Taren's MōTTIV Method Podcast

Katrina "Kat" Matthews is a professional triathlete who has a very different approach to training than many of her fellow pros and even some amateurs. That approach most recently saw her win IM Florida and IM 70.3 Oteppa She believes in a much lighter training load than most, and that we don't need to smash ourselves to be successful in the sport!

Mark A. Turnipseed was an addict who was living a lie: he was married to a woman but knew deep down he was gay, using drugs and alcohol to numb the pain of not being able to be his true self. He stumbled into triathlon, and the process of training for his first IRONMAN allowed Mark to commit to getting sober once and for all, and for finally coming out as a gay man. He's now proudly living the life he knew he was born to live.

Lizi Duncombe is a relatively new pro triathlete, having joined the pro ranks very soon after she started racing. With a handful of 2nd place finishes, and a couple of race wins (most recently 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 Oman Muscat right before the pandemic started), Lizi has a super promising future. We talk about her most embarrassing Zoom moment, her training philosophy and more.

Anne Maher is a mom of two, and qualified for the Boston Marathon at her very first marathon ever in 2012. But while she's an excellent athlete, Anne preaches balance -- while she's serious about her run and triathlon training, she also refuses to give up balance in her life. Her blog and Instagram are Margaritas and Marathons, and we talk to her today about how she manages to enjoy everything in her life and be successful.

Laura Philipp was the 4th place finisher at Kona in 2019, and the 3rd place finisher at the 2020 PTO Championship at Challenge Daytona. Yet, her name hasn't been well known in North America -- even though she's incredibly well known in Europe! Her husband Philipp Seipp is also her coach. We talk to the pair about her rise in the sport, their philosophy on training, how she felt lining up against the best at Challenge Daytona and more!

James Lawrence is best known as the Iron Cowboy, after he completed 50 Ironman triathlons in 50 US States in 50 Days. Six years later, he's now stepping it up to 100 Ironmans in 100 Days, starting in a couple months. We talk to him about why he's doing it and what his mindset will be this time, after enduring one of the most difficult things he could ever have imagined doing the 50:50:50.

The CEO of the Professional Triathlete's Organisation, Sam Renouf, joined us on the podcast to recap how their plans for 2020 went (spoiler alert, they were burned to the ground by COVID) and what their plans are for 2021.

Angela Naeth is a professional triathlete who has been competing at a high level in IRONMAN races (she had an 8th place finish at Kona in 2018), all the while battling Lyme Disease. We talk to her about how she new she had contracted the tick-borne illness, how she's managed to keep competing, and what treatment looks like these days.

Ashley Reaver is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkley. She's also the Lead Nutrition Scientist at Inside Tracker. We talk to her today about how triathletes can use blood testing to guide their triathlon nutrition and training, to understand what's going on under the hood, which can help improve performance.

Bill Christy is the head honcho of Challenge North America, the group behind the wildly successful Challenge Daytona (PTO Championship) race broadcast in early December. On the podcast this week, we talk to Bill about some behind the scenes info, how they accomplished a world-class product doing things never done before in triathlon, and what's next for Challenge as they go up against IRONMAN.

Her name was already well known to Canadians as the top Olympic hopeful in triathlon in 2012, but now Paula Findlay's name is known worldwide after winning the 2020 Challenge Daytona race (also known as the PTO Championship). We talk to Paula about her dominant race against some of the best triathletes in the world, her training philosophy during the pandemic, and how her mindset is different from the one she had during her quest for Olympic gold.

Richard Murray is a professional triathlete from South Africa who specializes in short-course racing. He joins Taren on the podcast to discuss who will be on the podium at the 2020 PTO Championship at Challenge Daytona this weekend. They also talk about creating content for their respective YouTube channels and more.

Vincent Luis is currently the number one ranked ITU athlete in the world. He had a spectacular 2019 season, and now he's about to face off against some of the best IRONMAN athletes in the world at Challenge Daytona. On the podcast today, we dissect how things could play out at Daytona with a field of long-course vs short-course athletes. Who will dominate!? We also talk about the best places in the world to live and train, Vincent's non-tri hobbies, and his thoughts on breaking records.

