Jason Bahamundi Running With Passion + Springtime in the Rockies

Jason Bahamundi Running With Passion

Welcome

Welcome to Episode #483 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. We're your hosts Coaches Rich Soares and April Spilde. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance news, coaching tips and discussion. 

This week we have a special interview with Jason Bahamundi. Jason is an endurance athlete and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles and the founder and owner of Run Tri Bike, a media company dedicated to celebrating the stories of everyday endurance athletes and promoting diversity and inclusivity in sports. Shoutout to Coach Jasmine Moezzi for the introduction!

It is officially Spring and this episode is your CALL TO ACTION! Folks, some of you have races coming up in two months! It’s GO TIME! Spring Training is officially on and we have a lot of fantastic content coming up to get you ready for race season.

 

Show Sponsor: UCAN

UCAN created LIVSTEADY as an alternative to sugar based nutrition products. LIVSTEADY was purposefully designed to work with your body, delivering long-lasting energy you can feel. Whether UCAN Energy Powders, Bars or Gels, LIVSTEADY's unique time-release profile allows your body to access energy consistently throughout the day, unlocking your natural ability to finish stronger and recover more quickly!

 

In Today's Show

• Announcements and News

• Ask A Coach - Feature Interview with Jason Bahamundi

• Get Gritty: Spring Training

• TriDot Workout of the Week: Decreasing Intervals

• Fun Segment: Like It, Love It, Leave It – Ultrarunner Edition! 

 

Announcements and News:

Upcoming Programming - Our March focus will be on running.

Mar. 22 - Jason Bahamundi from RunTri Magazine

Mar. 29 - USAT CEO Vic Brumfield on USA Triathlon’s strategic plan – Elevate 2028: Focus Forward – which is USAT’s roadmap to LA 2028

Apr. 5 - Author and Founder of The ONE Thing, Jay Papasan to help us find that lead domino and create habits for success

 

G2G Spring Training Camp - Are we ready to announce?-Absolutely!

May 17-18 - Swim Focus in C.Springs and Chatfield

May 24-25 - Bike Focus - Chatfield/Chatfield

May 31-June 1 Run Focus - Boulder/Boulder

 

Grit2Greatness Endurance Website and Social Media - Come check out our new coaching 

Website - Grit2Greatness Endurance Coaching

Facebook page @grit2greatnessendurance

Ask A Coach Sponsor: G2G Endurance

Triathletes, it’s time to unlock your potential! Grit2Greatness Coaching has joined forces with TriDot to bring you personalized, science-backed training that actually works. No fluff—just smarter training, better results, and a 2-week free trial to get you started. After that? Plans start at just $14.99/month. The best athletes don’t just train harder; they train smarter. Click the link in our show notes and see what’s possible!

Coach April Spilde

[email protected]

TriDot Signup - https://app.tridot.com/onboard/sign-up/aprilspilde

RunDot Signup - https://app.rundot.com/onboard/sign-up/aprilspilde 

 

Coach Rich Soares

[email protected]

Rich Soares Coaching

TriDot Signup - https://app.tridot.com/onboard/sign-up/richsoares

RunDot Signup - https://app.rundot.com/onboard/sign-up/richsoares

 

Ask A Coach: Interview with Jason Bahamundi

Jason's journey into endurance sports began in New York. Among his notable achievements include completing eight Ironman and eight Western States 100-mile endurance run finishes to his record. During the pandemic, Jason launched Run Tri Bike to create a platform that highlights the experiences of non-professional athletes. 

Jason's philosophy revolves around taking risks and betting on oneself, a mindset he applies both in his athletic pursuits and his career. He encourages others to overcome the fear of failure and strive for their goals, believing that success comes from pushing one's limits and learning from setbacks.

Get Gritty Tip: Spring Training

Spring Cleaning

Alright, triathletes, listen up. This is a great reminder to do a Pre-Season Gear Check before the training really ramps up. Here are 10 things you can check, tune or replace as needed.

1. Bike cleats - listen to Cycling in Alignment Pod

2. Running shoes - replace old and worn (replacement window 300-500)

3. Brake pads or disk wear - check lock screw

4. Wetsuit - look for tears and wear

5. Chain ring and cassette wear - look for shark fins

6. Tire wear - cuts

7. Rim tape

8. Power meter batteries

9. HR strap batteries

10. Bike tune-up and servicing 

Spring Training

Spring is here, and that means it’s time to lay down the foundation for your best summer races yet. I’m here to dish out ten recommendations to get you race-ready and thriving by the time the starting gun goes off. So, grab your notepad or just mentally file this away as your spring triathlon checklist:

 

1. Proactive Bike Maintenance: Your bike is your race-day ride-or-die. Get it tuned up—replace those worn tires, check the chain, and make sure your brakes are crisp and responsive. A squeaky bike isn’t a speedy bike.

