Purple Patch Podcast

It's that time of the year. It's the end of the racing season and the holidays are approaching quickly. Now is the time you might be considering upgrading your equipment, whether by adding on to your favorite frame or buying a brand-new bike altogether. The blizzard of information, potential or promised benefits, and the wide range of products on the market can leave you confused or frustrated with a purchase that simply isn't right for you. Today on the Purple Patch Podcast, Ironman Master Coach Matt Dixon welcomes Chris Soden of IOG Bike Fitting to the show. With over 25 years in the cycling industry and an extensive background as a professional bike fitter and industry consultant, Chris shares his in-depth knowledge of custom and high-end bike sales and fittings to help you wade through some of the difficult decisions athletes and fitness enthusiasts of all levels face when considering a bike upgrade. Matt and Chris discuss five key elements and tips if you are contemplating or considering either upgrading your bike, buying a brand new bike, or even thinking about getting a used bike, as well as how you can avoid many of the pitfalls of a new purchase to make sure that you're investing in the right place. Topics Matt and Chris Cover include: Making the Right Choice: What to consider when choosing a new bike (10:54) "As much as possible, what I try to get people to do is to actually look internally. We all want to watch what athletes just won a race and what athlete is on some new fun products, but really...look internally and be honest with the riding that you're going to do." - Chris Soden Common Mistakes: Elements that lead to a bad fit Best Investment For Your Return: Where to save money and where to spend (23:57) "As with many things in life, audio equipment, and cooking gear, whatever it is, you get to a point where you start spending cubic dollars for kind of marginal gains. And for some athletes, those marginal gains are the make or break." - Chris Soden Saddle Choice: The importance of getting it right (27:06) You can fidget with everything else. If you don't have your saddle dialed in, if your saddle isn't a seven or an eight out of a 1 to 10 scale, frankly, you're just going to be spinning your wheels." - Chris Soden Going Faster: Worthwhile investments for improving speed Used Bikes: The pros and cons of second-hand rides (35:01) So right off the bat, we're not buying the thing that we have the chance to buy new. We're buying this thing that's been altered, changed, and edited...And my question is always, does this bike allow proper bike fit." - Chris Soden The IOG Experience: How to access a good fit with Chris, Ivan, and the team at IOG Bike Fitting (50:09) "We've certainly helped people with new bikes, we've certainly helped people that they've progressed into different products or asked about certain upgrades. And I think the end results for us have been just a continual affirmation that this information and this expertise is very, very valuable. It's very welcome, and we're happy to be a part of it." - Chris Soden Want to connect with Chris and Ivan for consultations and more advice? Email info@purplepatchfitness.com and we will connect you to the IOG team. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - 04:59 - Welcome and Episode Introduction 05:06 - 54:05 - The Meat and Potatoes - Episode 245: Choosing Your Next Bike with Chris Soden of IOG Bike Fitting Purple Patch Video Podcast and More IOG Bike Fitting and Consulting Through Purple Patch Fitness Need More Info on IOG? Email info@purplepatchfitness.com and we can help. The Purple Patch Center is Open - Learn More and Schedule a Visit Free Live Webinar - Free Speed: Essential Strategies to Help You Align Trained Potential with Race-Day Performance Training Camp - 2023 Kona Triathlon Camp Purple Patch Coaching Consultation Purple Patch and Episode Resources This episode is sponsored by our collaboration with INSIDE TRACKER. Inside Tracker and Purple Patch - Receive 20% off their services with code: PURPLEPATCHPRO20 Ask Matt Anything - Leave a voicemail question for Matt Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program Join Bike Squad - Don't just exercise and work out; learn to train with our structured online cycling program Join Run Squad - Increase your running performance through our progressive, multi-sport approach to running Learn more about Purple Patch Fully Customized 1:1 Coaching Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming Purple Patch Swim Analysis Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events

