Believe. Strive. Achieve. Endurance Podcast

In this episode we get to hear some of our coaches discussing what was the most valuable coaching moment of the year for each one of them and they think is a meaningful insight for their athletes.

In this episode we recover the Coaches on the Couch from the 31st of May, where coach Alan and coach Kevin spoke about the work that has been done by the Norwegian athletes and coaches that are putting them in the Spotlight.

In this episode our guest is one of our coached athletes. David Maia, is a coached athlete who suffered a bike crash last August that put him in coma for one month. David shares with us how his recovery was from learning how to walk again to the start line of a Triathlon race in this past month of March. His will power and resilience allowed him to have a fantastic recovery that not only gives him the chance to live a normal life but to keep doing what he loves the most, Triathlon.

In this episode, Coach Philip talks with Simon Roche, who recently completed the Marathon des Sables. The MdS, as it is affectionately known, is labelled as the toughest foot race on earth, and Simon came in the top 50, amongst the elite runners and was proudly the 8th Brit across the line. Simon's Coach, Trevor, also joins the conversation and the pair talk about the preparation needed for such an event, how they managed setbacks and the extreme level of trust in the process that they both focussed in. There are lessons here for all athletes of any ability to take forwards and realise that you don't have to start by being one of the best in the world, you have to trust the process and slowly chip away at getting better, and you will travel very far. It was also fascinating to hear how much preparation and specific training played pivotal roles in success. If planning is a big part of success, then this experience certainly added to it, and there are direct associations that all of you can apply to your racing and everyday life. We hope you enjoy hearing about this race in the desert! Instagram –  MrRocherun (@rocherun) • Instagram photos and videos  Website – Simon Roche is fundraising for The Gatehouse (justgiving.com)

In this episode, Coach Philip and Coach Alan, guide us through the six pillars of Triathlon Development. They look through the theory from the principles for athlete development according to the British Triathlon Federation but bring it back to how these ideas, set up for high performing, Olympic medalist hopefuls, is as applicable to age groupers and amateurs as it is to the elite. Have a listen and a learn and let us know what you think. If you would like to know more about this subject, please visit the British Triathlon website. If you would like to know more about this subject, please visit the British Triathlon website at https://www.britishtriathlon.org/gb-teams/talent/athlete-development-framework/the-six-pillars

In this episode, we talk to coached athlete Milly Pelmore. Milly worked with her coach Philip for about a year and is looking towards completing her first IRONMAN this summer. Milly has Endometriosis, which means she has to manage her training around her symptoms, and this episode looks at how she manages that, her work-life balance, and her training. Milly has Endometriosis, which means that uterus cells and tissues are found outside the womb. Like the womb, the tissue will shed its lining during every menstrual cycle. Unlike the womb, where there is somewhere for the bleeding to escape, the blood has nowhere to go, often becomes scar tissue and can be excruciatingly painful at random times, not just when a woman is menstruating. This is relatively common yet can take a long time to be diagnosed. Milly has to manage her training around her symptoms, and this episode looks at how she manages that, her work-life balance, and her training. Milly has an extraordinarily positive outlook on her situation, and her ability to pivot problems into opportunities is inspiring. Listen to this episode and learn more about Endometriosis and how you can take her skills and apply them to your own training or life problems. If you, or someone you know, has Endometriosis or think that you do, please check out the charity page below, or speak to your doctor. Instagram – @millypelmore Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/milly.taylor.77 Twitter – @millypelmore Find out more about endometriosis and the impact it can have: * UK charity: https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/ * A recent piece 220 Triathlon did on an end triathlete: https://www.220triathlon.com/training/women/exercising-with-endometriosis-a-triathletes-story/ * A 2021 BBC piece on Endometriosis and sport: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/56276626#:~:text=When%20endometriosis%2C%20a%20condition%20that,on%20her%20life%20and%20career

In this episode we recover the Coaches on the Couch recorded on the 22nd of February when Coach Philip and Coach Alan discussed a very controversial subject, Foot Strike! In this episode you can listen both coaches opinion about the importance of foot strike.

