#866 – Ironman Racing, Pacing, and Mentality
Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast
Release Date: 07/29/2025
Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast
Is your REAL goal to be fast, healthy, or just have a good time with training and racing? Today, we talk about why it’s important to define your true aspirations in the sport so you can come to an internal agreement with yourself as the year rolls on. It’s not uncommon for athletes to go through an identity crisis many times a year. We get into some of our personal struggles as we look at finding our sweet spot with training, racing, and life. We also look at clashing value systems and how that can make things tougher. ----------- Looking for a great way to empower your training, explore...
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Going HARD is easy to understand, but taking rest for recovery of your mind and body can sometimes create guilt. Why do we think like that? Today, we dive into the psychology of taking a day, or two, off when our body needs it. We also talk about getting trapped in upper Zone 2 and how that can often turn into Zone 3 which is wearing you down far more than you think. We look at junk miles and asked if they really are junk, or if they’re something more than we think. We talk flexibility, pliability, and how range of motion can create more economy in your stroke, peddling, and stride. Explore...
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Today we look at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship weekend. We break down each event, including the unbelievable comebacks for Lucy and Taylor, along with the wild 3 second separation finish in the men’s. We talk coming back from a bad race and turning it back on again. Having a short memory and the ability to let it rip. Great discussion about what the pros are doing and how it applies to you! ----------- Looking for a great way to empower your training, explore your limits, and exist in the moment? Check out for 2026! Want to build strength and conquer the water? Look into our swim...
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We can’t go hard all the time. Movement is medicine and those movements should have different speeds. Today we get into Zone Zero or active recovery or supplemental movement. It doesn’t matter what you call it, it’s a key piece of the big picture puzzle. And often it doesn’t even include motion directly related to triathlon. We’ll go over simple ways to ensure longevity and even race better by giving your recovery the attention it deserves. ----------- Looking for a great way to empower your training, explore your limits, and exist in the moment? Check out for 2026! Want to build...
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Are you giving enough love to the process? Today, we look at what the process is and why it’s really the way ti get better and get more out of life and triathlon. We point out that when you are “looking forward” to simple aerobic runs and rides you’re probably in a good place. We can’t rush our way through process to get to performance. It’s all tied together and the process can become your healthy addiction and keep you away from burnout. Let’s all make the goal to end 2025 like you want to begin 2026. ------------- Empower your training, explore your limits, and exist in the...
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Don’t turn triathlon into a job you hate. Now is the time to embrace flexibility and work on being healthy, happy, and a more resilient athlete. Today we look at the toughest times of the year and how to use them to your advantage. We also get into how gratitude makes us faster. We talk about keeping an eye on how far you’ve come. We talk maintaining vs. losing and how your body will thank you on race day. We talk about why overly specific interval training is overrated. We look at burn out and how to make sure you can have a long and healthy life with triathlon as your guide. Topics: ...
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Today we look at the three dominant metrics in triathlon: Heart Rate, Power, and RPE. Which one is right for you, and does that answer change with different variables? We look at things like time of the day, time of the year, and adjusting based on how you feel. We tackle questions like intensity vs. volume and look at different scenarios depending on if you’re racing an Ironman or something shorter. We talk Vo2 max and look at whether or not you should even be thinking about it. And we also get into how a lot of triathletes screw up their races with nutrition. Topics: Wetsuit legal...
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Motivation is fleeting. How do we train and live in such a way that we’re looking forward to what’s next? Not down the road in 10 months, but what’s next today and tomorrow? Today, we look at finding a good combination of freedom within the discipline. Do you buy in to your direction or are you struggling with understanding the real goals? Do you have conviction for what you’re chasing? Topics: Favorite Holidays Four reels per week? What’s the top thing to do right now? Put your shoes on and go We all need freedom Racing season is our school year Finding a freedom and discipline mix...
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What a race! Today we go through our observations of the Kona Women’s World Championship. We start with some intriguing swim strategies, get into decision making on the bike, and look at what might have gone wrong from the leaders in the run. It was a fascinating day and we get into the concept of going wire to wire. Mental pressure. Working together. How smart can you be. And why it clearly ain’t over till it’s over. Topics: 100 Milers Spoiler alert It ain’t over til it’s over Lucy Charles Barclay Taylor Knibb Kat Matthews Solveig Lovseth Kona swim Pro swim strategies Did they race...
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Today we come partly from the great north of Wisconsin. We get into Kona predictions, jeans and ribeyes, then dive into the question of: how do the best separate themselves from the rest. We bring it to an age group level and explore how we can be at our best then stay at our best. How do we outwork doubt? Topics: Jeans and ribeyes Cold Weather Lake Superior Kona Women Biggest Questions What's the difference between the best and rest Do you over correct? Game face in training Outworking your doubts How do you respond after your best race? Is it enough? You have to detrain We need...
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On the heels of our Ironman Wisconsin camp we dive deep into strategy, pacing and mentality. We talk about the Wisconsin bike course and why it’s so attractive, or daunting to people and how to solve the riddle. We also get into swimming and look at what races you need to train harder for. We look at how to pick the right race for you. How making smart decisions and fewer mistakes can be the difference in your PR. And we look at why you should never assume anything about a course or a race day.
Topics:
- Our Ironman Wisconsin Camp
- Ironman Wisconsin Bike Course Discussion
- Honing your mental game
- Making Smart Decisions
- How to make fewer mistakes
- The best races for stronger bikers
- Challenges of training for Ironman Texas
- Fast races present different problems
- Setting time goals and how that can be a problem
- Who performs better at Kona
- Bike courses vs. Run Courses
- Picking races that are right for you
- When can you short your swim training?
- Staying in overall ballpark triathlon shape
- Fully commit and never assume
- Should you tackle a full Ironman after your 70.3?
Mike Tarrolly - mike@c26triathlon.com
Robbie Bruce - robbie@c26triathlon.com