Who is AJ Baucco

Pro Athlete, Manager of Team Infinit Performance, Kona Beer Mile Champ, Founder of AJ Baucco Coaching and Baucco Squad

In the sport of Triathlon, AJ Baucco is known for his personality and his style just as much as his race results.

As a former punk rock drummer, AJ’s background is very unique in the sport of triathlon. He spent much of his teenage years touring the US with his band, while living out of a van. When he was in his early 20s, a friend introduced him to the sport of triathlon. Triathlon gave AJ direction in his hectic life and it soon began to consume his life all together.

Over the years, AJ Baucco has become a premier triathlon coach. He founded AJ Baucco Coaching, which has coached nearly 500 triathletes in the last 6 years. He also manages four different age group triathlon teams; The Baucco Squad, Enve Racing, Team Stages, and our very own Team INFINIT Performance. 

AJ was kind enough to carve some time out of his super packed schedule to give us a little insight on his 2019 season goals, and what lies ahead...

2019: The Year of "Balance"

This year has brought a lot of changes for me, and a whole new meaning to the word 'balance'. Racing triathlon professionally has always been my passion, but with the sport changing each year, I have decided to diversify a little bit!

My coaching company, AJ Baucco Coaching, has really taken off. Our staff consists of 16 amazing coaches, including top professionals like Lesley Smith and Nathan Killam, as well as triathlon legend, Cam Dye. We currently work with 150 clients from all over the world and we are still growing each day!

On top of that, I've been helping with the management of four different triathlon teams: Team Infinit Performance, Enve Racing, Team Stages, and my own Baucco Squad. Those teams consist of nearly 600 amazing athletes, and it is a pleasure to share in all of their successes.

"When I discovered Infinit Nutrition, it changed how I viewed fueling for endurance events."

On the race course, I have made a temporary switch toward Xterra and more off road racing. Gravel racing and mountain biking have become all the rage lately, and I am really excited to immerse myself in a new world of challenges.

I can certainly see myself moving back to Ironman at some point in my career, but after 8 years of racing professionally on the road, I really needed a year to switch things up. Finding enjoyment in your sport is always important, and getting dirty on the mountain bike has certainly made me fall in love with cycling all over again.

I've also made a big push to make myself a more well rounded athlete this year.

Training exclusively for triathlon can be really rough on the body, so in an effort to create some athletic longevity, I have taken to a variety of new sports during the off season. I've spent the last 6 months snowboarding, skiing, surfing, trail running, and lifting. Now that I have been transitioning back to endurance training, I have never felt stronger!

When I discovered Infinit Nutrition, it changed how I viewed fueling for endurance events.

Before Infinit, my fueling strategies were complicated and unorganized. When I started using Infinit, everything became much more dialed and my performances got a lot better as a result.

I no longer waste my time with gels, bars or food during training. I stick to my Infinit blends, which have all of the carbohydrates, protein, and sodium that I need to perform. It doesn't matter if I'm skinning up a mountain, riding on the roads, or running on the trails, I continue to use Infinit because I know that I will always have the energy for whatever adventure I'm on!

AJ’s Custom Blends

My Sports Drink Replica is the perfect mix of carbohydrate and sodium. I am a fairly salty sweater, so I didn't want my go-to hydration to lack any sodium. I maxed out this blend with 650mg of sodium, which is perfect for those summer workouts or even those indoor winter workouts. The carbohydrate quantity in this blend is very similar to a typical sports drink, so I use this blend for all of my sessions under 2 or 3 hours. If I'm going long, I use an Infinit blend that has a little more carbohydrate so that I don't need to supplement with any gels, bars, or food. If you are looking for one blend that can be used during the majority of your workouts, this is the one.

You don't always need to be taking in a ton of calories. My low calorie sports drink blend is perfect when you need to hydrate, but don't want all of the calories that come with a regular sports drink. I use this low calorie sports drink formula before shorter workouts, after workouts to rehydrate, and during most swims.