BPC Performance Coaching

09/28/2026

Join us in wishing Coach Heather a very Happy Birthday!

09/24/2026

Tennessee has new state road race champions.

Congrats to everyone who raced the Somerville Smasher last Saturday. Your 2026 Tennessee State Road Race Champions:

- Juniors: 9-14
Male: Re*****on Creager
Female: Madison Creager
- Cat 1 Men: *Matthew McDonald
- Cat 1/2 Women: Claire Abrey
- Cat 2 Men: Matthew Bratcher
- Cat 3 Men: *Luke Hooper
- Cat 3 Women: *Sally Landham
- Cat 4 Men: *Will Moore
- Cat 4 Women: Jenna Halliday
- Masters 40+ Men: Jeffrey Young
- Master 50+ Men: Joseph Wentzell
- Masters 60+: Kent Bostick
(* = BPC Coached Athlete)

Huge thanks to our volunteers, corner marshals, lead and follow car drivers, and the Somerville community for making this happen. And for all of you who showed up to race!

Racing like this only exists because people show up to run it...and to race it.

Now a question for 2027. We're thinking about trying to make it a 2 day event: State TT on Friday, State Road Race on Saturday. Would you race both?

09/16/2026

Race week is here!

The Somerville Smasher - Tennessee State Road Race Championship is this Saturday! Whoop!

If you've been putting off registration, this is your reminder:

Online registration closes Friday at noon Central and there is NO day-of registration this year.

Once it closes, it's closed.

A state championship doesn't happen because a sanctioning body says so. It happens through the local bike racers deciding to put in the work to make it happen. And what makes it a bike race is you showing up!

We're doing our part: Permits are in place. Course is set. Volunteers are about finalized. Course will be swept tomorrow. Field is mowed for parking.

If you're not signed up - WE NEED YOU! Come have fun, race hard, and feel the reward and beauty of the finish line stories you'll be able to tell.

Whether you're chasing the jersey or you just want to race hard on good roads with your friends, there's a category and a field for you.

Sign up now so you don't forget and miss out!

BikeReg - online cycling event registration

09/11/2026

ATHLETE HIGHLIGHT | Tony Gambrell | Beaverton, OR

This spring, Tony Gambrell lined up at Sea Otter for the first mountain bike race of his life. The goal was a better starting corral at Leadville. He got something else out of it too.

Tony came into this season as a triathlete. Two years since he had thrown a leg over a mountain bike, and only a couple of rides on the new one. By the end of the first lap, the course was teaching him things fitness alone could not cover.

"I'll never forget thinking what the heck did I get myself into. I quickly realized my triathlon fitness wasn't carrying over as much as I had hoped. I had definitely burned too many matches on punchy climbs and hammered out of too many corners."

That is the best kind of first race. It tells you exactly what to go work on.

So he went and worked on it. Months of real time on the mountain bike. Learning to carry speed through corners instead of sprinting out of them. Learning how to pace punchy climbs instead of lighting a match on every one. Learning the bike underneath him until it stopped being new.

Then he rode 101 miles across the Colorado Rockies at the Leadville Trail 100 MTB. Finish time: 8:37:48.

Under nine hours. At altitude. On a course that climbs above 12,000 feet. In his first season ever on a mountain bike.

Here is the part most people will scroll past, and it is the part that actually built that result.

Tony and his wife Cameron (see our last Athlete Highlight for more on her!) have an 11-month-old daughter. Tony was not willing to let his training volume eat into family time or his wife's workout schedule. So he moved.

Weekdays, the session got done before their daughter woke up. Weekends, when the long rides got long, the alarm went off at 2:45 in the morning so he could be home before her morning nap.

"Balancing the volume needed for my goals while being present for my family was the hardest part."

Nobody hands out a medal for a 2:45 a.m. alarm. That is exactly why it counts.

Coach Bryant built the plan, but plans do not set alarms in the dark. Tony did that, month after month, until race day was just the last day of the work. He's one of the most consistent athletes we have and that work pays off!

