The Lonely Triathlete - triathlon training and motivation for the masses

Do you want to optimize your race performance? Do you want to be the best, fastest triathlete that you can possibly be? Really? I mean, do you really want that? Are you prepared to do what it takes to achieve that? Because most of us are not and that's OK.

Do you want to optimize your race performance? Do you want to be the best, fastest triathlete that you can possibly be? Really? I mean, do you really want that? Are you prepared to do what it takes to achieve that? Because most of us are not and that's OK.SummaryTriathlon has a unique way of making improvement feel possible, which is why so many athletes believe there's a faster, stronger version of themselves waiting to emerge. But this piece explores the uncomfortable reality that most athletes want the rewards of peak performance without fully paying the physical, emotional, social, financial, and lifestyle costs required to achieve it. It breaks down what true high-level amateur performance actually demands — consistent training, smart specificity, recovery, fueling, and relentless discipline — while also arguing that pursuing absolute optimization isn't necessarily the healthiest or happiest path. Ultimately, it suggests that the real goal may not be maximizing athletic potential at all costs, but finding the balance between excellence in triathlon and excellence in life.Join the community at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathleteTranscript/Talk NotesThere's something almost magical about triathlon.Because unlike a lot of sports, improvement feels available. Tangible. Earned.You see someone cross the finish line of an Ironman and you think:“What if I actually committed? What if I really tried?”Most amateur triathletes carry around this quiet belief that somewhere inside them is a faster version of themselves. Leaner. Stronger. More disciplined. More capable.But here's the uncomfortable truth:Most athletes don't actually want optimal performance.They want the results of optimal performance without paying the full price for it.And I'm not saying that judgmentally. I include myself in this conversation.Because optimal performance has a cost.Not just physically. Emotionally. Socially. Financially.And most of us — wisely, honestly — are unwilling to pay all of it.So today I want to talk about:what the actual prescription for optimal triathlon performance looks like,the hidden prices athletes avoid paying,the difference between “doing your best” and “doing your physiological best,”and finally… what you can cut back on with the smallest performance penalty so you can still have a life outside triathlon.Part 1 — Everyone Wants Peak Performance… Until It Costs Something (3–4 minutes)Most athletes love the idea of excellence.Very few love the lifestyle required for it.People say:“I want to qualify for Kona.”“I want to podium.”“I want to unlock my potential.”But then reality shows up.Because performance is built on sacrifices that are often deeply unsexy.Not motivation. Not inspiration. Not buying carbon wheels.Sacrifice.You already mentioned some obvious ones:eating with purpose instead of entertainment,prioritizing sleep over Netflix,doing the session you need instead of the session you feel like doing,getting up at 5am,doing doubles or triples,reducing stress,training when nobody is watching.But there are other prices athletes quietly refuse to pay.The Emotional CostSome athletes don't want to confront weakness.They avoid swim sessions because they hate feeling incompetent.They avoid intervals because they expose limitations.They stay in Zone 2 forever because suffering threatens their self-image.Improvement requires repeatedly visiting the place where you are not yet good enough.That's emotionally expensive.The Social CostOptimal performance often makes you less available.You leave parties early.You stop drinking much.You say no to late nights.You disappear for long rides.You become “the triathlon person.”And many athletes unconsciously sabotage progress because they fear social separation more than they desire performance.The Identity CostThis one is huge.To truly improve, sometimes you have to let go of comforting stories:“I'm just not fast.”“I don't respond well to intensity.”“I'm too old.”