That Triathlon Show

Craig Alexander, a three-time Ironman World Champion, shares his incredible journey and insights from over two decades in triathlon. He dives into his successful training strategies, discussing the balance of aerobic endurance and high-intensity efforts, as well as key workouts for swimming, biking, and running. Craig reflects on lessons learned from his Ironman experiences in Kona, including hydration and pacing strategies. He also offers invaluable advice for age-group athletes, focusing on common training mistakes and the significance of a solid support team.

In this talk, Dr. Guido Vroemen, a seasoned sports medicine physician and endurance coach, shares his unique coaching philosophy tailored for both elite and age-group athletes. He dives into the importance of metabolic testing, emphasizing efficiency over simple VO2 max metrics. Guido discusses innovative training methods like torque training in cycling to enhance leg strength and race performance. He also offers practical advice for older athletes and stresses a gradual progression in triathlon distance, urging athletes to focus on pacing and individual recovery for optimal results.

Matt Silver, a physical therapist, runner, and author of 'Built to Run,' dives into the essentials of preventing and overcoming running injuries. He discusses the significance of proper running form and mobility, highlighting common mistakes to avoid. Core strength is emphasized for injury prevention, along with effective strength training protocols. Matt also tackles foot stability and the importance of selecting the right footwear, while sharing insightful strategies tailored for both runners and triathletes to enhance performance and minimize risks.

Arild Tveiten is most well-known as the head coach and sport director of Team Norway, and has overseen countless triathlon successes with Kristian Blummenfelt's Olympic Gold in Tokyo 2021 being the jewel in the crown. Arild is now the High Performance Director of the Norwegian Swimming Federation, and joins us to share insights into what he's bringing to swimming from his triathlon experience, and what he's learning about swimming in his new role. HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: The reasons for moving from triathlon into swimmingWhat has surprised Arild about the high performance setup in swimming and about the way swimmers trainThe stark differences between training for distance events and sprint events in swimmingHow the swim training methods used by the Norwegian triathletes compare to Norwegian (distance) swimmersIs Arild changing anything in how he coaches swimming for the triathletes he's coaching based on his work in swimming? Looking back at the Olympics in Paris, what went wrong, and what could have been done differentlyTraining tips for age-group triathletes:How to improve your techniqueWhat are the key workouts to include in your program (including detailed example sets)What to do more of and what to do less ofWhat kind of testing to do to measure progressDETAILED 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/tts458/LINKS AND RESOURCES: Arild's InstagramOlympic gold medal training and preparation with Arild Tveiten | EP#304Arild Tveiten – coach of Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden and Casper Stornes on triathlon training the Norwegian way | EP#223How Norway became a triathlon powerhouse with head coach Arild Tveiten | EP#154WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following episodes: Triathlon swim training with Russ Barber | EP#310Open water swim training with Olympic gold medal coach Marcel Wouda | EP#246Swim training talk with Ian Armiger | EP#263Technique improvement and swim training for triathletes with Brenton Ford | EP#320Paul Newsome | EP#389Olav Aleksander Bu | EP#369Applied triathlon science with Olav Aleksander Bu (Norwegian Triathlon Olympic team) | EP#264You 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.

Michellie Jones is an Australian triathlon legend with a resume including two ITU World Championships, an Olympic silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Games, a victory at the 2006 Ironman World Championship, and a Paralympic gold medal as a guide to Katie Kelly in the PT5 (PTVI in today's classification system) in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Michellie has a wealth of experience in coaching, and in this interview we discuss what she's learnt from a life in triathlon both as an athlete and as a coach.  HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: Michellie's athletic career and career highlightsTransitioning to coachingMichellie's training philosophy, and how her own former coaches and athletic experience has influenced itKey aspects of swim, bike and run training for triathletesBalancing training strengths vs. weaknesses The importance of training for top-end speedConsiderations for older athletesDETAILED 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/tts457/LINKS AND RESOURCES: Michellie's website and InstagramWHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following episodes: Training Talk with Jodie Swallow Cunnama | EP#332 (another fantastic athlete who's gone on to have a great career in coaching)Training Talk with coach Emma Carney (double ITU World Champion) | EP#276 (as above, but being Australian even more similar to this interview with Michellie)You 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.

