We're not here to sell you the top hacks for getting on the podium. Today, we advocate for the long game. Often times the quicker you gain, the quicker it can go away. Building and keeping and making life/triathlon feel easier and more enjoyable. How do we find joy in the "boring" stuff we feel like wastes our time? Slow gains are hard to notice, but they last longer. We know it's not exciting, but that is one of our biggest challenges. Putting the excitement into the overall process. Being okay with 80% meh. You can't always outwork your way to the top.

Topics:

• Is your bracket in tact?
• Oceanside 70.3 - Texas 70.3
• The quicker you gain, the quicker it can go away
• Selling quick fixes
• Do you have a weak or strong cake?
• New stimulus always works . . . for a while
• Building lasting change
• Putting all focus on one race day
• Write a book but don't release it
• Swimming slow to master form
• Owning fundamentals and technique
• You can't always outwork your way to the top
• Overworking and brain burnout
• How can we make something feel easier?
• "I gotta find a new route."
• Slow gains are hard to notice
• Keep things easy and stackable
• Going to bed feeling like a million and waking up feeling like a dollar
• The repetitions are the answer
• Forcing a routine
• Excitement is overrated
• Simplifying your diet
• 80 meh
• How to find joy in boring

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

Expensive wetsuits, Disc wheels and carbon shoes only matter if they matter. Today, we look at true free speed within better posture and form. When you boil it down, a faster race comes down to holding solid form and all three events affect the other. We'll look at simple ways to improve your form and get free speed over time by simply holding it better. We talk about drills to incorporate in your runs, how to be more comfortable and stronger in aero, and we look at having solid hydrodynamics in the water. Commit to the long game and truly get better at what you do, all while saving energy.

Topics:

• Posture and form and meditation and mind flow
• Run form and how to build it
• Heel, mid foot, front foot?
• Injuries and why they happen in running
• Working run drills into your runs
• Laptop and phone posture
• Why yoga was created
• Do some long runs on trails
• Variable foot strikes
• Strong feet and ankles matter
• Why posture is so important in cycling
• Building a strong core
• Being confident and stable in aero
• Arm fitness
• How bad bike form damages your run
• The right bike fit
• RPE on efficient cycling legs
• Are you working complimentary muscles?
• Faster simply means covering longer distance in less time
• Lake Johnson
• Swimming position and alignment
• Laser pointer through the head
• What drops the body
• The domino effect of posture
• Learning to float
• Hydrodynamics
• Holding posture means a solid core
• Free speed in the water
• Relaxing as you swim
• How to incorporate band work
• Using a disc wheel or carbon shoes only for racing

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

Today we talk about how to think about riding the trainer so you can be more prepared for the reality of the course. We talk about hills, wind, aero, cadence, and much more. We take a look at the last hour of your race and how you can work on being stronger as you come into T2. Do we all complicate specific workouts when the reality is we just have to be stronger both physically and mentally to deal with the demands of certain courses. We look at flat and windy along with the continually changing demands of a hilly course. Put a little more reality into your trainer rides.

Topics:

• Ramp rides
• Cadence and power
• Body shots and how to make them less impactful
• Your ability to close out a climb
• Simulating headwinds and tailwinds
• Training your body to handle long rides
• Preparing for the real demands of the bike
• Moving your ceiling
• Staying within yourself
• Making yourself more uncomfortable on a trainer
• Fighting through the wrong gear
• Putting your mind on the course while on the trainer

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

C26 had a good crew in Dallas for Little Elm 70.3, including Coach Robbie, and today he details his experience on the course. We get into whether the cancelled swim was warranted, the gnarly wind on the bike course, and the three loop run. We look at strategy for when the swim is cancelled. How to ride a course that's tailwind vs. headwind, and why sometimes you just have to let it rip on the run.

Robbie goes over the entire race venue and experience and even has some interesting perspectives on the post-race food for the first time 70.3 :)

Topics:

• Snowmaggedon
• Windmaggedon
• Cold water in Dallas
• What's the venue like?
• Conditions on course
• How was the post-race food?
• The wind
• When you lose your secret racing weapon
• Swim cancelled.
• Do you change up nutrition?
• 1st time athletes and 1st time course support
• Time trial start
• Headwind vs. tailwind strategy
• No MPH on data screen
• 25 miles of head wind
• Run course 3 loops
• Loops are good for pacing
• Great spectator race
• The Duel in Dallas
• Caught up in the moment?
• Going for broke and breaking
• Sometimes you just gotta let it rip

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

Triathlon can be for today, this year, or this life depending on how you approach it. Today we take a look at not forcing fitness, training smart, and being ready for both an early race or late season race. We also look at the concept of being a better overall athlete in the long term. We talk about the importance of developing your economy and efficiency, why you shouldn't analyze every workout, and how to play the long game in racing and life. We give you the keys to getting burned out, how to make triathlon "easier," and not having regret every season. Wherever you go, there you are, so don't be in a hurry to get somewhere you don't want to be.

