Congratulations to the June T3 Athlete of the Month, Jeff Halusic (M 45-49). Despite his challenging work schedule, which includes an hour work commute (each way), Jeff has mastered the art of balance, creating time for family, friends, work, and... oh yeah... TRAINING FOR HIS FIRST IRONMAN! Being a man of few words, he quietly shows that impressive gains are made by being patient, gritty and determined. You’re far more likely to see him offering support to others than talking about his triathlon accomplishments or complaining about his recent stolen bike incident. Jeff’s ability to overcome obstacles while soaking in new information about training, fueling, pacing, and recovering is second to none. Congratulations Jeff... T3 is very proud of you!

A:  Jeff Halusic, Niskayuna

A:  49

A:  General Manager at Zappone Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram in Granville, NY

A:  I have been doing triathlons for fun for about 5 years. I did my first tri (Hudson Crossing) in 2011. I was always interested in triathlons and thought it would be a great challenge and a great way to stay active.

A:  I have been working with Fran since March 2016.

A:  I like Hudson Crossing because it is a local race and not far from where I grew up. It was my first triathlon. I have done it a few times and this year took about 20 minutes off my previous time. I also really liked Patriot Half Ironman. The course is nice and the bike is fast.

A:  I really like my Cannondale Slice bike. I liked it even more when it was returned after being stolen off my enclosed porch this spring.

A:  I have always been a competitive athlete. I was a standout basketball and baseball player in high school and went on to play baseball in college. My pitching career ended because of a shoulder injury. I have stayed active strength training, running, golf, cycling and now triathlon. I never wanted triathlon to be super competitive for me because of my years playing sports in high school and college. However, as I really started consistently training, especially this year with Fran, I saw many improvements that pushed me from the back of the pack to the middle. I think my race at Patriot Half Ironman was a great achievement for me because I took an hour off my previous 70.3 time.

A:  To finish Ironman Lake Placid feeling good with a smile on my face.

A:  I would like to continue to improve in all three areas of triathlon and improve my performance in races.

A:  Peanut butter, gluten free blueberry waffles, Ezekiel bread

A:  Anything from hip hop to country music

A:  Start out with small races and build from there. Get a coach or a good plan on Training Peaks to follow. Talk to people in the sport to get good advice. Get a good bike fit.

A:  I started using the new product Hot Shot this year because I have a lot of issues with cramping. I really like the product a lot.

A:  That's a hard question. I have enjoyed all of my workouts. Fran's workouts always challenged me and things were never boring. I probably enjoyed my bike workouts the most.

A:  I am very hopeful that I will be an Ironman on 7/24. I work about 50+ hours a week and have a 3 hour round trip drive time and a busy family life. Fitting in training was challenging but Fran did a great job working with my schedule. Nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough.