# Train Insane Over Christmas!

An episode of [The Triathlon Hour](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1595443343), 22 Dec 2025, 1 h 34 min.

Audio: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2640942/episodes/19698004-train-insane-over-christmas.mp3

How to train over Christmas, what to do, what not to do, tips & secret bits of wisdom start off the pod before then diving into the world of coaching in triathlon. The crew all set each other 2026 training/racing goals that we must be kept accountable to, the final Pretendies categories are announced and we read your Spotify comments. There’s some podcast beef that gets addressed, the founder of an influential training app gets called a fraud, pornstars/only fans, what data metrics to use on race day and lots more. This pod goes everywhere really. Nord VPN:Take advantage of a great deal with Nord VPN use the code triathlonhour or visit nordvpn.com/triathlonhour to get a huge discount in the 2 year plans PLUS 4 extra months! It is risk free with Nord's 30 days money back guarantee! Precision: Use the code TTH25 to get 15% off your first order with Precision at Precision Fuel & Hydration or subscribe to the Patreon and access the link that will save you 20% on every order, not just your first Patreon Pillar: Use the code TTH to get 15% off your first order with Pillar Performance at Pillar Performance or use The Feed for North American customers

## Transcript

[0:27] SPEAKER_03: Yes, it's great to have you back for another week here on the Trifon Hour.
[0:31] SPEAKER_03: This week, we're going to start the show by having a quick discussion on how we all think you should train over the Christmas period.
[0:37] SPEAKER_03: Then Vicky brought a really interesting topic to the group chat about females being coached by their male boyfriends or husbands.
[0:45] SPEAKER_03: And we want to get stuck into that.
[0:46] SPEAKER_03: We're all going to set each other some 2026 training or racing goals that we want to put out there on the public record so that you guys can help hold us accountable throughout the entire 2026.
[0:57] SPEAKER_03: We're going to lock in the categories for next week's pretendees to finish the year off strong.
[1:01] SPEAKER_03: And as always, we'll finish the show off with your Spotify comments.
[1:06] SPEAKER_03: We're joined as always by the most opinionated man in Trithlon, officially a bald man now, not just a joke, Greg Harper.
[1:12] SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you know, I just decided to fully embrace it, Jack.
[1:15] SPEAKER_04: And uh, you know, those those gray hairs are coming.
[1:18] SPEAKER_04: I thought, this is embarrassing.
[1:19] SPEAKER_04: I gotta shave all these off.
[1:20] SPEAKER_04: So uh thanks for having me back for another week.
[1:22] SPEAKER_03: And you do not look good.
[1:23] SPEAKER_03: And as always, the person who holds this podcast together, the only person with a brain on this recording.
[1:31] SPEAKER_03: Vicky Holland joins us as always.
[1:33] SPEAKER_00: Pleasure to be back.
[1:34] SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much.
[1:35] SPEAKER_04: Wow, you sound so good.
[1:37] SPEAKER_00: That's creepy.
[1:40] SPEAKER_00: Does uh do I sound a bit different this week, guys?
[1:42] SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
[1:43] SPEAKER_03: Um, yep, yep.
[1:44] SPEAKER_03: You got uh you got a a hundred dollar microphone.
[1:46] SPEAKER_00: That sound a bit clearer, you know.
[1:48] SPEAKER_00: I've done, I don't know, what, six, eight episodes now, and my sound quality has drastically altered the quality of this podcast, and I've been saying for ages I'm gonna get one.
[2:00] SPEAKER_00: So I guess Christmas has come a little bit early this week.
[2:02] SPEAKER_00: If my settings are all off and there's way too much feedback and all the rest, then sorry Jack, you're gonna have to do all the editing on the podcast.
[2:10] SPEAKER_00: But yeah, that's me being fully dragged into podcast territory, got myself a little mic.
[2:15] SPEAKER_03: And also, Greg and Vicki, before we get started today, we made a promise last week that we would do uh a live ad reads throughout the podcast.
[2:23] SPEAKER_03: Me, Greg, Vicky, we would all just ad lib a podcast, ad read randomly throughout the podcast.
