Vic Brumfield USA Triathlon Elevate 2028

#484 USAT CEO Vic Brumfield  

Welcome

Welcome to Episode #484 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 USAT CEO, Vic Brumfield! We are super excited to have Vic on 303 to share USA Triathlon's Mission, Vision and Purpose and Elevate 2028 - roadmap to the LA Olympic games! April, how excited are you for this interview? 

April -​​ This is the interview of the year right here, Rich, and I love that we got to feature Vic and the USA Triathlon mission on the 303!

 

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!

Thanks buddy! Let me tell you about today’s action packed episode! We’ve got a lot of great things happening that we can’t wait to share. First up, 

 

In Today's Show

• Announcements and News

• Ask A Coach - Feature Interview with USAT CEO Vic Brumfield

• Get Gritty: G2G Camp Series!

• TriDot Workout of the Week: Building 75’s

• Fun Segment: Life in the Fast Lane!

 

Announcements and News:

Upcoming Programming - Our March focus will be on running.

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

Public Service Announcement

Ironman Announced Banned Running Shoes for 2025 Season – Triathlete

2025 IRONMAN Competition Rules - English Version_25 February 2025.pdf

World Triathlon approves updates on the Competition Rules

 

G2G Spring Training Camp - Training Camp

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

What’s the difference between a good triathlete and a GREAT one? Smart training. And that’s where we come in! At Grit2Greatness Endurance Coaching, we’ve teamed up with TriDot to bring you easy onboarding, custom workouts, and data-driven insights that actually make a difference. Try it free for two weeks—then keep the momentum going for as little as $14.99/month. Sign up through Coach April’s or Coach Rich’s link in our show notes, and let’s start training like you mean it!

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 Vic Brumfield

Joining us on the podcast today is Victoria Brumfield, the dynamic new CEO of USA Triathlon. Victoria embodies all the qualities of an outstanding leader—she's collaborative, creative, forward-thinking, service-oriented, and thrives on tackling challenges. With her clear vision for the future of the organization and the sport, along with her diverse expertise and unparalleled passion, she's uniquely equipped to elevate both USA Triathlon and the triathlon and multisport community across the country. As the driving force behind the ambitious 2028 Strategic Plan, Victoria is set to inspire and empower as she leads the way toward a bright future for the sport we all love.

Post Interview:

Rich: 1. From two truths and a lie - grew up riding horses and then doing standup comedy in NYC, how she found it using both sides of her brain. 2. Rebuilding the team and Tim Yount and gelling as an organization. 3. Getting the word out to tell the industry and world what they are doing and why - super honored to be a part of that strategy in a tangential way. 4. Definitely see the momentum Vic and the team are building. It would be a fun team to be a part of.

Get Gritty Tip: Spring Camp

Spring Training Camp

Last week we talked about Spring Cleaning and Training Tips. Hopefully you are well on your way to having everything tuned, tightened, charged, repaired, bought, etc. I personally went to the bike store on Saturday and bought rim tape, tubes, Co2, Chamois Butt’r, citrus degreaser and more.

 

This week we are diving into Training Camps and why the Grit2Greatness Training Camp Series is a great way to learn, connect and train!

 

Each day will start with the first half of the day being dedicated to the focus of the camp. This applies to both days of the camp, Saturday and Sunday. 

There will be a mid-day refuel before afternoon training. We want the camp to be compatible with your race preparation, so there is time planned for your race rehearsal and long runs.There will be plenty of support for those going long. 

Saturdays will end with a social hour where we wind down with refreshments and nutrition that doesn’t involve gels and bars. Details to be announced with Campers. Sundays will end after the long run with a Camper Awards Ceremony recognizing podium performance for most engaged, most improved and most supportive to others.

