“Get to Know Your Coach”: Brian Vogelsinger
We will be doing a “Get to Know Your Coach” Q&A with each GE coach over the next few weeks, enjoy!
Tell us about your journey with Grit Endurance!
I met coach Jim Levesque in 2012 when we were both members of another tri club out of Naperville. A few years later he moved downtown Chicago and I would run into him from time to time at races. It was on the run at Ironman 70.3 Steelhead where I learned that he had started Grit Endurance. At that time, I had been coaching for a bit but was ready to make a move to a different coach myself. I finally made that move in 2022 and joined Grit first as an athlete and then last year as a coach.
What fuels your passion as a coach?
I love helping people reach their goals and sharing the knowledge about endurance training and racing that I have learned over the past 2 decades.
If your athletes could describe your coaching style in three words, what would they be?
Supportive, Motivating, InvestedWhat is your favorite drill or activity to prescribe for your athletes?
Fartlek runs!
As a coach, what is one of your biggest pet peeves that athletes might do?
Not communicating when they have an issue/problem.
What’s the best way to handle a tough loss?
Get back on the horse. We will all have setbacks and tough races. Learn from it and get back in.
As an athlete yourself, what is one of your biggest areas of growth?
Being nicer to myself.If you could coach any professional athlete or team, who would it be?
Lionel Sanders - So much potential, but he’s all over the place with his training being self coached.
What is your go-to training fuel? Pre and post-race meal?
Maurten for training/racing. Pre race meal is homemade egg sandwich and greek yogurt with local honey and granola that a friend of mine makes. Post race Currito wrap.
What is one thing you cannot live without when it comes to training and racing?
Chocolate milk
What other careers do you have besides coaching?
I’m an Air Traffic Controller at Chicago Enroute Center in Aurora.