[2:29] SPEAKER_03: Um, no pro no pre-recordings taking place.
[2:32] SPEAKER_03: We've we've each got one brand to tell you about.
[2:34] SPEAKER_03: All mistakes, slip-ups, or shitty promotion will be left in, not looking at you, Greg.
[2:39] SPEAKER_03: And then at the end of the pod, we'll just vote as a group on who we thought had the best, second best, and by far worst ad read.
[2:45] SPEAKER_03: Again, not looking at you, Greg.
[2:47] SPEAKER_03: Um, and a bit of an early Spotify comment by Jamie D said, next week's live ad reads will be so predictable.
[2:54] SPEAKER_03: Vicki's will be perfect thanks to her Rada standard allocution.
[2:58] SPEAKER_03: Jack's will be professional and very well rehearsed, and Greg's will result in the termination of a sponsorship contract.
[3:04] SPEAKER_03: Oh, my voice just broke then.
[3:06] SPEAKER_03: Let's see if Jamie D's correct.
[3:09] SPEAKER_01: That's a lot of pressure.
[3:09] SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure I feel about that.
[3:12] SPEAKER_04: I'm yeah, we'll see what happens.
[3:14] SPEAKER_04: Uh I think I can I can live up to that.
[3:17] SPEAKER_04: Uh okay, but before we get started, Jack, I'm just I get goosebumps just talking about it.
[3:23] SPEAKER_04: Like I've it's just it's such a big thing in the triathon world.
[3:26] SPEAKER_04: A huge congratulations are in order.
[3:29] SPEAKER_04: I want to give a huge shout out to my best friend, Hayden Wilde, on his engagement with Hannah Devet.
[3:35] SPEAKER_04: Talk about a power couple.
[3:37] SPEAKER_04: Uh, I just I can't wait to be standing up there with you on the big day, buddy.
[3:40] SPEAKER_04: Love you, brother.
[3:41] SPEAKER_04: And uh Hannah, welcome to the family.
[3:45] SPEAKER_00: I don't know anything to say.
[3:46] SPEAKER_00: I mean, wow, you're you're really sucking up now.
[3:49] SPEAKER_00: Did you just want an invite to what's possibly gonna be the wedding of the century?
[3:52] SPEAKER_04: Uh no, I mean, not I mean, I don't want one.
[3:55] SPEAKER_03: I already have one, so me and Vicky just looked at each other, no idea what to say.
[4:01] SPEAKER_02: He's gonna comment first.
[4:05] SPEAKER_03: All right.
[4:06] SPEAKER_03: Uh that'd be good, mate.
[4:07] SPEAKER_03: Take some photos for us.
[4:08] SPEAKER_03: Uh hope it's a good day.
[4:10] SPEAKER_03: And yep, shout out to Hayden and Hannah.
[4:12] SPEAKER_03: Well done.
[4:12] SPEAKER_03: Uh, let's get into the first topic of the show, though.
[4:15] SPEAKER_03: It's how we think you should train over the Christmas period.
[4:19] SPEAKER_03: And I think how we do this, Vicky and Greg, is we just all go one by one.
[4:23] SPEAKER_03: I'll give a tip, then Vicky, then Greg, and then we'll repeat that a few times until we've uh gone through all our tips.
[4:29] SPEAKER_03: So for me, I just want to start by saying I think it's a great opportunity to train.
[4:35] SPEAKER_03: Like, I just think everyone who's a triathlete, a runner, a cyclist, not a swimmer, swimmer have the time off.
[4:40] SPEAKER_03: If you're a cyclist, a a runner, or a triathlete, go wild.
[4:44] SPEAKER_03: Like you've got time off.
[4:46] SPEAKER_03: You've got all the food in the world to eat afterwards for recovery, you've got no commitments.
[4:51] SPEAKER_03: I mean, family, sure, travel, sure.
[4:53] SPEAKER_03: But don't worry about that.
[4:54] SPEAKER_03: Put yourself first, get out there, train as much as you can.
[4:57] SPEAKER_03: That's my first tip.
