Author

Breno Melo

Head Coach, Breno Melo Endurance Coaching · Boston, MA

Breno Melo has coached endurance athletes since 2015 — 11 years of full-time practice with runners, triathletes and cyclists from first-timers to Kona and Boston qualifiers. He coaches in English, Portuguese and Spanish from Boston, MA, and races the same distances he prescribes.

breno@brenoamelo.comEditorial standards Book a call

Credentials

Each certification below lists its issuing body and, where the body publishes a public directory, a link you can use to check it yourself.

• USA Triathlon Certified Coach
  USA Triathlon (USAT)
  USAT coach directory
• RRCA Certified Running Coach
  Road Runners Club of America (RRCA)
  RRCA coach finder
• TrainingPeaks Level 2 Coach
  TrainingPeaks
  TrainingPeaks coach directory

Competitive record

• —12× Boston Marathon qualifier
• —18 race wins across running and triathlon
• —Multiple IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 finishes

Recent writing

• Training

  Running in Heat & Humidity: Free Pace Adjustment Chart (Dew Point + Temperature)

  The exact pace adjustments to make when temperature and humidity climb. Includes a dew-point + temperature chart, why heat slows you down, and the rules elite coaches use on race day.

• Training

  VDOT Pace Chart: Free Printable Tables for All 5 Training Paces (Jack Daniels)

  The complete Jack Daniels VDOT pace chart — Easy, Marathon, Threshold, Interval and Repetition paces for VDOT 30–85, in min/mi and min/km. Printable and free.

• Marathon

  Boston Marathon Cutoff Times: Complete History 2014–2026 (and What 2027 Will Need)

  Every BQ cutoff since 2014, why the cutoff exists, and the data-backed projection for what time you'll actually need to run to get into Boston 2027.

• Cycling

  FTP Calculator for Cyclists: 5 Ways to Estimate Functional Threshold Power (2026)

  FTP from a 20-minute test, an 8-minute test, a ramp test, or a race file. Which method is most accurate, and how to use the number once you have it.

• Training

  Zone 2 Heart Rate Calculator: How to Find Your True Aerobic Zone (2026)

  Most Zone 2 calculators use age-only formulas that miss by 15–25 bpm. Here's the math, the field test, and the coach-built calculator that gets it right.

• Race Prep

  Heat Acclimation Protocol: 14 Days to Race Faster in the Heat

  Racing a summer marathon? A coach-built 14-day heat acclimation protocol that drops your core temp, raises plasma volume, and turns a 75°F race day from disaster into business as usual.