2. Perfect Your Bike Fit: Comfort and efficiency are the name of the game. Spring is the ideal time to see a bike fitter—small tweaks in posture can lead to huge gains in performance and stave off injuries.

3. Run Gait Analysis: Have a pro take a look at your run form. A little feedback could help you reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries and maybe even shave seconds off your mile splits.

4. Riding in Wind: Summer races often mean unpredictable weather, so use spring to master those blustery bike rides. Practice holding your line in crosswinds and staying aero without exhausting yourself.

5. Sun Protection Routine: No one wants to look like a lobster crossing the finish line. Spring training means figuring out which sunscreen won’t sweat off, and getting comfy with UV-protective gear like sunglasses and hats.

6. Transition Practice: Time lost in transitions is time you’ll never get back. Set up mini transition zones in your yard and rehearse until your T1 and T2 flow like clockwork.

7. Nutrition Experimentation: What works for your gut during a long ride or brick workout? Test different fueling strategies now so you aren’t rolling the dice on race day.

8. Open Water Swim Practice: If the lakes and reservoirs in your area are warming up, start hitting them. Practice sighting and adapting to unpredictable water conditions—it’s a whole new ball game compared to the pool.

9. Strength and Mobility Work: Add a dash of strength training to your weekly schedule. Focus on key areas like your core, glutes, and shoulders to improve stability and power in all three disciplines.

10. Mental Race Prep: Visualize your success, plan your pacing strategies, and practice mindfulness techniques to keep you focused on race day. Your brain is just as much a part of the game as your body.

 

There you have it—ten actionable, spring-season steps to make this summer’s races your best yet. Whether you're aiming for a PR or simply hoping to cross the finish line with a smile, these tips should have you dialed in. Now, go crush it out there!

TriDot Workout/Drill of the Week: 

Decreasing Intervals 

This session is similar to a normal interval run but the duration of the efforts decreases as you go. Do your best to maintain a consistent pace with each effort regardless of its duration. The pace of your last interval should be close to the first. Resist the urge to go faster on the last few shorter efforts and focus instead on holding strong form. Recoveries should be at an extremely slow jog. These sessions are often done on a track.

 

Warmup

3-5 min jog followed by 2x10 yards or meters of each drill:

Quick Feet

Butt Kicks

A Skips

Asymmetric Arm Swings

B Skips

 

2 x 50-60 yard or meter Strides

Leg Swings

 

Main Set

2 x 3 min @ Z4 (60 sec)

3 x 1m 30s @ Z4 (60 sec)

or

2 x 600 @ Z4 (60 sec)

3 x 300 @ Z4 (60 sec)

 

Balance of time @ Z2

 

Fun Segment: Like It, Love It, Leave It – Ultrarunner Edition! 

Alright, ultra runners and those who are just ultra curious—it’s time for another round of Like It, Love It, or Leave It! – Ultrarunner Edition! The game where we throw out ultra running scenarios, gear, or habits, and you have to decide: Do you like it (it’s fine, but you could take it or leave it), love it (you’re all in), or leave it (hard pass, never again). Rich, you ready to see where we stand on the ultra-madness?

The Ultra Running Lineup – Like It, Love It, or Leave It?

1. Pre-Race Breakfast: Cold Pizza at 3 AM

You’re getting ready for a 50-miler, and the only thing available at this ungodly hour is cold pizza from the night before. Like it, love it, or leave it?

2. Mid-Race Aid Station Mystery Soup

You’re 40 miles deep, you roll into an aid station, and they hand you a cup of ‘mystery soup.’ It’s warm, it smells kind of good, but no one can tell you exactly what’s in it. Like it, love it, or leave it?

3. Post-Race Foot Photos

Ultra runners love to flex those gnarly, blister-covered, toenail-less feet on social media. Like it, love it, or leave it?”

4. Running Through the Night

Headlamp on, sleep deprivation setting in, hallucinations starting to appear—like it, love it, or leave it?

5. Mid-Race River Crossing

You’re deep into an ultra, and suddenly—bam! There’s a freezing cold river between you and the next aid station. No bridge, no steppingstones, just straight through the water. Like it, love it, or leave it?