[4:59] SPEAKER_00: Okay, so my first tip is set realistic goals over just how much you think you're gonna get done, because everyone has these lofty expectations of how many sessions they're gonna get done and how much food they're gonna be able to eat around it, and how many family commitments they're gonna be able to fit in as well.
[5:16] SPEAKER_00: And then you always end up disappointed or feeling a little bit guilty at the end of Christmas week, thinking that you've sort of let yourself down.
[5:23] SPEAKER_00: My big thing is don't overestimate how much you're gonna do.
[5:27] SPEAKER_00: Expect the pool closures, expect the family commitments, expect to actually just not want to train as much because you're probably gonna want to enjoy that time with your family.
[5:35] SPEAKER_00: So make a really realistic goal over how much you're gonna get done.
[5:39] SPEAKER_04: I like both of those.
[5:40] SPEAKER_04: Uh now it's funny because I was talking to my coach about this and he was uh giving me shit for wanting to hang out with my family on Christmas.
[5:47] SPEAKER_04: But I will say, I think skipping training on Christmas is soft.
[5:51] SPEAKER_04: Just go out and do something in the morning.
[5:53] SPEAKER_04: Like, oh, it's Christmas, I'm too busy.
[5:55] SPEAKER_04: Like, you're just gonna sit around with your family all day anyway.
[5:58] SPEAKER_04: So wake up early, go get a run done, and then spend some family time.
[6:01] SPEAKER_04: But like don't use it as an excuse not to train because you're gonna be the, you know, you're gonna have a better day if you if you set yourself up and go for that morning run on Christmas.
[6:10] SPEAKER_03: You're gonna see a little bit of a theme with my tips, Greg and Vicky, that maybe show I'm not the family man that say a Greg Harper is, despite what he just said.
[6:21] SPEAKER_03: Um my second one is it's based on my first one, which is it's a great opportunity to train and go out there and train like a madman or woman.
[6:30] SPEAKER_03: You just remember, if you've got a partner or if you if you've got a family, you've just got to do the pre-work on them to set expectations.
[6:36] SPEAKER_03: You know, I think a really good line to say to your your partner or whoever it is, your mum and your dad, is is to is to tell them I'm gonna be the best version of myself for you, for everyone in the family.
[6:48] SPEAKER_03: And I want to be the best version of myself on Christmas Day because family is really important to me, and training makes me the best version of myself.
[6:56] SPEAKER_03: Without it, I'm gonna be grumpy all day, I'm gonna be in a bad mood, I'm not gonna treat people as well as I could.
[7:01] SPEAKER_03: So it's really important that I get out there for four, five, six hours uh Christmas morning.
[7:07] SPEAKER_00: Six hours.
[7:08] SPEAKER_00: I mean I'm flabbergasted six hours.
[7:11] SPEAKER_00: I mean, do you even like your family?
[7:15] SPEAKER_00: Trying to get away from them, Jack.
[7:16] SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure.
[7:18] SPEAKER_00: Okay, my next big tip.
[7:20] SPEAKER_00: So, my number one rule for Christmas is you've got to enjoy it.
[7:23] SPEAKER_00: Because I'm really sorry, but for 99% of people, having an easier week or eating and drinking a lot, maybe even too much, is gonna have little to no effect on your next race or your next season.
[7:35] SPEAKER_00: So you're better off just really enjoying Christmas and those few days.
[7:39] SPEAKER_00: Equally, if you are someone who, for you know, whatever reason Christmas is kind of a crappy time of year, then yeah, go knock yourself out and enjoy feeling all smug that you're doing more than anyone else.
[7:50] SPEAKER_00: But really get your enjoyment how you can this Christmas.
[7:53] SPEAKER_00: And if that is training loads, fine.
[7:55] SPEAKER_00: But if it's actually spending time with your family, well, that's okay too.
[7:59] SPEAKER_04: I actually really like um not to I don't like your point, Vicki.
[8:03] SPEAKER_04: I do like your point, Vicki.
[8:04] SPEAKER_04: But back to Jack's point about like being the best version of yourself, I think that's like so true.