Leadville had been sitting on his bucket list for years, the challenge of racing at altitude with that much climbing. Coming from a triathlon and fall CX background, this one was a real step outside the comfort zone. He took it anyway.

What is next?

Back to short course triathlon, with a mountain bike race staying on the calendar every year. Once you find out what you are capable of, you do not really put it back down.

And his advice for anyone staring at a goal that feels too big:

"Go for it. There is never enough time in the day and it's not always easy, but you're the only one who will get in the way of whatever goal you may have."

Congratulations, Tony. The entire BPC family is proud to be in your corner. We're jazzed you're part of this community. Let's keep rocking!

08/28/2026

ATHLETE HIGHLIGHT | Cameron Gambrell | Beaverton, OR

One year ago, Cameron Gambrell became a mom. And like a lot of new parents, she wasn't sure her fitness would ever really come back.

This year she answered that question. Twice. Overall women's podium at two sprint triathlons.

Not "finished." Podium. Overall.

Here's what that took. Not a perfect setup or an open calendar. It took waking up a little earlier, getting the workout in before the baby woke up, then heading into a full workday. Over and over. That's the whole secret, and it's the hardest one there is.

When we asked Cameron what this meant to her, she didn't talk about splits or times:

"I had a baby one year ago and I wasn't sure how my fitness would return postpartum. These results have proven to myself that I can be a mom, work full time, and still accomplish my own triathlon goals."

That's the part worth reading twice.

She works with Coach Heather here at BPC, but make no mistake about who did the work. Cameron set the alarm. Cameron showed up tired. Cameron stood on the podium.

And the moment she says she'll never forget? Not the finish clock. It was seeing her husband (his BPC athlete highlight is next week!) and daughter on the side of the course, cheering her on.

Next up, she's pointing her training at building more bike and run specific fitness. No ceiling in sight.

For anyone on the fence about starting this sport, Cameron keeps it simple:

"There is a triathlon distance for everyone, and you never know until you try."

Mom. Full-time professional. Two-time overall podium finisher. All in the same year.

Congratulations, Cameron! Coach Heather and the entire BPC family are proud to be in your corner. We're jazzed you're part of the BPC Community.

07/24/2026

ATHLETE HIGHLIGHT | Ben Lasher

100 miles. 22 hours, 28 minutes. 2.5 hours AHEAD of his best case scenario goal.
And here's the twist: this wasn't even his A race for the season.

Ben had trained specifically for the Walking Tall 50K just three weeks earlier. And it didn't go as planned. Which makes what happened next even more impressive.

Somewhere on lap 3 of 7, things turned dark. Anyone who has gone deep into an ultra knows that place, where your legs are done arguing and your head takes over the negotiation, hunting for any reason to ease up, walk, or stop altogether.

Ben didn't stop. His pacers and crew which included Coach Dale, got behind him and helped keep him moving, eating, drinking, and on a faster pace than he had even considered possible. He ran through the night, minimized stoppage time, and ran it all the way home, crossing the line in 22:28, a full 2.5 hours ahead of his A goal. One hundred miles. Buckle earned.

Ask him about the hardest part and he'd tell you it isn't race day. It's the consistency.

"Some days the thought of a 6-plus hour training run with another 3-plus hours the next day is hard to stomach." That is the work nobody sees and almost nobody talks about.

The moment he'll never forget wasn't the finish line or the finish time. It was the sprint down tent city, and the hug waiting for him from Master Crew Chief (his wife) Mel. In Ben's words, part of him didn't want that hug to end, and the other part physically couldn't stand up without it.

For anyone staring at this sport and wondering if they could ever do it, Ben keeps it real:

"It will suck and you will question life choices. But then you will accomplish something very few people do in their lives, and that is a pretty cool feeling."

What's next: Ben knows crewing an ultra is its own brutal job, so he's working to get faster and be more help on crew for Mel. And next season will likely bring his first Backyard Ultra. That one is going to be interesting.

