Chris “Macca” McCormack recently launched a new website and online platform. While it isn’t a personal coaching program, you can indeed learn a great deal from this triathlon legend. We had a chance to speak with Macca one week before the big race in Kona, and just after the launch of his new product – MaccaX12.


Slowtwitch: For those of our readers who are unfamiliar with MaccaX, please give us an overview.

Chris "Macca" McCormack: No worries. Really how it got started was social media, which I’ve been using for three or four years – Facebook and Twitter. I enjoy it. Most of the time, people just use those tools to ask questions – they want information. And with a Tweet, you only have 140 characters to answer… so I’d direct a lot of people to my Facebook wall to answer their questions.

So we posed to the community on Facebook – how about I set up a platform where I can have a forum… not necessarily trying to be a Slowtwitch… more of my ideas and how my nutrition is, for example. People seemed to want to know. We started an email database and a think-tank. We just asked, “What are you guys after? What information are you looking for? How can I help you?”

And everyone was asking the same things. They wanted training tips, sessions you guys do, and nutrition advice, things like that. So this platform started to take shape behind the scenes with this database. And really quickly we grew it with Facebook and Twitter to over 20,000… and it only started this year.

So we started doing videos that are really simple. It might be something like, “Okay, this week we got 50 questions on nutrition. Derek from Alabama asked this on my Facebook wall…” It’s one hundred percent controlled by the community.

ST: How does membership work?

Macca: MaccaX is the platform. There are two tiers. We have the free one which is open to anyone – you just sign up for the email list, and you’re in. And right now that’s at about 20,000.

Then we have VIP, which is the second tier. It’s $19.95 for three months, and then it’s $9.95 a month after that. We guarantee Spreecasts every month, and hopefully new videos every single week. We’ll have a VIP forum in there too. And it’s limited to 1,000 people, because that’s all we can carry… and those 1,000 people get their value and can really interact with us. One week it’ll be a Spreecast with Terenzo on his key bike sessions, or we’ll have Chrissie Wellington talking about running. The VIP also gives you access to some great giveaways from my sponsors. The free platform still gets you a lot of value, but we really wanted to offer something extra to those who were more invested in it.

Then what we just launched last Saturday is our first “product” – called is MaccaX12 (or just “MX12”). Some people confuse this with MaccaX, but it’s not the same. And this was in response to what the community asked for in terms of key sessions. They wanted 4 bike sessions, 4 run sessions, and 4 swim sessions. I had a video crew following me around all year at training camps and races to film all this stuff, and we really go in to some great detail. Here's how I do my key long run session for Hawaii... here's how I train for hilly bike courses.

MX12 is $97, and a one-time purchase. You get the 12 very detailed sessions in video, plus three bonus [videos]. And we have each session detailed in PDF as well. We’re using the capital from that to go back and build up the MaccaX platform – and how we’re doing it is totally based on feedback from the community.

ST: From what I understand, your website architecture is quite smart in terms of inability to steal or copy content. I imagine you wanted to protect the product?

Macca: {laughs} To be honest, I have absolutely no idea when it comes to building websites or anything like that. I guess that’s why I’m a triathlete. But my brother is a computer engineer, and he has friends that do that. They wanted to be sure we did it right and protect the community of those who really do want to be involved.

I’ve found the whole process to be therapeutic. I really enjoy it. A lot of the feedback so far has been – “Hey man, this is pretty cool. You’re a good athlete, but I’ll tell you what – you’re a pretty good coach!” And I never really wanted to be a coach. I really wanted to look at things like – if I was on the other side of the camera, what would I be looking for? How would I need the session explained? I really found it therapeutic to look at it from a different angle. How do you communicate that information, and how do you make it as simple as possible?

ST: I think our readers would kill me if I didn’t ask you – how are you feeling for the race this week?

Macca: {laughs} I’m excited, I must admit! Usually in years past – I remember the pressure of 2010… there was just a lot of pressure. But coming back this year, I feel so good. Training has been good, and everything’s just been blissful. Even my friends that are here are saying, “You’re just so much more relaxed.” As an athlete, you can get quite apprehensive if you feel too good too far out [from the race]. Training has been great, and I’m lean. I just look forward to going out there.

People are like, “Can you win?” I’ve been here when I thought I was unbeatable and I’ve walked to the finish… and I’ve been here when I thought I was vulnerable, and I’ve won the race.

I’m looking forward to racing a very different style of race for me, and backing a different approach. Honestly, I think I can win. I’m looking forward to it. I think a big part of being successful is getting your head in the right space for an absolutely horrific day, and being prepared for that mentally. I think I’m in a good head space, and I’m looking forward to a war. This is going to be tough.


You can learn more about MaccaX, MX12, and all-thing Chris McCormack at his website:

www.chrismccormack.com/