Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast

We feel like the world is watching and our time will define us, but racing success is in the effort and execution. There are a lot of little things we can do before and during a race to ease the load. Putting all these goals, specifically time related may be unfair to yourself and will certainly increase the weight and the burden of what is already a big enough challenge.  Let Speed and Strength Come To You The off-season is exciting What happens when we chase results When emotions force poor choices This is MY year Social Media Motivation is So Easy Race Day Positive Thought Controlling Controllables  Let the Race Come to You Execution and Effort  The Biggest Weight You Carry on Race Day Letting go of the burdens What if the Swim is Long?? The unreliability of scales You don’t know what your day’s like until mile 80 When you have zero expectations Relieving yourself of the decision making process The Brain is your CEO  Acknowledge the Day . . . then accept the outcome Breaking News on IMWI Tri-Club Point St

We focus on the Ironman Wisconsin course, but anyone doing an Ironman will benefit from the strategies discussed today. We talk about the unique transition, tactics for the rectangle swim, how to tackle the hills, and what you should be doing on different parts of the run. Robbie has coached over 35 IMWI finishers and this will be Mike's 3rd time doing Wisconsin. The biggest takeaway on this course is you have to stay focused. Lots of turns, gearing, and opportunity to get caught up in the energy of the amazing spectators.  Topics: Mike and Robbie's long history with Wisconsin  Transition Explanation Swim Line up Sighting tips Coming into transition Tips for T1  Staying warm as bike starts Getting used to the roads Gearing tips  So many turns  Forgetting to hydrate Don’t assume last stretch is downhill Gearing the first loop Stay in YOUR MOMENT Beware Cool Temps Misleading You How To Stay Focused Coming out of T2 Stay your lines The hills When to do what The cruel tease of the second loop Link to explanatio

What’s your burnout rate? Do bad race choices make it worse? Today is all about picking the right races for you. Not only course wise, but the time of year so they don’t tangle with stressful life events. Don’t let revenge on a race course or someone else’s goals impact your decisions. Stay fresh, connected and happy with your triathlon lifestyle.  Topics:  Planning Phase for next year? The most dangerous decision phase of training An Objective and healthy approach Should You Race or Not? Random Races and A-Race Jeopardy  The comfort of repeating races How to pick the right race for you? What the hell are you doing in transition? What’s the best time of year? Rushing your recovery Are you in a mistake loop? What getting faster really means Registration is NOW OPEN for 2020 C26 Camps. Find out more on our Camps Page.  Struggling with your Swim? Join our new SWIM SQUAD 12 Month Program and build confidence in the water. You'll get 4 workouts a week, 4 customized video swim analysis, weekly swim tip videos and

We all have those little moments in training that give us thought that we may have the greatest race of our lives. Then, just as quick we think we may DNF. It's a constant battle and the true win comes down to understanding and appreciating execution. It's not about pace on a random Tuesday, it's about building fatigue, recovering, then nailing restraint so that you can execute a race to the best of who you are.  Topics: Wisconsin spectator awesomeness  Trying but not trying Fatigue Masks Fitness  Getting back to fresh The Mind Game of the Taper The Energy burn of the recover Phantom Pain Eating more than we need in Taper Packing early for racing Making Sure You Have Nutrition Be careful of massages Visualizing thoughts and feelings of race day Execution and restraint  Resilience and toughing-it-out From Awesome to Terrible From DNF to PR Taking what the course gives you Powering over hills  Mashing vs. Maneuvering  Upcoming Live Podcast in Madison Registration is NOW OPEN for 2020 C26 Camps. Find out more

Off-season is not really a thing if you want to get better. That doesn't mean you have to thrash and burn all year, but what can you do to get better today. How do you come to terms with "boring" workouts and figure out ways to make them part of an exciting result. Today we talk a lot about patience and restraint, both in training and racing. Plus give a lot of good thoughts think and attack your big race.  Topics: Coach is back from Florida  Increasing Good habits v. Bad Habits Mont Tremblant stories Is there really an off-season? Don’t skip too many classes Practicing Restraint and Patience How Slowing Down Makes You Faster When You Feel It’s Right, It’s Probably too fast How to bank energy in a race The relevancy of the bike Know Your body and the Point of the race Restraint and Execution Putting Purpose Into Your Training It’s crazy what happens when you use common sense Zoom out on your training The Coffee shop Combo How to take BORING out of training Remember how you got here Pre-Race texts with athlet

