Find your True Trail

Personalized triathlon and endurance sports coaching in Ottawa, ON, and around the world.

Hey, I’m Ben.

Triathlon has been in my family since the 1970s. My parents were part of the first wave of the sport, and my mom even raced with me in the womb. I competed in several youth triathlons as early as 1998, and after university I dove into the sport in a serious way.

In recent years, I’ve had success in all distances of triathlon, racing everything from local sprint events to the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in 2022. Throughout, I continue to seek out the latest research and methods of improving physical, mental, and equipment performance.

I now live in Ottawa, and have coaching certifications from Triathlon Ontario and the Coaching Association of Canada.

When I’m not coaching and racing, I work in software and machine learning, with past professional experience in advanced sciences and renewable energy. I bring a blend of scientific and human approach to my coaching and training.

Qualifications

Coaching Qualifications:

Triathlon Ontario Certified

Coaching Association of Canada Certified

Athlete Roster includes National Medalists

Racing Qualifications:

11+ years of triathlon training and racing experience

Sprint Distance Duathlon Provincial Championships, Bronze Medal (2024)

International Distance Duathlon Provincial Championships, Bronze Medal (2023)

Ironman world championship qualifier (2022)

5x Ironman completions (2015-2022)

Age group podium finishes at local sprint, olympic, half-iron distance events in Quebec + Ontario (2021-present)

Qualification for U.S. Age group national championships every year from (2013 - 2019)

How I Coach

I believe in a balance between data-driven and human approaches to coaching.

We know that endurance performance gains come from repeated cycles of accumulated training stress followed by recovery. We can mine individual performance data to understand how to optimize training for a particular athlete.

However, this data only has value in context. And this context is how the athlete feels on any given day, and other sources of stress elsewhere in their lives.

That is why I believe a frequent two-way flow of information between me and the athletes I coach. This is what helps me know when an athlete should remain in their “comfort zone”, and when they should be nudged out of it!

Coaching Offerings

Virtual Coaching

- custom training plan for your event(s) or goals
- unlimited training plan adjustments to respond to your progress and your busy lifestyle
- unlimited access to coach Ben (responses guaranteed within 48hrs unless otherwise specified) for education, feedback, and strategy
- Race planning and strategy
- Equipment and nutrition guidance
$175 per month

In-Person Coaching

all the features of virtual coaching, including:
- custom training plan for your event(s) or goals
- unlimited training plan adjustments to respond to your progress and your busy lifestyle
- unlimited access to coach Ben (responses guaranteed within 48hrs unless otherwise specified) for education, feedback, and strategy
- Race planning and strategy
- Equipment and nutrition guidance
PLUS
- 3 in-person sessions per block. These can be used for technique analysis (swim, bike, run), bike fit, or any in-person workout
$225 per month

Discounts for multi-month commitments!

Testimonials

Ben was an absolutely amazing coach! The workouts were challenging (which I loved) but not overly so, and Ben made sure to check in with me regularly in terms of how I felt throughout the course of my training. It was especially convenient to have all my workouts planned in advance, which was great since it took all the guess work out and made life easier on my end. I also appreciated that Ben made sure my fueling and hydration were on point, which was really helpful during long runs or hot days. Thanks to coach Ben I completed many PRs and running bests, as well as my first half marathon in my target time. I would 100% recommend him to anyone interested in achieving their fitness goals!
Hermina Beica
Ottawa, Ontario
Half Marathon
I’ve loved working with True Trail. Ben is a fantastic coach he does a great job of seeing me for me and working with who I am. His balance of knowledge, kindness, humor and dedication to his athletes is second to none
Rafe Karen
Denver, CO
Half Marathon
Ben shows a steadfast dedication to the sport through his own training and racing. He brings this same level of dedication to his athletes. Whether it's advice about the best anti-chafe solutions, or adapting a workout plan around your life obligations, he's got you covered.
Jennifer Beer
Ottawa, Ontario
Sprint and Olympic Distance Triathlon
Ben is not only a fantastic coach, but a genuinely caring human being. I’m amazed at the level of detail and personal attention he is giving me, and the extent to which he has catered to my specific workout requests. And I’m getting way stronger and faster without having to worry about planning my own workouts! I can’t recommend him enough.
Dan Beresh
Toronto, Ontario
Sprint and Olympic Distance Triathlon
A very beneficial tool for attaining goals. No matter what your stage as an athlete, how strenuous of a competition, Ben can help. Accountability without guilt
True Trail Athlete
Working with Ben has been a terrific experience so far, his practical advice and first hand knowledge is invaluable, and the workouts have been easy to follow and just tough enough to push myself without injury. A credit to the coaching received, I'll be going into new events with the confidence of knowing that I can perform at a high level. I would highly recommend True Trail coaching to anyone looking to get into, or level up their endurance sports.
Shawn Giles
Ottawa, ON
Sprint Triathlon
Ben is a really good coach! bringing me around to an ironman in 8 weeks! But also a 12:40 in Tremblant can't ask for more. The meeting, helping out with my gear and everything, I'm really thankful.
-Samuel Brazeau
Gatineau, Quebec
Ironman Triathlon

Let’s Get Started!

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Why “True Trail”?

The Hash House Harriers is worldwide social running club with chapters in almost every city. They gather weekly to participate in a unique type of run. One person, known as “the hare,” runs first and leaves trail markings behind them. The rest of the group (“the pack”) follows about 20 minutes later, attempting to follow their trail.

Some of the hare’s markings are meant to guide the pack, and some are meant to confuse. Often, the pack can lose the trail or be deceived by the markings. But there’s one symbol that’s never false: the famous “True Trail.” This symbol is laid by the hare to reassure the pack that they are going the right way. Traditionally, the pack members yell “Trruuueee Traaiiiilllll” when they find it, letting everyone know theirs is the right path.

This is the philosophy of True Trail Triathlon. Endurance sports is a world with many complex and confusing paths. With True Trail, you can be sure you’re following the right one.

Not an A.I. Coach

I know you hire me because you want a human coach, not computerized, formulaic responses.

I will never use AI to replace my coaching, plan creation, or communication with you. I will only use AI to take notes and summarize meetings, so I can spend more time working with you toward your goals.