QT2 Systems Podcast Center!

Have you ever looked back at a day in your life, and said "WOW - I Can't Believe I did That!"? In this podcast series, listen to QT2 athletes tell the stories of how they achieved goals that they once never dreamed possible.

Season 2, Episode 8 features QT2 athlete Jason Howard, coached by Bob Richter. Jason's journey in the sport of triathlon began just eighteen months ago. In the spring of 2023, Jason, a long-time runner, was sidelined with a broken foot. Under doctors orders, until his foot fully healed, he could only participate in closed chain exercises. Jason used this set back as an opportunity to try something new and he signed up for his first sprint triathlon. Jason bought a bike and hit the pool, and only a few weeks later, he finished he was a triathlete. Buoyed by this accomplishment, he participated in several triathlons over the next few months, capping off his season with the Oilman middle distance race. The following day, already thinking about his next goal, the Houston Marathon, Jason did a short easy run. Unfortunately, his body was not ready for the effort, and he injured his other foot, this time the peroneal tendon.

In the spring of 2024, with bigger goals on his mind, Jason hired Coach Bob Richter. Together, they plotted out a schedule for the season, targeting IRONMAN California has is A race. With much to learn, Jason put his head down and did the work. In October, he was ready to be an IRONMAN. The day started out well, with both the swim and bike playing out better than expected. The first seven miles of the run also went well, and then his foot gave out on him. He could not even walk without intense pain. At that point, Jason was not sure he could continue and considered dropping out of the race. But he willed himself to continue. After several stops and starts, the pain eased up and Jason knew that he could complete the race. This was Jason's GREATEST MOMENT. Crossing the finish line sealed the deal.

To learn more about QT2 Systems, visit https://www.qt2systems.com

Have you ever looked back at a day in your life, and said "WOW - I Can't Believe I did That!"? In this podcast series, listen to QT2 athletes tell the stories of how they achieved goals that they once never dreamed possible.

Season 2, Episode 7 features QT2 athlete Lori Comber, coached by Courtney Kutler. On October 19, 2024, Lori crossed the line of IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina in a time of 5:39:08. Setting a huge PR and smashing her season time goal by more than 20 minutes. Even more special, she crossed the finish line with her friend and triathlon partner Erica, making it a storybook ending.

As a child, Lori never imagined this day. Growing up on a farm, Lori was an overweight child and started smoking when she was 15. In high school, she could not run a mile. In her early 20s, Lori made the decision to take steps to get healthier. She started with a spin class at the local YMCA, and before long, she was a regular. After seven years of near daily spin classes, she decided to give outdoor cycling a try. She bought a bike and signed up for AMBBR through Team in Training. She found a new love, and over the course of the next few years, rode whenever she could. At 35, Lori married and started a family. With less available time, Lori put down her bike and decided to start running. As her kids got older, she decided that she wanted to give triathlon a try. After a few races, she met her future triathlon partner Erica. Together they raced their first IRONMAN 70.3 race in 2021 (deferred from 2020). Lori continued with the 70.3 distance the next couple of years, improving with each one, but not able to put together the race she wanted. Working with Coach Courtney Kutler, 2024 would be her breakout year. She set a private goal to beat the 6 hour mark. She did it!

To learn more about QT2 Systems, visit https://www.qt2systems.com

Have you ever looked back at a day in your life, and said "WOW - I Can't Believe I did That!"? In this podcast series, listen to QT2 athletes tell the stories of how they achieved goals that they once never dreamed possible.

Season 2, Episode 6 features QT2 athlete Anthony Chillemi, coached by Reem Jishi. As a younger adult, Anthony was a two pack a day smoker. In his early 20s, he couldn't run a mile without feeling like he was going to be sick. One day, he decided to quit smoking and start running. He started by running recreationally, and with time started run racing. A few years later, he began competing in triathlons. In 2017, started working with QT2 Systems Coach Tara Strassburg, and finished with an impressive time of 10:18 at IRONMAN Lake Placid. Around this same time, Anthony got married, bought a house and bought a business. Life was about to get more hectic.

