Zen and the Art of Triathlon

Join us for another great show: Running in the super cold! News! Draft busting tech now for age groupers at Challenge IM distance races Carbon shoes ban list for Ironmans Silca Ultimate Tire Sealant 2.0. Will this be the game changer Gravel needs? 2 big secrets for endurance greatness How to overcome injuries with an Injury Log How habits lead to rituals and rituals lead to success Trying to shoot video while riding gravel one-handed Tubeless tire problem tips Indoor bike at work doing sitting intervals for race day. Indoor bike at home doing standing intervals for race day.

Shownotes: News! No more watches allowed in Ironman swims? Maybe pros only? My Andy Potts encounter at Ironman Whistler. Benefits of a portable green smoothie blender. Swim review, saving the intervals for the end. Starting with a pull buoy to make the start gentler, better warmup without injuries. Using the Casio diving watch bezel to time more things, like drive time to work from pool. Green smoothie tricks - mixed salad greens and stevia Scheduled to be on "Men Talking Mindfulness" podcast! Stroking your beard a sign of wisdom or just confusion? How to take a "caffeine nap" and optimal nap length. Why working out early in the morning is so magical. You experience a different world than most people! How training solo is way better. Incorrect myths of hydration packs continue, by Roadman cycling podcast, but then he totally redeems himself. The dogs join the podcast on the mic. A new great training route on Zwift and how to use it! "Forest Bathing" and why I like it. Why uphill FTP tests are bad data. Downside of analog watch - Can't decline calls while running. Running slower than you used to is sooooo frustrating. Interesting way to avoid running injuries? The color of your sunglasses can affect your mood. Japanese for "Forest Bathing" is... "Shinrin-yoku". Nothingness isn't nothing, nothingness is SPACE. Slowing the playback speed of youtube and podcasts has a calming effect. News - Garmin Blue Triangle of Death and how it happened. Some more upsides and downsides of the diving watch over a Garmin. Thoughts on Deepseek AI vs. AI scammers. Why would you vote for people that want to put you out of your own job? How tubeless tires are what really changed cycling forever so we can ride gravel endlessly. Generative AI is just only "ok". Needs supervision or it's noticeably garbage. What we're using ChatGPT for at work. Programming, proposals, etc... Why "silo-ing" systems is smart cybersecurity. How a large middle class is good for society vs. billionaires. Deep dive on Ineos Grenadier 4x4 engineering. Dynamics on Scout, Trek, Canyon & REI, and other direct sales models. One of the best parts of Texas is wearing flip flops in winter. :) PetCo glowing dog collar uses. Hitting "The Grade" on Zwift from the opposite direction and bailing out halfway up. Nice ride! Tour of Alulu is pretty great to watch. Hard vs. easy, training yourself. The days of moving files over to headphones by file transfer are over. Too annoying. The art of charging stuff in your car. How the Internet helps make your small community seem huge. Pre-Riding the Wire Donkey gravel race route. It's great! Turning a 5 hour ride into a 6 hour ride. Running half marathon with River. Ripple is Alpha. Following Kai biking on gravel roads while I'm in the truck. Brown sugar as fuel. Country life conversations at a country store. Thoughts on the long ride, standing and pedaling over hill tops, 225 watts average for 4 hours. Really, really liking the race course for the Wire Donkey. Dogs start howling because Emily left the house. Evening workouts still a struggle, because of Long Covid? When you are in prime fitness, your body gives you signals. Mine hums. How is Lachlan Morton so cool? Trying to recreate the magic of the first era of this show. Figuring out "the special sauce" again! Green smoothies and ultrabeards. Current world stress and not being rushed.

