Podcast cover

Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast

C26 Triathlon
866 episodes   Last Updated: May 08, 25
Crushing Iron is an age grouper and his coach talking and learning about triathlon. Together they explore the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual side of training and racing everything from a Sprint to an Ironman. Great for beginners and intermediates triathletes. Released every Monday and Thursday.

Episodes

Today we look at the concept of owning where you’re at in training and smart ways to move the needle without blowing a gasket. We also talk about how to recognize the difference between fatigue and being shelled. Are you going to hard? To far. Not hard enough? Not far enough? What are the benchmarks to use to recognize the truth about your capabilities. Most of us probably underachieve, so it may be a good time to look at what you’re doing and ask if you’re giving it what you need to reach the goals you want to hit. Topics: Microsoft Teams St. George Gulf Coast Chatt 70.3 Much more focused Podcast Listening Ban? Bells and whistles Taking breaks from watch Own where you’re at Lingering on visions of past selves Future tripping Bring too hard to be that old athlete or future athlete Stacking days together Rushing yourself into shape Low intensity Inconsistency Unexplainable under performing Touching the hot stove too much Making bad decisions What percentage of athletes actually run the entire Ironman marathon?   Mike Tarrolly - mike@c26triathlon.com Robbie Bruce - robbie@c26triathlon.com
Mike goes for a rare bike fit and we dive deep into the nuances of a comfort, position, aero power, and training strategy. We look at saddle height and position. Aero bars. Drop, reach, contact points. We also talk cleats, hip room and running niggles that may be caused by the bike. We look at the gains you can make in aero, talk about why comfort is king, and the keeys to speed. We also talk about some of the simplest and best ways to train.  Topics:  Saddle height and position Aero bars and where yours should be Contact points for bike fits Cleat position Sore necks The power advantages of being aero Arm fatigue and how it creates a perceptive fatigue on the run Finding solid aero is a process Volume vs. Intensity in training Keys to speed Brands and different features Bike fit bikes Comfort is king Pedaling to pedal Pedaling with pressure Pedaling with purpose Mike Tarrolly - mike@c26triathlon.com Robbie Bruce - robbie@c26triathlon.com
The Ironman World Championships are back to a one day event for men and women. What does this mean for the sport? What does it mean to you? That’s our discussion for today.   Mike Tarrolly - mike@c26triathlon.com Robbie Bruce - robbie@c26triathlon.com
On the ground report from Ironman Texas with a lot of lessons for anyone training for Ironman. Doing Ironman Wisconsin? Check out our Camp: https://c26triathlon.com/camps/triathlon-camp-wisconsin/ Topics: Some incredibly fast pro times Taylor Knibb, Katt Matthews, Kristian Blummenfelt, Cam Wurf Bike course Tough swim Wind and heat factors Bike position Tire pressure Front pack swim exit Why the swim is key to your race More aero or more power Working with someone on the bike Heat acclimation Sun exposure Wetsuit or not? Overheating Swim cap training Every race has its challenges Let your lungs come around The ultimate race day factors Having Plan A through Plan C Heat prep is harder than you think In Race decisions When all the stars align   Mike Tarrolly - mike@c26triathlon.com Robbie Bruce - robbie@c26triathlon.com  
Do you chase the process or the excitement of race as the cure? Today we look going inside yourself as the solution. Topics: Lawn talk Door to door sales Early season power Don’t make a race feel too hard Ironman growth stats Obstacles and barriers to entry Worried about how you look Judging others and yourself Body builder cuts No mirror experiment Don’t try Criticism How do you stay in the pocket Money doesn’t mean happiness Drinking takes you out of your body for escape Marketing is bad? Simplicity - what goes in what goes out Mentally, spiritually, nutritionally Excitement usually comes from the outside   Mike Tarrolly - mike@c26triathlon.com Robbie Bruce - robbie@c26triathlon.com