Topics:

• Ironman New Zealand and Metric System
• Cockpit problems
• Dallas 70.3
• Where should you be right now?
• Early Race
• Late Race
• Efficiency and Economy Rules
• Change your life
• Not having regret
• Find your way and commit to it
• Measuring your economy and efficiency
• Becoming a better overall athlete
• Oops I did it again
• Make this all "easier"
• We never hear, "Can I have more Z1-Z2 work?"
• You don't have to analyze every workout
• Just rev the engine a little
• How to see the least amount of improvement
• Always searching for a win
• The key to being burned out
• Being in a hurry to get somewhere you don't want to go
• Play the long game
• Wherever you go, there you are
• Robbie does Dallas

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

Today we look at simplifying the often complex chain of energy and how it relates to what you eat and your mental stress. We look at ways to recognize and dissipate stress in a productive way. We look at why that first mile or so of the run can feel terrible but the end feels amazing. It can also go the other way. Why? We talk about heart rate variation during training and some of the signs you should be looking for during your workouts. We talk about how training is a bunch of microcosms for your race and how certain days can prepare you for the unknown. We talk about controlling cortisol spikes, the 48 hour rule, and compounding stress. We look at the classic sign of overtraining, how your diet and actions can affect you for several days, and how to tangle with delayed muscle soreness and fatigue.

Come join us at one of our awesome Camps:

Nashville, TN, May 13-17 - https://runsignup.com/Race/TN/Nashville/2026Camp

Madison, Wisconsin, July 30-Aug 2 - https://c26triathlon.com/camps/triathlon-camp-wisconsin-2026/

Topics:

• Food hangovers
• Ironman pre-dinner events
• Going hard when you shouldn't
• Running or riding after you eat
• Aerobic decoupling
• When heart rate is steady
• Coffee and food correlation to training
• High heart rate at the beginning of your run?
• How to approach the first mile or two
• Warm ups and dissipating stress
• When the heart rate is staying low
• Understanding RPE and Data together
• Classic sign of overtraining
• Honest ranking of how you feel
• When the variation is weak through strong
• Hitting threshold watts
• The 48 hour rule
• Delayed muscle soreness and fatigue
• Compounding stress
• Cortisol Spikes
• Our stress jars overlap

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

Struggling to dial in your nutrition? We have you covered . . . well, sort of. Nutrition and hydration vary greatly between athletes and we'll give you a LOT to think about as you train and prepare for your race. We'll look at high carb, low carb, and maybe more importantly, the right carbs. We'll talk sugar and sodium. We get into the concept of "over-fueling" and why it may be more common than you think. We get into your "work rate" and why it might be the most important variable. We look at sweat rates, when caffeine is a terrible idea, and why the swim is much more important than most people give it credit for. We talk about daily nutrition and why that sets the most important tone for everything you do in training.

Come join us at one of our awesome Camps:

Nashville, May 13-17 - https://runsignup.com/Race/TN/Nashville/2026Camp

Madison, Wisconsin, July 30-Aug 2 - https://c26triathlon.com/camps/triathlon-camp-wisconsin-2026/

Topics:

• Do you take in too much nutrition?
• Popping gels as a habit
• High Carb - Low Carb - The Right Carb
• Why you have to experiment
• Carbs/Sugar is a polarizing topic
• Use carbs as a booster not always the fuel
• How high is your "work rate?"
• Dehydration impact
• What is my hourly calorie and carbohydrate goal for the bike and run?
• Overfilling on the bike?
• Gut training??
• Is it nutrition or not training properly?
• How much sodium or electrolyte intake is necessary per hour, and how should I carry it?
• Sweat rates vary greatly
• Doing your own sweat test
• What are common race-day nutrition mistakes, and how do I avoid them?
• Why caffeine when you're tired is a bad idea
• Don't be afraid of deviating from your plan by listening to the body
• Why the swim is SOO important
• How do I effectively practice my race-day nutrition during long training sessions?
• Why you get behind the 8-ball and can't get out from it
• How long can you fend off that feeling of being in the negative?
• More chicken, less sauce

