The Lonely Triathlete - triathlon training and motivation for the masses
In this podcast I share the trials and tribulations of a middle-aged amateur triathlete. Take me along with you during your workout to hear about my personal experiences of training and racing and get some motivation to utilize for your own workouts. I'm not a coach. I'm not an interviewer. I'm a fellow triathlete! Feel free to reach me with comments or feedback at thelonelytriathlete@gmail.comFeel free to check out my YouTube channel as well: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9lmUEgk9FHNnRFqdgGzL2w/featured
Live in the Moment
Send us Fan Mail
Are you the type to rush through life? Do you always find yourself thinking of the future? Do you stub your toes a lot? Stub my toes, oh yeah, I used to because I was always rushing to the do the next thing. But not such much anymore.
Support the show
Voices in Your Head
Send us Fan Mail
Do you ever notice voices in your head? During a race do they ever try and convince you to slow down? Or tell you this hurts too much or that you are going too slow or that this is going to be a disappointing experience?
If so, you can be prepared with a rebuttal. You can direct those voices in a certain direction. No arguing, no fretting, no agonizing doubts, only confident direction. You are in control!
Support the show
How Much Does FTP Matter?
Send us Fan Mail
FTP. Functional Threshold Power. The more the better, right? Sure, to a point. But you've no doubt been beaten by someone with a lower FTP than you. How is that possible? AI and I had a long conversation about this and I'm here to share what I learned.
Support the show
I Have To Get A Few Things Off My Chest
Send us Fan Mail
I'm a very optimistic person but this week has been a struggle. Let me share with you a series of rants from back pain to congestion on my favourite running trail.
Support the show
Triathlon Stories
Send us Fan Mail
Given that we swim, bike and run and lot it's inevitable that things happen to us that make for good stories. Today was one of those days, so strap in for story time!Ā
Support the show
Avoid Burnout
Send us Fan Mail
We've all been there - end of season and we are DONE. No more getting up early, no more watching what we eat, we are cooked! So, we take a couple of months off, gainĀ a bunch of weight until one day, we get excited about training again. But it takes us months to get back to where we were. But we do it and we have a fun season but then, by the end, we are DONE! Rinse and repeat. So, how do we get off that merry-go-round?
Support the s...
Mexico, Injuries and Drinking
Send us Fan Mail
This week is a real stream of consciousness episode! Buckle up!Ā
Support the show
Be Safe on the Road
Send us Fan Mail
We lost another triathlete to an IDIOT driver! We need to do all we can to stay visible and alert out on the roads, RIP, Hannah Henry :(
Support the show
The Foundations of Performance
Send us Fan Mail
Red light, sauna, massage, supplements. These are all elements that can improve your training and recovery. But are they magic pills? Can they offset bad habits? No, they cannot. You will not enjoy the marginal gains you get from these things unless you've come to grips with the fundamentals of training. Let's dive in.
Support the show
The Triathlon Performance Diet
Send us Fan Mail
Diet. Bad word? Doesn't have to be. I recently "got on one" to try and shed some extra bodyfat that mysteriously appeared on my torso over the past few months (it wasn't the kettle chips, it wasn't! Ok, it probably was.).
In this episode I share with you some simple steps I take, when needed, to drop some unwanted bodyfat. So, grab your carrot sticks and settle in.
Support the show
Discipline Isn't Willpower
Send us Fan Mail
What gets you out the door in the rain? Is it discipline? Ok then...
Why can't you eat as well as you want? Lack of discipline?
Why can't you go to bed when you intend to? Lack of discipline?
It's a nuanced subject and one that I've grappled with for decades.
Support the show
Ketones, Methylene Blue and Breathwork
Send us Fan Mail
I've been very excited about the promise of exogenous ketones! Then along came the promises of methylene blue! And could breathwork make me faster? I did a deep dive.
Support the show
Emotional Stress
Send us Fan Mail
Emotional stress can negatively impact your training and recovery as much as physical stress. What should you do when you get that bad news the morning of your training? I'll tell you what I did.
Support the show
Exogenous Ketones
Send us Fan Mail
What are exogenous ketones? I need to do a lot more research but they sound very promising to enhance performance and recovery. Are they a magic bullet? Probably not but I'm excited to go down the rabbit hole and find out.
Support the show
The Best Triathlon GPS Watch
Send us Fan Mail
I was forced into upgrading my GPS watch. Would I stick with the Coros brand or would I jump ship to something like a Suunto or a Garmin? Listen to find out.
Support the show
No Fear In Racing
Send us Fan Mail
If you've prepared well, there should be no fear on the start line. Only excitement and curiosity!
Support the show
The Aging Triathlete
Send us Fan Mail
In this episode I muse about the cons of being an aging triathlete. Was this brought on because of my low back pain? You bet. Sigh.
Note: in this episode near the beginning I reference only being able to hold my Threshold power for 20 minutes, I meant 1 hour. We all should theoretically be able to cycle at FTP for 1 hour.
Support the show
How Well Do You Swim?
Send us Fan Mail
Be honest. Are you a beginner, intermediate or expert? Do you ever experience anxiety in the water? Does the notion of swimming in an ocean with 1000 other thrashing swimmers unnerve you?Ā If you answer these questions honestly you can take immediate action to ensure that swimming will never fill you with anxiety again.
