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5Dave Ciaverella
Coaching Specialty: Ultraman, Ironman and Half Ironman/70.3
Current Team: Ironheads Multisport
www.ironheadsmultisport.com
Triathlete since: 2004
Coach: Olaf Sabatschus
Dave is a life-long athlete, competing throughout high school and Division I Collegiate running. Following college and graduate school, Dave began competing in marathons while in medical school, during the time in which he became involved with research in sports nutrition and physiology. He continued running through the 90's, with marginal success, as he attained a USATF national marathon ranking of 19th following his 2:28 finish on the difficult Pittsburgh course, the site of the Men's National marathon championships in 1997. Dave continued as an elite amateur through his post-medical school training as a Neuroradiologist for the next 6 years with several overall marathon wins. Dave began his medical practice in 2001 after his final year of training, in Portland Oregon, where he soon met his future coaching partner Grant Folske, as they finished together in the California International marathon in 2002.
In 2003, while at a medical conference in Kona Hawaii, Dave and his wife Ann walked out to the QK highway to "see what all the commotion was about". It was at this point, he first witnessed Ironman Hawaii, and was amazed on what he saw. "These endurance athletes, and the suffering on their faces blew me away, " he remembers thinking on that day. Dave later that weekend told his wife, "I want to be here next year, and I want to race." Thus began his ironman pursuit. Dave joined a local cycling team that fall, as well as a local triathlon team "ironheads", and began swim lessons with Rob Williams, a well known local triathlete, ironheads club member and swim coach. In the spring of 2004, Dave entered his first 70.3 event, California, in an attempt to gain an qualifying slot for IM CdA in June, 2004. This was accomplished and he was on his way to his first IM, 8 months after spectating the athletes in IM Hawaii.
In his first IM, CdA, horrifed at the 2000+ athletes and his first mass swim start, Dave waited 2 minutes after the starting cannon to begin, and entered the water in last place. Swimming a 1:15, and an 8 minute T1, he began the bike in 950th overall and 196th in the M35 division. Biking a respectable 5:15, he entered T2 in 200th overall and 51st in M35. He then entered his element on the run, chasing down athletes to 29th overall male and 6th in the M35 with a 3:08 marathon. He was on his way to Hawaii in his first season.
Subsequenly, as a physician and scientist, Dave became embedded in the sport, mostly in terms of effective training, recovery, and nutrition. Dave continued success at IM CdA with 2 consecutive podium finishes and 2 more Hawaii appearances over the next 2 years. Dave soon began informally coaching, primarily nutritional aspects and effective run for endurance triathlon. After, 4 years of competing and extensively studying the training strategies and optimal nutrition for success in the sport, with personal bests of 9:11 IM and 4:15 HIM, Dave decided to formally coach. With immediate success, Dave qualified 4 athletes in his first season in 2008, and now, as of 2011, has coached 21 qualification slots to Hawaii in age divisions ranging from F25 to M60, with 15 of the 21 as "first time qualifiers". Dave credits his success in recent years not only to his pursuit of knowledge in the sport, but also to his elite coach Olaf Sabatschus, professional triathlete and multiple overall IM champion, finishing as high as 5th overall at IM Hawaii.
Ironman Event Summary
Hawaii World Championships Qualifier
2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011
PR Ironman: Western Australia 2007, 9:11.32
PR Half Ironman: Clearwater 70.3 2007, 4:15.29
Number of Ironman and 70.3 Podium finishes - 14
Ironman Coeur d Alene June 2004 M35 6th
Ironman World Championships Oct 2004
Ironman Coeur d Alene June 2005 M35 3rd
Ironman World Championships Oct 2005
Ironman Coeur d Alene June 2006 M40 4th
Ironman World Championships Oct 2006
Ironman Roth Germany, June 2007 M40 7th
Ironman Western Australia Dec 2007 M40 5th
Ironman Arizona April 2008 M40 2nd
ITU Long Course World Championships Sep 2008 M40 5th
Ironman World Championships Oct 2008
Ironman Brazil May 2010 OA 29th, M45 Champion, 9:25
Ironman Hawaii Oct 2010 M45, 49th, 10:14
Ironman Arizona Nov 2010 M45, 5th, 9:44
Ironman Texas May 21, 2011 M45 Champion 5th OA Amateur, 24th OA male 9:29
Half Ironman/70.3 Event Summary
Florida 70.3 2005 M35 8th
Worlds Toughest Half, Auburn CA May 2006, M35 2nd
Florida 70.3 May 2007 M40 1st
USAT Halfmax Nationals Sep 2007 M40 2nd
Pacific Crest Half Ironman June 2008 M40 1st
Troika Half Ironman Aug 2008 M40 1st
Florida 70.3 May 2009 M40 6th
Boise 70.3 June 2009 M40 1st
Pacific Crest Half Ironman June 2009 M40 1st
New Orleans 70.3, M45 Champion and AG course record, 4:25
California 70.3 April 3, 2011 M45 6th 4:28 (4th time racing event, 14 min. PR)
Other Accomplishments
Marathon PR 2:27.56
2008 Male Masters TriNorthwest Overall Triathlete of the year
2009 Male Masters TriNorthwest Overall Triathlete of the year
2008 USAT Masters National ranking 13th
USAT All American 6 Consecutive years
