Oxygenaddict Triathlon Podcast
Triathlon training tips and coaching advice for busy age-groupers training for IRONMAN & 70.3 triathlon.
Z2 indoor training (y/n?), Easy-Run Heart Rate, Bike TSS & Your First Tri Bike | Ep 616
In this episode:
The fastest IRONMAN ever: Rob looks at the weekend's new world record at IRONMAN Florida, the first time anyone has gone under 7:20, and the splits behind it.
Listener question: training for a first full IRONMAN in Canada, with five or six months of riding indoors on a basic trainer. Will it hold you back, and what's worth changing?
Listener question: heart rate reaching 195 on runs that feel easy. How should you train around a heart rate that doesn't match how you feel?
Listener question...
Garmin vs TrainingPeaks TSS, Overbiking on Hills, Sickness on the IM Marathon & Raceday HRV | Ep 615
This week Coach Rob answers questions from our IRONMAN athletes, so if you’re training for IRONMAN this year, there’s a good chance you’ve had the same ones.
In this episode:
Why your bike TSS is different on Garmin and TrainingPeaks...How to stop overbiking on the hills when the crowds and race atmosphere get you fired up...Building a simple race-day power plan: six numbers covering flat, hills, headwind and tailwind...Why you might feel great for half the marathon and then feel sick...How to train your gut to handle 60–90g+ of carbs pe...Race Week Taper, IRONMAN Drafting Rules, ITB Pain & Hyperventilating in the Swim | Listener Q&A | Ep 614
Should you ride the bike course in race week? How do you overtake within the 25-second drafting rule without spiking your power? And what’s the fix for hyperventilating at the start of an IRONMAN swim?
This week Coach Rob Wilby answers questions from three listeners who’ve just raced, or are building towards, their first 70.3 and IRONMAN:
Race week: why driving the course is often bettern than riding it, how fitness, fatigue and freshness link together, and Rob’s two-week taper protocolDrafting rules: how to overtake inside thedraft zone without burning matches, and how to hold y...Fix Your IRONMAN Stomach Problems, Bike Pacing, Run Injury Comeback & Aero Position Power | Q&A | Ep 613
Struggling with stomach problems on the IRONMAN run? This week Coach Rob Wilby answers a listener question from Tracy, who finished IRONMAN Kalmar but had stomach trouble on the run and wants to fuel with real food instead of gels.
Rob explains why the carbs may not be the culprit. Riding too hard on the bike can shut down blood supply to your gut, and he shares the bike TSS numbers to stay under. He also covers real-food options that work during an IRONMAN, such as bars, chews, bananas and rice pudding, and why...
Bouncing Back From a DNF, 70.3 Bike TSS Targets, Training Around Shift Work + Kona '26 recap | Ep 612
Your questions answered by coach Rob this week:
How do you rebuild confidence after a DNF? A listener pulled from IRONMAN Wales with hypothermia asks how to come back. Rob covers debriefing with your coach, modelling your predicted race, carrying a spare tube with tubeless tyres, and kit planning so you protect your finish rather than your finish time.What bike TSS should you target for a 70.3? After finishing IRONMAN Wales at around 350 TSS against the 280 target, Andy asks what the equivalent is for the middle distance. Rob explains the TSS starting point and the % of FTP guide...Why You Can't Eat on the IRONMAN Run, Speed Work After 45 & Stepping up from 70.3 to IRONMAN | Ep 611
Coach Rob answers this week's listener questions on getting faster, fixing run nutrition and stepping up from 70.3 to a full IRONMAN, plus a Kona preview and some brilliant listener success stories.
This week's questions:
Faster over sprint and Olympic distance: Why the training that makes you faster at short distance is different from what improves your IRONMAN, and why traditional run speed work carries a much bigger injury risk for athletes in their 40s and 50s. Rob explains the safer alternative and why bike intervals are low-risk by comparison.Can't eat on the IRONMAN marathon: Why...IRONMAN Taper Fatigue, Longest Training Ride for 70.3, Road Bike vs TT Bike & Best Tyre Choices: Ask Coach Rob | Ep 610
Feeling flat during your taper? Worried you've never ridden the full 56 miles before your first 70.3?