This week on the Purple Patch podcast, we are scaling back a little to give thanks to everyone who helped make the Purple Patch podcast what it is today. We are grateful for all of the support we have received over the past few years as we continue our journey and explore the evolution of the podcast experience. With nearly 250 episodes under our belt, we would like to say thank you to the more than 6 million listeners who have stood by us and inspired us as we have evolved our focus and approach. In this episode, we discuss what the podcast has become and, with the addition of the video podcast, what it has the potential to be with your input. Matt lays out the vision for the podcast's future and ways you can provide feedback on what you hope to gain from the experience. We welcome you to join the community and help us grow our platform as we strive to continue providing education, insight, and perspective to help you improve your performance in sport and life. (19:19) Thank you. Thank you for showing up engaging and making this really, really fun. I really hope that you find this show insightful, enjoyable to listen to, and helpful in your own performance journey. And the one thing that I can commit to is that we will continue to work our tails off to keep bringing the very best insights that we can. Hopefully, all of them actionable insights...We believe in ourselves. We believe in what we offer. We believe in our expertise and we care and we are invested. And so thank you for being a part of this journey. I hope that you have a super holiday. Be sure to check out the full episode for a special gift from our partners at InsideTracker. We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving from Matt, Kelli, and the entire purple patch team. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - 02:29 - Welcome and Episode Introduction 02:38 - 21:00 - The Meat and Potatoes - Episode 244: Thanks to You - The Purple Patch Podcast Experience Purple Patch Video Podcast and More The Purple Patch Center is Open - Learn More and Schedule a Visit Free Live Webinar - Free Speed: Essential Strategies to Help You Align Trained Potential with Race-Day Performance Training Camp - 2023 Kona Triathlon Camp Purple Patch Coaching Consultation Purple Patch and Episode Resources This episode is sponsored by our collaboration with INSIDE TRACKER. Inside Tracker and Purple Patch Black Friday Sale: Nov. 23 - 30 - Receive 34% off storewide, $200 off the Ultimate Package with code: PURPLEPATCHBF34IA Ask Matt Anything - Leave a voicemail question for Matt Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program Join Bike Squad - Don't just exercise and work out; learn to train with our structured online cycling program Join Run Squad - Increase your running performance through our progressive, multi-sport approach to running Learn more about Purple Patch Fully Customized 1:1 Coaching Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming Purple Patch Swim Analysis Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events

In this episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN Master coach Matt Dixon presents the Winter Running Project, a tried and true method for improving next year's running performance regardless of your running level or overall goal. The Winter Running Project is a chance for triathletes, fitness enthusiasts, injury-prone athletes, or those frustrated with the results of their running performance to improve their running technique and overall performance without getting depleted or shackling themselves with rigid structure in the postseason. (18:20) "What we're looking for in a project like this, again, is not burning up at the edge of our capacity, but we're looking for simple wins and a mindset of preparation. And so most athletes tend to thrive on a project like this, if they have a target, a goal, but that goal is built more around accountability and consistency, rather than a quantifiable, race-driven executional goal. And so I tend to not have athletes focus on training for an event here. Instead, you make something really fun and accessible. But the reward of it is by simple implementation of the program." Matt applies the method he uses to help athletes break through their running performance and breaks down the nuts and bolts of how you might put a winter running project into action by focusing on a simple, consistent, and soul-filling approach to running and training that will leave you primed for the coming season. (23:20) "A lot of your training week can act as a decompressor as a little bit of emotional relief, a little bit of simple joy of being outside, running, feel good from the endorphins that come with it. And we can shine the light more in this project on that aspect without actually losing the structure, the progression and specificity to actually improve." With the Winter Running Project, you will not only emerge an evolved runner but also build a platform of health, daily energy, resiliency, and a sense of enjoyment while running. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - 04:41 - Welcome and Episode Introduction 04:42 - 42:14 - The Meat and Potatoes - Episode 243: The Winter Running Project - A Framework to Improve Running Performance for All Levels Purple Patch Video Podcast and More The Purple Patch Center is Open - Learn More and Schedule a Visit Free Live Webinar - Free Speed: Essential Strategies to Help You Align Trained Potential with Race-Day Performance Training Camp - 2023 Kona Triathlon Camp Purple Patch Coaching Consultation Purple Patch and Episode Resources This episode is sponsored by our collaboration with INSIDE TRACKER. Inside Tracker and Purple Patch - Receive 20% off their services with code: PURPLEPATCHPRO20 Ask Matt Anything - Leave a voicemail question for Matt Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program Join Bike Squad - Don't just exercise and work out; learn to train with our structured online cycling program Join Run Squad - Increase your running performance through our progressive, multi-sport approach to running Learn more about Purple Patch Fully Customized 1:1 Coaching Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming Purple Patch Swim Analysis Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events

While every performance journey requires commitment and hard work, the thing that sets enduringly good athletes apart from the rest is the dedication and time they put into establishing great fundamental habits around recovery. Postseason recovery doesn't just mean it is time to lay on the couch, jump in an ice bath, or strap on recovery boots. Getting recovery right is key to avoiding underperformance or injury and instead achieving a sustainable performance in both sport and life. As the holidays loom and you settle into the postseason, it is important to engage in the preparatory phase of training that is so critical to facilitate future success, yet so many people fail to execute correctly. In this episode of the purple patch podcast, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon revisits the subject of recovery and frames it as a bridge between the end of the race season and improved performance in the coming year. Matt breaks down your recovery toolkit to see what works, what's important, and what to avoid to ensure you fully recharge your battery, emotionally, physically, and socially to pave the way for enduring results and growth next season and beyond. In today's show we will go through: Recovery in the Context of Your Performance Journey (08:11) "On one side, you've got to work darn hard, consistently. On the other side, you need rejuvenation, to create acceleration in adaptations in growth in all of the outcomes that you're looking for." The Components of Proper Recovery (13:01) "This is about recharging your social connectivity to family, friends, the society that you live in, having an emotional and mental recharge so that we can gain full motivation, clarity, and purpose looking ahead, and physical rejuvenation, both from a systemic or hormonal standpoint as well as a musculoskeletal standpoint. " A Case Study of Post-Race Assessment - Recovery and Transition Into the Postseason (24:01) "Our first goal is recharge our batteries. The second goal is to have some really honest and objective reflection, and assessment of what happened over the course of this last season" (42:51) "So the process of reflection, and some smart structured months, is, I believe, a non negotiable for performance. But unfortunately, most athletes miss out on this, they take one of the two most common paths. And I promise you when you do that, completely disengage, or just have a quick break and obsessively dive back in problems nearly always lay ahead." Episode Timestamps 00:00 - 03:26 - Welcome and Episode Introduction 03:34 - 44:18 - The Meat and Potatoes - Episode 242: Deep Recovery – Post-Race Assessment and Recharging for a Magical Year of Performance Purple Patch Video Podcast and More The Purple Patch Center is Open - Learn More and Schedule a Visit Episode 130: Four Phases of a Successful Performance Culture Episode 215: Stress Is Not A Dirty Word Free Live Webinar - Free Speed: Essential Strategies to Help You Align Trained Potential with Race-Day Performance Training Camp - 2023 Kona Triathlon Camp Purple Patch Coaching Consultation Purple Patch and Episode Resources This episode is sponsored by our collaboration with INSIDE TRACKER. Inside Tracker and Purple Patch - Receive 20% off their services with code: PURPLEPATCHPRO20 Ask Matt Anything - Leave a voicemail question for Matt Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program Join Bike Squad - Don't just exercise and work out; learn to train with our structured online cycling program Join Run Squad - Increase your running performance through our progressive, multi-sport approach to running Learn more about Purple Patch Fully Customized 1:1 Coaching Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming Purple Patch Swim Analysis Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events