“I'm too busy.”Or conversely:“I'm naturally talented so I don't need structure.”Your ego will often protect your identity before it protects your potential.The Financial CostNobody likes talking about this one.But performance costs money.Good nutrition.Race entries.A coach.Pool access.Bike maintenance.Recovery tools.Travel.More time means sometimes less earning.And ironically, some athletes spend thousands on gear while refusing to invest in the boring things that actually matter:sleep,consistency,coaching,nutrition,recovery,stress management.Because buying equipment feels easier than changing behavior.Part 2 — What Does Optimal Triathlon Performance Actually Require? (4–5 minutes)Let's strip away fantasy for a minute.What would it actually take for an amateur athlete to approach their physiological potential?Not perfection. But close.Here's the blueprint.1. Consistent Training VolumeThis is still king.Not hero workouts.Not occasional monster weeks.Consistent weekly volume over years.The aerobic engine responds to repeated exposure.There's no shortcut around accumulated work.2. Training SpecificityDoing what moves the needle.Not what's fun.Not what protects the ego.If your limiter is running durability:you probably need more running frequency.If your limiter is bike power:you probably need structured intervals.If your limiter is swimming:you probably need technique work and frequency.A lot of athletes train in the direction of preference instead of the direction of adaptation.3. Recovery DisciplineSleep is performance enhancement.Not optional recovery.Actual performance enhancement.Optimal athletes protect sleep almost aggressively.They also manage overall life stress because the body doesn't distinguish particularly well between:work stress,relationship stress,financial stress,and training stress.Stress is stress.4. Fueling CorrectlyNot just “eating healthy.”That's amateur thinking.High performance requires:enough carbohydrates,enough protein,sufficient calories,hydration,electrolyte management,timing nutrition around sessions.A shocking number of endurance athletes are chronically under-fueled and wonder why they plateau.5. Ruthless ConsistencyThis may be the biggest one.Elite-level age groupers are not magical.They are relentlessly consistent.They train when motivated.They train when unmotivated.They train when conditions are mediocre.They train when life is slightly inconvenient.Not perfectly.Consistently.Part 3 — The Marginal Gains That Actually Matter (3–4 minutes)Once the basics are solid, marginal gains start mattering.And here's the important distinction:Marginal gains only matter after the fundamentals are in place.People obsess over:ceramic bearings,aero socks,expensive supplements,ice baths,red light therapy,ketones,altitude tents……while sleeping 6 hours a night and skipping swim sessions.That's backwards.But once the basics are nailed?Then the marginal stuff can matter.For example:aero optimization on the bike,heat adaptation,carbohydrate optimization during races,body composition refinement,advanced pacing,recovery timing,improved aerodynamics,race-specific preparation,mental performance work.The difference is:Marginal gains are multipliers.But multiplying garbage still gives you garbage.Part 4 — But Maybe You Don't WANT Optimal (3–4 minutes)And this is where I want to be very careful.Because there's another side to this conversation.Maybe you don't want to organize your entire life around triathlon.Maybe you don't want:bedtime alarms,two-a-days,obsessing over macros,turning down vacations,scheduling your life around recovery.That's okay.Actually, more than okay.Because triathlon is supposed to fit into your life — unless you consciously choose otherwise.And I think many athletes quietly feel guilt because they're not maximizing their potential.But maybe they're maximizing something more important:family,relationships,career,creativity,balance,joy,mental health.There's honor in that too.The key is honesty.Don't expect elite outcomes from recreational commitments.But also:Don't diminish what recreational commitment can still achieve.You can become incredibly fit, incredibly capable, and incredibly fulfilled without turning triathlon into a second job.Part 5 — What Can You Cut Back On With Minimal Performance Loss? (2–3 minutes)This is probably the most practical part of the episode.If you want the best return on investment:Protect the fundamentals.Keep:consistency,sleep,reasonable fueling,frequency,key workouts.Cut:junk volume,unnecessary intensity,social media comparison,equipment obsession,complicated recovery protocols,optimization theater.You probably don't need:six-hour rides every weekend,twelve supplements,constant data analysis,or total life domination by triathlon.For most amateurs:80–90% of your potential comes from:consistency,adequate volume,smart workouts,recovery,nutrition,and patience.The final 5–10%?That's where the real sacrifices begin.And only you can decide whether that price is worth paying.Closing (1 minute)Maybe the goal isn't to become the best triathlete you could possibly be.Maybe the goal is to become the best triathlete you can be while still remaining the person you want to be.That's a different question.And maybe a wiser one.Because at the end of the day, triathlon is not life.It's something that's supposed to enhance life.And the athletes who last the longest in this sport are often the ones who learn exactly where excellence ends… and balance begins.If you are a Patreon member, stick around for some bonus content.Otherwise, until next time,Peace