Where do you put a chest HR strap? How does the menstrual cycle impact training? What's the best bike saddle for a female? Professional triathlete Sarah True and former-pro Sara Gross answer those questions and more.

Ryan Hall holds numerous records as an Olympic marathon runner for the USA. But after getting to his lowest weight of 127lbs at 5'10", he became so injured that he had to give up running. He found himself in the weight room, and now he's 192lbs and healthier than ever. We talk with him about weight training for all endurance athletes, the best way to approach weights, the differences in how he felt then and now, and more.

Dani Lewis (formerly Danielle Dingman, she got married and changed her name!) is a pro triathlete who is one of the few people having a decent 2020. She's had a couple great finishes in the races she's been able to compete in (including a win!), and she was awarded a wildcard spot to Challenge Daytona this December. We talk racing during COVID, getting lost on a race course this year, and a little reality TV.

On the podcast this week, we talk to the man who dreamed up Zwift and made it a reality, Zwift CEO Eric Min. We find out how the idea came to be, when he knew it would be a success, and what the future plans are for online cycling. Also find out which Grey's Anatomy star regularly uses Zwift!

What if we told you that simply breathing through your nose could lower your heart rate and improve your performance dramatically? That's what author James Nestor discovered as he researched his book, "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art". He explains how the simple act of learning to breath with our mouths shut (especially while training) is a huge game changer.

Kevin Rodriguez and Lauren Boulay are co-workers and training partners. When COVID caused their very first half-IRONMAN race to be cancelled, their friends & family stepped up in a huge way and helped them do a self-supported 70.3. We talk to Kevin and Lauren about their big day, how they went from beginners to where they are now, and more.

Two years ago, Leanne Taylor was on an afternoon hilly bike ride with her boyfriend when a simple braking error changed her life -- she went over her handlebars, breaking her spine and paralyzing her from the belly button down. But with an endlessly positive spirit, Leanne turned potential tragedy into a whole new path in life: she's now in the Canadian Paralympic program and poised to potentially compete in the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics.

Today on the podcast, Taren answers Zone 2 running questions from triathletes who submitted their questions via audio message. He addresses the length of time it can take to make progress with Zone 2 running, how/why it works, reasons why you might not be making progress despite doing it "properly" for a decent length of time, and many other common questions.

Doug Gailey has been nicknamed Mr.100 - as in 100% - because he literally never misses a workout on TeamTrainiac.com. Doug is an age-grouper who, only a few years ago, couldn't swim more than just a side-stroke. But a total commitment to his workouts has shown what consistency can do: he's not only a comfortable, capable swimmer, he's put down great 70.3 race times, and looking forward to continued improvements when racing resumes again!

Robyn Stirling got into triathlon a few years ago, after an ACL injury suffered during Mixed Martial Arts fighting. He committed to Zone 2 training as part of his plan on TeamTrainiac.com, and we talk about how his patience is paying off in spades.

On this week's episode of the podcast, Taren brings an update on his personal overtraining recovery story. Where is he at now, how did he know he was dealing with overtraining, and what he's doing to battle back to 100%.

In a year of no races, Challenge Daytona 2020 is still a go -- and Executive Race Producer Bill Christy gives us all of the details on COVID safety plans PLUS an enormous pro triathlete field. He also give us the first details about the Challenge Family's 2nd North American race, the new Challenge Miami, scheduled for March 2021.

Paula Findlay is a Canadian pro triathlete and Olympian. Eric Lagerstrom is an American pro triathlete, and Paula's boyfriend. The pair has been busy during the pandemic, not only training together but traveling around in their tricked-out van and camping in beautiful, remote locations. We talk to them about their incredible YouTube videos, being super fit with no races, and a return to the Olympics.

Imagine discovering you have a tumour, getting it removed, and then a year later, finding out you have another one. That's what happened to triathlete Gillian Roberts, but her positive attitude hasn't let her get down after two surgeries and difficult cancer treatments. In fact, she's back to training and has set her mind on crossing the finish line of many more 70.3 races in the future.