In this episode we will recover the Coaches on the Couch from 25th of January where Coach Philip, Jon and Kevin discussed why would you spend 5h on the turbo and how can you do it. This is a time where a lot of athletes like to spend a lot of time doing turbo, this episode will be useful, why not listening to it while you do one of your indoor sessions?

In this episode, coaches Philip and Alan discuss the Off-Season: What is it? Why is it important? When is it over? Should you take one...and much more. If you are someone who has just started their off-season or are unwilling to stop for fear of losing fitness, then this episode is for you. If you're relaxing in your off-season now, we hope you enjoy this one even more!

As we lead into the final days of this season, when is the right time to call it a day? When should you do one more race? How do you know which is the right decision? In this episode of Coaches on the Couch, coaches Alan and Philip talk about that final race of the season.

Some athletes struggle to find the best way to manage the pressure that sometimes they put themselves for a race, in this episode, Coach Philip tells how to manage the anxiety and the nerves that athletes often have before a big event and have the best experience on the big day.

In this episode, we have an interesting chat with coach Kevin Smith. Kevin is a cycling and triathlon enthusiast and a coach. He has worked with Tri Training Harder for the past couple of years and has been cycling coaching and guiding from his house in France for years before that. After living in New Zealand for four years, Kevin has moved to France and owns a B&B at the bottom of the famous Alpe d'Huez climb. Tri Training Harder has run some training camps there. It is also where Kevin hosts some cycling camps out of his B&B. he encourages anyone who loves cycling to come and join him and his family in one of the most picturesque places to train and enjoy outdoor activities in the world. His experience and attention to detail are fascinating, and we know you will love to hear about his coaching philosophy and approach. If you would like to know more about our training camps in France, please visit this link, and if you would like to know more about Coach Kevin's place, please visit his website. Get to know coach Kevin a little bit more in this episode. Get to know coach Kevin a little bit more in this episode. If you would like to know more about our training camps in France, please visit this link, and if you would like to know more about Coach Kevin's place, please visit his website.

In his episode, we meet Coach Sorrel Williams: a passionate and extroverted coach that tells us her story of how she changed her past from generally not a sportsperson to become a Triathlon Coach and a full-distance triathlon finisher. Sorrel never had any background in sports and didn't even know how to swim when she started, but that didn't stop her from changing the direction of her life. Her can-do attitude and positive outlook on life are infectious. As one of our senior coaches, there are always nuggets of information that she can impart from her work with the Academy juniors to her work in other areas of triathlon and coaching. Tune in and have a listen.

In this episode we recover last week's Coaches on the Couch where Coach Philip has guided us through the process of reflecting on a race and the details we need to to be aware of when racing. With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games happening at this time, this is the perfect moment for you to learn as much as possible about the aspects of racing and what you can take from others and your competition experiences.

In this episode, we chat to Coach Soraya. Soraya is enthusiastic with a huge passion for the sport. She came to Triathlon coaching after some time working as a PT. For our coached athletes, she's famous for her Strength and Conditioning workouts and if you met her on one of our camps, you will know her for her big smile and positive outlook on the steepest of climbs! Today, we find out more about her as the coach and the athlete. If you want to read more about Soraya, check her profile here. This year, Soraya moved from the UK to New York where she has to face a totally different experience in triathlon and huge challenges and is now our US-based coach and representative.

Pretty much every triathlete has posed the question: “how can I improve my run?” when looking at the results list. “Improving my run” is the most common request that athletes have when come to us for coaching. In this episode, we listen to the Coaches on the Couch, where Coaches Alan, Diogo and Philip discuss how can you run faster off the bike and what aspects you need to consider to be able to improve your run for the race day. These coaches review the different options often athletes consider as well as suggesting a straightforward approach to action as you aim to improve your run off the bike.

In this episode we get to know Isabel Tew, a positive and energetic person who talks to us about the benefits of learning and applying breathing techniques not just throughout our day but also for focussing through workouts and racing. Isabel has a Yoga background and has been studying about meditation and breathing techniques in order to help people build their self-awareness and take in what is around them.

