Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast

This is different for everyone and definitely a "control the controllables" situation. It's important to take lean toward the positive because misery loves company. We all want to race and want them to be safe. Race directors are making tough decisions. It may seem naive to be optimistic, but you'll never regret hoping for the best and the gains you made along the way. Triathlon is a never-ending challenge. Find what inspires you today and let that be your motivation.  Topics: Ironman used to be like getting tickets for a concert Is Muncie ready to set the tone? It’s important to support the sport however you can Race management companies trying to find a way There’s gonna be some changes Race Directors and tough decisions The most important thing for your life right now This is tough for EVERYONE Take care of yourself first but don’t judge anyone else Different ways we handle stress Reseting your brain after a race is cancelled Misery loves company Races are now like pop quizzes Stepping out of the comfort

Do you understand the purpose behind your training blocks? Do you recognize progression even when your numbers don't show it? Today, the physiology of getting stronger and faster and how it's all baked into your training plan. How to balance intensity with volume, and how training blocks should seamlessly overlap along with the psychology of repeating the same workout and why it's so good for your training. Topics: Chattanooga 70.3 and heat Happy and Healthy Baseline Base Phase and Build Phase Addressing specific parts of a discipline Specific Stimulus How Running and Cycling Blocks should mesh together Training Shouldn’t Start over each year How most athletes stunt their development Looking at your total athlete profile Why Ironman over-books entries It’s really fun to get faster It’s not just about training more Reality vs. Best interests of the athletes Hot, cold, hilly, flat? It’s all about where you start The tight rope of racing vs. non-racing Allocating Stress in training When to lower volume and up i

Are you selling your ability short based on past experience? What if you detached from digital results that can contain you? Today, the stresses under the surface, plus, how to approach your return to the pool. Also, aligning your confidence with your potential the power of chipping away at goals.  Topics: Block training explained How to get back into the pool How to kill 2 birds with one stone in swimming Swimming is upper body You don’t have to be in shape before you go Different types of athletes Varying reasons for racing Don’t let your mind say you can’t do something When you open new doors You don’t fast-forward through the training The beauty of chiseling away I’m so much better than I thought I was . . . Sometimes you just have to see it Are you faster than you think you are? Detach from digital recaps that “define” you Redefining your “why” Why holding back can be stress How we sneak in performance accomplishments When confidence doesn’t align with the effort The “Oh, I can do that” syndrome “I’m ju

Races are not expiration dates. This is about a never ending journey to be and get better. Today we look at some of the things that wedge their way into consistency with training. Whether it the Devil and Angel on your shoulder, or biting off more than you can chew because you feel good one day. We talk training outlines, recovery, and general perspectives on how you can find a groove and stay in it.  Topics: Discoveries can be in the mystery Where do you gravitate? We are on a never ending journey We race on the same course as the pros Do you simply enjoy Being and Getting Better? Does this sport compliment and supplement your life? We all came from a place Were you looking for something or needing something? The march forward should still be going on The Devil and Angel Snowball effect Transitions in life . . . A race isn’t an expiration date Building patterns and behaviors The toughest weeks for consistent athletes Taking your foot off the gas for recovery Responding to a Day Off Coach Robbie’s legit fear

This title comes from two things: The strategy behind days off and cherishing the ability to do what you do before you can't anymore. How good perspective can minimize stress and increase enjoyability. There's also TONS of cycling talk, including power, cadence and riding against the wind, and how to taper/prepare for two races that might wind up close together. Toward the end we discuss an awesome post from an athlete who described his "when" as his why. How being grateful for what you are able to do can be a genuine motivator to enjoy the possibilities of each day.  Topics:  The power of flexibility Being comfortable if things don’t work out on time Doing things the right way instead of having to do it Minimizing current stress and minimize future stress Riding into the wind Cadence talk on the bike Finding your most powerful pedal stroke Pedal stroke explained Single Leg drills How dead spots add up Knowing your limitations Run cadence and load Mastering effort between the zones High turn over in the swim

