

That Triathlon Show
Mikael Eriksson
That Triathlon Show is the podcast for triathletes of all levels who want to train smarter and race faster. With over 600 episodes and millions of downloads since 2017, this show cuts through the noise and misinformation, delivering practical, no-nonsense advice rooted in both the art and science of training and performance.
The podcast features in-depth interviews with the world’s best coaches, top sports scientists, and elite athletes. Each episode dives into the nuances of training methodology, performance optimization, and race-day execution, providing insights you can apply right away. Whether you're preparing for a supersprint or an Ironman, or focusing on a single sport like swimming, cycling, or running, you'll find expert guidance and relevant content here.
The podcast is hosted by Mikael Eriksson, a former engineer now coaching professional and age-group athletes. Mikael is a Level III certified coach with over a decade of experience in coaching.
Join a global community of dedicated triathletes and take your performance to the next level. Learn more at www.scientifictriathlon.com/podcast.
The podcast features in-depth interviews with the world’s best coaches, top sports scientists, and elite athletes. Each episode dives into the nuances of training methodology, performance optimization, and race-day execution, providing insights you can apply right away. Whether you're preparing for a supersprint or an Ironman, or focusing on a single sport like swimming, cycling, or running, you'll find expert guidance and relevant content here.
The podcast is hosted by Mikael Eriksson, a former engineer now coaching professional and age-group athletes. Mikael is a Level III certified coach with over a decade of experience in coaching.
Join a global community of dedicated triathletes and take your performance to the next level. Learn more at www.scientifictriathlon.com/podcast.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 15, 2024 • 1h 58min
Melanie McQuaid | EP#430
Melanie McQuaid is a triathlon coach and veteran professional triathlete. In 2023 she became the first ever 50-year-old to qualify for and race in the professional field in the Ironman World Championships in Kona. In this interview we discuss that feat and Mel's general thoughts on longevity in the sport and on maintaining performance at an older age. Then we go into a long Q&A segment, answering listener questions on a large variety of topics. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Training considerations with older age, and how to maintain and improve performance as you get older -Testing, training zones, and training prescription -Shift work and training -Use of heart rate in training -Balancing "aerobic base" training and intensity -Are brick sessions necessary? -VO2max intervals ...and more SHOWNOTES: https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts430/ SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON AND THAT TRIATHLON SHOW WEBPAGE: www.scientifictriathlon.com/podcast/ 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. ZEN8 - The ZEN8 Indoor Swim Trainer allows you to improve technique, power, and swim training consistency. You can target specific aspects of your stroke, like catch and pull-through, work on core activation and body position, and make sure you stay consistent in your swim training even when you don't have time to go to the pool. Try the Zen8 risk-free for 30 days, and get 20% off your first order on zen8swimtrainer.com/tts. LINKS AND RESOURCES: Mel's website, Instagram and Twitter Coach Melanie McQuaid | EP#374 Training for Xterra and off-road triathlon with five-time world champion Melanie McQuaid | EP#196 That Triathlon Show guests Olympic Podium picks for Paris 2024 RATE AND REVIEW: If you enjoy the show, please help me out by subscribing, rating and reviewing: www.scientifictriathlon.com/rate/ CONTACT: Want to send feedback, questions or just chat? Email me at mikael@scientifictriathlon.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 4, 2024 • 1h 49min
Bex Milnes | EP#429
Triathlon coach Bex Milnes discusses efficient training for age-group athletes, balancing family and training, optimizing training efficiency, race preparation strategies, tapering considerations, self-compassion in training, and decision-making for max performance.

