We focus on making our lives easier every single day, but as triathletes, we take a conscious choice to make our lives harder. So, in that vein, things have to change. We have to accept that it isn’t “hard” but it’s a daily routine that we fall into. 

Triathlon is a pressure point. It's like you have this non-stop-dull pain, and triathlon comes along and helps you re-focus a lack of routine or your pain into a more productive way. But once you're in, that process continues as we keep facing new challenges. Now, how can you start shaving 5 seconds off a 100-yard swim? 

"All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry - all forms of fear - are caused by too much future, and
not enough presence." ― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

 Today's Topics: 

• Answering a common coach question: “Do you think I can do . . . this?”
• The greatest ability you can have as an athlete
• The number one obstacle between you and your PRs. 
• How setting PR goals can hold you back
• The Positives of Choosing To Make Our Lives Harder
• How to tell if you’re in a prime zone for your race
• Managing Expectations Good and Bad
• C26 Athletes taking 10 seconds off their 100 pool time in January
• Letting go of the past and your ego.
• How to reduce dog hair shedding by 80% 
• What can possibly motivate us to try to shave 4 seconds off our 100 swim time?
• Get in the Habit of Thinking You Can Do it Today
• Nick Saban vs. Lane Kiffin
• When you should think about using hacks
• 1500+ days of consistent sobriety

If you enjoy the Crushing Iron podcast, you can support us with a direct pledge here. Thanks for listening!

Please subscribe to Crushing Iron on YouTube and iTunes.
For information on the C26 Coach’s Eye custom swim analysis, coaching, or training camps email: C26Coach@gmail.com

Facebook: CrushingIron
Twitter: CrushingIron
Instagram: C26_Triathlon

www.crushingiron.com

Imagine playing basketball in front of 70,000 people and millions on TV. Today's guest, Zak Showalter, did just that for the University of Wisconsin. His career took him to 2 different Final Fours and four Sweet 16's and now he's tackling Ironman.

He's graduated, stepped away from basketball, and turned his sights on Ironman Wisconsin. Our goal for this podcast was to see how many lessons learned from Zak's days at Wisconsin under Hall of Fame coach Bo Ryan translate into triathlon. As it turned out, a lot of them do.

We start with some of Zak’s endurance background and early training challenges. Then go into how what he learned on the basketball floor can be translated into Ironman training: 

• Were you ever into endurance sports before?
• What it's like hanging out with Packer's QB Aaron Rodgers 
• What it was like to work with Michael Jordan’s strength coach
• When he decided he wanted to do an Ironman 
• How he deals with Winter training in Wisconsin
• What's it like going from a high exposure team sport to an isolated training world?
• A coach’s message “Play hard, play smart, play together, and have fun.”

Race like you train - Zak tells us how what he learned from the daily grind of college basketball practice and how he thinks it can be applied to triathlon training and best set him up for the race.

Ups and Downs - How to stay level headed and on the same path when faced with setbacks of a big loss or the the high of a big win. 

Patience -  Wisconsin basketball is built on patience, both in execution and sytem. Zak gives us a perspective on how they looked at a long season or career and how the philosophies can apply to Ironman training.

Emotions- He takes us in the locker room before Wisconsin faced off with a 38-0 Kentucky team at the Final Four. How is it possible to stay calm when you’re running out in front of 70,000 people to play a game watched by millions? He gives us a very simple solution. 

Diet: How did you guys eat? Was there a big focus on nutrition or were you just kids? Has that changed as you train for Ironman? 

Here are a couple videos of Zak in his playing days:
- His salute to Aaron Rodgers after hitting a buzzer beater against Florida
- High School State Championship Opening Tip Dunk

Zak on Instagram: zshowalter3
Zak on Twitter: @ZShowbball333

If you enjoy the Crushing Iron podcast, you can support us with a direct pledge here. Thanks for listening!

Please subscribe to Crushing Iron on YouTube and iTunes.
For information on the C26 Coach’s Eye custom swim analysis, coaching, or training camps email: C26Coach@gmail.com

Facebook: CrushingIron
Twitter: CrushingIron
Instagram: C26_Triathlon

www.crushingiron.com

Buckle up for another hour of triathlon training talk with the one and only Steve Delmonte of Delmo Sports. 

He puts on multiple races a season around New Jersey and receives high praise from athletes for a great experience. He doesn't hold back and gives a great perspective that can help many of us find our true "WHY."

Please subscribe to Crushing Iron on iTunes if you haven't already and we'd love it is you like this one enough to share with training friends.