With races around the world postponed or cancelled thanks to COVID-19, many athletes have been left in the lurch as IRONMAN refuses to give refunds or, in some cases, even race deferrals. But that's not been the case with the Challenge Family races. On the podcast today we talk to the CEO of Challenge Family, Zibi Szlufcik, who explains Challenge's decisive actions in cancelling races and giving refunds to athletes around the world.

Atreyu Running is a brand new running shoe company, and their founder Michael Krajicek has his sights set high. He wanted to create the perfect shoe that could be affordable and offer the same benefits as some of the top racing shoes on the market. We find out Michael's background, including when he owned a gourmet hotdog bistro, and how he pivoted from the restaurant industry into athletic shoes.

Matt Bach was in the best shape of his life in 2015, winning IM Maryland, finishing 74th overall at Kona, and about to turn pro. But crushing fatigue, sudden weight gain, and a missing libido made him start to realize something was very wrong. He wrote his symptoms off for a while until he couldn't ignore them anymore. On the podcast this week, we talk about how Matt accidentally became overtrained, how his missing libido was the biggest clue, how blood tests were key to his recovery.

Triathletes obsess over their training but quite often overlook race nutrition, and then wonder why they don't feel nearly as good as they should or even, why they DNF (Did Not Finish). Most of the time it comes down to nutrition. That's why we wrote Triathlon Nutrition Foundations, which gives you an easy-to-follow guideline on how to fuel yourself in a race to make sure you have the best performance possible. We talk about the book and more on today's show.

Tom Oosterdijk is an age-group triathlete who went from sedentary and overweight, to fit and winning the overall age group titles at IRONMAN NZ an IRONMAN Cork, all in the space of about 15 months. We found out how he did it, and what his plans are for the future (as in, when does he intend to go pro!?)

Dr. Andy Pruitt is the Sports Medicine Consultant for iKOR Labs, a Boulder-based producer of hemp oil/CBD (cannabidiol) products. He talks to us about CBD for triathletes and endurance athletes. He's a former bike fit specialist with Specialized bikes, and a two-time paralympic road cycling world champion, as well as a Nordic ski racer.

One of the greatest IRONMAN athletes of all time, five time Kona champion Craig "Crowie" Alexander joins us on the podcast today. He's been using CBD as a recovery tool for a couple of years, we learn more about his experiences with it, as well as his thoughts on training during the pandemic, and various performances at Kona!

John Clark was somewhere around 400 pounds at his highest weight, as multi-time UK's Strongest Man. He could pull vehicles and throw logs, but he couldn't close a seatbelt around his giant torso. After injuries and surgery put an end to his Strong Man career, he knew he needed other fitness goals. Now, he has lost a ton of weight and is getting ready to complete his very first triathlon -- an Ironman distance race! SHOW LINKS The Uncomfortable Truth podcast with John Clark (featuring Triathlon Taren) John Clark Instagram

Reggie Harrison is a Black age-group triathlete from Atlanta, Georgia. A tremendously talented youth swimmer, now as an adult, he's completed several IM 70.3 races and three full IRONMAN distance races. On the podcast today, we talk with Reggie about race in triathlon, and Reggie describes the extra steps he has to take, as a Black person, just to be able to train safely, and without putting his life at risk.

Luke McKenzie is an 8-time Ironman champion, and was the 2nd place finisher in Kona 2013. His wife, Beth McKenzie is also a pro triathlete with multiple 70.3 and Ironman wins. The pair lives in Australia with their kids where they not only train for triathlon but run a triathlon clothing apparel company, Wyn Republic, one of the most successful lines in the world.

Hannah Wells has a PhD in BioTech Engineering, but recently left her science career to pursue a career as a professional triathlete. And the decision was clearly the right one, as she has won 4 of the 7 Ironman 70.3 races she's entered over the past 18 months. We talk about an illness that sidelined her for five weeks, what her plans are post-lockdown, and more.