Support the show
Take a Full Rest Day to Improve
Send us Fan Mail
Should you do an easy spin for 30 minutes? Should you go for a recovery run? Or, should you just take the day completely off. Completely off?! Yeah, sometimes that's the best thing to do.Ā
Support the show
Getting Stronger Hurts
Send us Fan Mail
I'm lifting weights again and WOW am I ever sore. So sore! In fact, for tomorrow my coaching program dialed back my V02max cycle session to aerobic endurance. And I'm thankful because I can barely climb the stairs in my home without moaning out loud.
And I love it.
Support the show
A Stronger Triathlete Is a Faster Triathlete
Send us Fan Mail
If you aren't doing some strength work then you are leaving some performance behind. The science is clear: strength training improves efficiency, force production, speed, fatigue resistance and reduces injury risk. I'm finally getting "backĀ in the gym" so to speak.
Support the show
Training changes you
Send us Fan Mail
You are literally not the same athlete after training as you were before. A single training session sends signals to your heart, muscles and brain to change. Adapt or die!Ā So cool.
Support the show
Beginner and Intermediate Equipment Tips
Send us Fan Mail
There are a few things I wish I knew about training equipment as a beginning and intermediate level triathlete. Today I share these with you, free of charge :)
Support the show
Season 5 Begins!
Send us Fan Mail
Welcome to Season 5 of The Lonely Triathlete. I'm going back to Olympic Distance training. Join me as I discuss my failures and successes along the way.
Support the show
It's a New Training Season (Bonus: Mexican Edition)
Send us Fan Mail
Well, here we go, about to start the 5th season of The Lonely Triathlete. Follow along as I give you a glimpse into my training and racing life and hopefully make your own training sessions a little less lonely.
Support the show
Ponderings on Nutrition and Hydration
Send us Fan Mail
Something I doubled down on this past season was ensuring that I properly fueled each and every workout. I think it worked like magic.
Support the show
Bring On the Doughnuts
Send us Fan Mail
I'm still between training seasons. So what have been doing? Eating and eating and not working out. What better time to get a Dexa scan! Guess what it revealed?
Support the show
Every Passing Minute Is Another Chance To Turn It All Around
Send us Fan Mail
That quote is taken from the film Vanilla Sky and it reminds us that we have the capacity to change our behaviors with each passing moment. Will we? And if we do, how much more impactful could our lives become?
Support the show
Professionals Don't Inspire Me
Send us Fan Mail
Is there something wrong with me? While I recognize that professional triathletes lay down some of the wildest, impressive performance...they don't inspire or motivate me. So I looked it, and there seem to be some good reasons for feeling this way.Ā
Support the show
End of Season Letter
Send us Fan Mail
My season insights in a letter to my listeners.
Support the show
I Made a Mistake
Send us Fan Mail
There is a common mistake in racing and I fell victim. I didn't think I would. I don't know that I ever have. But I did. Have you ever made the same mistake?
Support the show
Avoid Burnout
Send us Fan Mail
Or, rather, recover from burnout or potential burnout. You train hard but do you recover equally as hard? I'm talking end-of-season recovery. Do you do that hard? Maybe you should?
Support the show
Mind Over Muscle
Send us Fan Mail
Your attitude matters! The way you approach a training session, your self-talk and beliefs, all contribute to either a positive or negative impact on your short and long -term performance.
And (drum roll, please) this episode marks my FOURTH year of hosting the Lonely Triathlete podcast. Yay!
For those interested in the book I referenced, you can find it here on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/Let-Your-Mind-Run-Thinking/dp/1524760765/ref=sr_1_1?crid=158ZQRWZIIUJE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XbRm4hBzIYYZdqzcSqoGCohB5iBe7AiID4_L2XupF6gG4YOOl_mRC3j54EVA5d7...
Gel Packets and Index Funds
Send us Fan Mail
Triathlon training has a lot in common with financial investing. I went from having almost nothing saved for my retirement at 40 years old to being able to comfortably retire (at least that's the plan) when I am 62. And I did it using the same principles I used to get faster at triathlon. You can too!
Support the show
Don't be THAT Person at a Party
Send us Fan Mail
You know, the person that only talks about triathlon? That only talks about racing? That only talks about that one subject every...single...time. Don't be them! You have my encouragement to branch out in your interests a bit.
As mentioned, I encourage you all to check out The Move Daily podcast, especially the episode where the host, Tracy Steen, gets into the weeds with me about what happened to my brain a handful of years ago and what inspired me to continue in the sport of triathlon when I wasn't...
Youāre Running The Wrong Direction!
Send us Fan Mail
Track etiquette, I get into it. The Runna app, I get into it. Blue-green algae in most of our local lakes, gotta get out of that!
Support the show
Do Vaccines Mix With Triathlon Training?
Send us Fan Mail
I took the last week off, and even if I hadn't decided to voluntarily, that last shingles vaccine did me in something fierce so I wouldn't have had a choice but to take some time off! Come to think of it, I sure have had a lot of vaccines in my life.
Support the show
Take a Triathlon Break
Send us Fan Mail
Taking an extended (but short term break) from training can reap many rewards!
Support the show
More Learnings from the Victoria Half Triathlon
Send us Fan Mail
I did my second Standard Distance race in 2 weeks. Was I able to compete? Did I blow upĀ or was I recovered? Listen to find out. And I'll tell you in advance, I learned a few things that I'm interested in sharing with you.
Support the show
Time To Enjoy All That Training
Send us Fan Mail
The bulk of your training is behind you, racing is in front if you. Enjoy it! This is what a winter/spring of training is for. Get immersed in it. Be a spectator as well as a racer. Soak it all in!
Support the show
