The TriDot Triathlon Podcast

Triathletes are quick to adopt the latest and greatest in training gadgets, including recovery tools. But which tools are worth the hype and your hard-earned dollar? Join the podcast team as physical therapist Dr. B.J. Leeper discusses a number of popular recovery tools. Learn about recovery boots, compression sleeves, massage guns, muscle scrapers and stimulation devices, foam rollers, and more!

Upgrading your triathlon equipment can increase training effectiveness, enhance comfort, and improve speed where it counts. On this episode, TriDot coaches John Mayfield and Elizabeth James outline triathlon gear upgrades for the swim, bike, and run. Learn what 'key items' you might be missing and get recommendations for which premium products make the biggest impact on performance.

What distance should you target for your next race? Whether you are ready to sign up for your first triathlon or you're a seasoned athlete looking for your next finish line, TriDot coaches John Mayfield and Elizabeth James discuss considerations for your next race registration. Get answers to common questions like: "What is the best distance for your first triathlon?" "How many times should you race a distance before going longer?" and "How do you know if you are ready for a full Ironman?"

Tim O'Donnell is one of the world’s most successful and experienced long-course triathletes. On this episode, Andrew Harley and Elizabeth James interview Tim about the progression of his career from new professional to the fastest American finish at the Ironman World Championship race. Tim shares stories about racing ITU events, transitioning to long-course racing, meeting his wife Mirinda Carfrae, maintaining an attitude of gratitude throughout his career, and balancing training with his growing family. This episode is brought to you by our good friends at UCAN. Head to ucan.co and use coupon code TRIDOT to save 15% on anything anytime.

What does it mean to be vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian or pescatarian? On this episode, resident nutritional expert Dr. Krista Austin overviews plant-based nutrition. Does a plant-based diet result in greater health benefits such as lower cholesterol, better heart health, or faster weight loss? What are some key sources of protein you should look for if avoiding animal products? Listen in as Dr. Austin answers these questions and outlines important considerations for athletes.

Why are some athletes more predisposed to injury than others? Is injury from triathlon training inevitable? On this episode, Dr. BJ Leeper, physical therapist and TriDot coach, shares his expertise and experience to answer these questions and more. Know when to train through discomfort and when to seek advice from a medical professional. Learn how to assess your likelihood of injury and take preventative action against the most common triathlon injuries.

Normalized Training Stress™ (NTS™) is a method of quantifying the physiological stress from a training session and is an essential element of optimized training. Join TriDot founder and CEO, Jeff Booher, and TriDot's VP of Athlete Services, John Mayfield, as they discuss how NTS considers a session’s discipline type, environment, intensity distribution, intensity levels, intensity durations, and your Training Stress Profile™ to quantify your training stress. Learn how this single metric, NTS, can help you achieve your best results and stay injury free.

What are the pros & cons of continuing to swim and bike while training for your standalone running event? TriDot coaches, and Boston qualifiers, Jeff Raines and Elizabeth James answer this and more! Gain key insights into your run event preparation as the coaches debunk some marathon myths, highlight key training sessions, and discuss how long your long run should be. Be prepared for your event with recommendations for pre-race planning, what to wear, and how to best pace your race.

The rich history of the Ironman World Championship is steeped in heroes, legends, and lore. In this episode, the podcast team is joined by TriDot coach and nine-time IMWC finisher Kurt Madden as he discusses the history of the World Championship event. Kurt shares stories of racing in the early days on Oahu and some of his top-ten finishes at Kona. Gain an insider perspective into the Iron War rivalry between Dave Scott and Mark Allen and some of the most memorable finishes from the legendary men and women in the sport.

The Ironman finish line is an unforgettable experience. After months of dedicated training, you'll have the opportunity to celebrate your commitment and soak in the moments on the red carpet. But as race day nears, you may be feeling nervous and have questions about the experience. TriDot coaches and Ironman finishers John Mayfield, Elizabeth James, and Jeff Raines all weigh-in as podcast host Andrew Harley asks questions about his first Ironman event. Gain insights into pre-race preparations, seeding yourself for the swim start, gear bags, sherpa duties, and more!

Women's Cycling Day is an annual event and ongoing initiative that brings women together to experience, share, and express their love of cycling. On this episode, podcast host Andrew Harley asks TriDot coach Elizabeth James and returning guest Rachael Maney about the history of cycling, role models within the sport, and the movement to get women more deeply involved in the cycling community.

Age-appropriate training is critical to reaching your full potential and staying injury free. In this episode, TriDot coaches John Mayfield and Jeff Raines discuss how training and performance change over the lifespan of a triathlete. Learn how your age impacts your training, when you typically reach your aerobic and anaerobic peaks, and what considerations you should take as you transition from age group to age group.