As a follow-up to our podcast on the evolution of the professional triathlon, this episode focuses on the tip of the performance spear with a spotlight on two athletes who have taken the sport to new heights. Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt, also known as The Norwegian Train. With stand-out Olympic and Ironman performances in recent years, the two athletes paved the way to a stellar showing at the 2022 Hawaii Ironman World Championships and a record-breaking win for Iden. The pair recently appeared on the Rich Roll podcast to shed light on their approach and offered a glimpse into their training method, which is well known for its grounding in science and technology, spearheaded by their coach, Olav Aleksander Bu. In this episode of the purple patch podcast, Ironman Master Coach, Matt Dixon takes the insights gleaned from the interview with Iden and Blummenfelt and examines what you can learn from the principles, approach, and success of the seemingly unstoppable Norwegian Train. Matt discusses: Context and Perspective: The differences between elite professionals and the time-starved amateur. (12:48) "It's sort of a monastic life...it's not the game that the vast majority of us are playing." (20:27) "While the pros have a very pure speed and performance challenge, us as amateurs face an optimization challenge in both training, planning, and where to apply focus so that we can ultimately move our performance needle." Traits and Approaches: Traits and principles that make up the training approach of elite professionals. (25:22) "When you listen to Kristian, and Gustav, what comes through for me is a series of traits and approaches, all wrapped up in the team setup that are very, very common across almost any high-performing team and individual. And this could be tailored and positioned to sports, to business, to broader life." Actionable Takeaways: Key lessons you can draw from the interview to apply to your training approach and performance journey. (40:48) "What should you apply right now, from all of these insights? You can't just change everything, but what are the components that you should do? Should you go and grab a lactate meter? Should you recruit your partner to help you with the application of the core temperature monitor? If you've listened to the episode and interview you'll understand what I mean by that. Should you hire a personal physiologist? Should you scrap the family holiday so that you can spend it all on data analytics? No, at least not before you do these things that I'm going to break through." Episode Timestamps 00:00 - 06:59 - Welcome and Episode Introduction 07:07 - 46:07 - The Meat and Potatoes - Episode 241: Observations of Elite Performance - What Amateur Athletes Can Learn from Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt Purple Patch Video Podcast and More The Purple Patch Center is Open - Learn More and Schedule a Visit The RIch Roll Podcast - Gustav Iden & Kristian Blummenfelt: Lessons From The Norwegian Train Reign Episode 10: Recovery - Your Key to Improved Performance Episode 25: Traits of Highly Talented People Free Live Webinar - Free Speed: Essential Strategies to Help You Align Trained Potential with Race-Day Performance Training Camp - 2023 Kona Triathlon Camp Purple Patch Coaching Consultation Purple Patch and Episode Resources This episode is sponsored by our collaboration with INSIDE TRACKER. Inside Tracker and Purple Patch - Receive 20% off their services with code: PURPLEPATCHPRO20 Ask Matt Anything - Leave a voicemail question for Matt Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program Join Bike Squad - Don't just exercise and work out; learn to train with our structured online cycling program Join Run Squad - Increase your running performance through our progressive, multi-sport approach to running Learn more about Purple Patch Fully Customized 1:1 Coaching Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming Purple Patch Swim Analysis Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events

Like most time-starved athletes, it's the time of year when you reflect on the season and look forward to a well-deserved break. While the winter months offer a welcome shift of focus to other areas of life, your commitment to longer-term goals and your performance journey looms large. The threat of losing momentum in your athletic performance conflicts with the need to disconnect. Today IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon lays out a few strategies for developing your winter action plan, to help you find the mental relief you seek while setting up a strong performance for next year. Matt shares his 5 non-negotiable basics that every athlete or fitness enthusiast can do this winter to stay on pace for an optimal long-term outcome. Retain Structure and Amplify Focus on Life (24:07) "A training structure is actually the very framework that allows organization. And that becomes really important because having some structure in your life is the very key that unlocks effectiveness in work, in giving time to family and friends." Commit to Strength (36:19) "If you do strength and conditioning appropriately, you should experience improved motor patterns. So better synchronization, better coordination. In other words, you get to be more athletic, that's really good. We get to improve our posture, our stability, and our balance. So, therefore, better athletic awareness, a