That Triathlon Life Podcast

One week out from leaving for Kona, Paula is in the background sketching the donut run poster while we record. We open with a busy weekend of racing, Augusta 70.3, the World Triathlon Grand Final sprint in Pontevedra, and UCI Road Racing Worlds, then get into Team TTL applications opening today, the Kona donut run details, and your questions.

This week we discussed:

• Augusta 70.3 results: Lydia Russell wins, Samantha Skold third, Adele Likin's wrong turn with two miles to go, and what it highlights about race coverage
• The Grand Final sprint finish: Matt Hauser wins the race, Vasco Vilaça wins the world title, and whether Matt held his line
• Aerodynamic gravel bikes: what pro racing demands of equipment and what it means for the regular consumer
• Team TTL and TTL Racing Division applications are open now through October 19th, what the Racing Division is, who it's for, and how it's different from the main team
• Kona TTL Donut Run: Wednesday October 7th, 2pm, featuring malasadas
• Team Canada Kona shakeout run: Monday October 5th, 8am, hosted by Lisa Bentley at Big Island Running Co.
• FTP tests for seasoned athletes: how often pros actually do them, what Paulo Sousa uses instead, and why the scariest version might actually be a QOM climb you care about
• Nick's volume experiment: six minutes off a 27-minute climb after a month of Z2 only
• Paula's Ironman swim set: 10x400 on 15 seconds rest, no toys, no alternatives (well, maybe five 800s)
• Rest days vs. active recovery: how often Paula and Eric actually take full days off 
• Backyard ultras: how long could each of them last, and why laps are their own special kind of suffering
• Strength training in a triathlon program: how to stay consistent without it wrecking your other sessions
• Looking up race results and imagining where you would have finished 
• First 70.3 Worlds advice: why going three weeks early might be the wrong move, and what Paula's Kona build has taught her about not putting races on a pedestal
• The creative process in music and video: prosody, co-creation, and why you can't make art formulaic even when you really want to

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

We're recording at 7:15pm and going to bed at 7:30, which means we are bending time and space to record this. First up: TTL Mad Libs, a new segment submitted by Mike the Botox guy, in which we fill in a Kona race guide and somehow end up with Pierce Brosnan at the finish line. Then we get through a full question bag before someone's bedtime.

This week we discussed:

• Kona apparel update: almost everything sold out; what's still available at the Castelli booth on race day and why you can't say "Kona" inside the expo
• Your proudest Strava CR or QOM — Eric's COVID-era Portland climb rampage, Paula's Bend segments, and Nick's Santa Monica Pier sprint Up
• Losing 30-45 seconds per mile in the second half of a 70.3 run: fitness limiter, pacing problem, or both?
• How pro personal needs bottles work at 70.3 Worlds — the sticker system, race number order, and why Paula's never actually used one
• The best triathlon commentators
• Should athlete vitals be shown on the broadcast? 
• Alcohol before a key race — how Paula and Eric have approached it differently this year, and the NA whiskey price problem
• Waterproof shoes for a 240-mile trail race: Gore-Tex uppers, the bathtub water retention test, and the dry pair rotation strategy
• Cooling techniques for extreme heat: ice bandanas, hands, neck, and where not to put ice cubes
• Aero helmets, bucket hats, and the Omius — where the line is between functional and ridiculous
• Torn wetsuit: repair it, cut the sleeves off, or buy new? 

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question — or a Mad Libs — head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Paula and Eric are home from Nice, jet lagged, and ready to talk about it. Paula raced 70.3 World Championships on a course that demands technical descending skills built over years on European roads, and still finished top ten. The swim packs that split apart, arriving at the Col de Vance already fatigued, the Race Ranger rules that disrupted everyone's rhythm on the climb, a drafting incident that was caught live on the broadcast, fueling on a demanding course, and then on to questions.

This week we discussed:

• Paula's 70.3 Worlds Nice full debrief: swim tactics, the Col de Vance, descending faster than 2019, and what the run actually felt like
• The on-camera drafting incident explained, what Race Ranger rules require, what happened on the climb, and the personal apology that followed the next day
• Why Kristian Blummenfelt's 1:05:12 half marathon off the bike might make more sense on this specific course than it looks
• Katie Schide showing up at the turnaround on the run course, and what it meant to Paula to see her there
• The Nice croissant run: hundreds of people, one visit from the French police
• TTL Kona edition apparel launches Thursday, limited numbers, no pre-order, Foreign Rider collab
• Does cadence actually matter for cyclists, or is it just a distraction from the real problem?
• Wheel-on vs. direct drive trainers for a new TT bike: what actually matters
• Bucket hats in triathlon: sun protection or aesthetic surrender?
• Where to position your support crew on a 70.3 run course for maximum impact
• Running downhills without destroying your knees: shoe fit, grip, and why sizing up a full size might be the culprit
• Making mountainous training roads translate to triathlon-specific fitness
• Taper week from two pro perspectives: structure, what feeling bad on Tuesday actually means, and why consistency beats reinvention every time

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Nick and Eric are recording live from Nice, France ahead of 70.3 World Championships. Fresh off an open water swim in the Med, about to head out for a ride, the boys talk triathlon while Paula is in race week mode and sitting this one out.

