Master Chef Discovers Recipe For Success

As the Executive Chef at the upscale Eno restaurant in Midtown, Jerome Grilhot knows first-hand about the challenges associated with balancing long work hours with a desire to pursue interests outside of the “office,” especially if one of those interests happens to be long distance triathlons.

It is not surprising, then, that at the beginning of 2008, Jerome found himself in a situation with which many of us can identify: he was slightly overweight, out of shape and in dire need of a challenge that could help him regain his fitness and reconnect with the competitive spirit within him. Luckily for Jerome, training for his first Half Ironman race turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.

In early March, Jerome made an important decision: he decided to invest his time, energy and money in the tools and techniques necessary to reach his goal of completing a Half-Ironman race in under five and half hours. Committed to doing whatever it took, he signed on with The Sport Factory and started working with Gerry Halphen as his coach.

Approaching his triathlon training like he would approach preparation for a complicated new menu, Jerome broke the process down into digestible pieces. He started off with diagnostic assessments such as VO2 max testing and running form analysis, providing the objective data necessary to pinpoint his precise heart rate zones as well as illuminate the specific areas for improvement that his training plan needed to address.

Working closely with Gerry, Jerome followed a highly customized training plan to address his limiters: endurance in the swim; power on the bike; and efficiency on the run. He also invested in technology tools such as a Power Tap power meter on the bike and a metronome on the run so that he could maximize the value of each minute of training and accelerate his progress.

During this same period, he implemented a nutrition plan to improve his power-to-weight ratio, and despite the inherent challenges of working long hours and late nights in the restaurant business, he managed to lose pounds and inches with each successive week. The results were nothing less than spectacular: He lost 37 pounds and 3 inches from his waist; he dramatically improved his endurance in both the swim and the bike; and he improved his average running pace by a staggering 2 minutes per mile!

Armed with this new level of fitness and confident in the quality of his training, Jerome set out to accomplish his goal of completing the Disney 70.3 race in less than 5 hours and 30 minutes. True to form, he not only accomplished his goal, he shattered it, completing the 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run in an impressive 5 hours and 18 minutes. A true friend and sportsman, Jerome even went back after he had finished the race so that he could help encourage a fellow French triathlete through the last portion of the run.

Having worked for over 22 years to hone his skills as an executive chef, Jerome sees a direct parallel between the values that have made him successful professionally and those that enabled him to succeed in his first Half Ironman race: Consistency of effort; the power of precision planning; and the importance of following through on what you say you're going to do, no matter what obstacles may get in the way. “When you break it down,” Jerome says, “it's quite simple: Execution in training results in execution on race day.”

When asked about Jerome's performance, his coach Gerry Halphen beams with pride. “Very few people learn how to manage their efforts so well in a race, even after years of competing, let alone in their first race. I couldn't be happier for Jerome, but I'm not surprised by the outcome –hard work, consistent focus and the right mindset during training usually translate into success on race day.”

Despite his success in his first Half Ironman race, Jerome maintains a healthy perspective of confident humility. “Un effort de ce type ma apris de rester humble, on ne peut dous estimer l' individu.” (An effort of this type teaches me to remain humble, because we should not underestimate any human being.)

For now, he has his sights set on breaking the 5 hour Half Ironman barrier by the end of this season, and visions of conquering the full Ironman in 2009. Given Jerome's disciplined approach, his willingness to work hard, and his passion for the sport of triathlon, there is no doubt that he will achieve those goals and beyond.

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