Some of today's topics:  

• Why He Thinks Pool Triathlons Can Grow The Sport
• Triathlon For Women Only
• Special Announcement from C26 Triathlon and Delmo Sports about Ironman 70.3 Atlantic City
• What Motivates Triathletes
• Technology in the Triathlon
• Pro Triathletes and Why It Doesn’t Move The Needle
• What it’s Like Picking Up New Events 
• How Lance Armstrong Would Have Changed Triathlon
• The Pitfalls of Attaching Triathlon to Your Identity
• Why Crushing Iron is His Favorite Triathlon Podcast
• Penalty Talk - What’s on the official’s mind— when officials should look the other way
• Logistics of Launching a New Race… road closures… certain dates
• Shutting down Intersections 
• What do athletes miss before, during and after races that Race Director’s wish they would pay attention too?
• Why are all the great open water swimming events on the East Coast on the same weekend??? Escape the Cape, Eagleman and the Great Chesapeake Bay 4.4 miler.
• As he adds events, does he worry about becoming stretched too thin and losing some of what makes his races/brand special
• Ironman AC 140.6 June 2019?
• Do you ever analyze areas of bigger opportunity outside of NJ?
• Why he doesn't offer discount codes for races 

Part one with Steve Delmonte
Part two with Steve Delmonte

If you enjoy the Crushing Iron podcast, you can support us with a direct pledge here. Thanks for listening!

Please subscribe to Crushing Iron on YouTube and iTunes.
For information on the C26 Coach’s Eye custom swim analysis, coaching, or training camps email: C26Coach@gmail.com

Facebook: CrushingIron
Twitter: CrushingIron
Instagram: C26_Triathlon

www.crushingiron.com

WTF is up with Ironman Age Group Dopers? I mean, we sorta get it on an addictive and narcissistic level, but are they really living that hard in their Glory Days? Well, we have news for you, you'll never be Sebastian Kienle. Today we explore how and why this happens, plus look at ego driven attitudes in triathlon and why they need to go. 

• PEDs in Ironman - 
• TUE - Therapeutic Use Exemption 
• The Competitive Advantage
• Vitamin Supplements… do they work?
• Do we really need a pill?
• Drafting Discussion 
• Triathlon Bullies
• Purposeful Cheating
• Some people need to get off their high horse 
• Can We Really Change?
• Win At All Cost Mentality
• Addiction to Narcissism
• The Willingness to Help Others Get Better
• We Play Triathlon 
• We We Aren’t Always Right
• The Power in Sharing Your Secrets
• You Don’t Build Community By Being A Dick

If you enjoy the Crushing Iron podcast, you can support us with a direct pledge here. Thanks for listening!

Please subscribe to Crushing Iron on YouTube and iTunes.
For information on the C26 Coach’s Eye custom swim analysis, coaching, or training camps email: C26Coach@gmail.com

Facebook: CrushingIron
Twitter: CrushingIron
Instagram: C26_Triathlon

www.crushingiron.com

What can we learn about the differences between training and race speed of triathlon? How can the seemingly simplest workouts make a difference at the end of your race? Today is all about training your way to race speed so that day doesn't fall apart. Nobody knows more than you, but are you paying attention to the right things?

• Preparation lessons from Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots
• Let’s Talk About That Final Play in the Vikings/Saints game
• Training Speed vs. Race Speed
• Being Ready To Be Ready
• Respecting each workout
• When You Should Eat Sugar
• Overlooking comes back to haunt you
• Never Trust How You Feel In Racing 
• Identifying with Pain
• The Difference Between Being Hurt and Injury
• Who Knows Better Than You?
• What Does Nailing A Workout Even Mean?
• More Silent Confessions
• New Segment- Quoting from Ironman Singles
• New Segment - Athlete Confessions

If you enjoy the Crushing Iron podcast, you can support us with a direct pledge here. Thanks for listening!

Please subscribe to Crushing Iron on YouTube and iTunes.
For information on the C26 Coach’s Eye custom swim analysis, coaching, or training camps email: C26Coach@gmail.com

Facebook: CrushingIron
Twitter: CrushingIron
Instagram: C26_Triathlon

www.crushingiron.com

This Crushing Iron Podcast is based on a post from our closed Facebook Group: 

“I have a question about being "race ready" for a 70.3. We sign up the previous when we are at "peak performance". The holiday season passes, and you find yourself in January with 4 months to go for your first 70.3, and you can't even imagine being close to "ready". You don't know if you're training too much, or not enough. Any thoughts or help much appreciated!”

It opened the floodgates and we dove into all things self-doubt regarding triathlon. Topics include:

• Keeping An Eye On The Big Picture 
• Reflecting on Where You’ve Come From
• Not Living In A Problem That Doesn’t Exist
• Recharging 
• Why Peak Fitness Year Round is Impossible
• Between Fresh and Fatigued
• Self-coaching benefits and challenges
• Beating Negative-Talk Loops
• Meditation Detox 
• Mike’s Silent Confessions
• Peaking too early
• Why You Should Write About Training
• The True Benefits of Coaching
• When You’re In Love, Go There
• How Do You know You’re going the Right Direction?
• How Experts Make Our Lives Easier
• Hard Is Never Easy And Why This Comment Doesn’t Fit The Podcast

If you like the Crushing Iron podcast, you can support us with a direct pledge here. Thanks for listening!