Experiment: Letting things take as long as they take. Walking Zoey in the ice. "Time crunched athlete" sucks. Figure things out and take back your time! Mindfully doing things, like a Japanese Tea Ceremony. If you have to come in to work, check to see if your CEO is at his/her desk too. ;) Driving in the snow to work! (Rarity in Texas) Getting old sucks, but... Dream car - Toyota Land Cruiser (for the adventure offroad) Creating buffers around your time also protects yourself from yourself. Taking time to pause and think when leaving the house so you don't forget things. Visualizing your next workout, so you don't forget things and also mentally get started on it. I like exploring, hence why I like gravel biking and 4x4 vehicles. Thoughts on older Toyota Land Cruiser vs. modern 4x4 American truck with AWD. Slow living isn't just about protecting yourself from others, it's about protecting yourself from yourself! Doing fewer things, but doing them better. So you have to decide what's most important. Asking yourself who are you doing this for. You or somebody else? "Jeffing". So mindful, so demure. ;) Slowing down helps you to stop forgetting things for your workouts, especially gear and accessories. Some good responses when people push back against you slowing down. Daily reminders to walk slowly and don't talk to much in conversations at work. How I learned to walk slowly all the way back in high school from a powerful Senior. Learning confidence through Marine Corps military school, Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, nightclub bouncer, boxing... You don't need to "be Alpha" when you already have been through stuff and know yourself and your limitations and the limitations of others. Walking meditation is cooooooool. How to do it. Being slow has a calming effect on others. Went swimming after it was 19 degrees Fahrenheit outside. Cut it short due to starting to get hypothermia. There was room on that door! (Titanic). Taking the time to put things in the right place at the right time. Exercise is the foundation block that should be "non-negotiable" I let people pass me on the road so they aren't putting pressure on me to drive faster than I want. You want to get where working out is a habit that is harder to NOT do. "Rest and Digest" IS the state of Zen Flow. Habits where you don't have to think that much keep you in "Rest and Digest" mode. Stoicism is just being tough for being's sake. Gen X stories are true. I pee before driving anywhere so I can enjoy the drive. Do hard things on purpose when it's easy. Could Native shoes be the solution for wet feet getting to work after swimming? The art of keeping your shoes from stinking by showering in them and letting the soap help out. Fenix 8 has flashlight AND voice memos! Taking bike to the shop, drinking an Athletic Brewing Co. non-alcoholic IPA. Pretty good! Why diving watches make for great sports watches - the rotating timing bezel. We have hit "peak smartwatch" and now people want to go back to basics. Training totals for the week and CTL. I broke my chainring! Must be all the powah. Advancements in show making. Typical things to use diving timer bezel for besides working out.

Join me for news and tons of tips and tricks as we crank out big mileage swimming, biking, and running during the latest cold spell ending in SNOW! Shownotes: Garmin introducing passcode lock on some devices. Drew Dillman is moving to Lauf bikes! Why titanium is probably the best frame material for gravel. Downtube storage... all upsides and no downsides? Chat GPT knows who Zen and the Art of Endurance is! Our town is moving up. We got an REI! Will our Trek store work out? How I use it. Green smoothies make you feel young. Laughing at Backyard Ultra videos by people that think they know what will happen. Ultra events are defined by you having to let go of knowing. Your car is literally a time machine. It shrinks time getting from point A to B. Diet Coke is both healthy and unhealthy and that's OK. Analog watches are making a comeback. YES! Check out the "Captain Willard" Seiko from Apocalypse Now. We are overmonitoring our body metrics. Simplify if you can. Why drying out your swimsuit rightside out is critical after every swim. "When you reach the end, that's when Zen begins." The whole point is to go past what you know, then you can learn. You can train for ultra by doing an ultra. How you treat the people at the aid stations after you've bonked shows who you really are. And knowing who you really are creates the confidence you need in life to be truly happy. The "I'm not X right now" trick. Coming to terms with men wearing pajama bottoms in public. You swim faster when relaxed and in "rest and digest" mode. Planning out huge gravel ride while running with River. Pool will be closed for incoming snowstorm, so planning out biking and running instead. You can strap a bike light to your watch for a flashlight like the Garmin Fenix 8. Phil Gaimon liked my EPO tweet! Using the electronic bike pump and pissing off the neighbors. 10 mile run with River in freezing temps. Gravel ride was great until it wasn't when guts when bad. Weird! Cold weather ultra running tips!

Running with River and how to fix your life in 10 minutes every day. Comparison autopause GPS. Fueling for cheap upsides. Why no-coasting is better. How to use the ghost riders on Zwift segments to tell if you should do intervals or go easy today. Green smoothie update! How to use rituals to zone out get working out when you don't feel like it. Dog chaos time! Why training in terrible socks is actually a good idea. How 4 sets of near-failure reps builds strength and that builds speed.

Join me on an exciting night run with River as we review the latest race, how to achieve training Nirvana, expensive analog (Seiko) vs smart watches (Garmin), and so much more!