After taking a few years off from formal training, Anthony was itching to get back into it. Knowing that his time was more limited, he decided to focus on running. He came back to QT2 in 2021, this time working with Coach Reem Jishi. His goal was to qualify for the Boston Marathon and break the three hour mark. Over the next couple of years, Anthony made impressive gains. In March of 2023, he ran a 3:04:31, officially qualifying for the Boston Marathon. However, that time would not be strong enough to secure a spot at the 2024 race. This miss, made him more determined than ever. On October 13, 2024, Anthony ran a near perfect race at the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon, finishing with a time of 2:55:16, a PR of more than 9 minutes. This was Anthony's Greatest Moment.

Listen to Anthony tell his story of how he achieved this goal.

To learn more about QT2 Systems, visit https://www.qt2systems.com

Have you ever looked back at a day in your life, and said "WOW - I Can't Believe I did That!"? In this podcast series, listen to QT2 athletes tell the stories of how they achieved goals that they once never dreamed possible.

Season 2, Episode 5 features QT2 athlete Isaac Ou, coached by Anne. On December 31, 2021, Isaac registered for IRONMAN Arizona. At the time, he was just twenty years old. He had never participated in a triathlon. He didn't know how to swim. He didn't own a bike. Less than eleven months later, Isaac crossed the finish line of his first IRONMAN in a respectable 13:01. In 2023, he started working with Coach Anne Basso, racing both IRONMAN Lake Placid and IRONMAN Arizona that year. Isaac bettered his time at IRONMAN Arizona by a whopping two hours!

For the 2024 season, he set his sights higher and longer. His GREATEST MOMENT was completing the Starvation Extreme Triathlon in August. This race presents challenges from beginning to end with a largely self supported 2.4 mile dark swim, a 100 mile bike with 9754 feet of elevation gain, and a 25.3 mile run with 7,543 feet of elevation gain. Only 34 participants finished the race that year. 55 did not start or did not finish. Listen to Isaac tell his story of the day, and how he crossed the finish line of one of the most challenging triathlons out there.

Isaac capped off his 2024 season the following month with the Double ANVIL ultra triathlon (4.8 mile swim, 224 mile bike, 52.4 mile run). For 2025, he is registered for the Quintuple ANVIL (12 mile swim, 560 mile bike, 131 mile run)!

Isaac was obese growing up, and is clinically diagnosed with autism and OCD.  He believes that his his brain is wired to complete extreme endurance events.  Now fitter than the vast majority of people will ever be, he has found his home in the ultra triathlon community, and is continually exploring and pushing to places he never imagined. His story has just begun.

To learn more about QT2 Systems, visit https://www.qt2systems.com

Have you ever looked back at a day in your life, and said "WOW - I Can't Believe I did That!"? In this podcast series, listen to QT2 athletes tell the stories of how they achieved goals that they once never dreamed possible.

Season 2, Episode 4 features QT2 athlete Mariana Lara, coached by Dave Zimmet. On July 20, 2024 Mariana crossed the finish line at IRONMAN Lake Placid. It was a race she will remember for a life time. Not because it was her 15th IRONMAN finish. Not because of her time. Not because of her World Championship qualification. But because this was the race she beat cancer's butt.

Mariana has been drawn to personal challenges and adventures her entire life. Over the past almost two decades, she has raced countless triathlons, including 4 IRONMAN World Championship finishes.  In the summer of 2023, she was doing prep work for what she thought would be a minor procedure when her pre-screen MRI revealed that she had Stage 1 ovarian cancer. Life changed for her on that day. After having major surgery to remove the cancer in the fall of that year, she still had a long road to recovery ahead. One day at a time, one step at a time, she made it to the starting line of IRONMAN Lake Placid.  Crossing the finish line was her Greatest Moment.

To learn more about QT2 Systems, visit https://www.qt2systems.com

Have you ever looked back at a day in your life, and said "WOW - I Can't Believe I did That!"? In this podcast series, listen to QT2 athletes tell the stories of how they achieved goals that they once never dreamed possible.