Please subscribe to Crushing Iron on YouTube and iTunes.
For information on the C26 Coach’s Eye custom swim analysis, coaching, or training camps email: C26Coach@gmail.com

Facebook: CrushingIron
Twitter: CrushingIron
Instagram: C26_Triathlon

www.crushingiron.com

Are you training for long term success in triathlon? 

• Complaining Gets You Nowhere
• Testosterone and Estrogen Balance
• National Title Predictions
• Lifetime Fitness Bans News On TVs
• What is Stealing Your Joy 
• Temperament fluctuation through the year
• Structuring Your Lives In January for Success
• Commitment or Shattered Dreams?
• Premature Optimization 
• Triathlon as a Year Round Affair
• Why Scheduling Days Off Backfires
• Setting Up A Positive and Supportive Environment
• Chronic Training Injuries
• Training Should Give You Energy, Not Take it Away
• Ego vs. Lack of Confidence
• Accepting What The Day Gives You
• Why Ordinary is the Key To Extraordinary
• Long-term Committed and Patient Investment

If you like the Crushing Iron podcast, you can support us with a direct pledge here. Thanks for listening!

Please subscribe to Crushing Iron on YouTube and iTunes.
For information on the C26 Coach’s Eye custom swim analysis, coaching, or training camps email: C26Coach@gmail.com

Facebook: CrushingIron
Twitter: CrushingIron
Instagram: C26_Triathlon

www.crushingiron.com

Triathlete's can't get enough swim talk and the Crushing Iron Podcast is listening. Here is Part 4 of our popular "How To Not Suck At Swimming" series. Swimming has so many moving parts and aside from the topics below the guys get into a general "How To Learn" and get in the right mindset mode when it comes to swimming.

• Are Swimming Tools like a Drag chute right for you?
• How many days in pool to see faster times?
• How to avoid bending at knees while kicking?
• Need to bilateral breathe?
• How to stop crossover arms? Drills?
• Importance of stroke cadence… what to measure and wis it important? why? confused about speeding up stroke
• The Truth about Total Immersion swimming?
• Strength work outside of the pool?
• What muscles should we target?
• When and why to use stretch cords?
• How to practice sighting in a pool
• Master’s Swimming Rant?

Note: How To Not Suck at Swimming Part 1 is episode #12. How to Not Suck at Swimming Part 2 is episode #20. Part 3 is #125.

If you like the Crushing Iron podcast, you can support us with a direct pledge here. Thanks for listening!

Please subscribe to Crushing Iron on YouTube and iTunes.
For information on the C26 Coach’s Eye custom swim analysis, coaching, or training camps email: C26Coach@gmail.com

Facebook: CrushingIron
Twitter: CrushingIron
Instagram: C26_Triathlon

www.crushingiron.com

The Crushing Iron Podcast is co-hosted twice a week by Mike Tarrolly and Robbie Bruce

The Crushing Iron Podcast kicks off 2018 with a return to our popular "How To Not Suck at Swimming" podcasts with Volume #3. Today's cast is driven by listeners and Mike and Robbie give you solutions to a lot of swimming issues for triathletes. You'll find answers for these questions and more to get you off to a great start in the water. Please check out www.crushingiron.com for information on our Swim Camps and Swim Analysis Videos. 

• Beating Drag. What to do about Sinking Legs - 
• How do I beat periods of Breathlessness in a race? 
• Fixing incorrect kick timing after years of doing it wrong
• How much kicking is ideal to “save legs” vs. going faster
• Is your kick actually slowing you down?
• How to get into cold water? inch in, use ladder, jump in?
• Benefit to using other strokes? breast, back, butterfly?
• How to beat goggle fogging?
• Flip turns? Beneficial? 
• What’s the ticket to speed?

Note: How To Not Suck at Swimming Volume 1 is episode #12. How to Not Suck at Swimming Volume 2 is episode #20

If you like the Crushing Iron podcast, you can support us here. Thanks for listening!

Please subscribe to Crushing Iron on YouTube and iTunes.
For information on the C26 Coach’s Eye custom swim analysis, coaching, or training camps email: C26Coach@gmail.com

Facebook: CrushingIron
Twitter: CrushingIron
Instagram: C26_Triathlon

www.crushingiron.com

The Crushing Iron Podcast is co-hosted twice a week by Mike Tarrolly and Robbie Bruce