Well Fit Triathlon & Training

This is my second year in a group training class with Well-​Fit. I am by no means an «elite» athlete or even an above average athlete, however I have met people there that train at the same pace as me. I think that because Well-​Fit has an elite team some people are intimated to sign up. There is no reason to be intimated, they offer something for people at all levels. My training consists of a group swim class 1x per week and a bike computrainer class 1x per week, along with a trainingpeaks plan and coordinated group rides. It is much more organized than the training offered at my gym and more challenging than another program I did a few years ago. Definitely recommend.

I love love love this gym. I was at East Bank Club for quite a while, hired a coach from Jan through April 2014 to help me get through my first half ironman in July, and was completely disappointed come May as I felt nowhere near ready for the race. Six weeks to the race I felt like a complete failure and that the time I had spent training since January was a waste. I swam at the lake one day in May and ran into two people that go to Well-​Fit. I shared my experience at EBC with them and they told me I had to check out Well-​Fit as it was a totally different gym and I would not be disappointed. They were right! I am so blown away by the difference in training and feel confident again to complete my first half ironman. Just this morning I was in an infinity pool being videotaped on my stroke and going over it with a certified swim instructor who was very knowledgeable and has great passion for the sport. The people that attend there are so focused, all working on half ironman’s or ironman races… at least the people I’ve encountered thus far. I know there are some clients that work out there during the day that are not training for anything specific. Anyway, seeing the bikes lined up in their awesome computrainer area all with aero bars is thrilling! The staff are all so knowledgeable and really care about their clients and the sport in general. I’ve had more communication with my new coach Ted in the last week than I had the entire time I was with my coach at EBC. It’s a bit far from my house, but it’s really become worth it and I’m back to looking forward to workouts, even when I’m exhausted or it’s pouring out. Highly highly recommend checking this place out.

Well-​Fit absolutely has been the best decision I have made for my health and pursuing my goals. The atmosphere and dynamic of the gym are really welcoming and encouraging. The camraderie I have gained from the multiple training rides, swim work outs, and racing has been invaluable. Sharone, the gym owner, has supported and pushed me to reach my goals and surpass them. In addition, watching him in action with clients and at events, it is clear how much time and dedication he has put into his work. He truly cares about everyone at his gym whether elite racer or fitness newbie.
I would recommend this gym for anyone looking to get into triathlons or looking for a great group atmosphere!

Well fit! Where do I begin! I wanted to up my triathlon training and the one place that I knew I could take my athleticism to the next level was Well Fit! I had met Sharone a few years prior to joining and felt that his knowledge of the sport as well as personal training, would be a great for me. He really knows what he is talking about and has me think about the sport in a whole different way.
Well Fitt’s group classes and teams are a great way to improve any specific discipline you might want to work on. Not only that, but the facility is a great place to come before or after work and not be bothered by the rif raf you might find at a larger gym. The facility houses a computraining studio with plenty of space to pedal your brains out, an endless pool to work on your technique, and plenty of treadmills and weights to build lots of strength. Well Fit has different membership options for whatever your budget might be. Basic fitness memberships start at $ 52! I love it!
I plan on being here for a long time! They don’t only work with fast people, they do everything possible to make you fast!!! You want to go fast, right?!? Well Fit is the place to be! Join now!

I had a bad experience attempting to sign up for classes using a YouSwoop.
After not having any of my emails or phone calls returned i stopped by and spoke to the receptionist. We ended up calling the owner, Sharon, who did not disappoint on his reputation as a jerk.
Sharon has a reputation in the triathlon community as having a very displeasing personality especially if you aren’t a high calibre athlete.
Sharon refused to speak with me on the phone to clear up the problem, a very poor business man.
Stick to another Tri training club, one who won’t treat better and ask around about the reputation and what they have done.
Well done Sharon!

I had a fun training here for my last race. I met a lot of people that like to train hard and sometimes party hard. I think this is the best tri specific training center in Chicagoland. The coaches are all USA Triathlon certified and the couple that coached me seemed to really have a knowledge of the sport, they weren’t just gym trainers looking to make a couple extra buck like some groups Ive trained with in the past. I also really appreciate that it’s focus is Triathlon and not road cycling.