Congrats, Ben. This one was special. Proud to have you in the BPC family - the journey keeps going!

07/22/2026

We don’t know who needs to see this…BUT IF you struggled on your workout in this insane heat in the southeast today, you are excused.

110+ heat index = much lower watts / pace and much higher HR to do it.

07/02/2026

Little TRI’D course update. If you haven’t signed up to join us next Friday evening, what are you waiting for? Your first tri awaits.

Huge thanks to Shelby Farms Park for partnering with us on this. The triathlon community needs more of this!

06/12/2026

ATHLETE HIGHLIGHT | Richard Stegura

On mile 19 of the run at Ironman Chattanooga, his calf locked up. Sitting on the ground trying to get it to loosen it's grip, a volunteer rolls up in a golf cart and offers a ride.

Richard looked at him and thought: are you out of your mind? I've got 7 miles left.

Not only that -- he was actually doing the math on whether he could still catch the guy who'd just passed him.

That's who Richard Stegura is.

Richard is a triathlete from Hernando, MS, who recently qualified for both USAT Age Group Nationals and 70.3 Worlds. Not because everything went perfectly. Because he kept showing up when it didn't. And this season he started by taking down Ironman Jacksonville.

He's been at this a long time. And the thing he's most proud of isn't a podium or a PR.

It's staying consistent over time.

That's a harder thing than most people realize. When fatigue is high, when life gets messy, when the training block feels long and the race feels far away -- that's when most people find a reason to skip or take a break. Richard continues to find a reason to keep pushing.

He works with Coach Dale here at BPC, and the data doesn't lie: he keeps getting stronger. Everyone sees it. That kind of quiet confirmation, built over months and years of showing up, is what turns a good athlete into a dangerous one.

Next goal to conquer? Top 10 at AG Nationals. And a Kona qualification.

Neither of those goals is a stretch for someone with his brand of work ethic.

When asked what he'd tell someone who thinks they're not ready to start this sport, Richard didn't mince words:

"You have to start where you are. Saying you'll start after you lose 50 lbs is just a huge cop out."

And when it's all said and done?

"We're blessed just to be able to do this."

Hard-nosed competitor. Grateful human. That's Richard.

Rich, congratulations on the Worlds qualification! On behalf of Coach Dale and the entire BPC family - we are jazzed to be in your corner and a part of your awesome journey!

06/05/2026

BPC Athlete Highlight | Thomas Ratliff

Thomas Ratliff is 65 years old. He's an oncologist. And he just finished his 7th 70.3.

Let that sit for a second...

While most people his age are easing off the gas, Thomas spends his days fighting for patients in one of the most demanding professions and then he trains in the pool, on the bike and running. Seven half-iron distance triathlons. Plus placing in the MRTC off and on road race series along the way.

He's the kind of athlete who shows up. Quietly. Consistently. Without needing anyone to notice.

Here's the moment that's stuck with him. Coming out of the water at Chattanooga 70.3 and seeing his swim time on the clock. Because when Thomas started this sport, he was always last out of the water. Every single time. He didn't quit. He didn't blame his age or his schedule. He got to work, stayed consistent and focused and now he's passing people.

When asked what he'd tell someone on the fence about getting into the sport, Thomas kept it simple. Get a coach if you can afford it and stay as consistent as you can on all the workouts.

And he's not done. His next goal is to run the entire time during a sprint distance triathlon without stopping. He's the first to admit that it sounds easy, but for him it’s not. That kind of honesty is exactly what makes someone worth rooting for.

So here's to Thomas. The doctor who saves lives by day and quietly stacks 70.3s on the weekend. The guy who started last out of the water and refused to stay there. The athlete who reminds us that 65 is not a finish line. It can be a starting point if you decide you want it to be.

Thomas - on behalf of Coach Heather and the rest of the BPC crew, we're jazzed you're part of the BPC family!

Onward!

Interested in starting your own fitness journey? Hit us up...we'd be happy to chat.