Chris Mosier, Empire Triathlon Club Coach has quite the extensive athletic resume. Highlighting him as a nationally sponsored Ironman Triathlete, Ultrarunner with self-supported Ultra Marathons around Manhattan, Cyclist and 3 time Ironman Triathlete. This fall Chris also became the 53rd person in the world to achieve the ultra endurance title of “Knight of Sufferlandria” at Sufferfest, an ultra cycling event. He has gained a strong knowledge of the fitness field with certifications as a NASM Certified Personal Trainer/ Private Exercise Specialist, Certification in TRX, USA Triathlon Level 1 coach, a Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist and a STAR Level 1 Spinning Instructor.
Chris’s achievements have been applauded and recognized across the country. He was awarded the “2013 Athlete of the Year” at the Compete Sports Diversity Awards and named honorable mention for the USAT 2011 Spirit of Multisport Award and a finalist for the 2011 Compete Magazine Athlete of the Year.
Through the world of endurance sports Chris has used the outlet to help raise money for charities and foundations across the country. Chris has helped raise awareness as an advocate and member of the Nike LGBT Sports Coalition, a group working to end bias and discrimination in sports and has been asked to lead lectures and speaking engagements on the subject of equality in sports across the nation. In addition, the launch of his website,www.transathlete.com, a resource for inclusion in athletics at all levels of play, was named to multiple national listings of the top moments in sports in 2013.
(Chris at HITS Naples 140.6, January 11, 2014)
ETC: Chris, what is your athletic background?
CM:I was an All-Conference basketball, volleyball, and softball player in high school, but spent most of my youth competing in and then teaching martial arts. I grew up loving sports; if it’s active, I’ve probably done it.
ETC: What motivated you to enter the world of endurance sports?
CM:I had a stroke when I was 21 and took up running after as a way to take control of my body and my health. I found that I really enjoyed the training process and testing my limits and seeing what I was capable of after being in such a fragile state.
ETC: As an experienced endurance athlete, what part about the sport has got you hooked? What attracted you to such long distance events?
CM:I was drawn to the long events because of the search for limits, but I haven’t found them yet, so I keep going longer! I love training as much as I love being competitive. Training for long events requires a lot of focus; I find it meditative.
ETC: When you decided to transition as a transgender athlete, how did it impact your competitive career? Did you have to re-evaluate your goals?
CM:Initially I thought transitioning would be a very positive thing for me in every other area but sports, and that it would negatively impact my ability to compete. But I think my comfort with myself now has alleviated some of the barriers to me succeeding. Combined with more experience and knowledge about how to properly train, I’ve been more successful as an endurance athlete now than I was before transition.
ETC: You recently placed 1st in your Age Group and 4th Overall in the Full Distance 140.6 HITS Triathlon in Naples, FL! Congratulations, very impressive! What was your goal going into this race? Did you expect these kind of results?
CM:My goal was to place top 3 in my age group and to finish under 11 hours. I did a lot of visualizing of the results I wanted and had a solid plan. Everything went perfectly. You can read all the details in my race report here.
ETC: How did you mentally and physically train for this race? What part of your training do you think had the biggest impact on your results?
CM:This was my first race since breaking my collarbone in May 2013. The time off from surgery forced me to think more about recovery and gave me time to think about my goals and make a sound plan for this race. I think my success was from my desire to come back strong, as well as more attention to longer efforts and adequate recovery. I think in general my training was smarter than before. I was in the pool earlier and more often, and did solid long efforts, including my 193 mile Knighthood ride.
ETC: What was the toughest part of the race for you?
CM:The heat! Training through the NYC fall and winter did not prepare me for an 85 degree marathon.
ETC: After being injured last summer with a broken collar bone and forced to sit out for months, was it hard to bounce back into race mode? What was your recovery like?
CM:I was out from May to September. The time off and the process of rebuilding both my strength and endurance helped me think critically about my limiters and weaknesses and put some time into improving them. It was actually a blessing. I was excited to race again; signing up for a race gave me a goal to focus on.
ETC: What’s your next athletic challenge?
CM:I’m switching to shorter races for the summer, with my goal being to place in the Olympic distance tri at Gay Games 9 in August.
ETC: Any words of advice for our athletes and members looking to take their next athletic career step in distance or competition?
CM:If you want to do something – whether it’s a new distance or set a new PR – set a goal, make a plan, and get after it. Training with others is a great way to stay motivated, and telling your teammates and friends your goals can help keep you accountable. Take steps you can to give yourself the best chance of being successful, whether it’s getting some one-on-one coaching, working on your weaknesses, or pushing outside your comfort zone. If it’s important to you, make it a priority. And also: speed-work works!