Coach Rob answers listener questions on why tapering feels rubbish (and why you'll feel so much better by race day), and why you'll ride faster on race day than in training.
He also covers whether you need a TT bike for Ironman courses like Austria (spoiler: there are probably more impactful upgrades to make first), how to train for the swim in a lake, and how fit you need to be a year out from IRONMAN.
Plus...
Race Sim Timing, Causes of Race-Day GI Issues & Staying Fit While Travelling | Ep 609
This week Rob answers more listener questions, plus a couple of brilliant finisher stories.
Sophie's racing her first 70.3 in Australia and needs to fit her race simulation weekends around travel - I explain her options for reschedulingChris hit serious GI issues on the bike at IRONMAN Leeds. Rob explains why pacing (not fuelling) is often a big culprit, and how to build carb intake in training even if your longest ride only reaches 5-6 hours.Samantha has three weeks of travel 14 weeks out from her full-distance comeback race, and wants to hold onto fitness without turning the trip...How to Train Effectively on Zwift, Managing Swim Anxiety & Cramps, Gel Timing on the Bike and Should You Buy a TT Bike? | Ep 608
This week Coach Rob answers a stacked batch of listener questions, including:
How to time and dose your gels on the bike... Whether indoor Zwift rides should match race distance or race time...What's really behind swim anxiety when training alone and how to work through it...The two causes of swimming cramps and how to fix each one...Why riding too hard on the bike wrecks your run...And whether a taller/bigger athlete gets a bigger aero payoff from a TT bike.Got a question for the show? Send it to help@oxyg...
Starting IRONMAN-Specific Training Around a Full Time Job | Ep 607
This week Coach Rob tackles a question from a first-time IRONMAN athlete juggling training with a full-time job:
"how do you structure your training year, and how many weeks out should IRONMAN-specific training actually start?"
Rob breaks down the winter base-building phase vs. the ~20-week specific build, how to shift focus from indoor FTP work to outdoor endurance riding as the days lengthen, and how to set a realistic finish-time goal from your half-IRONMAN pace.
Then it's onto three brilliant IRONMAN Leeds success stories — including a negative-split marathon PB, a FTP transformation, and a...
5 Reasons Your First IRONMAN Falls Apart (And How to Avoid Each One) | Ep 606
Most IRONMAN disasters aren't down to a lack of fitness, they're mistakes made in the weeks before race day that felt completely logical at the time.
This week Coach Rob breaks down the five most common reasons a first IRONMAN goes wrong: riding the bike too hard, under-fuelling on the bike, cramping from poor electrolyte planning, walking the back half of the marathon, and panicking in the open water.
Each one is avoidable with the right preparation, and Rob gives you the fix for all five.
If you're planning a 70.3 or IRONMAN in 2027...
The 4 Power Numbers You Should Have On Your Bike Computer (Plus: Late-Night Training, and Coming Back After Serious Injury) | Ep 605
In this episode:
Power data fields on your Garmin or Wahoo: why the default power reading is useless, and the four numbers Rob wants on your screen instead...
How to get an accurate outdoor FTP number...
Listener question: with two kids under seven and a 9-to-5, midweek sessions don't start until 8pm. Is there a caffeine substitute to get going without wrecking sleep?
Listener question: after a car accident and a rebuilt shoulder, breaststroke is the only stroke available. Can you race a 70.3 or IRONMAN breaststroke? Rob talks wetsuit fit, swimming...
Managing Swim Start Panic, Trtiathlete-Specific Strength Training, and Training Around Your Menstrual Cycle | Ep 604
In this week's podcast:
Hyperventilating in the first five minutes of the swim (when you're a confident open water swimmer and it never happens in training): Listener Helen has had it wreck two 70.3 swims and wants Weymouth 2026 to be her comeback race.
Rob explains what's actually going on (it's a CO2 problem, not an oxygen one) and gives her the mental and physical fixes to stop it before it starts.
