Triathlete Training Podcast: Triathlon, Ironman & Duathlon

South African Richard Murray is in the midst of a successful ITU career and in 2016 he finished 4th in the Olympics. We talk about his career in triathlon and the path that led him to where he is today.   trimurray.com

Jay Dicharry offered some fantastic knowledge in this interview.  He is an expert in many things and also an author.  His website describes him better than I could: "Originally from New Orleans LA, Jay completed the Masters of Physical Therapy degree at Louisiana State University Medical Center and is a Board- Certified Sports Clinical Specialist. Jay built his international reputation as an expert in biomechanical analysis as Director of the SPEED Clinic at the University of Virginia. Through this innovative venture, Jay was able to blend the fields of clinical practice and engineering to better understand and eliminate the cause of overuse injuries in endurance athletes. His unique approach goes outside the traditional model of therapy and aims to correct imbalances before they affect your performance. Jay literally wrote the book on running gait assessments: he is author of “Anatomy for Runners”, writes columns for numerous magazines, and has published over a dozen professional journal articles and three book chapters. Jay has had an active research career, and consults for numerous footwear companies, the US Air Force and USA Track and Field. His research focus on footwear and the causative factors driving overuse injury continues at Rebound, and he’ll provide its patients with an unmatched level of innovation and success. Having taught in the Sports Medicine program at UVA, he brings a strong bias towards patient education, and continues to teach nationally to elevate the standard of care for Therapists, Physicians, and Coaches working with endurance athletes. In addition to his clinical distinction, Jay is a certified coach through both the United States Track and Field Association and the United States Cycling Federation, and a certified Golf Fitness Instructor through Titleist Performance Institute. He has a competitive history in swimming, triathlon, cycling, and running events on both the local and national level, and has coached athletes from local standouts to national medalists. He is excited to share this passion with the team at Rebound, and explore the Pacific Northwest with his family on knobbies, skis, boards, and soles." His website is http://www.reporegon.com/ and you can visit his lab in Bend, Oregon. His latest book is Running Rewired from Velo Press.

Hillary Spires returns to the show to talk about her preparation for a 100 mile/160km run she completed in Canada in September.  She gave herself a 24 hour time limit and she talks about the challenges she endured along the way and during the run.  She limited her total training and used intensity to maximize her training time.  Along the way she raised $11,000 for charity. Hillary's website is ruggedconditioning.com. After Hillary's interview I talk about how the Apple Watch changed my life for the better. Episode 97 is sponsored by Health IQ.  To see if you qualify, get your free quote today at healthiq.com/TTP or mention the promo code TTP (or Triathlon Training Podcast) when you talk to a Health IQ agent.  

Dan Linick, co-founder of South Jersey Physical Therapist, is my guest.  Dan is also my physical therapist and has helped my running significantly.   We discuss his background as a physical therapist, some common problems that he's seen, and some issues I've had.  We also talked about his previous work in brain rehab and how to help an older friend or relative who might benefit from visiting a physical therapist. Dan's clinic is located in Hainesport, New Jersey and at southjerseypt.com.

Matt Dixon has experience as a professional athlete, coach to elite and amateur athletes, an exercise physiologist, and an author. His newest book is Fast-Track Triathlete.  This book is geared toward athletes who want to maximize their success with limited time to train.  The book explains his concepts and includes a 14 week training plan for both Ironman and Half Ironman as well as a strength plan that can be completed without visiting the gym. We talk about the book in the second half of our interview.  In the first half we focus on off-season training. Matt was also a guest on episode 33. Matt can be found at purplepatchfitness.com

  Zach Boivin went to watch a friend race Ironman Lake Placid in 2015.  At the time he weighed 330 pounds and was not active.  He was inspired watching the finishers that night and the next day he decided he was going to do a triathlon.   He thought all triathlons were Ironman distance. Fortunately, he realized there were shorter races and he signed up for Ironman 70.3 Syracuse the following year.  In 2017 he attempted his first Ironman at Lake Placid. This is his life changing journey that starts with running his first step and then two years later hearing Mike Reilly say "You Are An Ironman!"  

Courtney Sergeant joins the show as she prepares for her first half ironman at Atlantic City 70.3. She did her first triathlon in 2014 and has marathon experience.  Among the topics we discuss: Nutrition Hydration Salt tablets Transition Massages Preparing for the run on limited run training Post-race recovery Pacing  

Billy Edwards returns to the show to talk about his experiences since winning Ultraman Florida in 2015.  He completed the Ultraman World Championships later that year and has since cut back on his racing since having surgery on his toe.  However, he is busy in the sport as a coach of the Naval Academy collegiate triathlon team that finished third at the 2017 Collegiate National Championships. He was one of a few coaches selected for USAT's Elite Mentorship Coaching program and he recently observed a training camp for the collegiate recruiting program. We talk about all this and a few other random triathlon topics. Billy was a guest on episode 52 talking about his Ultraman Florida experience. Billy's website is at http://billythekidtriathlete.com/

