“I was worried about turning 40, but now people don’t believe I’m my age”
Tim Antonellis, who recently celebrated his 40th birthday, laughs as he reflects on his journey into endurance sports. Now living in Boston, Tim never expected he’d be calling himself a triathlete, let alone considering podium finishes at half Ironman races.
His athletic journey began on a baseball diamond, where for over 30 years, his focus was on quick sprints and home runs. “On a good day in baseball, I’d run 180 feet,” Tim jokes. But in his mid-30s, a chance encounter with running changed everything.
“I had a crappy pair of shoes and a friend who ran,” Tim recalls. Despite the rough start, he noticed an improvement in how he looked and felt. “This running thing might be for me,” he thought. But the shift from baseball to running wasn’t seamless.
The tipping point came during a night out with his friend Billy. Billy signed up for a triathlon and said, “You should do it.” “After a couple of drinks, I woke up with a hangover and a triathlon registration,” Tim recalls with a laugh.
That impulsive registration was the first step in what became a five-year journey into triathlons. Billy soon upped the ante, signing up for a half Ironman. Encouraged by his friend, Tim dove in headfirst, even though he admits, “I had no idea what I was doing.”
The early races were a challenge. Without guidance, his first half Ironman took over six hours. But everything changed when he hired a coach. “Having a pro telling me what I have to do is essential,” Tim emphasizes. Following a structured plan brought his time down to 4:40.
Tim’s quest for continuous improvement led him to the Human Powered Health Performance Lab in Newbury. As Tim recalls, he was on a dedicated search for accurate data to refine his training. “I used my Garmin, but I knew it wasn’t telling me the full story.”
During his visit, Tim worked with Alyssa Younker, a PhD performance physiologist, to undergo a VO2max test, lactate analysis test and running gait analysis. The depth of feedback he received was a game-changer. “The information was helpful and useful to move things forward,” he says.
One of the most impactful assessments was his gait analysis. Tim discovered inefficiencies in his running form, such as insufficient knee drive. He has become a more effective runner with a few adjustments, including working on his leg kick. “In my running gait profile, I was an easy strider before, but now I’m kicking forward and stopping wasted motion,” Tim explains.
Armed with science-based insights, Tim fine-tuned his training zones, focused on data-backed strategies, and avoided the pseudoscience prevalent in fitness. “There’s too much nonsense out there,” he says. “Human Powered Health provides real science, and that’s big for me.”
Now better on the bike than the run, Tim focused on reaching the podium at half Ironman events, with a long-term goal of performing at a high level for as long as possible. “I want to be on the podium at 85, even if I’m the only 80-year-old in the race,” he says with a smile.
Tim’s advice to aspiring triathletes? “Buy the better bike, start with a coach immediately, and invest in the things that make a difference.” True to his motto, “Buy once, cry once.” He’s all-in on his pursuit of excellence.
Reflecting on this time in the lab, Tim is effusive: “The experience was amazing from start to finish. I’ve recommended it to others, and I’ll keep coming back.”
For Tim, fitness isn’t about crossing finish lines; it’s about proving that age is just a number. With the right tools and support, he’s pushing boundaries and inspiring others to do the same.
Wherever Tim’s journey takes him, we’ll be cheering him on. True health, as Tim knows, is self-made.
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