In this episode I muse about all sorts of subjects while I take you along for an easy Sunday morning run. If you want to comment on today's episode, consider signing up on Patreon and join the Lonely Triathlete community!Join our community at www.patreon.com/TheLonelyTriathleteTranscriptAll right. Well, this is my first run of the year. in shorts and a t-shirt. And I am stoked. Absolutely love it. Now, I was thinking, how often do we really love our workouts? It's a great question, because I'm on an indoor bike, most of the year, and I like my workouts, but do I love them? No? I'm more interested in maybe the podcast I'm listening to or the movie I'm watching. But for the actual workout, curious about it, kind of like the feeling of sweat. But do I love it? No. Swimming in the winter. When you go to the pool at 6 in the morning, 6:30 in the morning, and it's dark and cold outside, it's fun to swim. But do you love it? Most of the time, I don't love it, but when you swim outside in a lake or the ocean with your wetsuit, that, that stuff that I love. And running in the dark and the cold, and sometimes the snow and the rain, don't love it. Don't even... don't even like it half the time. But now, in the sunshine, love it.Another thing I do love is running on trails. I never used to run the trails that much because, oh, you know, I didn't know the exact distances. This was before GPS watches, of course. And it was a very terrain, so I couldn't establish a solid pace. He just felt all too random for me. So I'd be running on the road a lot. In the last couple of years, I've really disliked running on the road. Not 'cause of the road. But because of the traffic. And there's a section here in Victoria, where I have to run on the road a bit, and, uh, it's starting to bug me. I'm feeling, uh, what's the word? Negative towards the loud trucks, the loud motorcycles, a blast by me. I don't know. I don't like running on the road as much as I used to. So that brings up the point. What do we do? to enjoy our workouts more? I think it starts with identifying what we like and then doing more of what we like. So I just said, I like trail running. I'm gonna focus more running on trails. I like swimming in the lakes in the ocean, well more lakes than ocean. I'm kind of dependent upon the weather and temperature, obviously, but I'm gonna be swimming in the lake, probably starting next weekend. So that's good. Now, riding my bike, that's a different story, because I get so much fitness riding indoors. So I really don't want to do training rides outside, necessarily, unless they're long. Long, and easy kind of rides. So I'll have to give that a thought.So I may have just inspired myself. I think if I can't get out for a training run on the road, then maybe I'll go out for at least a pleasurable, a pleasurable ride. Longer, easier ride, on the weekend, outside, just so I can enjoy being outside my bike more.Sunday morning, and I've already run past 15 dog walkers, 15 dogs, 15 kilos. Nothing, says Victoria, weekend mornings, like dog walking, that's for sure. A lot of dogs in this area.All right, my run has taken me down along the ocean, or just above the ocean. And I'm heading up about a one kilometre hill. Hello, Crow. I'm not talking to you. And, uh, yeah, so I'll be doing a slow jog up a hill with, guess what? More traffic. You can't escape it. But I was thinking as I have my eyes on the ocean here. running up this hill, how fortunate I am to be living in a location that is conducive to my passions, my interests, when it comes to sports. I go kayaking. I run, I can bike, I can swim in the lakes. Absolutely fantastic. Oh, I gotta run across this massive lane. I found myself in a bike lane. Not a run lane. Okay, across the ditch. Into the sidewalk. Yeah, how conducive it is to live in an area that... is conducive to, uh, doing the things I love. And I know that we all can't choose necessarily, very easily, the places that we live, especially if we've got a job, and we can't change locations easily.But it is a reminder that if, if we can, if it's possible to choose a location to live, the next time you're moving, I would give serious, serious thought. to the location, the geography, that you're moving to. Don't just, you know, move to a place that's 10 minutes close to the work. But maybe, maybe a place that's 15 minutes away from work, but puts you in the heart of a trail system. Or buy the water. I don't know, something to think about.All right, halfway up this hill, and the traffic is going by, and I realize another thing I can't stand about traffic is the pollution. Oh, man. When someone goes by me, I just smell gas and oil. I was going in my lungs. Can't stand it. Maybe every more reason to live out in the country, right? We all can't all be so lucky, but, oh, I tell you, being near the place near the places where you enjoy, it goes a long way in your life. It really does.Alright, head me to the top of the hill. And I am sweating now. It is so warm. It's not even summer yet. This is gonna be an awesome summer. There's something about good temperatures, like, shirts and T-shirt running. I feel like I can go for hours. But if it was windy and cold, I think I just want to quit. I just wanna get the workout done with. But at this point, I don't want the workout to end. Another thing... Oh, man, sweat's getting my eyes. Another thing about me is sweat is, I've got thick eyebrows. I got bushy eyebrows. And the plus... Yeah, everyone's out doing their yard work. The plus and minus of it is, when I first start working out, sweat's not dripping down my face at all. because it's being collected in my eyebrows. Great. But, at some point, the eyebrows become saturated. And then... and then the sweat starts to drip. It's like having these two sponges on my eyes, full of water, and they will drip and drip and drip, and never stop.No, you've obviously noticed that I'm recording while I'm running. So what am I recording on? Well, I got a, I got a brand new DJI, Mike Minnie, Bluetooth, microphone I've attached to my, my ball cap, and I'm recording through my phone, so just running with my phone in my hand, recording off this Mike Mini. And I bought this mic specifically to do more, more outdoor stuff. So you all can get a bit more of variety as you listen to the lonely triathlete, and I've got more in store. So if you head over to Patreon, check out the show notes, head the Patreon, join our one of our supporter tiers. And you'll be able to take advantage of more cool little things I'm doing this year. Video, droning, stuff on the bike, all sorts of stuff planned. So you want to go over and be a member? so that you can, uh, take part, take part in that, join the community. So here I am, about to take a halfway turn.All right, I'm getting close to my halfway point of this 45 minute run, and I climbed to the top of the major part of my elevation, and then the last half is mostly downhill. Which is fantastic. Kind of tired of sucking all the gas tumes on this main route. So, when I take my left hand turn, it's a slightly less driven route. But there will be cars, no doubt. And