#926 – Practice Being Uncomfortable
Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast
On some level we all dread the wind, the heat, the cold, the rough water, and the hills, but how do you learn to love it all for training benefit? Today, we look at the transition from indoors to outdoors and why it can be a shock to the system. We look at ways to build confidence and calm while preparing for anything in a race environment. How do you break out of your own personal matrix and create situations that will help you put your body in charge when the mind wants to run wild. We look at avoiding the inevitable and getting more and more comfortable with tough situations as the season...
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#925 – 10 Things Ironman Should Start Doing With Races
Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast
Today, we brainstormed to give Ironman (at least) 10 great ideas to increase excitement, revenue, and branding at their races. We talk about ways to increase age grouper engagement and retention. We get into on course changes to make the races tougher, more memorable, and safer. We look at getting the fans more invested and involved. Some of these are a little out there, but all good ideas start with a seed and maybe someday soon you’ll see some of these thoughts feathering their way into the Ironman ecosystem. Topics: Elite Age Groupers Age grouper recognition Tougher Races Spectator...
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#924 - Precision Fatigue in Training, Racing, and Life
Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast
Are you always trying to be perfect? Every day we face thousands of decisions that can either help us break free or tie us in knots. Today, we look at the sometimes overwhelming decision process that can affect triathletes in training, racing, and life. We get into premature optimization, how you should build your cake (base), and eventually ask if it’s “decision” fatigue or “precision” fatigue. We talk about the idea of always feeling judged and graded and how that can wear out our love for the sport. We look at the differences between inside riding and outside. We talk about...
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#923 – Prepared For The Swim
Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast
Today, our goal is to help you prepare for a solid swim by learning to like, and eventually love the water. We talk about many things you can be doing right now to make your swim as strong as possible. We look at how to approach training: swim hard, swim long, swim often. We get into ways to calm anxiety along with how to handle race morning. We talk a lot about the importance of warming up the proper way and how to handle a wetsuit before your race. Despite how people say the swim is the smallest part of the race, we want to share our thoughts on why being ready, confident, and calm while...
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#922 – Rethinking The Metrics - Power, HR, and Pace
Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast
We start today with a proclamation that Mike is throwing out his power meter and Robbie has a surprising reaction. We ask, what’s your preferred way of suffering? We get into climbing hills and getting too caught up in the numbers. We talk about the importance of breathing and its relationship to your heart rate training. We talk about keeping things simpler to avoid mistakes. We address enjoyment vs. punishment. We ask what the real finish line is. The beauty of the bike. The power behind not getting hurt or burned out while keeping a streak of rebellion. The frequency of movement adds...
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#921 – 2026 Ironman Texas Preview
Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast
Today, we preview Ironman Texas, but this is great info for any Ironman you might be racing. We include strategy for the age groupers and take a look at the stacked pro field and give predictions. We look at the wind and potentially "mild" weather and talk wetsuit or not, how to approach the swim along with the last stretch in the canal. We get into bike strategy for your first and second loop. Then take a look at how to handle the electric, three-loop run course. Lots of good insight for pacing, super shoes, and terrain. Also, if you're thinking of doing one of these GREAT MIDWEST races,...
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#920 – Optimize Your Engine and Decision Making
Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast
Are you paying compounding interest on fatigue and recovery? We look at several different ways to address today’s workout depending on where you are mentally and physically. Just because something is in your Training Peaks doesn’t mean it’s perfectly crafted for you on that day. We always want to encourage athletes to make the right decision based on how they feel, what is going on in their lives, and what the body is telling them. And believe us, there can be mixed signals. Today, we address the signals saying it’s time to get after it and the ones that may be begging you to flog...
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#919 – Chasing Speed The Right Way
Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast
We all want to be faster and today we look at the right ways to go about speed in triathlon. We talk about pushing the limits along with how putting in easy miles mix. We talk about building habits that matter and why you always have the time to do the extra things that will make a difference. New the “latest and greatest” training methods, the simple power of repetition, and why most triathletes don’t fully buy in to training. We also get into the biggest traps facing age groupers that want to be faster. Also, if you're thinking of doing one of these GREAT MIDWEST races,...
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#918 – C26 Coaches vs. AI - Listener Q&A
Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast
Today we take athlete questions and compare our answers with A.I. We get into how long to train for an Ironman after taking a chunk of time off. We look at what makes a race attractive. We look at trimming your time in an open mile run. Stationary pool band swimming. Double runs on the same day. Double rides. Along with biggest mistakes athletes make in the first Ironman. Topics: How much NIL would it take for us to transfer to a different podcast? Done several Ironman races, but taken a few years off? What now? What makes a good race How to trim a minute off your mile time Trail race...
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#917 – When Your Race Goes Sideways
Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast
Most of us have moments within a race where things aren't going as planned. The question is, how do you handle it? Will you throw in the towel or try to figure it out? What does that even look like. We make hundreds of decisions within a race and today we’re looking at how to make the best ones you can in the moment. We look at why not wearing a watch in the swim can give you a better mindset. We talk A, B, C goals and how to adjust on the fly. We talk about the courage to finish on a moderate note vs. a high or low. Finding wins no matter how you feel. Racing with gratitude all day. And...
info_outlineToday, we go deep on swimming but keep it relatively simple so you can work on things that matter and lock them in. We talk about some of the most important fundamentals regarding swimming: breathing, body position, and body control. There will be big wins in your swimming if you can master the basic principles of swimming. We also get into how you should be breaking up your week regarding form, intensity, and endurance. We’ll look at getting a bigger return for your energy investment, why the hips are critical, why you're probably too tense in the water, and the soon to be famous Light Switch Test.
Topics:
- Does op 20 swimming list hold up?
- Swimming and focus on the details
- Obsession over aero and watts but not swimming
- 90 Day Challenge
- Picking up swimming later in life
- Correct form + muscular endurance
- End of Ironman running form
- Uncomfortable doing hard swims?
- Efficient form for return of energy investment
- Day One - Pick one day for technique (AR)
- Day two - Focus on top speed and turnover
- Day Three - Longer swim for muscular endurance
- How to breathe
- Why to breathe every stroke
- Breath 2-4
- Bilateral breathing??
- Build a strong side
- Body position
- Head is number one
- Forehead down
- Body Control
- Head raises - body sinks
- A body drill with paddles
- Outside cues to get a better feel for the water
- Video from the front cue
- Splayed out?
- Hips way too open
- Hip control
- Steering wheels in swimming
- The Light Switch Test
Mike Tarrolly - mike@c26triathlon.com
Robbie Bruce - robbie@c26triathlon.com