Holly, Maggie and Laura return for Episode 4 of Average Age Groupers, recording remotely after Maggie goes back to DC, and shift topics to “sherpaing” (supporting athletes). They discuss Laura’s upcoming role as Sherpa for the fully unsupported Dairy Roubaix gravel event—a 111-mile prep ride for Unbound—amid volatile weather and Holly’s concussion recovery. Using experiences from Oceanside and other races, they compare the logistics of supporting triathlons, gravel, and ultras, emphasizing packing, tracking, timing, race rules around outside aid, and the realities of carrying gear post-finish. They share practical Sherpa checklists (battery pack, layers, snacks, shoes, bags), lessons learned from mishaps like Boulder tracking issues, and which races are easy or difficult to spectate (Oceanside, Wisconsin, Santa Cruz, Chattanooga, Blue Ridge, St. George). They invite listener questions, encourage subscribing/reviews, and float starting a Strava club.

00:00 Long Distance Pod Update

00:41 Unsupported Gravel Sherpa Plan

02:37 Dairy Roubaix Prep Ride

04:05 Why Sherpas Matter

10:01 Triathlon Sherpa Chaos

17:16 Race Rules and Outside Aid

21:57 Sherpa Checklist Essentials

22:44 Sherpa Packing Checklist

23:22 Post Race Comfort Items

24:23 Phones And Tracking Lessons

26:51 Finish Line Meet Up Plan

28:42 Shoes And Bag Mistakes

30:22 Timing Food And Multiple Athletes

33:26 Race By Race Spectating Tips

42:11 Course Maps Parking And Prep

43:15 Listener Questions And Wrap Up

44:39 Podcast Milestones And Strava

Listen to the Pod here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/average-age-groupers/id1889949099

https://open.spotify.com/show/2LJ6G7l1oIRZUIa3lo7NFp

https://www.instagram.com/averageagegroupers/

In Episode 3 of Average Age Groupers, Laura, Maggie, and Holly recap a windy Wisconsin race day where Dave ran a 50K and nine teammates paced him via a 100K relay on the hilly 6.2-mile RRB loop, a USA Track & Field championship and Worlds qualifier. They then share Laura’s endurance journey: from dancing and cheerleading to college running, an undertrained half marathon, and a net-downhill marathon, before pivoting to triathlon—signing up for a half Ironman before truly learning to swim, backstroking her first sprint at Door County, and building confidence through open-water sandbar swims during COVID. Laura finishes Ironman Wisconsin 70.3 in 2022, completes Ironman Wisconsin in 2024 after difficult bike training and scheduling around 12-hour nursing shifts, and races Chattanooga 70.3 in 2025. She’s now training for the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Redding in August.

00:00 Windy Episode Intro

00:37 50K Relay Recap

01:42 Race Logistics Breakdown

02:27 Fast Field And Course

03:49 Hollys Sports Origin

05:52 First Races And Half

07:55 Marathon Training Chaos

10:42 Marquette Marathon Day

12:29 Bored Of Running

13:12 Learning To Swim Late

16:07 Mud Bath DNF Story

18:28 Backstroke Sprint Era

22:32 COVID Pond Swim Grind

24:52 Signing Up For 703

28:01 Nurse Schedule Training

29:15 Solo Training Safety

30:20 Monsoon Swim Breakthrough

32:19 From Full to More Races

34:39 Signing Up for Wisconsin

36:48 Ironman Training Grind

40:33 Wisconsin Race Day Recap

44:00 Aftermath and Recovery

45:28 Chattanooga and Blues

47:35 Redding 70.3 Decision

51:43 Coaching and Work Balance

54:51 What’s Next and Wrap

https://open.spotify.com/show/2LJ6G7l1oIRZUIa3lo7NFp

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/average-age-groupers/id1889949099

https://www.instagram.com/averageagegroupers/

https://youtu.be/b-LEBOeGSm8

In episode two of the Average Age Groupers podcast, hosts Holly, Maggie, and Laura record from a hotel and dive into Maggie’s endurance journey, starting with competitive swimming at age nine (including burnout and a shoulder injury) and her early triathlon experiences at Boston University, where a rough Olympic-distance race and heat stroke led her to step away for years. Maggie returns to the sport by signing up for Ironman Wisconsin 2021 at age 24 with minimal training support, finishes, then joins a team and coach for 2022—an infamous cold, rainy race marked by mechanical issues and hypothermia risk, yet still a PR. She later races Boulder 70.3, Muscleman 70.3, Ironman Maryland (including flooded run sections and blisters) and qualifies for 70.3 Worlds in Marbella after Chattanooga’s swim was canceled. Maggie also discusses gravel riding toward Unbound, the Speed Project in France, work-life changes, and starting a PhD at the University of Minnesota.

00:00 Episode Two Kickoff

01:29 Hotel Setup Vibes

01:59 Swimming Origins

04:29 High School Burnout

06:10 Triathlon Spark

08:12 Cape Cod Chaos

10:38 Nationals Heat Stroke

12:28 Zero to Ironman

15:11 Training Alone Lessons

16:57 Team and Coach Upgrade

18:30 IM Wisconsin 2022 Storm

23:28 Mile 22 Comeback

24:41 Worst Wisconsin Weather

25:15 Two Year Reset

26:30 Back Home Training Block

28:40 Maryland Race Breakdown

30:00 Run Course Flooding

31:30 Tracker Panic Moment

33:20 Worlds And Next Goals

35:12 Gravel Riding Origins

39:55 Work Life And PhD Shift

44:51 Training Without A Coach

45:52 Wrap Up And Whats Next

https://www.instagram.com/averageagegroupers?igsh=a250eG81dWg2bG4x&utm_source=qr

Recording from a California beach, hosts Laura, Maggie, and Holly launch the pilot episode of Average Age Groupers, a podcast focused on everyday age-group endurance athletes balancing training with full-time jobs and life, across running, triathlon, gravel, and more. They share their backgrounds in endurance sports, explain their goal of spotlighting “normal people” stories (and eventually guests on topics like nutrition and strength), and emphasize community and practical advice. Maggie recaps her 70.3 Oceanside race: nervous pre-swim energy, a flat saltwater bay swim, an unusually long transition, a narrow and rough bike course with fog, climbs and Camp Pendleton, and a sunny, no-shade two-loop run where early ice shortages and skipped nutrition hurt late miles; she still finished with a PR. They also preview upcoming plans including Unbound 200, a 100K relay, Ironman Lake Placid, and Laura’s evolving motivation after Ironman.

00:00 Beachside Welcome

00:29 Meet The Hosts

02:03 Why This Podcast

03:13 Community And Guests

04:54 Backgrounds And Experience

08:00 Oceanside Race Setup

09:39 Swim And Transition

13:02 Bike Course Highlights

18:16 Run Course Heat

19:28 Run Course Impressions

20:12 Crowds and Loop Energy

20:45 Run Mistakes Shoes and Fuel

22:26 PR Talk and Course Dependence

23:44 Would We Race Again

24:15 Podcast Mission and Pros

26:48 2026 Plans Gravel and Races

30:29 Training Life and Athlete Stories

33:58 Ironman Blues and Sacrifice

36:58 Lowering Barriers Practical Tips

37:37 Wrap Up and Call to Action

https://www.youtube.com/@averageagegroupers

https://www.instagram.com/averageagegroupers?igsh=a250eG81dWg2bG4x&utm_source=qr