Taper is the ultimate test of patience and while you're not training as much, most athletes waste a tremendous amount of mental and emotional energy. As the race closes in, it's time to focus on confidence and visualizing what might go wrong and how you are going to get through it. Thinking through solutions not problems. The athlete who makes the fewest mistakes is the one who wins their race. Topics:  Exciting time of the year Pressures build  When Coaches Worry Coming to terms with our training Patience and calm How do we not press on? Looking at collective workouts Bridging workouts outside of Mon-Sun Not letting off the gas too early Just don’t think about it :)  Making fewer mistakes in taper Idle Taper Minds Thriving in drama and chaos Quiet Confidence from building a body of work Being totally dependent on yourself The patience of taper Don’t squeeze for just a little bit more Mental and Emotional Energy Wasted the last two weeks Get your mind ready for Race Decisions Registration is NOW OPEN for 20

The biggest workouts in the hottest part of summer and a race that's close but never seems like it will be here. Sometimes the toughest part of training is staying fresh and sharp as your race approaches. Today we look at ways to take the last month or so before a race and turn them into our biggest mental asset.  Topics:  Camp recap Different people, backgrounds, abilities A melting pot sport Identity through triathlon isn’t about a metric What is triathlon doing for your life? Awakening a whole new personal world “I’m gonna get better no matter what” Exposing yourself to different environments Personal Myth Busting The toughest part of building the swim Feed on the energy frenzy  Controlling your effort Breakthrough Performance vs. Lessons Sometimes the best reaction is to not What If You Don’t Have It Today? The Best Asset You Can Attain Is Knowledge Negative Split Mentality  Stop Making Decisions Before You Start High Fatigue and Warm Ups Respect how your body feels and go with that today Bonking isn’t r

What's it take to go from beginner, to intermediate to an advanced triathlete? How do you define that and/or your personal journey? The process is the purpose and we all define that differently. Which lens are you looking through when you judge your progress and how will you write your own success? Topics: From beginner, to intermediate to advanced The process to the purpose Lose weight, take life back Slow is relative When ignorance is bliss Which lens are you looking through? Defining Triathlon Success How do you judge yourself? The Old You, the New You, The Old you? The “Great Reminders” The Process is the Moment Registration is NOW OPEN for 2020 C26 Camps. Find out more on our Camps Page.  Struggling with your Swim? Join our new SWIM SQUAD 12 Month Program and build confidence in the water. You'll get 4 workouts a week, 4 customized video swim analysis, weekly swim tip videos and discounts on our Swim Camps. For more information go to this link.  Support the Crushing Iron podcast on Patreon, where the c

Triathlon is a long, complicated process that doesn't always give us clear answers. Today we look for ways to take positives away from "bad" workouts, how to use hope as your "why," and maybe even how to keep this training thing simple (or simpler). We're all a work in progress and paying attention to your life and stress matter in training.  Topics: What’s your level of hope? Hope is Interchangeable with Your Why Can you step back and look at the big picture? Can you stick with 5-6 weeks of demanding workouts? Looking at the "final block” before your big race Is what you’ve done enough? Are you “MORE-ING” your way to tired and overtrained? If You Don’t Have Bad Days, something’s probably wrong Writing about your workouts Neglecting the little things that could make training less painful When It’s Not Your Fitness, It’s Your Life Comparison is the worst thing you can do Is your primary goal delusional? I want to feel good today  It’s all about effort  It’s always a work in progress  Slowing Down The Least  H

Do you practice thinking about decisions you'll face on race day or lost in a world of Swift and Neftlix? If we go through the motions in training, race day stresses become a lot more challenging. What are you doing to prepare for thousands of decisions you'll have to make on race day? Also, distraction by IronTracker, bike handling, and changing how you feel during a race.  Topics: Are We Jaded About Ironman? Ironman Tracker Addiction Opportunities we miss by obsessive tracking People want more and more  Is Our Bike Handling Getting Worse? The Problem with Pain Caves Distracted Training  Putting the head down and working Preparing for the Unpredictable  You are Responsible for Your Own Experience Fighting through Learning How To Make Great Decisions Can You Change How You Feel In Races? The Best Athletes Make The Best Decisions Take Calculated Risks Practicing Race Day  Don’t Let Your Beliefs Limit You Registration is NOW OPEN for 2020 C26 Camps. Find out more on our Camps Page.  Struggling with your Swim?