better platform to go and launch into any type of endurance activity that we might do." Go Play (42:57) "Beyond the framework of specificity that we have, there is capacity to add play into this...activities that can foster mental rejuvenation, freshness, but at the same time cross-pollinate to an effective training outcome." Evolve Your Fueling and Eating Habits (50:13) "It is the time when training stress is lower, that you really have mental capacity to apply the lessons...and then when training ramps up, you've got the habit creation, you've got the strategies, and you can parallel your nutritional demands with increasing demands of training. And that becomes a winning proposition." Lay Your Performance Foundation (51:26) "The truth is that if you want to make something really special happen for yourself, you need to go out and make it happen. There's no sugarcoating here. You do the work, you work your tail off within the lighter structure, with less hours and you will, as a non-negotiable, lay your performance foundation." This episode aims to help you turn your back on the sport this winter without turning your back on your overall performance journey. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - 05:37 - Welcome and Episode Introduction 05:44 - 10:49 - Matt's News-ings 10:50 - 100:29 - Meat and Potatoes - Episode 240: The Winter Action Plan - Five Non-Negotiables for Every Time-Starved Athlete Purple Patch Video Podcast and More The Purple Patch Center is Open - Learn More and Schedule a Visit Episode 238: Off-Season (As You Know It) Is Dead - The Postseason Path to Race Readiness Purple Patch Blog - Three-Month Race Plans are Ancient History Free Live Webinar - Free Speed: Essential Strategies to Help You Align Trained Potential with Race-Day Performance Training Camp - 2023 Kona Triathlon Camp Purple Patch Coaching Consultation Purple Patch and Episode Resources This episode is sponsored by our collaboration with INSIDE TRACKER. Inside Tracker and Purple Patch - Receive 20% off their services with code: PURPLEPATCHPRO20 Ask Matt Anything - Leave a voicemail question for Matt Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program Join Bike Squad - Don't just exercise and work out; learn to train with our structured online cycling program Join Run Squad - Increase your running performance through our progressive, multi-sport approach to running Learn more about Purple Patch Fully Customized 1:1 Coaching Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming Purple Patch Swim Analysis Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events

If you are like many fitness enthusiasts, athletes, and those looking to improve their health and fitness while balancing the demands of work, family, and life, you may be struggling or disatisfied with the results. Maybe you invested in your fitness journey and your body composition or fitness profile is not improving Maybe you're stuck in an injury cycle. You are not alone. Many people are struggling to find their performance recipe within the framework of today's traditional fitness model. The fitness landscape is saturated with gyms, group fitness classes, strength programs, and get-ripped-quick schemes that promise everything under the sun yet usually deliver little in the way of long-term growth. The stale routines and lack of results of programs that are narrow in scope and broad in guidance only compound the frustration by introducing a blizzard of information and performance-enhancing strategies that deliver nothing more than broken promises of improved body composition, better health, and longevity. Today, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon outlines a better pathway to success. He introduces a training model that is tailored to your own life, builds on an athletic approach, and offers a simple and proven training method that defies the broken models of traditional fitness. In this episode Matt covers: Part One: The Definition of Success - Building a Smart Training Program That Suits YOU (19:43) "So, control results, broad results across life and health, making sure that you're getting a sense of connection, and of course out of all, a deep sense of satisfaction for a job well done. This is what for me a commitment - that contract with yourself - a commitment to a smart program should be focused on delivering." Part Two: The Broken Model - 5 Elements that Lead to Random Results and Potential Failure (30:13) "Traditional fitness is globally designed for everyone. But there is a real case that, quite often that means that, it's not good enough for anyone. And the benefits that yield from this are short-term. But of course, the outcome and the risk is failure or injury." Part Three: A Performance Model that Works - 7 Elements of a Successful Training Program (33:27) "So just imagine if right now I could say to you, there's an approach that is absolutely proven effective in producing predictable results, and also helps develop great traits in organization. And underneath it