Purple Patch Podcast

In this episode, which is a sequel to our original  Episode 47 on "Childhood Development in Sport," Matt explores three critical components of development in kids in sport: Performance anxiety Sport specialization The journey through the teenage years, especially around puberty The biggest improvements and performance gains are always going to emerge from overcoming and navigating adversity and ch...

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, we're taking the week off and featuring a few "Best of" segments from recent episodes. The common themes throughout?  Elite behavior, effective communication, proper feedback and identifying talent. The heart of this episode is built upon personal growth and development, so as you listen back to some of these segments, do so with the...

Two Purple Patch athletes, Sandy Holbrook James and Sarah Gott, share their journeys of integrating multisport into their time-starved lives and how they both transformed from recreational athletes to Kona Qualifiers! They get intimate and vulnerable speaking about how they balance their training schedules with respective careers, spouses, children's activities, and family obligations. In the cour...

In this powerful episode on healthy development and mindset in sport, Matt outlines optimal coaching habits for creating healthy athletes, lists the top 10 key habits that support longterm health, and he defines what a GOOD coach is.    Mary Cain - New York Times Purple Patch Podcast - Episode 1 To learn more about the Purple Patch Squad , visit:  https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/squad To submit...

Matt gives a back-to-basics approach to daily nutrition and hydration habits for peak performance. He: Outlines the various components of nutrition to consider in your approach to daily eating, including the roles of carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Highlights the key basic habits to employ when integrating nutrition with your training Builds a framework of what meals should look like at different...

We've received so many questions about the Squad Programming that this entire episode digs deep this new evolution of Purple Patch Programming: What is the Squad? How was the Squad conceived and developed? What type of athletes does it serve? Are we all following the same plan year-round? How can I customize my training or scale it to fit my life? What coaching and education support do I receive w...

Matt explores the question, 'What Happened?' at this year's IRONMAN World Championships.  Performance predictability and all other signs pointed to a magical day on the Big Island for Sarah Piampiano, a fierce competitor who is coming off her best year of almost a decade in professional racing. Unfortunately, the day was far from magical.  What lessons did coach and athlete draw from the day, and...

In Episode 86, Matt defined Effective Feedback and the context of where it fits into the performance cycle. . In Part 2 of this series on Effective Feedback, we provide the framework, structure, and flow of both giving and receiving effective feedback in real-life scenarios. Feedback is powerful and will elicit a reaction. It can be positive or negative depending on the tone or the environment in...

The theme of this episode is empowerment and the power of lifting each other up in support. The journey to elite success can be lonely and competitive, and there's a long-standing stereotype that elite female athletes can't work well together in this pursuit of excellence. Chelsea Sodaro and Sarah Piampiano are here to dispel those myths.  In fact, this Purple Patch duo insist that working togethe...

"Feedback can and should be a gift. It should be something to cherish and to seek. It is something to be given that will facilitate growth and improvement." In this first part of a multi-part series on Feedback in a Performance Culture, Matt defines  effective feedback  and illustrates where it fits in the context and cycle of a performance culture.   Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

"The barometer of a time-starved athlete's success should be anchored around nailing an appropriate postseason over chasing weekly hours in the heart of race season. What you do well now is the thing that will determine your opportunity to evolve, break out, and excel in the year ahead."  The meat and potatoes of this episode of real-life postseason case studies will educate, provide perspective,...

The most common mistake of amateur athletes is to take too much of an unstructured break between the last race of the season and then ramping back into specific work. The other is to stubbornly train on with the same vigor, fearful of losing fitness. So how do we balance both rest and progression within a phase of training? We set the proper mindset for the Postseason: The postseason is a phase of...

Evolve or Die. A Favorite Purple Patch quote. The concept is anchored in the resistance of falling into a fixed mindset and it is a relentless curiosity to seek ways to improve. Change is never easy. No matter our situation, the easiest path is to fall into familiar, but to thrive, we must be equipped to change, willing to evolve, and open to developing the bravery and resilience to pursue improve...

We are ALL IN...the family this week as Matt interviews his wife and business partner, Kelli McMaster, about her recent marathon journey. . Kelli may not be your typical elite triathlete, but she is the epitome of a Purple Patch athlete who, like many, integrates sport into her time-starved life and uses multisport training as a lifestyle to enhance her life as a mom, wife and working professional...

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-...