Testimonials

“l love how Lora motivates me”

“I’ve always thought triathlons were outside of my “athletic range.” I worked hard to prepare for this tri so it felt awesome to complete my goal. I just have one piece of advice—don’t think you can’t do it! If I can do it, anyone can! If you’re willing to train, you can accomplish your goal. It was my New Years Resolution to compete in a triathlon. This summer I did two and now I’m training for the third. They are so fun—I’m hooked! Thanks for your help, Lora!!!”

“Even though I’ve always enjoyed playing sports, I’ve never considered myself an athlete. Then my physical fitness level really dropped after having three kids and taking several years off from my formerly healthy habits. Working with Lora has given me great motivation to take care of myself, and she has helped me see my potential as an athlete at the level that fits into my personal circumstances. Lora showed me that healthy living is simple, enjoyable, and important. She teaches, coaches, and encourages me to keep going, and tries to make sure that I am having fun all along the way. Thanks to Lora, I have a wide variety of new training activities, I have competed in several triathlons and a half marathon, and I have come to enjoy a fun and fabulous new lifestyle!”

“The class was awesome. The instructor is motivation and very energetic. Portion control and paying attention to what I eat have helped more than anything. I make it a point not to eat when I am bored. I don’t have to kill myself with exercise.”

“I have really enjoyed the class. I’ve learned a lot.”

“Lora! Thank you for the info last night! It was very helpful and informative. You’re my new found inspiration for Triathlon training. THANKS!”

“The class was worthwhile and enjoyable. Great attitude.”

“Lora, having met you and working with you has truly changed my health for the better. My husband and I have pretty much always been healthy people: we eat organic, exercise and try, “try” to find some quiet time to help with the balance of things. Since meeting you, I am more aware of what I put in my mouth. I now write everything down and exercise is a priority, despite how crazy my day gets! I feel better and have learned sooooooo much from you with exercise, healthy eating and just over-all health! You are such an inspiration and I just wish more people knew about you….oh, the lives that you could touch and help change! :)”

“This was so much fun!! I am so glad that I had the chance to train with someone who really knows what they are doing. It felt awesome to finish and know that I did well. Your strengths certainly even out your weaknesses in a triathalon. That is what is so fun. I didn’t do so well in the swim, but overall I did well because of the bike and run. I am so glad that I was able to do it. I am looking forward to next season. Thanks for all of your help Lora, you are great!!”

“I was so happy that I felt really prepared, both physically and in terms of all the stuff I had to bring/do to make the race go smoothly. I knew I could finish the race, it was just a question of how hard I could push myself. I also had all the gear and was organized enough to have smooth transitions and feel confident before and during the race. This is all thanks to a fabulous coach who really helped us with all the small but important details. Thanks Lora! You are such a great coach!”

“I joined the team because I knew I needed better direction in my training and I wanted to have my most competitive year yet. Little did I know that after joining the team we would end up adopting our two girls 6 months earlier than planned. This threw a real wrench in my triathlon plans. I thought with my life so crazy I might not get much out of the team training but I was really wrong. Not only did I get faster at all of my events, which shocked me since I haven’t even been able to give it 100% this summer, I also learned so much. I have learned more in the last 6 months about competing and being in shape than I ever did by reading all of my fitness and exercise books. You really helped bring it all together for me. Lastly, you have been a great friend and emotional support. I have appreciated the emails and phone calls and the interest you have shown in my personal life. When I was going through hard times as a new mom to two Ukranian orphans I knew I could come to our workouts and you would make me laugh and help me see the positive side of everything. You have been such an inspiration. It also, has been an amazing experience working with like minded women towards a common goal. I am going to take so much away with me this season – more knowledge, better skills and new friendships. Your program is awesome and you are changing lives! I have loved every minute of it! I am different because of you. I appreciate all you have done for me!”

“I grew up having a craving for running. I watched every track event on television, and competed on school teams as well as elite competition teams outside of school. As a junior in high school, I took second in state in the 55 meter hurdles for indoor track and attended many national events, such as the Simplot Games. I loved to run. It was my life. I was plagued by many stress fractures in my feet after my senior year of indoor track and was forced to sit out the entire outdoor track season. It is sad to say I never ran again until 11 years later. I of course gained a lot of weight and forgot all about the athlete I once was. Everything changed for me once I met Lora Erickson. Lora has taught me that there is life after high school sports. Just this year, Lora trained me in six weeks to run my first 5k in 11 years and I felt totally prepared. I went from doing nothing, to running 3 miles in such a short amount of time! Lora knows exactly how to train me and helps me work through some of the fears and insecurities I have about entering sports again after all of these years. I am pleased to say I have completed my first half marathon. This is a huge accomplishment for me and there is no way I would have ever been able to do this without the help of my coach Lora.”

