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Doug Welling

Profile:

Date of Birth:

September 3, 1979

Family members:

Hannah – Wife (To be)

Kona – K-9

Places I’ve called home and why I like where I am now:

Dunedin, New Zealand; Santa Barbara, California; Colorado Springs and Boulder, Colorado; and Middlebury, Vermont; but currently Brunswick, Maine.  I still get jealous of the recreational opportunities the locations of the past had to offer, along with the ability to cycle outdoors 365 days/ year, but I truly love the 4 distinct seasons of Maine.  I also enjoy the tight-knit multi-sport community here in Maine.

Favorite Quote:

“…made weak by time and fate, but strong in will, to strive, to seek, to find, AND NOT TO YIELD.”

—Tennyson

Education

High School:

Cambridge Central School (K – 12 in one building☺ )

College/University:

Bates College, Lewiston, Maine

Favorite subjects/courses:

Anything science related, particularly Geology; there was hiking involved.

Coaching Background

I decided to pursue training and education as a coach because:

Sport, and more specifically rowing, had played an integral role in my personal education and self development. I wanted to stay close to sport while still having the opportunity to give something back. Immediately following graduation I accepted a job coaching rowing at Middlebury College.

I decided to join CTS because:

I wanted to surround myself with driven, like-minded individuals.  CTS offers a tremendous wealth of cumulative experience.  I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn from the company’s superlative collective knowledge.

What I liked best about the CTS coaching residency program:

I thoroughly enjoyed the continued education program. The weekly seminars and opportunity to share experience always pushed my coaching abilities to new levels. My favorite aspect however, was the lunch-time training sessions. It was never difficult to find motivation when everyone was heading out the door to work out.

My most rewarding coaching experience:

Witnessing the two-year evolution of an athlete as he went through a complete lifestyle change. This particular individual transformed from an alcoholic into an elite long-course triathlete.

My coaching philosophy is:

Achieving personal goals with a focus on sustainability. I’m a firm believer in designing a training plan that is realistic and geared towards the long term.

Coaching accomplishments:

5 age-group qualifications for various World Championships in 2006.

My coaching goals:

To continue to expand my career, service, and knowledge base as a coach.  In the near future I would like to pursue a graduate degree in the medical field to have a better understanding of orthopedics and sports-related injuries.

My proudest moment as a coach:

I would have to say that moment came recently when I had the opportunity to be at the finish line of a local athlete’s first half-Ironman finish.  The finish was quite emotional with his entire family present to embrace him at the line.  To think of how far he’d come since he started training made the moment special.

My area of coaching expertise is:

My personal passions in triathlon have gravitated towards the Ironman triathlon. Therefore I would place my expertise in Ironman and Ultra distance events.

My strongest coaching quality is:

Coaching is a fusion of art and science.  I strive to gather as much relevant information from an athlete as possible in regards to external stressors.  The training has to fit the individual’s lifestyle.  I regard my comprehensive view and sensitivity towards individuals’ needs as my greatest coaching asset.

The best coach I ever had was:

My Father.

The best advice I ever got from him/her was:

“Follow your passions and do what you love.”

Distinguished athletes I’ve coached:

From pro to first timer they’re all chasing personal bests.

Athletic Career Highlights

When I started Rowing and what got me started:

I started rowing my first year of college in 1997.  I attribute this sport as my first real start in endurance athletics and my first taste of structured training.  I got started after seeing a rowing shell parked in our school quad, approaching the coach with curiosity for the missile shaped object.  I started triathlon in 2001 as a means of replacing the competitive void that rowing once filled and have been hooked ever since.

Athletic accomplishments:

1st place in the New Zealand Collegiate rowing Championships.

2nd place overall at the Sea-to-Summit Triathlon, 2006.

3x Ironman finisher including qualifying for and competing in the Ironman World Championships, Kona 2005, and the 70.3 World Championships, Clearwater, 2006.

What triathlon means to me:

Triathlon is a means of constantly redefining personal physical and mental bounds.  I love the balance that the three sports provide, and the ability for complete newcomers to incorporate the sport as a true lifestyle.

My near and far-term athletic goals:

My near-term athletic goals include competing at the best of my ability at Ironman Lake Placid in 2007.  Beyond Lake Placid I would like to again compete in Kona, HI and later progress towards Western States or other Ultra distance trail-running events.

Activities I do for fun and exercise:

Anything out of doors.  I love winter cross-training such as Nordic skiing, snowboarding, winter hiking, and even whitewater kayaking.

My favorite race/competition and why:

Ironman World Championships, Kona, HI – It’s Kona

Ironman Lake Placid – I grew up near the region and draw energy from the powerful scenery.

My best athletic experience:

Kona

My worst athletic experience:

Knocking my front teeth out two days prior to Florida 70.3 in Orlando.  Upon arrival I went out for a training run, during a bathroom break I passed out, waking up on the floor minus three of my teeth.  The remainder of the day was spent in the local ER and in oral surgery.  They wired my teeth in and I was able to race.  Needless to say, I swam well wide of the buoys in gator territory to avoid a kick in the mouth, but fortunately qualified for 70.3 Worlds.

My most embarrassing athletic experience:

I was attempting a new style of peeing while on the bike at Ironman Lake Placid.  I’ll leave out the details, but essentially ended up going into my aero drink bottle.  I was very thankful for the aid stations and the ability to, uh, find fresh fluids.

My strongest athletic quality is:

Work ethic.

Pet peeves:

Drafting and doping.

I get pumped up for competition by:

I actually become very quiet with the attempt to relax on the outside while running through the mental gears on the inside.

Miscellaneous

When I’m not coaching or training I like to:

Spend time with my future wife and dog.  Our cabin in the woods is a great place to get away from it all.

The person I most admire in the world is:

My father and mother.

The best advice I ever got from him/her was:

Both my parents instilled true perspective on life.  When stress arises, really evaluate the situation and take inventory on what truly matters… health of family and self always trump modern day worries.

The neatest thing I ever found on a run/ride was:

Cold, hard cash.

Something non-sports related that no one would guess about me:

It is sports related, but not many people guess I used to be a competitive equestrian, competing in three-day eventing.

If I wasn’t a coach, I would be:

A Physician

My favorite meal/dessert is:

Ben and Jerry’s

“Bad” food I just can’t resist:

Ben and Jerry’s

My favorite music is:

80’s Rock

My favorite psych-up music is:

AC/DC

My favorite book is:

A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean

My favorite place in the world is:

Bozeman and the Gallatin River Valley, Montana.

When traveling, I never leave without:

Running Shoes

In my car you’ll find:

My HED trispoke wheelset I’ve been toting around since last race, a spare beanie, a window ice scraper, and an abundant amount of dog hair.

The oldest piece of sports equipment I am still using:

1998 Burton Canyon Snowboard

The best small bit of advice I can give is:

Be present, focus on the task at hand and only try to control the “controllables”.  In every race, have no regrets, cross that finish line knowing full well you gave the best effort on the day.

If I could meet anyone in the world, it would be:

I’d wish to spend another day with my father.

Pure relaxation is:

A warm summer evening, wading waist deep into a flowing river with a fly rod in hand.

I’m a real slacker when it comes to:

Cleaning the bathroom.

Hobbies and interests:

Fly-fishing, horseback riding, hiking, snowboarding, whitewater kayaking, and I still have a childhood collection of toy tractors.