If you’re like most of us you excel at one or two of the three sports in triathlon. But guess what? Attacking your weaknesses can often improve the others as well. Today, we look at how and why to put more time into things you’re not good (or natural) at. This goes from spending more time in a certain sport to figuring out the little secrets to what Free Speed means with regard to racing. We get into the idea of shooting for the sun and landing on the moon along with what that REALLY MEANS. We can talk about things, plan them out, imagine certain outcomes, but it really comes down to doing work. And that might not always be the kind of work you think it is. The easier your “fast” feels, the longer you can hold it. But how do you get to that point? What are some good training strategies that make going fast feel easier?
Topics:
Coaching Inquiries
Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com
Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com
Pro Triathlete, Collin Chartier, admits he used EPO and we use that as a launch point for how a lot of us get trapped in the game of chasing no matter the consequences. We are all human, so it’s a mystery why things like this surprise us. It’s going on at the age group level as well, but the point is, the only person we can really count on is ourself. It’s so easy to get caught in the hypnosis of television, social media, YouTube videos, but most of it is fake. Today, we take a deep look inside and put stock in what we can do without chasing others. And stop judging by the headline.
Topics:
Coaching Inquiries
Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com
Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com
Ever get the feeling you just want to bail on a workout? Well, today we give you permission . . . but, there are some caveats. And bail doesn’t mean fail. This is about your autonomy in the sport and owning your sessions. What does that mean when it comes to an interval session on the bike or a tempo run? Or even a pool workout? Today we look at how often the most important thing is just to get on the bike and see what happens, but doing it with options. You never really know until you give it a shot and seeing a workout you don’t want to (or don’t think you can) do is a bummer. It’s all about the integrity of workouts. We also look at how much you really need to run for Ironman, what coaches look to for intel on athletes, and the dreaded 18 hour swim.
Topics -
Coaching Inquiries
Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com
Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com
*Note ... the first couple minutes have some wonky audio but it's fine after that.
Today we look at finding passion, purpose, and calling within triathlon. We get into how to find excitement in the little things and not have to always chase new races or shiny objects that are mostly just a distraction from what is in this moment.
We talk about motivation and how the most successful athletes go about finding it. Look at your process and figure out ways to find excitement in things that may not be exciting on the surface but lead to your long term success and health. We pay to do this sport, taking it too seriously can put you in a pinch.
We explore the beauty of “slow is smooth and smooth is fast.” All you have to do is look at the top runners at Boston and see them floating along like they’re on a group run. Mastering your movement makes you faster. And finally, be proud of the hard work and choices, not your natural gifts. Tackle hard things and create the best memories.
Topics:
Coaching Inquiries:
Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com
Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com
Today we talk about flat course racing, but as usual, there are a lot of applications for all courses as we bounce between the differences between flat and hilly. We start by talking early season open water swims and how to be prepared if you don’t have enough time to get in open water. We also look at what a wetsuit does and how to make sure you’re using it to your best advantage and not letting it throw you into a state of anxiety. We talk about the bike and the importance of training in aero for flat courses. We look at how a weak core can impact your swim, bike, and run. We talk about mixing up cadences on a flat bike and run. We get into training techniques that will make you more prepared for long flat runs. And we hit on the differences between training inside and the demands of being in the elements.
Topics:
Coaching Inquiries:
Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com
Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com
Today we talk about how to prepare and race Sprints and Olympics when you’re training for longer races.
But, if you’re just racing short course there are tons of good nuggets about how to get a much better performance.
Sometimes we forget what it feels like to go hard and short course is a great way to calibrate yourself with your effort.
We look into whether you should taper or not and why it can simply be a waste of a week. We look at HOW to race sprints and olympics.
From training to pacing to letting it rip on the bike and figuring out the run. We talk about pain and how to go through it when you keep hearing alarm bells. Why the fastest athletes on the planet go without a watch on the run. Short course is all about finding your limits… today we look at smart and strategic ways to get there.
Topics:
Coaching Inquiries:
Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com
Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com
Today we answer listener questions and spend a lot of time in the rabbit hole finding good little nuggets. Mainly, there is a lot of discussion about cycling, specifically on windy or hilly courses. We go through a deep explanation of how to train and race your best with a thorough explanation of average power vs. normalized power. We also compare and contrast riding without power and how that should be approached. We look at the best tires and go into how (even though we know nobody wants to do it) important it is to be comfortable changing your tires on the race course. We also talk about when and how you should increase distance, both in training and races. A lot of good stuff in the weeds of this podcast. Enjoy and have a great weekend!
Topics:
Coaching Inquiries:
Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com
Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com
More great questions from all of you! We talk mass swim starts, seeding, and how to deal with the crowded water. We get into road bike vs. TT bike, including when to switch, and . . . do you even need to switch? We talk about the drawbacks of TT bikes if you’re not willing to put in the time, along with bike fits and why aggressive positions can hurt your race performance. We each give our biggest lessons from our first 70.3’s and fulls. Robbie is asked if he ever gets confused when Mike goes off on a tangent and Mike promptly goes off on a tangent to see if he gets confused. We look at self-calibration. We discuss when is the right time to jump from a 70.3 to a full. And we talk about your bandwidth, support, time constraints, and the “want” to race a Full.
Topics:
Coaching Inquiries:
Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com
Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com