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Founded in 1999 by athletes and coaches, the Louisville-based company which operates under the Peaksware LLC umbrella, develops software for endurance coaches and motivated individuals, to monitor, analyze and plan their fitness and nutrition for peak performance. Their suite of products include the world’s leading web-based training log and food journal, TrainingPeaks.com accessed online and through iOS and Android applications and PC desktop analysis software, WKO+.
“Even though we are a technology company we don't look at ourselves as selling software,” said Co-Founder Dirk Friel. “We sell a lifestyle and a way for individuals to achieve their endurance-athletic goals. Ideally we pair a person with an expert coach who manages their day-to-day training towards an event. Software is just the method to do it. There is no better way to get fit and healthy than to receive expert advice and immediate feedback.”
TrainingPeaks cashes in on their customers’ need for data analytics and following the mantra, “That which is measured, improves.” Customers can create meal plans, training calendars and benefit from professional coaches and an online community to help meet their fitness goals. They also provide platforms for coaches to help their clients achieve healthier lifestyles and top performance.
Despite being a 13-year old company, Friel said TrainingPeaks is constantly operating like a tech startup. The ability to adapt has kept the company nimble and able to keep up with the Joneses, especially in mobile app development.
“We are compatible with over 80 different devices which also now include third party apps which leverage our API,” Frield said. “A big focus of ours is to support our API so we can remain compatible with numerous apps and training devices.”
It’s no surprise that a company like TrainingPeaks made its home just outside Boulder, a mecca for athletes at all levels, including the professional ranks.
“Many of the world’s best athletes frequent Boulder and Colorado in general and that is only going to grow with the announcement of Ironman Boulder and the growing popularity of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge,” said Friel. “The Denver-Boulder- Fort Collins triangle is an ideal place to be an entrepreneur within the technology space. Boulder tends to be a great incubator of fresh ideas and like-minded tech geeks.
As a lifelong athlete, I know a thing or two about accountability. After college, though, my athleticism took a nosedive. I moved to Colorado about 30 pounds overweight. Thankfully Denver provided the ideal landscape and lifestyle to help me shed some of the unwanted girth, but I was shooting blind when it came to a strategic process.
Had I known where to look, I could have found TrainingPeaks to help propel my training and lifestyle changes to the next level.