#389 - Athlete Q&A - 26 Answers

Today we cover a lot of ground. Heat and humidity's impact on swimming. Best hill workouts. How to manage strength, speed, and PRs as you age. Switching gears from triathlon to ultra marathons. Popularity build of "alternative" races. Ironman brand going forward. Supplements. Hiking vs. Running. Core temp recalibration. Strength training. Going from a 70.3 to a Full. 

Questions from Athletes:

• How is it that humidity has an impact on swimming? I mean, I’m in water... 100% humidity….
• What are the best run workouts to fit in hills/elevation
• Help me with the mindset around getting older and slower. When I was younger every race was a PR, shoot... every workout was a PR. (Maybe exaggerating) Now that I’m starting over every workout and every race can feel like a disappointment, regardless if I gave it hell or not.
• If you are trained for an Ironman Race and it gets cancelled, how would you change up your training to do an 45 mile ultramarathon instead and how long would you need to get ready? Asking for a friend 😊
• Is this the year that creates an adventure racing mindset? Swim/run, gravel rides, trail running?
• If you have never done triathlon, how many olys before bumping to a half, and how many halfs before attempting a full. This understanding each person is different age/condition/athleticism.
• I would love to hear you opinion on how Ironman will improve their image after refusing to be flexible with refunding athletes with every race being cancelled. Will athletes still be loyal or will the brand die?
• How bad am I making my coach pull her hair out by adding half marathon & full marathon races in at random like 2-4 months out? Or is it really no big deal?
• I second this question. Hey can I tuck a 50k in a few weeks before my 70.3? 🤷‍♀️
• This time of year I can get out for sunrise swims. So peaceful.When I do i don’t have time to fit in my strength training. Should i still do some form of strength still or swim harder to keep upper body strong.
• Where do I start with strength training? Videos, Yoga, planks/push ups? (47yo female)
• Do you feel like you can gain all the strength necessary FOR triathlon THROUGH triathlon by focusing on hills, big gear work, pulling in the pool, etc. Or do you think it's necessary to implement outside gym sessions focused only on strength? Also, beyond what I mentioned, what are some of your favorite swim/bike/run strength sessions?  
• What supplements do you think are important for triathlete health and what do you take on daily basis (if anything)?
• Would it be silly to use swim paddles in OWS training ? Recent podcast one of my favs. I was there in lville 18 , will never forget my coach Robbie hug at the finish line. Lol.
• Is there a way one can use multi-sport/triathlon training program to prepare for a marathon and improve timing? Fatigue due to higher running mileage is a limiter here.
  
  With all the IMs being cancelled and thus registrations getting deferred until next year, how easy do you think it will be to sign up for an IM next year?
• Who is your favorite athlete? And what made you choose me?
• If you’re training g consistently and in “70.3 shape”, how long is an IM build? How much time before the race would you begin a race specific build?
• To add on to Ashley Drayer's question--when is the best time/how many times per week to do said strength training so you're not so sore for the weekend long run?
• If your athlete gets sick during a heavy training phase, how do you ramp them back up after they’re starting to feel better?
• What advice would you give to an athlete who believes in the run slow to run fast but consistently needs to WALK/run to keep heart rate down to an acceptable range? I’ve working at “running” since this winter and I’m not seeing much difference in heart rate or speed. Thanks!
• Hopefully this is a fun one...when you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
• How does one “find” the short course gears (speed)? When I’ve primarily been training long and strong for long course without getting injured because of adding to much intensity too fast.
• When you push past the point of overheating your core temp (almost always on the run, amiright?) is there any way to pull it back down or are you just toast?
• I enjoy hiking few times a month in the summer with elevation. 3-4 hr hikes with 2000 feet or greater in elevation change. How can this be done without affecting overall training. Can this be done in place of a long bike or run?
• Can we get another dog cast? 

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