Season 2, Episode 3 features QT2 Run athlete Trevor Stern, coached by Jack Pilla. On July 20, 2024 at 4:00 am Trevor lined up for the Vermont 100. Twenty hours and fifty-six minutes later, Trevor crossed the finish line, having conquered more than 17,000 feet of climbing over 100 miles on the trails. He was able to celebrate this day with his family and his QT2 Run Coach Jack Pilla. THIS was Trevor's Greatest Moment. Trevor has run his entire life.

One day in 2015, he received a call from his brother asking him if he was interested in racing the Vermont 50 the following year. Without hesitation, Trevor agreed. He and his brother ran together every step of the way to finish their first Ultra together. Trevor continued with the 50 mile distance for several years, now working under the guidance of Coach Jack. In 2020, Trevor decided to make the leap to the 100 mile distance, applying to race the Vermont 100. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 global shutdown, the 2020 was cancelled. As was the 2021 race. In 2022, Trevor's son was born, and he decided to defer his entry to 2023. In 2023, Mother Nature caused tremendous devastation to Vermont, and the race was again cancelled. In 2024, Trevor's moment had come. And what a day it was.

Listen to Trevor describe his story, and the invaluable relationship he formed with Coach Jack along the way.

To learn more about QT2 Systems, visit https://www.qt2systems.com

To learn more about the Vermont 100, visit https://vermont100.com

Have you ever looked back at a day in your life, and said "WOW - I Can't Believe I did That!"? In this podcast series, listen to QT2 athletes tell the stories of how they achieved goals that they once never dreamed possible. 

Season 2, Episode 2 features QT2 Systems athlete Lauren Paulson, coached by Anne Basso. At the end of last year, Lauren's husband asked her how she wanted to celebrate her upcoming 50th birthday. Her response was "I love racing. I want to race." So Lauren decided to celebrate her 50th birthday by doing a race each month of the year - and we're not talking about 5Ks! This experienced long course triathlete and trail runner kicked things off in January with the Miami Marathon. Over the course of the year, her races have included two 100Ks, an IRONMAN 70.3 and the SOS Triathlon. In November, she will hit the trails for her longest run race ever - the Pinhoti 100 miler.

When Lauren shared her idea with her Coach Anne Basso, Anne was immediately on board. Over the past year, she has worked with Lauren to balance training and recovery, and allow Lauren to not only participate but to race well. Lauren credits Anne's coaching for her success in being able to do these back to back to back races.

Throughout her years as an endurance athlete, Lauren has time and again done things she never thought she could do. By removing limits, she opened up vast possibilities.

To learn more about QT2 Systems, visit https://www.qt2systems.com

Have you ever looked back at a day in your life, and said "WOW - I Can't Believe I did That!"? In this podcast series, listen to QT2 athletes tell the stories of how they achieved goals that they once never dreamed possible.

Season 2, Episode 1 features QT2 Systems athlete Bill Murphy, coached by Hillary Schmitt. In November, Bill will run The Great World Race - seven marathons, on seven continents on seven consecutive days. He will be running to raise awareness and funds for the Make a Wish Foundation. His journey on how he got here is a series of Greatest Moments. Over and over again achieving what he never thought possible.

Seventeen years ago, hanging out with friends, he decided that he wanted to run the Boston Marathon. At that time, he had no run training, but the seed was planted and once Bill decides to do something, quitting is not an option. He raced the Boston Marathon in 2008 and again in 2009 and 2010 for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. After focusing on other life goals, in 2019, he returned to the Boston Marathon, this time for the Make a Wish Foundation. While waiting in the starting area, he struck up conversations with other athletes who shared their stories. From here, he was motivated to do his first IRONMAN Triathlon later that year - even though he didn't own a bike and hand't swam in thirty years. The following year, Bill participated in the Virtual Boston Marathon - on crutches (and nearly set a World Record)!!!

Constantly pushing his limits and always finishing what he started, Bill continued to look for bigger challenges. In 2023, he completed his first Ultra - the Sun Up Sun Down 50K. In 2024, he went bigger, participating in the 24 Hour Anchor Down Race. With all of these challenges, Bill also found his Why. Although pushing his limits remained a focus, he also came to appreciate the importance of letting others in and experiencing these journeys together. He found the power of people lifting each other up. His mindset became Change the World. Change the World. Change the World. Change within before you can Change the World. From there, the idea of The Great World Race and Racing for Wishes came about. 

