Everyday Ironman Podcast

in this special mid-week episode I talk through my experience this past weekend in Chattanooga, TN.I had a great time, the city of Chattanooga is beautiful, I was able to connect with some friends that I have made over the last year, set a PR in the swim and the run and even got well wishes from a pro.Friday there will be another interview to enjoy. Scott Sugimoto stopped by just after completing Ironman St. George to share his experience at the Ironman World Championships. Support the show

It's finally here. It's Race Weekend. In this episode,  I give an update on how my training has gone over the last few weeks, share that my travel plans have changed and give an overview of my plan for the next few days.To see the video that I made to document packing my Trek Speed Concept for flight click the link below.https://youtu.be/1aqEG4yb6eISupport the show

It’s been said that no race can happen without the volunteers but there is another unsung hero that is critical to making any athlete’s race experience a success. In this episode we hear from Kim Ristow who has been called The World’s Greatest Sherpa.Kim is the wife of Jim Ristow who was on Episode 3 back in July 2021. Jim is an accomplished triathlete having completed in over 40 events of all distances. Since Kim has served as his Sherpa in almost all of them, she was gracious enough to share some of her experience.If you are being asked to serve as Sherpa for a friend or family member or if you have an important race on the calendar but don’t know what to ask your Sherpa to help you with then be sure to have them listen to this episode.Kim shares some of the fun things that she did at the first few Sprint races all the way up to passing her knowledge on to her “protégé” Holly. Kim’s level of understanding is amazing considering she has never raced a triathlon herself.She explains that the support that she provides doesn’t start an end with the race itself. She reviews her involvement during training, reveals the origin behind the painted rocks that she hands out as souvenirs, talks about how she makes sure Jim has everything that he will need as they pack up, talks about what she needs to be on course all day and how she manages to collect the bike and all the gear bags. We talked about race-cations and how she would prepare when Jim races Kona.I can’t thank Kim enough for sharing her knowledge with us and hope that this episode will help your Sherpa ensure you have the best race day ever!Support the show

Way back in December 2021, in episode 23, we met Brandon Hozack. Brandon is an endurance athlete that has Ankylosing Spondylitis or AS as Brandon refers to it. We learned that Brandon has decided to take control of his life and show his son and others affected by this disease that you can still live life to the fullest. In this episode, Brandon returns to talk about his recent 50K trail run. We also talk about some of the things that he has been able to experience since our last conversation.We discuss how the impact of COVID affected us differently. I was lucky and was able to train through it, while Brandon, because of his auto-immune disease, is still dealing with the effects.Brandon shares some things that inspire him, I bring up a post where he was the one giving the inspiration and he shares the goals that he has set for himself over the coming year.Brandon is honest in his struggles while proving that we are capable of so much more than we think. If you aren’t following him on Social Media, you should. His Instagram handle is @do.as.is Support the show

In this episode we hear from Ironman Maryland Finisher and Captain of Team Elbe, her relay team at Ironman 70.3 Texas, Evelyn Shreve. Team Elbe and Team Caliber, my relay team, we next to each other in transition in Galveston. Evelyn has been married for 29 years, lives in Philadelphia, PA and is an “empty nester.” She shares that when she’s not in the pool, on her bike or running that she’s a CPA.While competing with her brother and sister as part of the relay, Evelyn shares that she completed Ironman Maryland in 2019. Additionally, she has completed six Ironman 70.3 races and participated as part of another Ironman 70.3 relay team.Because we have now both participated as part of an Ironman Relay Team, I take the opportunity to ask Evelyn how the experience was different in her opinion from competing by herself. We were both responsible for the swim leg and we spend a few minutes talking about the responsibility that we felt to complete our section of the race. Because both of our cyclists had no triathlon experience before we compare how we prepared them for Ironman racing. In particular, we covered the no drafting rules and how they have never been subject to them in their experiences. Evelyn shares how her team decided who would do the different legs of the relay. Her brother, Marv, is an avid cyclists and was the obvious choice for the bike leg. While her sister, Irene, had completed a triathlon before, it had been a few years since she had been in the pool. Ultimately, they decided that Evelyn would swim, and Irene would run.Evelyn and I talk about how we approached our training leading to prepare for “only” swimming in this race. She shares that her coach modified her training to become more swim focused and that she has seen some unexpected benefits as she is always training for her 1st stand-alone marathon in the fall.We compare thoughts on how we feel about using the relay option as a way to introduce new athletes to triathlon and Ironman racing. We both agree that there was a certain level of anxiety that was removed for our teammates compared to being responsible for all the things as a solo competitor.I confess that I have started building a stacked team for my next relay. I have recruited a fast swimmer and runner so that I can enjoy the bike leg. As I am currently training for Ironman 70.5 Chattanooga, Evelyn talks about her experience having raced there already.Because we both raced on the same course on the same day, we took the opportunity to break down our race performance by discipline. Spoiler alert, Evelyn’s team beat us by over 40 minutes. I did, however, calculate the math wrong during the recording when we compared our rolling times when we got to the bike leg.We round out of conversation talking about bikes. Evelyn shares that she has a custom painted Trek Speed Concept. Which regular listeners know if my current favorite bike.Support the show