all, it's shown that it improves your health. Wouldn't that be nice? Well, guess what? There is such a model. There really is. And that model is the development of an elite endurance athlete. " Part Four: The Purple Patch Performance Center - The Model in Action (57:37) "You've got your work, you've got your home, and you've got the gym. The club. That's your third space. And that becomes really important... By showing up and arriving here, you are fostering not just improvements in sport, but you're becoming a better person. It's actually building up your social network, a real social network." The goal of today's episode is to provide you with a framework for training to help balance your goals in sport and fitness with your time-starved life and provide a filter against the performance noise often found in the traditional fitness model. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - 03:57 - Welcome and Episode Introduction 04:04 - 07:53 - Matt's News-ings 07:54 - 11:02 - Word of the Week 11:09 - 102:38 - Meat and Potatoes - Episode 239: Fixing the Broken Model of Traditional Fitness Purple Patch Video Podcast and More VIDEO PODCAST - Episode 236: KONA - Evolution of the Pro Performance (An IRONMAN Master Coach Insight) PODCAST - Episode 236: KONA - Evolution of the Pro Performance (An IRONMAN Master Coach Insight) RSVP For The Grand Opening Of The Purple Patch Performance Center Free Live Webinar - Free Speed: Essential Strategies to Help You Align Trained Potential with Race-Day Performance Training Camp - 2023 Kona Triathlon Camp Purple Patch Coaching Consultation The Purple Patch Center is Open - Learn More and Schedule a Visit Purple Patch and Episode Resources This episode is sponsored by our collaboration with INSIDE TRACKER. Inside Tracker and Purple Patch - Receive 20% off their services with code: PURPLEPATCHPRO20 Ask Matt Anything - Leave a voicemail question for Matt Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program Join Bike Squad - Don't just exercise and work out; learn to train with our structured online cycling program Join Run Squad - Increase your running performance through our progressive, multi-sport approach to running Learn more about Purple Patch Fully Customized 1:1 Coaching Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming Purple Patch Swim Analysis Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events

For many athletes, the offseason is the bridge between the end-of-summer finish lines and next season's starting lines. While you might be considering turning the dial down on your athletic performance, you may actually be setting yourself up for failure in the coming year. In this episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, Ironman Master Coach Matt Dixon highlights the common mistake many athletes make in their approach to training and performance habits during the most important phase of training. (22:08) "There is seldom a time where a complete removal of structure is your best option. Because when you remove structure, and focus, you lose all organizational framework. And you're also going to miss an opportunity of preparation. And that critical preparation is often the catalyst, the number one performance predictor for you having a wonderful season next year. " Matt makes a case for a radical shift in approach during the winter months to set up a platform of resilience and increased performance readiness for the coming season. In this episode Matt covers: Part One: A Broken System The problem with magic race builds and the short-term approach. (14:10) "you don't need to be year-round in your obsession. It doesn't need to feel like a monkey on the back. But you equally cannot expect greatness and ongoing personal development if you're only focused for a short period of time." Part Two: Shifting the Lens - Key supporting Ingredients for a time-starved athlete. (24:20) "What we're looking to do is to find a smart and structured program that can enable global performance readiness, free your mind and enable you to more easily ramp to races. And so the core components of this, almost the legs of your performance store, is number one, a realization that consistency is the magic word." Part Three: How to Build Sustainable Performance The preparatory phase - focusing on consistency and pragmatism. (32:15) "It is patient. It delivers low emotional load. But what it ends up delivering is you in a place when you are ready to turn the training focus up a little bit as having a platform of resilience. It's going to set you up to get optimal yield from the upcoming hard work." (32:51) "You can imagine how this type of training, pretty low stress, tissue resilience, technique focused, it's very, very hard to integrate that type of low-stress training into a race build is never going to happen." This episode aims to flip many listeners' mindsets around a typical approach to training by reframing the offseason and encouraging athletes to commit to a year-round approach to building a platform of health. