Resilience. Mental Strength. Performance Under Pressure.

In this episode of the Total Tri Training Podcast, we sit down with Chris Recchia—former British Army officer, senior business leader, and Team GB age-group triathlete—to explore what resilience and mental strength really mean.

Drawing on experiences from military conflict, leadership, business, and Ironman racing, Chris shares powerful lessons on managing fear, developing discipline, overcoming setbacks, and performing when the pressure is on.

We discuss:

• The difference between resilience and mental strength
• Why motivation is unreliable and discipline matters more
• Managing the internal voice during training and racing
• Reframing fear and race-day nerves
• Leadership, composure, and decision-making under pressure
• Learning from failure and adversity
• Building confidence through preparation
• Practical mindset strategies for endurance athletes

Whether you're preparing for your first sprint triathlon, an Ironman, or simply looking to become more resilient in life and sport, this episode is packed with practical insights and inspiring stories.

Key takeaway:
Resilience is what you do. Mental strength is how you think.

In this week’s episode, coaches Katie and Kirsty are joined by guest Chris Recchia, for a detailed guide to Ironman 70.3 Bolton. Together, they break down the course, share practical race-day strategies, and offer expert advice on pacing, preparation, and handling the unique challenges of the event. Whether you’re racing for a PB or simply aiming to have your best day out, this episode is packed with tips to help you get the most from your Ironman 70.3 Bolton experience.

What is durability in triathlon — and why does it decide race outcomes?

In this episode of the Total Tri Coaching Podcast, we unpack one of the most important — and misunderstood — performance concepts in endurance sport: durability.

We explore why some athletes are extremely fit but fail to perform when fatigue accumulates, how durability differs from VO₂ max and threshold fitness, and why long-course racing rewards athletes who can preserve performance late into an event.

We also break down how to train durability across the swim, bike and run, including the role of strength training in improving posture, mechanics, force production and resilience under fatigue.

If you’ve ever wondered why strong training numbers don’t always translate into race-day results, this episode explains why.

Fitness gets you to the start line. Durability determines whether you can still use that fitness when the race really begins.

Race day isn’t just physical — it’s mental.

In this episode of the Total Tri Training Podcast, we dive into the power of mindset in endurance sport and how your thoughts, preparation, and self-belief can directly influence performance.

We explore:

• Managing pre-race nerves
• Building confidence through training
• Why skill development improves mindset
• Race-day execution strategies
• Evidence-based insights from performance experts such as Steve Magness

This episode breaks down why true confidence doesn’t come from motivation alone — it comes from preparation, experience, and knowing you’ve done the work.

Whether you’re preparing for your first triathlon or chasing a personal best, this episode will help you develop a stronger, more resilient race-day mindset.

Our limited series of Ultimate Triathlon Race Guides, with Show hosts Kirsty Walker and Katy Armitage along with special guests, takes things over to the Balearic Island of Mallorca for the Ironman 70.3 at Alcudia

A firm team favourite race for Total Tri Training, and we have Senior Coach Adam Memrey joining the show to give his expert input on the course, following a top 10 in his age group at this race last year, which is Europe’s Biggest 70.3 event

Whether seasoned Age grouper or first time Finished the Total Tri Crew delivery a great show covering:

•            Course profile especially the big climb and technical decent from Lluc

•            Nutrition

•            The Swim start and swimming in the ocean

•            Pacing and managing the heat

3 of Total Tri’s key Coaches offering in depth profiling of the Ironman 70.3 Mallorca Race day – what better way to be race ready for the 2026 edition

Our limited series of Ultimate Triathlon Race Guides, with Show hosts Kirsty Walker and Katy Armitage along with special guests, kicks off with the UK 70.3 season opener, Outlaw Half Nottingham

Kit walker, Former winner of the Outlaw joins the show to give his expert input on the course

Whether seasoned Age grouper or first time Finished the Total Tri Crew delivery a great show covering:

·       Course profiles and how to handle the day

·       Nutrition

·       The Swim start

·       Pacing

3 of Total Tri’s key Coaches offering in depth profiling of the Outlaw race day – what better way to be race ready for the 2026 edition

Open water season is here — are you ready?

In this episode of the Total Tri Coaching Podcast, we break down how triathletes can prepare properly for the open water swim season and race with more confidence this year.

We cover how to use pool sessions to get race-ready, wetsuit practice, sighting drills, race start tactics, and the key skills every athlete should develop before their first triathlon of the season.

We also discuss why many athletes waste open water sessions by simply swimming around, and how adding structure to your lake sessions can help you become faster, calmer, and more efficient on race day.

Whether you're racing Sprint, Olympic, 70.3 or Ironman, this episode will help you feel ready for the season ahead.

Topics include:

• Pool prep for open water racing
• Wetsuit confidence and comfort
• Sighting and navigation skills
• Race starts and swim tactics
• Structured open water training sessions
• Common mistakes triathletes make
• How to improve confidence in the water

Follow the podcast for weekly triathlon coaching advice, training tips, and race insights from Total Tri Coaching.

🏊🚴🏃 Get race-ready with this in-depth Total Tri Training podcast episode all about the final training block before race day. We break down how to shift from building fitness to expressing it, covering the key 4–8 week period leading into your A-race.

Whether you’re racing Sprint, Olympic, 70.3, or Full Ironman, we explain how to taper properly, reduce fatigue, maintain sharpness, and dial in race-specific fitness. We also cover pacing, brick sessions, race simulations, nutrition strategy, open-water prep, and the biggest mistakes athletes make in the final weeks.

🔥 If you’ve ever wondered what to do in the final build to your race, this episode gives you practical guidance to arrive confident, fresh, and ready to perform.

Topics include:

✅ How to train in the final 4–8 weeks before race day
✅ Tapering for Sprint, Olympic, 70.3 and Ironman
✅ Race-pace sessions that matter
✅ Bricks, pacing and confidence building
✅ Nutrition and race-day preparation
✅ Common pre-race mistakes to avoid

🎧 Subscribe for more triathlon coaching advice from Total Tri Training.

In this episode, we strip things back and share the lessons that actually matter—not trends, not hype, just real-world experience from decades in endurance sport.

Here’s what we cover:

🔹 Mastering Intensity
It’s not about going as hard as possible—it’s about precision. We break down the difference between threshold and VO2 work, and why most athletes get both wrong.

🔹 Training Skills, Not Just Fitness
Efficiency is everything. From swim technique to run mechanics and bike handling, we discuss why skill development is one of the biggest performance unlocks.

🔹 Managing Training Load Over Time
More isn’t always better. Learn how to structure your year, time your peaks, and balance overload with recovery for long-term progress.

🔹 Using Data the Right Way
We have more tools than ever—but data should guide you, not control you. We talk about adapting to your physiology while sticking to proven fundamentals.

If you’re serious about improving in triathlon, this episode will help you train smarter, not just harder.

“HR, HRV & Heart Health: What Triathletes NEED to Know”

In this episode, we sit down with a cardiologist to unpack heart health in triathlon — from HR and HRV to warning signs, screening, and the truth about arrhythmias like Atrial Fibrillation.

If you train hard, track your data, or care about long-term performance, this is a must-listen.

• How the heart adapts to endurance training
• What’s a normal heart rate for athletes
• How to use HR and HRV data to guide training
• Warning signs and symptoms of potential heart issues
• Whether athletes should consider cardiac screening
• The truth about endurance sport and arrhythmia risk
• Is there such a thing as too much exercise?