Everyday Ironman Podcast

In this episode, we hear from the author of the new book From Coach Potato to Endurance Athlete, Hilary Topper. Hilary shares her inspiration for writing the book and we talk about some of the stories that she wrote about.Hilary currently lives in New York and besides being a published author, she is a wife and mom as well as a business owner and endurance athlete. I ask Hilary about her experience when she learned to swim when she decided to start triathlon training. She shared a funny story about her coach teaching her to blow bubbles in the pool. Not only did she learn proper technique, Hilary loves to swim with open water swimming being her favorite.In her book, Hilary references a run-walk strategy that she learned from Jeff Galloway. She explains that Jeff personally trained her for the New York City Marathon in 2017 and she has been coaching that technique ever since. I take the opportunity to ask Hilary to explain the technique to me.Hilary talks about some of her recent “marathon” swims. We discuss the importance of navigation. And we talk about the pros and cons of “going” in the water.We talk about her book, goals for 2022 and of course, we compare notes on bikes. Support the show

In this episode, we hear from Carey Cribbs. Carey is a wife, mother of 4 adult children, grandmother of 5, ER Physician and multiple time Ironman Finisher. While giving her background Carey shares that after competing as a gymnast in college, she took 30 years off for her career and to raise her family. When her youngest turned 16, she took up running. Before too long, she had “caught the triathlon bug” and was signed up for a full-distance race.When I ask her about her when she knew she wanted to be a doctor, Carey explains that she originally got her degree in Physical Education and became a High School Coach before going back to school to get her medical degree.We spend a few minutes talking about how Carey and her coach communicate her training schedule for the week. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of outdoor bike riding.At the time of the recording, Carey had recently won her Age Group at the European Championships in Hamburg Germany. She explains how she came to race in Hamburg, gave some insight into how difficult it was to travel around Europe after the race while dragging a bike case and shares that she had already secured her Kona slot in Cozumel earlier in the season so didn’t even have thoughts beyond a PR at this race.Not only will Carey be racing in Kona this year, but she also reveals that she has already crossed the red carpet once before. We talk about her travel plans and she confirms the water is as clear as it looks in the YouTube videos.Carey shares her plan to give back to the community and she crushes my dream of “waiting everyone in my Age Group out.”Carey will be racing both the Ironman World Championships and Ironman Arizona later this year, be sure to track her on course using the Ironman Tracker.Support the show

In this episode we hear from Kim Nicholsen. Kim is a husband (in spirit), father, grandfather and Ironman Finisher. Kim lives in Denmark and finished Ironman Copenhagen in 2014. He grew up playing soccer and tennis. Before getting into triathlon talk, Kim provides some insight into how the current war in Ukraine is affecting his area. While they are not experiencing any direct military movement, they have received a few refugees. He says the biggest impact is in the price of petrol.Because of the time difference between Texas and Denmark, we recorded this episode at 1:00am local time the night after several big triathlon events. Both the Ironman European Championships and the Sub-7/Sub-8 Project had just taken place in Germany, so we took a few minutes to discuss.We question the fairness of how one performance can be considered for World Record qualification and another is not. World Record aside, we agree that everyone involved had an impressive performance.Speaking of impressive, Kim has worked out every day since August 18, 2019. At the time of the recoding, he had a 1023-day streak of consecutive workouts. Kim shares that he does more than just swim, bike and run. To stay healthy, he has incorporated core workouts with yoga and focused stretching. Social Media has come under a lot of scrutiny, but we spend some time talking about the good things it provides. Kim shares his opinion of the impact of his Ironman Family. And because he was following me in Chattanooga, I acknowledge that I outsmarted myself by talking it too conservative on the bike. Kim shares how his race went when he completed Ironman Copenhagen. He came in just over the 11-hour mark. His daughter, who was also racing that day, won her Age Group and qualified for Kona.I ask Kim about a statement in his Instagram profile, and we get into a deep conversation about death and limiting fears.We talk about the importance of getting real medical advice versus self-diagnosing and I share how I missed out in being in another Triathlete's YouTube video while in Chattanooga.Kim shares his weekly workout schedule, and we discuss the advantages of both road and TT bikes.Support the show

