Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast

We're ready for Kona! Today we go through possible strategies for the men and women along with how different variables could impact the podium. The field is deep and the excitment surrounding the Ironman World Championship is higher than ever. How will the race unfold and what are the C26 predictions?

Topics:

• Deep field • Front pack • Who's gonna lead it • Expect fireworks • Brewers• Play the right way• Will they ride as a pack?• Salt water buoancy• How much can they push themselves? • What is the limit?• It's all about the run • Having an Ace up their sleeve • Off the bike • Vibes over data?

Mike - [email protected]

Robbie - [email protected]

Well, we waited 959 episodes to realease this info, but here it is.

Topics:

• Bank your Vitamin D
• Gutav Iden
• Flat bills and Polos
• What areas are you serious about improving?
• Swim the Suck
• What excites you most?
• Is what excites you what you should be working on?
• Realistic goals
• Same things over and over and over
• Wanting the result but not the work
• Bank the work
• Analyzing the "after"
• Being "in" the workout
• Connecting links in your chain
• Talent, tenacity, confidence
• Telling people what your big goal is
• Everybody wants to get faster, but . . .
• What's your real weakness?
• It's not the work, it's what you do during the work
• Focus on the Demands
• Stock market training
• The secret to training
• These are things that make champions
• There's a difference between hope and knowing
• Skip the bellhop

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

Today we look at protecting and maximizing your time and effort so that you can be faster next year. We talk about the importance of "raising your floor" so you are ahead of the game and late season training doesn't feel so pressure packed or overwhelming. Now is the time. We also talk about diet and our cultural push to eat out of habit instead of needs. We look at shrinking the gap for your next PR, avoiding burnout, and rekindling the love of training. We explore training Monday through Friday only. We talk about mental and emotional flexibility and why it's not about how it looks right now, but getting it done.

Topics:

• Time flies
• Protecting your time blocks
• Fasting
• Paying attention to hunger
• Do we eat too much?
• What is energy?
• Fuel is important . . . but
• System cleans and resets
• The least stress approach
• Shrinking the gap for your PR goal
• Avoiding burnout
• Sneaking in a long swim, bike, and run each month
• Rekindled love for training
• Training M-F only?
• The pressure of the last 6 weeks before a race
• Mental and emotional flexibility
• It's not "how it looks" it's about getting it done
• Keep your "jumps" shorter
• Building run frequency
• Have fun noodling along

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

Today, we explore the concept of going back to the Ironman Drawing Board and working on the small things that lead to big results. We explore creating your own specific challenge, talk an out being afraid of different zones, and creating a new ceiling that attracts your floor. We get into how to build and HOLD your gains. We look at going longer vs. training smarter. We get into fear of strength and intensity and how/when to overcome it. The struggles in triathlon are all part of the fun and mystery and today we look at ways to reinvent ourselves and our training.

Topics:

• Is it the weather or the desire to do more that makes the difference?
• Love your yard and love yourself
• The triathlon space just feels different these days
• More athletes competing?
• Creating your specific challenge
• Afraid of certain zones?
• When it's insanely hot outside
• Creating a ceiling that leaves more room
• Moving the floor closer to your potential
• If you don't train it you stop gaining it
• Building and holding your gains
• Keeping the speed inside the plan
• Consistent with the little things
• The intent behind the training
• Going longer vs. being more purposeful
• Fear of strength and intensity
• It's all part of the fun and mystery
• Peeling back the layers of your success
• Lives change . . . more volume, less volume
• Nothing always works forever
• Take off the leash and let it rip

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

You gotta be faster to be faster . . . but how do we get there? For a lot of us, that process starts now and we have to cut through the noise to figure out what we need to work on. It can be anything from form and technique to diet and nutrition to endurance to strength to mobility and flexibility. But it can't all happen at once. How do we set ourselves up to stick with desired changes? Triathlon is a complex puzzle that mirrors life. It's not always fun or easy, but we get into real approaches that can help you shift your mindset to hit small practices now that will pay off towards your big goals later.

Topics:

• Living the best life
• Chicken wings and hot corners
• General idea of what you want to accomplish
• Post race emotions
• Off-season technique
• Most athletes thing in times or zones
• Post race sweet spot
• Get where you're going fast and cheap
• Working on your form is hard
• Where's the low hanging fruit?
• Blindly doing workouts
• Speed, technique, rhythm, endurance, timing, etc…
• Build form and technique into your workouts
• Polarizing
• Pyramiding
• Things that are important year round
• When to disconnect
• Don't label improvement by metrics
• How likely are you to stick with desired changes?
• We all have big goals . . .
• You gotta be faster to be faster
• Post race psychology
• If you feel good you're more primed for success

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

Today we go through all things Ironman Wisconsin 2026. We talk 70.3 and full. We look at the race itself, how people fought and battled, and why Ironman seems like it's gaining steam again. We talk about the power of support from a team, get into why the bike is so tough for most, and whether or not it's the legs that give out or it's simply the tension and repetition of race day. We talk about the concept of leaving your "fight" in training. We look at how the society can stack the deck against us and why Ironman is kind of a "binge weekend." We discuss the finish line feels, why Robbie didn't race, and look at post race routines and why they can be dicy.

