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Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast

Find out why thousands of beginner, intermediate, and advanced athletes are improving their training and racing with accessible, functional and genuine conversation about triathlon. Two coaches, who aren't afraid to laugh at themselves, look for smart and enjoyable solutions in a sport that's often dumb and painful. Mike Tarrolly and Robbie Bruce explore the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual side of training and racing everything from Ironman to a Sprint. on Monday and Thursday.
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Now displaying: October, 2023
Oct 31, 2023

Today we look at how to be faster and stronger in the water. Good news, there’s a lot of great ideas here to make that happen. Bad news, actions speak louder than words. Many of us like the “idea” of getting faster, but will we put in the work. Lucy Charles swam 50k a week to give her a minute or so edge. How much will you swim? We also get into Knowing your flaws so you can work on them. There are so many moving parts in swimming, but often the best solution is just to figure out your weaknesses and adjust. And finally, are you “slicing” through the water or actually doing work with your hand and forearm? We take a deep look at what this really means and how to stop from spinning out in the water.

Topics:

  • The worst Halloween candy
  • Swimming is usually the hardest to master
  • Something has to click
  • The plastic ball drill
  • Actions speak louder than words
  • No swim background?
  • We like the “idea” of getting faster
  • You have to invest the time
  • Are you fit enough for your turnover?
  • Higher intensity/shorter period of time
  • Know your flaws and body type
  • Running analogy to swimming
  • Cycling to swimming
  • Walking to swimming
  • Swimming is about taking things away
  • Fitness vs. Technique adjustments
  • Slicing through the water
  • Just because your arm is in the water . . .
  • Im working hard to go nowhere
  • Spatula analogy
  • It’s about pushing water back
  • Spinning out in the water

Coaching Inquiries

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

All Episodes from our How To Not Suck At Swimming Series:

1- Episode 12

2 - Episode 20

3 - Episode 125

4 - Episode 126

5 - Episode 236

6 - Episode 365

7 - Episode 484

8 - Episode 537

9 - Episode 657

10- Episode 658

11- Episode 683

12 - Episode 727

13 - Episode 728

Oct 26, 2023

We know training and racing and life can suck at times, but a large part of that is building the skill of resilience. That doesn’t mean everything should be a constant grind that makes it all miserable, though. Today, we talk about the importance of pushing through and testing the limits, but choosing the right times and learning along the way. This sport is a complex puzzle and learning to build clusters that fit together is the right strategy. We all want to race well, but shifting perspective about our “why” can make everything more rewarding. The best memories are usually when we fought through the biggest challenges. The concept of resilience is different for everyone, but the essence is the same. Facing things that are hard and maybe even scare you is the way. Doing things nobody can take from you. Change the world one person at a time starting with yourself. (We also talk a lot about halloween candy rankings).

Topics:

  • Halloween Candy Swap
  • Laying on a cold beach
  • Unleashing confidence
  • Working on the chin up
  • Resilient sessions
  • We all tend to look for “easier” ways
  • When we had pagers
  • Pain begets pain
  • Soft or content?
  • Unlocking mental toughness
  • Picking spots for testing resilience
  • Do hard things
  • Do you know your true ability?
  • We all want to race well . . . but . . .
  • This is a complex puzzle
  • Find clusters of things that fit together
  • This could be Mike’s mom’s favorite podcast
  • Will we look back at one race or the entire career?
  • What are you learning from racing and training?
  • One hit wonders
  • Resilience is different for everyone
  • Don’t take your health for granted
  • When we lose perspective

 

Coaching Inquiries

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Oct 24, 2023

The off season is where the greatest dreams go to die, so if you really want to fix something or get better, now is your chance. Today, we talk about how a lot of athletes are trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist, but don’t work on something that’s actually broke. Both Mike and Robbie talk about their struggles in this area and how they are addressing them, because now is the best time. We get into how and why it’s best to uandercommit and over deliver vs. the opposite track that most take. We look at resilience and how it has to be practiced or you won’t have it in a race. We also look at the concept of failing to learn and grow. We also talk about why losing fitness is actually good for you.

