Purple Patch Podcast

In this special BONUS episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, Matt Dixon talks exclusively about the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Race in Nice, France taking place on September 7th and 8th. In this detailed discussion, he talks about: The preparation leading up to the event Travel tips for staying fresh and hydrated How to navigate your arrival Specific course nuances and how to approach each...

Great performances are not mystical. They arrive out of doing basic things repeatedly right.  Matt reveals strategies to set you up for success under the lens of proper preparation, a championship mindset, and calm execution. There are no gifts or guarantees, but failure to reach an outcome goal doesn't mean you are a failure. It is simply another step in the non-linear journey to your best self....

Matt Dixon interviews long-time Purple Patch athlete, Tim Deer, about his recent experience completing the Badwater 135 ultra-endurance race from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney. The Badwater 135 is billed as the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere on the planet. The start line is at Badwater Basin, Death Valley, which marks the lowest elevation in North America at 280' below sea...

Malindi Elmore is the queen of evolution. Growing up in Canada, she knew early on that running was her passion. This, after all, was a girl who was more excited about winning the 100-meter dash than the spelling bee in school. She was raised as a multi-sport athlete who participated in soccer, field hockey, skiing, waterskiing, running, and hiking, but running was her passion, and coaches took not...

This is a replay of Episode 55 - an interview with Purple Patch Pro, Chelsea Sodaro. After months of rehabbing an injury, Chelsea won IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Rosa with a blistering 1:16 Half Marathon split. Congratulations, Chelsea! Chelsea Sodaro was born to be an athlete. Both parents competed in triathlon and Chelsea also remembers her Dad training for the Boston Marathon! With energy like that in y...

How you chop carrots is how you live your life. What does this mean, exactly? Well, how people do seemingly simple tasks will seep into everything they do and, as a coach or a leader, you can spot talent or value by observing the basic habits and behaviors of your athletes or employees. In this episode, Matt explores: The concept of talent How you as a coach or manager can identify talent Paving a...

Matt opens the podcast inbox this week and answers a variety of listener questions including:  How much you should run for marathon training Returning to running post-injury Wearables and fitness trackers Yard work and other physical stressors Bike selection on a budget Training indoors vs. outdoors Yoga Integration To submit your question for the podcast, fill out the form on this page: https://w...

Matt dives into the oven and talks about training and racing in the heat! It's common for performance to suffer in hot and humid conditions, but why? What happens physiologically when we enter into these conditions that make it so hard to regulate our core temperature and blood volume? In addition to helping you understand "the why," Matt also provides specific strategies on how to prepare in adva...

While Matt is on holiday, we replay one of his favorite episodes - "AARP Anarchists and Still Crushing It" featuring Purple Patch Masters Athletes, Rick Wimmer and Ken Pagliughi.  "The list of what I want to accomplish continues to grow," says 65-year-old Purple Patch athlete, Rick Wimmer. "Society expects people to retire, but this is how I get the most out of life!" Maintaining a growth mindset...

Effective communication is not just about getting your message across or making your point. It also isn't just about being a keyboard assassin and sitting at your computer or firing off emails to your athletes or employees. Effective communication empowers the athlete or employee to execute as intended, to believe in the path forward, and have clarity in actions needed for success.   What are thes...

No doubt, you listen to this podcast because you are a high-performer in all areas of your life. Some of you may even be seeking the highest level of performance as a triathlete…You want to go pro. Remember, there is a critical divergence between performance at a high-level and going pro. As a time-starved athlete, your mission is to integrate sport into your big life and around the important non-...

Where do supplements, pills, powders and the like fit in the spectrum of your performance evolution? Are they a key catalyst to performance, or a bunch of voodoo and empty promises designed only to drain your wallet? Today, Matt dives into the nooks and crannies of performance trickery and supplementation - the big promises of maximizing performance gains through supplements, treatments, and inter...

To submit a question to the podcast, visit https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/podcast and fill out the podcast question form. ---   Do you need a training intervention? While people seem to be more aware of the cumulative effects of training stress and the need to integrate training into their lives with a pragmatic approach, it still seems that confusion reigns among those who are simply checking...