How to train and race at your full potential by not getting fixated on only one path. Ride with me 85 miles as we discuss it all plus a whole lot more! I also update the creatine experiment and talk a short bit about our Hugelland Marathon MTB race experience.

Gravel biking and talking about slowing down daily life on purpose. While checking out all the trails at the massive 5,000 acre Lake Houston Wilderness Park. The ultimate flat terrain double and singletrack in Texas??? Video ends when battery dies. Just like life... Lights out! Find out about me and my racing history http://zentriathlon.com/who-is-brett Get coached! Send an email to Texafornia at the gmails and we will get you started! Support the show at https://Patreon.com/zentri https://instagram.com/zentriathlon

Join me along with my workouts while I discuss how to fit in warmups and getting your stuff together into your workouts to save time. If you are a high-volume athlete, this episode is full of time-saving tips so you can train big and still have time for family and work. Also a first look at Kona results.

We train and race in San Marcos and Bastrop TX to see how it measures up as an endurance sports town. Then I cover training tips for an upcoming mega MTB race Leadville qualifier

Justin McQuerry talks with us about going to Worlds, racing against the best, how he makes his YouTube videos, being a pro from Texas, and plans for the future! Find out more about Justin / justinmcquerry Support the show at Patreon.com/zentri Instagram.com/zentriathlon

Join me on a long ride while I talk about how Wu Wei (Flow and Not Trying) is incredibly useful in endurance sports and also in your own life. If you follow the show on YouTube, you can watch while I ride as well. Wu Wei and Not Trying is critical for being able to put in the big volume to be successful at endurance sports. If you try too hard, you burn out or get injured or both. I talk about multiple ways you can use Wu Wei on the swim, bike, and run and also in everything else you do. Enjoy!

Join us for night marathon mountain bike racing! We start at 108 degrees and finish 6 hours later near midnight. A true first time experience. Shownotes: 00:00 Describing race, leaving the pool, injury pains. There's videos up on youtube! 5:00 Race results. Kai hit his head on a tree trunk on the first lap and might have had a concussion. 108 degrees at the start! Garmin "crash alerts" for the both of us. Twice. 9:00 Why I race MTB with flat pedals... and do great! 12:00 Bike repairs on gravel bike and also on MTB before the race. 17:00 Electronic shifting battery failure right before the race. Aid station setup and riding through a barn every loop. 21:00 Fueling and hydration strategy. Why you should support the show at Patreon.com/zentri (it's for the tips!) Kai won fastest 3rd lap Preem... but didn't due to a technicality. 29:00 The bikes we raced and why. 32:00 Training leading up to the race. I haven't ridden my mountain bike for 7 months until race day and still got 18th place. 36:00 Getting and testing our lights for riding at night. 40:00 Keeping yourself busy during tapering by working on race details. 42:00 Describing the race lap by lap. 48:00 My big mistake - Not enough water on lap 2. 51:30 Riding at sunset is AMAZING. 55:00 The Big Wreck. 1:05 "Now it's a race." 1:08 Do I do 6 laps or 7? 1:11 Heading out to video the last lap. 1:18 Out for a run with River in the heat. Injuries update, swimming with separated rib hurts! 1:20:30 Moment of Zen - Nothing is the full story at first. The Tao de Ching and everything has flow. What is the purpose of learning Philosophy. Letting things unfold naturally. One tree's opinion is not the forest. 1:30:30 Back to the race and results. Upcoming races and wrap up.

I take you for a ride and talk about how Zen approaches and studies DEATH! Also, I give tips on how to add your own "nano carbon" clotting agent to your tire sealant for cheap and how to use a digital tire gauge to test if your tires are leaking. Coming to you from San Diego, I mention visiting the Canyon Store and also riding an XL Razor scooter daily to a software conference for a week. Enjoy!

Check out my interview with @laufcycles CEO and founder Benni Skulason on YouTube! A deep dive into Icelandic/Scandinavian design and engineering. An honor he spent so much time with me and Kai - testament to a thoughtful company with strong dedication to customer service and performance.

Coming to you live from Chicago, I go over how Zen handles the concept of rebirth, take you with me on a long bike ride, and attempt to swim, bike, and run all from a luxury hotel on the shores of Lake Michigan.

I take the audio from one of my latest YouTube videos of a bike ride, talking about practicing the Zen style of Removing while Adding and also other topics, such as creatine, the power meter pedals, and new swimming headphones. Listen in and enjoy!

