Coach John Houfek

Coaching that fits the life you
actually have.

Individually tailored triathlon coaching from sprint to Ironman distance, beginner to seasoned athlete. Most of my athletes are coached virtually — the plan travels with you.

JH
36
First place age-group wins
11
Overall Masters wins
30
Top-10 overall placings
USAT All-American

Results 2009–2023. Competing since 1981 · 200+ races · Kona Ironman World Championship qualifier and finisher · four-time US National Championship competitor

Background

Three decades in the sport. Seventeen years certified.

High-school cross-country runner and swimmer, Division I collegiate swimmer, triathlete since 1981, and a member of the US military's CISM triathlon team.

I have coached triathletes for over twenty years and have been certified by USA Triathlon since 2009. I have competed at local, state, regional, national and international level with multiple podium finishes, and I still race — which keeps the coaching honest.

Certification is maintained through twelve continuing-education units every two-year cycle, clinic participation and annual background checks.

Credentials
  • USAT Level I Coach
  • USAT Level IIE Coach
  • USAT Paratriathlon Certified
  • US Masters Swimming Level II
  • Slowtwitch Certified Swim Coach
  • Kona Ironman finisher

Why Level IIE matters

There are roughly 2,100 USAT Level I coaches in the United States, and only about 75 hold Level IIE with paratriathlon qualification. Very few coaches nationally carry that combination alongside masters swimming and Slowtwitch certification.

The method

Frequency, intensity, duration — and rest that actually counts.

You don't get stronger when you train. You get stronger when you rest. Everything I build works from that.

A baseline that complements your life

We build a realistic, repeatable weekly schedule around your work, family and social commitments — typically three sessions in each discipline plus strength. Consistency beats heroics.

FID: the three dials

Your baseline sets frequency. Intensity and duration are what I adjust to produce a training effect. Swimming a mile slowly makes you good at swimming a mile slowly.

Three steps up, one step back

Overload, rest, adapt, repeat. Your season mixes easy, medium, hard and very hard weeks, with step-back weeks scheduled around the life events you already know about.

Functional strength first

Train movements, not muscles. Rotational core work and isolated movements like the single-leg squat form the foundation for five strength phases leading to race season — and materially reduce injury risk.

Zones set by testing

Heart-rate zones 1–5 come from lactate-threshold testing: a 5k for the run, a 20-minute time trial for the bike, an in-pool test for the swim. A power meter is a bonus, not a requirement.

Reverse-planned seasons

We rank your races A, B and C, then plan backward — a macro season schedule, monthly meso cycles, and weekly micro cycles that flex when life moves.

“Think of food not just as nutrition, but as fuel. You wouldn't put gas in your car you knew was bad for it — don't do it to your body.” The 80/20 rule. Foods in their most natural state. Eat a rainbow every day.
Coaching levels

Pick the level of contact you want.

Every level runs on TrainingPeaks, and every level includes a GPS heart-rate requirement so I can coach from real data rather than guesswork.

Basic
$125/month
A proven plan, coached.
  • Pre-written plan prescribed in TrainingPeaks
  • Feedback as you work through it
  • Full access to the training library
Apply
Most athletes choose this
Premium
$175/month + $9 TP
Completely individualized to you.
  • Plan built uniquely around your goals and schedule
  • Daily feedback on every workout
  • Weekly phone call if you want one
  • Free initial swim, bike and run session
  • Weekly coaching note and article
Apply
Gold
$250/month + $9 TP
Everything in Premium, plus time.
  • Everything included in Premium
  • Weekly phone session
  • Monthly in-person session, up to an hour
Apply

The $9 covers TrainingPeaks Premium, which is billed to me per athlete. Additional in-person sessions are $75/hour with a half-hour minimum. If you make a major mid-season change that requires rewriting your macro schedule, that time is billed at $25/hour.

Getting started

What the first two weeks look like.

Your application

You complete the athlete questionnaire — history, health, equipment, goals. I read it before we ever speak.

Our first conversation

We work through your background together and set initial goals. If we're not meeting in person, I'll ask for short videos of you swimming, biking and running, plus photos of your equipment, for an initial assessment.

TrainingPeaks and your baseline

We get you set up, build your weekly baseline, and outline the season.

Your macro schedule

I write it, we discuss it, and we begin. It takes a couple of weeks to really get in sync — we always do.

Ideally we start in November or December with base aerobic work and a strength focus, which sets up the phases that follow and helps with holiday weight gain. But athletes join at every point in the year, and that is usually how it goes.