Purple Patch Podcast

Author and Triathlon Coach, Matt Dixon, will empower and educate you to integrate sport into life in order to reach your athletic potential because, it is through the lens of athletic potential, that you reach your human potential. In addition to topics such as planning your fitness into a time-starved life, the show will provide in-depth interviews, advice, and insight into optimizing your health, work, and life performance, along with the critical habits and approaches that facilitate the success of some of the world's top performers across many disciplines.

385 - Q1 Ironman Training- What Smart Athletes Focus on Now 01/14/2026

384 - At 54 - He Thought He Was Slowing Down - Then He Qualified for Two World Champs.- 01/07/2026

383 - Triathletes Before You Start Training In 2026, Listen To This 12/17/2025

382 - Raising Great Humans Through Sport- The Real Path to High Performance 12/10/2025

381 - The New Science of Mental Toughness with Steve Magness 12/03/2025

WIN CYCLE: Manage Energy, Not Time — Sami Inkinen’s Playbook for Sustained High Performance 11/19/2025

REBROADCAST - Traditional Off-Season is Dead- Here's What Actually Works 11/12/2025

Win Cycle: How World-Class Athletes Inspire a New Era of Executive Performance 11/05/2025

380 - Train Smarter, Race Faster: The Proven Method For Effective & Fun Off-Season Bike Training 10/29/2025

REBROADCAST: Marina Gelman - How Adopting an Athletic Mindset Saved this Mother's Life 10/22/2025

REBROADCAST: Marina Gelman - How Adopting an Athletic Mindset Saved this Mother's Life Welcome to the Purple Patch Podcast! On the episode IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon welcomes guest and Purple Patch Athlete Marina Gelman. In 2000, at the age of 40, Marina Gelman lost her college-aged daughter in a tragic car accident. At the time, Gelman was a new fitness enthusiast and avid runner. Overcome by grief after the accident, however, she holed herself up for almost two years and focused only on work to numb the pain. Unfortunately, during this time, she abandoned her fitness goals, started smoking again after a long hiatus, and put on weight; reaching over 200 pounds. Ironically, it was another tragedy a short time later, the death of her Father from a heart attack, that inspired her to start training again. As it turns out, training non-stop turned out to be a blessing and a curse. Yes, she lost weight and found relief from her stress and heartache, but she was also overtraining…severely. Marina eventually succumbed to the devastating effects of chronic fatigue. Even the simple act of walking up a flight of stairs became unbearable. In 2012, after hearing about Matt Dixon and Purple Patch from her running club, she reached out. At the time, she was 240 pounds, her heaviest. She explained to Matt that she had only two small goals: Recover from her chronic fatigue Run three miles again. That’s it. Matt set her sights higher. Not only did he give her hope, but he also gave her a long-term structured plan and a wonderful community of support. Today, Marina Gelman is a Half-Ironman finisher, with her hopes set on finishing a full Ironman in the near future. She has also lost 105 pounds and trains daily, fully recovered from chronic fatigue. This is a story of hope and promise. Adopting an athletic mindset, regardless of where you find yourself, just may be the one spark to save your life. “Losing a child is something unimaginable to go through,” says Marina. “Sport, in a way, and running saved me from sadness for the rest of my life.” If you have any questions about the Purple Patch program, feel free to reach out at Purple Patch and Episode Resources Check out our world-class coaching and training options: Book a complementary needs assessment coaching call: Tri Squad: 1:1 Coaching: Run Squad: Strength Squad: Live & On-Demand Bike Sessions: Explore our training options in detail: Live in San Francisco? Explore the Purple Patch Performance Center: Everything you need to know about our methodology: Amplify your approach to nutrition with Purple Patch + Fuelin Get access to our free training resources, insight-packed newsletter and more at purplepatchfitness.com /episode/index/show/purplepatch/id/38738175