< Previous20 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 FEATURE WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH Triathletes turn to community and camaraderie and their own commitment T riathlete Patrick Louchouarn, 56, credits his athletic success to Gal- veston’s inclusive and encourag- ing multi-sport environment. “I learned early on that every- one has a place in the Galveston racing community, no matter what their level of ability is,” Louchouarn said. Years of “reckless participation” in martial arts and soccer highly limited Louchouarn’s ability to perform athletically, he said. “I was physically incapacitated,” he said. “I could barely walk and couldn’t sleep due to ankle and neck pain.” Louchouarn was convinced he would need multiple surgeries to function in every- day life; he didn’t think multi-sport competi- tion was possible, he said. But he was determined to put his best, if not injured, foot forward. After successful treatment from a chiropractor, Louchouarn began with 5-minute intervals on the treadmill and two months later ran his first 5K, followed by his first half marathon. He photo by STUART VILLANUEVA Galveston resident Mike Alvarado began training for Ironman triathlons in 2016. In November, he completed his eighth full Ironman and has signed up for three more. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 21 Patrick Louchouarn has competed in Galveston’s Ironman for several years. He is looking forward to the next Ironman, where he hopes to finish in under five hours and place in his age group . photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS22 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 competed in a sprint triathlon the following spring, where he placed second in his age group. He was hooked, he said. He has competed in dozens of multi-race athlet- ic competitions in recent years and was looking forward to competing in Galveston’s Ironman in November, before it was can- celed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Louchouarn credits coaching for his racing successes and gives high praise to locals Kim Bachmeier, Trisha Wooten and Heidi Walker. “Many communities are competitive,” he said. “Galveston is a different and unique environment that pushes everyone to suc- ceed in their goals. People here take every opportunity to encourage.” He continues the encouraging environ- ment as an Ironman certified coach at John- ny Z’s Powerhouse Racing in Webster. “We coach inclusion for all athletes, no matter your gender, generation or affiliation,” Louchouarn said. “Johnny Z changes lives. He doesn’t teach ‘I will get fit,’ he teaches ‘we will get fit together,’” he said. Powerhouse owner Johnny Zepeda, 51, said Louchouarn is a committed coach and athlete. “Patrick is very diligent,” Zepeda said. “He gives 100 percent in all three disciplines — swimming, cycling and running. He practices what he teaches about nutrition and life-bal- ancing situations.” FEATURE “When a person has a lot of leadership and administrative responsibility at work, like Patrick does, and lives under such pres- sure, you need a healthy counterbalance to that,” said his wife, Amie, 41. “People with that kind of responsibility have a hard time rounding out their work life with other inter- ests. Endurance racing, and the community of camaraderie he works and coaches in, has done that for Patrick,” she said. Both Louchouarns are faculty members at Texas A&M University at Galveston. He is ex- ecutive associate vice president of academic affairs, associate provost and chief academic officer. Amie is an instructional associate professor. These saltwater soulmates grew up with beaches for backyards. He was born in France, raised in Mexico, moved to the United States in 1998 and to Texas in 2006 — hailing from a family of sailors, he said. She has dual citizenship in the United States and Australia, from where her father emigrated, but is a Texas native. Patrick and Amie were married aboard the 1877 tall ship Elissa in 2015, in the Port of Galveston and live on island. – Esther Davis McKenna ••• Mike Alvarado began training for Ironman triathlons in 2016 and now he just can’t stop, he said. In November, Alvarado completed his eighth full Ironman and by the end of the month, he had signed up for three more. The triathlon is considered one of the most extreme fitness challenges in racing: a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike and a 26.2- mile run. For Galveston resident Alvarado, 51, train- ing is a time for himself, he said. “It’s my time to kind of reflect,” Alvarado said. “I tell my wife I’m going to go visit with God.” Alvarado finished eighth in his age cate- gory at the November Florida Ironman in 11 hours and 22 minutes. He finished his first Ironman in 2016 in The Woodlands. He’d gotten into shape while taking Island Bootcamp classes in Gal- veston. Alvarado always has been interested in Ironman and decided to try it, he said. Since then, he has competed in Galveston, Florida and Kentucky. Galveston resident Patrick Louchouarn credits coaching for his successes in multi-race athletic competitions. The island community encourages everyone, no matter their level of ability, to succeed in their goals, Louchouarn said. photo by JENNIFEr rEYNOLDS L i s t e n t o L i n d a … I know Galveston Beach to Bay, East to West Local bred, local raised! 