Also in this episode:
Why the adrenaline surge on the start line drives hyperventilation, and how "arousal control" lets you rehearse a...Dealing With Cold Swim Starts, Smart Trainers vs Gym Bikes, and Tips for Racing IRONMAN Leeds in the Heat | Ep 603
This week Coach Rob Wilby answers two listener questions.
Elizabeth DNF'd at IRONMAN Lake Placid after standing on a cold beach for 40 minutes before the swim start.
Angie wants to know whether her gym bike is enough, or whether it's time to invest in a proper smart trainer setup.
Plus a preview for everyone racing IRONMAN UK in Leeds this weekend, where the bike course and the forecast are both going to test you.
Got a question for the show, or a first IRONMAN or 70.3 story to share? Send it to...
Special Needs Bags, Taper Week, Aero Gains & Raceday Mechanicals: Your IRONMAN Questions Answered | Ep 602
This week Coach Rob answers listener questions covering the details that trip up first-time IRONMAN athletes.
What actually goes in your special needs bags on the bike and run course?
Should you change kit in transition or race the whole day in a tri suit?
What does the final two-week taper look like after your last race simulation?
Rob also breaks down aero gains beyond clip-on bars - race wheels, tires, shaved legs - plus the essential spares and tools you need to fix problems yourself on race day, since mechanical...
Heart Rate vs Power for IRONMAN Training + Altitude Training Explained | Ep 601
In this episode:
Racing without a power meter: why Rob thinks a power meter is a "worry removal tool" rather than a cost, and how to reframe the spend over your training block. If you're going with heart rate, he covers the five variables that distort it, the time-lag that trips you up, how to set functional threshold heart rate from a 20-minute test, and the thirds-based pacing method that accounts for cardiac drift.Training at altitude for a sea-level race: why you need two sets of zones, not one. How to find your delta between altitude and...Training for IRONMAN on Shift Work, Carbon Plate Race Shoes & Swim Training in a Small Pool | Ep 600
Should busy age-groupers actually race in carbon-plated shoes? And how do you train for an IRONMAN when your job runs on four-days-on, four-days-off night shifts?
In this listener Q&A, Coach Rob Wilby answers real questions from athletes preparing for their first IRONMAN and 70.3. He covers how to structure training around shift work and disrupted sleep, why recovery has to come before more training, and how HRV tracking helps you know when to push and when to back off. He digs into whether carbon-plate race shoes are right for the paces most age-groupers actually run, why comfort...
IRONMAN Fuelling & Hydration: Carbs Per Hour, Sweat Rates, Bottle Strategy & Racing in the Heat (Q&A) | Ep 599
Success on IRONMAN race day is as much a fuelling equation as a fitness challenge.
This episode Coach Rob Wilby works through a batch of athlete questions on carbohydrate intake, hydration, electrolytes and bottle strategy, all framed by the recent heat spells that saw IRONMAN France cancelled, Frankfurt shortened and lots of other European races affected.
In this episode:
Should carbs per hour be based on body weight? Why gut absorption matters more than size, the 1g per kilo starting point, where the ~100g/hr ceiling really sits, and the truth about those 150g...Should You Race a 70.3 Before Your IRONMAN? Your Race Planning Questions Answered| Ep 598
How do you pick a race that actually suits your strengths, and training limitations? This week Coach Rob Wilby works through a batch of real athlete questions on race selection, build-up racing, taper week, and preparing for terrain you can't train on.
The theme running through all of it: plan these things before you hit "enter," and you save yourself a world of trouble on race day.
In this episode:
Should you race a 70.3 before your autumn IRONMAN? The two ways to slot it in (as a full A/B race with enough time...IRONMAN Fuelling & Hydration: How to Nail Your Carbs, Electrolytes and Fluids on Race Day
Race day success is as much a fuelling challenge as a fitness challenge. And in this episode Coach Rob Wilby answers athlete questions on getting your IRONMAN and 70.3 fuelling and hydration right.
From carb targets to sweat rates to the bottle setup that keeps you in control when it's brutally hot, this is your guide to practising it all long before race day.