Are you being too hard on yourself right now? We start with a look at adjusting your workouts for success. Then get into why FTP tests may be the most overrated thing for long course racing. Can you get away with doing your own bike fit? Bike injuries that affect your run. Unsupported races. The most useless things in triathlon. And how to ride intervals when you're outside.  Topics:  Too hard on yourself? What are you reading? Our life is the toughest to navigate People will find a way Do we have faith in where this is going? Are we getting stronger? What’s the best thing we’ve seen during all of this? The small things are what matters Selfish or Selfless? How often should I retest my FTP? Why FTP tests are overrated How most athletes RUIN their race Which Race would Mike and Robbie Relive? Which one would you do over? Do you carry too much on the run/bike? Self fit a bike or bike shop fit? Save money or no for first true road bike. New to biking. I’m finally getting the hang of pushing intervals on the tra

Remember that time when you got done with a workout and said, "I suck?" Get out of that place. Today, we look at a never ending positive process. We talk about the challenges of social distancing and isolation for triathletes. Depression and the immune system. How do you respond to challenges and turn them into race and life wins?  Topics:  We’re all carrying a bigger weight than we know The problem with social distancing When your process is disrupted How we respond to things matters most Rolling through different states of consciousness When we look for answers that support us no matter what Know who your friends really are Two perspectives on race cancellations A never ending process Bad workouts as opportunities Remember the GOOD stuff At the core, we just want to feel goooood ……. You didn’t suck as a person You may have sucked at self care How we just simply bypass our environment Triathlon vanity dreams Don’t try to marry your training on the best day There will always be battles You can’t always look

This is the story behind the podcast . . . the community . . . and how Crushing Iron almost didn't happen because of a bad hangover. Mike and Robbie talk about the early days of their athlete/coach relationship all the way through a humble morning in a Nashville coffee shop that laid the groundwork for what would become the Crushing Iron podcast. Alcohol recovery, healthy career changes, and an epic bike ride that changed everything. Topics: The podcast that almost never happened The Biker and the Alcoholic The epic ride that brought them together The drunk summer "What's a podcast?" The coffee shop morning that laid the groundwork The first podcasts Awkward camp beginnings Parallels between the podcast evolution, triathlon, and life Follow your passion Don’t waiver Don’t care what people think The C26 Online Hub is now open to the public! Click here to learn more about what's in the Hub and take advantage of our "Pay What You Want" for a limited time. Looking for an awesome coach this season? Former Profes

Communicating the right messages to athletes. Dealing with tough questions and situations. Today, Coach shares what he's talking about with his athletes during this time and gives his perspective on how to find optimism. We look at why races shouldn't matter. What's most important. And dealing with the voice inside trying to talk you out of it. When life throws you a curveball, sit back, wait, and drive it into the gap. Topics: Weirdness of isolation and going to the grocery store Optimism about races soon? What cities look with giving the okay to race Where does the negative outweigh positive Internal negotiations and talking yourself out of it This should be your number one goal Can’t find motivation, try thinking like this . . . Dealing with Life’s Curveballs The process of hitting a curveball by Mike Races shouldn’t change your attitude Fitness is essential for most of us . . . Time to be flexible… and stay on task (19:00) Our prediction for Muncie 70.3 race status Jumping from 70.3 to Ironman analogy Du

You work so hard, but can't seem to find that speed you want in the water. You’re still dragging, gasping, and not seeing much return from your investments. It's time to use the water and not let use you. Swimming doesn't have to be so hard. Today we break it down in the simplest terms and make the swim stroke easy. We dive into the reach/entry, catch along with early vertical forearm, a solid pull, and powerful finish. Have your mind ready when you get back in the pool! Hand into the water, it needs to be preparing to work. Reach as far as you possibly can When you enter the water early and tvhink about a high elbow out of the water, it forces you to shorten stroke Why swimming is so difficult . . . we’re not used to it. Early vertical forearm Swimming is simple: Swimming square and staying in your box What your arm should look like out of the water? 3 Different parts of the box - the stroke The front part, the middle, the back Body position and staying high in the water The cycle of a stroke Where the stro