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

Today we look into your race day logistics. Things to think about beforehand so they are not taking up space in your brain on race day. We get into realistic race goals and how to give yourself the best chance for a good race. We talk about how to deal with brick legs off the bike. Is it something you can train more for or is it something you have to get used to. We dive into transition preparation and time saving techniques, some which are guaranteed to save you several minutes if you're not already doing them. And we look at having to go to the bathroom during the race. I know, but it is definitely another area that can cost you a ton of time. We also discuss the recent Barkley Marathons and here's a link to the mini-documentary we referenced..

Barkley Marathons mini-doc. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXi4xHj4SfU&t=19s

Come join us at one of our awesome Camps:

Nashville, May 13-17 - https://runsignup.com/Race/TN/Nashville/2026Camp

Madison, Wisconsin, July 30-Aug 2 - https://c26triathlon.com/camps/triathlon-camp-wisconsin-2026/

Topics:

• What is a realistic goal time for a first-time Ironman, and how should I pace each leg
• Shoot for a wide window… it's like a long putt… trying to make it when you don't need to is risky business…..
• Fake Fresh
• What should I put in my bike and run "Personal Needs" bags?
• How can I manage the "jelly legs" sensation when I start the marathon?
• What is the best strategy for minimizing time in the transition areas (T1 and T2)?
• What's the protocol for using the restroom (or peeing) during the race?

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

Sometimes it's best to go back to the basics and re-think what you might already know. Or answer the questions that a lot of people think about but are afraid to ask. Today, we drove the podcast by asking AI what are the most frequent questions asked about Ironman Training. We get into proper volume, plan structure, longest runs and rides, taper, Zone 2, burnout and overtraining, and how to avoid injuries. Success in Ironman rarely happens without a great understanding of this basic principles. Open your mind and come into it fresh.

Come join us at one of our awesome Camps:

Nashville, May 13-17 - https://runsignup.com/Race/TN/Nashville/2026Camp

Madison, Wisconsin, July 30-Aug 2 - https://c26triathlon.com/camps/triathlon-camp-wisconsin-2026/

Topics:

• AI dating and restaurants
• How many hours per week is a realistic training volume for a full Ironman?
• Your peak period should be what you earned
• 6 hour easy rides are actually intense for most people
• What does a properly structured 6-month or 9-month Ironman training plan look like?
• How long should my longest run and longest ride be before the race?
• What is the optimal Ironman taper, and how many weeks should it last?
• How important is heart rate Zone 2 training for building long-course endurance?
• How do I avoid injury from the high volume of training?
• How should I balance the three disciplines to prevent burnout or overtraining?
• How good is your ability to shed fatigue?
• Life stress affects your taper
• The taper responsibility is mostly on athletes
• The taper is an Art
• The "D" word
• High volume should be volume you "can handle"
• Stacking volume in manageable ways
• Is stretching creating injuries?
• Burnout is mental
• Fatigue is physical
• End today's workout looking forward to tomorrow.

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

Do you find the Olympics motivating? Today was look at some of the stories and the roads they took to get there.

We also talk about why Mike hasn't been watching the Olympics. We get into building streaks and how to rebound once the streak is over.

What about the purpose behind creating a streak? How can you get rid of distraction and find a sweet groove of consistency? We talk about frequency vs. volume.

We get into what the most successful triathletes do on a daily basis. The art of taking body shots and upper cuts. Also, how do you detach from people, places, and things that are getting in the way of your ultimate mission.

Join us at one of our awesome camps in Nashville or Madison, WI: https://c26triathlon.com/camps/

Topics:

• Back from our hiatus
• When a streak ends
• The key to streaks is getting back on after you stumble
• 100 Days of Running
• What's the purpose behind your streak?
• C26triathlon.com - Come Join Us in Nashville or Madison for an awesome camp
• Who's gonna show up at your race?
• Olympic stories
• Patience
• Be your own Olympian
• Staying on your path
• Dealing with distraction
• Getting a little better each day
• Frequency over volume?
• Keep the compass pointing North
• Be firm in your direction
• Creating long term success
• What really creates wins?
• Body shots and upper cuts
• Stop watching the news
• Creating detachment
• Is what you're doing taking you to the place you want to go?

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]