Introducing Ivan Rodriguez, our newest coach and this month's Athlete Spotlight! Not only is Ivan a licensed Ironman coach, he is also a licensed professional civil engineer. Ivan is getting ready to train for the Boston Marathon in 2024, and to fuel his training, he loves bread in all forms -- pizza, sandwiches, and donuts. Get to know Ivan better and read on!
Age: 25
Occupation: Civil Engineer
How long have you been swimming, cycling, running, and/or doing triathlons?
13 Years.
What aspects of triathlon do you enjoy most? The training/lifestyle and the friends that come along side this. It is nice to be surrounded by different people who are all into the same madness as me.
What has been your favorite training or racing event, and why? In recent memory, my favorite racing event was San Antonio Rock n Roll Marathon in 2022. A year before, I only ran occasionally, and I even skipped this event in 2021 due to lack of preparation - despite signing up for the 2021 race. I came into the 2022 race with a newly found passion for running, many new friends, and a training block that I never imagined I could complete. This resulted in a time that blew away any expectations plus a top 10 overall finish.
What is your favorite post-workout or race meal?
My diet consists of a lot variations of bread – I eat sandwiches religiously, pizza is great too. Mark would probably also say I have a love for donuts and I will often eat them as a pre-workout meal, 5 minutes before a 90-120 minute long run.
What is one recent accomplishment you are proud of? (race, academic, life goal completed, etc): I very recently became both a licensed professional engineer and a licensed Ironman Coach.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Someone that people look up to. This might come within my profession as an engineer or maybe even within my athletic career.
What is something no one knows about you? Really can’t think of anything worth mentioning.
Why do you race/train?
People who know me typically associate me with marathons, triathlons, and other events of that nature but that wasn’t really the case 2 or 3 years ago. The Ivan of today is certainly one who has a newly found passion for sports and all things endurance. While I did do triathlons competitively when I was in my teenage years, I came back to it for health reasons and with time it simply became something I love doing.
Finally, what's next on your race plans?
San Antonio Rock n Roll Marathon in 2023 and Boston Marathon in 2024.