On today's podcast, Taren discusses the basics of triathlon running for beginners, with explanations of why triathlon running is not like regular running, and now to make the most of your run training.

Nicole Walker is an age-group triathlete and mother to a nearly 2-year old son. Just one year into attempting to race as a pro, over training caused her to have to give up racing, and then she became pregnant. Just nine months after having her baby, she returned to racing as an amateur for the first time in nearly two years, and she won the amateur division at IMAZ, qualifying for Kona 2020. We talk about over-training, training while breast feeding, coming back after giving birth, and what's next.

Before the Olympics were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 25-year old Canadian triathlete Tyler Mislawchuk won the Olympic triathlon test event in Toyko -- solidifying himself as a threat to win Olympic gold. Ranked 5th in the world, Mislawchuk talks about his progression in the sport, the test event, a couple of significant crashes and injuries he's had, and a hilarious, crazy story about accidentally ending up in jail.

Jackie Hering is a 35-year old pro triathlete who is a 6x Ironman and 70.3 champion; she's had four 70.3 wins in the past year, at Campeche, Waco, Traverse City, and Steelhead. On the podcast, she talks about how her fitness dramatically improved after she quit birth control, how having children shapes her training/racing mindset, and also being the 2019 US Snowshoe Racing National Champion!

Patrick Cutter is a running coach. He's also built like a CrossFit beast, at 5'10" and 185lbs, and he's fast. Really fast. He's run the Boston Marathon six times, plus countless other half and full marathons, with personal best times of 2:34 (marathon) and 1:12 (half-marathon). On the podcast, we talk about the misconception that to be fast, you can't be built; how Patrick found his speed; and how the average runner can get faster too.

Ellie Salthouse and Andres Chirinos are a pro triathlon couple, they're quarantining together, and like so many triathletes, they're trying to navigate training during the COVID pandemic lockdown. For Ellie the layoff is particularly tough; she was the fittest she'd ever been, and was on pace to podium at the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France, but a freak accident took her out of the race. 2020 was supposed to be her redemption year, but with everything cancelled, she has no idea when her next chance will be. We chat quarantine training, how a couple of triathletes handle lockdown together, and what their plans and hopes are for when racing resumes.

Helle Fredericksen is the Ironman 70.3 world record holder for female racers, with a time of 3:55. Yet, at age 38 and at the height of her career last year, she decided to call it quits. On the podcast today, we find out why she retired, what she's imparting to the athletes she's coaching, and some awesome nuggets of inspiration and motivation!

25-year old triathlete Noel Mulkey has a dramatic transformation story. Not only has he made a significant physical transformation, he was also addicted to hard drugs in the past. From addict to clean World Champion triathlete, we hear Noel's story.

On the podcast, we talk to Dr. Dan Plews about his win at IM 70.3 Taupo right before the pandemic began, and whether Taren could have qualified for Kona this year as previously planned.

Jenna-Caer Seefried grew up 50lbs overweight. In her 20s, she decided it was time to get her weight under control. She got a personal trainer and started getting fit but it wasn't until she found endurance sports that her weight loss stuck and she found her passion. And it turns out, she's pretty talented. In 2017, Jenna won the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championship in the 25-29 female age category, and has placed well in many other races. We talk weight loss, motivation, and finding the reason to keep going.

Six-time Ironman World Champion Dave Scott joins us on the podcast. He reveals that even for one of the most accomplished triathletes in history, he still has trouble with motivation like the rest of us. We also talk about lesser known stories from his six wins, and how he went from carb machine to a lower-carb advocate.

Triny Willerton took up triathlon and found she had a natural aptitude for it. She just barely missed a Kona qualification, and was about to try again to qualify, when she was hit by a truck while on a training ride. She ended up in hospital with multiple fractures and required surgery, and months of rehab; the accident nearly killed her. The man who hit her received only a few hours community service and a tiny $300 fine. Now Triny is campaigning for tougher laws for careless driving, because all cyclists know #itcouldbeme.