COEUR d'ALENE - It is a crowded weekday morning at Great Harvest Bread Company on Government Way, and Maik Twelsiek and Hillary Biscay are doing what they love when they're not biking, running or swimming.

Drinking coffee with friends.

"Too much," Twelsiek said with a laugh.

Little beats rising at 5 a.m., working out, then sitting at a cozy shop with a a cup of Joe.

"I'm good," the 30-year-old says when asked if he needs more.

The professional triathlete from Germany will have an edge in Sunday's Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene besides the caffeine of his preferred beverage.

He and Biscay are engaged, and with three Ironman Coeur d'Alenes to her credit, the professional triathlete has offered her fiance some sound advice.

His race strategy? Nothing too complicated.

"Try to do it as fast as possible," the 6-1 man says with a smile.

This year, Twelsiek took second-place at Ford Ironman St. George and his 2010 season included third-place finishes at Ford Ironman Lake Placid and Ironman Lanzarote Canaries. In 2009, he won at Ford Ironman Lake Placid.

"My strength is the bike. OK swim, OK run," he says with a German accent.

That's why he's looking forward to the ups and downs of the hills in Hayden, especially the second lap, when others may have lost a bit of steam.

"The bike course suits me," he said.

And then, there's the Biscay factor.

The 2008 Ironman Wisconsin champion became the first person to record six top-five Ironman finishes in one season in 2006. Her durability has led to five second-place iron-distance finishes and 15 top three finishes.

The 33-year-old also coaches a handful of top age group athletes.

She's well familiar with Ironman Coeur d'Alene. She was eighth in 2003, fifth in 2006 and 10th last year.

It's a good course for Maik.

"We chose this race for him because cycling is his strength and he just really needs to maximize his lead on the bike," said Biscay, who will be racing Ironman Korea next weekend, which is why she won't be at Sunday's starting line. "This course will facilitate that."

"There's no one who will be able to stay with him over the course of that ride," she added later.

She and Twelsiek shared the podium at Wisconsin in 2007, and met again later at a training camp.

And then came love.

Today, they motivate each other to train their best.

"It definitely helps to have someone on the same agenda," said Biscay, who was an English professor at USC before turning to triathlons.

"It's a good lifestyle," Twelsiek added.

Which includes, in sickness and in health, morning coffee.