That Triathlon Life Podcast

One week out from leaving for Kona, Paula is in the background sketching the donut run poster while we record. We open with a busy weekend of racing, Augusta 70.3, the World Triathlon Grand Final sprint in Pontevedra, and UCI Road Racing Worlds, then get into Team TTL applications opening today, the Kona donut run details, and your questions.
This week we discussed:
Augusta 70.3 results: Lydia Russell wins, Samantha Skold third, Adele Likin's wrong turn with two miles to go, and what it highlights about race coverage
The Grand Final sprint finish: Matt Hauser wins the race, Vasco Vilaça wins the world title, and whether Matt held his line
Aerodynamic gravel bikes: what pro racing demands of equipment and what it means for the regular consumer
Team TTL and TTL Racing Division applications are open now through October 19th, what the Racing Division is, who it's for, and how it's different from the main team
Kona TTL Donut Run: Wednesday October 7th, 2pm, featuring malasadas
Team Canada Kona shakeout run: Monday October 5th, 8am, hosted by Lisa Bentley at Big Island Running Co.
FTP tests for seasoned athletes: how often pros actually do them, what Paulo Sousa uses instead, and why the scariest version might actually be a QOM climb you care about
Nick's volume experiment: six minutes off a 27-minute climb after a month of Z2 only
Paula's Ironman swim set: 10x400 on 15 seconds rest, no toys, no alternatives (well, maybe five 800s)
Rest days vs. active recovery: how often Paula and Eric actually take full days off 
Backyard ultras: how long could each of them last, and why laps are their own special kind of suffering
Strength training in a triathlon program: how to stay consistent without it wrecking your other sessions
Looking up race results and imagining where you would have finished 
First 70.3 Worlds advice: why going three weeks early might be the wrong move, and what Paula's Kona build has taught her about not putting races on a pedestal
The creative process in music and video: prosody, co-creation, and why you can't make art formulaic even when you really want to
A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

We're recording at 7:15pm and going to bed at 7:30, which means we are bending time and space to record this. First up: TTL Mad Libs, a new segment submitted by Mike the Botox guy, in which we fill in a Kona race guide and somehow end up with Pierce Brosnan at the finish line. Then we get through a full question bag before someone's bedtime.
This week we discussed:
Kona apparel update: almost everything sold out; what's still available at the Castelli booth on race day and why you can't say "Kona" inside the expo
Your proudest Strava CR or QOM — Eric's COVID-era Portland climb rampage, Paula's Bend segments, and Nick's Santa Monica Pier sprint Up
Losing 30-45 seconds per mile in the second half of a 70.3 run: fitness limiter, pacing problem, or both?
How pro personal needs bottles work at 70.3 Worlds — the sticker system, race number order, and why Paula's never actually used one
The best triathlon commentators
Should athlete vitals be shown on the broadcast? 
Alcohol before a key race — how Paula and Eric have approached it differently this year, and the NA whiskey price problem
Waterproof shoes for a 240-mile trail race: Gore-Tex uppers, the bathtub water retention test, and the dry pair rotation strategy
Cooling techniques for extreme heat: ice bandanas, hands, neck, and where not to put ice cubes
Aero helmets, bucket hats, and the Omius — where the line is between functional and ridiculous
Torn wetsuit: repair it, cut the sleeves off, or buy new? 
A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question — or a Mad Libs — head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Paula and Eric are home from Nice, jet lagged, and ready to talk about it. Paula raced 70.3 World Championships on a course that demands technical descending skills built over years on European roads, and still finished top ten. The swim packs that split apart, arriving at the Col de Vance already fatigued, the Race Ranger rules that disrupted everyone's rhythm on the climb, a drafting incident that was caught live on the broadcast, fueling on a demanding course, and then on to questions.
This week we discussed:
Paula's 70.3 Worlds Nice full debrief: swim tactics, the Col de Vance, descending faster than 2019, and what the run actually felt like
The on-camera drafting incident explained, what Race Ranger rules require, what happened on the climb, and the personal apology that followed the next day
Why Kristian Blummenfelt's 1:05:12 half marathon off the bike might make more sense on this specific course than it looks
Katie Schide showing up at the turnaround on the run course, and what it meant to Paula to see her there
The Nice croissant run: hundreds of people, one visit from the French police
TTL Kona edition apparel launches Thursday, limited numbers, no pre-order, Foreign Rider collab
Does cadence actually matter for cyclists, or is it just a distraction from the real problem?
Wheel-on vs. direct drive trainers for a new TT bike: what actually matters
Bucket hats in triathlon: sun protection or aesthetic surrender?
Where to position your support crew on a 70.3 run course for maximum impact
Running downhills without destroying your knees: shoe fit, grip, and why sizing up a full size might be the culprit
Making mountainous training roads translate to triathlon-specific fitness
Taper week from two pro perspectives: structure, what feeling bad on Tuesday actually means, and why consistency beats reinvention every time
A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Nick and Eric are recording live from Nice, France ahead of 70.3 World Championships. Fresh off an open water swim in the Med, about to head out for a ride, the boys talk triathlon while Paula is in race week mode and sitting this one out.
This week we discussed:
Live from Nice: what it's been like being here for 70.3 Worlds, and how the experience compares to Kona
Ironman events selling out in under twelve minutes, should there be a qualification requirement before signing up for a full or half distance race?
A triathlete was bitten by an alligator training on the Augusta 70.3 swim course, how much does wildlife factor into race choices, and where's the line between rational and irrational fear?
Brody's stats are in, if you had 40+ hours a week to train him, could you make him go pro by 35 with four kids? Be brutal.
Power meters for a TT bike on a budget: single vs. dual sided, left vs. right, and whether pedal-based makes more sense
Road cycling etiquette and how to deal with aggressive drivers without letting it derail a hard session
Watch recommendations for someone who splits time equally between road speed work and long trail days
Dealing with race morning appetite issues when nothing you try in training translates to the start line
Cold water adaptation for a no-wetsuit open water race in Lake Tahoe when you live somewhere hot, cold plunge, AC, or just suffer?
The most meaningful lesson each has learned from the other
A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Nick is recording from his neighbor's WiFi, Eric's in the van, Paula is doing her own audio engineering, but the gang got it together anyway! We kick things off with an airline Rapid Fire before getting into a full question bag that covers racing, going pro, travel logistics, and a Chattanooga guide for a UK family about to combine 70.3 Worlds with Disney World.
This week we discussed:
Airline rapid fire: favorite snack, drink, seat, airline, and Paula's method for dealing with an overweight bag at the counter
Should there be a separate finish line tape for the top age grouper at Ironman races with a pro field?
Is there anything in triathlon that matches the euphoria of finally landing a skateboarding trick?
Run form analysis: when to think about it, when to leave it alone, Paula's mirror trick on the Kickr Run, and why fixing one thing can break something else up the chain
Airline luggage horror stories — Eric's €550 Lufthansa bill and why United loyalty is a financial decision
Turning pro: do you actually need a lawyer, contract clauses worth paying attention to, and where to train when you make the jump
Open water vs. pool for easy swims in summer, is it even a question?
Feeling flat, disconnected, and off 17 days out from Ironman Wisconsin, what's actually happening and what to do about it
Chattanooga as a destination for a UK family combining 70.3 Worlds with Disney World: the honest guide, how many days at Disney is too many, and what to actually expect from the city
A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast
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