Mar 18, 2024 • 1h 25min
Tomasz Kowalski | EP#428
Tomasz (Tomek) Kowalski, is a triathlon coach and sport scientist from Poland. Tomek's coaching experience includes working with both elite and age-group triathletes, including coaching Ironman World Champions in their respective age-groups, and in his academic work his main focus is on the effect of respiratory muscle training (RMT) on endurance performance. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Tomek's coaching philosophy and methodology -What it takes to podium or win the Ironman World Championships as an age-grouper -Pacing and race execution -Advice for improving your swim, bike and run training and performance, respectively -What is Respiratory Muscle training (RMT) and is it beneficial for endurance athletes? -Practical recommendations for implementing RMT in a triathlon training program -Listener questions ...and more SHOWNOTES: https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts428/ SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON AND THAT TRIATHLON SHOW WEBPAGE: www.scientifictriathlon.com/podcast/ 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. ZEN8 - The ZEN8 Indoor Swim Trainer allows you to improve technique, power, and swim training consistency. You can target specific aspects of your stroke, like catch and pull-through, work on core activation and body position, and make sure you stay consistent in your swim training even when you don't have time to go to the pool. Try the Zen8 risk-free for 30 days, and get 20% off your first order on zen8swimtrainer.com/tts. LINKS AND RESOURCES: Tomak's Instagram and Research Gate Trinergy (Tomek's coaching business) website Effect of Respiratory Muscle Training on Exercise Performance in Healthy Individuals - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Illi et al. 2012 Distinguishing science from pseudoscience in commercial respiratory interventions: an evidence-based guide for health and exercise professionals - Illidi et al. 2023 RATE AND REVIEW: If you enjoy the show, please help me out by subscribing, rating and reviewing: www.scientifictriathlon.com/rate/ CONTACT: Want to send feedback, questions or just chat? Email me at mikael@scientifictriathlon.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mar 8, 2024 • 1h 38min
Rune Kjøsen Talsnes, PhD | EP#427
Discussion on overtraining, training progression, and periodisation in endurance training with insights from cross-country skiing. Exploring prevention strategies, monitoring techniques, and effects of training load intensity. Gender disparities in triathlon and reflections on influential mentors and colleagues.

Feb 29, 2024 • 2h 12min
Björn Geesmann | EP#426
Discussion with triathlon coach Björn Geesmann covering psychology in racing and training, optimizing running performance through strategic training, balancing intensity and volume, critiquing traditional training methods, aerodynamics in racing, VLaMax testing, rest strategies, Olympic predictions, endurance sports philosophy, and introduction of new coach.

Feb 13, 2024 • 1h 20min
James Spragg, PhD | EP#425
Cycling coach James Spragg discusses durability in cycling, intensity's impact on power profile, and critical power as a marker of performance physiology. The relationship between training characteristics and durability is explored, along with identifying when to work on different parts of the power-duration curve.

Jan 31, 2024 • 1h 40min
Jacob Tipper | EP#424
Jacob Tipper, cycling and triathlon coach and former elite cyclist, discusses his experience in triathlon and the lessons he has learned. Topics include the challenges of transitioning from cycling to triathlon, the importance of proper training and overload, reevaluating training approach, balancing disciplines in triathlon training, and the significance of being engaged in the training process.

Jan 9, 2024 • 5min
Announcement: Looking for a coach to join the Scientific Triathlon team
Email your application to mikael@scientifictriathlon.com. We have an exciting career opportunity for coaches out there. As our team is approaching full capacity of coached athletes, we are looking to bring on a new coach to join our team and work with athletes from around the world. To apply, respond to this email with your CV and tell me a bit more about yourself as a person, as a coach, and why you want to join Scientific Triathlon. Here is a list of a few important characteristics, skills, and experiences in a prospective coach: Cognitive skills and desire to learn Communication skills and interpersonal skills Coaching experience Athletic experience English language skills Coaching certifications Specific knowledge, education and experience in any of the following areas would be considered a plus and is worth highlighting. Languages other than English Strength training Biomechanics Physiotherapy (Sports) medicine (Sports) Psychology (Sports) Nutrition Bike fitting Aerodynamics Sports physiology & exercise science Behavioural science Communication sciences Pedagogy Statistics or data science There is one requirement, without which your application will unfortunately not be considered, so please clarify your goals in this regard. Ambition to eventually dedicate 50% to 100% of a full-time job to coaching. In practice, this means that you will want to coach a minimum of 10 athletes eventually. The work is on an independent contractor basis, where payment is based on the athletes coached. The work can be done remotely from anywhere in the world. More details about the nature of the work, compensation etc. will be given to serious applicants. Feel free to ask for clarification, or send in your application, by emailing mikael@scientifictriathlon.com. If the role is not for you, but you know someone that might be interested, please share this with them and encourage them to apply. I look forward to hearing from as many exceptional coaches as possible. Good luck! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jan 8, 2024 • 1h 22min
Marinus Petersen | EP#423
Marinus Petersen is a cycling coach and road cyclist, with a win in the 2021 Welsh road cycling championships on his palmarès. In this interview we discuss Marinus' approach to coaching and training. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Marinus' overall coaching methodology -The importance of nutrition within the training process -The value of doing "oversized" endurance rides -How to balance aerobic volume and intensity -Testing and athlete profiling SHOWNOTES: https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts423/ SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON AND THAT TRIATHLON SHOW WEBPAGE: www.scientifictriathlon.com/podcast/ 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. ZEN8 - The ZEN8 Indoor Swim Trainer allows you to improve technique, power, and swim training consistency. You can target specific aspects of your stroke, like catch and pull-through, work on core activation and body position, and make sure you stay consistent in your swim training even when you don't have time to go to the pool. Try the Zen8 risk-free for 30 days, and get 20% off your first order on zen8swimtrainer.com/tts. LINKS AND RESOURCES: Marinus' personal and coaching Instagram Fueling Endurance podcast How to Skate a 10k by Nils van der Poel RATE AND REVIEW: If you enjoy the show, please help me out by subscribing, rating and reviewing: www.scientifictriathlon.com/rate/ CONTACT: Want to send feedback, questions or just chat? Email me at mikael@scientifictriathlon.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dec 25, 2023 • 2h 8min
Q&A (supersized holiday edition) | EP#422
Mikael and David Dhooge answer listener questions in a supersized Q&A edition for the holiday season. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Favourite TTS episodes of the year -Differences in training between sprint and middle distance races -Weight loss -Muscle fibre composition - how to estimate your phenotype -When and how to get back into training after illness -Pace or heart rate targets for Zone 2 training -"Big Days" in Ironman preparation -Our proudest athletic achievements, and bucket-list events -Threshold-training -Combining a training camp with a race -Starting and marketing a coaching business SHOWNOTES: https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts422/ SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON AND THAT TRIATHLON SHOW WEBPAGE: www.scientifictriathlon.com/podcast/ SPONSORS: Precision Fuel & Hydration help athletes perform at their best through their online tools, patented Sweat Test and range of electrolytes and fueling products. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner and receive a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake. If you want further help, book a free 20-minute video consultation to chat through your plan. Listen out for the code in today's show to get 15% off your first order of PF&H electrolytes and fueling products. If you missed the code, just email hello@pfandh.com. ZEN8 - The ZEN8 Indoor Swim Trainer is a unique Dryland Swim Trainer that allows you to improve technique, power, and swim training consistency. With the trainer you can do specific power and technique work, including working on your catch and core activation, and it helps you stay consistent even if you don’t have much time to train. You can try the Zen8 risk-free for up to 30 days, and you can get 20% off your first order on zen8swimtrainer.com/tts. LINKS AND RESOURCES: Bent Rønnestad, PhD | EP#386 Richard Laidlow | EP#403 Dan Lorang | EP#417 Vasco Vilaça | EP#401 Sophie Coldwell | EP#395 Q&A on run training (part 2) | EP#388 Q&A on run training (part 1) | EP#385 Q&A on bike training | EP#381 Q&A on swim training | EP#377 Q&A on season planning, goal setting, and personal limiters | EP#372 Q&A episode archive David Dhooge RATE AND REVIEW: If you enjoy the show, please help me out by subscribing, rating and reviewing: www.scientifictriathlon.com/rate/ CONTACT: Want to send feedback, questions or just chat? Email me at mikael@scientifictriathlon.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.