Coach Amy Farrell says, "Dave has been an excellent student of the sport of triathlon since we started working together in January. He goes above and beyond to make himself a better triathlete. Dave finds a way to make it all fun and social while steadily improving all season. I knew once Dave spent time volunteering at Ironman Lake Placid that he would catch the bug and have to sign up. I’m so excited to see what next season holds for him after his success this season. Congratulations, Dave!"

A:   Dave Stadtlander Albany, NY

A:   50

A:   Supervisor of Health Education, Physical Education and Athletics for the North Colonie CSD

A:    I got back into it after a very long absence over the past two years. Back in 1997 I did some racing during the early years of the Capital District Triathlon Club with my sister Linda. I got busy with my career teaching Physical Education and coaching Track and Field but always wanted to get back into it. I rejoined the TCITL and through conversations with people I work with, I learned about T3 and was fortunate enough to get accepted onto the team a year ago.

A:   One year by Coach Amy

A:   I've done a lot more road races than triathlons so I'll give you both. My favorite road race is the Troy Turkey Trot 10K. I started running the Troy Turkey trot in elementary school and I've been doing it ever since. I grew up in Lansingburgh and so it feels like a homecoming of sorts each year. For triathlon, I'd say the Tupper Lake Tinman is my favorite so far. It was the first race I did in 2023 after my 26 year hiatus and it did not go well. I was training myself and didn't really know what I was doing. I suffered through it but I knew that I could do better. I returned this year after training with T3 under Amy Farrell and had a much better experience. It was a miserable rainy day and the zipper on my uniform top broke before I even started the ride and I was one of the happiest people out there. I improved my time by around 50 minutes and had fun doing it.

A:   I enjoy using my Wahoo Kickr for indoor cycle training. Being able to watch shows or sports while getting my workouts in is my kind of multitasking.

A:   I was fortunate to have some success with running in high school and college. I won some high school invitational XC and dual meet races. In college at SUNY Cortland, I led off our DMR at SUNYAC championships which we won and helped us win the meet as a team. After that, life got pretty busy and it's been fun placing in my age group as some recent races. You appreciate these types of things a lot more as an adult.

A:   For 2025, my biggest goal is completing Ironman Lake Placid. This will be my first attempt at a full 140.6 so I'm excited and nervous. Volunteering this past year was really eye opening and inspiring to see so many people both doing the race and supporting the athletes.

A:   To continue getting smarter with my training and nutrition. I've gotten better about figuring out what works for me, but still feel like there is plenty of room for improvement.

A:   Oatmeal-I make a week's worth and eat it each day throughout the week, broccoli-hated it as a kid but love it as an adult, coffee-I prefer it cold so I make it in advance and have it in the fridge.

A:   Everything from Metallica to Taylor Swift. It truly depends on my mood. I also tend to listen to more podcasts during my long runs. That Triathlon Life and Crushing Iron are my "go to" pods.

A:   Join T3 and embrace the overall triathlon culture. The triathlon community is different from anything else I have ever been a part of. You truly feel like you are "in it" together.

A:   Pay attention to what you eat/drink and listen to your body. I spent decades "toughing it out" during training and racing. It doesn't work and it just makes a difficult activity even harder.

A:   As I've gotten older, I've come to embrace progression workouts. I'm not a fast starter any more.

A:   Getting involved with various training groups is a great way to meet people and stay motivated. Training alone is inherent to endurance sports such as triathlon. However, being a part of things like masters swim groups, run groups, online communities and of course triathlon is a great way to keep things interesting. Supporting others is just as rewarding as the feeling you get from receiving kudos from friends and family.