The swim set the tone. We could see it in their eyes as they got out of the water. Then conditions seemed to get worse. Tough winds on the bike and a hot sunny day made for a tough reality at Ohio 70.3.  Triathlon is an endless puzzle and just when you think you mastered it, there will be another big lesson. Do the best you can and have fun. Topics: Ohio Tough Conditions Be grateful  Good people Condolences for bike death The Wind  Respect the course Warm water, slow times The PR illusion  Us vs. the Elements Hot run, no clouds When You Should Start Swim The conditions aren’t the same for everyone When a swim dictates a race Nothing better than a great start Do the best you can and have fun Registration is NOW OPEN for 2020 C26 Camps. Find out more on our Camps Page.  Struggling with your Swim? Join our new SWIM SQUAD 12 Month Program and build confidence in the water. You'll get 4 workouts a week, 4 customized video swim analysis, weekly swim tip videos and discounts on our Swim Camps. For more information

Should you put more weight on your great workouts or bad? Probably neither because it's a process and everything is a building block. As the pressure builds it's more important to stay level when evaluating yourself. Take a look at where you've come from and figure out how a bunch of "good" workouts are the best way to great.  Topics: The Spectrum of Athletes  Beginner, Improver, Kona Qualifier? Short Term Memory, Long Term Appreciation Good Days, Bad Days  After the Excitement Wears Off Is It All About What’s Next? Triathlon and Life Should Compliment Let Yourself Float  The Life Metaphor Do we always have to have an answer? Three sports is like spinning plates Expectations are future resentments Why it’s all about showing up Do you feel surprisingly good on Monday? Taking pressure off race goals Is “good” not enough? Shoot for Good over Great Can you restrain yourself in workouts? Strive for the Middle  Appreciate what you’re doing Registration is NOW OPEN for 2020 C26 Camps. Find out more on our Camps Pa

Are you piling on mileage just to make sure you're ready? Today we look at Peak Phase and why too much volume can be your worst enemy. Fatigue is a slippery slope and it's important to listen to your body first and understand the true demands of a race and how to train for them. Today, the fine line between volume and intensity.  Topics:  Simulating Race Day FEEL Peak Phase and Volume vs. Intensity What kind of intensity can you hold? Mileage vs. Time Long Bikes That Crush Our Spirits 100 Mile Rides Overrated? Double Runs/Double Rides Accumulating in 24 Hours Simulating FEEL of an Ironman Marathon The first 30 mins are the worst Fatigue is Relative When Rest Makes You Feel Worse Why You Get Phantom Pain in Taper Listen to your body first  Swimming: Always take more time if you need it More is not a plan The decision and action have to come at the same time How mental fatigue affects your race Don’t let bad workout results define your race Registration is NOW OPEN for 2020 C26 Camps. Find out more on our Cam

Do you look at the big picture of your triathlon journey? For many it becomes an endless cycle of similar results and a lot of struggle. Today, we look at things like, why feeling good could be a sign to reign it in and why your upcoming race may not be the thing to hang your hat on. How does today help your tomorrow? Getting unstuck and looking at your Taper in a totally different way.  Topics:  Do You Truly Love The Sport? The 12 Month Training Cycle Periodization Are You Stuck? Is it time to scrap your year? Straddling the hurt and injured fence Regrouping and taking inventory of your situation Random exercise vs. Training  How Does Today Help Tomorrow? You have to be in shape to train The glamor and romanticism of addiction Pool Swimming vs. Open Water Why Speed Work is Risky  Losing Patience and when it costs you When Ego and Pride Clouds Judgement The common thread of great triathletes Why you shouldn’t add a short race b4 your big race The challenge of the Taper  The Final Lead in to your race Arrive

A mantra we like to remember for racing is, “Don’t believe how you feel at any minute, because it’s bound to change.” The same goes for training. How many times have we been on top of the world one day and talking about quitting the sport the next? Training is all about not getting too high or too low. Today we look at ways of staying positive on the emotional roller coaster of triathlon training.  Topics:  The Truth about swim fitness Is the swim long or slow? Mind games of a realistic swim Amazon Side Business Double ride weekend Salvaging your rides Belief systems that hold you back From quitting to back in the game in 48 hours Uneven patches in training When self perception changes From bike accident to podium  Giving yourself more time  Putting on your run shoes can change you Don’t let outliers dictate your mood Wimbledon Resiliency  How personal life drives success Registration is NOW OPEN for 2020 C26 Camps. Find out more on our Camps Page.  Struggling with your Swim? Join our new SWIM SQUAD 12 Mont