All the awesome details of the biggest endurance event in North America! What was new, who won and why, all the tips and tricks you can use for your own best training and racing. Huge props to the Spirit of Gravel champions Lachlan Morton and Rosa Klöser for keeping the dream alive and Dylan Johnson for marginal gaining like mad using science to get an "average guy" like himself a top 10 finish. Unbelievable!

We take on one of the hardest events out there - The Gravel Locos 150! Join the gang as we race with the biggest pros, interview USWE and Iowa Gravel Gang, get the RV stuck in the mud, I barely finish this race with a 25% DNF rate, and we get first impressions of the Favero Assioma power meter pedals and the Insta360 X4 action camera. As always, email me at texafornia at the gmails or find me on Instagram as Zentriathlon.

I take you with me LIVE on a bike ride! Topics include: Winners of IMTX and the heat index of 119 degrees. Men's winner ran a 5:51 min/mile pace! Trek releases the "Car Back" rear radar. Talking to the donkey's owners and getting his real name. New Garmin 840, my third for various reasons. Low cadence/ High torque training paying off Why it works Now back to averaging 220 watts on flats and 300 to 500 watts on climbs When you get tired, your cadence slows, so it trains that as well. How Zen and the Art of Triathlon got started. How I got the idea to record on the bike back in 2005. Feeding the donkey (Ezekiel) large carrots. Why I stopped recording on the bike. What happened? You can ride in aerobars about 90% of the time on gravel, great way to get in your volume training on much prettier and safer roads. How I got motivated to start recording on the bike again. Why you should wave at all the cars you can all the time while on the bike. Katie Abbot future guest? Things just are. The problem is how you respond to them. #Zen Jumping in the pool! Enjoying a recovery IPA. Zen's "Turning Word" and the tale of Zen Master Baizhang and the fox. Why gravity is only a theory and you can be happy if you can find just one other person who is happy in your same situation. The real meaning of Zen's "Can a dog be enlightened?" The real value of Zen in daily life is not trying to make things go the way you want all the time. Let things unfold their own way and observe your response to them. Practice better responses to the events and then fewer events upset you because you've learned how to respond better. The events are the events. It's your opinions of them that make you miserable.

I interview Jan Van Smirren, who used to train for Ironmans and swimming the English Channel by recording his heart rate by hand and writing each reading into a spreadsheet! I also cover the news - T100 Singapore, Sea Otter Classic, and more. Then we have a great edition of The Training Log where we cover... - HR with swimming is a game changer! - Green smoothies were causing cavities even though they are super healthy. - Ezekiel bread and cereal is really healthy, just don't read the rest of the scripture about how to cook it and serve it. - Figured out a better way to run with River. - Turning run problems into solutions. #Zen - Making a green smoothie live. Blueberries, kale, banana, and carrots in a Vitamix. With helpful tips! - Using colored zip ties to identify charging cables faster. - Upsides and downsides of Form Swim goggles hardware and software design. - 2025 Landcruiser and 4Runner thoughts about 4wd and how we use it in endurance sports. - Swimming by HR makes you euphoric and confident! - How serotonin works. - The Zen trap of "I've got it all figured out." - Form should make sports glasses and here's how. - How to make scrambled eggs in a coffee mug in the microwave. - You can get an education by listening to podcasts or audiobooks while in Zone 2. - How low cadence actually trains both slow and fast twitch muscles at the same time. - What you need to do is what you need to do most. - Measuring oxygen use to analyze efficiency. - Listen to Fast Talk Podcast about cadence. - Bike ride doing lower cadence. Faster, more relaxed! - Riding more often with white blinky light on the front for safety at sunset. - Feeding the donkey, River's peeing on my bike tires? - Bigger gearing as a training method. - Dunk in the pool. - Make yourself more aero by putting your phone in the center back pocket and it will pull a loose jersey more tighter. - I was really powerful at hill climbing because I used to train on a singlespeed. - I even rode the MS150 on a 1985 single speed Kuwahara road bike. (My brother's from high school) - How standing and pedaling over the tops of hills makes you faster and keeps your crotch from going numb. - Don't do a FTP test uphill or indoors and then try to use those numbers for your FTP in an outdoor race. - Swimming by HR turns major yardage into a calm meditation session. So nice! - Psychological birth control. - 9 mile run in zone 2! - What I did with the MS 150 VIP pass.

