Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast

Think about what it takes to put together a PR . . . solid training, great mindset, optimal weather, perfect nutrition, incredible effort, and impeccable execution. Is that realistic for every race? Today, we get into a great discussion of how "just enough" in all those areas can come together, and while it may not mean a PR, it COULD mean a great performance. And a great performance should always...

Imagine coaching 40 athletes that are racing triathlon on the same weekend. Today, Coach Robbie takes us through a play by play of how he tracks athletes and retains his sanity with all the notifications. The highs, the lows, the stresses, the rewards. He also shares his "secrets" as a coach, which usually boil down to building relationships and trust.  Coaching the Week of race preparation Race o...

The reason WHY we do Triathlon is always a good question to explore. Some people have changed their lives dramatically, while others simply find it fun. We posed the question to our closed Facebook Group and got a ton of good response on how to find and keep your WHY. Plus, Mike and Coach Robbie unveil moments in training that changed everything.  - David Goggins and Doing Something that Sucks Eve...

What if, instead of thinking of races as A, B, C, etc., you thought of them all with equal importance as it relates to the big picture? Sort of like a final exam with quizzes and midterms. Today we discuss why "little" races matter and how to get your mind right to take advantage of what they offer.  - Getting Your Mind in The Game - Training Our Brain To Go Fast or Slow - Why Tapering Doesn't Mea...

The Power of Spontaneity if Racing Celebrating A Race vs. Stressing  The "Device Funk" How Obsessing With Data Kills Races I Feel Like I Didn't Really "Race" How To Navigate "I Had To Play It Safe"  What's Wrong With Feeling Good After A Race? Dealing with that "unfinished business" feel Give me another crack at it Deep Fitness Making Mid-Season Changes When is it Time To Go Harder? When is is Tim...

Please be patient with our opening discussion about LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan. It's always something. After that we get into some great stuff from our C26 Athletes and what they learned at Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga. We also talk about the intensity of a Half Ironman vs. an Olympic and how that gap is closing. Lots of good advice and learning points.  Looking for a coach? Check out our Crushin...

One of the best times for big gains is following the effort of a race. Today, our C26 athletes give us some great feedback from racing in the heat at Chattanooga. How they prepared, raced, and what paid off the most. Also, what they plan to do better next time. Some awesome lessons from a lot of people who PR'd and hit the podium at Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga. Some of the topics: - Her pre-race week...

A tough but fair race is in the books, and today Mike and Coach Robbie recap their experience. With 27 coached athletes on site it was a huge weekend for C26. Many first timers, nearly 20 PRs, and 2 podiums, we have a lot to talk about. We also talk about the course, the heat, and . . . how why we think a course marshal may have been targeting C26 athletes.  PRs Podiums Swim Course Bike Course C26...

It's four days out and your tapering. Your "ghost pain" and doubt are flaring. Today we talk about how to relax and let go of pre-race stress. We also hit on some of the most important things you can do to stay cool while you race in hot weather. Lots of good triathlon/coach pre-race ramble.  Topics include: What To Focus on a Few Days Before a Race How To Stay Cool During A Hot Race, Sleep and Li...

Are you taking too many risks, or not enough when it comes to racing? Today we talk about the nuances of when to hold back or when, where, and how to let it go and trust how you feel.    Today's Topics: Mike Fights A Cold Listening To Your Body The baseline for backing down workouts How Does THIS Race Fit Into Your Season Are You Holding Yourself Back? What RACING Really Means Using Your Race To L...

 The days leading up to a race can be filled with stress and anxiety, but it's not so bad if you remember to be yourself. There's no reason to go into a race thinking that suddenly you are going to turn into the "Tri-Calc" number you have in your head. Jump in the water, soak in the moment, and let your attitude in life take over the day. You'll have a lot more fun.   Race Day Is To Figure Out Whe...

"Unless you get a paycheck from this sport, the only thing you can walk away with is memories." - Coach Robbie We start with discussion about how and why your body may seem like it's begging you to stop when it may actually be telling you to go faster.    Then we get into Race Obsession and how can we turn down the voices in our head and relax. It's not easy but we get into how focusing on the rig...