The Brave Athlete is a new book by Dr. Simon Marshall and Lesley Patterson covering cutting-edge brain training for athletes.  Lesley is a professional triathlete and mountain biker. Her resume includes a few Xterra World Championships titles. Dr. Simon Marshall is a former Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California at San Diego and Professor of Exercise Science at San Diego State University.  He has published over 100 scientific articles on the psychology of exercise.  He now provides performance psychology support for the BMC Racing Team. We talk about their new book, Lesley's experiences, and mental tricks to improve performance. You can reach them at BraveheartCoach.com    

Phil Gaimon was a pro cyclist from 2009 to 2016, including two years on the WorldTour with Garmin Sharp and Cannondale.  He’s done Paris Roubaix, won Redlands twice, and finished second at the Tour of the Gila. He just retired last year, as he put it, after Jonathan vaughters stopped returning his phone calls. Even though he's retired he’s still going after hill climb records in North America. He's also putting on Grand Fondo in Malibu in October and he is  the author of three books. We talk about his life as a pro cyclist, doping in the sport, what it's like to be in an early break at Paris Roubaix, peeing on the bike, cookies, and more.  You'll like Phil's stories. Links: PhilTheThrill.net Phil's YouTube channel  

Justin Mendoza didn't know much about triathlon until he saw Craig Alexander's 50 minute Aussies Abroad video on Youtube.  Then he knew he triathlon was what he wanted to do.  He had recently transitioned out of Motocross racing after some serious accidents and four weeks after watching the video he did an Olympic distance triathlon near his home in North California. He now lives in Colorado Springs and races primarily races Olympic and half ironman distance triathlons with the hopes of getting his pro license.  We talk about his journey.

Problems with her own health led Dr. Grace Liu down a path which led to her becoming an expert in gut health.  Good health is dependent on our digestive system having good bacteria. We talk about how to achieve that and all the things that affect our gut. Check out TheGutInstitute.com for ways to test your own gut and other products Grace offers.  

Alicia Caldwell has raced for 20 years and in 2016 she won her first US National Age Group title.  She's been gradually improving through the years.  In 2017 she was 19th in her age group and the next year she was 8th.  In 2012 she made the podium with a 3rd place finish at Sprint Nationals, and in 2014 she earned bronze at the World Championships in Canada. We talk about her journey in the sport and some of her habits and training methods that have allowed for continuous improvement. 

Wes Hobson was one of the top triathletes of the 1990s.  He turned pro in 1990 and retired in 2001.  In his second year as a pro he was competing with and sometimes beating the Big Four: Mark Allen, Dave Scott, Scott Molina, and Mike Pigg.  During his career he was named Triathlete of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee, won 35 races, and was the first American to win an ITU World Cup Triathlon.   He talked about transitioning into the sport from collegiate swimming to racing with the fastest triathletes in the world.  Along the way he dealt with chronic fatigue and enduring a nine month period in 1997 in which he could barely train.  This was preceded by an 8 week period of high volume and an absurd amount of high intensity training.   In a period of 2-3  weeks he suddenly came out of it.  He got coaching from Joe Friel and was a contender to qualify for the US Olympic team in 2000 but missed out. He retired in 2001 but since then has kept busy with many different business pursuits, including a very successful career in real estate in Boulder.  He talks about that transition and how continuously following his passion has led to success and fulfillment. Links For Boulder area real estate contact Wes at W...@RealEstateBoulder.com or RealEstateBoulder.com Wes' wife, Hayley, at HayleyHobson.com 3StepSolutions.com for small business website, contact management, and more.  

Eric reviews his running career, including his time at Indiana University, and shares a few stories from his triathlon career.  He also talks about important habits for success and what advice he would give to himself at different stages of his career. This episode is for my two-year old daughter and my three-year old son so that when they get older they will know more about their Dada.  Hopefully at least some of my listeners will also enjoy it.  

Terry Laughlin founded Total Immersion at age 29 while he was considering a change of career. He coached kids since age 21 but he had no experience coaching adults until he held his first camp in 1989. The camp was a success and also personally fulfilling for Terry.  A business was born. Total Immersion led to his first book, also titled Total Immersion, camps, ebooks, and a fleet of Total Immersion certified coaches around the world. We talk about his progression over the years, his favorite Olympic swimmer, Tim Ferris, his suggestions for new swimmers, his articles about financial risk, and a lot more. Subscribe via iTunes Links TotalImmersion.net Alexander Popov on Youtube Why You Should Stop Worrying About What Other People Think  

Subscribe via iTunes Jeff Pack is in his 40s and he just started competing in endurance events three years ago.  He recently completed an Olympic distance triathlon in the Galapagos Islands and he followed it up with a half ironman distance race in Paracas, Peru. Jeff is an American living in Ecuador and he trains at an elevation of 9,000 feet.  He was very well prepared for each of these races and hit his goal for each. Links http://www.runnersworld.com/heart/can-running-kill-you