Why is tracking your food intake so beneficial? Expert nutritionist Dr. Krista Austin has the answer! In this episode, podcast host Andrew Harley and TriDot coach Elizabeth James ask Dr. Austin about tracking nutrients and how to make sure you're eating the right foods to fuel your triathlon training. Dr. Austin also outlines important considerations for the timing of your meals (and snacks) and adjusting your caloric needs to match your training.

TriDot coaches John Mayfield, Elizabeth James, and Jeff Raines are in the hot seat on this round-robin, rapid-fire episode! The coaches answer your questions about a variety of topics. Learn strategies for maintaining your "zone 2" heart rate during aerobic sessions, how dehydration impacts heart rate, and how to build your awareness of Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE). We'll also discuss returning to training after an injury or illness, helpful transition tips, and free training opportunities with the TriDot staff and coaches at the TriDot @ the Races events.

Understand your rights as a cyclist! Bike Law is a network of independently practicing attorneys that passionately represent cyclists in a variety of legal matters. In this episode, Rachael Maney, the National Director of Bike Law, explains what to do if you find yourself involved in a crash. Also learn the best practices to ride responsibly and increase your odds of having a safe ride.

Endurance athletes understand the need for oxygen, but how does your respiratory system and the exchange of gases within your body actually work? Respiratory Therapist and TriDot Coach Ryan Tibball provides an overview of your respiratory system and how you can improve your respiratory fitness. Ryan defines VO2 max and its relationship to training. He also recommends optimal breathing patterns for swimming, biking, and running that can significantly benefit your triathlon performance and offers special considerations for asthmatic athletes.

Triathletes know that temperature, humidity, and elevation have a significant impact on your training and racing metrics. But how do you know how much to adjust your pace or wattage in the summer heat and humidity or when training at a higher elevation? In this episode, TriDot founder and CEO, Jeff Booher, and exercise physiologist and TriDot coach, Jeff Raines, explain how TriDot’s EnviroNorm® (environment normalization) technology accounts for these variables to keep your training and racing spot on! Learn how TriDot localizes your prescribed training intensities to your anticipated environment to ensure that you are training at the intended intensity and producing the desired physiological adaptations from your training. And hear how TriDot normalizes your actual results to base values so that you can make real apples-to-apples comparisons of performances across different training environments.

Triathlon training can positively affect health and fitness. But men should be aware of warning signs and symptoms that can occur when your energy expenditure exceeds your nutritional intake. Expert nutritionist Dr. Krista Austin outlines how REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in sport) and LowT (low testosterone levels) can impact reproductive, psychological, and bone health. Ironman Champion and Director of Endurance Sports at the UCAN Company, Matt Bach, also shares his personal experiences with low energy availability and overtraining. Dr. Austin provides recommendations for assessing your health and what to do if you recognize some of these symptoms in your own training.

Triathlon training can positively affect health and fitness. But women should be aware of warning signs and symptoms that can occur when your energy expenditure exceeds your nutritional intake. Expert nutritionist Dr. Krista Austin outlines how REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in sport) can impact reproductive, psychological, and bone health. Together with podcast host, Andrew Harley and professional triathlete, Elizabeth James, Dr. Austin provides recommendations for assessing your health and what to do if you recognize some of these symptoms in your own training.

Save time in transition with tips from the TriDot team! You're on the clock during T1 and T2, so it's essential to establish a plan for efficiently grabbing the gear you need and setting yourself up for success in the next part of the race. Coaches John Mayfield and Elizabeth James dish the details on the triathlon transition area, practicing your routine, and how to manage changing tents and gear bags for long-course events.

All triathletes swim, but few triathletes come from a swimming background. Understanding pool etiquette and lane lingo can give you confidence and help you feel more at home in the pool. What are the do's and don'ts when sharing a lane? How do you use the pace clock? How do I adapt to a master's swim session? In this week's episode, TriDot coaches Jeff Raines and John Mayfield answer these questions and many more! And Triathlete Magazine's Editor-in-Chief, Kelly O'Mara, shares her swim stories from around the world.

Training stress causes soreness and fatigue in the name of improvement. But other types of stress can undermine your efforts. TriDot coaches John Mayfield and Elizabeth James discuss the differences between stress and eustress and the way you react biologically. Apply this practical information to mitigate the negative effects of stress on your triathlon training.

Specialized Human Performance Engineer, Jesse Frank, uses aerodynamics and physiology everyday to ensure athletes are as fast as possible. In this episode, Andrew Harley and John Mayfield talk with Jesse about the wind tunnel testing process and how it's applied to a wide range of equipment options and racing positions. Learn the biggest take-aways that you can apply and which products offer the most aero advantage for your dollar.