Pro cyclist Hannah Shell joins us to talk about doing the Cape Epic stage race in South Africa, getting and keeping sponsors, going from road to gravel, and balancing being a pro with a full time job as a project manager. Then we go into The Training Log to try out HR with Forms swim goggles and pulling Emily behind me on two bike rides with a tow rope!

Deeper details about pro gravel racer Chase Wark's aero setup and gear choices, Lionel Sanders wins Oceanside 70.3, Form swim goggles now have compass bearing, and a good hour of The Training Log and other Zen thoughts to wrap up the show! Show notes: - Interview - What's his breaking point with what he'd do? Time trial helmet? - Aero socks, calf sleeves, tripwire base layer. - No gloves and shaves hands and arms. - Glucose monitoring? Lactate monitoring? - Longest rides, indoor training? - How to build Sweet Spot training into your long rides. - Shrinking Zwift down and riding watching - Gravel seems to be road bike racing, but you can't get team cars there. - How much does road racing tactics happen in gravel at the front? - Lazer helmets, Maurten fuel, Donkey Label clothing, MSP Moves, Xpedo pedals, Adventure Cycle and Ski, HED, Silca. - Wark Cycling Services . com - Which Lifetime Fitness races will he miss? - Camelbak-Gate. - How wanting to get more volume in for Kai's mountain biking led us to gravel. - Training log - Post run dip in pool, IPA, and wind tunnel news. - Running too much? Running better with less volume right now. - How to avoid overheating running in the summer by planning run routes that don't go with the wind for very long. - The benefits of being faster on a bike. - Bottles down the front of your jersey are banned, but what are some smart alternatives. - Stand and pedal on occasion! - The ritual of working out is important when you don't feel like it. - How to swim efficiently and go way faster with less effort. - Why kicking isn't a great idea when trying to swim far. Use your legs to keep you in a more streamlined position instead. - Rolling resistance is the new aerodynamics. - We want to race Gravel Locos! Any sponsors? - Fat pants are too big now! - How running relaxed makes you more efficient and you should use it for Zone 2. - Using low cadence in Zone 2 to fully work your muscles. - Running shorts with BIG POCKETS. - People are wearing light up dog collars to be seen at night! - Getting 2nd workout in by lunch makes rest of day feel relaaaaaaxed. - Willpower is "not even in the equation" of how to lose weight. - You want to be pulled towards the goal instead of having to push yourself.

Join in on a great interview with one of cycling's fastest off road racers, Chase Wark. He's often winning or on the podium at the biggest races, using a lot of science and research from triathlon and other marginal gains we can all use ourselves! I end the first part of the interview by doing some endurance news and taking you with me for 3 days in a row of big swim volume so we can see how that affects the body. Also, we are attempting to update the show name to Zen and the Art of Endurance. So let's see how it unfolds and what fun that holds for us in the future. I have always done and covered all the endurance sports besides just triathlon, so broadening the name helps more listeners learn all that ZenTri has to offer.

Join us for the Valley of Tears 115 mile gravel race, an interview with pro cyclist Justin McQuerry (31 minutes in), and crazy stories of how Kai mingled with the pros during and after the race along with Emily and Kylie. Getting autographs and sharing videos with Keegan Swenson and Sofia Gomez Villafane included!

A shorter episode covering a ton of different topics: Some racing background. Hour goal vs Kona Qualifying. Swimming volume tips with Form goggles. Patreon with Training Bible! How Zen and ZenTri are “Anti-Fragile”. New shoes - Hokas. The easy way to always know how old your running shoes are. Knee pain cures. Why you want to set your Zwift resistance to 50%. Stop calling aluminum “alloy”!!! Matcha Tea for healthy caffeine. TPU inner tubes trials BEGIN.

Lucy Charles is skipping World Championships in Nice, Chinese man runs a 3:33 Marathon while chain smoking, Ironman gets a new CEO, and Kai got picked for a pro team! Then we go into the details of how we completed the Pine Burden 320 so you can learn from our experiences and try something like it yourself!

