Coach Rob Coltman
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA
Rob is a professional triathlon coach and a sports/orthopedic physical therapist specializing in treating endurance athletes. He has been coaching since 2019, has been competing in endurance events since 1990, and has been in physical therapy practice since 2001.
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Rob is also a 15-time Ironman competitor, and has been to both the Ironman and 70.3 World Championships. He is also an avid open water swimmer, with four Swim Around Key West (20K) completions and three Swim for Alligator Light (13K) completions.
As a coach, Rob enjoys working with triathletes of all levels, especially those that have previously been injured with poor coaching / inappropriate training plans, and those that are challenged with open water swimming.
As a multiple-business owner, Rob understands the challenge of balancing high-performance training with family, work, and life.
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Rob is based in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA
Training squad: Coltman Endurance @coltman.endurance
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Please contact Rob directly for coaching enquiries.
Description
Rob is originally from Sarasota, Florida, and has lived in the St. Augustine/Ponte Vedra Beach/Jacksonville area since 1998, where the Coltman Endurance squad is also based.
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Rob’s experience in triathlon is extensive. He competed in his first sprint-distance triathlon in Sarasota in 1990 while attending the University of Florida. During his time at UF, he participated in the masters swim team affiliated with the UF collegiate swim team and became a member of the UF Triathlon Club (Trigators). Motivated by the high prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries in the sport, Rob pursued a master’s degree in physical therapy, which he obtained in 2001.
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Since 1990, Rob has competed in multiple Ironman and 70.3 distance races, including the Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI, and the 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, FL. He has also raced in countless Olympic and sprint distance events and completed several long-distance open water swims.
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In 2019, Rob decided to launch his coaching business. Recognizing that years of experience as an athlete do not necessarily equate to being a great coach, he sought training and mentorship from Trisutto, a partnership that continues to this day.
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As a coach and a clinician, his quest has always been to ensure that training design for his athletes not only maximizes performance, but also minimizes injury risk.
Why do you work with Trisutto?
No one in the world matches the results and effectiveness of Coach Brett, the Trisutto team, and their methodology. As a triathlete, I followed Coach Brett and the success of his athletes for years before becoming a coach myself. When I decided to pursue my passion for coaching, there was no other team I wanted to learn from. If I was going to be a coach, I wanted to learn from the best. My coaching philosophy aligns closely with TriSutto’s principles. I believe that consistency over time and hard work are critical for success. Athletes should train by feel, with data serving only as a secondary tool, and need to cut through a lot of the ‘noise’ that's out there, for optimal performance. As a physical therapist, I also value the system’s design, which helps to minimize injury. Finally, I believe that triathlon should enhance one’s life, not add stress, so balancing training with family, work, and other life commitments is essential.
What have you achieved in your coaching career?
5 years as a professional triathlon coach
Ironman and 70.3 World Championship Qualifiers
1st-Time Ironman and 70.3 Finishes
Amateur Victories and Podiums
Reviews
Joining Coltman Endurance was the game changer for me to achieve my IRONMAN dreams! I got introduced to Rob in 2022, and from our first call, I knew I found a coach who I could trust to guide my training. His 25+ years of experience in triathlon racing has been insurmountable to my success and quick immersion into the ins and outs of triathlon and endurance racing. I have always appreciated his work-life balance and making sure that his athlete's find training and racing enhances our lives and doesn't take away from it. An approach that has made me fall in love with the sport and help me achieve my wildest dreams this year! I went from a first time triathlete in 2022 to a Ironman World Championship finisher in 2023. If you are looking to begin dipping your toe in triathlon racing, want to complete an IRONMAN race, or want to improve yourself as an endurance athlete, Coltman Endurance and Coach Rob are the best of the best!
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- Mandy Johnson | Coltman Endurance athlete
As someone who had never owned a road bike, swam outside a backyard pool party, and couldn't (or wouldn't) run without calf issues or a guaranteed participant beer at the finish line, finding Rob (Coltman) was not only a blessing but a NECESSITY for me to achieve a lifelong goal of finishing an Ironman race. Rob took me, a novice athlete, and completely redefined my relationship with training, nutrition, and race strategy. His patience in keeping me focused on my goals when work/life got hectic, helped me remain disciplined and accountable. He's not just a coach who is generous with his overwhelming knowledge of the sport, he's an athlete and a PT who knows what your body is saying to avoid injury (the 4th component of triathlon), an entrepreneur who somehow manages his company/family/athlete's schedules, but more importantly, he's an amazing person I've come to respect as a friend. With his guidance, I have now completed several triathlons, including two Ironman 70.3s and have sights on future goals that I will surely rely on his guidance to achieve. Athletes at all levels need coaching, Rob brings that and more.
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- Chris Wilson | Coltman Endurance Athlete