Coaches

Duane Franks

Duane Franks, Trifiniti's creator, held a variety of management positions at several Western Athletic Clubs, including The San Francisco Bay Club. Triathlon and endurance competition is nothing new for Duane. He completed his first triathlon back in 1981 when the sport was in its infancy and since has completed more than 250 events, including 12 Ironman Triathlons (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a full 26.2 mile marathon). He is also a five-time Hawaii Ironman, former member of the USA Triathlon Team, seven-time USAT All American, and has won several age group titles, including Wildflower, Full Vineman, World's Toughest Half, Escape from Alcatraz, Treasure Island, and Pacific Grove. Duane confesses, “My own athletic accomplishments dwarf in comparison to the success of the athletes I’ve coached."

Among these athletes is 40-year old Bay Club Marin member, Kathy Winkler. Kathy is a two-time Hawaii Ironman World Championship age group winner. Kathy was also the 2005 Half Vineman overall women’s champion, beating several professionals in the process. Jeri Howland, another Trifiniti™ athlete, is also extremely accomplished. Jeri has won several age group victories around the world and held an Ironman distance (age group) world record for more than a year.

Not all of Duane's clients are that accomplished—many of them are just starting out. He tells us, “Most of the athletes I work with are professionals with families. My role is to integrate training and racing into their lives, without taking them away from their responsibilities.” No matter where in their athletic career a client begins to work with Duane, the result is the same: A significant improvement in performance. Duane's formula for success has been proven by the more than 100 athletes he's coached to Ironman finishes, including a group of 30 this past year.

Duane founded Trifiniti™ with the philosophy that participating in endurance sports should enhance our lives and keep us healthy and fit as a lifestyle. “Bringing Trifiniti™ into The Bay Club is very exciting for me. We’ve been putting together the details on a number of new services, programs, and classes that will allow our performance-minded members to reach new heights with respect to their athletic goals”, Duane says excitedly. Several Trifiniti™ Performance Coaching services are currently available with plans for many more. How many more? Let’s just say it’s Tri-infinite!