Today's guest is The Voice of Ironman, Mike Reilly. Like everyone else, he's just waiting and anxious to share more special red carpet moments and say, "You Are and Ironman." Mike has seen it all and shares his patient wisdom about our current situation, along with his optimism for the future. He also talks about the finish line and what it's like to be a part of so many life changing moments.  Topics:  • How many days is he on the road • The unwritten rule between him and Ironman • His emotions at the finish line . . .• What it’s like when he steps on the red carpet near midnight • His awesome story about Frank Farrar• 3 Young Girls Crying at the Finish Line• Will he back at the first return Ironman?• Will he share his favorite Ironman?• Where would he like to see another Ironman?• His morning of the race routine• His philosophy on race day morning• Crazy weather scenario from IMWI• His Race Wisdom . . .• Why he wrote and self-published his book• What he thinks of when you says “You are an Ironman”• His per

Are you quick to pull the "relief plug?" Training for long course triathlon (and living in uncertain times) demands the ability to "stay with the pain" and go through it. Life, and triathlon are saddled with "uncomfortable moments" and the best way to remove the sting is to go through them with control and confidence. As David Goggins said, "Build calluses on the brain." How all this applies to life, training, and racing. Ultimate test of patience Have you ever wanted to quit a race? Dealing with the uncomfortable How quick are we gonna pull the “relief plug” Pain is relative Being “just comfortable enough” Un comfortability vs. Pain Recruiting slow twitch fibers Callusing your brain Negative split the pandemic Perceived stress How to set yourself up for the end of Shelter in Place Max uncomfortable state - It’s okay to not like the way that you’re feeling Anxiety is living in the future fear is living in the past Alleviate the suffering Practice being calm Just don’t think about it . . . Meditation. Deep br

We've all seen the fan get upset with the coach in the first quarter, only to see the team slowly dismantle the opponent over the long haul of the game. It's that mentality, that strategy, that patience that we all have to focus on now. Smart triathletes are managing their body and mind for the long game because no one really knows when racing will start again. What are you doing now that will pay off when that day finally comes? Topics: Time management When will we be racing Do you have a since of relief? Virtual Ironman racing Why power is so relative Watts per kilogram Every power meter is different How to read power meters that are “off” No one knows . . . There doesn’t feel like an end game The mysterious caldron Life’s pause and time to catch up The Triathlon Rain Delay When momentum turns We want what we can’t have Rekindled love for the sport? Mom and Dad took away the bat and ball The Swim Effect on future races Being tired doesn’t mean you’re more fit The Long term benefits of all this Things we ca

Today we turned things over to athletes from our Facebook group to guide our discussion. They asked us about maintaining base fitness and mental stability. Live Zoom podcasts. Too much core work? Emerging from this as better humans. Virtual racing. Ethical debates of training outside. Time based vs. Distance training.  Topics: The Pulse of our community It was race season, now it’s like holiday season again Why peaks and valleys are good Racing to validate yourself What was your reaction to a race cancellation Tempering race expectations Athlete Questions: Arin Christensen – What does it mean to maintain a good level of base fitness and mental stability in these strange times? Somer Scandrge Would you and Mike consider doing a live podcast on Zoom while we’re all on there for our weekly meeting?? Kevin Taylor Indoor trainer rides suck 

How are you talking to yourself these days? Does the body buy in with the mind's strategy? Today, we continue to look at the positive and what's going on in our own backyards. We talk about the accumulated fatigue of life, the future of endurance sports, having a true understanding of Zone 2 (and why it's so important), heart rate comparison between cycling and running, when and how to test heart rate and FTP, and most importantly, are you enjoying yourself?  Topics: Looking in our own back yard Positive thinking A common human thread Optimism and Realism Who has nothing to gain? An endurance boom in 6 months? Bike shops getting a shot in the arm Ozark How does Mental therapy exercise and fit into a plan? Accumulated fatigue of life Walking, Hiking, and Easy Spinning - Net Gains Mental and Emotional Health > Workouts Training should give you energy not take it Positive Reenforcement Activity Understanding Zone 2 Let your mind and body have a conversation Owning your negative split Difference in Run and Bike

