Bit of Bio

Once a hobby, now a career - I enjoy working in the health and wellness industry.  My name is Beverley Coburn and my business, Active Age Fitness, Toronto, Ontario, targets the needs of those from 40 to 64+ years.  Active Age Fitness provides personal training services that meet individual GOALS of improved HEALTH, FITNESS or PERFORMANCE.

Here is a little information about my background:

Certified as a Personal Trainer and an Older Adult Specialist, I have considerable experience in sports training. I am a Canadian Record holder in Masters 10,000-metre outdoor track (York U 2001), a Canadian Masters Ironman Triathlon champion (2005) and a five-time Ironman finisher including two Triathlon World Championships in Hawaii (2001 and 2005). 
I have trained with world-class coaches and Olympians in track, swimming and cycling and continue to train daily as a competitive runner and triathlete.  With my commitment to physical activity and elite sport training, I have gained valuable experience.
As an aging athlete, I understand the importance of preventing injuries and prolonging an active lifestyle by building bone density, muscle mass for strength and endurance as well as exercising to target heart health, balance, agility and flexibility.  The research and technology involved in training an athlete can be applied to anyone wishing to improve their fitness.

Ironman Triathlon is the premier of triathlon. The distances are:
? 4km Swim followed by
? 180km Bike, finishing with
? 42km Run (a marathon).

What is involved in training for an Ironman?

While training for my first Ironman Triathlon race, Ironman Canada 1999 in Penticton, British Columbia, I kept a journal of how I felt and all my workouts.  A couple of Ironman races later, I only kept track of the distances.  I qualified at Ironman Florida 2000 to go to Kona. Every kilometre was noted for 5 months leading up to the World Triathlon Championships 2001 in Kona, Hawaii. The distance covered in 5 months of training was the same as the distance to Hawaii – as the crow flies.
All the training distances in 5 months equaled the distance from Toronto to Hawaii -  7,500km:
? I swam over 300km
? I ran over 2000km and
? I biked over 5000km
In 2005, I qualified at Ironman Canada by winning my age category to race again in the World Championships in Hawaii 6 weeks later.
Two Ironman races – so close together – ouch! If you get the ‘spot’ in Hawaii – you’ve ‘got to’ go!
What is a good GOAL? A good GOAL is one that you are 85% sure you can accomplish.
I consider myself an average athlete who trains smart and has LOFTY GOALS – I believe that Ironman is possible for anyone who wants to commit to the training.