Earl Zimmermann

Earl Zimmermann


Sammamish, Washington (Eastside Seattle)

PCG Elite/Master Coach
USAC Level 2 Coach

Coaching Focus: Road, CX, Tri

Background

At a young age I overcame the effects of asthma by heading to the pool. My passion for swimming continued through high school, where I was a competitive distance swimmer. I began to train and race in the Bay area, where I consistently finished in the top ten in my category.

I've trained and raced in various disciplines such as road racing, triathlon, CX, and running for over twenty years, bringing home three medals in the Labor Day CX Championship, Seattle CX Series, and WSBA State Championship. I had the opportunity to spend two years in Europe completing the 250k Amstel Gold Race Tourist, climbing Alpe d’Huez in under sixty minutes, and riding up Mount Ventoux. I returned to racing in Colorado in 2006 and finished seventh overall in the Rocky Mountain Cup series. I understand well the challenges to prepare and compete in stage races like the Mt. Hood Cycling and Cascade Classic in Oregon.

In the corporate world, I was the go-to guy for product information, and then I designed and taught a 22-day training program for new hires. I enjoyed seeing my students’ eyes light up when they began to understand the concepts being discussed; that “aha” moment is what drives me to coach athletes in cycling and running today.

I've been a full-time coach for over eight years now, and I offer my personal competitive experience to benefit my athletes. I'm very proud of my athletes' accomplishments, including the following:
    • Gold Medal National Senior Games age 55-59
    • 9th overall at the Tour de Gila Men's Master 50+
    • Silver medal at Masters Nationals in the Kilo
    • Top 20 at Cyclocross Jr. Nationals
    • 2nd overall in the Cyclocross MFG Series
    • 6th overall in the Inland Cyclocross Series
    • 3rd overall at the Fat Tire Revolution MTB Series
    • 3rd at the Washington State CX Championship
    • Personal best time at the Boston Marathon
    • Seattle to Portland (STP) in under 10 hours
After living and racing in northern California and Colorado, I currently reside in the western part of Washington State near the Marymoor Park Velodrome with my wife and two children. I'm well aware of the challenges we all face trying to include training and racing in an already busy schedule.

Athlete testimonials

I can only say great things about your organization and my coaching experience. It really changed my life and probably saved it since without the data and recording of it I wouldn’t have detected my problems until it was too late. No hyperbole at all; it probably saved my life. Coach Earl is the best. I only wish we could have finished our mission. I would highly recommend him. ~ Andre T.

Coach Earl was awesome. He really cared about me achieving my goals. He held me accountable and he encouraged me when I was discouraged. He made me be patient and work smart. He made me a better athlete and I hope to someday work with him again. ~ Andre T.

I started racing bikes in 1990 at age 37. It was a competitive sport that was easy on my sport-injured ankles, knees, and back. I couldn’t run anymore and the weight room was out of the question. The bike was no problem. Gradually, Earl suggested I run just a little and try getting back into the gym. Well, soon I was running and lifting regularly. Turns out my little pains were simply because of aging and lack of use. Now at 62 years those pains are history and I can spend hours on the bike with little discomfort. Thanks, Earl! This year I completed STP (200 mi.) in under 10 hours at 20 mph. I got off the bike and felt great. Only a sore butt. I attribute this to Earl getting me back into the gym and strengthening the core. Earl knows my lifestyle and knows how to accommodate it without letting me slack off. He challenges me when I tell him “I can’t do that” and encourages me when I exceed expectations. Right now my goal is to win the Masters Nationals Criterium for the 65+ group in 2018. If Earl will have me I plan to do it with his help.  - Tom, WA

I would not race my bike without a coach, and I will continue to work with Earl indefinitely. He is everything to me when I need a coach, counselor, nutritionist, or friend. When I first started working with Earl I was a novice racer on a novice team. The journey has been most extremely rewarding. I have continued to grow as a racer and am about to upgrade to a Cat 3, which was not even on my plans this year, but after winning multiple races, including a 45-mile road race by a breakaway two miles in, to two stage races and multiple time trials, I have no choice. Together we figured out what type of racer I am. My training is pretty time trial specific, but I have learned how to apply those skills to road races and have become a major player on the circuit. It's a pretty cool feeling to have guys from other teams talking about you and saying, 'You need to watch out for him.' All of this would never have happened without the relationship and guidance of Coach Earl.  - Robb, CA