I passed 10 more dogs and two children in dollies, or whatever you call them. Try all these dollies, push carts, strollers. That's a word I'm looking for. Oh, my gosh. An 18 wheeler is gonna go by me. Wow. Where is everyone going on a Sunday morning? You know, I'll go to church. I'll tell you that. Uh... So, gotta talk about... the elephant that is in the room. Or, rather, the elephant that seems to be in my butt. I got another injury. Huh, fire truck. What a crazy morning. Don't know if you can hear that, but that's a one alarm fire. And here's my left turn. So, anyway, my injury. I have... a pretty good haemorrhoid. And I've really never had haemorrhoids before. I mean, maybe I've had something I thought was a haemorrhoid, but this, no doubt, this is a haemorrhoid. I felt it about four days ago. I was in the shower, washing myself. thoroughly, and now as I was getting in there, nice and personal like, I was like, ow. Ow, what is that in my butt? Oh, so I kind of felt around and said, Oh, geez. Does someone put, like, a grape in my butt? What the heck? Now, initially I thought, Oh, great. I've got rectal cancer. Because everything I see on social media these days is the rise in colorectal cancers. And, to be honest, it's something to be aware of. But I don't think, I mean, this isn't rectal. This is, like, anal. Like, I've got anal cancer. I guess it's possible. Just comes out of nowhere. don't know. But, you know, I'm, I don't know what I did to cause it. That's the problem. is I don't strain when I go to the bathroom, like, I'm very aware, 'cause, like I said, I've had prior run ins with the old capital H. So I'm really cautious about that. But I do sit a lot for work. I do sit on my bike every day, or every other day, and I'm running, and right now, as I'm running, I'm clenching a bit to make sure that I'm not putting any extra pressure on that region. Don't know if that's helping. or hurting. Oh, people. 50, 7 years old, turning 58, in 18 days. And now I'm getting the old people's problems. I came the old people's problems. I've gotten haemorrhoids. What's next? Oh, I'm sure there's stuff coming. I am sure I am in for a treat, as I continue to get older.ll right, here's here's the deal about walkers, especially dog walkers. I find the tend to take up the entire sidewalk, the entire walking lane. And I'm running against traffic. And I just came up upon, You guessed it, two more dogs, and their walker, and they took up the whole lane. And, you know, I may be too polite. I hate culling it like, On your right, on your left, come behind you. I have done that when I need to. But I don't know. Just feel like nice, quiet Sunday morning, and I'm shouting at someone that, get out of my way. But, uh, as I get closer, I just start to scrape my feet and pound my feet just a little bit louder. And 95% of people get that. Get that message, and they pull over. So, that's what I do. I just start clumping along louder. Gets the job done.So I tell you, my body is sore. Today, 'cause yesterday, I had a 19 minute indoor cycle, moderate, so that, you know, gets you a little bit sore, just by itself. And then I did two and a half hours of yard work. Now, for those gardeners, listening, they're like, Todd, two and a half hours. You're a baby. Yeah, maybe I am. What about it? But two and a half solid hours at my typical rushing pace, that I'm trying not to rush so much. But I wouldn't say I rushed, but it was definitely in the zone and didn't take really any breaks. So two and a half hours of cleaning my barbeque, cleaning off the back patio, flower pots, dumping organic flower waste into the forest. You know, us love back and forth and stretching my back. Oh, man, my back was really, really tight. Almost to the point where I thought, Did I did I hurt myself? What a dummy. I hurt myself. But, no, I'm not hurt. other than my butt. Uh, I'm just sore, and it shows up on runs. I'll tell you. All right, about now, I'm, what, 30 minutes in? And my low back is saying, yeah, I remember yesterday. Remember how hard? You worked yesterday? Well... But that's okay. Life is... life is overcoming pain. And this is just another pain I'm overcoming.All right, let's talk fuelling. I think some people fuel too much. I think some people don't feel enough. As for me, I try to strike a nice balance, where I feel, I add some fuel to every exercise. But I don't overdo it. So anything under an hour will typically get 25 or 30 grams of carbs. So it's, like, 100, just over 100 calories, like, 100, 120 calories. Especially if the effort isn't all that hard. If I'm doing, like, a major effort, then I'll probably ingest a few more carbs before I start, or maybe even a few more carbs, like, on the effort itself. But you gotta kind of find that balance. And so for this run, for instance, I even bring water. Why? Because it's 45 minutes. I'm not gonna get dehydrated in 45 minutes. I had a banana and coffee. And then, half an hour later, I'm out the door. So, what's a banana? 100, 100 calories, 120 calories, so? Yeah. It's easily enough to fuel. An endurance effort for 45 minutes. But one thing I've been thinking about lately is my salt intake for longer efforts. 'Cause I crammed up so bad last year, during the 70 3, where I could hardly, I could hardly run. And as part of that just muscular issues, I didn't train long enough on the bike, I didn't do enough bricks. I don't know. But it also could have been salt. So I'm thinking of, and I've been self solving for this for years. I add salt, tablets to my drinks. But it's kind of guesswork. It's like, oh, I had 500 milligrams per litre. And they don't have crapping issues. So, is that solving my problem? 'Cause I did not get it right in the 70.3. So, I'm thinking, maybe I start to go with something like precision, nutrition, because they're experts in electrolytes. Sodium. So I'm gonna be looking into that this year.All right, that's the conclusion of my running thoughts episode. I hope you all enjoyed it. You can tell me if you liked it. If you were a member of the podcast, over the Patreon, sign up, and then you can tell me, Todd, I can't stand when you run and talk. Or more of that, please. Or tell me exactly what brand of carbohydrate powder that you use, and because I'm sitting here right now with 25 grams of the best carb powder I've ever had in my life. I've been using it for the past 3 years at least, and I can't see every changing. I threw in 10 grams, no, 5 grams of creatine, and they're both 100 grams of magnesium. For a little after run rejuvenation. And now I'm sitting in the sun. I'm not wearing sunscreen, so that's gonna have a time limit. And I'm also with some bees. And if you know anything about me, I do not like bees. I mean, I like bees. Actually, I like bees, honey bees, mini tasted bee. I detest and loathe wasps. They are not anyone's friend. They are not kind to anyone. I don't care how good they are for the environment. I think they're a plague upon the earth. And yeah, unfortunately, I have to share my outdoor spaces with wasps every now and then. Wish me luck. All right, for real. until next time. peace.