Topics:

  • What if there's nothing to freak out about?
  • iTunes review
  • Free up emotional and mental space
  • Don’t change for the sake of it . . . but
  • Now is the time to fix something if it’s broke
  • Square pegs, round holes
  • Robbie’s training struggles
  • When there are no set “off days” for a coach
  • Overcommitting to races
  • Fit the training plan around your life
  • Country strong
  • Losing strength
  • The best thing you can do Right Now
  • Get stronger to feel good
  • Nutrition focus? Does it make you faster?
  • Look at racing as a chess board
  • Losing fitness is good for you
  • Demanding Days off
  • Work things in throughout your day
  • Give yourself more energy
  • Undercommitt/over-deliver
  • Most athletes overcommit and under deliver
  • We learn when we fail
  • We grow when we fail
  • On resilience session per month?
  • You have to find the ability to dig out of tough spots on your own

 

Coaching Inquiries

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Oct 19, 2023

Even when they’re losing, you just get the feeling that certain teams are going to come back and win. It's that winning culture insilled deep in the program. Today, we talk about how to create that winning culture in yourself. It’s not an overnight fix and we’ll look at the power in little things on the way to making yourself a powerhouse. Great teams don’t force things, they don’t sweat the small stuff, and they certainly don’t give up. Lots of good nuggets here about training yourself in a way that let’s the body figure things out on its own. Imagine looking back two months from now and seeing real gains, but not noticing much along the way. Let the body adapt and get out of its way.

Topics:

  • Taking baby steps
  • The power in little things
  • Body Adaptation
  • Shocking the system
  • Making things attainable
  • Overcommitting
  • Introducing good stress
  • When the body craves
  • Let the body take care of things on its own
  • It’s not volume, it’s behavior
  • Not forcing
  • Feeling shame at missing
  • It’s a Hack and I want it now world
  • Holiday stress
  • Lack of confidence or proof to remember?
  • Annoyingly conservative progression
  • Warming up
  • Stop trying to change what works
  • A form of distraction
  • Changes are a form of distraction
  • Cutting everything out
  • Do you trust how you feel?
  • Exact same routes
  • In session re-start
  • Let thoughts and feelings flow through and not stick
  • When everything is win or loss, but a draw is okay

 

Coaching Inquiries

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Oct 17, 2023

Lucy Charles-Barclay goes wire to wire at Kona in a performance for the ages. Today, we look at tons of the little details we saw on Saturday, including pacing, strategy, nutrition, and straight up toughness. We also talk about the broadcast and a lot of the good things Ironman is doing for the sport. We get into the chess match on the course, Lucy trusting her instincts on the swim, and her decision to take control on the bike. There were tons of little stories sprinkled into an amazing race that athletes of all skill and experiences can learn from. What do pros do that can make YOU a better triathlete.

Topics:

  • Our prediction wins and losses
  • C26 is the Madden cover of triathlon
  • Ironman is a tough sport for a mainstream watch
  • Production value discussion
  • Ironman racing is like chess
  • Strategy over drama
  • Understanding swim current
  • Did Lucy make a conscious decision to put the pressure on Knibb?
  • It turned out to be a 140.6 mile time trial
  • Dropping bottles
  • The penalty tent incident
  • Running through pain
  • Haug is a machine on the run
  • Why Taylor Knibb was so impressive
  • Bike position can make the difference
  • Getting through your marathon pain
  • Dan Lorang
  • Using your free time more effectively

 

Coaching Inquiries

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Oct 12, 2023

Today, we start with some of the moves Ironman is making from a product perspective and discuss why they seem to be good calls. We look at the pros and whether or not they should be the marketing angle for the sport. Then we get into this year’s Ironman Women’s World Championship. We define the contenders, talk about how the race may play out, and why there could be chaos on the bike. Will the runners be able to stay close enough to top bikers? Will there be too much separation in the swim? How will the run unfold? On paper, tons of variables make this one of the more intriguing races we’ve ever seen. Plus, Mike and Robbie’s podium picks.

Topics:

  • Ironman New Announcements
  • Is Separate Men and Women’s Racing good?
  • What’s going on between Ironman and KONA?
  • Ironman Pro Series
  • Investing in the Pros
  • The Contenders at KONA
  • Could this race be chaos?
  • Top 3 Out of the water
  • What situation out of the swim could mean game over
  • What’s the gap the runners can give up?
  • Will the bike be a panic?
  • The old guard v. the upstarts
  • Allen and Scott
  • Who leads the bike?
  • Robbie’s Picks
  • Mike’s Picks
  • In Ironman it’s not if, but when, something will go wrong and then, how will you solve it?