Subscribe via iTunes Elizabeth and Nate Sylves have been racing together as a couple for over a decade.  This year she did her first Ironman (Florida) and he did his first half ironman (North Carolina).  They combine training and racing with full time jobs while raising two young kids. They started their season with the Duathlon National Championships in Bend, Oregon in June. Then Elizabeth did the Atlantic City 70.3 and in October Nate did Ironman North Carolina 70.3 and Elizabeth planned on doing Ironman North Carolina, but due to a hurricane that was changed to a shorter race.  That change was announced a few days before the race so she immediately bought a charity slot for Ironman Florida and raced that two weeks later. In addition to working full time outside the home, Elizabeth coaches triathletes and teaches fitness classes.  Nate is a cameraman and works a non-standard schedule.  Because of their differing schedules and child care they are rarely able to train together. Elizabeth once weighed 200 pounds but made significant lifestyle changes. A few years ago she changed to a fat-adapted diet due to health issues and has stuck with it.  her diet is 60% fat.  She recently did her half-ironman while consuming just 400 calories. Have a listen and see how they make it work.

  Subscribe via iTunes Joe Friel returns to the show and discusses his revamped and just released Triathlete's Training Bible.  This is the best selling triathlon book of all time, with roughly 300,000 books sold, and instead of just updating it he started from scratch and rewrote it. We talk about the major revamps to the book. In addition to that we covered a wide range of topics.  Near the end of the interview we talked about his career as he went from teacher to running store owner to triathlon store owner to coach to author. Joe started his writing for the Fort Collins newspaper and his column ran every single week for 20 years from 1981 to 2001.  He did not like writing when he started and now he has a passion for it.  He wrote his first book, the Cyclist's Training Bible, and thought it might sell a few hundred copies total.  It sold 1000 copies the first month and 5000 copies the second month and now he's written 16 books. Joe is always a good listen so don't miss this episode.

Colin Pugh had a dangerous case of hyponatremia that could have resulted in death.  Hydration expert Andy Blow joins us to review his case.  In Colin's words, here is what happened: "On Aug 14th I did my first Half Ironman (Stealhead - Benton Harbor MI). I ran a pretty decent race and finished in a time of 5hrs 47 mins. After the race I was about a 3 hour drive from home in Milwaukee WI. I was over there on my own as my girlfriend was working that weekend. Based on the fact I couldn’t stand up without cramping I made the decision to hold up in a hotel for the night and make my way home on the Monday morning. I got to the hotel grabbed a shower and then started to become obsessed with the fact that I hadn't taken a pee all day and started taking on water (a lot of water!). This was quiet the mistake…….. I then remember only a few things. I remember walking across to the gas station to buy more water and being completely out of it in my mind like kind of drunk feeling. Then I went to bed and woke up at 11pm and proceeded to throw up all a lot of that water back up which wasn’t pretty. I woke up the next day feeling really rough and text my girlfriend to say I’m not driving until I get kicked out of the hotel at Noon. Then the next thing I know is I’m at the breakfast table grabbing breakfast and all packed up and I had no idea how I got there. Then the last thing I remember on Monday morning was getting on to the highway at my intersection in Michigan and then the next recollection I had was waking up in the ICU on Wednesday morning in Chicago…………. What happened? It turns out that I must have had the sub conscious thought to get to the Emergency Room. Because when I crashed my car into a truck I was only 6 blocks away from the University of Illinois Chicago Medical Center in downtown Chicago. But I had managed to drive over 70 miles without remembering a thing and then passed out behind the wheel. When the cops came up on my accident they said they found me having a seizure in the driver’s seat and then proceeded to smash me out of my car and get medical help. Then I got to the ER by ambulance and my girlfriend was calling my phone. The ER doctor answers the phone and tells her what they think is going on. My girlfriend is actually a doctor herself, she completely gets what the ER doc tells her and starts freaking out and gets in the car and starts driving the 1-2 hrs down to Chicago to be with me. So what was going on? Typical human blood has 140-145 mol/liter of Sodium in it. Anything less than 120 mol/liter is classed as serve. On my first blood work when I got to the ER it was at 113 mol/liter and that’s why I kept having seizures. I had Hyponatremia where you drink too much tap water and in essence dilute your blood. I was then admitted to the ICU early Monday and over Monday/Tuesday given fluids and monitored closely until I woke up on Wednesday morning very confused. While I was out I wasn’t being very cooperative it seems……..I had to be tied down feet and hands to stop me from beating all the people up which wasn’t great for my girlfriend to see. After waking up I had no idea what year it was, what had happened, where I had raced, who the president was.......nothing…….and that was very worrying. But I quickly started to get it all back come Thursday and Friday. I was then discharged from the ICU to home on Friday. Quiet the experience that I need to get follow up appointments to completely figure out if I had a Kidney issue or if I just put myself in trouble by drinking so much water instead of something with electrolytes in it. In the meantime I’m back to work and doing fine, getting my car fixed up and taking it easy for a little while and deferring a few races that I was booked into for the rest of the season."

