to my training with Katja I had rarely using a heart rate monitor during training, let alone ever taken a lactic threshold test. Over the next few months I was able to realize how important these tools are to regulating your pacing, intensity, improvement and personal limits. This is the foundation of Katja's training method and will forever be the basis of all my training sessions.

My first test to see how Katja's training method had enhanced me as a triathlete came at the 2004 Spirit of Racine ½ Ironman. I knew this would be a lofty test relative to my race last season since I was in the tailend of recovery from an Achilles heel injury and did not want to risk a reinjury 2 months before the Ironman. I finished the race at a time of 4:29; well over a :30min improvement over my time in 2003; reconfirming my endorsement of Katja and her training methods.

I came into Ironman Wisconsin confident in my preparation but not setting any specific time or ranking goal. I knew that Katja had prepared me well and if I just followed her race strategy and stayed within the heart rate zones she gave me I would be fine. I finished in a time of 11:08 placing me 21st in age group and top 8% overall.

As I set my goals for 2005 and beyond I am confident that I will be able to meet and surpass my expectations with the help of Katja. Her communication and constant feedback provide me with a wealth of information I can use during all my training sessions. Her customized programs allowed me to train affectively for an Ironman while having a full time job; and the flexibility to work around travel dates. Over the last few months i've realized the importance that periodization, testing ones limits and recovery are in a training program. With Katja's help I look forward to many more seasons challenging myself in Ironman and other endurance events with great anticipation and excitement. "

Mark Beckwith

Brett Petersen

"In the fall of 2002 I signed up for the 2003 Ironman Wisconsin. This would be my first Ironman. I knew I was in for a tough year of training and that my training would need to be effective to get me to the finish line strong. After contacting a half dozen triathlon coaches and looking at their qualifications, I knew Katja was the best choice for me.

There are a lot of good coaches out there. Not only does Katja have the education that is required to be an excellent coach, she has proven experience in that she is one of the fastest female triathletes in the world. These credentials sold me on hiring Katja as my coach.

Initially Katja asked me to have a lactate threshold test preformed in order to set my heart rate training zones perfectly. After my initial test, she could tell the results were inaccurate and she had me repeat the test according to her protocol. This was done, and lactate threshold data combined with data obtained from a personal questionnaire allowed Katja to develop a personal training program for me. This is what really set Katja apart from other coaching programs I had looked into. Other programs will sell you a training program (often at double or triple the cost), but their programs are built for the general athlete, not for you.

Katja builds her program in cycles. For three weeks, the intensity increases, and then the fourth week is a much needed recovery week. The schedule is in four-week increments, but they are individualized, such that if a conflict occurs during the training cycle, it can be amended. Which although this rarely occurred in my training program, Katja expeditiously changes the program to fit my needs.

I signed up with Katja in November and shortly thereafter developed a race schedule that began with the Hamburg Marathon in April and ended with Ironman Wisconsin. In between these two races were a sprint triathlon, two international distance triathlons, and one half ironman. This was a tough schedule, but I was adequately prepared, even without tapering for and using the in between races as training runs.

The results of Katja's training program were phenomenal! At the Hamburg marathon, I finished in 3:20, which was ten minutes faster than my previous personal record. Up to Ironman Wisconsin I finished top 10 in my age group at every race. Ironman Wisconsin was the goal race of the year, and I cannot believe how prepared I was for the race, given the conditions of the race.

At Ironman Wisconsin, temperatures reached almost 35 degrees Celsius during the marathon. There was a dropout of 15%, which is a record for Ironman North America. With Katja's training, I remained strong, given the conditions; throughout the entire race I was one of the few that remained running at the finish. My finish time was 11:31, which was enough to place me in the top 10% of my age group and overall. I was worried throughout the entire day, because I know I generally do not handle hot temperatures very well, but Katja Mayer's training program got me through the day strong. I was not even sore the day after! Three days later, I was running again and am now looking forward to Ironman USA in Lake Placid. I am counting on Katja to get me to the finish line there as an Ironman Hawaii qualifier."

Brett Petersen

Harn Wei Kua

"After I have seen marked improvement in my performance at IM Malaysia in 2002 (11:15) under Katja, I decided to make a few changes. I wanted to step up to a greater challenge in distance racing - Double Ironman (7.6km swim, 360km bike and 84.4km run). But there is one thing I won't change - Katja Mayer as my coach!!

Katja has stellar record as a coach for ultra runners and I know her experience is what I need to learn from in order to complete a string of tough events for 2003. I have a 100km run in April, IM time-trial in June and of course the Double Ultra Triathlon World Championship in Lithuania in end August. What impresses me about Katja is that she is meticulous in her planning and knows exactly when I should cut down (or beef up) the different components of my training program. Above all, she shows genuine concern for the health of her athlete, stressing that a happy athlete is a fast athlete!

My results speak for themselves and Katja's expertise in coaching. I clocked a PB in IM of 10:49:50, about 25 min faster and came in 8th overall in the World Championship for the Doubles (and became one of the only two first-timers who made it to the top 10 this year). My time of 27:04:11 is only a few hours from the Asia Record.

I highly recommend Katja to be YOUR COACH. After knowing her for 2 years as a friend and mentor, I dare say she is definitely one of the very best and approachable coaches you can get out there. You must know this: there are many pro triathletes out there who are very good but as coaches (yes, they charge a bomb too!) they simply can't deliver. Training and coaching are two different things. In Katja, they have become one."

Harn Wei Kua