In this episode:
Should your carbs-per-hour be based on body weight? Why gut absorption matters more than sizeThe 1g of carbs per kg of body weight starting point, and why ~100g/hr...IRONMAN Run Training Q&A: M-Pace vs E-Pace, Managing injuries, Carbon Shoes & Cardiac Drift | Ep 596
In this run-focused Q&A episode, Coach Rob tackles the most common IRONMAN and 70.3 training misconceptions.
Including:
How your marathon pace translates to target race paces for IRONMAN and 70.3... What's your best-case IRONMAN marathon paceSetting heart rate zones properly in TrainingPeaks (and why Garmin's defaults can't be trusted)Managing run injuries - when to see a physio, integrating rehab, and swapping runs for aerobic bike sessionsCarbon race shoes - are they worth it for you, given your speed and biomechanicsCardiac drift and decoupling: what HR:PA tells you about your aerobic fitness, and the sub-5% target<...IRONMAN Bike Pacing: Power Guidance, Your TSS Budget, Outdoor FTP & Gearing for a Strong Run | Ep 595
How hard should you actually ride the IRONMAN bike leg? The answer is more nuanced than simply copying the pros. And getting it wrong often leads to a long walk in the marathon.
In this Q&A, Coach Rob Wilby breaks down the numbers behind smart bike pacing so you finish the bike with enough left to run well.
In this episode:
Why your FTP percentage has to drop the longer you're on the bike (and why backwards-engineering a pro's 82% will blow your race apart)The TSS budget cap that holds true whether you...Moving Your Swim Sessions into Open Water: Everything You Need to Know | Ep 594
It's open water season in the Northern Hemisphere, and the questions are flooding in.
This week Coach Rob answers the most common athlete questions about moving your swimming out of the pool and into the lake or sea ahead of your first IRONMAN or 70.3.
In this episode:
When to make the switch to open water, and the simple rule for timing it What to actually practice once you're there: sighting drills, drafting technique, relaxed starts, turn buoys, and a clean wetsuit exitWhy you might be slower in open water than the poolWhether to do...Fixing Swim-Start Panic, Run/Walk Fuelling & Aero Bars vs Faster Bike: IRONMAN Q&A | Ep 593
Coach Rob answers your IRONMAN training questions. This week:
Run/walk strategy when aid stations don't line up with your 9/1 rhythm...Why fuelling beats racing until the final 10K...Why you can't get your breath at the swim start, and the breathing trick that controls your pace...How to train between races...The 2-3 things that matter most stepping up from 70.3 to full IRONMAN...Aero bars vs a faster road bike: which actually saves you more time...Zone 2 training when you live (and race) somewhere hilly...Plus listener stories from first-time finishers around the world.* * * * * * *
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The IRONMAN / 70.3 Race Simulation Weekend: The Most Important 3 Days of your Final Build | Ep 592
There's one weekend in your IRONMAN or 70.3 build that matters more than any other. Most athletes either skip it, don't complete sessions in the right order, or turn it into the wrong kind of training weekend entirely.
In this episode, Coach Rob explains why the race simulation weekend is the single biggest factor that determines whether you get to race day confident or worried.
It's the weekend that takes the fear out of the unknown, exposes the mistakes you'd otherwise only discover on race day, and gives you the data you need to fix them...
Open Water Swim Skills: Sighting, Drafting, Managing Panic, Wetsuit Fit & Race Day Pacing (IRONMAN Q&A) | Ep 591
Coach Rob answers the most common questions athletes ask as they move from the pool into open water at the start of the triathlon race season.
This week:
Why pool speed often doesn't automatically translate to open water...How much time poor sighting can actually cost you over an IRONMAN swim... The crocodile eyes sighting technique, what to sight off, and how to practice it in the pool... The speed benefits of drafting - how to position yourself on someone's feet without annoying them, and the drill to practice with a swim buddy. How to flush...70.3 Race Pace & TSS Targets, Heat Acclimation Protocol, Training Around Holidays: Listener Q&A | Ep 590 Q&A
Coach Rob Wilby answers listener questions on some of the most practical challenges in IRONMAN and 70.3 training.
