Matthew Wisthoff

“As a perpetual student of endurance sports, I have always sought out to find the “why” behind what we do as athletes, and prescribe as coaches. Quite simply, my approach has been that every workout should have a purpose, and that chasing arbitrary numbers, whether it’s mileage, yardage, or hours, should never be the focus. Getting my athletes to the start line physically and mentally healthy is my number one goal.”

Coming up as a swimmer during a time when many coaches still emphasized yardage for yardage sake, I’ve seen how this myopic approach leads to burned-out athletes, and sub-par performances. For triathlon, this is massively important, as you are training for three sports, and the potential for overtraining is high. My philosophies have been developed over the years from my experiences coaching triathletes from sprint to long-course triathlon, operating a Computrainer studio where I developed individual workouts and season training plans and conducting group and one-on-one swim instruction for athletes of all ages. Through my work writing and implementing smart trainer specific workouts, I’ve developed an intimate knowledge of training with power on the bike. In combination with heart rate based training and perceived exertion metrics in running and swimming, I’m constantly considering what form of feedback works best for each individual athlete.

With regards to my personal athletic career, my passion  triathlon and endurance sports spans multiple decades, beginning with 15 years of competitive swimming, which culminated in competing for UNC-Wilmington at the Division 1 level. While attending college, I began to compete in triathlon during the off season, and upon graduating, stepped up to elite level competition. Early on, I primarily focused on the ITU draft legal racing format, eventually shifting to non-draft legal international and half-iron distance competitions. While I primarily raced domestically, I also had the privilege to compete internationally at the World Cup level, and in the Bundesliga Triathlon League in Germany. In addition to triathlon, I also enjoy competing in bike racing, including road races, criteriums, mountain biking, gravel grinders, and everything in between. As a former ocean lifeguard, I’ve also competed in surf lifesaving competitions for many years at the regional and national level.