In this episode, we hear from 2X Ironman Finisher, Jon Welty. Jon is married, recently transitioned from being a collegiate cross-country and track and field coach to a corporate recruiter and is currently training for Ironman Florida. Jon lives in St. Louis, MO with his wife and since our recording have celebrated their 2nd wedding anniversary.Jon provides some details about his athletic background starting in high school; he played football, basketball and ran track. He explains that he discovered that his natural ability was running and when it came time to decide where to continue his education, he choose Manmouth College for a few reasons.Jon reveals that his inspiration for looking at the sport of triathlon stems from a childhood memory. We talk about how he followed the “traditional” path from Sprint distance to full Ironman and Jon points out another reason I should race a local Olympic distance race this summer.When talking about his experiences at Ironman Boulder and Ironman Couer d’Alene, Jon admits that he learned lot from both races. He talks about the change in his nutrition plan. Taking in what he can by himself, Jon has decided to use services of a coach while training for his next race.Jon provides a perfect analogy of how a coach can help you correct the things we can’t see. We talk about what made he choose Couer d’Alene as his 2nd race. He also talks us through what drew his to choose Ironman Florida as his next race. We talk about some of the things that Jon’s coach has him focused on during this time.We talk about Jon’s thoughts on his potential if all things go well. We discuss what at the time of the recording was the upcoming Sub 7-hour project and I acknowledge a previous guest’s accomplishment that I didn’t fully appreciate at the time of the original recording.Jon shares some fantastic final thoughts, and we agree that it’s ok to not be ok sometimes.Support the show

It's hard to believe that it's been 1 year since we started this journey.In this episode, I take time to thank a few individuals, I provide the story behind how I got into podcasting in the 1st place and share what's on the the horizon.Support the show

In this episode we hear from Doug Broughton. Doug recently completed his 1st full distance race at Ironman Tulsa last month. Doug shared that he and his wife celebrated their 22nd Wedding Anniversary 2 days before the race.Doug lives in the Southern part of Wisconsin and when not working from home commutes to Chicago, Illinois. He shared that he has several jobs that he is balancing along with Ironman training.  Because Wisconsin is still relatively cold this time of year, I ask Doug how that impacted his training.Doug gives us an overview of his experience and causally reveals that Ironman Tulsa was his very 1st triathlon of any distance. We discuss the idea of the “ideal” weight and I offer to diagnose the listeners’ aches and pains.Because Doug had described himself as a “cheapskate” I ask his how the conversation went with his wife regarding the Ironman registration fees. After giving Doug a hard time about his digital footprint, we get into conversation about his training plan. Doug followed the 6-month plan that I available on the Ironman website. We go into detail about his long training sessions and Doug is honest about 1 component of training he would do different.We get into breaking down Doug’s race and the Ironman Tulsa venue. Doug shares some does, and some don’t as we learn how his day went. But in the end, Doug shows that with perseverance and determination he can overcome anything that is thrown his way.Support the show

In this episode, we hear an incredible story of survival. Candace Gantt shares her story. Candace is a wife, mother, and Ironman finisher. Candace is also a survivor of a Traumatic Brain Injury. Cadace shares that before discovering running at the age of 35 would not have considered herself as an athletic person. Before long she found herself in the world of triathlon. She completed several 70.3 and while on a training ride, in 2005, Candace was hit by a truck and trailer. The impact of the trailer forced her head-first into a telephone pole. We spend a few minutes talking about the accident and Candace shares that because she was riding with a small group, they were able to get medical attention quickly. We talk about the pros and cons of outdoor riding and indoor training and Candace reveals that not only did she eventually get back in her bike, but she was able to train for and complete a full distance race!We discuss how Candace’s faith and the prayerful support of her community help with her healing process. I reveal how the is a difference between ignoring your doctor’s advice and choosing not to go to the doctor.We talk about some of the events that Candace was able to compete in after her accident. Candace has been able to run the Boston Marathon three different times. As well as the full iron-distance race at the Beach to Battle in Willington, NC. While she took time off from actively competing in triathlon to attend events for her girls, Candace share that she has returned to running over the last few years. Candace gives me a quick lesson on how the differences between a 2 person and 8 person crew team and we talk about how she and her husband are giving back to the team that help her when she needed it the most.In addition to all the things that Candace has been able to accomplish since her accident she is also a podcast host. She hosts the Mind Your Brain podcast where she speaks to clinical experts, research authorities and TBI survivors.For more information about the Mind Your Brain Foundation or to donate to the Russell and Candace Gantt CBIR Fund visit mindyourbrainfoundation.org To view the YouTube video to documented Candace’s story, click the link below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ODgEnXqIE0Support the show

