Fit Parents ; Raising Children, Training Triathletes

Mark Burnside first laid eyes on his wife, Grandison, while he was running on a treadmill and she was working out on an elliptical machine across from him.

Somehow, that seems completely appropriate.

Since he noticed her on that elliptical, Mark and Grandison have spent countless hours exercising together. It’s not only a huge part of their lives, but also how they make their living.

The Burnsides operate Maramarc Fitness, which Mark started with a former partner in 1997. The personal training and triathlon coaching business on 4914 Fitzhugh Ave. behind The Shops at Willow Lawn is a second home to the Burnsides and their two young children, Matthew, who’s 2, and Lily, just 9 months.

As I talked to the Burnsides about how their lives intertwine with their business, Matthew and Lily played with resistance balls, jump-ropes, hand weights and other handy “toys.” Clients came in and out, stopping to roll a ball with Matthew or marvel over how Lily has grown. It’s clear that this truly is a family affair.

Maramarc does year-round personal training, working with people who are overcoming injuries or illnesses, as well as those who have specific fitness goals. The Burnsides’ specialty is training individuals for triathlons, which are athletic events that combine swimming, biking and running.

Mark has a master’s degree in exercise science and is a USA Triathlon Association certified coach. Grandison, a former teacher, also is a USA Triathlon Association certified coach.

Despite some health complications that have slowed him down the past few years, Mark has completed eight Ironman competitions. Grandison has completed two. An Ironman is a full marathon run, plus a 2.4-mile swim and a 112-mile bike ride.

But the last thing the Burnsides want anybody to be is impressed or intimidated by their level of fitness.

What they stress is that almost anybody can do a triathlon if he puts his mind to it.

Triathlons come in different sizes. A sprint triathlon, a 300- meter swim, 20k bike and 5k run, is the shortest. Mark said that’s the place to start.

“Some of the people we coach haven’t been on a bike in 20 years,” he said. They pretty much have to start from scratch, learning how to pedal efficiently and how to position their bodies on the bikes.

Once people complete a sprint triathlon, they sometimes decide to take on the next level, the Olympic distance, which is 1.5k swim, a 40k bike and a 10k run.

“If you have the desire and the dedication, .*.*. then we can get you there,” Mark said.

Occasionally, those trainees will go on to complete an Ironman, which is considered the Big Daddy of triathlons. Each year, Maramarc takes a group to an international Ironman, such as the one in Switzerland or the United Kingdom. Being abroad makes the trip even more fun, Mark and Grandison said.

Their days of training together are gone, for now anyway. They split their workout time to cover the needs at work and at home.

Mark trains that first “season” of Maramarc triathletes from December to June. And Grandison, along with another employee, trains triathletes from April into the fall.

Even their own runs, from home, are now separate because someone has to be with the children. Grandison laughed, remembering how they used to train and do marathons together.

“I don’t remember the last run we took together,” she said.

But they do still compete in the triathlons for which they train groups. It is their hope that the trainees will outperform the coaches.

Grandison said, “We want them to beat us.”

MORE INFO

ONLINE: – www.maramarcfitness.com