The return to swimming has been a major issue for most of the triathletes around the world, being unable to practice one of the most technical segments of triathlon is causing some stress into the athletes and make them wonder how ready or not they feel for the race day. In this episode, Coach Alan Ward and Coach Philip Hatzis discuss what we have learned from the return to swimming after a big pause due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Now that races are returning to our calendar, we spoke with Brian Adcock, the director of the Castle Race Series. In this conversation, we spoke about the changes that race organizers had to make to provide us with the best experience possible during this COVID, the obstacles that race organisers have faced and how excited he is about returning to the sport. We got an insight vision on what needs to be done to organize a race and the difficulties that sometimes a race organiser faces. Don't forget to visit our Online Program for Castle Race Series at https://tritrainingharder.com/castle-series-triathlon-training-group or sign up for one of the castle events: https://www.castleraceseries.com/

Triathlon is often modelled as the perfect sport for gender equality. But is it? In this episode, Coach Philip and Coach Alan, alongside Dr Lisa Ingarfield and the recent BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Unsung Hero (London) winner Katee Hui, discuss the gender balance in endurance sport. Should we put triathlon on that pedestal? Or should we look for further opportunities to improve? What is the fight between Women and Men equity in endurance sports? How do the cultural differences in our society impact sports, what can other sports learn from triathlon and what can endurance sports learn from them? Enjoy this challenging episode where we expose some raw truths and make a step towards levelling up the balance of women in the sport.

In this episode, we introduce Brian Welsh, an endurance sports Coach, an athlete, a husband and passionate about sport. With many years of experience, Brian shares with us some of his adventures when racing and coaching athletes for ultra-distance cycling events such as Race Across America (RAAM) or Race Around Ireland where the mindset is more or as important as your fitness.

In this episode, our coaches on the couch discussed sitting and its impact on performance. This is an increasingly important subject as, with the current situation where most of us work from home; we tend to spend a huge amount of time sitting down. How can this affect your performance? How will this change your posture? What can and should do to avoid any future issues? Listen to what Coach Tracy, Philip and Alan have to say about it in this podcast as they help navigate sitting and how you can improve your home-working space. If nothing else, we will guarantee you will spend the episode checking your own posture while you listen!

In this episode, we talk with Trevor Perkins. Trevor is one of our longer-standing coaches, and he is totally passionate about endurance sports. As a sports fanatic when he was younger (he almost picked up a pro card in surfing), Trevor found his calling in endurance sports. Eventually, he moved into coaching, where he is one of our most attentive and caring coaches. His attention to detail and athlete welfare is inspiring. He has coached future IRONMAN Champions, Kona qualifiers, Yukon podium athletes, as well as ultra trail athletes too. Trevor shares with us his experience and expertise not only about triathlon but also about Ultra Endurance Running too, what motivates him and how he manages to be able to do so many miles running. As a competitive “Master” Trevor is the envy of all our younger coaches as not many of them can keep up in swim, bike, or run and that is over the distances Trevor is bad at, no one dares take him at ultras! Join us to hear what Trevor has to say, as he is always worth listening to.

On today’s episode of Coaches on the Couch, Coach Philip has guest speakers: Susie Cheetham, Angela Jameson and Emma Hatzis. The aim of this conversation was to educate and empower pregnant and postpartum female athletes in an informed manner while attempting to clarify and dispel any myths or misunderstandings around pregnancy and endurance sport. In this honest, transparent and enlightening episode, we cover a whole range of experiences and lessons that these three experts want to share with you. Susie Cheetham is a GB runner turned professional triathlete: Course record holder at IRONMAN Hamburg, a frequent contender on Alii drive with 6th places at the World Championships. Both Susie and her husband Rob are coaches themselves. Susie is expecting her first child shortly! Angela Jameson runs Physically Fit UK. Angela is overly qualified: after a degree in sports science, she turned her hand as a physical trainer and pilates instructor where she is a leading expert on pre and postnatal pilates, health and well being. Her brother-in-law is ex-professional triathlete Joel Jameson and so she understands the sport of triathlon. Emma Hatzis is a top age-group triathlete, after being the fastest AG at Staffordshire 70.3 in 2018 and the overall winner at IMUK in 2019, she competed at her first World Championships in 2019. She also has been dragged into this episode as she has the pleasure of being coach Philip's wife! They are expecting in early January.