In this episode, we hear from Brian Valparaiso as he shares his experience racing Ironman St. George just a few weeks ago. Brian is married, has two adult children, and works full-time while balancing Ironman training.Brian shares that he signed up for Ironman St. George after completing Ironman 70.3 St. George in 2021 so he got in before the decision was made to use this as the World Championship this year. We spend a few minutes talking about his team, his coach, and the access that he has living in Southern California. Brian talks us through the week before the race. He gives some insight into his packing strategy and what he was able to experience in the time leading up to race day.Because Brian finished the race only 2 weeks prior to the recording, I took advantage of the opportunity to ask him to talk us through his experience step by step while it was still fresh in his mind.We talk through the swim, the bike, and the run. Since Brian had completed Ironman 70.3 St. George last year, he was able to compare the 2 courses for us. He also shares his nutrition plan.We round out our conversation talking about bikes and Brian shares what he has on the schedule for the rest of the year.Support the show

Pretty sure no one ever said “a family that trains and competes in triathlon together, stays together” but they might after listening to this episode. Tyler and Jenna Russell live in Ohio, have been married for 6 years, are raising 2 young boys and are both pursuing their multi-sport dreams.Jenna is a Special Education teacher, and she describes working with children with disabilities as both “exhausting and rewarding at the same time.” She admits that she ran cross-country and track in High School. Even though she claims that she wasn’t “very good at it” and remembers it being more of a good time with friends, she did continue into her 1st year of college but had to quit because of injuries.Tyler works full-time and is currently pursuing his MBA. While still training for triathlon, he acknowledges that with all that is going right now it’s Jenna’s turn. He is stepping back from 70.3 and will compete in smaller races for a while.The couple shares how they got introduced to the sport of triathlon and the disciplines that they are the strongest and weakest in. Through conversation we learn that Jenna learned to swim in middle school and Tyler qualified to run the Boston Marathon in 2019.We talk about the difference between qualifying to run the Boston Marathon and actually running the Boston Marathon. I ask them which discipline they would choose to tackle if participating on a relay team.Jenna is currently training for Ironman 70.3 Ohio and at the time of the recording we were about 13 weeks out. She gives us an update on how she is feeling and how training is going so far. She shares that Tyler’s dad is also racing Ohio and having a “buddy” to race with played into her decision when picking which race to sign up for.Tyler talks us through his experience at Ironman 70.3 Steelhead in Michigan last year. He explains that the race was shortened due to a small craft warning on Lake Superior. Since I’ve never been to Age Group awards or a World Championship Slot Allocation, and may never get to at this point, they share how that process worked for them.We get to hear some of Tyler’s experience in St. George and they talk us through how they balance life and training with 2 small children. At least for now, they are taking turns training and racing. Because Tyler’s dad is also signed up for 70.3 Ohio, they have plans to have Tyler’s mom to watch the boys while the 3 of them are out for a bike session.We discuss their thoughts on the full distance race. They both have plans to do a 140.6 but acknowledge the training would be too much for now. We discuss our “bucket list” race venues. Jenna explains how she got inspired to get back into racing triathlon while spectating the finish line at St. George. We learn what bikes they ride and for those of you with a triathlete in your life, Jenna reveals what she received for her last birthday. It turned out to be both practical and educational. We round out our conversation talking about the next generation of triathletes.To document Jenna’s triathlon journey, she has created a new Instagram account. You can follow her @ironman.mom.in.trainingAt the time of publish, Tyler has 100 Instagram followers and 1 single post. Baby steps.Support the show

In this episode, Scott Sugimoto returns to talk about his experience at Ironman St. George. Scott had the opportunity to complete his very 1st full distance race at the Ironman World Championships just weeks ago.Scott shares because of how close he lives to St. George that he had the opportunity to do some training on course 3 weeks prior to the event.Because the World Championships are the well the World Championships, before breaking down Scott’s race we talked about the days leading into the race.Scott gave an account of how he and his wife traveled to St. Geroge, talked about where they stayed, when they got there, and we discussed some of the items they purchased as souvenirs.We talk about some of the pros that Scott saw prior to the event, and we agree on who we were routing for in the Pro Woman’s race.I try to get Scott to predict the winning numbers to the lotto drawing because he finished the race within 6 minutes of the time he told me that I would take when I checked in with him the week before.We finally get around to talking about Scott’s actual race and we break it down discipline by discipline. Scott shares how it felt while I remind him of his finish times and Age Group placing.Scott shares what that he had so much fun that he is not finished racing. He is racing Ironman 70.3 Cozumel this September and told his wife that she can pick out the venue next year. Scott and his wife will be celebrating their 30th Wedding Anniversary and plans to take a racecation.Support the show