Train faster run faster, right? Let's assume that is true, so how much faster? I've done the experiment on myself and I share with you the results.Join our community at www.patreon.com/TheLonelyTriathleteTranscript0:07 Hi and welcome to the lonely triathlete. My name is Todd, and I am the lonely triathlete coming to you live from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, on this Sunday, April 26 2026.0:22 Welcome to the lonely triathlete. This is a podcast where I talk about age group, training and racing and promote community in an effort to help us all be a little less lonely. Now I'm suffering at the moment, and probably in a way in which you cannot guess. And I'm going to eliminate the guesswork right now - I feel like, for the past five minutes, I'm gonna burp just I can't, I can't get a burp out. So I would be shocked if I don't burp in the middle of this podcast. And this is an authentic podcast, I don't edit 99.9% of the time. I don't edit anything, so I'm not going to edit. I will. I will not burp in your ear. I guarantee you that. But I'm just telling you that feeling of having an impending burp,1:25 it's almost worse than an aerobic threshold. It's almost worse than VO2max intervals, I just found something that like hurts more than a triathlon experience.1:39 Okay, so let's get past the bodily issues and move on to this episode. You know there are a few things I have always wondered in my 25 years of racing, I've always wondered, can I produce or does Olympic distance standard course distance training, does it produce a decent 10k speed in and of itself, mixing in your swimming and your biking and your running and your strength training, like how? How close to your kind of optimal 10k speed do you really get with that kind of training? So that's always been in the back of my mind.2:26 Second is, how much faster could I get if I put triathlon training on the back burner for a while and just did dedicated run training, and then finally, would 70.3 training, or Ironman training, make me significantly faster or slower in a standalone 10k race? And how much faster or slower? I'm assuming it would be slower, but how much slower would I be Well, I have the answer to these questions, because for me, for many years, I have trained almost exclusively for Olympic distance triathlons. I did one Half Ironman. I did one Ironman, but mostly it's been Olympic distance. So I'm very familiar with how my body responds to Olympic distance training, and what my 10k times are within Olympic races. And so accounting for variability in run course elevation, my 10k times have been for the past decade, they've been between 45 minutes, which is really fast, like, almost so fast it makes me question the course distance, like, was it accurate or not? And 52 minutes on the other end, which is super slow. Like, what the heck happened? Did I just go too hard on the bike? Or what's going on? So 45 to 52 so let's call my average 10k speed in an Olympic distance 48 minutes. Okay, so you can almost bet on me being within plus or minus 10-15% of that in any race. Now I've also sprinkled in a few standalone 10k races in between triathlons, and those times have been consistently, on average, about one and a half to two minutes faster? Well, that makes sense. I didn't just swim for 30 minutes and bike for an hour and 10 minutes. So that makes sense. But the missing piece to this is I've also done dedicated run training leading up to some of these races anywhere from four weeks to twelve weeks, and that, by itself, improved my time another couple of minutes to the point where my personal best is 42:43.5:14 And that was achieved on about four months of Dedicated run training. So to answer the first question, Olympic distance training, from for me, I'm imagining, for most people, it does produce a pretty decent 10k time. However, standalone racing helps you go quite a bit faster, and if you add in some dedicated run training, maybe six weeks of run training prior to the race. That adds even more speed. I know it's not rocket science, but it's really it's really interesting to see it in action. It's like where theory meets meets practicality. Now, the only part of this experiment that I had been missing for the past 20 some years, is seeing how a switch to 70.3 training might affect my 10k Speed. Ah, that's interesting, because, as you would know, if you've ever done 70.3 or Ironman training, you don't do a lot of speed work in in in your run training. A little bit, but nothing like you would if you were dedicated to a 10k plan. So last year, as it happens, all I did was train and race a 70.3 Well, I raced in the Olympic afterwards, but my most of my training was completely centered around a 70.3 and ideally, I would have done the race and then a few weeks later, run a standalone 10k just to see what the difference is. But instead, what I did was I ran my 70.3 and then I trained a dedicated run plan. I trained with a dedicated run plan, and then posted a 49:53 last September.7:14 So I did the 70.3 and then did a little bit more racing and took some dedicated time to focus on my 10k and even after that, I barely broke 50 minutes when I just said my average in a triathlon is 48 minutes standalone is faster than that. So anyway, I can conclude, therefore that 70.3 training dropped my 10k speed by at least five minutes. So interesting. Now fast forward from last September to today, where this morning I ran the Times Colonist 10K race in Victoria. This is a huge run in this area. There were over 11,000 runners signed up for this race. It's the equivalent of the Vancouver Sun run, which draws like over 40,000 