BPC Performance Coaching

06/05/2026

BPC Athlete Highlight | Thomas Ratliff

Thomas Ratliff is 65 years old. He's an oncologist. And he just finished his 7th 70.3.

Let that sit for a second...

While most people his age are easing off the gas, Thomas spends his days fighting for patients in one of the most demanding professions and then he trains in the pool, on the bike and running. Seven half-iron distance triathlons. Plus placing in the MRTC off and on road race series along the way.

He's the kind of athlete who shows up. Quietly. Consistently. Without needing anyone to notice.

Here's the moment that's stuck with him. Coming out of the water at Chattanooga 70.3 and seeing his swim time on the clock. Because when Thomas started this sport, he was always last out of the water. Every single time. He didn't quit. He didn't blame his age or his schedule. He got to work, stayed consistent and focused and now he's passing people.

When asked what he'd tell someone on the fence about getting into the sport, Thomas kept it simple. Get a coach if you can afford it and stay as consistent as you can on all the workouts.

And he's not done. His next goal is to run the entire time during a sprint distance triathlon without stopping. He's the first to admit that it sounds easy, but for him it’s not. That kind of honesty is exactly what makes someone worth rooting for.

So here's to Thomas. The doctor who saves lives by day and quietly stacks 70.3s on the weekend. The guy who started last out of the water and refused to stay there. The athlete who reminds us that 65 is not a finish line. It can be a starting point if you decide you want it to be.

Thomas - on behalf of Coach Heather and the rest of the BPC crew, we're jazzed you're part of the BPC family!

Onward!

Interested in starting your own fitness journey? Hit us up...we'd be happy to chat.

05/28/2026

If you’ve ever wanted to try road racing, this weekend is the perfect low cost way to do it! And only an hour from home. Let’s go!!!

10.6 mi, +433 ft. Bike ride in Jackson, TN

05/22/2026

ATHLETE HIGHLIGHT | Levi Richardson

Levi Richardson lost nearly 90 pounds in 10 months. You read that right...

Not with a "weight loss" program, not with a challenge, not with a bet.

With a coach, a plan, and a decision to start showing up before he could see it working.

That last part matters. Because the hardest thing about the early months wasn't the miles or the heavy legs. It was trusting someone else's vision when he couldn't yet see the progress himself.

He kept showing up anyway.

At some point, something shifted. He got stronger. He got faster. He got more disciplined. And then...in his own words..."one day, the growth I had been working for simply arrived."

That is not a quote from someone who did it the easy way. That is a quote from someone who held on long enough to let the process work.

The result that put a number on all of it: the Regional One Health One-Mile Championship. 11:59.
Sub-12. A personal best. A line he had been working toward for a long time.

But he'll tell you the race wasn't really the moment. The moment was realizing he was no longer the same person who started.
There was a training day he won't forget. He texted his coach, Heather Nichols, to complain and say he wasn't sure he could handle it.

Her response: "I know."

Two words. He knew exactly what it meant.

"You've got this. Let's go."

"You do not have to see the whole journey to take the first step. Trust the process, trust the people helping you, and give yourself permission to grow slowly - because one day you will look up and realize you are stronger, faster, and more capable than you ever believed."

Next up for Levi: the full MRTC Road Race Series.

So what's that big goal you've got that you think is impossible?

All you need to do is learn from Levi - get started, keep showing up, never quit.

You're capable of more than you think!

Levi, we are fired up to have you in the BPC family. The journey is just beginning!

05/05/2026

Happy to support this awesome cause and event. Don’t miss out on Miles4Milla on 5/15/26. Ride long. Ride short. Don’t ride at all. Stay for the party and your new favorite shirt.

Check our stories for a direct reg link and get signed up today!

04/29/2026

Some of our athletes gripped it and ripped it this past weekend at Tupelo Sprint Triathlon. Congrats out there to all!
The results speak for themselves:
- 3rd OA Female
- 1st Male Master
- 1st Female Master
- 1st AG
- 2nd AG
- 1st AG
- 1st AG
- 1st AG
- .tom 2nd AG
- .aycock.5 4th AG
- Kraig Coates 5th AG

04/22/2026

ATHLETE HIGHLIGHT | Kelley Hikade

Twenty-nine years. Twenty-six marathons. Eight Boston finishes.