In the episode we hear from 11 time Ironman Finisher, Vicki Muir Cherin. Vicki is signed up and will be going for finish #12 at Ironman Texas on April 22, 2022. Vicki currently lives in Boca Raton, FL with her husband and they 2 adult children and 3 grandchildren. Vicki talks through how she got introduced to the sport of triathlon. Because of an injury, she had gained some weight. After the birth of her granddaughter, she found that walker her in the stroller allow her to become more active without pain. Six months and 60lbs lighter Vicki no longer required medication for pain management. Vicki explains that her original plan was to complete every Ironman race in the upper 48 states. When the Legacy Program was announced she realized that would be a great opportunity to race Kona. She actually lived in Hawaii when she was younger. When I ask her how she’s feeling coming into IMTX, Vicki says that she is feeling good. Her back is not giving her trouble and she’s been able to get in quality work. She seems particularly satisfied with her bike workouts.Vicki gives a little history of when she met Jim Ristow. Jim was my guest on episode #3 in July of 2021. I We learn that Jim’s wife Kim, who has been referred to as “the world’s best sherpa,” as taught Vicki’s daughter all that she needs to know and is now Vicki’s sherpa. I announce that Kim has agreed to be a guest on an upcoming episode where I hope to get her to provide insight into how to best assist an athlete during race weekend.Because Vicki has been on the quest to finish 12 full distance races and qualify to race in “Kona” and because in May 2022 Ironman will hold the World Championships somewhere other than Hawaii for the very first time, I ask Vicki her thoughts. Because of the current uncertainty of if/when the World Championships are actually going to return to Kona and the ongoing concern of her back, she acknowledges that she would welcome the opportunity to race in St. George, UT if invited.Our conversion gets real when Vicki talks about the recent passing of her mom. Her mom loved Hawaii and Vicki has plans to return there to memorialize her either as part of Ironman or not. We talk about how small the world can be sometimes. John Lueder, who I met at IMTX in 2018 and was my 1st guest in Episode 1, was with Vicki on course in Santa Rosa a few years back. John provided support to Vicki during the run portion when her back was giving her trouble.I take the opportunity to provide a little insight and course recon for the IMTX road conditions. The last time Vicki raced in Texas the bike course went through the Sam Houston forest. The Hardy Toll, while relatively flat, has its challenges.Since part of the Legacy Program requirement is to complete at least one full distance race per year until your “Kona” opportunity is realized, I ask Vicki what race see is targeting after completed her 12th at IMTX. She acknowledges that she and Jim have had that conversation and the plan is to race IMTX in 2022. Which means that when she finishes IMTX in 2022 she will have almost a full year to do something other than triathlon! I eventually get around to asking Vicki what bike she rides. At the time of the recording, she shares that she is on a “basic” Cervelo P3 that she actually has to “shift the gears.” Since the recording, she has ordered a new Cervelo with Di2 and disc brakes. IMTX is scheduled to be the last race on her P3.As expected, Vicki shares some insight and wisdom that she’s learned over the years as well as her plan to dye her hair purple to promote Dementia awareness. Vascular Dementia is what Vicki’s mom was diagnosed with before her death.We wish Vicki and Jim both well as they attempt to finish their 12th full distance Ironman race on May 23, 2022.Support the show

In this episode we hear from Ironman Wisconsin finisher, Paul Wilson. Paul and his wife of 33 years, Charlette, live in San Antonio, TX and have two adult children. Paul serves as pastor at Cibolocreek Community Church which he started 25 years ago.Paul describes himself as being an average athlete growing up. He shares that he went to small private schools and played basketball, soccer, and ran track. He feels that it was the comradery, more than the competition, that drew him to team sports.He did have the opportunity to play soccer and run track for the first two years of college but suffered a knee injury that caused him to put his athletic career on hold. He acknowledges that he found himself in a similar situation that a lot of us can relate to, he would start the new year with a goal of getting in shape. After two weeks that goal would be put off due to other obligations.When I challenge Paul on his statement that he was only able to play sports because he went to a “small” school, he stands by his claim. He believes that while he was quick and coordinated, he enjoyed encouraging other athletes and being a good sport over anything else. Something that he has brought with him into triathlon. He feels that from the back of the pack, he is better able to cheer his fellow competitors and thank the volunteers and police staff on course.I ask Paul why he selected Ironman Wisconsin as his full distance race. He shares that several factors went into his decision. Among others he cites the time of year, cooler climate, and the lake swim would help reduce some difficulty but in the end he and his wife spent 6 years in Madison and have a strong connection to the area. Paul was first introduced to cycling in Madison and still has friends that live there that he knew he could stay with to keep cost down.Paul reveals that while he “found” triathlon after turning 50 his fascination of the sport dates back to when he read about one of the original Hawaii races in Sports Illustrated when he was 18 years old. He talks us through how he started out by doing a Sprint distance race in Austin, TX and then after several years moved up to the half-distance at Ironman 70.3 Texas in Galveston. After completing several more ¼ and ½ distance races Paul realizes that he was letting fear get into way of attempting a full. After researching his options, he “clicked” send and registered for Ironman Wisconsin in 2019. The race was originally scheduled for 2020 which would be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul believes that the additional year to train was good for him personally. We spend a few minutes comparing the similarities in our stories. I recall my concern over wearing tri-shorts in public the first time. Paul provides the mantra that he adopted after coming out of his two years of reflection. #iwillnotquitWe agree that the 70.3 race is a fantastic distance. While you still have to train, the training is much less then for a full distance race. Its not as expense and most of our non-triathlon friends don’t know the difference between completing and ½ or full Ironman race. However, Paul does say that he plans to finish 3 full Ironman races. He lists several factors that would require him to space them out over a period of time.Paul provides a breakdown, by discipline, of his Ironman Wisconsin race. I’m compelled to admit that I have a problem that my require professional help. I ask Paul to elaborate on something that he posted in the Pathetic Triathletes Facebook Group. We spend some time talking about the importance of having a “why.” We both have experienced a sense of loss of direction after completing something that we trained for years to prepare for. While he claims to hate running Paul talks about his 3 stand-alone marathons. He recently completed the RSupport the show