Former elite triathlete Andy Blow struggled in hot races.  He cramped and had to figure out a solution.  He retired from triathlons in 2006 but that problem led to his post-racing career.  He is the founder of Precision Hydration and has become an expert on hydration.   In addition to endurance athletes he's worked with NBA, NFL, and professional soccer teams. Regardless of what you already know about hydration, you will learn more during this interview. Topics discussed: For most people drinking to thirst will work, but many athletes need to follow a plan to make sure they don't forget to drink.  A range of 16-28 ounces of fluid replacement per hour is adequate in most cases, but some athletes have much higher sweat rates and will require more Over-hydration before a race can negatively affect performance The sodium concentration in your sweat is relatively static over many years and many different conditions Your body reabsorbs some of the sodium lost through sweat before it reaches the skin Caffeinated drinks don't result in a net fluid loss And way more than I included here During the interview I didn't ask Andy specifically how much fluid loss is allowable for half and full Ironman distance races, so I followed up via email and this was his response: "the data I've seen suggests the fastest finishers of those kind of races can lose between 2 and 6% on average (which tallies with personal experience for me). There may be some people who suffer at that kind of level of loss, and others who can tolerate a bit more (e.g. Gebrselassie who lost 10% during some marathons) but my best guess is that around 2-6% is in the zone for most people if they start the event very well hydrated. I don't think the length of race matters so much as even in hot Olympic races people can lose considerable amounts of weight - it's more how quickly you allow the weight loss to occur (i.e. in long races you have to drink more to mitigate the fluid lossses from earlier on)." Links PrecisionHydration.com  Free online sweat test Precistion Hydration Testing Centers

Cody Beals is a third year Canadian pro specializing in the Ironman 70.3 distance.  His results this year include two victories and no worse than a 7th place finish in seven Ironman 70.3 events.  Later this month he will race the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Oklahoma. His website, codybeals.com, details his training, finances, physical challenges (low testosterone), and more. Cody is very open about his life and that makes for a good interview.    

Joanna Zeiger, the 4th place finisher at the 2000 Olympics, discusses the 2016 Olympic triathlon, her Olympic experience, her extensive racing career, triathlon income, drug use, statistical consulting, and more. Joanna competed at the first ever Olympic triathlon for the USA.  Five weeks later she followed that with a 5th place finish at the Ironman Hawaii World Championships.  She's also competed in the Olympic Trials for swimming and the marathon. Her new book, The Champion Mindset, is scheduled for release in February 2017   Links Joanna-Zeiger.com RaceReadyCoaching.com The Champion MIndset  - Joanna's new book scheduled for Feb 14 2017 release

Boulder based professional triathlete Justin Daerr returns to the show two years after his firstIronman win at Ironman Boulder in 2014. Since that time he's had several top 5 Ironman finishes, including 2nd at Ironman Mount-Tremblant in 2015 and 4th at Ironman Canada in 2016. At age 35 he's started 36 Ironmans and finished 32.    

Hillary Spires makes her third appearance on the show to talk about her experiments with her training and diet and the much faster run times she has achieved. Her 5k time dropped from 24 minutes to 20:19 and her 10k time dropped from 47 minutes to 42:30.  She has resumed her triathlon training in prep for a half ironman.   Last fall she started training for Muay Thai, a form of MMA fighting.  She also switched to a ketogenic diet (high fat/low carbohydrate).  When she returned to running she had huge drops in her time despite very little run training and some very high intensity workouts. Hillary was on episode 55 talking about her first year of racing as she prepared for Ironman Canada, and she returned on episode 64 after she completed Ironman Canada.   Links/Show Mentions Hillary's MMA Fight Torbjorn Sindballe on low fat diets - Triathlete Training Podcast episode 14 Netflix documentary on Barkley Marathons Hillary's High Intensity Workout Incline 10 Per Hillary, level 7 is an 8:30 mile, level 9 is a 6:40 mile, level 10 is 6:00 mile, and level 11 is a 5:30 mile 90 seconds level 7 90s rest (stand on rails) 4 sets 60 seconds level 9 60 seconds rest 4 sets 30 seconds level 10 30 seconds rest 2 sets 30 seconds level 11 30 seconds rest 2 sets Hillary ran a 20:19 5k after this.  This is a very high intensity and difficult workout. Slower runners should reduce the speed and/or incline for this workout.

Subscribe via iTunes Kate Maas of Switzerland is an experienced runner preparing for her first sprint triathlon.  It's a 500 meter swim, 40k bike, and 5k run triathlon on June 20.  She's done several marathons and an ultra, and while she's had a desire to do a triathlon for a while, she didn't start training until she recently registered for the race. Topics discussed include: Open water swimming Intervals Pedal stroke Transitions Yoga Eric's Heart Rate Zone Summary  An illustration of force applied to pedals, from Joe Friel's Triathlete's Training Bible.