Topics:

• C26 Community in full force
• IMWI as a team race
• The power of support
• The Helix Energy
• The bike course beatdown
• There's so much to think about on the bike
• The mental toll
• The difference between bike and run pain
• Is it the muscles or the repetition
• Nutrition on the bike
• Long ride fatigue
• Upper body tension
• Is it as simple as more volume?
• Did you leave your fight in training?
• How to not walk
• The deck is stacked against us in many ways
• The binge of an Ironman
• Why Robbie didn't race
• Just be aware of why you feel like you do
• Post week routine
• Ironman energy resurgence
• Finish line feels
• Team support

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

In 5 Days Mike and Robbie toe the line at Ironman Wisconsin. Today, they talk through some of the thoughts and strategies for their races. Gear, fuel, effort, game plans, it's all here and they can assure you one thing . . . they really can't be sure about anything.

Topics:

• Wisconsin weather
• Pack for all seasons
• Swim skins
• What to bring
• Worst thing about race morning
• Check-In Concierge?
• Norton plans for both
• Concerned about a cold day?
• Burning calories in the cold is complex
• Don't take off warm gear too soon
• Nutrition on the hills
• You'd rather be warm than cold
• Thinking about temperature changes
• Temptation to push it too early
• Race mantras for the full
• BodyShot-ville
• Where you need confidence
• Race plans in pencil
• Fueling the run
• Nailing Bike Nutrition
• It's like a long ride with fuel
• Caffeine on race day
• Watchless?
• Undertrained?
• Relaxed with focus
• Aero helmet?

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

More great questions from our listeners today! Is the pull buoy a crutch? What's it take for a 15k swim? First 70.3, here's what you need to know. How important is high cadence on the bike? How much should you share with your coach in Training Peaks? Gator Skins in a race? Best way to get better at the swim in the off season. Is racing more mental or physical? And much more!

Topics:

• 10 Days out from Ironman Wisconsin and we start with Lawn talk
• 15k Swim
• Is the Pull Buoy a crutch?
• Tried and true lessons for your first 70.3
• How important is the 90 RPM cadence on the bike?
• Racing in heat vs cold
• How much should you share with your coach in Training Peaks?
• Is race day more mental or physical?
• Effort and execution
• Finding the right attitude for race day
• Gator skins in a race?
• Swimming in the off season - shorter more frequent? Or long?
• When to go for it in a race
• What do triathletes constantly try to optimize that doesn't matter that much?
• FTP obsession?
• Sweet spot frequency in the off season for swim, bike, and run
• Loos agendas in the off season
• Should you resist going for it on the bike to save the run?

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

Today we look at what's going through out minds as Ironman Wisconsin closes in. This will be the first time we've raced Ironman together in 10 years. We look at Expectations how to reframe the stress in a way that's more about being grateful and why it's important to not try being someone you're not. We look at the "purpose" of these races and why competing in something so hard is, in many ways, sacred. Taking the selfishness out of the equation and soaking it all in. We also talk about our favorite parts of the race and give some time predictions for each other.

Topics:

• IMWI Training for us
• Real expectations
• 70.3 fitness for an Ironman
• Grateful to be able to do what we're doing
• Don't try to be someone you're not
• Hanging your hat on gratitude
• The purpose of these races
• The moments that are sacred
• Seizing the opportunities when they're there
• We've all been through tougher things
• Is it a selfish sport?
• Soaking it in all day
• What our favorite parts of Ironman races are
• Feels like the first time

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]

What do you love about triathlon? We think this is an important question to ask and an an even more important concept to protect. There are levels of going to the well and levels of stress we can handle in a functional way. Today, we talk about the power of elimination, and even more importantly when to recognize that it's needed. We argue that it isn't the races that wear us down, but the constant level of stress day after day. How do you protect your love of the sport? How do you get the most out of training in a minimal effective dose sort of approach? There's nothing wrong with the occasional shelling, but understanding how that amplifies all the stress around you is a key to continued enjoyment. Training is only as good as our ability to recover from it . . . and frankly, live a satisfying life in all areas. And, when did it become "only" a 70.3?

Topics:

• Weather and forecasts
• What's going on in triathlon?
• Is the season feeling long?
• Get rid of burden
• Simplify
• Reducing marginal stress
• Controlling our ability to be prepared
• Why do we like triathlon?
• Making decisions about MORE
• Craig Alexander is back on the bike after 7 years
• Filling every corner of your plate
• Racing is your ability to execute
• Is it the races or the accumulation of days of stress that wears you out
• Average power vs Normalized power costs
• Training is only as good as your ability to recover from it
• Dropping things off your plate
• You don't have to be in a constant state of stress

Mike Tarrolly - [email protected]

Robbie Bruce - [email protected]