Athlete Spotlight: Sarah Fleer
Background
I grew up playing basketball and running track, mostly focusing on sprint events like the 100m, 200m, and 400m. In basketball, I played post, so my athletic background has always been more about short bursts of power and speed, not long-distance endurance. Long-distance endurance is actually something I avoided and hated doing.
So, long-distance training is a completely new territory for me, which is exactly what makes this journey so exciting and scary.
Current Training
For the last four months, I have been training for a triathlon, something I never imagined I’d do.
After getting married and settling into a full-time job, I realized I had checked off a lot of my long-term goals. I needed something new to work toward, something that would challenge me, push me, and bring back that competitive edge.
Training for a triathlon has done exactly that. It’s given me a new goal, a new routine, and a new way to grow and challenge myself.
After training on my own for about 4 weeks, I reached out to Dan Gabbert as I had quickly learned I had no idea what I was doing. We met for coffee, and right away I knew he was the right coach for me. He has a way of breaking things down so they feel simple and manageable, instead of overwhelming.
What really sets Dan apart is what you don’t get from AI or social media: real accountability and genuine support. He reviews my workouts, analyzes my performance, and adjusts my training based on my schedule, whether I’m traveling or at home. That level of personal connection has made this entire process not only more effective but a lot more enjoyable.
Why I Train
I train for a mix of reasons: fun, health, and proving to myself what I’m capable of.
Last year, I ran a 5K for a nonprofit, and my heart rate stayed between 180 and 199 the entire time. That was a bit of a wake-up call. I realized I needed to make a change, not just to improve performance, but to take better care of my health.
Since then, I’ve already seen huge progress. My resting heart rate is dropping, and I can now sustain runs in Zone 2 and 3, something I had never been able to do before.
A big part of my motivation also comes from my husband. He loves running and being active, and I want to get to a point where I can join him on his long runs and make it something we enjoy together.
At the end of the day, though, this is about proving to myself that I can do hard things and that I’m stronger than I think.
UPDATE
On July 26th Sarah raced in her first triathlon and crushed it! She beat her target time by almost 13 minutes on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far! Race day wen toff without a hitch – as if she were a veteran triathlete!