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - 03:32 - Welcome and Episode Introduction 03:247 - 08:31 - Word of the Week 8:32 - Episode 238: Off-Season (As You Know It) Is Dead - The Postseason Path to Race Readiness Purple Patch Video Podcast and More RSVP For The Grand Opening Of The Purple Patch Performance Center Free Live Webinar - Free Speed: Essential Strategies to Help You Align Trained Potential with Race-Day Performance Training Camp - 2023 Kona Triathlon Camp Purple Patch Coaching Consultation The Purple Patch Center is Open - Learn More and Schedule a Visit Purple Patch and Episode Resources This episode is sponsored by our collaboration with INSIDE TRACKER. Inside Tracker and Purple Patch - Receive 20% off their services with code: PURPLEPATCHPRO20 Ask Matt Anything - Leave a voicemail question for Matt Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program Join Bike Squad - Don't just exercise and work out; learn to train with our structured online cycling program Join Run Squad - Increase your running performance through our progressive, multi-sport approach to running Learn more about Purple Patch Fully Customized 1:1 Coaching Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming Purple Patch Swim Analysis Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events

You've done everything you can to avoid injury. You focused on fueling and hydration, followed a well-balanced strength and conditioning program, removed intensity when needed, and diversified your training to include a multisport approach. You leveraged all of the strategies Matt covered in the first two episodes of our three-part series on injury prevention and management. Despite your best efforts, you now find yourself fending off the niggles and worry about it becoming a larger issue. In our final segment on breaking the injury cycle, Matt moves beyond strategies for injury prevention and digs into the painful reality of coping with nagging injuries. In this episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, Matt provides insight, based on patterns he has seen as a coach over many years, on how to avoid getting stuck in a cycle of injury and successfully emerge ready to train and compete. Matt shares 6 principles that are important to apply a smart and pragmatic approach to overcoming the niggles and injuries. Understanding Your Injury (12:28) "If you're going to manage through any soft tissue, or even bone injury, it's really important that you spend the time to investigate what is actually going on, and how to manage." Preventing a Niggle from Becoming an Injury (25:55) "with tugs, or tightness, a general rule is to actually allow your body to do its thing. In other words, as I like to say, leave it the heck alone." (26:27) "The body is really good at regressing to the mean, in other words, restoring, adapting, recuperating, and you don't want to intervene with that process." Avoiding Detraining (30:23) "You are a multi-sport athlete. And so we want to ensure that we double down and ensure that we don't de-train across the other elements. You are an athlete. And we need to ensure that we maintain an athlete mindset and approach almost every situation no matter what happens as much as we can." Embracing the Four Pillars of Performance (42:35) "When you do experience a little bit of a niggle or do have to navigate injury, you want to really double down on those two pillars, great nutritional support, and really focusing on destressing, and prioritizing sleep and downtime." Following the Guidelines of Re-entry (43:06) "The most harm, and an extension of an injury, tends to occur as an athlete has got over the initial symptoms and begins to actually progress back to regular training." Leverage the Opportunity of Adversity (50:41) "Every time that you face in a niggle or injury, there are always lessons to be drawn. And that is a part of growth, of becoming smarter about your body or developing autonomy, and in fact, a platform for you ultimately, to build resilience. " Episode Timestamps 00:00 - 02:19 - Welcome and Episode Introduction 02:26 - 04:56 - Matt's News-ings 05:10 - 08:46 - Word of the Week 8:54 - Episode 237: Breaking the Injury Cycle (Part 3) - 6 Principles of Injury Management Purple Patch Video Podcast and More Episode 230: Breaking the Injury Cycle (Part 1) - 5 Keys to Prevention and Lowering Risk Episode 233: Breaking the Injury Cycle (Part 2) - The Role of Nutrition RSVP For The Grand Opening Of The Purple Patch Performance Center Free Live Webinar - Free Speed: Essential Strategies to Help You Align Trained Potential with Race-Day Performance Training Camp - 2023 Kona Triathlon Camp Purple Patch Coaching Consultation The Purple Patch Center is Open - Learn More and Schedule a Visit Purple Patch and Episode Resources This episode is sponsored by our collaboration with INSIDE TRACKER. Inside Tracker and Purple Patch - Receive 20% off their services with code: PURPLEPATCHPRO20 Ask Matt Anything - Leave a voicemail question for Matt Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program Join Bike Squad - Don't just exercise and work out; learn to train with our structured online cycling program Join Run Squad - Increase your running performance through our progressive, multi-sport approach to running Learn more about Purple Patch Fully Customized 1:1 Coaching Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming Purple Patch Swim Analysis Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events