Subscribe via iTunes Chris Kelly, founder of NourishBalanceThrive.com, joins the show in a wide ranging discussion on health. Some of the topics we cover include: iron overload in men sleep cortisol levels diet      

Coach Jim Vance joins the podcast as a repeat guest to talk about his new book, Triathlon 2.0: Data-Driven Performance Training. Jim worked on this book for 4 years before it’s release in early 2016. It’s a detailed book for serious athletes willing to look at their training data and use it to improve.  Jim was a former professional triathlete and now, as a well known coach, he has become an expert in analyzing training data.     This book builds on concepts in Joe Friel’s Triathlete’s Training Bible and uses charts and graphs to show how to use and understand your data. Even if you don’t use a power meter, and most experienced athletes should, you can still learn how to use data from your GPS unit to improve your running. I feel confident in saying this will be one of the most useful books for serious triathletes.   http://www.coachvance.com/ Does Running Shorten Your Lifespan?

Weston Titus is a 6’5”, 225 pound, former basketball player who attempted his first 70.3 Half Ironman in Oceanside on April 2, 2016.  This episode includes an interview three days before the race and an interview 3 days after the race.   Part 1   He has completed five sprint triathlons but this will be his first half ironman.  He is also preparing for Ironman Arizona in November.  We covered: His transition from a more random training routine to a more structured schedule What books he used to prepare, and which single book was most useful The test workouts he used to gauge his progress His nutrition plan for the race His race goals Part 2 Weston had a successful race.  Tune in to the second half of the podcast to find out how he did it.  He consumed roughly 45-50 ounces of fluid (1.5 liters) per hour on his 3:14 bike and about 400 calories per hour during the bike.  Even accounting for his larger size (225 pounds), those are higher than normal numbers, but it was within the range of what he trained and he didn't notice any negative effects from that consumption level.  His splits are listed below:

George Dallam returns to discuss his latest studies.  George was a popular guest on episodes 3, 4, and 25.  This time we talk about how mobility might improve running speed.  George is doing a study on the Functional Movement Screen (FMS).  FMS is a test of seven movements and a score is given based on results (a video of the seven movements is included below). George's study is testing whether increasing mobility over a period of 8 weeks might improve running speed in a one mile test.  Results from other movement studies have shown that improved mobility decreases the chance of injury in other sports. We briefly touch on the Alexander Technique. Named after Australian F.M. Alexander (1869-1955), Wikipedia describes it as a method "to avoid unnecessary muscular and mental tension during everyday activities".  Based on what little I've learned I'd describe it as a method for good posture. In my first interview with George three years ago we talked about nasal breathing.  He has completed his study and found benefits to breathing only through the nose during exercise, which include a reduced likelihood of EIB, or exercise induced asthma.  George only breathes through his nose while training and racing. George is a professor at Colorado State University in Pueblo.  He was the first USA Triathlon National Teams coach and he coached Olympic triathlete Hunter Kemper. Links Alexander Technique Functional movement screen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxjKe-goqQI

Joe Maloy is currently 2nd in the point standings to qualify for the 2016 United States Men's Olympic team. There is just one more qualifying race at which to earn points and that's the ITU WTS event in Yokohama, Japan May 14. Joe, age 30, talks about his path in triathlon and his current training base in Poway, California. It's an inside look at the process and dedication required to become an Olympian.  Joe swam in college, won 2009 USAT Age Group National Championships, and continued to improve as he pursued ITU draft legal racing.  Have a listen and you'll have someone to root for in Brazil if Joe qualifies for the team. Follow Joe: Joetriathlon.com https://www.instagram.com/joemaloy/ USA Triathlon Olympic Point Totals as of February 2016:             Point available for the top 18 spots at in Yokohama (multiply points by 1.066667 for that race):

Shane Niemeyer's life was not headed in the right direction.  He committed crimes and used drugs and spent time in jail and prison.  He tried suicide.  While in prison he read an article about Dave Scott and triathlon became his new passion. In his first year after release he did a half ironman and a full Ironman. In 2013 he recorded his fastest ever Ironman, going 9:14 and finishing 20th and Ironman Texas. This is his story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgprFfxQHIU   http://trueambitions.com/ His book, The Hurt Artist, details his story.    

Episode 67 includes a look back at the mistakes I made in my racing career.  I have mostly great memories of my racing career, but if I could have avoided the following mistakes I would have been more successful Not having an optimal peer group when I was younger Focusing on many types of racing: Ironman, duathlon, bike racing Not having a coach Poor nutrition Not having a consistent riding group in the winter Not stretching enough Not taking proper rest Not working enough on my swim Not being organized well enough I also answer a question about Ironman nutrition from a listener named Courtney.