This week we discussed:

• Live from Nice: what it's been like being here for 70.3 Worlds, and how the experience compares to Kona
• Ironman events selling out in under twelve minutes, should there be a qualification requirement before signing up for a full or half distance race?
• A triathlete was bitten by an alligator training on the Augusta 70.3 swim course, how much does wildlife factor into race choices, and where's the line between rational and irrational fear?
• Brody's stats are in, if you had 40+ hours a week to train him, could you make him go pro by 35 with four kids? Be brutal.
• Power meters for a TT bike on a budget: single vs. dual sided, left vs. right, and whether pedal-based makes more sense
• Road cycling etiquette and how to deal with aggressive drivers without letting it derail a hard session
• Watch recommendations for someone who splits time equally between road speed work and long trail days
• Dealing with race morning appetite issues when nothing you try in training translates to the start line
• Cold water adaptation for a no-wetsuit open water race in Lake Tahoe when you live somewhere hot, cold plunge, AC, or just suffer?
• The most meaningful lesson each has learned from the other

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Nick is recording from his neighbor's WiFi, Eric's in the van, Paula is doing her own audio engineering, but the gang got it together anyway! We kick things off with an airline Rapid Fire before getting into a full question bag that covers racing, going pro, travel logistics, and a Chattanooga guide for a UK family about to combine 70.3 Worlds with Disney World.

This week we discussed:

• Airline rapid fire: favorite snack, drink, seat, airline, and Paula's method for dealing with an overweight bag at the counter
• Should there be a separate finish line tape for the top age grouper at Ironman races with a pro field?
• Is there anything in triathlon that matches the euphoria of finally landing a skateboarding trick?
• Run form analysis: when to think about it, when to leave it alone, Paula's mirror trick on the Kickr Run, and why fixing one thing can break something else up the chain
• Airline luggage horror stories — Eric's €550 Lufthansa bill and why United loyalty is a financial decision
• Turning pro: do you actually need a lawyer, contract clauses worth paying attention to, and where to train when you make the jump
• Open water vs. pool for easy swims in summer, is it even a question?
• Feeling flat, disconnected, and off 17 days out from Ironman Wisconsin, what's actually happening and what to do about it
• Chattanooga as a destination for a UK family combining 70.3 Worlds with Disney World: the honest guide, how many days at Disney is too many, and what to actually expect from the city

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

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Wahoo Kickr (link)

Paula and Eric are back from five days in Kona. Riding the Queen K in both calm and full-crosswind conditions, running the Energy Lab, and getting the lay of the land before race week. Eric also cracked a rim on post-hurricane debris in the shoulder. Meanwhile, Paula made the Canadian national team for UCI Time Trial Worlds in Montreal and had to turn it down. After some Bike Tech with Eric about traveling with pedals, we get into both before moving to questions.

This week we discussed:

• Paula and Eric's Kona recon trip: Queen K conditions, the Hawi climb and descent, what the Energy Lab actually feels like, and why knowing the course before race week matters
• The Kona heat: over rated?
• Eric cracks a rim on hurricane debris in the shoulder, and a local cyclist pulls over before Paula even notices
• Paula makes the Canadian national team for UCI TT Worlds in Montreal
• Why sleeveless suits dominate short course and sleeved suits dominate long course
• Do sprint intervals have a place in triathlon training, and at what distance do they stop mattering?
• Planning bike intervals on hilly routes when the downhills don't cooperate with your workout structure
• Nice vs. Marbella: which descent is actually scarier for 70.3 Worlds age groupers?
• Trail and fire road etiquette: who has right of way, and what went wrong on Paula's run this week
• Getting the most out of a gravel bike for a 70.3, tires, aerobars, and what's actually worth spending money on
• Cycling and running cadence: training vs. racing, and high-cadence drills that actually work
• Should triathletes plan an off-year every few seasons to reset cumulative fatigue, and what COVID accidentally proved about this

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Nobody knew Paula was racing, not her inner circle, barely even Paula herself until she was already on the plane to Vancouver. Three weeks out from Kona, she lined up at T100 Vancouver against an elite international field with zero expectations and finished fourth. We get the full race recap: the ocean current swim, the Race Ranger chaos on the bike that had Eric firing off texts from the couch, why riding to the front was the only move that made sense, and what it felt like to run a controlled 3:45/km pace and feel totally fine doing it. Then we debut a new segment, Rate It, get into your questions, and have a conversations about what it's like to be the partner on the sideline.

This week we discussed:

• Paula's surprise T100 Vancouver recap: the decision to race, the ocean current swim, Race Ranger draft zone chaos on the bike, and running to a fourth place finish on fresh-ish Ironman legs
• The T100 format from an athlete's perspective: what it does brilliantly, why the fields keep coming back, and an honest conversation about whether the series is sustainable long-term
• New segment, Rate It: having multiple bikes, open water swimming vs. pool, training and racing with a smartwatch, and local events
• The best and hardest thing about watching your partner race — Eric on the joy, the grief, and the slow process of making peace with a changing athletic identity
• How big is Paula's team, really? The case for keeping it small, why Eric doing bike mechanics at 10pm beats hiring anyone, and what Carmen Small couldn't believe when she came to 70.3 Worlds
• Swimrun gear on a budget: buoy size, paddle advice, whether you need trail shoes, and how the transition between swim and run actually works with paddles on your wrists
• Self-confidence anxiety when training and racing with others — what it actually means when someone chooses you as their swim run partner
• Paula and Eric are tentatively planning an Austin swimrun in November. 
• The road to Qatar goes through Austin, Texas. Eric floats an idea. Everyone pretends it's not happening.