Malindi Elmore is a Canadian runner and three-time Olympian. She raced the 1500 in Athens 2004, and the Marathon in Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024, finishing in the top-ten (ninth) in Tokyo. In between her middle-distance and marathon careers, she also raced as a professional triathlete from 2015 to 2017, including six podiums in IM70.3 and Ironman races. We discuss her marathon training, how she manages to perform and continue to improve into her 40s and as a mother, her short but successful professional triathlon career, and more.  HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: Transitioning to the marathon as a natural middle-distance specialistA detailed look into Malindi's typical marathon buildDouble-threshold workouts and race-specific long runsRace tactics and pacingPerforming at the highest level and continuing to improve well into her 40sBalancing training and life as a professional athlete with being a mother of twoHow Malindi got into triathlon, and found very quick successInsights into Malindi's triathlon training Tips for amateur runners and for amateur triathletes to improve their running DETAILED 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/tts456/ LINKS AND RESOURCES: Malindi's website and InstagramDaniels' Running Formula - book by Jack DanielsIn Pursuit of Excellence - book by Terry Orlick WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following episodes: Coach Melanie McQuaid | EP#374 and Melanie McQuaid | EP#430 - fellow Canadian athlete who Malindi raced in her triathlon careerNutrition for endurance and ultra-endurance athletes with Trent Stellingwerff, PhD | EP#265 - Trent is a sports scientist with a focus on sports nutrition. He has worked with Malindi in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics. David Roche – The training and racing strategy behind his epic Leadville 100 course record | EP#444 - If you're interested in the art and the science of going even longer than the marathon, this one is for you!Michele Zanini (part 2) | EP#394 - Michele has worked with legendary running coach Renato Canova, and gives a detailed description of Canova's principles, as well as Michele's own adaptations of themRun training talk with Jon Green | EP#315 - Jon Green coached Molly Seidel, Olympic Bronze medalist from the marathon in TokyoYou 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.

François Modave, PhD, is a Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health at Wake Forest University and a triathlete with over 30 years in the sport. He delves into how AI can revolutionize triathlon training and performance analysis. Topics include the balance of data-driven insights and personal intuition in training, potential benefits like injury prevention and nutrition optimization, and ethical concerns surrounding AI use. François also shares his vision for an AI model tailored for triathletes, emphasizing the need for quality data.

Anna Kiesenhofer, Olympic Champion in the women's road race at Tokyo 2021, is a self-coached athlete and mathematician. She shares her unique training methods and the challenging balance between cycling and her math career. Anna discusses overcoming burnout, Olympic race strategies, and innovative heat training techniques. She dives into her self-coaching journey, explaining the shift to a more intuitive, enjoyable approach. Additionally, she offers valuable tips for amateur cyclists, emphasizing personalization in training and the significance of mental preparation.

Lance Watson, a highly experienced triathlon coach, has guided elite athletes like Olympic champion Simon Whitfield. He shares his coaching methodology, emphasizing task progression and the mental strategies that fueled Whitfield’s success at the Sydney Olympics. The discussion dives into adapting training for busy age-group athletes, optimizing performance despite life’s demands. Watson also highlights the evolution of coaching with technology and continuous learning while sharing practical tips for swim, bike, and run improvements.

Guest Michael Liberzon, host of the Endurance Innovation Podcast, dives into the complexities of endurance sports. He discusses the critical evaluation of information and how to navigate misinformation on social media. Liberzon emphasizes the importance of understanding metrics' validity and accuracy, especially in tech like running power meters. He also delves into the DIKW pyramid, advocating for transforming data into actionable wisdom for better decision-making in training. Alongside this, he highlights the value of personalized coaching and community insights.