Tiff Pfluger was a runner. She thought triathletes were crazy even as her husband got into the sport. She went to volunteer at race Ironman Lake Placid in 2014 and decided that maybe triathletes weren't crazy. She signed up for Ironman Lake Placid the next day and did the race one year later. This is her journey from going a collegiate running background to an Ironman finisher at age 35.

Daniel Fisher first got the idea to do a triathlon in 2014. In 2015 he signed up, and the New Jersey AC Sprint Duathlon was his first race. He is 29 years old and he was 258 pounds when he started.  Now he is hooked.  This podcast is the journey of his first year. "I only wish I had done one sooner and had done more throughout the year."

First year triathlete Hilary Spires returns for an update on her first season. Her first triathlon was early in 2015, then she did a 70.3 on June 14, and Ironman Canada July 26.  She was very well prepared. Her original goal was to break 14 hours, then she changed it do breaking 13 hours.  It was cold at Iromman Canada and she had to wear a garbage bag early in the bike to warmup up.  She liked the first year so much that she is signed up for Ironman Canada in 2016.  Did she make her 13 hour goal?  Have a listen to find out. Check our her first appearance on the show in episode 53.

Age group triathlete Uri from Switzerland is the guest and he asks a wide range of questions related to triathlon.  Uri is a 40 year old triathlete in his first year of racing with plans to do his first Ironman in 2016. He asks if Ironman racing is good for you, how not to be overly competitive with friends, swim training questions, how much to rely on training data, and more. Links: Larry Creswell on long-term affects of endurance training on the heart  Atrial Fibrillation and endurance sports - One of many articles you can find on this topic. Tim Ferris interviewing Dilbert creator Scott Adams about goal setting

Canadian Allan MacKenzie recently completed Ironman Lake Placid and Ironman Mont-Tremblant in hot conditions.  We talked about that experience and his heat and hydration questions following the race.  I answer his questions from my own knowledge, but I also add George Dallam’s answers.   George, a guest on episodes 3, 4, and 25,  is a professor at Colorado State University in Pueblo.  He was the first USA Triathlon National Teams coach and he coached Olympic triathlete Hunter Kemper.  His answers were originally in response to my email, and he allowed me to publish his email here. Each of Allan’s questions is listed below, and George’s answers follow. For someone who doesn’t have the opportunity to train much outdoors in high temperatures, what are the best ways to be prepared if race day ends up being really hot? Acclimate – hot tub, sauna, indoors with heater/humidifier, any stationary training as well. It is all about producing a high sweat rate. Here is the link to George’s two week hot tub protocol -http://triathletetraining.com/heat-acclimation-protocol/   How long does it take to get acclimatized/prepared to race in warmer than normal temperatures? Even one session can help and you can probably maximize over as little as 2-3 weeks with daily sessions.    Other than adding more sodium to my diet, are there other things I can do with my diet to help get better acclimatizes to the heat? I’m not an advocate of adding more sodium to the diet, just the opposite.  The currently in vogue notion that “salty sweaters” need more sodium ignores the underlying issue.  Salty sweaters are inevitably consuming more sodium than they realize so the body must constantly excrete the excess.  By reducing sodium in the diet your body will improve in its ability to preserve sodium over time..  Further by greatly increasing your sodium intake over normal in a given racing situation you probably increase the risk of heat stroke – sodium reduces our sweating capacity by holding water in the vascular and interstitial spaces.  The best approach to heat tolerance is appropriate acclimation and a low salt diet in my estimation.     What are your thoughts on using arm coolers and/or knee coolers to help to stay cool during races? Pre cooling to lower the core temperature prior to a hot race is certainly very useful.  If you can create a cooling effect on the fly that is certainly useful as well.  However, to do so means carrying extra weight in most cases in the form of a cold solution or ice.  The idea that any clothing enhances cooling in comparison to what the bare skin can accomplish during periods of heavy sweating is misleading.  See this review.  http://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200333130-00001#page-1 Some fabrics are relatively more cooling than others (cotton versus wool for instance) but all limit cooling to some degree by  inhibiting the evaporative cooling process in some manner. Maximum skin exposure provides the greatest surface area for sweating and the resulting evaporative effect created as air moves past the body.  The thought with white reflective clothing is that you might avoid radiant heat gain, however the loss in evaporative cooling potential offsets that possible effect.   Of course wearing or not wearing clothing must also be considered in the need for limiting UV exposure and for creating both aero and aquadynamics.   Consider, however that shaved body parts are often nearly as aero/aquadynamic as fabrics designed for the purpose and shaving further increases the potential for evaporative heat loss.  Basically in the heat you should wear the minimal clothing necessary or required and it should be white or light colored. Very likely your arms and legs have sufficiently keratinized  (tanned) through normal training exposure so that you shouldn’t need to cover them with clothing to prevent sun burn – doing so will reduce your evaporative cooling potential. 5.

