The science of the elite, adapted for goals that matter deeply to you.
For over thirty years I have worked where physiology, coaching judgment, and performance systems meet — helping people prepare well, improve meaningfully, and understand what matters most when a goal is important.
Whether the goal is a first Ironman or a world-level campaign, the event itself is often only part of the story. Beneath the training there is usually something quieter: a desire to feel different about yourself, to test what may be possible, or to move toward a version of yourself that feels more complete.
Much of my work has been about making that process clearer — so progress becomes more deliberate, more individual, and less uncertain.
Built in environments where precision matters.
That perspective was shaped in settings where decisions carry real consequence — across elite sport, endurance coaching, and high-performance product development.
Before wearable data became commonplace, I was involved in building early digital systems designed to turn human measurement into practical guidance.
Much of this was developed through my previous company Performance Lab, where science, coaching, and digital performance systems were brought together in practical form.
That work has included America’s Cup campaigns such as Emirates Team New Zealand and American Magic, Olympic pathways, patents, books, and long coaching experience across endurance sport.
Thirteen patents across performance intelligence, prescription logic, and contextual exercise systems.
Eight books written to make advanced training science accessible, including Power to Perform, and The Complete Guide to Endurance Training.
Coaching experience ranging from first serious endurance goals through to world champions, world records, and long competitive careers built carefully over time.
Outcomes have included professional winners across Ironman and Half Ironman racing, multiple Coast to Coast podiums, ultra-distance campaigns worldwide, and expeditions such as rowing the Atlantic and trekking to the South Pole. They have also included multiple world champions, world records, and long competitive careers built carefully over time.
Just as importantly, I have helped many first-time endurance athletes prepare well for meaningful goals and achieve them with confidence.
Information is now widely available. Judgment still takes longer to build.
The same principles that help elite athletes perform well often become even more valuable when adapted carefully to everyday realities — limited time, changing motivation, competing responsibilities, and goals that matter personally.
I have worked in elite environments where precision really matters, but I care just as much about helping someone prepare well for a first serious endurance goal. Different scale, same respect.
30+ years · 2000+ athletes
Working across beginner to elite, and across goals that matter deeply to people.
Real World Tested
High-performance principles applied where preparation had to work in real life.
Evidence Led
Long history of turning high performance science into useful guidance.
Data Informed
Coaching methods informed by more than twenty years of athlete measurement.
Complexity is easy. Clarity is the real work.
What matters most is rarely more data — it is understanding what matters now, and acting clearly.
Clear thinking and purposeful action usually outperform effort alone.
Elite performance principles should be available to anyone pursuing something meaningful.
Mastery is individual — and learning the process often matters more than forcing the outcome.
What still matters most to me is helping people move toward goals that feel meaningful — with more clarity, more confidence, and a better understanding of what matters for them.
If that way of working feels aligned, a conversation is the best place to begin.
Jon Ackland
Exercise Scientist • High Performance Consultant • Endurance Coach
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No pressure. Just an honest exploration of whether the work feels right.