To submit a question to the podcast, visit https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/podcast and fill out the podcast question form. Matt Dixon and Purple Patch were recently featured on CNN with an in-depth piece on Managing Travel. View that story HERE  and look for it at airports across the country.  --- Travel can be a corrosive experience, carrying an emotional, physical and hormonal toll that has a...

Change is hard. Most people are not naturally adaptable at thriving in a changing environment and they will lean into familiarity even if that familiarity isn't positive. Think about it. Most of us like to sink into a familiar couch or slip on a pair of comfortable shoes, even if we are allured by the concept of change. There is nothing wrong with this except that it isn't the world we live in.  I...

Matt looks back to give perspective on some of the best episodes this year related to global performance in sport, work, and life. He reviews the pivotal roles of a coach, how managers and coaches can create a culture to thrive, tips on integrating recovery into your multisport life, and presents an inspiring review of how elite performers STRIVE to succeed during his conversation with Dr. Steve I...

It is inevitable. You cannot escape failure. Ups and downs are a part of the journey in work, sport, family, and life. When things don't go well, you're no less of a high performer and, guess what? You're still the same person as you were before. Failure doesn't define you as an athlete or a human being. In fact, it's part of your complex tapestry. What happens when things don't go well? How do yo...

You are not a Swiss watch and your coach is not a watchmaker.  In this episode, Matt redefines specificity to unshackle you from the pretense of precision. In fact, a focus on precision in every session is a slippery slope that leads to obsession, paralysis of analysis, erosion of confidence, and an overreliance on metrics. You can, however, gain specificity without being precise and if it is done...

It's no secret that our muscular-skeletal health - our FRAME - takes a pounding in endurance training. In fact, there are whole companies and industries built on muscle health - bodywork, compression, foam rolling, cryotherapy, etc.   Athletes and practitioners take a lot of action in this area to promote adaptations and avoid injury, and yet, we still mess it up. How is it possible that so many w...

Today, through the case study of a Purple Patch athlete, Matt outlines a recipe for energy, success, and the ability to be the best person you can be even if you would never profess to be an athlete. In fact, you don't have to be an athlete to adopt an athletic mindset. You don't even have to aspire to be athletic. What you do need is the desire to excel, thrive, and be the best version of yoursel...

Matt returns with a bonus "Ask Matt Anything" episode where he answers your questions related to: A return to training after illness and surgery The Benefits of Attending a Purple Patch Training Camp Plus, Matt makes a special announcement about a new program that's coming soon, The Purple Patch Squad! To submit your podcast questions, email questions@purplepatchfitness.com Copyright 2019 All Righ...

Are you chronically underfed and overstressed? Most time-starved athletes are. In the context of our busy lives, the vast majority of us tend to undercut our calories relative to our training demands. Unfortunately, the cost of doing so is immense. A random approach to nutrition and fueling leads to athletes who are frustrated with energy fluctuations, a lack of portion control, and lower training...

This week, Matt has an in-depth Coaches discussion with  Dr. Steve Ingham , author of the best selling 'How to Support a Champion: The art of applying science to the elite athlete', discussing and inspiring the importance of learning and adapting to reach our maximum potential. Dr Steve Ingham is considered 'performance royalty,' as one of the UK's leading figures in sport and one of the world's l...

Many triathletes tend to be busy people with very full lives, making participation in the sport a jigsaw of time management, physical challenges, and mental stresses. With the combination of three sports into one, training is not an easy puzzle to create, especially when considering the additional components such as sleep, nutrition, fueling, equipment choices, and environmental stresses (heat, al...

As the importance of recovery has increased and the knowledge and benefits surrounding this topic have grown more popular, it has opened the door to a fleet of pseudoscience and heavy marketing that only leads to confusion and dilution of the message around recovery. Today's podcast takes on two real case studies of Purple Patch athletes who have been challenged with integrating a recovery mindset...