Brad Williams is a first-year pro triathlete living in the UK.  He did his first triathlon in 2008 while serving in the Air Force in Korea. He was soon hooked. He hired a coach in 2011 and continued to progress with solid results. He earned his first prize money paycheck this year with a 6th place finish at Ironman UK.  This episode chronicles his journey from beginner to professional. Links: Brad's Website @BW_Tri

Gerry Duffy has completed 10 ironman distance triathlons in 10 days and also run 32 marathons in 32 days.  He’s also an author and public speaker.  A listener of the show recommended him as a guest and I’m thrilled we were able to connect. Before getting into endurance sports and public speaking he was a regular smoker who weighed an additional 50 pounds. He was also frightened of public speaking. We discuss his 10 ironman experience and goal setting. He recommends something that has made a huge difference in my life. GerryDuffOnline.com Gerry's Tedx Talk https://twitter.com/fearlessgoals

Will Laughlin makes his second appearance on the show and details his attempt at running across Death Valley and 180 miles in 3.5 days, which would be 1 day faster than his previous record. Several challenges came up during the journey as Will and his two running partners went for the record. Check out episode 11 if you want to hear Will's previous interview about his run across the Mojave desert.

Age group triathlete Erin Donovan is in her sixth year of racing and is preparing for a half ironman and the New York City Triathlon, an Olympic distance race.  I answer her questions and some of the topics covered include: Following up a half with an Olympic distance triathlon a few weeks later Heart rate training Training around injury and sickness Sleep Running cadence Structuring intensity and base Strength training Run workouts    

Coach Jim Vance returns to the show to discuss the results of a published study on pacing at Ironman Hawaii.  Jim also talks about his experience and experimentation as a high school swim coach where he successfully emphasizes dryland training, technique work, and lower volume. I also talk about my experience with Altra Shoes and my recent half marathon. Links: http://www.coachvance.com/ Ironman Hawaii Pacing Study http://www.formulaendurance.org/  

This episode is all me (Eric).  I go over my lessons learned from 4 Ironmans: Ironman Hawaii in 1999, 2001, and 2003 and Ironman Wisconsin in 2004.  My times ranged from 9:19 to 10:43. I took detailed notes from a few of those races and I have current day thoughts on the mistakes I made. If you're looking for other Ironman focused episodes check out 15, 16, 31, 39, 45, 49, and 51.

Victor Plata, a 2004 triathlon Olympian for the United States, is the guest in the first half of this episode.  Victor retired in 2011 and we look back at his career, catch up with his post-triathlon life, and he provides wisdom for all triathletes. Todd Carver of Retul and Scott Holtz of Specialized are the guests for the second half of the show.  Todd, also the guest on episode 10, is an expert bike fitter and founder of the bike fitting company Retul.  Scott is a former bike fitter and works for Specialized as the head of the Specialized Bicycle Component University and Dealer Education. Specialized has been operating their own wind tunnel for a year, and we discuss some of the bike fit lessons that Scott and Todd have learned both in the tunnel and from many years of expertise in the field.  

Ryan Cooper used his computer to try and predict time trial splits during the 2013 Tour de France.  His first go at it produced some very accurate results.  That project turned into a business at BestBikeSplit.com. Cyclists using a power meter can use their power meter to help predict and guide race performance.  This is cutting edge stuff that continues to evolve.  If you race with a power meter this software should help you improve your performance.

Garrett Rock On Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, and Testosterone Garrett Rock, the guest from episode 23, talks about a specific blood test result a listener sent in.  The listener's hemoglobin and hematocrit had dropped significantly in a short period of time. His training in the days leading up to test #1 was limited, and during the other tests his volume was in the 12-15 hour range.  Normal ranges for a male are 13.2-18 for hemoglobin and 38-54 for a male. These test results are lower than normal and they indicate something has gone awry.  Items to look at include red blood cell indices, potential blood loss in the GI system or from ulcers.  The results could result from a simple deficiency in iron, folate, or B12 which could either be from lack of intake or an absorption problem.  Garrett explains how he would investigate further. At the time of the interview we didn't have the results of test #4, which showed a significant improvement.   Test #1 17 Days Since Test#1 28 Days Since Test#1 34 Days Since Test#1 Hemoglobin 14 11 10.5 14.7 Hematocrit 42% 32% 31% 46% We also talked briefly about testosterone, which is usually on the lower side for both male and female triathletes. Garrett does blood testing for endurance athletes.  Check out fiftyonespeedshop.com. First Year Triathlete Hilary Spires In November Hilary signed up for her first triathlon; a 70.3 event.  Then she signed up for Ironman Canada.  She just did an Olympic distance triathlon as her first ever triathlon. To compete she had to overcome a knee injury that resulted from wearing away the cartilage in her knee.  She had micro-fracture surgery to grow it back, but the pain didn't go away until she started foam-rolling her legs.  That was only a temporary fix as the pain came back as she did more running. Based on what she heard in previous Triathlete Training podcast episodes she changed from heel striking to mid-foot striking and that immediately eliminated her knee pain and hip pain.  As a result her Ironman training is on track.  

