ATHLETE
As an athlete, Michael is best known for having won Ironman Canada in 1991 (8hr16min) & 1995 (8hr31min), breaking bike, run, and course records while defeating many of the sports top professional athletes.
M2 also claims the dubious distinction of having led the 1997 Ironman Japan for all but one minute of the race, the last minute of the race – thus finishing in a decidedly unsatisfying 2nd place. Hence, M2’s claim to having won 2.99 Professional Ironman Titles. Kona participations numbered six occasions, with 11th place (8hr38min) being the top finish.
M2’s formative years in triathlon were spent in Spain where he trained on a regular basis with a cadre of the best professional cyclists in the world— training group members included the 6th overall finisher in the Tour de France, and other riders who collectively won many stages in the Tour and Giro.
Swim and run training during an 8 year period took place in Spain’s equivalent of an Olympic Training Center, thus providing tremendous exposure to top athletes and coaches in a variety of sports.
COACH
M2 has coached endurance athletes (runners, cyclists, triathletes) since 1994. Athletes who were aware of M2’s meticulous and creative approach to his own training and the demonstrable results asked if they might receive similar coaching guidance.
Signature articles which demonstrate a willingness to think outside of the proverbial training box include: Rethinking Base Training – gotta build base, gotta ride miles, gotta, gotta… oh well. This article seeks to better define “base” and explains more effective ways to build such.
Training Backwards, the Pyramid Turned Upside Down. Written in 1996, this article inverts the formulaic traditional training pyramid, and explains that base can be more effectively built with limited volume and an initial focus instead on strength and threshold training, and later as the goal race approaches one switches to greater volume (race-specific).
The above approach is especially relevant for Ironman aspirants who too often get caught up in a never-ending cycle of volume, inevitable burn-out, and then a prolonged “taper” where fitness wanes even further.
Fuel Burning Efficiency – the sensible ideas contained within this article were once heresy to the textbook nutritionist crowd, but it is satisfying to see more academics catching up to what athletes like M2 demonstrated 20 years earlier.
BACKGROUND
Michael is originally from Boston, lived and trained for many years in Madrid Spain, and has resided in the San Francisco Bay area since 1997. A graduate of Brown University, Michael spent time at Vanderbilt University and various overseas study programs.
Prior to embarking on an athletic career, Michael worked as a marketing representative for IBM, eventually leaving the corporate world to pursue his personal goal of competing as a top athlete in the sport of triathlon.
Participation in other sports include competitive tennis, boxing, hockey, football, track, water and XC snow skiing, mountain biking, yoga, and the list goes on. M2 views sports as a vehicle with which to practice good health while challenging one’s mental and physical capacities.