In this episode, I talk about my experience during Ironman 70.3 Texas. During my conversation with Angie Jackson way back in episode 18, I committed to being a volunteer.  Since is was only swimming, I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to make good on that promise.Like most things, you get way more than you give! I met some incredible people, had the opportunity to talk some 1st timers through the process, and hang the finisher medal around more athletes that I can count. Support the show

Fresh off our finish of Ironman 70.3 Texas where Eric, Lindsay and I competed as a relay team, we discuss our experience. We talk about what we learned, how we performed relative to our expectation and why one of us found our way into the Medical tent at the end of the race.Support the show

In this episode, I speak to Davin Main. Davin is an elementary school teacher from Sacramento, CA. He and his wife, who is also and endurance athlete, have a 16 year old daughter along with a few pets.After giving me a quick US Geography lesson, Davin and I compare stories of on the benefits of being a teacher in a small town. My wife can’t go anywhere without being approached by a former student and Davin declares he’s James Marshall famous.From the ages of 16 until 36, Davin admits to being a gym rat. He would “pump iron” 60 – 90 minutes a day, 5 – 6 days a week. Until 1 day he got bored and decided to something completely different and choose triathlon. Davin explains if you manage your time right, you can get a 90 minute workout done in 70 minutes.Davin reveals a philosophy lesson that he shares with his students. Having a Growth Mindset is when you recognize that progress is made over a period of time. He compares his 1st 500 yard swim that took him 24 minutes to complete to the 500 yard swim he completed in 9 minutes recently.We get into a conversation to determine who was the worst swimmer when we started training, Davin introduces me to a new term. Being a crocodile swimmer is when you swim for multiple strokes before lifting your head to take a large breath and repeat. Davin shares that his secret to swimming faster came at a cost last year while rehabbing from knee surgery. He was able to set a PR in 100, 400, and 1000 yards within 3 weeks but his already budging lower back discs didn’t appreciate all his hard work. Since we are both self-proclaimed slow swimmers, I ask Davin what he considers to be the definition of average person fast. Davin first acknowledges that everyone is at a different place on their journey, and we should only be concerned about being faster than we were but says that 1:30/100 is fast. We discuss the advantage of learning proper pacing. We talk about the pros and cons of learning how to do a flip-turn. We compare a paranoid feeing that we share when swimming with others at a public pool. Davin shares that he swims more than the average to give his knees a break from running. Hs goal is to swim 160 miles this year. He’s already at 32 miles at about 10 weeks into 2022.Davin explains that because he knows his body’s limitations, he is really limiting his running. He is following a 10:1 bike to run ration with his training volume in the 1st half of the year. As his A race gets closer, he will shift to a 5:1 ratio. When I try to get Davin to commiserate with me on my inability to swim straight on the pool, he tells me that not only can he swim straight in the pool that he swam so straight during Santa Cruz 70.3 he only clocked 1.1 miles on his Garmin. To be fair, Davin explains that he speeds time during strength training including paddle work to even out his stroke.When we get around to talking about training for the bike portion of triathlon, Davin acknowledges that he is also an indoor rider. He has completed 112 miles in one session. Davin plants the seed that I need a direct drive trainer.Davin shares that his goal at every race is to minimize pain. He lists some of the tools/techniques that he uses for management and recovery. We talk about his experience last year at Santa Cruz and Davin explains his plan for Ironman California this year in Sacramento.Davin was originally signed up to race Ironman California last year. He unfortunately was having knee pain with 2 weeks to go and was able to defer to 2022. He still had plans to volunteer and talks about what it was like to morning of as the Race Director made the decision to cancel the race just before start time. We agreed that as disappointing as it must have been for all, it did appear to be the right call.We talk about the advantages of short course raSupport the show