With the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships looming, one can't help but wonder about the level of performance to expect from an ever-growing field of high-performance athletes whose athleticism seems to trend upward every year. Beyond Kona, professional triathlon has witnessed performance and endurance levels rise and the makeup of endurance athletes shift based on the growing demands and expectations of the sport. In today's episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN master coach Matt Dixon uses his experience as both an athlete and coach to examine the shift over the past few decades in the athletic approach to training, nutrition, recovery, and all the elements needed to perform at the professional level in today's triathlon landscape. Matt takes a look at the future of Professional Triathlon through the lens of its past by highlighting 6 main principles he has observed around the changing of the sport. The Application of Science: Improved access and understanding of scientific data for optimal training and recovery. (34:03) "We have seen over the last five to ten years, a wonderful marrying of coaching, experimentation, research and applied research on the fly, or with a collaboration to accelerate learning of what truly works, and perhaps most importantly, what doesn't work. There has been a radical increase in the understanding of what it takes to achieve performance improvements." Triathlon as a First Sport: Early exposure and focus on a multisport approach. (37:28) "In the last few years, we genuinely are starting to see athletes that grew up as triathletes. It was their first real elite experience. And with this, we started to see the average age of world-class being dramatically reduced." Perceptions of Possibility: the elevation of athletic performance through breakthrough individual performances in all three disciplines. (39:58) "There is simply no place for being a weak bike rider. You cannot excel without being a great runner. And you also have to ultimately swim at or very, very close to the world-class level in swimming. It's a prerequisite now." Evolving Nutrition and Fueling: The evolution of science and approach in stabilizing energy, predicting performance levels, and improving recovery. (44:41) "this has proved to be a genuine and serious performance paradigm shift, particularly in long course racing, those that are benefiting from it, they're bonking less and experiencing less gastric distress." Advancements in Equipment Technology: The radical increase and optimization of technologically advanced triathlon equipment. (47:05) "Gimmicks are less dominant now. There's a smarter filter going on. And the access to all of this equipment is much more democratic." Structure of the Sport: The shift in race format and approach by the Professional Triathletes Organisation. (49:29) "The race formats and the structure has elevated the required range of participating pros. And I predict that this is only going to accelerate over the next three, four, or five years. What it means to be a serious professional triathlete is going to change." The aim of this episode is to shape your expectations and performance levels based on an understanding of what it means, and what it takes, to deliver a world-class triathlon performance. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - 03:38 - Welcome and Episode Introduction 03:45 - Episode 236: Evolution of the Pro Performance - an IRONMAN Master Coach Insight Purple Patch Video Podcast and More RSVP For The Grand Opening Of The Purple Patch Performance Center Free Live Webinar - Free Speed: Essential Strategies to Help You Align Trained Potential with Race-Day Performance Training Camp - 2023 Kona Triathlon Camp Purple Patch Coaching Consultation The Purple Patch Center is Open - Learn More and Schedule a Visit Purple Patch and Episode Resources This episode is sponsored by our collaboration with INSIDE TRACKER. Inside Tracker and Purple Patch - Receive 20% off their services with code: PURPLEPATCHPRO20 Ask Matt Anything - Leave a voicemail question for Matt Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program Join Bike Squad - Don't just exercise and work out; learn to train with our structured online cycling program Join Run Squad - Increase your running performance through our progressive, multi-sport approach to running Learn more about Purple Patch Fully Customized 1:1 Coaching Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming Purple Patch Swim Analysis Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events