D3 Multisport Developmental and Elite Coaching Philosophy:

The D3 High Performance Method –“Off the Front”, forms the core of our coaching philosophy. In sum, D3 athletes go through a structured evaluation and testing program designed to establish a baseline. From there, we will craft training programs that take advantage of an athlete’s strengths and improve weaknesses. Additional attention is paid to an athlete’s mental state and approach, body composition, overall health and life situation. As race day approaches, our focus turns to race specific goals, roles, and tactics.

We like to work with an athlete for a year, a season or a goal race. This time frame gives us a better understanding of what the athlete’s true motivation is. From here, we can break-down the season into segments and then re-adjust the program as the athlete makes progress toward his/her goal.

Ultimately, our goal at D3 is to enable an individual to achieve more in the sport of triathlon than he or she thought possible, while developing a passion for the sport that we ourselves take into every athlete engagement, training plan, or race.

Athlete testing is at the core of D3’s methodology for improving performance. Our method for pushing athletes to higher levels of performance has been crafted through the consumption of best practices in training, testing, nutrition, and sports psychology. These best practices have been sharpened over time with the real hands on experience. This combination of learning and experience has resulted in the D3 High Performance Method – Off the Front (OTF). The OTF System lays out a rigorous training and testing protocol. At the start of the process, an athlete undergoes a series of tests that include stroke video analysis and timed trials (swimming),bike fit, power, and pedaling efficiency (cycling), and gait and form analysis (running). Additionally, a protocol for non sport specific tests is undertaken including body fat composition, nutritional analysis, and VO2 max among others. In all, 10 measurements make up an athlete’s baseline.

From there, the OTF System calls for periodic measurements to gauge improvement, technique and drill work assignments, Periodization protocol and training load. The OTF System, copy written by D3, sets an athlete up for the best path to race success. The testing protocol plays a key role in executing an effective plan.

D3 Developmental and Elite Coaching Requirements:

Potential D3 coaches must participate in a rigorous interview and orientation process before taking on athletes. Only coaches who have demonstrated a track record of success are able to pass the hurdles required to become a D3 Coach. We view our group as simply the best coaches in triathlon. From there, new coaches are schooled in the D3 High Performance Methodology. Once a coach has successfully completed the course work and shadowed an experienced D3 coach, he or she is allowed to take on athletes. D3 also emphasizes an ongoing training and best practices curriculum for its coaches. The coaching team participates in several seminars throughout the year to achieve his or her Continued Education credits, including at least 1 live, D3 sponsored seminar.

At D3, we view the quality of our coaches and their coaching as one of the pillars that has driven our success.

Meet the Coaches

Coach Mike Ricci
Mike Ricci is a Level III USA Triathlon Certified Coach and has been coaching endurance athletes since 1989. Mike founded D3 in 2000, and has slowly added top-notch, USAT certified coaches each year to handle the demand for high quality triathlon coaching. In the past six years, D3 Coaches have coached hundreds of athletes to their first triathlon and hundreds more to become Ironman Finishers. In 2009, D3 was awarded the job of writing the training programs for the USA World Championship Teams for the seventh consecutive year. For a more complete bio of Mike click here.


Coach Sharon Hooper
I have always been an active person. From soccer and swimming as a child and then dancing, running, and cycling throughout high school and college. I race road bikes competitively for Baylor University in Texas before I moved to Colorado. A week after moving to CO I jumped in a Women’s Open Crit race and was put in my place immediately. It was a humbling experience. The altitude hurt and level of athlete was 100 times here in Boulder what it was back in Texas. I decided to turn back to running a bit and then realizing I had experience in all three disciplines I signed up for a half ironman. I’m a much stronger distance athlete than I am short course. I love the mental competition as much as the physical in longcourse. I have completed 3 Ironman events and qualified for Hawaii during my first Ironman in 2008. I then placed 3rd at Ironman Florida in 2009.

I worked as a coach and marketing manager for Lance Armstrong’s coach for 3 years before moving to Boulder full time. It’s true what people say “it is the athlete Mecca” and I absolutely love it here. Being able to train where the best triathletes train and race against them in my backyard has made me a much stronger athlete in a short period of time. I believe in utilizing the people you know and coaches collaborating to share their knowledge. There is so much to learn and with so much experience and knowledge in one place, as athletes and coaches we become better every day!

I am a USA Swimming certified coach and have been racing competitively for over 10 years. In 2009 I joined the CU Triathlon Team as an assistant coach. I am excited to be working with the youth of our sport. It was and is such a big part of my life and I hope that the young athletes we work with can grow to love sport just as much! If I can be a part of getting kids more active everyday, mission accomplished!

Coach Dave Sheanin
I was lucky to find triathlon as an outlet for my athletic interests in 1989. My first triathlon was the hardest thing I’d ever done—I staggered across the finish line after walking most of the run and, after eating a few oranges and yogurt cups (the post race fare at the time), passed out for an hour in the back of my car in the parking lot. I was hooked!

I raced through college but fell away from the sport for a while. I rediscovered my passion for racing in 2003 and continue to improve with the benefit of better training techniques and the discipline that comes from being a grown-up. I have completed all distances of racing from sprint to Ironman and love it all but I’m strongest at the Olympic distance.

I come from a swimming background and have been privileged to have worked with several excellent coaches. I am a strong believer that developing proper technique is the most important consideration for fast swimming. Taking the time to get it right early will pay a lifetime of dividends in the water.

I have three children (ages 5, 7, and 9) who love to “race” kids’ triathlons. Introducing newcomers to the sport is tremendously rewarding for me.

I am a USA Swimming certified coach and have completed over 50 triathlons.

Coach Melissa Schwartz
Athletics have always played a big role in my life, including swimming, water polo, softball, and rock climbing. Growing up in New York and Cincinnati, I spent most of my youth swimming and competing at the national level. Some highlights of my years as a fish include being a two-time New York State swimming champion, a starting player on a 3-time Ohio High School State Championship Water Polo team, and All-American for both swimming and water polo. I played water polo for Indiana University and then decided to take some time away from the pool to focus on climbing. Once I moved to Boulder I started running and biking to meet people, which quickly turned into competing in triathlons. I have competed in all distances from Sprint to Ironman triathlons.

I taught swim lessons and swim coaching throughout high school and college and am currently a USA Swimming Certified Coach. In 2009 I joined the CU Triathlon coaching team as an assistant, focusing on the swim. I love channeling my passion for the water through coaching, watching athletes work hard, have fun, and reach their goals!