And at 56 years old, Kelley Hikade just ran her fastest marathon ever.

3:27:55 at the 2026 Boston Marathon. A new personal best, 30 years after her previous PB.

Let that sit for a second. Thirty years. Most people would have filed that old PR under "ancient history" a long time ago. Kelley kept training.

The story isn't just the time on the clock. It's what came before it.

The last couple of years have not been clean. A career change. The loss of multiple family members and close friends. Starting over in a new state. Any one of those is enough of a reason to pull back from serious training. Kelley used the training as a way to cope instead - a place to keep showing up, keep moving, keep being herself through all of it.

She landed in Durham, NC, in terrain where hills are everywhere. So she trained on them. Got stronger. Got faster. Sharpened her track work and her long run pace until the fitness was undeniable.

Then came race day.

After cresting the Newton Hills, Kelley looked down at her watch and did the math. Even if she slowed down from there, she was running a Boston PR. Then mile 25 came, and her husband was waiting.

"3:28 pace - give it everything."

She did.

"Start with bite-sized goals. Short distances, no pace pressure, see how it makes you feel - then go from there."

That's her advice to anyone staring at running and wondering if it's for them. It's simple, it's honest, and it's how she built a 29-year career that is still producing personal bests.

Memphis --> Durham, NC. 56 years young. 26 marathons. 8 Bostons. One brand new PR.

Coach Ben Knoernschild is in her corner - the kind of coach who challenges her with the right workouts, supports the grind, and cares about her as a person, not just an athlete. In her words: "I feel very fortunate to have him in my corner."

And she's not done. Up next, Kelley is chasing a track mile later this year, and then maybe a fast, flat marathon to close it out.

Congrats, Kelley. Proud to have you in the BPC community. The journey keeps going!

04/22/2026

May 30th - MARK YOUR CALENDARS and get registered for an awesome, beginner friendly road bike race over in Jackson, TN!

We're helping get this going - feel free to reach out with any quesitons!

BikeReg - online cycling event registration

04/17/2026

ATHLETE HIGHLIGHT | Lin Wu

Five years ago, Lin Wu wouldn't have called herself a triathlete.
Last year, she crossed the finish line at Ironman Chattanooga 140.6.

That's not a story about natural ability. That's a story about a woman who decided to commit - and then refused to stop showing up.

The hardest part wasn't race day. Lin will tell you that herself...

It was fitting real training volume into a real life - work, recovery, and everything else that doesn't pause because you have a long ride scheduled.

Mental barriers on the hardest sessions.

Weeks where the process had to be trusted even when the results weren't obvious yet.

She kept going anyway.

One day during training, after logging more than 100 miles on the bike in the Memphis summer heat, Lin ran 8 miles. Not in a race. Just because the plan said to - and she was committed enough to do it.

That's the moment she says she'll never forget. Not a finish line. A training day.

That's who earns a full Ironman finisher medal.

Lin puts it simply: "First ask yourself if this is an interest or a commitment - interest fades, but commitment carries you through the hard days."

Commitment has carried her to:

4x Half Ironmans.
1x Full Ironman.

And she's not done. In November, Lin is lining up for the Mamba 100 - a 100-mile ultramarathon. Because there's nothing quite like setting a big goal and going after it.

As a BPC Squad member, she trains with Coaches Heather and Dale and leans on the Squad community to keep pushing. Lin is proof that a group program can take you all the way to a full Ironman finish line - and beyond. You just have to have that same level of commitment and drive.

We love having athletes like Lin in the BPC community. The kind who do the work when no one's watching, trust the process, and keep raising the bar on themselves.

Congrats, Lin. The journey continues and we're excited to be here for it.

01/06/2026

What keeps you going in endurance sports?
👍🏼 Longevity?
👍🏼 Being a good example for your family?
🏅 The hardware?

There’s no wrong answer. 😎
Let us know in the comments.