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Tristan Cowie

Details

C O A C H B I O	Name	Tristan Cowie
	What Carmichael Training Systems says about this coach:
	Date of Birth	5/16/89
	Hometown	Dahlonega, GA
	Current Residence	Brevard, NC
	Favorite Ride/Run/Hike/Swim/etc.	Favorite ride? Can't pick, but here are some good ones. My private trails in Georgia, the city park in Guelph Canada, Sycamore Cove, and the Lee's McRae home cross country course.
	Education/Degree(s)	BS Exercise Science at Brevard College in Brevard, NC
	Certifications (USAC, USAT, Power Training, NISSN, CSCS, etc.)	USAC Level Three Coach
	CTS Coaching Level	Expert
	Sports You Coach	Mountain biking, road, cyclocross, running
	Packages You Coach	Select and Premium
	Major Coaching Accomplishments: Coaching an athlete to third place at 2011 Cyclocross Nationals
	Experience that cemented your passion for Endurance Sports: Probably my very first race when I was nine years old. I had a good start but slowly got passed around the short loop we were racing on. I was waiting for the second lap when we finished. I couldn't believe that we only did one lap. Next year I came back and made sure to pace for a one lap race...
	Areas of special interest or specialization as a coach: I have long been a competitive mountain bike racer so anything with mountain bikes or racing or both is my favorite. Specifically in mountain biking I have always had a big interest in growing the sport and discovering new found talent. I coach and have coached several up and coming younger athletes and have enjoyed teaching them about training and racing but also life lessons that they can carry on and use later in life.
	How would you describe your personality or style as a coach? To back my biographical info I like athletes who work hard and train hard but play harder. Although your training is very important I want an athlete that can be dedicated and motivated but also knows when to relax and remember the things that make their sport so enjoyable.
	What can an athlete expect from you as their coach? One of the first things I ask a new athlete is why are you doing what you are doing? Their response is kept as the theme of the training. Why do you ride? Why do you run? If at some point the athlete get too caught up in the training or racing or traveling and forgets why they are doing what they are doing then the work they've done carries no weight. Bottom line, you've got to keep it fun. I want my athletes to work hard and traing hard but have fun while they are doing it. Because if you're not enjoying it what's the point?
	Distinguished Athletes that you have coached: If I told you I'd have to kill you.
	Sport(s) you most enjoy participating in: Mountain Bike Racing of any type. Short, long, but it's gotta have some rad singletrack.
	Greatest Athletic Accomplishments Some would say three National Mountain Bike Championships, but I say helping coach the collegiate team to their two naitonal titles. That was always the top goal, if I won jerseys it was always an extra benefit. If I can help someone else achieve their goals, then that's as good as winning.
	What do you like most about competing? I'd say the best part is the challenge. I have a good idea of the tools I have at my disposal (from a mental and phyiscal perspective) and the harder and more challenging the competition the better. I really like preparing and competiting and then figuring out what I did right and what I did wrong. Because you don't learn anything when you win...unless you know what to look for.
	Sport you would like to get involved with in the future: Something different; maybe motor sports or snow sports. Anything really, maybe even sled dogs.
	What is your favorite competition you have ever done? Favorite? Hmmmm...they're are several. Since it's a compeition I'd say any of the races I did in Europe during my time as a Under 23 rider. Racing World Cups is an unforgettable experience. Words can't even begin to describe the insanity that goes on. Ask one of my teammates, who got his front teeth knocked out by an angry Belgian.
	Best Athletic Experience Racing my first national race in Sugar Mountain, NC. It was a heck of an eye opener. We literally started 10 feet behind the Pros and raced them up the mountain. Showed me that there's a whole lot more out there, and I was one small fish in a big pond.
	What is your worst athletic experience and what did you learn from it? Probably flatting in the World Championship race in 2007. I ran over half the lap to the pits and had it fixed. I flew across the world and ended up second to last. But it reminded me that you have to look at the whole picture. I was racing in the World Championships!
	How do you motivate yourself prior to competition? If it's a mountain bike race, usually watching some motocross racing and downhill racing. I look for something that I know I would have fun doing and I roll to the start relaxed and calm.
	What do you like to do when not training or coaching? Cook, listen to music, read. Relaxing things, because coaching and training usually take a lot of energy haha!
	What is your favorite book? I've been rolling out a bunch recently. So right now: The Given Day, Slient Witness, Faint at the River, The Moon is Down.
	What is your favorite food? Bacon; something tells me that I shouldn't admit that here.
	What is your go-to recovery meal? See above.
	If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go? At the top of the list at the moment is New Zealand. Close second is a cool island like Curacao.
	Something about you people would not guess: I can scrub a cross country bike and I have mad floor hockey skills.
	Can you ride a mean wheelie? No comment.

Profile:

Three words to describe Tristan? Hardworking, alphamale, jackhammer. He grew up riding bikes and running cross country in the mountains of North Georgia before discovering Brevard College in North Carolina. There he led the collegiate team to two consecutive National Championships while picking up three national titles for himself. After two summers of racing UCI World Cups in Europe and competing across the country he scaled the racing back to focus on his dream career as a cycling coach. Looking for a dedicated, enthusiastic coach that knows how to have a good time while racing the best the in the world? Tristan is the perfect coach to learn how to Train Right!