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

It's a warm, smoky evening in Bend, the kind where you drive to Sisters for training and now you're recording a podcast instead of sleeping. We kept it deliberate and efficient this week, which means we absolutely went off on mattresses, California Chicken Cafe, and ice cream. In between, a great bag of questions.

This week we discussed:

• 1x vs. 2x drivetrains: the actual advantages of each and why most people should just stick with a two by
• When to stop pedaling and tuck on a descent
• Draft-legal racing for a first-timer: how the pace works at the start of each leg, why staying near the front of a group saves energy
• Build our ideal triathlon city using places we've actually been: road running, trail running, road cycling, gravel/MTB, open water swimming, airport, coffee, pastries, donuts, restaurants, and weather
• Xterra racing and the suffering question: is it a matter of learning to dig deeper or a matter of training?
• Getting comfortable in aero on a TT bike when you're scared, Paula's day-before-Challenge-Daytona story and why race day has a way of sorting it out
• How many pro races have Eric and Paula actually done? Pro Tri News has a number that may or may not be right
• Crank length and hip injury: when to experiment with shorter cranks and when to leave well enough alone
• What actually constitutes good bike technique, and whether the pedal stroke matters as much as Eric thinks it does
• Long rides on a gravel rail trail vs. TT bike before an Ironman
• AQI thresholds for training in wildfire smoke
• Heart rate spikes in T2 from bike to run, what's happening physiologically and the breathing reset trick
• Disney princess themed bikes

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

We're loopy, and apparently incapable of saying basic words out loud, which means it's a great episode. We kick things off with a new This or That segment that goes off the rails almost immediately, then get into ten listener questions that end up going somewhere unexpected. Big week energy after the last two, different energy this week. This week we discussed:

• This or That: firm surface with cushy shoe vs. cushy surface with firm shoe, foggy goggles vs. foggy conditions, and a third option Nick almost said on a family podcast
• Do pros ever truly go 100%? The difference between not pushing hard and deliberately leaving something for future races, and why Paula once backed off to help a rival keep points
• Who are the most polished, professional pros on the circuit, and who gets results while doing their own thing? (Morgan Pearson, Ari Klau, and Jackie Hering all come up)
• What Paula actually did in the five hours between finishing Ironman Lake Placid and heading to dinner, and why she did almost none of the "right" recovery things
• Grandpa Hector's Colnago: how to keep a vintage bike in storage without letting it deteriorate
• Do pros want splits from strangers on course? When it helps, when it doesn't, and why they'll never acknowledge you even if they love it
• Training through heartbreak: Paula's honest answer, Eric's RV-in-the-desert approach, and Nick's experience of it being the hardest time of his life
• The Canadian Prime Minister shouted out Paula on Ironman Lake Placid, the story behind how that might have happened
• Triathlon nightmares: missing the start, cascading gear failures, and why the dream is always the logistics, never the actual suffering
• Passing etiquette in races: when to say "on your left," when not to, and AirPods on a single track trail (Eric has feelings)
• Coaching high school swimming when you're a triathlete, and the unexpected parallels between inspiring athletes and inspiring music students
• Why Nick fell in love with triathlon: the objectivity of it, the contrast with music

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. This week's random supporter winner is Joyce Leary! Joyce, your Thump instant coffee is on the way! To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Things are back to normal in Bend and Los Angeles. Paula's quads have finally recovered, training is back on, and we've got a full question bag to get through. We open with a food theme Rapid Fire, check in on what post-race blues actually feel like after something as big as Lake Placid, and get into the philosophy of fear in sport: before races, before hard sessions, and why accepting the thing you're scared of is usually what makes it less scary. Then your questions.

This week we discussed:

• Food rapid fire: favorite ice cream, juice, bagel, donut, and pasta sauce 
• What post-race blues actually feel like after a big result — why the further you get from the day, the more you want to go back
• Fear in sport: how pro athlete fear differs from age group fear, what makes race morning dread feel inescapable, and whether doing hard training sessions produces the same feeling
• The best thing you can do to mitigate pre-race fear: start one month out, not the night before
• How much time should you spend in aero position training for a 70.3? 
• Jedi mind tricks for hard sessions and long races
• Mountain bike and off-road race passing etiquette: whose job is it to get out of the way?
• Was the women's finish line box-out at San Diego International Triathlon bad sportsmanship? 
• Youth sports and raising athletic kids: what Paula, Eric, and Nick each took from childhood sport
• Challenge Roth 2027: all three are Roth curious
• What influence has each other's racing had on what you want to do? Paula on Eric's ultras, Eric on Paula's Ironman

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast