The ONE Thing with Jay Papasan

#485 The ONE Thing with Jay Papasan  

Welcome

Welcome to Episode #485 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. We're your hosts Coaches Rich Soares and April Spilde. Thanks for joining us for another week of interviews, coaching tips and discussion. 

This week we have a special interview with someone that everyone, athlete or not, will learn something from. Jay Papasan is a bestselling author and business leader, who co-authored The ONE Thing, The Surprising Truth Behind Extraordinary Results. 

 

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 Jay Papasan

• Get Gritty: The ONE Thing Principles

• TriDot Workout of the Week: Bike Power Intervals 

• Fun Segment: Guess that Gear!

 

Announcements and News:

Upcoming Programming - Our March focus will be on running.

Apr. 12 - Coach Kurt Madden, with 50 IRONMAN finishes, 15 first place finishes in his age group across IRONMAN competitions, multiple top-ten finishes at the Ironman World Championships, and Two-Time Winner of the Ultraman World Championships is joining us to talk about longevity in triathlon and running

Apr. 19 - Bill Plock joining us to talk about Colorado’s Ride

Apr. 26 - Athlete Highlight! :) Sasha Goldsberry 

May 3 - Group Ride - Boulder 70.3 of FulGaz

 

G2G Spring 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

The water bottles arrived and they look amazing. We are already at 20% of slots reserved.

https://grit2greatnessendurance.com/training-camp

 

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 Jay Papasan

Jay's expertise in focus, goal-setting, and high performance makes him an excellent guest for the 303 Triathlon Podcast. The ONE Thing provides a powerful framework for busy athletes looking to balance training, work, and life while staying laser-focused on what truly moves the needle. His insights can help endurance athletes simplify their approach, build consistency, and achieve breakthrough results—both on and off the racecourse..

Get Gritty Tip: 

The principles outlined in *The ONE Thing* can be incredibly effective when applied to triathlon training. Here are five ways they align:

 

1. **Prioritize Your Focus**: The book emphasizes focusing on one thing that matters most. For triathletes, this could mean identifying the weakest discipline (swim, bike, or run) and devoting extra time and energy to improving it. Alternatively, it might mean prioritizing recovery or strength training if those are key to your performance.

 

2. **Set Clear Goals**: The ONE Thing encourages setting specific goals that align with your long-term vision. For triathletes, this could mean planning a race calendar and defining what success looks like—whether it's completing your first triathlon or achieving a personal best in your next Ironman.

 

3. **Time Blocking for Training**: Keller and Papasan emphasize time blocking—dedicating undistracted time to your priority. Triathlon training involves balancing three sports, so time blocking ensures you consistently make space for swim, bike, and run sessions, as well as rest and nutrition planning.

 

4. **Leverage the Domino Effect**: The concept of tackling the most impactful task first can be applied to triathlon preparation. For example, improving your swimming technique could have a domino effect, boosting your confidence and setting a positive tone for the rest of your training sessions.

 

5. **Combat Multitasking**: The book warns against multitasking, advocating instead for deep focus on one task at a time. In triathlon training, this could mean being fully present in each workout—focusing on your stroke during swimming, your cadence during cycling, or your form during running—rather than allowing distractions to dilute your effort.

 

Triathlon training requires discipline and strategic planning, and *The ONE Thing* offers a framework to enhance your focus and efficiency. 

 

TriDot Workout/Drill of the Week: 

Bike Power Intervals

This week’s TriDot Workout of the Week is all about *Power Intervals*—and learning how to generate strong, sustainable watts using two different techniques. After a solid warmup with some Z4 primers, you’ll hit two rounds of 4-minute efforts at Zone 4 with a low cadence of 70 rpm, emphasizing raw force. Then you’ll dial it back to Zone 2 and hold 90 rpm to recover. Power equals force times speed, and this session trains both sides of the equation—so you build strength *and* speed control. Keep those Zone 4 intervals crisp and clean, and remember: low rpm = grind, high rpm = spin, both equal *power*.

Ready to break it down?

Warmup

10 min @ Z2 with 2 x 30 sec (30 sec) Spinups and 3 x 1 min (1 min) @ Z4

Main Set

2 x 4 min @ Z4 ~70 rpm (2 min)

Balance of time @ Z2

Session Note

When performing Power Intervals, the hard efforts are all at Z4 but you'll be producing that power using two different techniques. Power is force times speed (cadence). During the initial Z4 efforts, you'll emphasize force production to produce power by pedalling at 70 rpms. During the latter Z4 efforts, you'll shift emphasis to producing power with a higher cadence by pedalling at 90 rpms. Your rest periods between harder efforts are at Z2.

Perform Z2 efforts @ 90 rpms.

Perform Z4 efforts @ 70 or 90 rpms as directed.

And there you have it—your Power Intervals session designed to help you crush your bike splits by training both force and speed. Get after it, stay focused on your cadence zones, and remember: every stroke counts when you're building power with purpose.

Now… let’s shift gears—literally and figuratively.

It’s time for one of my favorite parts of the show, where we trade sweat for smarts and see just how well you know your triathlon gear. This week, we’re kicking off a brand-new game I’m calling… “Guess That Gear!”

Here’s how it works: I’ll read a few clues about a piece of triathlon equipment—could be from swim, bike, run, or transition—and it’s up to you, Rich (and all of you listening), to figure out what it is before I give the answer.

Ready to test your triathlon IQ?

Let’s play Guess That Gear!

 

Fun Segment: Life in the fast lane!!! 

 “Guess That Gear!” – Triathlon Edition

 Segment Intro (Script):

Alright, triathletes, it’s time for our fun segment and I’ve got another completely brand new one for you—It’s called, “Guess That Gear!”

I’m going to describe a piece of triathlon gear—could be something from the swim, bike, run, or transition—and it’s up to you, Rich (and our audience) to figure out what it is…

 How It Works:

I’ll give a series of clues about a piece of triathlon-related gear, equipment, or accessory—starting vague and getting more specific.

Round 1 Clues:

1. I’m lightweight but can make or break your race.

2. I’m often strapped, clipped, or buckled.

3. Lose me in transition and you’re disqualified.

What am I?

Answer: Helmet

 

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Round 2 Clues:

1. I’m packed with calories but not flavor.

2. You’ll probably get sick of me around mile 40.

3. I can be fruity, salty, or even a complete mystery…

What am I?

Answer: Energy gel

 

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Round 3 Clues:

1. I’m often forgotten until it’s too late.

2. I can mean the difference between crying and cruising.

3. You probably applied me in T1… if you remembered).
   
   

Answer: Body Glide / Anti-Chafe Balm / Sunblock

 

 

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Round 4 Clues:

1. I sit quietly under pressure.

2. I’m small, but without me, you’re not going far.

3. I love CO₂, but I’m not a soda can.

 

Answer: Spare tube

 

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Round 5 Clues:

1. I make you look like a superhero... or a sausage.

2. I’m built for speed, not bathroom breaks.

3. If you forget me on race morning, you’re going to panic.

 

Answer: Tri suit

Okay, that last one’s a rite of passage. You haven’t really lived until you’ve tried to wiggle out of one of these in a porta-potty at mile 56.

 

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!