That Triathlon Show

Beginner triathletes can refine their swimming skills with practical advice on technique and common mistakes to avoid. The discussion emphasizes effective drills and structured workouts to enhance both technique and fitness. Listeners learn about essential equipment and tips to sidestep common training pitfalls. The community aspect is highlighted, revealing new affordable training plans and hydration product offers that support novice athletes in their triathlon journey.

Jelle Geens, the reigning Ironman 70.3 World Champion and three-time Olympian, shares his remarkable journey in triathlon. He discusses his transition from short-course racing to middle-distance events and the unique training conditions on the Gold Coast versus Girona. Jelle delves into balancing life as a new parent with intense training, offering insights into his structured routines and the importance of listening to his body. He also shares tips on navigating open water swimming and the joys of exploring Belgium’s rich culture and cuisine.

Luca Zenti, a coach and data analyst for UAE Team ADQ, shares valuable insights on women's cycling and triathlon training. He reflects on the Tour de France Femmes, revealing the specific metrics required to excel in different race stages. The discussion compares the training methods of top cyclists and triathletes, highlighting key strategies for improving bike performance. Luca also offers advice for age-group triathletes and emphasizes the importance of tailored training plans that balance data analysis with personalized coaching for optimal results.

Joe Warne, PhD, a researcher at Technological University Dublin and a leading figure at the Sports Science Replication Centre, discusses the alarming replication crisis in sports science. He reveals that only 28% of studies can be successfully replicated, raising concerns about research quality. Joe emphasizes the need for coaches and athletes to critically evaluate scientific findings and navigate issues like publication bias and statistical misinterpretation. He advocates for rigorous research standards to improve credibility in the field.

Explore essential training principles tailored for beginner triathletes. Learn how to structure your weekly workouts with the right balance of frequency, duration, and intensity. Discover the significance of micro-, meso-, and macrocycles in your training. Find out how to assess if your plan is effective while avoiding common mistakes. Get practical tips for creating a training schedule that prioritizes consistency and recovery, ensuring you stay energized and avoid burnout.

Russ Cox, a data analyst specializing in Ironman and 70.3 Worlds qualification, breaks down the newly announced qualification systems. He highlights how the 'Kona standard' and '70.3 standard' work, dispelling common misconceptions. The pros and cons of this system raise questions about fairness and potential winners and losers. Athletes will learn how to optimize race selection and the time needed to qualify, along with the impact of course difficulties on their performance. A must-listen for anyone eyeing the starting line!

Explore the crucial gear every beginner triathlete needs for swimming, biking, and running. Discover which items are essential, which are nice to have, and what can wait until you gain more experience. Learn about common mistakes in gear selection and the importance of proper fit for wetsuits, bikes, and running shoes. Plus, tips on how to save money and avoid unnecessary purchases in your triathlon journey!

Solveig Løvseth is a professional triathlete from Norway. She's an Olympian from Paris 2024, double European Games champion from 2023 (individual and mixed team relay), and has the fastest Ironman debut in history with her 8:12:28 in Hamburg. In this interview, we discuss Solveig's career to date, her Olympic experience, her current focus on the Ironman Pro Series, and of course we cover her training in detail. HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: Solveig's entry into triathlon, her short-course career and her experience at the Paris OlympicsWill Solveig return to short-course triathlon for the LA Olympics? Solveig's take on Ironman Hamburg, and having the fastest Ironman debut in historyTraining with Team Norway under the guidance of Mikal IdenSolveig's training structure overall, and specifics across swim, bike and runA breakdown of a full week of training in preparation for Ironman Lake PlacidVO2max, LT1 and LT2 and other quickfire statsDETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. Naturally, as great as they are, they do not cover absolutely everything in as great detail as we can do in a 45-90 minute podcast episode.  The shownotes for today's episode can be found at www.scientifictriathlon.com/tts466/LINKS AND RESOURCES: Solveig's InstagramWHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following episodes: How Norway became a triathlon powerhouse with head coach Arild Tveiten | EP#154Arild Tveiten – coach of Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden and Casper Stornes on triathlon training the Norwegian way | EP#223Olympic gold medal training and preparation with Arild Tveiten | EP#304Arild Tveiten – from triathlon to swimming, and reflections on Paris 2024 | EP#458Applied triathlon science with Olav Aleksander Bu (Norwegian Triathlon Olympic team) | EP#264Olav Aleksander Bu | EP#369You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we doContact us through our contact form or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)Subscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on InstagramLearn more about our coaching, training plans, and training camps. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals. HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far! Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack. SPONSORS: Precision Fuel & Hydration help athletes personalise their hydration and fueling strategies for training and racing. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event. That Triathlon Show listeners get 15% off their first order of fuel and electrolyte products. Simply use this link and the discount will be auto-applied at the checkout.

John Wakefield is a cycling coach and bike fitter. He is a coach and Director of Development at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, and coaches riders at the World Tour level, as well as working directly with and managing the U23 and younger development teams. In this interview, we dive deep into John's thoughts training and coaching, as well as his approach to bike fitting in detail. HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: John's training philosophyThe importance of focusing on recovery and adaptation to trainingUsing a submaximal test to measure training response and readinessThe volume and intensity of world tour cyclists' trainingWhy and how to use torque trainingHow to balance comfort, power production, and aerodynamics in a bike fitCommon ailments and injuries and how to solve them with a good bike fitThe role of technology in bike fittingCommon issues in bike fits among amateur cyclistsListener questionsDETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. Naturally, as great as they are, they do not cover absolutely everything in as great detail as we can do in a 45-90 minute podcast episode.  The shownotes for today's episode can be found at www.scientifictriathlon.com/tts465/LINKS AND RESOURCES: John's website (Science2Sport), Instagram (personal and business), and XMarkers of overreaching, and the LSCT cycling test with prof. Robert Lamberts and Annemiek Roete | EP#299 - in this interview we discuss the science and practice of the original submaximal fatigue test, which forms the basis for John's submaximal fatigue testWHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following episodes: Dr. Guido Vroemen – Training Talk | EP#460 - an in-depth training discussion, with a special focus on triathlon cycling performance and torque trainingAnna Kiesenhofer – Olympic Champion | EP#454 - a deep-dive into the training of the Olympic Champion from the women's road race in Tokyo 2021Bike fitting, equipment, and triathlon bike training with David Bowden | EP#287 - for more information on bike fitting, specifically for triathlon, this is a great place to startYou can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we doContact us through our contact form or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)Subscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on InstagramLearn more about our coaching, training plans, and training camps. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals. HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far! Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack. SPONSORS: Precision Fuel & Hydration help athletes personalise their hydration and fueling strategies for training and racing. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event. That Triathlon Show listeners get 15% off their first order of fuel and electrolyte products. Simply use this link and the discount will be auto-applied at the checkout.

Selecting your first triathlon can be daunting. The choice of race distance is crucial—shorter races often work best for beginners. Consider factors like swim format, race location, and timing. Personal stories from newcomers reveal valuable lessons learned and highlight the importance of local events for a smoother experience. Avoid common pitfalls to make your first race enjoyable and rewarding!