The Triathlon Hour Answering Training Questions For 2 Hours!
Jan 4, 2026
Vicky Holland, an Olympic medalist and former elite triathlete, joins professional triathlete Sam Appleton and commentator Greg Harper for an engaging discussion on training strategies. They dive into the importance of individualized coaching and training diversity. Vicky shares insights on her career highlights and the balance between health and performance, while Sam reflects on his future in the sport. Greg emphasizes the mental toughness needed for open-water swimming. Expect plenty of laughs and training wisdom throughout!
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Psychology Equals Physiology
- Coaching is as much psychology as physiology; optimism, excitement and buy-in drive outcomes.
- Jack prioritises challenge-first coaching that builds trust, hard work and athlete obsession.
Experiment, Don’t Copy
- Treat training as experiments and adapt per athlete rather than copying one template.
- Reverse, block or no periodization can all work — choose what fits the athlete's strengths, race and development.
Do Fast Hundreds With Tiny Rest
- Use short-rest 100s (2–4s rest) to build race toughness and high-intensity swim stamina.
- Limit set length to an athlete-appropriate volume (e.g., 10×100 for many age-groupers; pros may handle longer sets).