Triathlete, Entrepreneur, Dad: Coach Troy Jacobson

Clever Parents: You’ve got your hands full, how do you make time for training, coaching, business, and family?
Coach Troy Jacobson: I prioritize my ‘areas’ of life and focus on the things that offer the highest paybacks. These are related to my personal value system, of which my family is at the very top of the list.

Everyday is an exciting one that I can’t wait to start and it usually begins with getting my 2-year-old daughter out of bed early in the morning and spending time with her. From that point on, everything else falls into place according to my schedule and I accomplish as much as possible everyday.

CP: Any work-life balance tips for other parents out there?

Coach Troy: I think that the most important skill-sets a parent needs to develop are self-discipline and time management. We all have only 24 hours in a day and every hour, except for sleeping of course, needs to be involving a high payback activity. To me, one of the highest payback activities is spending time with my wife and daughter. This keeps me focused on my other goals in life, keeps me grounded and motivated to achieve at a higher level.

CP: What do you say to the parent who says, I can’t find time to workout?

Coach Troy: I coach lots of very busy parents who live full lives including high level professional careers and participating in Ironman distance triathlons. They are able to fit everything in, including their training, due to very effective time management skills and fantastic self-discipline. They know what they want out of life and take personal responsibility to make it happen.

People who say that they don’t have ‘time’ are basically just making excuses. We all have only 24 hours in a day and some people use those 24 hours very effectively while others simply do not. It’s a matter of making the choice to exercise and then committing one hour a day to doing it…even if it is done at 5 am each morning! A healthy and physically fit person functions at a much higher level, including when it comes to parenting skills.

CP: Triathlon has gained a lot of popularity recently, what do you attribute that to?

Coach Troy: Triathlon is the perfect lifestyle sport because it is challenging, social, fitness oriented and involves three sports (swimming, biking and running) that we’ve all done and loved since we were kids. Doing triathlon is almost like being a child again, playing and enjoying being active but with the added benefits of increasing our health and fitness.

I also believe that triathlon is so popular because it offers a healthy diversion to our hectic lives. Going out on a bike ride on a clear summer day or a run on the trails does wonders for the mind and the body.

Finally, the sport is very family oriented and ties directly to goal setting and achievement. Triathletes tend to be in the top 1% of society socially and financially. Triathletes who are also parents set great examples for their children, striving to always improve and live a life of excellence.

CP: What is the most intimidating thing for first time triathletes?

Coach Troy: I think that the most intimidating thing for first time triathletes is the notion of the open water, mass start swim. People have visions of being shoved under water, being swam over and being kicked in the face. While this can happen, it rarely does if you ’seed’ yourself properly according to your swimming levels and experience. I always suggest to my novice athletes that they line up toward the back of the pack and once the gun goes off, they count to ten before starting. This slower start makes very little difference at the end of the race but is great for building confidence and piece of mind.
CP: You train some of your clients remotely, how do you make that work without having you physically there yelling at them?

Coach Troy: Ha! Fortunately, I have my Spinervals and Runervals workout DVD’s that I can have my athletes do…becoming their ‘virtual’ coach and yelling at them through the TV screen! Actually, ‘remote’ coaching is very effective and I’ve been doing it since 1992. With remote coaching, you get to have your training program professionally developed and monitored, allowing you to focus 100% on improving.

I also conduct camps and workshops throughout the country and get to meet my athletes at these various events, allowing for me to create a strong relationship with them. I get to see their training form and technique as well as get to know their strengths and weaknesses first hand, increasing my effectiveness as their coach.
CP: What tips do you have for first time triathletes?

Coach Troy: I suggest that novice triathletes, or anyone getting into something new for that matter, find a mentor or coach to help them from the very beginning. There is no point in ‘winging it’ and going through trial and error when there are others who have specific knowledge that can help you reach your goals faster and reduce the risk of getting injured.

CP: What is your favorite book to read to your daughter?

Coach Troy: She loves anything with Dora The Explorer! She also likes Dr. Suess and before bed, her favorite book is GoodNight Moon.

CP: What is a favorite Jacobson family activity?

Coach Troy: We like to go to the local bookstore and hang out for a little while. Our little girl, Hope, who just turned 2 years old, loves ‘reading’ books and heads straight to the kid’s section to browse through the latest in the Elmo and Dora collections.
Our weekend mornings are spent ‘working out’ as a family. We just opened up a new personal training studio so we head there on weekend mornings before it opens for a short family training session. Our daughter has a great time watching mommy and daddy workout and does a variation of pushups and jumping jacks…very funny. Afterwards we head to the local bagel shop for bagels and juice.

For more information about Coach Troy’s services and products, visit www.spinervals.com or www.coachtroy.com or call toll free, 1-888-288-0503