I was shocked to notice that I have only been working with Earl for a couple of weeks as I feel like my fitness has improved so fast. - Brian, CA

Earl is really good at communicating this stuff. I started as a complete novice and today have a pretty good understanding of this stuff. Earl is always timely and gives me great feedback. I would say over the years that Earl knows me better than myself. He is a trusted partner.  - John, WA

Earl has been incredibly well rounded. He is always available. He's flexible and has made immediate changes to training plans as things such as injuries or last-second race additions have forced quick adjustments. He's incredibly knowledgeable. He’s personable, a pleasure to talk with, and just a good person. I trust him and have faith in his ability not just to coach but make a positive impact on my cycling season. I'm grateful to have him. - Ben, Cat 2, CA

Earl has been a magician in his work with me. He always saw potential in me that I couldn’t see; after working with Earl for a while, I looked around and suddenly realized I was doing more with my running than I ever dreamed I could. What a difference he has made! I highly recommend Earl as a coach.  - Dawn, runner, WA

Earl's training plans are truly personalized based on my feedback and Earl's experience, backed by the resources of PCG. Whatever my work and family schedules throw my way, Earl can tweak my training plan to achieve maximum results for the time I have available. Whatever activities I want to add to the mix (MTB, cyclocross, marathon, triathlons, etc.), my training plan flexes to accommodate shifting interests and goals. And as someone who craves the challenge of training and competition, Earl's plans are the optimum mix of volume and intensity that challenge my limits, but he always makes sure that rest and recovery kicks in at the right time and the right amount. I've trained with Earl for going on three years now, and my only regret is not finding such an ideal coach earlier.  - David, cyclocross, WA

What I appreciate about Earl as a coach is his flexibility, his knowledge, and his ability to see things in me I either wasn't aware of or had forgotten. He is good at pushing me when I need a kick in the butt and seems to know when to back off, too. With Earl's help I've achieved some good results, including winning a mountain bike race, making the podium overall in the same series, and taking second place in my first 'cross race, and I've gotten a heck of a lot faster and fitter. Earl even helped me figure out how to sleep better!  - Tom, MTB/CX, WA

I can say with 100% certainty that we have pushed too hard, gone too easy, and ADJUSTED to tailor the right plan for Joe. The results are well documented in your software, and I am pleased. When folks comment, "OUCH," that the Peaks coaching is really working...after hurting them on the "local heroes ride," I agree. When they ask what is different, I share: "It is 70% harder and 30% easier than the training I was doing before" and that "I had no idea I had either inside me." Peaks Coaching Group and Earl are helping to unlock my potential. After nineteen years as an endurance athlete and a career that includes multiple sub-10s in Kona, I was shocked to discover that my potential still had large caverns to be explored. I could not be happier. I use the word dynamic when referring to Earl, and I define dynamic as the willingness of the coach to listen, prescribe, give, or push back while keeping the client engaged and feeling rewarded for the investment. Dynamic is also the willingness to jump in and communicate like hell, brainstorm, and investigate when things go sideways, and if you are truly pushing to explore the bounds of your potential, guess what. You’ll go sideways. It is this critical part of the process (availability, willingness, an honest desire to engage and adjust with disregard for time, day, or scheduled communication) that turns the exploration from a potentially lonely and confusing road to a rewarding partnership.  - Joe, Cat 2, CA

Earl has enabled my transition from a cyclist to an Ironman triathlete. He has produced and adapted training plans around my complicated work and personal travel schedule, and he seems to know how many days/weeks to push, what questions to ask me, and when to back off. What’s different? I have had no injuries and very few illnesses as I have progressed from zero running to very competitive Ironman 70.3 running times and have seen many of my peers do harder training, suffer injury, and still be a lot slower. I finished my first Ironman in 12:03, and I'm now thinking about the next challenge. - Michael, ironman, WA

Earl's been great in helping me build long term fitness. Even though I was part of a group coaching plan, it was clear Earl was invested in my success as an athlete. I went from getting dropped in every race, to placing 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th in various race. He really did help me make huge gains while maintaining a good work/family/training balance. It wasn't just fitness either, but advice on nutrition, recovery, race day routine, bike fit, pack skills, bike handling technique, mental toughness, etc. It's been a transformative experience. - James, CA

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