I joined the Well-​Fit Ironman Wisconsin Training Program to be sure I was successful in completing IM Wisconsin and I finished. That is my quick review…
A friend had used Well-​Fit in the past and I had signed up for IM Wisconsin. I knew he had very positive experiences and I personally wanted to do everything I could to reach my goal of completing the race. So I joined the program which is broken into two (bike/​swim) sessions. Each session has its own coach Liz Waterstraat (Bike/​Run) and Keith Klebacha (Swim), both coaches are very accomplished in their own disciplines.
The most important quality of the program is that Liz & Keith taught Ironman. I could have signed up for a training program, gotten the workouts, done them and be «trained» — that was my experience from marathon programs and I am sure one could do that with Ironman but I doubt the success rate. Keith & Liz trained us but also taught us by structuring our physical activates to accompany the knowledge they provided over the course of the program. This is not just training, it is teaching and it’s a valuable service.

Yes. 5 Stars.
I started racing triathlon in 2009 with a charity program. From the first race, I knew I wanted to race the Ironman. I could taste it.
The issue was, my former coach, all but told me to my face that I couldn’t do it. And that was when I started to shop around.
I came to Well Fit in December of 2011 with a friend. We met with the owner, Sharone, who discussed the facility and some of the program. He asked what our goals were, and I told him honestly, «I want to finish Ironman Madison.» He smiled, or dare I say smirked, and said «Of course you can finish. Many people can finish. But what is your REAL goal.» A ballsy move. I told him that I wanted to do better than my former coach thought I could. I inquired about his DNF rate (which stands for «Did Not Finish») and he explained that in all the years the program has run, only one person did not finish. And that, my friends, sold me on Well Fit.
If you are shopping around for an Iron training program, don’t forget to ask about their DNF rate.
The price for this is TOTALLY right. All of my coaching, workouts, and facilities from January to August for $ 100 per month. It’s tough to even join a GYM for that price, let alone get a personally tailored program.
I was nervous meeting my coaches, understanding that this would make or break the experience. My head coach was Liz Waterstraat. (For the record, I have no clue how to pronounce her last name.) The first thing you see when you see Liz is … the gun show. Girl is FIT. FIT! My swim coach was Keith Klebacha. (For the record, I don’t know how to pronounce his last name either.) I’m not gonna use the phrase «hot as balls» to describe him, because he may get embarrassed. But you get the picture.
Liz structured all of my bike /​run workouts and coached us in person every week on the computrainer. The personal attention was incredible. I have a superstition about doing more than one race per season (in case there is a disaster) and I ran IMTX in May. She hand tailored my workout schedule to be both building for Wisconsin, and getting the appropriate taper in for Texas at the same time.
Oh my goodness and the freakouts. I get nervous about … doing an Ironman and small shit freaks me out. Shooting Liz an email. Day or night. Always answered. Always put my mind at ease. And not by CODDLING me, but giving me honest, straight up advice and coaching. In my three years and multiple coaches, I have never felt as confident about my coach steering me in the right direction as I was with Liz.
Keith? Also amazing. The swim is where people die, I mean, right? So getting a triathlete used to the water is, in it’s own right, a feat. But Keith built your confidence AND your upper body. Hell, Keith is the reason I could proudly wear my crop top at Pride. The shoulders look AMAZING.
Not to mention that I knocked off 24 seconds /​100 meters off of my 2.4 mile swim.
Okay. This is long. Let’s sum up.
You can’t train for an Ironman alone, let alone IMWI (or IMOO). For truth. You’ll shit your pants. Liz and Keith take the guesswork out, and give you the tools to get across that finish line … with a PR. The price is right, the coaching is top notch, I simply can’t recommend this program enough. I’m kinda sad I’m not doing another one.
Maybe not that sad. Just kind of sad.

I entered a super-​sprint triathlon before I could really swim well. I figured I needed all the help I could get so I joined a training group in June 2012. I was intimidated at first and was afraid that the group was for really serious athletes only. I quickly learned that there was plenty of room for individualizing the program. I wanted to do the triathlon for fun and to get into shape. Coach Ted did a great job of pushing me and encouraging me to reach beyond what I thought I could do — and he was good at training us for every possible aspect of competing. I trained alongside people who were training for sprint and olympic distance triathlons. I felt so well-​prepared and relaxed for doing my race that I’m pretty sure I could have fairly easily done the longer race. The facilities are incredibly clean — small — but well-​designed for the purpose of training. The staff and owner are friendly, supportive and professional. I know that they train plenty of serious competitors but I just want to make it clear that it is a great place for beginners as well.

