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Following his breakthrough win at Ironman Texas in May, Hanson resigned from his Professor position at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Without the constraints of a teaching schedule, he has spent the past few weeks in The Woodlands, Texas under the guidance of his swim coach, Tim Floyd of Magnolia Masters, and David Tilbury-Davis.
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Floyd rented out additional pool time in September, and Hanson has training partners, which is quite different than his solitary training back in Iowa. Swimmers pictured here from right: Cody Beals, Hanson, Balazs Csoke, and Nils Frommhold.
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Underwater with the reigning Ironman North American champion Matt Hanson.
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Not a competitive swimmer early on, Hanson has logged countless hours in the pool with Floyd, and the pair have made big gains.
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Underwater at Magnolia Masters in The Woodlands.
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It has been a full house at the Magnolia Masters pro camp, but each athlete has half a lane to themselves.
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Hanson is not the only pro Floyd works with, but has become the poster boy for the coach's swimming philosophy.
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For their pre-Kona training camp, Hanson is training with Beals (on far right) and Csoke (in middle) on a daily basis. Klean Athlete founder Tim Monk (far left), a two-time Kona finisher and former collegiate swimmer, joins the pros when he is not traveling for work.
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After his morning swim workout, Hanson spent an hour with therapist Amanda Moyers at Specialized Body Works, paying close attention to a few niggles.
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Hanson is a regular at Moyer’s body work facility, in order to keep his body in optimal working order.
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Hanson prefers a homestay when he trains in The Woodlands, and his hosts enjoy having him as they are triathletes themselves.
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A quick coffee with lots of milk and a Nutella sandwich between swim and cycling workouts.
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Sunscreen is always a wise decision for athletes training in the North Houston area.
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On this day, a two hour ride followed by a 30 minute run was in order. He starts his ride near the 15-mile mark of the Ironman Texas bike course.
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While in town Hanson spent time with Jim Manton in the velodrome at Ero Sports, and worked on his fit with Brian Jones of Bicycle Speed Shop.
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After his ride, a quick pitstop to connect with Coach Tilbury-Davis before heading out for a short 30-minute run to complete his active-recovery day.
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The famous stride that makes Hanson a contender in any race if he’s within striking range off the bike.
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Finished with workouts for the day, Hanson and Tilbury-Davis meet for sandwiches. Notice how Hanson holds the door out of respect for his coach!
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Tilbury-Davis and Hanson have together built a winning combination, and the pair is excited about the future.