[8:08] SPEAKER_04: And I feel like he was being a little six hours, maybe a little bit much, but I think you know, we're always the best version of ourselves training.
[8:15] SPEAKER_04: So finding that balance and enjoying it, Vicky, I think that's really smart.
[8:18] SPEAKER_04: Now, I think it's a really good time to like do a really long adventure day, like with some friends in the time you have off.
[8:24] SPEAKER_04: You know, whether it's it's raining out and you're gonna go on a super long trail run, you're gonna get muddy, and you're gonna slip and fall, or you're gonna go on a century ride, just go out for a long day with no expectations on pace and power and just remember why you love endurance training.
[8:39] SPEAKER_04: Um so I think it's a really good time, especially, you know, hopefully people are off work and they have a little break.
[8:43] SPEAKER_04: And I think it's those, those, you know, and then you can go eat a bunch of Christmas cookies after or whatever it'd be.
[8:47] SPEAKER_04: But I think it's a really good time of year to just like kind of fall in re-fall in love with the sport and the adventure side of it.
[8:53] SPEAKER_04: So then you don't get, you know, too bogged down in the six by ten at threshold during the year.
[8:58] SPEAKER_04: Like just get out there and enjoy being outside.
[9:00] SPEAKER_03: I reckon that's particularly true.
[9:02] SPEAKER_03: Maybe not for Christmas morning.
[9:03] SPEAKER_03: Like, yeah, you could do that if you have an active family on Christmas morning, but like the day after Christmas or the time between Christmas and New Year's Eve, like you can organise it because almost all of your training partners or your friends will also have time off.
[9:14] SPEAKER_03: So you can be like, guys, let's go and hit a long ride that we would never get to do throughout the year or a long trail run, like you said, Greg.
[9:20] SPEAKER_03: So I really like that one.
[9:22] SPEAKER_03: Um back to my last point and what Greg just said.
[9:26] SPEAKER_03: Yes, you it is like actually partly true that you will be the best version of yourself, but if you're anything like me, that kind of has a bit of a time restriction on it.
[9:35] SPEAKER_03: Like whether it's three, four, five hours, you'll be the best version of yourself.
[9:38] SPEAKER_03: But then once the endorphins and and all the happy chemicals wear off, you'll actually uh face a potential crash Christmas afternoon where the festivities might start to wear a little thin on you and you might need to hit the couch for a couple of hours.
[9:50] SPEAKER_03: So just remember that.
[9:51] SPEAKER_03: Um my next tip I think single session days can be the key.
[9:56] SPEAKER_03: I think it's like I'm half joking when I say six hours, but if you want to go out there and do something relatively big every morning throughout this period, I just think it sets you up for for minimal failure.
[10:07] SPEAKER_03: Like your family's or your partner's not gonna be too angry at you.
[10:10] SPEAKER_03: The food's always gonna taste better throughout the day.
[10:13] SPEAKER_03: You you won't have that nagging feeling like, oh, I've got to go and train.
[10:17] SPEAKER_03: I haven't trained, I haven't trained, I want to train, I don't feel good about eating this, I feel shit traveling in the car or on a plane, or I'm sitting here trying to enjoy this to this time, but I want to get out there and train.
[10:27] SPEAKER_03: So I think it's best, even if you're not a morning trainer, to not leave your training to the afternoon because it's it's more likely you won't get it done because the days drag out or whatever happens, and it'll just be on the back of your mind the whole day.
[10:40] SPEAKER_03: So I think whatever you have to do, whatever time you have to set your alarm for in the morning, set it, get up early, go out there and train before anyone else is even thinking about their day.
[10:50] SPEAKER_00: I really like that, Jack, and I totally agree with you about getting in a morning session.
[10:54] SPEAKER_00: I think even if you're not a morning person, just getting that session done sets you up so well for the day.
[11:00] SPEAKER_00: And you just feel so good knowing that you've done something and you can make the most of whatever that day holds, whether it is going to be a lot of time playing stupid games with your family or looking after your niece and nephew or whatever it is that you've got going on, you just feel better getting it done.
