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Welcome to the Fall Newsletter!

Once again, what a season for QT2 Systems athletes! And we still have just over two months to go!! QT2 athletes continue to post amazing results, no matter where they toes the starting line. This issue will highlight some of these great results, as well as interviews with our newest coach Vinny Johnson, athlete and Core Dieter Jay McNeil, who dropped a remarkable 30 lbs (120 lbs., in total, during his transformation), and QT2 Mission Planner Melissa Labrie. Read on to catch up on some of 2012's highlights...so far. Also, don't forget about our 26 remarkable athletes racing in the upcoming Ironman World Championships, next month in Kona. You can check that out, right HERE.

QT2 Team Update

The 2012 season has been one to remember! There have been so many fantastic performances, both from QT2's professionals, and age-group athletes alike. Cait Snow's come from behind 2nd place finish at Ironman Texas, falling just short of an overall victory, and Jessie Donavan's back-to-back wins at Ironmans Lake Placid and Mont-Tremblant, were just a couple of the outstanding performances that are simply too numerous to count.

In less than one month's time, on October 13th, 26 QT2 Systems athletes will be at the starting line for the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, HI.

Let's take a minute to remember just a few of the stellar performances that we've seen since Ironman Lake Placid, this past July:

Cait Snow - 2nd OA at Ironman 70.3 Timberman, 1st OA @ Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island

Pedro Gomes - 8th OA at Ironman NYC

Debi Bernardes - 4th AG at Ironman 70.3 World Championships

Erick Anderson - 5th OA at Pumpkinman Half-Ironman

Pat Wheeler 8th OA at Pumpkinman Half-Ironman

Debi Caprio 3rd AG at Pumpkinman Half-Ironman

Jason Frank - 3rd AG at USAT Age-Group Nationals

Ted Macmahon - 4th AG at Ironman Mont-Tremblant

Pattie Dalconzo - 1st AG at Ironman Mont-Tremblant

Andy Salmon - 6th AG at Ironman Louisville

Amy Javens - 1st AG at Ironman Louisville

Mariana Lara- 4th AG at Ironman Louisville

Core Diet Tip of the Month

Greek yogurt is a staple for many athletes, due to its high protein and low sugar content. It also has low levels of lactose compared to other yogurts, making it a possible choice even for those with lactose sensitivities. Try something new with this Core Diet "fave"! Rather than mixing with fruit for an afternoon snack, mix 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt with chili powder, dried cilantro, garlic powder, dried parsley, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, pepper, and you have yourself a Hot & Spicy Mexican Dip! Eat with mixed raw vegetables, or if you are in a post-workout window, try some crackers!

Core Diet Athlete Spotlight

When it comes to the sport of triathlon an athlete's weight can directly affect performance. For many, weight loss is typically a matter of a few pounds here, a few pounds there. For Jay McNeil, following the Core Diet has truly been a life-changing process.

Q: How long have you been involved in the sport of triathlon and when did you get involved in long course training and racing?

A: I became involved in the sport about 3 years ago and have completed four 70.3 distance races and one Ironman since then. I raced Ironman Austin 70.3 my first year. I attempted Ironman Louisville in 2011 but gave up during training. This was before I knew about the Core Diet and QT2 Systems. I had no plan. No coach. No direction.

Q: How did you become involved with QT2 Systems?

A: I wanted to attempt Ironman again, but simply figured that without help it simply wasn't going to happen. I then met Amanda Cassell through a local triathlon club, and knew she was a dietician. So, I approached her for nutritional help. She told me all about the Core Diet and QT2 Systems, and I immediately went to the website when I got home.

Q: What was your initial impression with the group, specifically regarding the Core Diet?

A: I was excited because I knew my diet was holding me back, but I had no idea how to fix it. I had a poor diet, and no race fueling plan. I didn't know what, when, or how much to eat.

Q: The before and after photos of you pre-Core Diet vs. post are amazing. How much weight did you actually lose and how did you go about doing that?

A: I lost a total of 120 lbs over the past few years. I dropped 90 lbs prior to the core diet. I was really bad in many aspects of my overall health. I drank a lot and was very lazy. I stopped drinking and started moderate exercise, and over the next two years lost 90 lbs. I had a lot of stubborn belly fat and was still a bit over weight. I was running and training, but nothing would get that extra bit of weight off. I began the Core Diet and the weight started coming off immediately. I lost the remaining 30 lbs over the next few months.

Q: Were you a larger guy growing up or did it come from work, family, stress, etc?

A: I was always very fit growing up and regularly played sports. I started drinking after high school and it just got worse and worse, over the years, and subsequently my health declined to the point where I either would have to change it or risk dying. I topped out at 305 lbs; my race weight is now 185 lbs.

Q: How has following the Core Diet affected you overall; training, racing, "living?"

