Coastal Racing's Coaches Profiles
Joel Bell - Running & MultiSport Coach (shown above at Clearwater 70.3 Championships)
Joel Bell is a competitive triathlete and runner. His recent accomplishments include finishing in the top 5% at the 2006 Boston Marathon as well as qualifying for the inaugural Ford Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, FL. Joel is a USA Triathlon and USA Cycling certified coach and has been coaching endurance athletes since 2004. He is founder and head coach of Sisu Multisport & Endurance, an endurance training company offering a range of personalized coaching and performance services helping athletes of all abilities to train smarter and race faster. To learn more, visit www.sisu-multisport.com for or email Joel at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Derek Russell - Open Water Swim Coach (shown in photo, far right, with Cuzin Ed & Betsy Durrant, Masters Swim Coach)
When the ocean water temperatures rise just above hypothermic levels, Russell hosts weekly ocean swims for Coastal Racing members. Russell began swimming competitively at the age of nine and has held many state swimming records. He was a collegiate swimmer at UNC Chapel Hill and served as an oceanfront lifeguard for Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service (VBLS) for six years. It has been said, "Even the jellyfish respect him."
Ocean swims will begin sometime in May and go through September. Members meet at 25th Street at the oceanfront (public parking at 24th St) and have the option to swim to 17th St (pier) and back. Special thanks to VBLS for ensuring the safety of our members during these workouts. Check the forum for updates and weather reports.
Betsy Durrant - Masters Swim Coach
Masters swimming is the best way to stay motivated and achieve your goals in the water. Masters is especially valuable if you like a coached atmosphere and you like to meet new people. Masters workouts take place at Great Neck Recreation Center in Virginia Beach on Mon-Wed-Fri at 7:45am. Evening workouts are typically at Seatack Recreation Center (times change throughout the year, so be sure to check our calendar for updates). For current information, email Coach Betsy at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Barb Mathewson- Winter Spin Intructor (shown here at Kona 2007)
Fitness trainer Barb Mathewson leads free winter spin classes in the warehouse at Conte's during the cold winter months. Barb is the 2006 World 70.3 Champion for the 55-59 age group and completed Kona in 2007. Her goal this year is to win her age group at Ironman Florida. Go Barb!