This week:
How to calculate the exact pace targets & TSS budget for 70.3...
A step-by-step heat acclimation protocol for racing in a hot climate when you've trained somewhere cool...
Plus how to plan your training around a family holiday mid-build without losing fitness...
And Rob also covers integrating cycle commuting into training and 9:1 run/walk pacing and other questions we've had in from listeners recently
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Long Run Fails, Brick Sessions & B Races: Your IRONMAN Training Questions Answered | Ep 589
Coach Rob answers your IRONMAN and 70.3 training questions - this week including how to structure the final 12 weeks of your build, what to do when a long run falls apart, and whether B races are worth it.
Joe from New York gets a full breakdown of his training week ahead of IRONMAN Lake Placid — including when to add brick sessions, how to build long ride and run distances, and the only two times Rob has athletes do back-to-back long ride/run weekends.
Sydney is four weeks out from her first 70.3 and hit a wall at mi...
Ironman Nutrition Q&A: How to Carry Fluids, Manage Carbs & Hydration, and Build Your Race Day Fuel Plan | Ep 588
Coach Rob answers your most common ironman and 70.3 nutrition questions, straight from the Team Oxygenaddict Majorca training camp.
In this episode Rob covers how much fluid you actually need to carry on the bike , why you should decouple your carbs and hydration into separate bottles, and how to build a simple, progressive fuelling plan in training to avoid guesswork on race day.
Topics covered:
How aid stations work and why two bottles is almost always enoughThe case for separating calories and electrolytesHow to use the Precision Fuel & Hydration flow gel systemNatural...Recovery Weeks, Race Simulation Weekends, Hilly Long Rides, and Run Pace Testing: IRONMAN Training Q&A | Ep 587
Coach Rob Wilby answers four listener questions covering some of the most common areas of confusion in IRONMAN and 70.3 training.
In this episode:
Recovery weeks: Complete rest or deload?
Race simulation weekends: What, when, and how?
Hilly long rides: How do you balance elevation with time and TSS?
Run pace zones: Do you need to race a flat-out 5K?
Got a question for the podcast? Send it to [email protected].
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Thinking...
The 5 Most Important Sessions for IRONMAN: What to Prioritise in the Last 12–16 Weeks | Ep 586
With 12–16 weeks to go until race day, most athletes know roughly what they should be doing. But when life gets in the way, which sessions do you actually protect?
In this episode, Coach Rob walks you through the five most important training sessions for IRONMAN preparation, ranked in priority order. So when work, family, or travel forces a choice, you know exactly what to keep and what can wait.
You'll learn:
Why the long ride is your single most important session, and the exact intensity targets to hit (whether you're a faster or slower at...Swimming Cramps, Normalised vs Avg Power & Racing Back-to-Back 70.3s: IRONMAN Q&A | Ep 585
This week Rob answers questions from athletes and listeners on three common IRONMAN training challenges
First up: what to do if swim cramps are forcing you out of the water. Rob covers the conditioning side, the electrolyte angle, and why supplementation made a real difference for him personally.
Then: normalised power vs average power on a hilly course like IRONMAN Wales — and why always riding to your NP number is the single most important thing you can do to protect your marathon.
Finally: how to structure the two weeks between back-to-back 70.3 races. Rob la...
The 8 IRONMAN Training Protocols That Take You From Guessing to Race-Ready | Ep 584
If you’ve signed up for your first Ironman, you’ve probably had the same thought most athletes do:
Am I actually doing this right?
Am I training too hard… or not hard enough?
Are these sessions making me fitter… or just more tired?
Will any of this actually get me to the finish line?
In this episode, Coach Rob breaks down the 8 essential protocols he’s learned from coaching over a thousand first-time Ironman finishers. Simple, practical systems that remove the guesswork and make sure every sess...