The training you take on as a member of the multi-sport community is not for the faint of heart. Mental toughness and an ability to persevere through discomfort is a must if you plan to improve your performance. But can toughness be developed and improved like skill, power, and stamina? TriDot Coaches Jeff Booher and Jeff Raines will help you learn to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Develop your GRIT Factor to train and race at your best.

Whether it's due to tight scheduling, poor weather conditions, traffic-filled routes, or nailing a specific workout session, many triathletes are training indoors. In this episode, TriDot coaches John Mayfield and Elizabeth James discuss the realities of virtual training. They describe the role various virtual platforms can play in your training routine, provide guidance about incorporating them, and offer recommendations for competing in virtual events. Learn how you can train in a virtual world for real results on the race course.

Could your triathlon performance be enhanced with the use of an ergogenic aid? In this episode, sports nutritionist Dr. Krista Austin covers an extensive list of supplements intended to enhance training and racing performance. Learn about the potential benefits of sodium bicarbonate, beta-alanine, exogenous ketones, caffeine, and nitric oxide supplements—to name just a few! Dr. Krista also provides recommended uses for each supplement and the potential harmful side effects if used incorrectly.

If you've ever experienced a slump in training motivation, you're not alone! But what can you do when you're losing focus during training or struggling to get started? TriDot coaches John Mayfield and Elizabeth James discuss strategies for staying motivated and offer practical ways to keep your goals and training purpose in sight.

How do you know if supplements may be a beneficial addition to your daily nutrition? With a multitude of products promising to be the missing link in your nutrition regimen, sports nutritionist Dr. Krista Austin cuts through the noise and gives you the facts. Listen in as she shares how you can determine deficiencies in your diet and what considerations should be taken before adding supplements. Drill down on the benefits and best sources for vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, probiotics, and omega 3's.

Improve your swim times without getting wet! Dry-land swim training, properly executed, can increase your power, form, and speed in the water. TriDot coaches John Mayfield and Jeff Raines discuss how to supplement your swim training with out-of-the-water exercises. Learn how dry-land training develops swim-specific strength, reinforces proper technique, increases your range of motion, and establishes muscle memory.

A brief summary of this episode

Don't be a 'dull axe' athlete! Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you give me six hours to chop down a tree, I'll spend the first four sharpening my axe." Sharpen your axe with this episode and get ready to hack down your training goals! Go behind the scenes and meet the woman with the answers, the heartbeat of TriDot's athlete support and six-time Ironman finisher, Cindy Reeves. She, along with Vice President of Athlete Services, John Mayfield, will answer the most frequently asked (and funniest) questions and share the most valuable learnings from the thousands of athletes they've served.

What you eat the week of, night before, and morning of a race can have a large impact on how your body feels and performs. Join expert sports nutritionist Dr. Krista Austin and TriDot coach Jeff Raines as they outline considerations for pre-race meals. This episode provides specific recommendations for protein, fat, carbs, and fiber intake in the days leading into your event. Set yourself up for success on the race course with example meals and advice for proper fueling while traveling.

Training for an Ironman presents numerous challenges on its own. Training for the Ironman World Championships while in space is even more difficult! But for astronaut and International Space Station Commander, Luca Parmitano, it's a challenge that he embraced and conquered. Join us for an 'out of this world' episode as Luca and his coach, John Mayfield, discuss training in a zero gravity environment. Listen in as Luca makes comparisons between preparation for space and triathlon training.

Staying hydrated is essential for athletic performance. Expert sports nutritionist Dr. Krista Austin and TriDot coach Jeff Raines discuss how to manage your water and electrolyte intake while training and racing. You will also learn special considerations about racing in various weather conditions.

Power, pace, or heart rate? Learn how to choose the best metric based on the type of session to manage your workout and achieve the desired physiological adaptation. Join TriDot coaches John Mayfield and Elizabeth James as they share how and why each of these metrics are best used for different types of training sessions.

Start your race day strong. Learn to conquer the open-water swim. Coaches John Mayfield and Jeff Raines share their first experiences with open-water triathlon events and provide recommendations for sighting, breathing patterns, stroke rate, and wetsuits. Next they discuss how to adapt to open-water conditions such as water temperature, current, or lack of visibility. Gather tips for your particular swim start type, strategies for staying calm in the close proximity of other swimmers, and drills to implement in the pool to help you transition to the open water.

What is the most valuable training block of your season? The answer might surprise you! Most athletes believe that the few months immediately preceding their race are the most important. However, there is greater opportunity for performance improvement in the training further removed from race day. Join TriDot coaches Jeff Booher, John Mayfield, and Elizabeth James as they uncover how and why the training many months before your next triathlon has the most impact on your race results.