Jon Reilly is one of the recent Tri Training Harder coaches. With a great experience not only as a coach but also as an athlete, Jon, a commercial pilot, guides us through his life and how he embraced triathlon in his life and how important it was for him to fight back a cancer that affected him in 2019. With an amazing strength and mindset, Jon shows us how important is to always see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you want to know more about Jon’s life experience, visit his website and social media at: https://triathletevscancer.com @triathletevscancer on Instagram @TriathetevsC on Twitter

In this episode Coach Philip and Coach Alan discuss the importance of coaching for an athlete. This is part of the episode of Coaches on the Couch from the last 27th of October. Coaches on the Couch is live every month in our Facebook page, stay tune for our next episode on the 24th of November.

In this episode we speak with the new ITU star, Vasco Vilaça who shares with us how was his journey in Triathlon and the feeling of becoming Silver Medalist at the World Triathlon Championships. Vasco is still a young athlete but is no longer a promise in Triathlon, with the recent results, is definitely an athlete to take in count when he lines up on a race. Sharing with us the choices and changes he needed to do in his life to become professional athlete and how important his relationship with his coach is in order to be successful.

Sergio Marques is our guest this week. The Portuguese triathlete has finished 49 Ironman races in his career and recently he just qualified for Kona, again at the only full Ironman organized this year post Covid-19 lockdown! After he won the Age Groups race in 2019 in Kona, Sergio was disqualified for a mistake done in the 70.3 Cascais, here we can listen to what happened and how he was able to maintain his motivation to keep training to get the slot again. In this odd year we’re living in, Sergio shares with us how he has been able to keep training despite all the circumstances and how he keeps the balance between work, training, and his family that recently just got bigger.

In this episode, we talk with Helder Milheiras, a Portuguese coach that went to Tallinn to follow one of his athletes, Sergio Marques. We all question ourselves how is an Ironman race during this period, what concerns we need to have and what measures we need to take to prevent any contamination, Helder shares with us what they needed to do to be able to travel to Estonia. We also discussed how Helder made a training plan for Sergio with the goal to qualify for Kona but without knowing when he would be able to race.

On this episode, we will recap the “Coaches on the Couch” about nutrition. Here you can hear Philip, Jon, Alan and Diogo discussing their thoughts about this subject that quite often is asked by the athletes.

In this episode, Paul Hayward shares with us his experiences in Triathlon and the journey of his life partner. The ups and downs of his journey led him to finish some of the hardest triathlons on the Ironman calendar and convinced his wife to share the same steps.

Alistair is one of our high performing coached athletes. In this episode he shares with us how a High Performance Rower ended up doing triathlon: what motivated him to change for this sport and what he learned when he started being coached by Tri Training Harder. Alistair is a phenomenal cyclist but he enjoys learning the process of going faster and sometimes that process doesn’t mean you need to do things harder.

Heather is one of our coached athletes who after doing a wide variety of different sports when she was young, ended up falling in love with triathlon. In this episode, Heather shares with us how she managed her expectations for her first full IRONMAN race and how her mindset helped her recover from a stress fracture. Now, focusing more on cycling, she tells us her story.

Harriet is the longest standing coached athlete in Tri Training Harder, in this episode she will tell us how she overcome her fears in swimming and how was the journey from a Black Belt athlete in Kickboxing to race the Ironman 70.3 World Championships.

An interview with TTH Founder and Head Coach Philip Hatzis where we talk through everything from how he got into triathlon, how TTH came to be a company, the struggels and rewards of running a coaching company and much more.