Pre-Race nerves. How do we get ahead of them in training? Today, we look into many things we've learned as athletes and coaches to prepare for the race ahead of time. We talk about tough condition training, fueling, and getting locked into a headspace that you'll need to perform. There shouldn't be a lot surprises on race day, and if there is how do you stay calm and go through them. We talk heat training, cold training, wind training, and going into a race physically AND mentally fresh. Time to kick some a**.  Topics: Texas Panic? Closing in on Race Day - mentality Dealing with wind Bad conditions Going into a race MENTALLY fresh Do you have to prove the distance in training? Cold water exposure before a race? Heat prep. How much? Understanding what heat and cold feels like How to navigate being uncomfoortable  Hydration with heat prep Sit and endure. Racing with a mantra IMWI rainy morning The sum of your last 5 self talks Bookmark good workouts in your mind Physically and mentally fresh Strike the match but don't let it burn down When fatigue doesn't let you dig deep enough What would you do if you were dropped in the middle of the ocean? What is your REAL potential? Mike Tarrolly - mike@c26triathlon.com Robbie Bruce - robbie@c26triathlon.com  
Support the podcast by getting some awesome C26 Gear! Thank you for listening. Today we look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of personality traits :) Well, not really. The goal here was to look for common ground and how qualities on both sides can help the other. There’s a lot of labeling in this world, so we look at ways of bringing good together from a training and personality habit side. What can we learn from being a little flexible on the f*9karound? Topics: Type A, Type B, Type C Life on a continuum Too hyped? Too chill? Flexible on the f7karound Too far one way or the other? Is Robbie Type A or B? Are you cheating yourself out of growing? Yellow in Training Peaks for the win Combining qualities Keeping the mind busy Avoiding the rabbit hole Wide or narrow guide rails? Don’t labor in Guilt Mike Tarrolly - mike@c26triathlon.com Robbie Bruce - robbie@c26triathlon.com
Race conditions can be unforgiving and downright brutal (see Texas 70.3). Today, we look at how training can help us prepare for the unexpected on race day. Topics: Texas 70.3 Rough Race Conditions Early season on the trainer to outdoors for races The decision to create more stress on purpose A look at “outside stress” Preparing for unfamiliar situations Forcing yourself into the elements Training fatigued vs. fresh The work doesn’t have to be pretty Timing for your FTP tests Race morning mentality Overhyped for your race? Adapting on the fly Controlling the controllable Preparing for race variables Having your A, B, and C plan Now what am I gonna do? Learning from bad workouts Remember good and bad to recall during your race   Mike Tarrolly - mike@c26triathlon.com Robbie Bruce - robbie@c26triathlon.com
Support the podcast by getting some awesome C26 Gear! Thank you for listening. The argument for a weekend of RPE. Topics: Taking it outside to the streets 25 yards vs. 50 meters Watt Ranges Intensity vs. Aerobic Different ways to fill stress buckets Understanding ranges Specific watts Things we can’t know as a coach The spirit of the workout ERG mode How to use feel with analytics When your Zone 3 is different day to day Elements matter Duration and effort rule What’s the intent? Don’t be rigid Negative split mentality for the win   Mike Tarrolly - mike@c26triathlon.com Robbie Bruce - robbie@c26triathlon.com
Support the podcast by getting some awesome C26 Gear! Thank you for listening. Triathlon is all about pacing and this goes for workouts, races, and your entire season. Today we look at how the phases of a year can affect you mentally, emotionally, physically and even spiritually. Are you expecting too much from yourself too soon? Do you overthink every little metric? Are you working on getting better in the right ways? TSS scores…. What do they really show? Are your goals really healthy? Are you changing for the sake of changing and the dopamine hits? Topics: Hey Coach, I’m losing fitness Allergy season Texas 70.3 Oceanside 70.3 PTO Singapore Blumenfelt and Eden comebacks Putting too much weight on early season races Sam Long Age groupers vs pros and prioritizing years Abrupt changes More isn’t always better Changing for the sake of changing Expecting results too quickly Is your goal really healthy? The stress of perfect execution Don’t overthink Overprescribing to the minute detail TSS - what does it really show? The best musicians/athletes don’t overthink Holding watts while carrying emotional stress The quest of getting athletes to flow Don’t be majestic   Mike Tarrolly - mike@c26triathlon.com Robbie Bruce - robbie@c26triathlon.com