Fly Tri Racing

Hey all! Yet another very special guest will be joining us this year in our XC Camp! We are excited to welcome back Coach Kirby Shepherd from UT Tyler!
Coach Shepherd just finished up his 4th year at UT Tyler after being hired as the assistant cross country and track & field coach.
Shepherd joined UT Tyler after serving as the head coach of the men's and women's cross country teams from 2016-2022 and the men's and women's track & field coach from 2019-2022 at Jacksonville College in Jacksonville, Texas.

Shepherd led the Jaguars to three consecutive regional championships for their women's cross country program in 2016-2018 and back to back men's regional titles in 2016-2017. Both programs also finished top 25 at the national meet in both 2020-2021. As head track & field coach for the Jaguars, Shepherd led the men's team to a top 25 national ranking over the 2022 season and the men's 4x400 relay team finished 8th nationally.

Shepherd hails from Bridge City, Texas and went on to have a very successful collegiate career in both cross country and in the mid-distance category at Southern Arkansas University. At Southern Arkansas, he was a part of a cross country program that finished no worse than third in the GAC Championships from 2012-2015.

As a member of the track & field program at Southern Arkansas, Shepherd posted several top five finishes over his career in the 1500 meters, 800 meters, the 4x400 relay, the 4x1600 relay, and the distance medley relay.

Shepherd graduated in the spring of 2015 with a Bachelor of Business Administration-Management from Southern Arkansas University and completed his Master of Science-Kinesiology with a concentration on coaching in the summer of 2020 from Southern Arkansas University.

Since being at UT Tyler, the men's cross country team has placed in the NCAA regionals top 20 every time, and the girls last year placed 13th in the NCAA regionals, division II.
Coach Shepherd will join us to share insights on running at the collegiate level and what it takes to get recruited!

From walking half his workouts two months ago.. to a marathon podium. 🔥

Huge congratulations to Steve Russ, who ran the Charlevoix Marathon this past Saturday at 65 years old and finished in 4:05:57, placing 🥉 3rd in his age group!

Steve came to us after dealing with a femur stress fracture, so this build was never about forcing a big mileage block or chasing fitness too aggressively.

We had to be patient and smart with the training, so we weren’t able to build the kind of mileage normally needed for a true PR attempt, but.. he still finished only 6 minutes off his personal best. 👏

That says a lot about his toughness, consistency, and the fitness that is coming back.

This one was a big step forward, but the story isn’t finished yet.

Heart rate zones, pace charts, lactate testing, VO2 max, power data… all of it can be incredibly useful. We use these tools every day with our athletes. But none of those metrics tell the full story by themselves.
Two athletes can have the exact same threshold pace and respond completely differently to the same workout.
One athlete thrives on volume, another breaks down if they push mileage too quickly.
One athlete can handle frequent intensity, another needs more recovery to actually absorb the work.
Some athletes carry stress from school, work, poor sleep, nutrition, life, or racing schedules that no watch or spreadsheet can fully measure.
That’s why coaching is more than plugging numbers into a formula.
The best training plans aren’t built around perfect zones alone. They’re built around:
• communication
• consistency
• recovery
• lifestyle
• injury history
• mental state
• strengths and weaknesses
• how the athlete is actually responding over time
Training zones help to guide training, but the athlete drives the process.
Data should support coaching, not replace it.

Big breakthrough race for William Montgomery at the Brian Diemer 5K in Grand Rapids, MI

William dropped a massive 30-second PR, running 17:26🔥

That kind of improvement doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from stacking consistent training, trusting the process, and being ready to execute when the opportunity shows up.

A 30-second drop in the 5K is a huge step forward, and William showed that the fitness is moving in the right direction at the perfect time.

Huge congrats, William! Sub 5 is right there on the horizon🔥

Thinking about doing the Rose City Sprint Triathlon but not sure where to start?

We’ve got you covered.

Fly Tri Racing created a beginner-friendly sprint triathlon training plan to help you build fitness, stay consistent, and feel more confident going into race day.

The plan is laid out inside TrainingPeaks with swim, bike, and run workouts designed specifically for newer triathletes.

https://flytriracing.com/training-plans/

Use code RCT at checkout to get the plan FREE.

Whether this is your first triathlon or you just want more structure, this is a great way to start training with purpose.

Rose City Sprint Triathlon Beginner Plan
10 weeks
Beginner-friendly
Swim, bike, and run structure
Use code: RCT

Let’s get to the start line ready.

Huge congratulations to Cassie Learned for winning her age group, which got her 2nd female masters and 3rd overall female at the Red, White & Blue 8 Mile in Oklahoma City with a time of 1:19:17🔥

Humidity and rolling hills were no match for Cassie. The conditions were far from ideal making every breath a little harder. Fortunately, there was enough cloud cover and breeze around Draper Lake to provide some relief.

She raced smart by listening to her body not pulling back when she needed to, which allowed her some speed and she was rewarded for it. Just smart effort management and confidence to adjust based on how she felt.

When the weather gets tough, the athletes who can stay patient usually come out ahead. Cassie did exactly that with a strong race and smart ex*****on 👏

For those interested in our XC Camp coming up fast, we’ve got some more exciting news! Another guest will be joining us to share her experience and support as we have fun this summer! Give a warm welcome to Amy Goodson!

Amy Goodson is a registered dietitian and consultant in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with an emphasis in overall health, wellness, and sports nutrition. She is a speaker, spokesperson, and writer, and passionate about communicating positive nutrition messages to consumers. Amy has over eighteen years of experience as a sports dietitian and has worked with Ben Hogan Sports Medicine, Texas Christian University Athletics, the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers and their minor league affiliates, FC Dallas Soccer, the NBA G League, the Alliance of American Football League, many PGA Tour players, as well as with many middle school, high school, and endurance athletes. She also works with the everyday exercising population to improve health and wellness.

Heart rate zones, pace charts, lactate testing, VO2 max, power data… all of it can be incredibly useful. We use these tools every day with our athletes. But none of those metrics tell the full story by themselves.
Two athletes can have the exact same threshold pace and respond completely differently to the same workout.
One athlete thrives on volume, another breaks down if they push mileage too quickly.
One athlete can handle frequent intensity, another needs more recovery to actually absorb the work.
Some athletes carry stress from school, work, poor sleep, nutrition, life, or racing schedules that no watch or spreadsheet can fully measure.
That’s why coaching is more than plugging numbers into a formula.
The best training plans aren’t built around perfect zones alone. They’re built around:
• communication
• consistency
• recovery
• lifestyle
• injury history
• mental state
• strengths and weaknesses
• how the athlete is actually responding over time
Training zones help to guide training, but the athlete drives the process.
Data should support coaching, not replace it.
At the end of the day, successful training is about understanding the human behind the numbers.