As Coronavirus continues to impact nearly all areas of our lives, many athletes are working to navigate this strange and unprecedented time. Not only has COVID-19 caused the cancellation or postponement of numerous races, but it has also caused a shut down of most local businesses, including gym and pools. The TriDot team addresses athlete questions about how to adapt your triathlon training in this unique environment.

To reap the full benefits of a training session, you must recover properly. In this episode, sports nutritionist Dr. Krista Austin details the importance of post-workout nutrition and how it impacts recovery. The TriDot team discusses how factors such as the time between training sessions, time to the next scheduled meal, and overall nutrition goals impact how you should fuel after your training. Establishing a recovery nutrition protocol will not only allow you to conquer your next scheduled session, but can also improve your sleeping habits and cognitive function, which will further benefit athletic performance.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed as you enter the sport of triathlon. Balancing swimming, biking, and running is already a lot to take on even before considering the gear requirements for each discipline. Join us as we discuss the essential (and optional) gear for completing your first tri. Spoiler alert: you don't have to spend a fortune for your first race!

Improving your run efficiency with better biomechanics can dramatically improve your triathlon run performance and reduce your injury risk. In this episode, Coaches Jeff Raines and Elizabeth James dig into run biomechanics and discuss running cadence, arm swing, body lean, breathing patterns, vertical oscillation, stride length, and more. Learn to identify inefficiencies in your run form and how to incorporate drills to improve your mechanics.

Olympic Gold Medalist and former World Record Holder Brendan Hansen is "allergic to average." In this interview, Hansen describes his competitive instincts and underdog work ethic in preparation for the Athens, Beijing, and London Olympic Games. Hansen also shares his experiences as a triathlete and unveils the importance of focusing on the training process and how the best athletes respond to failure and disappointment.

Open-water swimming can be a new, and often intimidating, experience for triathletes. In this episode, Olympic Gold Medalist and former World Record Holder Brendan Hansen recalls his first experience with triathlon's open-water swim. Hansen and Coach Jeff Raines discuss common swimming mistakes, open-water skills that can be practiced in the pool, and other considerations for your upcoming open-water swim event.

Dr. Krista Austin cuts through the noise of sports nutrition marketing as she offers insight about what a triathlete needs and the guidelines for using nutrition products. Join the TriDot team as they discuss shopping for sports nutrition products, sweat testing, electrolyte replacement, and determining the best use of particular products based on their molecular weight, osmolality, and carbohydrate oxidation rate.

Strength training is a key component of a well-developed triathlon training regimen, providing not only increased power generation but also enhancing muscle recruitment and encouraging proper technique. And yet, few triathletes make strength sessions a priority. Today's episode discusses how to balance strength training with swim, bike, and run sessions as well as tips for implementing this important part of training into your weekly routine.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies are not only changing triathlon training for athletes, they are significantly changing the role of a triathlon coach itself. Today's athletes are re-assessing the value of a coach and their expectations of what a coach brings to table. In this episode, we discuss how technology is changing the triathlon coaching environment, how athletes can determine if, when, and why they should hire a coach, and how coaches can best leverage technology (as professionals in other industries have) to increase their value to athletes and grow their business.

We all know there can be great power in goal setting. There are few things more satisfying than achieving a lofty goal after significant hard work and sacrifice. But the mere establishment of a goal rarely results in goal attainment. Today, the team walks through a practical process for effective triathlon goal setting that leads to successful follow through and increased likelihood of achievement.

Knowing how many watts you're producing on the bike gives you both insight and control during your training and racing. And with power meters and smart trainers becoming more and more affordable, training with power is more practical than ever. The ability to train with power is undoubtedly one of the most beneficial training investments you can make. In this episode, we discuss the intricacies of training with power meters and smart trainers and the tips and tricks to get the most benefit from using power in your bike training.

Data and analytics have become an integral part of triathlon training. Yet, most triathletes don't recognize the true power of their data or realize the incredible results they make possible. In this episode, we cover analytics for triathletes in a way that is highly insightful for both novices and techies. We separate the meaningful from the clutter. We overview advanced analytics technologies such as data mining, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning and discuss how these technologies are changing the way we train and race triathlons.

Nutrition is often referred to as triathlon's fourth discipline. There is undeniable value in properly fueling your body for training, racing, and a healthy lifestyle. Join us in this episode as sports nutritionist, Dr. Krista Austin, digs into performance nutrition and how to establish and maintain proper macro and micro nutrient intake relative to your resting metabolic rate and energy expenditure. She also offers clutch strategies for properly fueling and hydrating for optimal training, racing, and recovery.