runners, so if we factor in Victoria's much, much smaller population, relatively speaking, it's probably of the same magnitude. Now, since last October,8:33 all I did was train for Olympic distance triathlon. So based on my past results, and with my reference point being that sub 50 10k I did last September, I thought, You know what? Today, based on all this Olympic distance training, I think I probably should run a somewhere around a 47:30 now today, the weather was amazing. It was incredible. blue sky, sun.10:29 I couldn't believe it. I mean, some of these people, I look at them and say, I would never have pegged you for a runner, and you're ahead of me, or some older gentleman in front of me I would normally pass in a triathlon, I couldn't pass them. I was like shaking my head, thinking there are some good runners in Victoria. Wow. Blew my mind. Very, very, very good legion of runners in this area. So anyway, I held on to my pace, nice rolling course. So up these long gradual hills, I just held to that threshold pace. And of course, I was not really able to take in much of the awe inspiring scenery through my haze of increasing agony. But every once in a while, I'd say to myself, "Oh, I've been here before. Oh, I know where this is" before, I retreated mentally back into my self preservation mantras. And then when I saw the nine kilometer sign, I stepped it up a notch, and it hurt a lot. I kept telling myself, this is this is the mantra I was repeating. "This pain is what you've been seeking. This pain is what you've been seeking. The pain is what you've been seeking". And then when I got tired of that one I'd go to, "you're in the pain you're looking for, you're in the pain you're looking for". And then my third mantra was around, around the the how do I lose my words right now? It was akin to saying, "relish it, relish it. Relish it. Enjoy it, enjoy it. This is what you wanted. Is what you needed". Anyway, I went into some haze of pain, and I recalled in that moment, as I was rounding the final turn for the finish line of the couple of kilometers back, I was passed by a guy that looked like a Gold's Gym bodybuilder, you know, the type thighs rubbing together, almost making fire with the inside of his thighs,12:48 Anyway, I had just written him off as one of these many freaks of nature, like how in the world he looked like he was easily 220 pounds to my 175 and yet somehow he was powering through faster than me. But in this final km I saw him up ahead of me, maybe with 500 meters to go, and then the finish line was in sight, and with a couple 100 meters to go, I just accelerated into a full sprint. Came up behind him. He started accelerating, not because of me. He didn't see me, but he saw the finish line coming up. And I just it's just as I was pulling even he started to accelerate, but I had the stronger kick, and I beat him to the finish line by about 10 feet. I went home today. That was my happy moment. I shouldn't be. I beat a bodybuilder in the 10k Oh my gosh. I wish I got his race number. I want to look him up. That was, it was a, it was an awe inspiring sight. I wish, I wish I actually had more of my wits about me. And I really like talked to him and found out what, how in the world is that possible? Anyhow, this is what you probably want to know. Maybe you don't want to know. I'm gonna tell you anyway, my finishing time. My finishing time was 461214:17 much, much faster than the 47:30 I'd anticipated, I ended up placing 12th out of 216 in my category. So top 6% I'm proud of that. I then looked ahead to the next category to see how much better I would have done, you know, if I was just as fast, but a bit older, turns out, I would have been done. I would have done about the same, like I said, Victoria has fast, fast runners. Wow. So in a nutshell, I confirmed, with my own experience that Olympic distance training can produce pretty decent 10k times, and that only dedicated training improves that even more, and that longer distance training, like for a 70.3 and I can only assume, for an Ironman, definitely makes you slower, and that's not a bad thing. But if running 10k races is your jam, then you're gonna want to add some dedicated run training time before you took that you take that 10k on. Anyhow, that is my experience this morning. 15:28 And now I want to get on to some other very exciting news. The Lonely triathlete Patreon page and membership option goes live now literally, now on Sunday night. So if you become a paid subscriber, you'll get ad free episodes, but you don't have ads. Todd, hmm, well, I might soon you never know. He said slyly. So you'll get ad free episodes. You'll have early episode releases. You'll have access to my entire 200 plus episode archive, and I just burped, and you never knew. And you'll have the ability to, this is what I'm excited about. You're going to have the ability to comment on every episode and have participation in polls and surveys that will help you shape this podcast, and starting with this episode and every one going forward, I'm going to make bonus content, bonus content who doesn't like bonus content.16:37 Now, if you want to keep listening for free, go for it. I'm going to always make the last 10 episodes of this podcast free, so don't worry, you'll have lots to listen to. It won't suddenly drop off your radar. So if you want to support this show and build with me, we're doing this together. I mean, I can't do it on my own. Build with me a community of like minded age group triathletes head on over the Patreon up with a link in the show notes, and let's get all get a little little less lonely together until next time. Peace.

