Welcome to Our New Coach Accelerator...Coaches!
Sam Kristensen (left) and Adam Goulet (right), inaugural members of the Campfire Coach Accelerator
We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Sam Kristensen and Adam Goulet to Campfire Endurance Coaching as the first members of the Coach Accelerator. Both bring an enthusiasm for making other athletes happier, faster, and healthier, which makes them a perfect fit here at Campfire. Sam and Adam will work with participants in the Athlete Accelerator, providing high-value, lower-cost coaching to those athletes. We will work with Sam and Adam over the next twelve months, mentoring them in the Campfire Endurance Coaching process. The end result? Amazing coaching with an amazing coach at a lower price point.
Sam Kristensen
Sam Kristensen lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife Tara, daughter Olive and son Branch. Sam has been a USAT Level I coach since 2016 with his coaching business/platform Playing for Purpose in partnership with his local tri shop, Tri Town Bicycles since 2016. Sam has 6 years experience coaching triathletes in Idaho, Utah, Washington and California for sprint, olympic, 70.3 and 140.6 distances. Sam served as the volunteer triathlon club coach at Boise State University in 2018. Sam has worked with new athlete's to the sport of triathlon, intermediate and experienced triathletes. Prior to endurance focused coaching, Sam worked 19 years in high school education as a school counselor, baseball coach and athletic director. Sam left the education sector in 2021 to focus more time and energy on triathlon and endurance coaching. Sam's personal triathlon history includes racing at sprint, olympic, 70.3 and 140.6 distances in the United States, Mexico, Germany and Austria.
What is something you wish you had known when you were starting out as an endurance athlete?
Training and racing development takes years, not months to build an aerobic engine needed to sustain fast long course finish times. I could not force results by training harder, more intensely, too quickly. I also wish I understood the value of strength work for injury prevention early on. It was an area I neglected and sustained some run-related injuries from over training without strength work and recovery.
What is a coaching accomplishment of which you are proud?
I have worked with many different types of athletes and my focus has always been to connect with them and understand what they are looking for, in support of their endurance development, training, and racing goals. Some athletes want to finish their first short course event safely with no performance time goals. Some want to finish an Ironman 140.6 safely, and some want to work to finish fast/PR/Qualify for an opportunity at a World's Slot. I really focus on trying to connect with each athlete to support them and develop a plan that works with their unique challenges, lifestyle routines, training limiters, and desired outcomes. Recently, one athlete gave me the most heartfelt compliment. They told me I was a really good coach for them and contacted them out of the blue and knew exactly what was going on without talking to them. That lets me know that they know I am paying attention and doing what I can to support them and that feels great.
What is a personal accomplishment of which you are proud?
Writing my Playing for Purpose Pocket Book a few years ago about key events in my life that developed who I am today and sharing those short stories/lessons with others. Specifically, my former high school students when I did classroom presentations with them.
Burritos or tacos?
Burritos
Star Trek or Star Wars?
Star Wars
Biggest "aha" moment around coaching or working with others you've experienced in the past five years?
In my work as a coach and with others in general, my biggest aha moment is you can't force something faster than the process requires/deserves. There are no shortcuts and short cuts lead to frustration and bad outcomes. It is important to slow down and communicate with positive energy, a sense of humor, authenticity, and empathy.
adam goulet
A sports rehabilitation focused chiropractor and former collegiate middle distance runner, Adam started his endurance career after finishing a Masters Degree in Exercise and Sports Science and becoming a Strength and Conditioning Specialist., Adam has become a multiple time age group national champion in sprint triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon, as well as an age group world champion in duathlon and on the bike at the 6-hour time trial world championships. Now focusing on competing at the 70.3 triathlon distance and coaching, Adam wants to bring his knowledge and experience in multi sport to help you achieve your goals. Success in training is 90% mental and the other half is physical (Yogi Berra didn’t exactly say that but if he had done endurance sports he would have). Adam wants to help you become the best endurance athlete you can be, not only with an emphasis on helping you understand how to train, how to become stronger and how to race, but with a holistic approach to optimize training to the various demands of your life. Adam’s goal is to help make your endurance dreams a reality and show you that, while the journey may have ups and downs, overcoming and achieving your goals is worth all the effort.
What is something you wish you had known when you were starting out as an endurance athlete?
I had been told that nutrition and hydration are the biggest race day factors in competition; however while I could say “knew that” until experiencing the many effects of dehydration it’s really hard to appreciate how big of a factor it truly is.
What is a coaching accomplishment of which you are proud?
An athlete achieving a goal that they did not think was possible. Sometimes athletes will come in and say they want a Boston Qualifier or another objective goal but you can tell they don’t really know if it’s possible. When I can help an athlete learn to believe in their abilities and achieve that goal it is particularly rewarding.
What is a personal accomplishment of which you are proud?
Qualifying for triathlon pro card.
Burritos or tacos?
We are an “and” household, not an “or” household… but tacos.
Star Trek or Star Wars?
I’ve evolved on this, and now full on Star Trek
Biggest "aha" moment around coaching or working with others you've experienced in the past five years?
Coming to realize that working with people to achieve their goals is more about instilling a philosophy, and building a relationship then about any objective outcomes. The goal is rarely about achieving a time, but more often about learning to enjoy the time within the process.
How to work with them
Want to work with either of these two rockstars of the coaching and education worlds? Head on over to the Athlete Accelerator page to learn how to do so.