Billy Edwards has done many Ironmans and never finished slower than 10 hours.  He recently attempted his first ultra-distance triathlon, winning Ultraman Florida in a time of 23 hours and 17 minutes covering a span of 3 days, besting a field of 39 triathletes.   Billy tells us what went right, what went wrong, and his plans to do Ultraman Hawaii. billythekidtriathlete.com @billythekidtri

Mikhail Ivanov moved from Russia to Colorado with his wife and 9 and 1 year old children in early 2014.  He is a 36 year old triathlete who has been racing for 4 years.  He had limited  running experience and no cycling or swimming experience before he started triathlons. It’s a small triathlon community in Russia with limited warm weather for training.  With all the indoor training time he calls himself a strong “balcony rider.”  While in Russia he was able to train for Ironman Austria in his second year of racing, finishing in a time of 10:26.  In 2014 he went 10:00 at Ironman Boulder and then, after Ironman Tahoe was cancelled just minutes before the start, he went to  Ironman Chattanooga one week later and went 9:36, earning a spot for Ironman Hawaii in 2015. During the interview we talk about his training and racing experience, things he learned at other Ironmans, and how he put it all together at Ironman Chattanooga.  His target heart rate on the bike for his last Ironman was zone 2-3 using Joe Friel heart rate zones, taking in 300 calories per hour during his 5:10 ride.  His goal during the race was ‘not to slow down at mile 18’. As a result he raced conservatively, and his last 5k of the marathon was faster than his first 5k. Mikhail uses pickle juice as a concoction to avoid side stitches during Ironmans.   When he races he takes a bottle of pickle juice with pickles in it. If you’re interested in the research on cramps and pickle juice, check out this http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/phys-ed-can-pickle-juice-stop-muscle-cramps/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 Subscribe via iTunes

Hunter Allen is a pioneer in the cycling world.  He co-founded TrainingPeaks WKO+ power data analytics software and he's the founder of Peaks Coaching Group.  He's also the co-author of Training & Racing With A Power Meter and Cutting-Edge Cycling.  He raced bikes for 17 years, and including several years as a pro. Among the topics we covered: Cadence - Hunter believes 95-105 is ideal, and 90 is okay.  Pedaling at a lower cadence requires more glycogen usage compared to higher cadence.  His recommendation is also based on quadrant analysis with WKO+.  A cadence workout he uses is 10X(1 minute at high cadence followed by 1 minute at normal cadence). Base Phase Workout Structure - for an athlete in base phase, with the ability to do 3 rides per week of 1-2 hours in duration, Hunter suggests three workouts that include 'sweet spot' work, which he defines as roughly 88-93% of FTP (functional threshold power).  For example, 3-4X10 minutes in the sweet spot, or alternate 2 minutes at sweet spot with 30 seconds at 120% of FTP.  A minimum of 3-4 weeks of base training is preferable before starting this. The Wobble - a new brand of power meter is able to measure the side to side wobble of the bike frame with each pedal stroke.  Ideally, a time trialist on a flat course would not have a wobble, while a sprinter and a hill climber on a steep hill have an optimum wobble.  Too much wobble or incorrect wobble can cost as much as 15 watts. Mistakes Pro Triathletes Make- I asked Hunter what type of mistakes he has observed among pro triathletes.  He mentioned two. The first was having a cadence that was too low.  The second involved the long ride. He believes it's a mistake to do a regular long ride (4-6 hours) at only endurance page (zone 1-2).  Unless it's necessary for recovery, he prefers to add in sweet spot riding (zone 4) and something such as hill intervals within the long ride. The One Thing He Wish He Would Have Known/Done While Racing - Hire a coach. Resources  2015 Peaks Coaching Group Camps - March 15, 2015 Mallorca cycling camp and April 19 Bedford, Virginia cycling camp. @HunterPeaks Twitter Peaks Coaching Group Training and Racing With a Power Meter by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan Cutting-Edge Cycling by Hunter Allen and Stephen S. Sheung ***** Subscribe via iTunes

Michael Welk did his first Ironman in 2014 at Ironman Louisville at age 42. His previous experience included a couple sprint triathlons several years ago, and just one sprint triathlon in 2014 leading up to his Ironman.  We talk about his progress and experience from November 2013, when he signed up for the race, through race day. He started training in late 2013 but was not progressing as hoped, so he hired a triathlon coach.  He also hired a swim coach in March. Early in 2014 he couldn’t swim more than 25 yards at a time.  His prep included just one century ride in advance of the Ironman.  His goal was to finish in 15 hours. Also in this episode I answer a listener question on base training An update on blue light and it’s affect on sleep An update on my use of zero drop Altra running shoes Subscribe via iTunes