Get Gritty with Off road Triathlon

#496 Get Gritty with Off Road Triathlon

 

Welcome

Welcome to Episode #496 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. We're your hosts Coaches Rich Soares and April Spilde. Thanks for joining us for another week of news, coaching tips and discussion.

 

The heat is on and triathlon race season is seriously under way here in the front range. We had a toasty day at IRONMAN Boulder 70.3 last weekend and the heat is on again this weekend for Xterra Lory with temperatures in the mid 90s.

 

Congratulations to everyone who raced last Saturday at IRONMAN Boulder 70.3!

 

April, are you ready to blaze the trails around Horsetooth Reservoir?

 

Hell yeah, Rich and YEE-HAW! I texted you earlier today that this race is going to feel like a high-octane rollar coaster all under your own power. Speaking of which how was you ride around Back Country? 

 

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 (Rich)

• Ask A Coach: Race Report and the Growth Mindset (Rich)

• Get Gritty: Turning Race Day Nerves into Power! Clear the Mechanism

• TriDot Workout of the Week: Strength (Rich)

• Fun Segment: Trail Fail or Win?!

 

Announcements and News:

 

Our Announcements are supported by VESPA Power today.

Endurance athletes—what if you could go farther, faster, and feel better doing it? With Vespa Power Endurance Nutrition, you can unlock your body’s natural fat-burning potential and fuel performance without the sugar crash. Vespa helps you tap into steady, clean energy—so you stay strong, focused, and in the zone longer. 

Vespa is not fuel, but a metabolic catalyst that shifts your body to use more fat and less glycogen as your fuel source.

 

Less sugar. Higher performance. Faster recovery. 

Home of Vespa Power Products | Optimizing Your Fat Metabolism

Use discount code - 303endurance20

 

Independence Day Pikes Peak Ride Jul 4, 2025

Join us for an invigorating bike ride from Santa’s Workshop at 7700 feet to the top of Pikes Peak at 14,111. 6800 feet of climbing in 18 miles. 

Garmin Course - https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/369763602

 

TriDot Pool School July 26-27. https://www.tridotpoolschool.com/component/eventbooking/pool-school/tridot-pool-school-20250726-844-986-401-167-857/94?Itemid=762

 

Ask A Coach Sponsor: G2G Endurance

Training alone is tough. Training smart? That’s where we come in. Grit2Greatness Endurance + TriDot gives you optimized training, the data, and the support to crush your goals—without burning out. Try it FREE for 2 weeks through our TriDot links below, then roll into your best season yet for as low as $14.99/month. With the right tools, you're unstoppable. Go to the show notes. Click the link. Let’s do this together!

Website - Grit2Greatness Endurance Coaching

Facebook page @grit2greatnessendurance

 

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: Race Report and the Growth Mindset 

1. **What did you learn about yourself during this race that you didn’t know before?**  

   _Encourages self-discovery and reflection beyond performance metrics._

 

2. **What part of your performance are you most proud of, and why?**  

   _Shifts focus to strengths and reinforces positive self-recognition._

 

3. **What was the most challenging moment, and how did you respond to it mentally and physically?**  

   _Promotes awareness of coping strategies and resilience._

 

4. **If you could relive one moment of the race, what would it be and what would you do differently?**  

   _Encourages constructive reflection and learning from experience._

 

5. **What thoughts or beliefs helped you push through discomfort or fatigue?**  

   _Highlights mental tools and mindset strategies that worked._

 

6. **Where did you notice self-doubt creeping in, and how did you handle it?**  

   _Brings awareness to limiting beliefs and how they were managed._

 

7. **What habits or decisions in your training showed up positively in your race?**  

   _Connects preparation to performance, reinforcing effective behaviors._

 

8. **What feedback would you give yourself as both the athlete and the coach?**  

   _Fosters dual perspective thinking and self-coaching skills._

 

9. **How did you define success before the race, and has that definition changed now?**  

   _Explores evolving values and mindset around achievement._

 

10. **What’s one specific area you’re excited to grow in before your next race, and why?**  

   _Focuses on forward momentum and intrinsic motivation._

 

Get Gritty Tip: Turning Race Day Nerves Into Power

It’s race day, and that familiar feeling is creeping in—the tight chest, sweaty palms, butterflies fluttering in your stomach. As athletes, we all know what pre-race anxiety feels like. The difference between elite athletes and those still finding their stride isn’t that they don’t experience nervousness—they feel it just as much as we do. But they’ve learned to frame it differently.

Coach Steve Magness says it best: "Elite athletes don’t feel less anxiety before competition. They feel the same tight chest, sweaty palms, racing heart, and butterflies that the rest of us do. The difference? They’ve trained themselves to interpret those sensations differently."

This shift—from seeing nervousness as a threat to seeing it as a challenge—is where the magic happens. Research shows that high performers don’t experience less stress—they just frame it better. Rather than trying to eliminate that anxious feeling, they embrace it, knowing it’s a sign that they’re ready to rise.

Nerves aren’t the enemy. In fact, they’re your body’s way of saying, “You care. Something meaningful is about to happen.” So, instead of running from it, lean into it. Understand that those nerves are helping you prepare, keeping you sharp, and sharpening your focus. They’re not a sign of weakness—they’re a sign of strength.