Review of my successful completion of the the 78 mile long 2024 Excruciation Exam Marathon MTB Race. Gear, fueling, aero tricks and more! I finished top half in AG and Kai finished 5th in Pro division

We interview one of Instagram's most dynamic endurance cyclists about how she completed Paris-Brest-Paris and get tips on how we should do our own bike packing sufferfest, the PineBurden320. Lisa Charlebois (@hustleandahalf) is a phenomenon on Insta, with great information and motivation. She tells us how she qualified for and completed the oldest, 745 mi. original uber-bike event in France. She then gives us tips and support for when we try our first - 3 days of 320 miles around the pine forests of East Texas in the December cold. I follow up with a review of how we executed our latest Marathon Mountain Bike race, the 42 mile Hugelland Holiday Marathon in Fredericksburg, Tx. It's a great show, so listen in and enjoy!

Old school HUGE episode! Four hours of everything, from interviews to gear reviews to training tips. And get coached by emailing me at texafornia at gmail.com Show Notes: Monday swim: You don’t have to swim hard. Can use it for leg therapy. Asgdf As Telling coworkers you need 10oz of water with that gel. Taping rim holes with gorilla tape. New Coastal Highway Route in Zwift: How to use it for 3 perfect 1 hour workouts. Hamstring pull? How to work through it. Walking your run when you’ve overdone it. How to make cheap fuel for ultra stuff. Swim parkas? Puffy jacket. Triathlon NEWS -Tri Bike Transport failure My own broken bike story with TBT. Sebastian Kenlie retiring —— Mystery segment Why people who learning on 26” wheel mountain bikes suck (like me). Why I put electronic shifting on my mountain bike and why it’s not really worth it. Ironman fitness vs. Cyclist fitness Why I upgraded to full suspension even though it’s slower. Fueling and hydration for the upcoming MTB Marathon race (42 miles) Buy camelbaks with hot-swappable hoses. How to do high sugar fuel and not get cavities… SOLVED and PROVEN —— Gear review - Fillmore high flow tire valves. They ROCK! The history of the presta and Schrader valves Squirrel moment about modern smart cruise control. You can put sealant into your tires straight through the valves! Long run with River: How to start of runs warm and where to put layers. Attacked by dogs. :) NEWS - Ultraman Arizona has relay openings! NEWS - GCN+ is being canceled. Dude on horseback riding down the road. How to catch up fueling if you get behind and how to tell. Oh crap, I have to ride day 2 of double 5 hour days while trying to keep up with Kai. Smart and fast way to remove factory grease from chain so you can wax it. How triathletes point their skewers back (correct) while roadies point them up (wrong). Running a half marathon the day after epic double 5 hour rides, faster than before! Tips on how to recover for tomorrow. Is ice cream the secret? Story of how I interviewed the guy who WON the overall AG at Kona running with a camelbak full of electrolyte water. Where is he now? Did he start trying too hard to go pro? Review of tricks I used to keep up with Kai for 87 brutal gravel miles. Feeling great with level of fitness!

Enjoy the wonderful journey and work it took for Kai Blankner to become one of the fastest mountain bikers in Texas, from riding a push-bike at age 3 to finishing 1st in the 29 and under age group in multiple Marathon Mountain Bike races (42 miles or more). It's a formula you could replicate for yourself or your own kids, whatever you/they are in to. Also, we talk in detail about the brutal 60 mile Austin Rattler that he just finished. It's a Leadville 100 qualifier and the competition was FIERCE. We give the inside tips on how you could get a lucky spot, so listen in!

4 minutes in water just above freezing, reviewing both the Kona women's pro race and UCI Gravel Worlds, what's wrong with the Zwift Hub One and the ultimate hack, Shimano crank recall (I had one!)

A review of Ironman Men's Championship in Nice, Sam Laidlow's secret advantage, the 85% rule in life, and awesome training in San Marcos Texas! Get coached by sending me an email at texafornia at the gmails!

Join me and John Hirsch as we discuss The Norseman Triathlon - how he qualified for and raced one of the hardest events in the world! We also discuss the state of triathlon, what's next, and how to keep or even improve your swimming speed. Enjoy!

I test out FORM Goggles! You know, the ones that put your metrics right in your line of sight? Check out why I give them 4.5 stars out of 5! We also do a listener letter and advice about local bike shops, a moment of Zen, a trip to the bike shop with the dog to fix a broken spoke. Annnnnd... this is just part one of two! Stay tuned for next episode for two more "first impressions" as I swim with the FORM goggles and give you some more info of what it's really like to use swim gear from the future.