Well Fit is one of those things, that its either made for you or it’s not. If you are training for a high-​level triathlon, you will probably find it will work wonders for you. If you are new into running or triathlons, it might be a little steep of an investment.
I participated in the Well Fit Ironman course in 2010, prepping for Ironman Wisconsin in September of 2010. I cannot say better things about the experience of training for the event or the coaching I received for it. I had been working with Liz Waterstraat as my coach for a year prior to the Ironman, so it was great I could train in a group atmosphere with such a high level coach. For those who are not familiar with Liz, she has trained hundreds of athletes to incredible accomplishments. She is incredibly generous with her time and attention, and is a true pro.
Other great things about the Ironman training course: (1) facilities are very nice, (20 Computrainer workouts get you a head start in the crappy weathered Chicago Spring, (3) group training is great (these are still some of my best friends), (4) the program’s record for getting people to the finish line at Ironman is unmatched.
I did compare this program vs. others, and this is the best way to train for an Ironman. I have known others to participate in other programs, and then change to Well Fit with night and day results.
As for the rest of the gym, it really is a gym for high level triathletes. And it is designed for those committed to a full scheduling of summer racing. Like I said, it’s either made for you or it isn’t, but if you are training for an Ironman, or you want to really commit to the sport of triathlon, this is the place for you.

I still can’t figure out why this gym has so few non-​triathlete patrons. The monthly fee is considerably lower and the facilities much cleaner and much less crowded than any alternative in the area I lived (Ukrainian Village /​Wicker Park). In fact, it was often times like having my own private gym. And a really clean and high end one at that– all of the equipment is really high quality and nice.
The overwhelming majority of patrons are triathletes, and they tend to spend their time on the bike computrainers and the treadmills. That leaves the rest of the place free to a few personal trainers and the other brilliant people that have discovered this place.
As others have mentioned, the staff are all pretty friendly and there’s a good, fitness-​focused vibe here. It wasn’t uncommon for the owner, Sharon, or one of the personal trainers to provide me with some tips on my workout, whether it was a helpful suggestion about better form or perhaps a different exercise that might be more beneficial.
Oh, and if you live far enough away to necessitate driving, parking is never an issue (and its free).
So to sum: clean, modern and uncrowded facilities; low cost; free parking; nice, helpful staff.

I admit I’m not training for a Triathalon… I’m training for something much more difficult, zipping up my pants!
This is a fantastic boutique gym. I’ve wavered for a long time whether to join, having enjoyed XSport very, very much. However, Well Fit is great even if you’re not training for a triathlon! The gym is clean, very friendly, always available. You never must worry about getting to a machine or weights. Remember, they don’t have a lot of «machines» which is the beautiful thing. I’ve learned that using free weights and a ball or whatever helps you get in shape much more quickly.
The staff is just fantastic, I mean the BEST. Sharon the owner always has a smile and a word of encouragement, as does Keith and the rest of the staff. The members are fantastic. They are courteous and kind, friendly and thoughtful. There are no egos which overwhelm here. It’s worth it to join here for the cleanliness of the facilities, the friendliness and knowledge of the staff, and the tremendous members who make it a warm and inviting gym. With those factors, it makes you want to go to the gym more often!!!
GREAT VALUE!
Sharon…longer hours would be nice!

I joined Unilocal for the sole purpose of sharing my amazing experience with Well-​fit. So get ready, this is going to be a long one.
I have been a runner for some time and was lucky enough to have great coaches in both high school and college, but the coaches and training programs at Well-​fit are the best I’ve ever experienced.
First, don’t be fooled by ‘Triathlon’ in the title, Well-​fit is the place to go if you want to grow as an endurance athlete. In addition to amazing triathlon programs, Well-​fit has great programs and expert coaches for marathon, cycling, cyclocross, swim technique and strength training.
The facilities aren’t huge, but have everything you need from an awesome computrainer room, endless pool, treadmills and tons of strength training equipment. I’ve never had a problem getting on the equipment that I need. Pool workouts are done at different pools around the area, most commonly at UIC.
Second, Well-​fit is for anyone that wants to go into a race as prepared as possible to do their best. That best may be completing their first triathlon, setting a personal best, finishing a long distance race, or qualifying for the World Championships in Kona.
Before moving to Chicago a year ago, I had only participated in one sprint triathlon several years before. Upon moving to the city, I was looking for a way to get back in shape and thought it would be fun to try one of the longer triathlons.
I signed up for Swim Tech I to improve my swim technique. I learned so much and had a great time, so I signed up for the ironman pre-​seaon class, run by Coach Liz and Coach Ted. We met twice a week, once for a bike work out and once at the pool for a group swim. We were given daily schedules to follow on our own. I quickly was in the best shape of my life and ready to choose a race and get down to business.
I signed up for the Racine 70.3 training program along with many of the friends I had made in my pre-​season class. Our group ranged from ages 24-​late 50s, first time triathletes to seasoned competitors. Again we had detailed daily workouts sent to us beforehand, as well as two group sessions a week. Additionally, Ted sent weekly emails to make sure we know the goals of this section of training. In addition to being physically ready to race, Ted made sure we were prepared with a race and nutrition plan and we were prepared to handle the heat on race day. Every athlete came into race day confident that they were prepared to have their best race.
I would recommend these group training programs to anyone, but if you’re looking for a more individual training experience, Well-​fit also offers one-​on-​one coaching and personal training.
For the high-​performing athlete who is looking to train with other like-​minded (and awesome) athletes, you can apply for the Well-​fit Elite team. This group trains together from March — September with Sharone, the owner and head coach of Well-​fit. The athletes in this group are gunning for podium spots, qualifying for olympic, 70.3, 140.6 World Championships… and having a ton of fun training together.
Sharone one of the only level III triathlon coaches in the mid-​west and has coached beginner and professional athletes. As Tim said, he «is around much of the time, seems to know all of the members by name and is extremely helpful with giving tips and pointers.» His experience is invaluable and at the foundation of all of Well-fit’s terrific programs.
Well-​fit does have a lot of people wearing many hats in the business, so things like the website, might not include everything that is going on. Don’t let that deter you, just call or stop by to find out what’s going on. They are also extremely receptive to feedback about what kind of classes people are looking for and may create a class if there is the demand. You wouldn’t want to miss out on an amazing training experience, because trust me, if you want to reach your endurance sport goals and have fun doing it, Well-​fit is the place for you!