Send us Fan MailYou've all heard the expression "less is more" and that is true for regular life as well as triathlon. I'll break down what this looks like in triathlon training, and ask yourself if you ever do a little (or a lot) more than necessary.Support the show

Send us Fan MailBig news. Big. News. I am taking The Lonely Triathlete to the next level. Support the show

Send us Fan MailAre you the type to rush through life? Do you always find yourself thinking of the future? Do you stub your toes a lot? Stub my toes, oh yeah, I used to because I was always rushing to the do the next thing. But not such much anymore.Support the show

Send us Fan MailDo you ever notice voices in your head? During a race do they ever try and convince you to slow down? Or tell you this hurts too much or that you are going too slow or that this is going to be a disappointing experience?If so, you can be prepared with a rebuttal. You can direct those voices in a certain direction. No arguing, no fretting, no agonizing doubts, only confident direction. You are in control!Support the show

Send us Fan MailFTP. Functional Threshold Power. The more the better, right? Sure, to a point. But you've no doubt been beaten by someone with a lower FTP than you. How is that possible? AI and I had a long conversation about this and I'm here to share what I learned.Support the show

Send a textI'm a very optimistic person but this week has been a struggle. Let me share with you a series of rants from back pain to congestion on my favourite running trail.Support the show

Send a textGiven that we swim, bike and run and lot it's inevitable that things happen to us that make for good stories. Today was one of those days, so strap in for story time! Support the show

Send a textWe've all been there - end of season and we are DONE. No more getting up early, no more watching what we eat, we are cooked! So, we take a couple of months off, gain  a bunch of weight until one day, we get excited about training again. But it takes us months to get back to where we were. But we do it and we have a fun season but then, by the end, we are DONE! Rinse and repeat. So, how do we get off that merry-go-round?Support the show

Send a textThis week is a real stream of consciousness episode! Buckle up! Support the show

Send a textWe lost another triathlete to an IDIOT driver! We need to do all we can to stay visible and alert out on the roads, RIP, Hannah Henry :(Support the show

Send us a textRed light, sauna, massage, supplements. These are all elements that can improve your training and recovery. But are they magic pills? Can they offset bad habits? No, they cannot. You will not enjoy the marginal gains you get from these things unless you've come to grips with the fundamentals of training. Let's dive in.Support the show

Send us a textDiet. Bad word? Doesn't have to be. I recently "got on one" to try and shed some extra bodyfat that mysteriously appeared on my torso over the past few months (it wasn't the kettle chips, it wasn't! Ok, it probably was.).In this episode I share with you some simple steps I take, when needed, to drop some unwanted bodyfat. So, grab your carrot sticks and settle in.Support the show

Send us a textWhat gets you out the door in the rain? Is it discipline? Ok then...Why can't you eat as well as you want? Lack of discipline?Why can't you go to bed when you intend to? Lack of discipline?It's a nuanced subject and one that I've grappled with for decades.Support the show

Send us a textI've been very excited about the promise of exogenous ketones! Then along came the promises of methylene blue! And could breathwork make me faster? I did a deep dive.Support the show

Send us a textEmotional stress can negatively impact your training and recovery as much as physical stress. What should you do when you get that bad news the morning of your training? I'll tell you what I did.Support the show

Send us a textWhat are exogenous ketones? I need to do a lot more research but they sound very promising to enhance performance and recovery. Are they a magic bullet? Probably not but I'm excited to go down the rabbit hole and find out.Support the show

Send us a textI was forced into upgrading my GPS watch. Would I stick with the Coros brand or would I jump ship to something like a Suunto or a Garmin? Listen to find out.Support the show

Send us a textIf you've prepared well, there should be no fear on the start line. Only excitement and curiosity!Support the show

Send us a textIn this episode I muse about the cons of being an aging triathlete. Was this brought on because of my low back pain? You bet. Sigh.Note: in this episode neat the beginning I reference only being able to hold my Threshold power for 20 minutes, I meant 1 hour. We all should theoretically be able to cycle at FTP for 1 hour.Support the show

Send us a textBe honest. Are you a beginner, intermediate or expert? Do you ever experience anxiety in the water? Does the notion of swimming in an ocean with 1000 other thrashing swimmers unnerve you?  If you answer these questions honestly you can take immediate action to ensure that swimming will never fill you with anxiety again.Support the show

Send us a textShould you do an easy spin for 30 minutes? Should you go for a recovery run? Or, should you just take the day completely off. Completely off?! Yeah, sometimes that's the best thing to do. Support the show

Send us a textI'm lifting weights again and WOW am I ever sore. So sore! In fact, for tomorrow my coaching program dialed back my V02max cycle session to aerobic endurance. And I'm thankful because I can barely climb the stairs in my home without moaning out loud.And I love it.Support the show

Send us a textIf you aren't doing some strength work then you are leaving some performance behind. The science is clear: strength training improves efficiency, force production, speed, fatigue resistance and reduces injury risk. I'm finally getting "back  in the gym" so to speak.Support the show

Send us a textYou are literally not the same athlete after training as you were before. A single training session sends signals to your heart, muscles and brain to change. Adapt or die!  So cool.Support the show

Send us a textThere are a few things I wish I knew about training equipment as a beginning and intermediate level triathlete. Today I share these with you, free of charge :)Support the show

Send us a textWelcome to Season 5 of The Lonely Triathlete. I'm going back to Olympic Distance training. Join me as I discuss my failures and successes along the way.Support the show

Send us a textWell, here we go, about to start the 5th season of The Lonely Triathlete. Follow along as I give you a glimpse into my training and racing life and hopefully make your own training sessions a little less lonely.Support the show