Every athlete CAN NOT WAIT to get outside after a long Winter and tear it up, but sometimes we miss Spring and the Summer heat can wreck us. Today we look at the slow burn of adapting to heat and how it can trick us into feeling like we've lost fitness.    The Walt Disney Hangover Flying Poop Story MIGA - Make Ironman Great Again?  Great One Day. Awful The Next.  Letting Go Of Terrible Workouts Fl...

Ironman Texas created a shit-storm over on-course drafting so we thought we'd banter some ideas around to see what came up. We think we have found a real solution that has nothing to do with extra marshals, more timing mats, or extra cameras on the course. Essentially it all comes down to how they start the race. We start warming up and getting closer to the answer about halfway through the podcas...

Today's podcast is a discussion based on this rant titled, "The Watering Down of Ironman" by Bruce Butler.  Here's an excerpt from the post:  "This change was part of Ironman's "SwimSmart initiative," with the goal of "improving athlete satisfaction and reducing anxiety during the swim portion of the race." As part of this initiative, floats are also available so swimmers can stop and take a breat...

Racing Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga or another half this year? Today we break it all down so you can be ready for your best 70.3 race. We focus on Chattanooga's course, but there are a lot of other little nuggets you can use for your next race. Hot And Cold Diet Vegan Struggle  Juicing To Feel Lighter Swim Anxiety Preparing open water Swim Starts in the pool How To Start an Upstream Swim Crossing a ri...

Many of us grew up in the "Just Do It" era, but when does "Just Do It" throw you into a triathlon training funk? Today we explore the concept of staying within your limits when that next set or interval is tantalizing you to prove you can. We also talk about your race of the perspective of 30 Days Out.  Finding Your Comfort Zone In the Water Short or Long in The Pool? Smart Approaches To Durabilit...

The Crushing Iron April Triathlon Camp is in the books. Today we look at lessons we learned from other athletes. Great people and attitudes made for a lot of fun and solid work. Topics include:  Running Hills- Climbs and Descents Opening Up The Legs Nurturing Your Introvert AND Extrovert Dialing In Training Recovery Choosing The Harder More Difficult Path Adjusting to Very Cold Water Contact in th...

We get back into the flow by talking about Race Recovery Techniques, Diet, and also how important it is to race with gratitude. Meeting people at races. Building friendships and how that can be a major fuel. - The importance of your mind for the future of racing - Studying Topics In Line with Your Thinking - Carnivore and Ketosis Diets - Recovering From Your Race - Dietary Principles and Racing -...

What we learned about the course. Overall Spectator Experience. Race Conditions and many more insights. 

Coach Robbie will toe the start line at Ironman Texas 70.3 on Sunday and he talks about his race planning while breaking down the wave swim start, the out and back bike course and the 3 loop run. We dig into an absolutely LOADED Pro Field. And finish up with some sappy reflection on why we keep doing this podcast. --------------- Looking for a coach? Check out our Crushing Iron  Coaching Philosoph...

Are you confident going into a race or filled with nerves? There's a lot you can do in training that translates into a successful race. For example, do you understand your efforts and how they should play out in each phase of triathlon? Do you do a bunch of track work that wears you out or injures you and doesn't apply to your race? Do you understand how to execute the Crushing Iron mantra, "Hurry...

How about this for an analogy? The swim is Spring Training, the Bike is the regular season, and the Run is the Playoffs.    We've all seen that team that starts slow then comes out of nowhere to peak toward the end of the season, then make a deep run in the playoffs. So, with that in mind, what part of us thinks that getting passed at mile 5 of the bike is such a bad thing? Or, why do we come out...

When is a painting (or your workout) finished? Unfortunately a lot of artists (triathletes) probably walk away without fine tuning the little things. Using a triathlon analogy, many of us leave workouts short because we think "we've done enough for the day" or flip the switch to lazy the minute the calendar turns to "taper." Today we talk about the little ways we can build discipline in workouts t...

After a short warm-up we take a deep dive into how you can make huge cycling gains. This is not a technical discussion as much as how you can train more effectively and how it translates into race performance along with an overall stronger body for long-term health. We hit on proper (and custom) cadence, pedal stroke, power vs. MPH, hill techniques and many more insights that will take your cyclin...