i’ve been training for triathlons for about two years. I was a member of another gym in the west loop and was disappointed with the lack of pool time for members. I joined here in January and could not be more pleased. The facilities are small, but not crowded and top notch. The computrainers are sweet and almost always have room for you. The coaches are great. I’ve done three classes through Well Fit (a swim, bike and run) and am in so much better shape than a year ago. The owner is around much of the time, seems to know all of the members by name and is extremely helpful with giving tips and pointers. I would not have been able to make the improvements I have without the facilities, coaches and other members who all have helped me along the way.
Since joining, I have drastically improved my swim leg (34:03 at Bangs Lake 2010 and 25:07 at Big Foot 2011), bike leg 19.42mph to 20.16 (to be honest it could be better but I was more focused on running and swimming) and run leg 53:06 to 51:39 (Big Foots run was harder). Overall dropped about 13 minutes from 2:47 to 2:34!
I’ll update my comparison from Bangs Lake 2010 to 2011 after that race and feel like I a few more minutes will be dropping off. Join Well Fit and work hard and you will have no regrets.

I train with well fit for my Ironman as a part of the Ironman Wisconsin training group. I found the facilities to be the best that the city of Chicago has to offer for Triathletes. The coaches were top notch (Elizabeth Waterstraat and Keith Klebecha) and lastly, the training plan was top notch and the best I’ve ever been a part of.
I think that for me, the coaching is why I went to wellfit. I wanted coaches that would adequately prepare me for my Ironman race, but also make me feel comfortable to train with em. I’m not a crazy elite racer who has a ton of experience under her belt. Before I started with the IM group I had done two marathons and a half ironman. I’m type A enough that I signed up for the race, but I am also a young person trying to balance a full time job, training and a somewhat small social life. The coaches helped me adjust my workout when I had to travel for work, or when I went to Hawaii on a vacation. They also knew when to push me and when to back off and avoid injury (a big issue in training for IM). They were always available to answer questions (during email and during our compu-​trainer or swim practices). They understood that the Ironman race is both mental and physical and they coached us to be able to face any challenge that day. I learned more from these coaches than from any other coach I’ve had before (I was a swimmer and Lacrosse player for 10 years).
I highly recommend this training group. There were people in our group that had years of experience and others that were brand new to the triathlon world. No matter your experience I found that there was a place for everyone.

Huge disappointment and waste of money!
I had signed up for their half ironman training program for roughly around $ 400. The online description of what the program involved was not what I received. One example is that it was stated we would be in the computrainer room once a week… but instead we went in only once over the 12-​wk training session. Most of the group sessions we met on a track … and did no long bike rides together. It was very disappointing… considering I could have went with their competitor and spent half of what I paid and probably would have had a better experience. I thought I would get more out of this but instead I got less.
On top of this, the customer service is extremely poor! I did contact owner of the training center about my experience. I wrote a long, thought out email… and in return, I got no response from him. An apologize would have been nice and I might have gave them a second chance.