Coaching Inquiries

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Oct 10, 2023

We can have big dreams, but the way to get there is by taking small, consistent steps. Not too high, not too low. Today is back getting rid of things that suck that energy dry. It’s very hard but how to we make our world less noisy and calm an overactive mind that can pre-dispose us to patters of self-sabotage? Today we get into training habit changes, addiction to pain, and playing the blame game. We all do this shit and there’s nothing wrong with getting it in the open. We need energy to be effective and stay consistent in training. Ego and insecurity cloud judgement. Get out of your own way.

Topics:

  • Perfect Swim Weather
  • What’s the best water temperature?
  • Not too high, not too low
  • Most stacked Kona field ever?
  • A world less noisy
  • Excuses time three
  • Over active mind
  • Can’t think about much in the cold.
  • Keeping energy as we get older
  • Triathlon training can be very simple
  • The wind, the sun, the rain
  • Playing the blame game
  • The quickening of life
  • Coach . . . I wanna qualify for Kona
  • Are you ready for a 2-3 year build?
  • Start with habit changing
  • Goal: Be consistent
  • Habit of stopping short?
  • Addicted to pain
  • Skip all week then go long?
  • Self sabotage patters
  • Just because it’s offered doesn’t mean you need it
  • Blaming your race on nutrition

 

Coaching Inquiries

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Oct 5, 2023

In a world with millions of distractions, it’s up to us to figure out what we really want out of life. Training and racing can be a great compass, but we have to shut off the noise and figure out internal motivation. Being accountable to ourselves is an easy concept, but difficult to master. Today we talk about figuring out structure and finding solutions to the real problems that keep us away from training and doing things we really want to do in life. Chasing perfection often turns into procrastination so we look at anticipating imperfections and keeping our eyes and momentum on the honest journey. Get back to the fundamentals of the sport and your life.

Topics:

  • Accountability to yourself
  • Things are easier than ever, but harder than ever
  • Simple lessons from structure
  • Finding solutions when they don’t seem to be there
  • Changing your life for the good
  • Internal or external motivation?
  • The amount of distraction in this world
  • You pick up your phone, then . . .
  • The most valuable thing in our lives
  • Being aware of what’s really going on
  • The most frustrating time for athletes
  • Low level irritability
  • The “perfection” attitude
  • When perfection equals procrastination
  • Anticipating imperfection
  • Get back to the fundamentals
  • You keep you accountable
  • People who argue

 

Coaching Inquiries

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Oct 4, 2023

Being fresh, fit and energized is VERY underrated. Today we look at a common loop triathletes get themselves in when they are not paying heed to the truth of nature. This is the time of year to build habits that work for you next year, and frankly all the time. There’s nothing more powerful than looking forward to training and today we look at ways to get there. Training for 3 sports all year long isn’t the right formula for everyone. Frankly, it can seem overwhelming and today we look at why focusing on what feels right and good will help build your overall goal, which is fitness. We’ve said it before, but having a well-trained, fit, and energized 70.3 athlete is much better than an overtrained full athlete. If you love this sport and want to be in for the long haul, keep this in mind: Being overtired is overrated. The best track is a slow and steady burn.

Topics:

  • This time of year
  • Nature doesn’t lie
  • Fitness is fitness
  • Stress is stress
  • Wallowing in the past
  • Transcend and include
  • The weight of stress
  • Gaining fitness or gaining tiredness
  • Craving structure
  • Global life stress
  • Coach the person, training the athlete
  • Right now it’s all about enjoying it
  • Single sport focus
  • What gets you the best results?
  • Wanting to be perfect
  • 30 minute runs
  • Hopping on the bike and not knowing
  • Removing the stress of not being good at all 3 sports
  • Year round swim, bike, and run
  • Rounding out the entire athlete
  • Overtired is overrated
  • Poster child for under training
  • Long or sort game?
  • Promote recovery
  • Wire yourself in a way that teaches consistency, recovery and restraint
  • Time for 40 but not 20?
  • Everything matters, but do it slowly
  • Recognizing progress
  • That extra 2 miles can crush you
  • Bing fresh, fit, and energized is very underrated
  • Getting better returns on your race
  • A slow and steady burn

 

Coaching Inquiries

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

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