Hot Tub Tri Machine

Episode 17: From Couch to the Surf with Hilary Topper Open-water swimming is where triathlon gets real, and Hilary Topper has spent years helping beginners stop panicking and start thriving in it. If the thought of cold water, rough conditions, sighting, or that first jump off the pontoon makes you tense up, in this episode of Hot Tub Tri Machine , Ursula and The Beast welcome author, endurance at...

Episode 16: Angelina’s winning reflections on her 70.3 DNF Those Queens of Chaos, Ursula and the Beast, are back in the hot tub with their first European guest: Angelina, a Scottish mother and age-group triathlete whose journey from inactivity to endurance sport is anything but ordinary. Angeline is a vibrant and authentic character who has grown an inspired and inspiring Instagram following. Ange...

Episode 15: Endurance, Exhaustion & Everything In Between In this episode of Hot Tub Tri Machine, Ursula and The Beast sit down with endurance athlete James Carter for a candid conversation about what it really takes to go the distance. From first-time marathons and open-water swims to 25 marathons, Ironman-distance races, and back-to-back ultramarathons, James shares the highs, lows, and hard...

Episode 14: Passion, Pedals and Power with Ben Litchfield This week on the Hot Tub Tri Machine, Ursula and the Beast are joined by cycling tragic turned cycling aficionado Ben Litchfield for a deep dive into all things two wheels. Ben’s love of cycling began as a young boy growing up in Sydney and eventually took him to Europe, where he lived and trained with amateur cycling teams at a time when E...

Episode 13: Keri Mandell is Limitless Seven marathons in seven days, across seven continents, is hard enough. Keri swaps the finish-line fantasy for the raw reality behind the World Marathon Challenge, Ultraman racing, and the mindset it takes to keep going when your body is screaming to stop. Ursula and The Beast sit down with Keri to unpack the fear, grit, and strategy behind some of the hardest...

Episode 12: Roth, Racecations, Resilience and Recovery (Part 2) In Part 2 of their conversation with Jo , Ursula and The Beast dive into her incredible experience racing at the world-famous Challenge Roth . Jo shares the story of her race day, reflecting on the highs, the challenges and the unforgettable atmosphere that makes Roth one of triathlon's most iconic events. The adventures don't...

Episode 11: Roth, Racecations, Resilience and Recovery (Part 1) After an unexpected break from the podcast, Ursula and The Beast are back behind the microphones. They share how recent challenges have required a rethink of goals, training plans and priorities, highlighting the importance of adapting when things don't go to plan. In this episode, they sit down with special guest Jo , who has rec...

Episode 10: Gold Coast Shenanigans This week, Ursula and The Beast swap the tri bikes for running shoes as they head to the Coast for one of Australia's biggest running weekends at the Gold Coast Marathon! Joined by a great group of friends, the team takes on a range of events, from the Half Marathon to the 10 km and 5 km races. Before the starting gun, they chat through their goals, race-day...

Episode 9: Cairns Ironman 70.3 Debrief Join Ursula and The Beast as they hit the road to travel North to compete in Cairns. They recount their intense experiences competing in Cairns Ironman 70.3, navigating brutal swim conditions, punishing bike winds, and emotional moments on the race course. Learn about their highlights, surprises, and lessons from one of the toughest Cairns Ironman courses to...

In this week's episode of Hot Tub Tri Machine, Ursula and The Beast dive into their final preparations for Cairns 70.3. With race day rapidly approaching, they discuss the strange mix of excitement and anxiety that comes with tapering, including the dreaded "taper terrors" that have both of them questioning their fitness, race plans, and whether every minor ache is a sign of impending disaster. Th...

Episode 7: The Road to Recover Ursula and The Beast are back with a recap of the week that was! From peaks and punctures to celebrating some incredible athletes in the triathlon community, the girls keep the hot-mess express steam rolling as they continue their countdown to Cairns 70.3. This week, they're honoured to welcome phenomenal athlete Michaela to the hot tub. Michaela shares her triat...

Episode 6: Is my Training Peaking? Chaos Queens Ursula and the Beast are back with a short and sweaty recap of the week that was. From Peaks and Punctures to shouting out some incredible athletes, the girls keep the hot-mess energy rolling as they count down to Cairns 70.3. Coach Bec bubbles into the hot tub fresh from Warwick’s Pentarun, sharing tales from the weekend and breaking down the myster...

Episode 5: Those delightful Queens of Chaos, Ursula and The Beast, whirl back into the studio to attempt a rundown of their preparation for Cairns 70.3. The Beast heroically conquers a 30 km run, while Ursula casually completes over 40 km of running for the week. This week’s episode features a sparkling special guest: Nicole. She spills the tea on life as a triathlon teammate, sharing the joy, the...

Episode 4: Orli’s Ironman Journey In this episode we share our girl’s weekend of training up the Sunshine Coast. Meeting up with other athletes checking out Ultraman Australia. The Beast kicks off her campaign to increase cut off times. It was a weekend full of laughter and great training. Then we have special guest Orli take us through her experience training and racing a full Ironman. It is an a...

Episode 3: You deserve a coach In this episode Ursula and The Beast talk to Coach Bec about why she loves triathlon and coaching athletes of all abilities to achieve their triathlon goals. She discusses what people new to the sport need to know and how a coach can help them. In Age Group Ask, the team discuss a paper to do with nutritional strategies to aid recovery. The evidence shows athletes ne...

Episode 2: POV: Newbie triathlete Welcome the hot tub with Ursula and The Beast 00:40 Peak & Puncture 02:45 Fan girls conversation 14:40 Countdown to Cairns - 49 days until Cairns 70.3 22:15 Interview with new triathlete Dave Great conversation about open water swimming tips and tricks to build confidence 47:40 Age Group Ask - Creatine supplementation Common questions and misconceptions about...

Welcome the Hot Tub Show Notes We want to be a Podcast for the everyday athlete and create a community of everyone out there tri-ing. Physical Activity Over the Adult Life Course and Risk of Dementia in the Framingham Heart Study Study shows that exercise in mid-life and late-life has more of an impact on protecting against dementia than exercise in early life. Introducing Ursula and The Beast: ou...