“Lora! Thank you for the info last night! It was very helpful and informative. You’re my new found inspiration for Triathlon training. THANKS!”

“When I contacted Lora Erickson about doing a triathlon in only 11 weeks, she was so optimistic! I am about 35 pounds overweight, but I can swim fairly well, bike okay, and I do not enjoy running at all. This did not deter Lora’s enthusiasm toward me and my success. The boot camps were so hard, but so empowering – if I could get up at 6:00 A.M. and really kick butt. I could do anything. She also had us play ultimate frisbee, flag football, and kick ball a couple of times. This was totally out of my comfort zone, but there I was with everyone else cheering me on. I found that the high fives, cheers, and laughter really made me feel a part of something. Lora is always coming up with new and exciting ways to teach and encourage. She goes over and beyond the call of duty. I have been dealing with an injury this year and she still checks to see how I am doing, even though I’ve had to slow things down. It is me she cares about, not which races I participate in. By the way, I have now done 2 triathlons and improved my biking quite a bit. Thanks Lora!”

“I just wanted to thank you for really being an inspiration to many women. There are so many women who give, give, give and never take time for themselves to feel better. For me, you have shown me that you can be a good wife, mother and athlete and make a contribution to society along the way. I appreciate that. It’s nice to know I don’t have to give up the things I love to have a family. I know I can do both. Also, the team environment has been great. It’s motivating and fun to get to know other women who have your same goals and interests. Thanks you so much.”

“You truly amaze me. If anyone is new to Lora, I can attest she has been this driven and ambitious her whole life. She is amazing.”

“I have been looking for somebody like Lora for quite some time now. I have hired trainers in the past that I really liked personally but was never able to get what I wanted out of the experience (somebody willing to listen to my specific needs and adjust the training accordingly). I was a little hesitant at first being that I had never worked with a female trainer. She put those hesitancies to rest right away and gained my confidence with her knowledge and enthusiasm for what she does. I loved the fact that she is a top competitor as well as a student of the game “Triathlon”. She is up on the latest techniques needed to succeed in the heat of competition. I have learned a lot from Lora in the short time I have worked with her as well as gained a lot of confidence in myself and my abilities. She challenges me to reach new heights and seems to really have a great sense about her. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious as she is the type of person I like to surround myself with. I would recommend Lora to anybody looking for somebody to help them improve their fitness/lifestyle.”

“Lora, you are the best coach ever! Thank you do much for warming up with me. Listening to your counsel gave me the confidence I needed to meet my goal. I felt really good during the race. I kept looking down at my watch during the race thinking I wasn’t pushing myself hard enough and was so surprised to see my pace at 7:30 for most parts. Training with you has helped me so much. I’m so excited for this season! My goal is it get under 22 by the end of the season. I would’ve never thought that possible just a few months ago. Thanks for everything you do!"

“If your family wants to learn more about healthy eating, invite Lora to visit. We spent an hour with her and learned a ton about food! It really is worth it (and she’s great with kids…).”

“Thank you so much for the running form class. I took away alot of new ideas and I definitely think it is helping to improve the way that I run.”

“I am glad I joined your team. This week I reached two major goals of mine! Thank YOU! It was nice to have you push me. I’m so excited to continue improving.”

"Hi Coach Lora. I just wanted to say thank you for the running form class. I’ve had a chance to implement a few of your tips and I’m amazed. Even though I’m only running a 5K twice a week, I’m already as fast as I was at my fittest prior to getting pregnant and I am only 6 weeks postpartum today. I’m attributing that all to your tips. The strength training has made a world of difference as well. I’m looking forward to working with you more in the future!"