A: WOW!! I can't say enough about it. I am so much faster than I once was. I improved my marathon time by :45 minutes, in just four months while on the Core Diet. cI took :15 minutes off of my half marathon time, and :35 minutes off of my Half-Ironman time. I COMPLETED IRONMAN TEXAS in 12:35, just eight months after having begun all of the training. I feel so much better on an everyday basis. I'm no longer sleepy during the day, and I no longer have mood swings from lack of proper nutrition.

Q: What are your immediate racing plans going forward?

A: Well, I raced two Olympic events this year and will be in Augusta for the Ironman 70.3, on September 30th. I'll pick things back up after a short break to run the St. Jude Memphis Marathon on December 1st.

Q: What suggestions would you have for others in your position, or should I say, the position you had been in?

A: Proper diet is everything. Not just for training and racing, but for general living. I don't see the Core Diet as simply a diet, but rather a new way of eating and living.

Q: Any additional comments you would like to add?

A: Marathons and triathlons are a lot more fun when you fuel the right way. I was on both blood pressure and cholesterol medications. As a result of following the Core Diet, I was able to give up both!

Coaches Spotlight - Vinny Johnson

Vinny Johnson has over 15 years of general coaching experience in various sports. It's only been over the last two that he has really focused on the sport of triathlon. For the past three seasons he has been a QT2 coached Mission Plan athlete who found our principles and philosophies so comprehensive that he could think of nothing better than to join our staff. We took a few minutes to get to know Vinny...

Q: Welcome to the QT2 Coaching Staff! How long have you been involved with QT2 Systems, and how did you initially come to us?

A: Thanks a lot! I started working with QT2 in June of 2009. At that point, "Mission Plans" weren't yet an option, so I started with designed training plans (Personalized Plans), and then became a part of the Mission Plan group, once it became an available option.

Q: How long had you been working as a coach prior to joining QT2's coaching squad?

A: I have always been an off/on coach, since college (1997). I have coached high school baseball, high school track, and master's swimming, but it has been within the last two years that I have become more triathlon specific in my coaching.

Q: Recently (2012), you've done quite well as a triathlete. Can you share a bit about your overall triathlon experience? How long have you been involved with the sport? How have you grown over the years?

A: I did my first triathlon in 1994 after my freshman year at UNH, where I was a member of the swim team. During our pre- season dry land training that first year, I found out that I was a decent runner. This was something that I hadn't realized about myself, up until that point. Once the pool sessions started, it was a whole different experience. I had a lot of catching up to do. I debated whether to actually join track, instead of swimming. In the end,swimming at that level posed more of a challenge then track would have. Anatomically, I was built like a runner and not a swimmer. So in the back of my mind, I felt that if I could find an outlet to incorporate my running ability with my swimming fitness, I could be competitive. Triathlon fit this perfectly, so I started to compete in events during the off-season.

Growing up as a swimmer, I trained very hard, all of the time. The idea of, easy days and hard days wasn't really something that I was exposed to back then. My body was used to 2-4 hours of heavy training each day. I brought that approach to cycling and running, and it simply didn't work. For example, I would go out and just hammer on the bike for 1-2 hours, or just run 3-4 miles as fast as I could. If I felt good, I would push it. If I felt bad, I would still push it, even harder in fact. It was the "moderately hard to hard" effort everyday training plan. I did this for years. The result of all of this training was pretty much the same results year in, and year out. After Mooseman 2009, I was finally fed up and decided to get some help and guidance. So, in retrospect, my biggest areas of growth have been in strength (hitting the weights), and making my easy days EASY, and my hard days HARD!

Q: What is your general coaching philosophy? What specific attributes do you bring to the table for your athletes?

A: In the classroom, I always tell my students that "they aren't born smart, they become smart." Far too often we just give up if something doesn't come easily the first few times we try something. In order to learn something, it must be done with effective effort, on a consistent basis. I bring these same philosophies to coaching. You weren't born fast, but you can become fast. I feel as though I have a good sense of what people need, both from a planning and motivational standpoint. Coming up with the plan to get ready for your "A" race is pretty cut and dry based on the needs of the athlete. It is the execution of that plan that takes the most effort from a coach's point of view. Motivational levels will change. Sickness, family obligations, random events, injuries, aches, pains, etc. need to be navigated by a coach to get to that starting line 100% ready to execute. I feel that I 'get' the big picture of training and life, and understand how to properly get athletes from a starting point, to a race in great shape to give their best, regardless of what they've gone through, outside of the actual training.

Q: How do you view the QT2 Systems protocol vs. other systems that you have either seen, or been involved with?

A: Bottom line, there just isn't anything that is overlooked or neglected. Just doing the training will give you a certain result. Doing the training, and having spot on nutrition/rest, and race fueling will give you even better results. You get the picture. QT2 makes sure that the training is in place, you are eating and resting properly, you know and have practiced fueling performance, you understand how to pace your races, and you are mentally prepared to perform. That systematic approach is something I just haven't seen, or experienced anywhere else.

I've also always appreciated the sharing of knowledge that occurs on the forum that's available to all athletes, or during the regularly held webinars. It isn't a "just do this" approach, it is "do this, and let me show you why" approach.