FTP, TSS, Indoor vs Outdoor Riding & Bike Power vs Endurance (Listener Q&A) | Ep 583
In this week’s episode, Coach Rob answers questions from athletes navigating the messy reality of training for an Ironman alongside work, family, and unpredictable conditions.
From battling bad weather to juggling early starts, this is a practical, no-nonsense Q&A focused on what actually moves the needle.
You’ll learn:
Whether indoor training is “good enough” (and when it isn’t)How to structure back-to-back sessions when time is tightThe truth about FTP testing—and why your numbers might be misleadingHow to bridge the gap between short power and long enduranceWhat a “too high” TSS scor...Training in Bad Weather, FTP Testing, TSS Explained: Listener Q&A| Ep 582
Rob answers listener questions covering the most common real-world training challenges for busy age-group triathletes.
This week:
-> How to handle training when bad weather makes outdoor riding impossible...
-> Why the 20-minute FTP test beats ramp tests every time...
-> How to structure an FTP block versus IRONMAN-specific training...
Rob also breaks down Training Stress Score — what your TSS should actually be on a long ride and what a sky-high number is actually telling you. Plus, why your current FTP matters far less than the months of training st...
Why Strong Cyclists Over-Bike & Fall Apart on the Marathon: Ironman Q&A | Ep 581
Coach Rob answers listener questions on three important topics related to IRONMAN training:
The maximum bike TSS budget that's key to a strong Ironman marathon (even for experienced cyclists)...
Whether switching to clipless pedals before your A race is worth it...
And why separating your long run and long ride into different days of the week can save your training
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Thinking about your first Ironman or 70.3 in 2026? At Team Oxygenaddict, we specialise in helping busy professionals fit high-quality training around demanding jobs and family life.
We’ve just reopened for new athletes with only a handful of slots avail...
Swim Drills, CSS Test Confusion & Indoor vs Outdoor Power: Listener Q&A | Ep 580
Rob tackles listener questions on the fist and unco drills for better water feel, how to read CSS test results that don't quite add up, and why indoor and outdoor power numbers are rarely the same.
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SPONSORS
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Thinking about your first Ironman or 70.3 in 2026? At Team Oxygenaddict, we specialise in helping busy professionals fit high-quality training around demanding jobs and family life.
We’ve just reopened for new athletes with only a handful of slots available.
Book an application call today to find out if you'd be a good fit for Team Oxygenaddict for the coming season here: ...
How to Train for Multiple Race Distances; Injury Prevention for Older Triathletes; Creating an Optimal Fuelling Strategy | Listener Q&A| Ep 579
Coach Rob answers listener questions this week, covering:
* How to structure a season with multiple race distances without compromising your goal event...
* Why injury prevention becomes a critical training variable for athletes as they age...
* How to build a fuelling and hydration strategy that works on race day.
Plus practical advice on training plan structure for first-time 70.3 athletes.
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SPONSORS
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Thinking about your first Ironman or 70.3 in 2026? At Team Oxygenaddict, we specialise in helping busy professionals fit high-quality training around demanding jobs and family life.
We’ve just reopened for new athletes with only a handful of slo...
Power Meters, Double Run Days & Swim Speed: Your IRONMAN Questions Answered | Ep 578
This week Coach Rob digs into listener emails, answering questions from athletes building toward their first Ironman.
He covers whether a single-sided power meter is enough...
Whether splitting your long run into two sessions is a good idea...
How offshore workers with limited pool access can still make progress in the swim.
Plus, Rob shares a real example of two athletes dropping 20 seconds per 100m in a single session through one targeted drill and explains why fitness alone won't make you faster in the water.
Along the way, he...
TEN mistakes I always see IRONMAN first-timers make | Ep 577
Most first-time Ironman athletes don’t fail because they’re lazy or under-prepared. They fail because they’re doing things that feel right but are actually sabotaging their prep.
In this episode, I break down 10 of the most common Ironman training mistakes I've seen first-timers make every single season.
You’ll learn:
Whether you're training hard enough on the bike...
What role run intervals have in Ironman training
How swimming more can actually make you slower
Why poor recovery leaves you undertrained, not overtrained
The critical...
