Mark Allen

Biography

The Ironman Triathlon held on the Big Island of Hawaii, is the most difficult one-day sporting event in the world. It starts with a 2.4-mile ocean swim, followed by 112 miles of cycling, and then finishes with a 26.2-mile marathon. For most of the 1500 men and women who compete in the Ironman crossing the finish line amounts to a victory.

Mark had a different destiny. His first six attempts, all losses, were casualties of everything from flat tires to internal bleeding. Yet, each defeat served to galvanize his commitment to fulfilling his dream of becoming the Ironman Champion. Finally on his seventh attempt Mark won, beating Dave Scott in triathlon's greatest race ever.

Allen went on to win a total of six Ironman titles in six attempts. His final victory came at the age of 37, making him the oldest champion ever in this incredibly challenging event! Mark completed a 15-year career in the world of elite athletics with a 90% top-three finish record, going undefeated in 20 races over a three year span from 1988-1990. He was named "Triathlete of the Year" six times, and after retiring in 1996 was called "The World's Fittest Man" by Outside magazine.

Still living the principles that enabled him to turn adversity into success, Mark was recently awarded the highest ranking any speaker ever receives from Northwestern Financial Network for a keynote address he gave to their advisors. Mark works for NBC Sports as an expert analyst each year at the Ironman and provided commentary at the Sydney Olympics for triathlon's debut at the Games.

Mark also authored the successful book on lifestyle fitness titled "Workouts for Working People," and co-authored a second book with Brant Secunda titled "Fit Body, Fit Soul" in 2004.

 

Publications

In Workouts For Working People, Ironman legends Mark Allen and Julie Moss bring you the ultimate fitness program that shows you how to get, be and stay in phenomenal shape without giving up the rest of your life.
In 1997, after winning six Ironman Triathlons, Mark Allen retired from his career as a professional triathlete and joined the working world. Until then, he had never understood the challenge of finding time in the day for work, family and fitness. But as he and his wife Julie, also a professional triathlete and a new mother, learned there just never seemed to be enough hours in the day. But fortunately, because their whole life had been devoted fitness, they endeavored to find a way to stay fit within the confines of this new lifestyle. Workouts For Working People is their comprehensive recipe for fitness. They will help you define your current fitness status and determine what your fitness goals are. Then they will explain how you can go out and accomplish them!
Included are ways to:

Maximize your workouts and workout time

Stretch effectively, efficiently, and consistently

Enjoy your exercise program so that it's something that you enjoy, not that agonizing something that you do just so that you can check it off your to do list

Workout with your partner - even if you are not at the same level

Make delicious food that works for you

Focus your energy so that your exercise invigorates you and your life

Filled with inspiring anecdotes from their lives, this is not just a book filled with workout plans and nutritional schedules, although it the best ones available, it's a philosophy for living that Mark and Julie practice, and have tested on others who have all had dramatic results using it.

Titles

The Art of Ironman Success