We can often think that nervousness means something is wrong or that we’re not prepared enough. But the reality is, it means you do care. It means your mind and body are ready for the challenge ahead.

The goal isn’t to eliminate the nerves, it’s to work with them. See them as fuel, not fear. Feel them, acknowledge them, and let them guide you forward.

When you feel those pre-race jitters, remind yourself: You’re about to do something meaningful.

Action item: Next time those race-day nerves hit, don’t push them away. Instead, breathe into them. Let them be the signal that you're ready for the challenge. Harness that energy to fuel your focus, and remember, those butterflies are pushing you toward greatness. Ready to learn how to channel that energy? 

Clear the Mechanism and Rise Above

Nervousness before a race can feel overwhelming. But how do you take that energy and channel it into focus instead of letting it distract you? The answer lies in a simple but powerful mindset technique from For the Love of the Game, where Kevin Costner’s character, a seasoned pitcher, uses the phrase “Clear the mechanism.”

This technique isn’t just for baseball—it’s something every triathlete can use. When the nerves start to flood your mind, and you feel like you’re about to be overwhelmed by the noise, distractions, and pressure, the key is to clear the mechanism.

When you clear the mechanism, you’re intentionally blocking out everything that isn’t directly related to the task at hand. It’s like hitting the reset button, shifting your focus from the fear and doubt to the one thing you can control: your next move. Whether it’s your swim stroke, your pedal cadence, or your run stride, you zoom in on that one thing and let everything else fade away.

Coach Steve Magness reminds us that nerves aren’t the enemy—they’re a sign that you care, that your body is getting ready. But we can use those nerves to fuel us, not flood us. And just like the pitcher who needs to block out the crowd, the score, and the noise, as a triathlete, you can clear out the mental clutter and focus on what’s in front of you.

Here’s how to apply it:

• When the nerves hit, take a deep breath, and clear the mechanism.

• Shut down the distractions, the what-ifs, and the self-doubt.

• Focus on your next step—the one thing you can control right now. Maybe it’s your breath, your form, or the rhythm of your movement.

• Acknowledge the nerves, then let them guide you forward, not pull you under.

By clearing your mental space, you give yourself permission to focus on the task, to be fully present, and to perform at your best. It’s not about eliminating the nerves; it’s about making them work for you instead of against you.

 

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Action item: Before your next race or workout, practice clearing the mechanism. When you feel overwhelmed, mentally shut out everything except for the next task at hand. Clear the mechanism, focus on your breath, and take control of the moment. You’ve trained for this. Let the nerves fuel your focus and guide you to greatness.

 

TriDot Workout of the Week: Strength

Recovery Week Training - Strength

Strength training is a crucial yet often overlooked component of triathlon preparation. Exercises like reverse lunges, single-leg deadlifts, and quadruped band kickbacks help build unilateral strength and stability, which are essential for efficient running and injury prevention. Core-focused movements such as plank reaches, V-ups, and half-kneeling rotations enhance balance, posture, and power transfer across all three disciplines. Functional exercises like burpees and cross-pull lawnmowers improve overall athleticism, coordination, and cardiovascular resilience. Together, these movements not only boost muscular endurance and joint integrity but also help triathletes maintain form under fatigue, reduce injury risk, and ultimately perform more consistently across swim, bike, and run segments.

 

Rotate 1-3x through the following exercises doing 10-20 repetitions or 30 to 60 sec efforts of each.

 

Reverse Lunge

Single Leg Deadlifts

Half-Kneeling Rotation

Plank Reaches

Cross Pulls Lawnmower

Burpees

V Ups One leg

Quadruped Band Kickbacks

 

 

Fun Segment: Trail Fail or Win!

 

It’s time for Trail Fail or Trail Win! — the game where we throw out some wild off-road triathlon scenarios, and Rich and I decide: was this a total disaster… or a sneaky success in disguise? Some of these could be race-ending nightmares—or just epic stories waiting to happen. Let’s find out!

 

Scenario 1: The Wild Animal Detour

Mid-race, a deer darts across the trail and you crash while trying to avoid it. You roll into the bushes, get back on your feet, and still finish 3rd in your age group—leaves and twigs in your helmet included.

 

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Scenario 2: The Wrong-Turn Bonus Miles

You miss a poorly marked turn on the trail run, add nearly 1.5 miles to your race, and come in well over your expected time. But… you didn’t quit and still finished smiling.

 

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Scenario 3: The Creek Shoe Sacrifice

You nail the bike leg and enter the run feeling great… until you sink into a muddy creek crossing and one of your shoes stays behind. You finish the run with one barefoot foot.

 

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Scenario 4: Transition Tent Tantrum

Your gear bag somehow ends up in someone else’s spot. You panic, yell a few expletives, throw your hands up—and then remember your gear is on the other side of the rack. You recover… barely.

 

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Scenario 5: The Mid-Race Snack Catastrophe

You reach for your trail mix on the bike—your new homemade “clean fuel”—and spill it all over your top tube. The rest of the ride, you're being followed by bees. You still PR the course!

So whether you're dodging wildlife, losing shoes in creeks, or baiting bees with your snacks, remember—off-road triathlon isn’t just a race. It’s an adventure. Keep sending us your crazy scenarios, or better yet—live them. And we’ll see you next time on Trail Fail or Win!

 

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!