Syracuse Bicycle

Coach, Triathlete: Making Every Minute Count

For the past four years, Bill Houser has built a reputation as one of the best swim coaches in the Central New York area. He has helped countless individuals of all ages learn to swim and improve their swimming technique.

While Bill spends many hours helping others reach their goals, it is amazing to see that he still is able to find time for his own family and training. “I like to spend as much time as I can with my family in my free time. If I had to choose between a weekend ride or run or a day with my family, I would always choose my family. The time spent with them helps me get through a race more than the extra training day,” Bill says.

Bill trains and races mostly in triathlons throughout the year, but this past year he has been focusing on his running, which he considers his biggest weakness.
“I will continue to work on my running during the winter,” Houser says. “That said I will more than likely compete in several road races in preparation for the next triathlon season.” Despite the responsibilities and time commitments that come with having children, Bill is already looking forward to next years racing season. “Next season, I have already signed up for the Syracuse 70.3 and will probably do the Green Lakes and the Cazenovia Triathlons. With a new baby on the way and a 3-year-old, I am sure my time will be limited,” Bill says.

Balancing the demands of work, family and training, Bill has developed different strategies to make every free minute count. “I typically train during the week at work during my lunch break and occasionally practice with the college swim team during the week as well. When the weather permits, I ride my bike to and from work,” Bill states. With all of his hard work, Bill has achieved some great results. “Personally, my most memorable athletic accomplishment was completing Ironman Lake Placid 2008. Not only was it something that I had always wanted to do, but we did it in some of the worst possible conditions making it even more memorable. I still get chilled thinking about the rain,” Bill says. He also has some great swimming memories. “As a coach, it was watching my high school (Christian Brothers Academy) swim team win their first ever Section 3 Swimming Championship last season. I couldn’t have been more proud of those girls,” Bill explains.

With all that Bill has accomplished, one might wonder what inspires him to continue training and racing as much as he does. The answer is simple. “The main reason I train and compete is to stay in shape. If I didn’t sign up for events, I wouldn’t be motivated to exercise or train. While I train and compete, I draw a lot of strength from my son Ethan. Whenever I am struggling in a race, I just picture him cheering for me and the pain just goes away,” Bill says.

Bill’s advice to those wanting to improve their swimming: GET IN THE POOL! “Most people can run and ride a bike, but it takes much more practice and patience to learn to swim well,” he says. He recommends that people focus on spending quality time in the water, working on swimming correctly and effectively, instead of swimming countless laps poorly. “I always say, you need to learn how to swim 25 yards well and then a 50 and so forth. It’s not how many yards you swim; it is how well they are swum. Once you learn to swim well, then you can focus on training,” says Bill. He advises people to sign up for one of his 8-week Sunday Swim Clinics which start next Sunday, October 25th, at the LeMoyne College pool. Bill is also available for private lessons.

Bill Houser has been competitive his whole life. He was a baseball player in high school and then started swimming in college at Le Moyne. He has been doing triathlons for four years now and he hopes to continue competing as long as he physically can. Good Luck Bill!

Bill currently resides in Manlius, NY with his wife and 3-year-old son. They are also expecting their second son in February. Bill is currently employed by Cazenovia College and work as the Fitness Center and Aquatics Manager as well as the Head Men and Women’s Swimming Coach. He is also the Head Coach of the Christian Brothers Academy Girl’s Varsity Swim team which is currently ranked #1 in the state.