“I had the privilege of attending Lora’s Beginner Running Class and just wanted to share how wonderful the experience was! I’ve always struggled with running and I need all the help I can get! I learned so much from these two classes, I had to bring a notebook to the second class to write everything down! She taught us some really helpful exercises to make our form more efficient and make running easier and then let us try the techniques and *what* a difference they make! Running felt faster and easier with just a few adjustments to my form! I really enjoyed how Lora takes an all-encompassing approach to her running coaching. We not only talked about running technique, but also about nutrition, hydration, heart rate training, stretching, recovery, and the different types of workouts runners need. I realized that I’ve been missing out on a lot of improvements by not mixing up my runs and always doing the same pace and distance, and this class has helped me formulate a good training plan to improve my running endurance and pace. But what I enjoyed the most is that Lora is very straight-forward, yet very encouraging and positive at the same time! She is *extremely* knowledgeable about all aspects of running and triathlon and she speaks from personal experience, which is the most valuable credential a coach can have! I would highly recommend this class to anyone who is just getting started with running, or even if you’ve been running for a while but can’t seem to get faster or improve your endurance. As Lora says, “‘You don’t know what you don’t know.”

“I ran a 5k on Saturday and talked to a man wearing a Blonde Runner shirt. He was probably late 60’s (I’m guessing) and I was so amazed what a strong runner he was and commented as such. He gave you credit for teaching him and said what an amazing coach you are. Just thought I’d pass it along.”

“Lora, I just wanted to thank you for coming and doing the running clinic yesterday. It was so helpful and I really appreciate how individual it was. In my run this morning I tried to practice everything we learned, and I can tell that it is going to make a huge difference. You even inspired me to start taking my asthma medicine again 🙂 I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated the clinic and your expertise. I had a really fun time. Thanks!"

“A couple of years back Joey and I decided to start doing triathlons. Been fun doing this together and for a couple of old people, we have done pretty well. When folks ask me about triathlons, I always say “I love everything about them, except the swim and the run!” I also always say “I’m a cyclist really, but do tris for fun!” I especially hate the swimming! Today Joey and I took a swimming class from a great coach by the name of Lora Heyl Erickson. In less than an hour, she pointed out a couple of things that made a huge difference in our efficiency, and gave us pointers that make me think that somewhere along the way we may actually become swimmers too! If you are looking for a great coach, give Lora a call. She’s not just a swim coach and can help with other stuff too. I believe she has a website called blonderunner.com. Thanks Lora! I’m looking forward to working more with you!”

"Hi Lora! I don’t know if you remember me, but I attended a weight loss program from you in May and June of this year. I just wanted to let you know that I have since continued the plan you set for me and am happy to tell you that I have lost about 30 lbs. since starting your program! I wanted to thank you and inform you of my success, as I am very happy with my results. Thank you so much for your help, I couldn’t have done it without you!!"

“I am glad I joined your team. This week I reached two major goals of mine! Thank YOU! It was nice to have you push me. I’m so excited to continue improving.”

“I love how my body is starting to look and I’ve never, ever felt this much power in my legs. On my commute home last night, each time I thought I was ‘slacking’ I’d look at my speedometer and see I was pushing 20, 21 MPH. Tri training WORKS!”

“Your page and website are such an awesome resource. What a great company you have created!! I love the recipe section and the blonde joke haha :). Thanks for sharing your knowledge and talent!”

“I have really enjoyed TBR and have made some good friends. You foster a family atmosphere and I have been received with open arms from our first team meeting. I appreciate you extending me an offer and I have become a better athlete because of my time with TBR."

“Triathlons used to intimidate me and I always thought I had to be working out like a maniac in order to compete in one and I just didn’t know where to start. A few months after I had my 2nd baby, I decided to try a 6 week triathlon training program Lora organized. One of the best choices I have ever made! I was soon hooked into working out with others to train and Lora was so fun, patient, and knowledgeable. I had such a good experience I decided to join the triathlon team in 2012 and I am so glad I did. Thanks Lora for sharing your knowledge in such a fun, positive atmosphere and showing me that I am capable of much more than I ever thought and completed a few triathlons. I will never be able to train with anyone else after working with someone as amazing as Lora.”

“Coach. I’ve been thinking about the triathlon and our training so much today. I’m really amazed at the volume of things you’ve trained us on that were running through my head during the triathlon (and it was really your voice I was hearing). My husband and I went on a bike ride this morning and I was in my own world during the ride recalling tons of pointers I’ve heard you say and realizing how much I’ve learned about FOUR sports already. You’ve provided us with great information ….such great training and race tips and strategies. You’re a great coach. You have so much experience and knowledge but you are so organized and passionate which sets you apart from other coaches. You obviously think through everything in great detail so you are able to recall it all and express it so clearly to us (ie what we need to do, feel, and not do, etc). Very few people can do that. And you do it extremely well.”