I detail how we raced the Gravel World Championships qualifier and and also give a ton of tips on how to race faster and train in this crazy hot weather!

We do MASSIVE hill and heat training to prep for a Gravel Worlds qualifier in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas! I cover how to figure out what hillwork you need and how to do it on Zwift or outside, and we also hit 145 degree heat index in training out in the Texas Countryside. Join us as we prep for "Expert Level" gravel racing at the Highlands Classic!

The mud has settled, so let's talk about what worked and what didn't for the biggest and most important bike race in North America, UNBOUND. Also, I detail how I lost a KOM to Kai, puked, and then took a different one back a week later. Good times! :)

Full review of the amazing Gravel Locos 150 gravel bike race! I cover every detail you need to know, how it went, and how you can succeed at it next year!

How the ratio of fructose to sucrose is more important than osmolality and how to make your own SUPERFUEL for CHEAP! News: Joe skipper aero WTF? Lol. Collin Chartier busted for EPO Lionel Sanders video response was amazing. It's not about winning! Table Sugar is the new King of Fuels?? Dr. Alex Harrison and the Slowtwitch Forum: https://tinyurl.com/2tpjy8t7 How to make your own superfuel! How to tell if you need more sodium. How to find and use sodium citrate. Sour gummy worms to your solid fuel rescue! Training Log: 350+ cals an hour on gravel ride. Frame bags rule. For snacks and gear! When to worry about being aero on gravel. Is gravel easier or harder than road with a headwind? What it feels like to be properly fueled. A lot of what you’re feeling on the bike is related to blood sugar. Lower your PSI little bits at a time to see what works. Why gravel bikes make safer road bikes, especially in the rain. Swimming in Strava doesn’t log time correctly. Leg and foot cramps while swimming means you’ve been biking or running too hard. Learning efficiency by stroke count instead of speed. How to meditation swim. Now back to a sub 10 min/mile running pace with just easy effort and consistency. No injuries! Mileage totals for a 14+ hour training week. Get coached! Email texafornia@gmail.com

News: Heather Jackson won Belgian Waffle San Diego. Kai won US pro cup in Fayetteville! PARIS ROUBAIX happened! Watched on Zwift. New Garmins 540 and 840. Tire pressure tech. Kai 3d printed helmets. Training Log: Front suspension for gravel bikes. I found what works! How to spend more time in aero position gradually. Gravel bikes with no front suspension suck. How to ride aerobars on gravel and tell others to F off. Running with River. He’s crazy. What is RiR? Reps in Reserve. Jumping in the pool to cool down and make clothes last longer. My 6 high adventure backpacking trips. Why modern car tech is really useful. How I use Liquid IV during rides and where I buy it from. Planning out back to back big training days. Using auto pause so you don’t wear out buttons. Current bike computer situation, loss of an expensive one, using an older one with bad battery life. Dealing with teenagers losing or breaking stuff. How much time a faster bike saves you and makes a difference in winning, podium, or not. Handing down equipment. Who gets the nice, new stuff first? Electronic shifting on tri bike? Yes. Mountain bike? Maybe. I went crazy and set the KOM on a gravel road segment. How sponsors and cool stuff affects what people wear. Flat pedals or clipless on mountain bikes? Wrap up: I’ve got 2 hours more already recorded. Interview with Kai about pro cup soon. Going to talk about how to make your own fuel on next show. My goal is to give you tons of training tips and if you like, go to www.zentriathlon.com and PayPal support the show!

Next Episode Just a quick recording to make sure all the pieces still work When it does, put out a full episode. Making a show is really complicated with lots of moving parts Want to make sure they work before I record a show and then it's old and stale before it hits the air weeks later. I took a break from making shows because Kai scouts - Scoutmaster Kai mountain bike racing team asked me to coach crazy calf and knee injuries Doubled down at work to get a job promotion that didn't work out When I didn't get it, first thing I did is go for some long bike rides and like, "what was I thinking?" No swimming for almost 2 years. Anyway TONS of content to bring to you guys Gravel biking! I'm up to my eyeballs in it and it's fantastic Incredible way to get in your long rides. more entertaining safer more hills. Marathon Mountain biking With Kai's mountain bike racing, stumbled upon this ridiculous event. And there's 24 hours and more Difference shows you why road and gravel is so important. Kai made a development team, is winning 29 and under marathon races Might go pro? Tons of updates with bike tech, running shoes, marginal gains, Norwegien training methods, HUGE fuel update that works and is CHEAP. NEXT episode, how to train gravel for triathlon. After that, I think I'll do the fuel. Donate!

