That Triathlon Show

Mikael answers listener questions (from Instagram and Newsletter followers) on the topics of season planning, goal setting, and personal limiters.  IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -How to set race goals (and account for factors like course, competitiveness of the field, etc) -How to know what's realistic to aim for -How to track the progress towards your goals -How to establish limiters and as...

A round-up of some of the best episodes and moments from That Triathlon Show in 2022.    IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Tim Reed -Bex Milnes -Mark Burnley -Tim Podlogar -Alan Murchison -Glenn Poleunis -Paulo Sousa -Eoin Everard -Erin Carson -Tom Bell -Andrew Sellars SHOWNOTES: https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts371/ SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON AND THAT TRIATHLON SHOW WEBPAGE: www.scientifictriathlo...

In this episode, we discuss the results of the recent That Triathlon Show listener survey, and what that means for how the show will develop and (hopefully) improve in 2023 and beyond. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -A detailed summary of the That Triathlon Show survey, including both positive and negative feedback -A completely transparent peek behind the curtains of how Mikael analysed and...

Olav Aleksander Bu is the coach of Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden. He returns to the podcast (see also EP#264) for another in-depth discussion of training, racing, science, coaching and what makes these two athletes so exceptional.  IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Going from short-course to long-course and back again -Key swim, bike and run sessions for short course and long course, res...

Dan Bigham is a performance engineer at INEOS Grenadiers, founder of Wattshop, and former World Hour Record holder (with 55.548 km). In this interview, we discuss the hour record, the Sub7 project that he was heavily involved in, and the latest and greatest in the world of aerodynamics.   IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Dan's training, testing, and overall preparation leading into the Hour Re...

Erin Carson is a strength coach working with a number of the world's best short- and long-course triathletes. In the Ironman 70.3 World Championships recently, athletes working with Erin swept the women's podium (Taylor Knibb, Paula Findlay and Emma Pallant-Browne). In this interview, we discuss what the strength training of these athletes looks like, and we also discuss strength training from the...

Alan Murchison is a lifelong endurance athlete, and one of few athletes to both run under 30 minutes for 10k and ride under 18 minutes for 10 miles. He is also a chef, with 25 years of experience in Michelin starred kitchens. Today he runs Performance Chef, where he works with athletes from amateur level up to the highest possible level in the sports of triathlon, cycling, and other endurance spor...

Andy Blow of Precision Fuel & Hydration joins us to discuss the exact numbers of carbohydrate, fluid and sodium intake of Fenella Langridge, Sarah Crowley and Leon Chevalier (all top-10 in Kona) as well as Emma Pallant-Browne (third in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in St George).  IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Carbohydrate, fluid, and sodium intake of Fenella Langridge, Sarah Crowley...

Stuart Holliday is a Chartered psychologist working primarily with endurance athletes. In the past, Stuart has been working with Olympic and Paralympic squads, as well as with the Liverpool FC Academy and the England Netball team. In this interview, we discuss sports psychology in a triathlon context. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Self-talk, and having an "inner coach" that is both instruct...

Øyvind Sandbakk, PhD, is a professor at the Norwegian University for Science and Technology and director for its Centre for Elite Sports Research. He is also the editor-in-chief for the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. In this interview we discuss a few general science and coaching topics, but mostly we dive deep into a recent review paper on the training characteristics...

Nicki Winfield Almquist, PhD, is a post-doctoral researcher at University of Copenhagen, Denmark. In this interview, we discuss a recent study comparing the effects of 12 weeks of block periodisation with "best practice" cyclic, progressive traditional periodisation, as well as the general consensus on different periodisation patterns.  IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Defining block periodisa...

Andrew Sellars, MD, is the team director of Balance Point Racing, a triathlon and cycling club based in British Columbia, Canada. He is also the co-founder of sports technology companies VO2 Master (that manufactures a portable metabolic analyser) and BreatheWayBetter (a respiratory training device). In this interview, we discuss training, testing, and dive deep into breathing, the respiratory sys...