"Watches are like the weatherman.” – Coach Robbie  FTP Tests, Heart Race, Pace . . . do you look at them honestly, or lean toward the perfect answer? Today we talk about how to be smart (and realistic) when you look at data and maybe why you shouldn’t look at all. We’ve said it before, Long Course racing isn’t about who’s fastest, it’s about who slows down the least. Is this how you race? Topics:  Adapting to the weather Knowing who you are The “heat of the moment” Warning Signs to be aware of in heat The impact of dew point  PR conditions by perceptions  When to "skip it” FTP Obsession Understanding your power The problems with standard FTP tests Power vs. Poor Pacing Vanity FTP Your Power Portfolio Gadgets are tools to inform not dictate Blindly believing your watch How would you drive with 3 gallons of gas? Who are you today? Registration is NOW OPEN for 2020 C26 Camps. Find out more on our Camps Page.  Struggling with your Swim? Join our new SWIM SQUAD 12 Month Program and build confidence in the water.

Are you drinking too much water? Training for the wrong course? Pushing hard at the wrong times? Today, it’s all about why races fall apart, both because in-race decisions and lack of race specific training. We look smart heat acclimation, sweat tests, replicating your race course, and how to nail nutrition. The difference between a decent race and a great one comes down to the little things.  Topics: Mind tricks of big training blocks The Dead of Summer Heat Being blind to getting fit Optimal training conditions  Summer training is hard to compute The body as a machine Heat and Hydration Why You Should be taking notes Dialing in Nutrition in the Heat How athletes typically screw up races Sweat Tests  Why straight water is bad for your race Is the Run the problem or what you do before it? When nutrition mistakes are amplified Practicing Race Day  Replicating the Ironman bike  Detailing Demands of the course you’re racing Race specific training Heat Acclimation vs. Fitness  Registration is NOW OPEN for 2020

"Is it getting better, or do you feel the same?" - U2 Triathletes are notorious for experiencing burnout, but we’re here to tell you the training isn’t the reason. More often it’s something in your life that isn’t being addressed that can’t be solved by triathlon. We look at the Ironman (triathlon) high and search for ways to approach the sport so it’s not taking away what it should be giving you. The event doesn’t change you, it’s who you become along the way.  Topics: Ironman Muncie podcast is #65  2020 C26 Training Camps Link Getting back your mojo Ironman Burnout Does Ironman define you? The Ironman high . . . and low When we let races define us Why did you choose Triathlon? Searching for Change  Searching for Fulfillment You’re still left with you Treading water in your life Is triathlon your life raft? Sleep, eat, dream, post triathlon 28:00 - out… “i hate that it can’t fix me” Where is the sweet spot of contentment? Roller Coaster Life Registration is NOW OPEN for 2020 C26 Camps. Find out more on ou

Sometimes life and this sport can be tough. Ultimately we're not in control, but what else can we do? Maybe an overload of kindness.  ----------------------- Struggling with your Swim? Join our new SWIM SQUAD 12 Month Program and build confidence in the water. You'll get 4 workouts a week, 4 customized video swim analysis, weekly swim tip videos and discounts on our Swim Camps. For more information go to this link.  Support the Crushing Iron podcast on Patreon, where the community pledge is only $3.26 per month. There are other options, but every little bit helps us keep this podcast on the rails. Thanks in advance. You can also support us at our new store at CrushingIron.com. We have some NEW classic logo t-shirts and the Official Crushing Iron Spectator shirt for sale. Support the cast and get some new gear for it! Are you thinking about raising your game or getting started in triathlon with a coach? Check out our Crushing Iron Coaching Philosophy Video Please subscribe and rate Crushing Iron on YouTube

Do you get trapped in loops of negative self-talk? This can be a huge burden to carry when training. Today, we look at ways to manage your training so that you keep good energy and build a pattern of confidence. We get rid of "pass or fail" workouts and show how each training session (no matter how small) can be translated into mental preparation for a race. Finish strong, happy, and healthy.  Topics: Cycles of Negativity  What makes a successful athlete? Running by feel Talking yourself into being stagnant  Appreciating how far you’ve come Coach athlete relationship on big picture Do you give up on yourself? How do you push yourself? Mental wins vs mental losses  Effort vs. Itinerary driven workouts Getting rid of pass or fail workouts Effort towards execution Beat yesterday?  Who slows down the least How to finish strong Mental exploration of pace and effort Be an expert of knowing your body Bonking vs. Terrible Execution The Person Who Makes the least amount of mistakes wins Struggling with your Swim? Jo