The night before his first Ironman, Dr. Bobby J Grossi got in the ocean for a practice swim. It was the first time he'd ever swam in open ocean water in his life. His heart rate hit 185bpm. He couldn't finish 500 meters . He sat on the beach and almost called his daughter to tell her not to come to the race.

He started anyway.

In this premiere episode of The Iron Dentist Podcast, a 52-year-old dentist and triathlete opens up about the panic, the preparation, and what happened when race day finally arrived — including a marathon bonk that cost him his goal time despite months of structured training with coach Tony Washington.

And then he draws a line straight from that experience to your dental practice — because the gap between being prepared and being willing to fully execute shows up in the operatory just as often as it does on the course.

This episode is about the plan. What it is, why it matters, and why having one isn't enough if you won't trust it when it counts.