Today we open the podcast to Athlete/Listener Questions from our Facebook Group. We hit on how to adjust when your race is canceled, swimming challenges and open water training, and hit on one of Coach's rants about over-dependence on Training Peak graphs and numbers. Meditation. Yoga. Critical thinking. Questions covered below.  Topics: You Know your body better than anyone Ask yourself these questions Critical thinking The most overrated graph in Training Peaks The biggest thing you need to wrap around your mind Reframe your mindset In order to peak, you have to shed Stop letting Training Peaks drive your life  Is there a swim workout that can be done in open water or is the workout to just swim. Like 500m easy 500m hard.  – Arin Christiensen Joshua - what is core work we can do? Feel for the water What’s an acceptable lake temperature for swimming?  When your next race has been postponed until the fall. How do you maintain your current gains in fitness until it’s time for the hard work to start leading

Often our biggest breakthroughs come at a time when we're about to throw in the towel. Now is a great time to learn about yourself and build experience for later. Today we talk about building little wins that pay off down the road and help you become better athletes and humans. There is opportunity in all situations. Topics: Everything is fragile More gratitude at races now? Hopeful for more connection Setting precedents When the race is stripped away? Why am I working out again?? Hard for motivation Giant shifts in motivation What would you do if there weren’t races?? Everything by effort and duration Long-Journey-Apprehension-and-Doubt Ebbs and flows of training Must feel like post-race-but without a race Seidel - sleepers show up at races What’s the opportunity when something looks bad? Testing your metal, not your medal It’s never a bad time to go back to basics When we always want a treat Your worst and best workouts can happen the same week When breakthroughs happen Are you always “searching?” The weat

So much is unpredictable right now, but as triathletes, we've been training for this. We have solved thousands of little problems through training and racing and those are valuable lessons. The human survival loop goes like this: Trigger, behavior, and reward. If that goes Fear, worry, anxiety, we need to figure out how to break the pattern. Today, we get into going from fear ----> productive/positive behaviors that are usually short term sacrifices that create long term gains.  Topics: C26 Online Hub Now Open to Public Making sacrifices We are wired for this Endurance for the moment Patience is our strength Short term sacrifice for long term gain Frustration and short fuses Now is the time to adapt The “hunker down” mindset Finding balance in the extremes Spring Cleaning time Fix what you’ve been neglecting Absorb and withstand Weathering the storm How am I gonna get through this? Psychosomatic sickness Let’s make less distractions Robbie’s 90 days without a cell phone Saving spousal units for later in seas

The best laid plans coming apart at the seams, so now what? Race cancelled? Should you ramp up or cut back? It's a stressful time, but also one for opportunity to evolve, grow and transform. Working at home, eating better, no pool, rejuvenating. Today we look at how broken routines can be a great opportunity with the right approach.  Topics: An introverts dream come true Don’t be afraid but be smart Race Cancelled - do you test it or step back? Unique times for a coach Having a coach vs. a training plan Is your instinct now to train more? Stress is higher for everyone Routines are gone What to do if pool is closed? Take it easy on Race Directors Tune your heart to the right channel You can’t have a big enough base 5 hour ride changed to two hours Best thing to do now is go back to the basics How much time do you need to get ready for IM? How to think about PEAKING It’s a good example of how to get better You want to be ready WHEN THE TIME COMES This time can and should be a stress reliever It’s a good time t

How do we respond when faced with uncertainty? There are a lot of unknowns at the moment and today we get back into the moment and focus on what we can control. Coach Robbie shares his change of plans and how he turned a negative into a positive. We look at the gut punch of cancelled races and the reality getting a better grip on our perspective.  Life changes - Race Reality Check Robbie’s 50 mile trail race Excited about the opportunity to test yourself Expressing your fitness How changes can relieve stress Reminders to what’s important The Obstacle is the Way - Ryan Holiday Don’t fail to remember wasted opportunities When a race gets moved . . . adjust Being attached to a race Races have different meanings to us We are never done Doing the things that you can do matters Expecting Races to Change Our Lives Race day is just One Day . . . A Day Check marks along the way Feel good about yourself and be healthy When we hide our feelings inside the race Looking for an awesome coach this season? Former Professio