“I have to tell you how much I enjoyed the workout this morning. I haven’t been pushed that hard in a long time. I love the feeling of being sore knowing how much this will improve my overall fitness level. Thanks for spending time creating such a great workout!”

“Just want you to know that I am super excited about my running these past couple of weeks. I think the running form analysis has really helped me. I can’t wait to learn more. Thank you for your help!”

“I’m really glad I came the other night. Just have to say I tried to implement what we talked about and I can definitely tell the difference. Thank you.”

“Shaved 3 minutes off my 5k time ever since I did the running form class. Great!!”

“Coach Lora, I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your posts and your emails. You are a fantastic motivator!"

“It was a great preview and ride Coach Lora, I always learn a ton riding with you. Thanks for being so knowledgeable and upbeat.”

” I never thought I needed a coach before, but it makes all the difference. If you are looking to learn, to improve or just for some accountability with regard to your fitness, Coach Lora is for you. Since working with her, I’m back down to the weight I was 16 years ago, and I have less injuries and better performance.”

“Want to thank you for your help. I learned much from your nutrition and running form class over the last month. Without the proper training I came within six minutes of my goal time and was back running within a couple of days. Thank you for the tips and willing to share your knowledge with those of us just starting this running adventure.”

“I have always wanted to let you know that you were one of those instrumental people in my life. I STILL remember the first time I ran with you. I was scared to death because you were an athlete for USU, and why would you want to run with me? You were so positive, and told me I was doing great, even though I knew my pace was terrible. Your example has taught me to pay it forward to other runners! I am a runner because of you Lora!!"

“Thank you for all of your time and great training. Thanks to you my first ever half marathon was a complete success.”

“Thank you for your insight, I am happy that I came. I appreciate you taking the time to ride the course with us also…”

“Thank you so much! You are a fantastic coach. I know I have a ton to work on but to be completely honest, I’m so excited right now. My perspective has completely changed from I just have to get through the swim to I think I can do it well. I’m looking forward to this new sport and excited to train. Thanks for making it fun! And understandable! You are great!”

“Your clinic was absolutely time well spent. You are AMAZING.”

"Hey Coach. I always love your enthusiasm! My swimming has consistently gotten stronger until I can now do 2.4 in around 1:10. Not awesome yet, but good for an old man. Heading to Coeur d’alene tonight to do the full IM this weekend. Thanks for helping me realize one of my dreams!"

“I just wanted to say thank you so much for your 5k-10k coaching. It was really neat getting to know you better. Your one awesome woman. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for the time you spent coaching me…I look foward to running your race for grief next year!”

“I swam so much better in this race than I did in the Women of Steel tri last year. I owe it all to the tips you taught me in that one hour swim class! Thank you Lora!”

“You are just this little treasure of skill and knowledge wrapped up in a bundle of enthusiasm, Davis county’s little gem.”

“Lora – I LOVED it (the Running Form Class). I cannot tell you how much better I have felt about getting back into running after your class. I’m only allowed to walk for a while, and a slow jog, but I have implemented the pieces you taught and already feel so much better. I’ve been doing some hip flexor stretches that I’ve looked up on you tube from your suggestions which have loosened up my hips, and I didn’t even know they were tight! Thank you SO SO much for offering this class. It has helped me so much in the short time and I know will make me a better, more confident, runner in the long run.”

"I have enjoyed working with you on my triathlon goals and races. I am highly satisfied with your coaching, I appreciate your efforts in my training and I want to continue to succeed with your help. Last year, you helped me break ALL of my PRs in running and this year (so far) you have helped me SET 3 new PRs (Full Marathon, Half Century and Duathlon)."

“I was at your tri clinic last night and loved it! I was starting to get really nervous about my race wondering “what the heck did I get myself into?!?” I am so so glad I went to the clinic, I feel calm and confident and EXCITED again about the race a week from Saturday!”

“I think you are simply amazing. Thank you so much for opening your arms to those who are grieving. the love and support means more than the price of gold.”

“I lost 10 pounds training for that race and I notice a big improvement in my overall health.”