Send us a textSomething I doubled down on this past season was ensuring that I properly fueled each and every workout. I think it worked like magic.Support the show

Send us a textI'm still between training seasons. So what have been doing? Eating and eating and not working out. What better time to get a Dexa scan! Guess what it revealed?Support the show

Send us a textThat quote is taken from the film Vanilla Sky and it reminds us that we have the capacity to change our behaviors with each passing moment. Will we? And if we do, how much more impactful could our lives become?Support the show

Send us a textIs there something wrong with me? While I recognize that professional triathletes lay down some of the wildest, impressive performance...they don't inspire or motivate me. So I looked it, and there seem to be some good reasons for feeling this way. Support the show

Send us a textMy season insights in a letter to my listeners.Support the show

Send us a textThere is a common mistake in racing and I fell victim. I didn't think I would. I don't know that I ever have. But I did. Have you ever made the same mistake?Support the show

Send us a textOr, rather, recover from burnout or potential burnout. You train hard but do you recover equally as hard? I'm talking end-of-season recovery. Do you do that hard? Maybe you should?Support the show

Send us a textYour attitude matters! The way you approach a training session, your self-talk and beliefs, all contribute to either a positive or negative impact on your short and long -term performance.And (drum roll, please) this episode marks my FOURTH year of hosting the Lonely Triathlete podcast. Yay!For those interested in the book I referenced, you can find it here on Amazon:https://www.amazon.ca/Let-Your-Mind-Run-Thinking/dp/1524760765/ref=sr_1_1?crid=158ZQRWZIIUJE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XbRm4hBzIYYZdqzcSqoGCohB5iBe7AiID4_L2XupF6gG4YOOl_mRC3j54EVA5d7xP8B5nLP6bkzgMrbjelLct4DJdh14wkaLES_uFsnWiQOs4JNSHxkDVDTG_f37eBub3oCmS_j06x2pUoMQx9R8dz5ynYgrJ_0vuYAOVvON4G7R2rjfObK2H-sBNWy6zSQfOPNEQ1UViuYQGIaI3qL1qRuzxcBXZEbTZaMXsmf2VaE.QyGz-ngEn9bkLLYpAXJjWZEqLwkTiOkMefV609Ixios&dib_tag=se&keywords=let+your+mind+run&qid=1756077631&s=books&sprefix=let+your+mind+run%2Cstripbooks%2C157&sr=1-1Support the show

Send us a textTriathlon training has a lot in common with financial investing. I went from having almost nothing saved for my retirement at 40 years old to being able to comfortably retire (at least that's the plan) when I am 62. And I did it using the same principles I used to get faster at triathlon. You can too!Support the show

Send us a textYou know, the person that only talks about triathlon? That only talks about racing? That only talks about that one subject every...single...time. Don't be them! You have my encouragement to branch out in your interests a bit.As mentioned, I encourage you all to check out The Move Daily podcast, especially the episode where the host, Tracy Steen, gets into the weeds with me about what happened to my brain a handful of years ago and what inspired me to continue in the sport of triathlon when I wasn't sure I could continue doing what I loved.From Tumour To Triathlon with The Lonely Triathlete - https://youtu.be/kWQBlGYGTY4?si=-m7L8rYfwiGuEobNEntire Catalog - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHhsr_Eb6MObLXkx85WCVX3Osr30x7gJaSupport the show

Send us a textTrack etiquette, I get into it. The Runna app, I get into it. Blue-green algae in most of our local lakes, gotta get out of that!Support the show

Send us a textI took the last week off, and even if I hadn't decided to voluntarily, that last shingles vaccine did me in something fierce so I wouldn't have had a choice but to take some time off! Come to think of it, I sure have had a lot of vaccines in my life.Support the show

Send us a textTaking an extended (but short term break) from training can reap many rewards!Support the show

Send us a textI did my second Standard Distance race in 2 weeks. Was I able to compete? Did I blow up  or was I recovered? Listen to find out. And I'll tell you in advance, I learned a few things that I'm interested in sharing with you.Support the show

Send us a textThe bulk of your training is behind you, racing is in front if you. Enjoy it! This is what a winter/spring of training is for. Get immersed in it. Be a spectator as well as a racer. Soak it all in!Support the show

Send us a textThe big question this year - would exclusive 70.3 training lead to a slower Olympic Distance race? Listen and find out.Support the show

Send us a textI've raced according to: heart rate, pace, speed and power. But these days it's all about Rate of Perceived Exertion. Support the show

Send us a textI splurged on a red light/near-infrared (NIR) device. So far, I'm loving it. I swear, it has reduced the pain of my patellar tendinopathy. Or it could just be placebo effect :)What is red light therapy? How can I, as a triathlete, use it to enhance my energy and recovery? I'll get into it.

Send us a textI've started adding ritual to my non-athletic life and I'm really enjoying it. So, why not add ritual to some of my triathlon practices?

Send us a textI've got 70.3 fitness, what should I do with it? Play it safe? Do the same-old-same-old? Or should I take some risks, should I learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. It's time to do some extra racing, throw caution to the wind, get out there and risk failure. How exciting!