Q: How do you balance being a coach, an athlete, and a high school teacher?

A: I have no idea!! It is not easy! I guess I'm lucky. I just don't have many restrictions on my life outside of those three roles, so I can make it work. There just isn't much time for wasting time, so life, day in and day out, becomes very efficient.

Q: What are three things the sport of triathlon has given you, from a personal perspective, and why?

A: I feel the number one thing triathlon has given me is a platform to inspire others. At the end of the day, I feel that is why I do this sport. The second would be a reason to possess good habits of living. I feel habits can't be eliminated; they can only be transferred from good to bad. So if you break a bad habit, and have nothing in place to fill that void you will most likely go back to that habit. Knowing that it I always have to prepare for a race, on the horizon, focuses me to constantly fill my life with proper healthy habits of living, instead of the alternatives. The third thing the sport of triathlon has given me, is the sense of being able to overcome what you may feel is impossible in your mind. Triathlons have provided me with the mindset that I can do anything. I just don't think, "I can't" anymore, regardless of if it is an athletic challenge, job challenge, or life challenge. Being with this sport for so long has allowed me to develop a mindset of confidence to take on just about anything.

Athlete Spotlight - Melissa Labrie

Melissa Labrie learned how to figure skate when she was just four years old. In fact it was all she did until the age of fourteen. As a teen, team sports took hold with basketball and soccer. It wasn't until she entered college that running, 'for fun', began to stay in shape. In 2009 she entered her first half-marathon, The Seacoast Half Marathon, in New Hampshire, and it wasn't too much longer before triathlon entered her radar screen. Just this past July, Melissa completed her first Ironman, in Lake Placid, NY. When not training and racing, Melissa works at Southern New Hampshire University, where she's also studying to complete a second Master's degree; an M.S. in Organizational Leadership. We asked Melissa a few questions to get an idea of who she is:

Q:When did you first get involved with the sport of triathlon?

A: In 2011. After seeing fellow QT2 Systems athlete, Steve Soba compete in 2010, I knew I wanted to get a bike. I had already been swimming as a means of recovery from run training, as well as doing spinning classes at a local gym. So, in January, 2011 I bought a heavy Fuji entry-level tri bike (named The Tank), to make sure I would like being on a bike - I loved it! This past winter, I upgraded to a brand new Cervelo P3. MUCH lighter!

Q: How did you hear about QT2 Systems, and what made you decide to start working with us?

A: The day after Ironman Lake Placid in 2011, a friend of ours sent Steve, Jesse Kropelnicki's blog on Mastering the Ironman Run. When I got home I looked up QT2 and started doing some research, but that article was really all that I needed. It just made perfect sense!

Q: You're a Mission Athlete. Can you explain why you prefer going this route versus the One-on-One service?

A: Well, it was a couple of things. I was afraid to become a One-on-One athlete, because at the time I was in the middle of studying for my second Master's degree and didn't want to have to constantly connect with a coach on a daily basis; or at least that was my impression. With the Mission Plan, if I had a question, I would simply ask on the Ask the Coach Forum that QT2 provides all of its athletes, and it's answered pretty immediately that day, and that's the end of it.

Q: What was your race schedule for 2012? How have you fared? Has QT2 helped you to realize the goals you had set for yourself?

A: My schedule included: Great Bay Half Marathon (8 minute PR), Bassman Sprint Triathlon (12 minute PR), Rev 3 Quassy Half Ironman (10 minute run PR), and Ironman Lake Placid. IMLP was my first full and was an experience I'll never forget! I also just completed the Lobsterman Olympic, this past weekend, and had a 28 minute PR! I will finish off my season at the Miami 70.3 on October 28th.

QT2 Systems has helped me a great deal! I was someone who really didn't believe in the whole HR thing, since my run paces in December were 12 minute miles - for real. There would be days I would come home crying, but after finally seeing my times improve, and then the 8 minute PR at the Great Bay Half Marathon in April, I became a believer. I think Coach Tara who is Steve's One-on-One coach told him in the winter that "The Wizard" (Coach Jesse Kropelnicki), says, "trust me now and believe me later." That was very true in my case. I had to trust that my plan was going to help me get to a PR on a very hilly course, and just go with it. It worked!

Q: Would you have any suggestions for anyone else considering the Mission Plan route?

A: Do it! Why wait? If you can't give yourself a good enough reason not to, then sign up now.

Q: What are your plans for 2013?

A: If all goes according to plan and we can get in with registration, Rev3 Quassy Half Ironman (already registered), Vineman 70.3, and Ironman Arizona. I'm not sure about the other races, as they'll be contingent upon getting into Ironman Arizona.

Q: Any other thoughts or suggestions?

A: QT2 Systems is truly one of the best decisions I have ever made. The Mission Plan is still a personalized plan that works well for people with busy schedules. The training along with The Core Diet and personalized race fueling plans just scream PR's!