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Swimming is Alvarado’s weakest sport, so he puts a lot of time into perfecting his form, he said. “It’s a lot of technique and it really takes someone watching you,” Alvarado said. He usually cycles inside on a stationary trainer, which makes the workout logistical- ly easier and safer than biking in the dark, he said. Alvarado typically trains early in the morning so he won’t lose any time with his family. Besides, he enjoys the early morning exercise, while getting to watch people clean beaches or deliver newspa- pers, he said. “There’s a whole subculture out there at 5 in the morning and you do meet people,” Alvarado said. Alvarado also has learned the importance of proper fuel during a race, he said. “One of the easiest ways to have a bad race is to misjudge your nutrition,” Alvarado said. Alvarado typically sticks to liquid nutrition, because it’s easier, and he’ll consume about 300 calories an hour while racing. Although the race takes hours to com- plete, Alvarado enjoys pushing himself, he said. When he reaches a tough spot, he thinks about his daughter, he said. “I didn’t want to let my daughter think her Dad quit,” Alvarado said. One of the greatest feelings is crossing the finish line and hearing people cheer, Alvarado said. Runners who finished earlier often come back and cheer on people still completing the race. – Keri Heath Mike Alvarado bikes down a stretch of rural road in Galveston. Training for a triathlon is an eight-month process, he said. photo by STuArT VILLANuEVA©2020 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Better Homes and Gardens® is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Franchise is Independently Owned and Operated. If your property is currently listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. 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Equal Housing Opportunity. 26 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 FEATURE GOING THE DISTANCE Good trainers, overall fitness and internal motivation key to running marathons F or athletes who run marathons, training to complete the long-dis- tance races becomes more than a hobby — it becomes a lifestyle. Galveston resident Heidi Walker is a trainer at Galveston Fitness who helps people prepare for marathons among other athletic events, and has seen many people take on the long-distance run- ning way of life, she said. To work with Walker, a runner with no experience in racing would first need to train for 5K and 10K races, and then in about a year’s time could be ready to train for a half marathon, she said. Once the shorter races become comfortable, then a runner is ready to train for a full marathon, Walker said. “If you could comfortably complete a 5K, I could take you on as a full-marathon client,” Walker said. “Now, that training would be a longer course. I would not take someone who has 10 or 12 weeks until their race. photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS Heidi Walker, a trainer at Galveston Fitness, counts vertical jumps for Trelle Dandridge during a morning training session in Galveston. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 2728 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 FEATURE That wouldn’t be safe. But, given a 16- to 20-week window, and you come to me with a fitness base already, then I could take on that athlete as a marathon trainer.” Tatiana Verega, who lives in Galveston, began running marathons in 2017, and has her sights set on qualifying for the prestigious Boston Marathon, which tentatively has been postponed until next fall because of the pan- demic. Before that, Verega plans to compete in Galveston and Las Vegas, she said. To do that, Verega, like many long-distance runners, sticks to a steady routine of running and strength training when preparing for a race. Every weekend, Verega will run 10 to 13 miles on the seawall for conditioning, and in the middle of the week will work on her speed, she said. Daily, Verega will focus on some sort of strength training, she said. “I feel like anything worth doing begins with training your core,” Verega said. “When you train your core and you train your body strength, then you’ll run faster.” Clear Lake area resident Josh Lane is COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 29 training for a half marathon, running six days a week for various lengths and intensities with the longest run of the week being in the range of 13 to 14 miles and the rest being around 5 to 6 miles, he said. Lane first competed in a half marathon in 2015 and recently competed in an Ironman competition, he said. When Lane noticed how long he could run in training, he decid- ed to start entering races, he said. “I played soccer growing up, and then I ran track in high school and college, so for me, it was just something that I was good at and enjoyed,” Lane said. “It was just one of those things where I didn’t set out to do it. I just enjoy it and was having fun, and it helps me feel better. And once you’re there, you keep on striving for it.” While building up for a long-distance run, an athlete will increase their longest run of the week by roughly 10 percent every week, but it’s not a completely rigid regimen, Walker said. “There’s some formula there, but we’re not just constantly saying every week ‘You’re go- ing to have to run this many miles this week and this many miles next week,’” Walker said. “Some weeks we’ll work on speed. Other weeks we’ll work on conditioning. I’m a really big stickler on fitness as a whole, not just our run fitness.” Runners training for a long-distance event also should work on strength train- ing focusing on their ankles, feet and core, Walker said. “Our biggest thing is we want to make our athletes injury resilient,” Walker said. “Every marathoner you talk to will have suffered some injury at some point — hopefully minor. It just comes with the territory. But, we try to train in a way that will stop injuries from coming. So, we train our athletes smart.” The key component for any marathon runner is the desire to stick to their train- ing, even when the weather is bad and it’s uncomfortable to run, Walker said. “Motivation is the core of everything,” Verega said. Verega, whose best marathon time is 3:34, said a major motivation with each and every race in which she competes is to get her finishing time faster and faster. “It’s not about the trophy, it’s about being able to run that fast for such a long time,” Verega said. – James LaCombe “I feel like anything worth doing begins with training your core. When you train your core and you train your body strength, then you’ll run faster.” TATIANA VEREGA photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS (Above) Tatiana Verega, who started running marathons in 2017, is training to qualify for the Boston Marathon. (Opposite) Heidi Walker, right, a trainer at Galveston Fitness, leads Trelle Dandridge through warm-up drills during a training session in Galveston.Next >