Team NRGY LLC

I am probably one of the most unlikely triathletes, let alone a seasoned athlete and coach. My path of athletics has taken me everywhere from a 260 lb football lineman to international competition with the USANKF karate team in Greece and Venezuela. Now, my passion for triathlon has forged a new path by helping triathletes maximize their full potential on race day as a Chiropractor and Coach.

How did I end up in endurance sports? Looking back, it was a long winding journey. Football was all consuming through my teen years. Karate filled the off-season. Snowboarding took my attention as soon as the snow fell until it melted (I still love to snow board). I hated running (note: I was the last one across the line during "gasers" at the end of practice, do you remember those?) and had plenty to keep me busy. The tide started to change in college when a friend introduced me to mountain biking. I was hooked. Ride a bike on the road? Never. Little did I know that would change in a few years.

When I moved Florida in 2003, away from my family and friends, for Chiropractic school I had a lot of extra time. I started running to shed a few pounds and stay lean. I was still lifting a lot. My friends got me to enter a 5k. The rest is history. My competitive side of me took over as I beat all my friends in 23:15. This was followed by the Outback Distance Classic 12k where I took 1st in my age group and 23rd overall out of almost 2000 runners.

After watching an overweight kid on MTV finish a triathlon, I entered my first triathlon in 2004 (Suncoast Triathlon, St. Petersburg). Using my mountain bike, I finished in 1:04. Yup, I was bitten by the bug (the triathlon bug). I entered the Florida Half Ironman at Disney 6 months later and bought my first road bike. I have participated in countless triathlons and road races (running) and even run two marathons. I have posted personal bests in the Marathon (NJ) 3:27:53 (2009), Wyckoff Triathlon 1:37:55 (2009) and Olympic Distance (NYC) 2:18:49 (2009). I look forward to posting some long course PRs in the coming years.

My devotion to both multisport and the athletics has pushed me to expand my boundaries as a coach and doctor. I treat and train with athletes of all levels on a daily basis. I am Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (2008) and a USAT Certified Coach (May 2009). I have studied Active Release Technique (ART) and Kinesiotaping providing the athletes I work with a step up on their competition.

As a coach I look to get my athletes to push themselves to new limits. In my ten plus years of coaching (I have been coaching international level karate since 1998) I have learned to provide you with tools and knowledge to reach your personal goals. Working with me, you can expect a field-tested approach to training with recommendations based on the most recent research in the field of sport science and nutrition. I look forward to helping you maximize your performance.

Two time All-American; World Championship qualifier and competitor (Ironman, Half-Ironman and ITU Short Course); Two time Overall Female Winner of the Virginia Tri Series; Two time Overall Female Winner of the Coldwell Banker Elite Race Series; Boston Marathon qualifier/competitor; Winner of the 2007 New Jersey Marathon

Running for over 20 years, I compete regularly at distances ranging from the 5K to the marathon. I started doing triathlons in late 2008 and I have experience with distances from sprint to Ironman. With over eight years of teaching at the elementary school level, I enjoy working with athletes who are new to the sport, those looking to acquire or develop a new skill/discipline and those wishing to reach a new goal.

'You have cancer.'  Those were the words that turned me from a casual triathlete that competed a couple of times a year in small races into an Ironman.  After hearing those words, I went to a bike store, purchased a triathlon bike that I couldn't afford and hung it on my wall in my bedroom.  I promised myself that I would become an Ironman within a year, and I did.  Lake Placid 2009.  The rest is history.

I completed my USAT Coaching Certification in Summer 2010, with a strong interest in taking athletes to the next level in their lives.  Completing your first triathlon or becoming an Ironman means so much more if you can finish healthy, happy and wanting more.  The reward of coaching is when one of my athletes crosses a finish line, shares the moment with their family and loved ones......and wants me there among them.

I study the science of triathlon and love finding the right mix of workouts to maximize an athlete's performance, but also focus on the mental side of training, which is key to maintaining motivation and finding that healthy balance between family and working towards your triathlon goals.

Max Bernardes is a 9 time individual All-American swimmer, USAT National competitor (20-24), 2011 Virgina Triathlon Series age group champion. Max’s specializes in swimming stroke biomechanics, workout development, and core strength training. He is an ACSM certified personal trainer and Level 1 Crossfit trainer with experience coaching collegiate athletes, age group athletes and elite athletes. Max strengthens athletes focusing on improved range of motion and stability which assists in injury prevention and increased power.

Max is also FIST Certified for Triathlon bike fitting and the Owner of BIO CrossFit in King George Virginia. His knowledge and expertise on injury prevention as well as recovery is top notch and is always searching for ways to further his knowledge.

At a very young age my parents told me that they would not buy me a Nintendo, instead they would support me in any endeavor I wished to pursue so long as it didn’t involve playing a video game. Needless to say I took them up on their offer and have not looked back. Growing up I participated in many sports including baseball, basketball, football, hockey, swimming, wrestling, cross-country running, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing and I even raced BMX bikes.

At the age of 15 I started to focus my attention solely on the sport of ice hockey with the goal of playing hockey in college. After countless hours of shooting pucks in the driveway, lifting weights in the early morning hours before class, late night practices and many weekends on the road playing in prospect tournaments, my efforts finally paid off when I was recruited to play hockey for Hobart College in 2002. I was fortunate enough to play 4 years at the NCAA level, setting numerous school records as a team over that span, culminating with a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four in my senior season.

Ironically, it was hockey that led me to triathlon. I was coaching at a hockey school in 2003 in Lake Placid, NY the same week as the Ironman Triathlon. Something about the event intrigued me enough to go watch on my day off. I watched from the time the cannon went off until the last finisher crossed the line just before midnight. I was so inspired by the men and women who completed this incredible event of mental and physical endurance. The next week I took my earnings from hockey school, purchased a road bike signed up for my first triathlon and started training. At the age of 22 I completed my first Ironman and developed a strong passion for endurance sports that continues to push me to test my physical and mental limits. Since 2005, I have completed 3 Ironman’s, numerous Half-Ironmans, Olympic and Sprint distance triathlons around the world. I have also completed several marathons including the original in Athens, Ottawa and recently finished New York alongside my wife in her first marathon. I have completed several ultra distance relays and some pretty epic mountain bike rides.

In 2010 I became a USA Triathlon Level 1 certified coach because I wanted to share my passion for multi-sport racing with others. I love racing but there is no greater satisfaction than helping another athlete achieve their goals, whether it be coaching a first time athlete to a successful sprint distance finish or helping an experienced athlete shave minutes off their time to set a PR.

As an athlete and coach, I am a student of the sport constantly seeking to learn from elite athletes and world-class coaches. As an economist by education, I take a very analytical approach to training, analyzing key performance data after each workout to ensure the session was effective as it relates to the overall plan. I like to employ the use of technology such as video analysis to improve swim stroke and running mechanics. I also am well versed in designing strength training programs for developing a well balanced muscular system. Having spent two years working in a triathlon retail store, I bring a wealth of knowledge when it comes to gear selection, bike repairs and general triathlon equipment questions.

Whether you are a first time triathlete or an experienced age-grouper, I look forward to helping you achieve your multisport goals.