Not ready to be a Camper? Try being a Volunteer! We love Volunteers! We will also have a volunteer signup. Just indicate Volunteer and which days in the Reservation form.

https://grit2greatnessendurance.com/training-camp

TriDot Workout/Drill of the Week: 

Building 75’s

This session is all about controlled intensity progression—teaching your body how to increase effort efficiently without burning out. “Building” swim sets like this help develop pacing skills, stroke control, and race-day execution by gradually increasing speed within a single effort or across multiple repetitions.

"Building" swim sets consist of one or more rounds of effort of a specific distance where you increase your intensity level during each effort. This increase can be prescribed as either a gradual build throughout the effort or stepped increases at each lap.

Why It Works:

• Enhances pacing awareness by training different effort zones within a single rep.

• Improves muscular endurance by incorporating a mix of steady-state and high-intensity efforts.

• Develops speed control with structured builds and descends.

• Mimics race-day demands by conditioning you to shift gears smoothly.

Breaking It Down:

Warmup & Prep Work: 400-600 warmup with skills and drills

 

Main Set

8 x 25 as odds @ Z2, Evens Build (15 sec)
4 x 50 Desc 1-4 ( 15 sec)
100 Choice 

The opening set gets you primed with shorter distances at varying efforts:

• 25s and 50s focus on gradual builds and controlled descends, waking up speed while reinforcing technique.

• 100 Choice lets you ease into the workout with your preferred stroke or focus area.

Main Set –

4 Rounds of:
4 x 75 (25 sec) as
50 @ Z1, 25 @ Z2
50 @ Z1, 25 @ Z5
25 @ Z2, 50 @ Z4
75 Build to Z5
2 x 50 Drill Choice (20 sec)

Each 4-round cycle focuses on controlled effort changes within each 75:

• First two reps balance steady swimming with a finishing push.

• Third rep reverses the effort, starting moderate and ending fast.

• Fourth rep builds all the way to Zone 5, pushing your top-end speed.

• Drill-focused 50s in between rounds reinforce efficiency before the next push.

The Finisher – Kicking & Cooldown

2x 100 Kick (20 sec)

• 100 Kick sets add a strong aerobic and leg endurance component.

• Cooldown allows for a return to relaxed, controlled form.

Cool Down

Balance of time @ Z2 and/or repeat warmup drills as time permits.

Takeaways:

This workout is perfect for triathletes needing to fine-tune their ability to push through different effort levels in a race. Whether it’s the back half of a long swim or a surge to catch a pack, Building 75’s train both strength and strategic speed control—exactly what you need to swim smarter and faster on race day.

Give this one a go and let us know—how do you handle changing speeds in the water?

 

Fun Segment: Life in the fast lane!!! 

How It Works:

Each guest gets hit with 5 rapid-fire, high-stakes triathlon scenarios. No thinking, no justifying—just a fast answer and on to the next!

 

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Life in the Fast Lane – This Week’s Scenarios:

Last-Minute Gear Swap

You’re at the start line and realize you grabbed the wrong gear bag. You can either race with…

• A tri kit 2 sizes too big

• A casio calculator watch with zero smart functions

Nutrition Nightmare

Your only nutrition options on the bike are…

• An entire gel flask of mystery flavor

• A banana that’s been rolling around in the bottom of your bag

Mid-Race Musical Madness

You're stuck with ONE song on repeat for the entire run. Do you pick…

• "The Final Countdown" on a never-ending loop

• A Kidz Bop version of your favorite pump-up song

The Mystery Aid Station Surprise

You roll up to an aid station, parched and desperate for fuel. But the only two options left are…

• A cup of warm, flat soda that’s been sitting in the sun all day

• A handful of unmarked energy chews with a questionable texture

Race Finish Style

You’re about to cross the finish line. Do you…

• Go for the epic victory leap (risking a cramp)

• Play it cool with a subtle nod like a pro

Closing Line:

Alright, that was Life in the Fast Lane! No time to overthink, just go with your gut. Let us know in the comments—how would you have answered these?

Closing:

Thanks again for listening this week. Please be sure to follow us @303Triathlon and @grit2greatnessendurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment. We'd really appreciate it!

Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!