ZenTri Episode 685 - Return of the ZAT by ZenTriathlon

Coronavirus Megashow! News: The IRONMAN World Championship will now take place on February 6, 2021. Taupo is next 70.3 champs. Zwift France is officially out. Steering device for Zwift? Elite Sterzo. $50 Warmup: Coronavirus lockdown, how everything got turned on it's head. No swimming, then trying to get back in. Schedule all over the place, allowing for all kinds of bad habits to get started again. We went to Durango, CO for mountain biking vacation. Did a ton of gravel riding with Kai. I nearly broke my shoulder flipping over a cliff because of grabby brakes. Couldn't run for 2 weeks because of SI joint injury in left hip. Main Set: Garmin varia long term review. Why is it so awesome? How to use ZwiftPrefs app to ride Watopia Waistband route. How to watch bike races WHILE on Zwift to make it more fun and realistic. Blackpods Airpods alternative testing. How to baby an injured foot by running on sloped roads. Amphipod new belt. Skin Sake for healing cuts and sores. Kai got a job at our local bike shop. Trick to remember to charge your watch. Is your watch crushing your wrist? How to find out. Swim workout of the week - 6x 10 minutes with pull bouy or fins or regular free. Why you should sandwich your weekends with swims. Preloading sodium for long, hot workouts. How to know to train your legs or your lungs. Ever heard of a "Three-way" bike tool? What happened when I got extremely dehydrated mountain biking two days in a row in 100 degree heat. How blue glasses affect your mood, and what to wear while mountain biking. Trick to clean your bike before you drive home and it will be dry when you get there. Weekly totals mileage and nearly 15 hours. Finish your week with a nice swim to help recover faster. Need coaching? Reach out to me at texafornia@gmail.com

Join me from your own training caves as I take you through a wild ride of triathlon life during the pandemic lockdown! Show Notes: How I accidentally beat Mark Cavendish by 3 miles on his Zwift ride. I completed the 70.3 for Ironman Virtual Racing How to work your way up to 5 hours on the trainer. Cllimbing Alp D’ Zwift on a tri bike after reaching Level 50. How I did the swim and bike of an Ironman at home a couple of weekends ago. Do you actually need to bike 112 miles before doing an Ironman? It depends. Get coached by me! texafornia@gmail.com Kai chasing down Jan Frodeno on his Zwift ride. GCN cyclist rode Zwift for 24 hours and it was harder than riding outdoors! Sam Long beat Lionel Sanders up Mount Lemmon. How to get faster every workout. Next show will be a triathlon tech show! How to keep going when you feel like quitting. Live drama of Kai getting haircut at home. Ironman sold to new owners.

Pedal extenders might be what you need. Latex tubes are faster! Fructose can cause gut issues. Long hill climb intervals to increase testosterone Trainer Road podcast Garmin Varia Weak calves Airpods "running in traffic mode" Does Ford make the best full-size pickup truck? TPU soles make the best running shoes! Do Zen to help others, not just yourself. Crazy bike intervals The secret to endurance is... How to repair sewing with dental floss. How to record your weight for weight loss. You need a REASON to lose weight. Epic mountain biking and camping at Colorado Bend State Park (Texas) The Zen flow of perfectly challenging mountain biking

I score an interview with the women's bike movement "G.R.I.T." while at Kai's mountain bike race review, what is the right bike to race on, and other training tips.

From optical heart rate monitors to electronic shifting, I list off the best Zen Tech of 2019. "Zen Tech" is gear or methods that make your training and racing easier by making it simpler. I look for items that remove steps or reduce time or maintenance so you can spend more time enjoying life and less time fiddling with settings and cleaning up.

678 - Electronic shifting, Off-road 70.3 Success, and Kona Review by ZenTriathlon

News, Zen thoughts, Scosche R24 HR strap, remote control fans and colored lights in your training cave, superstarch, and Jeeps

Backpacking Zen, VW Atlas Review, TDF Zen learned while backpacking. Garmin UltraTrac mode review. We got a new Volkswagen Atlas! How does it work for triathlete families? Thoughts on the Tour de France.