If you would like to make a donation to Bill's Great World Race fundraising efforts for the Make a Wish Foundation, follow this link - https://fundraise.givesmart.com/e/n3U8kw?vid=17q6zj&fbclid=IwY2xjawEgqNFleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHUuPzUYYoENOTGYPT7oZZ_hB7skAdjpkE1Imzqnh7Duw8nEYKidI8e0MwA_aem_aLGqrhBellOXP9pn_9xu1Q

Feeling motivated by this Podcast? Check out Bill's recently published book Thriving in the Storm, available on Amazon at https://a.co/d/0bU4fYT

To learn more about The Great World Race, visit https://thegreatworldrace.com

To learn more about QT2 Systems, visit https://www.qt2systems.com

Have you ever wondered about the life of a professional triathlete? In this podcast series, we interview current and retired QT2 Systems Professional Triathletes, exploring the path to earning (and maintaining) a pro license, the nuts and bolts of training and racing, and the ups and downs along the way. The guests also share how being a pro triathlete shaped their lives, and what advice they would give to their younger selves.

Episode 8 features Tim Snow. Tim has had a long and storied triathlon career. He participated in his first triathlon in 1998, and immediately caught the bug. Over the next couple of years, he raced as often as he could, including twice on some weekends. He started having success in these races, and in 2000, met the qualifications for a pro card. Motivated in part by the opportunity to race in sold out IRONMAN Florida, he decided to to take the next step and enter the pro world. Over the next thirteen years, Tim would go on to race dozens of IRONMAN races as well as many other shorter events. In 2013, he retired as a pro, but continued to race as an age grouper - in triathlon, as well as running and cycling events.

Over the years, Tim also has coached many professional triathletes. In this podcast, he discusses the opportunities available to professional athletes, but also the pressures they experience. Listen in as Tim talks motivations, expectations, stressors and rewards. His advice to someone considering turning pro: be comfortable with putting yourself in an environment where you will lose to become better.

Learn more about QT2 Systems at www.qt2systems.com

Contact QT2 Systems at https://qt2systems.com/pages/contact

Have you ever wondered about the life of a professional triathlete? In this podcast series, we interview current and retired QT2 Systems Professional Triathletes, exploring the path to earning (and maintaining) a pro license, the nuts and bolts of training and racing, and the ups and downs along the way. The guests also share how being a pro triathlete shaped their lives, and what advice they would give to their younger selves.

Episode 7 features Angela Naeth. Angela raced her first triathlon in 2005 - an indoor pool swim, a 30K bike and a 8K trail run. She won. Angela raced her second triathlon in 2006 - a half distance. She won and earned her pro card. With $2000 in her pocket, a bike and a bag, and a dream to race as a professional triathlete, Angela left her home in Canada and came to the US. In the early part of her career, she raced frequently - living meagerly, she banked her earnings. In 2009, she won her first IRONMAN 70.3 - Boulder. That was the turning point. Over the years, she developed strong partnerships in the sport, continued to race frequently, and started making a legitimate living as a pro. After focusing on 70.3 for several years, she entered her first IRONMAN full distance in 2013. Despite all of her successes, Angela had never focused on her race fueling, and it ultimately caught up to her. After a disastrous race in Australia, Angela reached out to QT2 Systems founder Jesse Kropelnicki. With Jesse's coaching and nutrition guidance, Angela won her first IRONMAN in 2015 - IRONMAN Chattanooga. Angela continues to race professionally, coached by QT2 Systems Tim Snow.

When faced with adversity, Angela gets up every time. Each challenge makes her stronger. Her tenacity shines through in her racing and her desire to help others. Angela gives back to the sport that gave her so much. She has created a community of female athletes with her I Race Like a Girl and Girls Get Gritty Teams.

Learn more about QT2 Systems at www.qt2systems.com

Contact QT2 Systems at https://qt2systems.com/pages/contact