“Occasionally someone will come up to me and say that they beat me at one race on my Athlinks profile. That’s always entertaining!”
It’s been a rewarding few months for former U.S. National Team Cyclist Lewis Elliot. Now a pro triathlete—as well as an endurance coach, swim instructor, and Ford Agency model, among other things—the 37-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona, is returning to his cycling roots with impressive results. Elliot set not one, but two recent PRs: at the Barn Burner (96-mile solo MTB) where he finished first overall in 5:35:11, and at the Leadville Trail 100 MTB, where he came in well under the revered nine-hour mark, finishing in 7:30:07 and earning 10th in his age group.
“Both were very exciting!” says Elliot. “I love that Athlinks keeps track of PRs—it’s very appreciated on the athlete side of things. I’m so encouraged, since I had far from perfect races, and I know I can do better at Leadville by a long shot. That’s motivating! The Athlinks database reminds me what I’ve done and where I still plan to go.”
“It’s always fun to look back and check out results,” continues Elliot. “Athlinks is quite the site of accurate compilation. I’ll sometimes assess the competition, and take a look at how I’m doing in comparison to my rivals. Other athletes have also certainly reached out to me. Occasionally someone will come up to me and say that they beat me at one race on my Athlinks profile. That’s always entertaining!”
Elliot doesn’t mind being beaten—it only deepens his motivation, and keeps him honest in pursuit of his goals. “Athlinks allows for easy access to results history, which provides for lots of accountability. It doesn’t allow me or others to selectively remember our athletic abilities and history,” he says.
And then there are the just-for-fun events. “I’ve been known to race some events with friends and family, and not in the overly-competitive sense,” says Elliot. “This works to my advantage, as some people underestimate me due to seeing those results in my profile. I know they could be doing the same, though…”
Whether for fun, to feed his competitive fire, or to fight for a share of the pro prize purse, Elliot simply loves sport. “It’s an integral part of my life, with positive people around me encouraging me to continue doing what I’ve done for a long time now,” he says. “I’ve been at it seriously for 25 years!”
He does have some less endurance-focused items on his bucket list, however. He looks forward to getting a season ski pass, playing tennis, and even learning to golf. “Plus,” says Elliot, “I want to take a long surf vacation in the next couple of years, perhaps to Cabo or Hawaii. Something tame.”
Meanwhile, you’ll find him on Athlinks, and via the new Athlinks app, which Elliot says is “fast and so accurate in comparison to others. Athlinks is on the cutting edge of timing analysis and endurance sports data collection. It’s been fun to see it evolve over the last ten years or so, and I very much look forward to seeing how it continues to improve and evolve.”
Do you follow friends and keep up with rivals on Athlinks? If not, get started today at Athlinks.com.