Paulo Sousa is the coach behind one of the longest-standing and most successful international squads on the short-course triathlon circuit. Seven of his athletes qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. In addition to short-course specialists like Taylor Spivey and Summer Rappaport, he also coaches middle-distance specialists Paula Findlay and Eric Lagerstrom. In this episode we discuss the squad, the sh...

This is a conversation between Mikael Eriksson and Kolie Moore (of Empirical Cycling) that originally aired on Kolie's Empirical Cycling Podcast. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Self-doubt in coaching and the coaching mindset -Behind the scenes of That Triathlon Show (the why behind it, guests that excited Mikael the most, how he prepares for his episodes, and more) -The risk of bias and crea...

Jem Arnold is a physiotherapist, coach and PhD student. Currently, his main research focus is investigating FLIA: blood flow limitation of the iliac artery, a condition that affects certain athletes even at the very elite level, sometimes with surgery as the end outcome. Jem is also very involved and knowledgeable in using NIRS (near-infrared spectroscopy) to measure muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2...

Ben Desbrow, PhD, is a professor at Griffith University (Queensland, Australia) with academic interests in nutrition and dietetics in both athletic and clinical populations. He also has a foot in the applied side of sports nutrition, being an Accredited Practicing Dietitian, working for example with Rugby League team Gold Coast Titans. In this interview, we discuss the science and practice of alco...

Tom Bell is a coach, performance consultant, and elite cyclist based in Yorkshire, United Kingdom. He is the founder of the coaching business High North, that also produces great educational blog posts that go beyond what can be found in the vast majority of media outlets in the endurance sports industry. In this interview we dive deep into Tom's approach to training and coaching, and various bits...

Callum Brownstein, PhD, is a lecturer in exercise physiology at Newcastle University. Callum has conducted extensive research in fatigability, and the mechanisms of neuromuscular fatigue in (among others) endurance exercise. In this interview, we dive deep into the mechanisms and applications of neuromuscular fatigue in an endurance sports context.  IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -What is fat...

Tim Podlogar, PhD, is a Research Fellow at the University of Brimingham, Assistant Professor at the University of Primorska (Slovenia), and nutritionist for the Bora Hansgrohe World Tour cycling team. One of Tim's main areas of expertise is the science and practice of carbohydrates in endurance sports, and this is the topic for today's interview.          IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Carbo...

Bex Milnes is the Lead Paratriathlon Coach at British Triathlon's performance centre in Loughborough, where she coaches Paralympic and Commonwealth Games medalists like George Peasgood and Claire Cashmore. She is also the coach of top-class long-course triathletes like her partner Nikki Bartlett and India Lee. In this interview we discuss Bex' approach to triathlon training and coaching, differenc...

This is a conversation between Mikael Eriksson and Matthew DesRoches (of Resilience Health and Performance Consulting) that originally aired on Matthew's podcast Oxidative Potential.       IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Power-duration modelling, lab testing, and software-based physiological testing -Training monitoring -A different approach to swim training -Revisiting the fundamentals of ex...

Christian Cheung is a PhD student and researcher in the Human Performance and Health Research Laboratory at the University of Guelph, Canada. Christian's current research is focusing on the use of cannabis and cannabinoids, like CBD, in endurance sports. In this interview, we discuss the evidence for efficacy and safety of CBD and cannabinoids, as well as important anti-doping perspectives.       ...

Tim Reed is an Australian coach and professional triathlete with an IM70.3 World Championship title from 2016 to his name, along with multiple Ironman and IM70.3 wins. In this interview we dive deep into Tim's perspectives on training and coaching, as well as how to perform the best when it matters the most, on race day.    IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Tim's key principles for improving sw...

A bonus episode, including a Q&A with listener questions, and announcements about training camps and a new training plan.      IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Weight loss before an A-race -How many intensity sessions to do per week? -How to mentally deal with injury -Getting into triathlon after many years off - how to structure training?   SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON AND THAT TRIATHLON SHOW WEB...

Andy Renfree, PhD, is a sports and exercise scientist with a background in and passion for running. In this interview, we discuss one of Andy's main areas of expertise, the science of pacing. We also have a more general discussion about training, sports science, and the integration of the two.       IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -The science of pacing -Practical recommendations for improved...