[11:17] SPEAKER_00: So I totally agree about the morning session.
[11:19] SPEAKER_00: That was one of my tips as well.
[11:21] SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm less bothered about you know the quality of it.
[11:24] SPEAKER_00: If you don't want to make it a quality session, that's okay.
[11:27] SPEAKER_00: If Christmas Week is just about ticking over again, for me, that's okay.
[11:30] SPEAKER_00: But again, if you feel good and it does give good bang for buck to actually go and do something pretty solid for an hour, you get on the turbo, smash out a really quality session and feel really good about yourself afterwards.
[11:41] SPEAKER_00: So definitely morning sessions, I totally agree with, and get something done that just makes you feel like I feel good for whatever the rest of the day brings.
[11:49] SPEAKER_04: Most excellent.
[11:50] SPEAKER_04: So kind of going back to those like big adventure days in the States, a big, and this is going against what Jack said about swimming.
[11:56] SPEAKER_04: He's like, oh, swimmers take a time off.
[11:58] SPEAKER_04: But actually, here in the States, swimmers are doing doubles, like swimming long course all during winter break.
[12:03] SPEAKER_04: So a big thing is doing a hundred-100s for New Year's.
[12:06] SPEAKER_04: So if you haven't done that, go do it.
[12:08] SPEAKER_04: Don't be soft, go do 100-100s, and uh yeah, that's it.
[12:13] SPEAKER_00: Spend spend your two to three hours, yeah.
[12:15] SPEAKER_00: Probably what, two and a half, three hours that's gonna take, is it?
[12:18] SPEAKER_04: I mean like hour twenty for me, but probably four for you.
[12:21] SPEAKER_00: No, 10k.
[12:22] SPEAKER_00: 100 hundreds is 10k.
[12:23] SPEAKER_00: You're gonna do it in hour 20, Jesus.
[12:25] SPEAKER_00: Okay.
[12:27] SPEAKER_00: Okay, we got we've got a world record on our hands.
[12:30] SPEAKER_03: I've got a tip.
[12:31] SPEAKER_03: If you're coached by correspondence, so if your coach is um living in a different place to you and you just communicate over text and that kind of thing, it's a great opportunity for you to say that you drove to the pool, but the pool was closed, so you couldn't do your swim.
[12:46] SPEAKER_03: Because you're not going to be able to get away with that for many uh many many times throughout the year.
[12:50] SPEAKER_03: But Christmas and New Year, your coach is never gonna question it.
[12:53] SPEAKER_03: They'll always be like, Oh, damn, that sucks.
[12:55] SPEAKER_03: But the pool can be open, it doesn't matter, it's just a great, a great opportunity to get out of doing your prescribed swim.
[13:01] SPEAKER_04: I check all the pool schedules of all my athletes, Jack.
[13:03] SPEAKER_04: I say, where are you swimming during break?
[13:05] SPEAKER_04: And I check the schedules, so it won't work on me.
[13:07] SPEAKER_04: But you know, maybe other coaches who don't take their athletes seriously.
[13:10] SPEAKER_01: Tell us you're a swim coach without telling us you're a swim coach.
[13:13] unknown: Nerd.
[13:14] SPEAKER_03: Well, as we know, most triathlon coaches don't actually care about their triathletes training.
[13:19] SPEAKER_03: So uh Greg is the exception there, not the rule.
[13:22] SPEAKER_03: Most will not look into it in that much detail.
[13:24] SPEAKER_03: So good little hack on my end.
[13:26] SPEAKER_03: Um but my next Christmas training tip is it's a great time to recover well from your training because you don't have to rush off to work.
[13:34] SPEAKER_03: Um, there's lots of food available.
[13:36] SPEAKER_03: You can take more time to prepare food, like you can prepare the night before.
[13:40] SPEAKER_03: You can get home and and make a bigger meal, you can use leftovers, you can lounge around a lot, like most people after Christmas lunch or or boxing day lunch, they there's opportunity to sit down and watch the cricket uh or whatever else you do in America.
[13:54] SPEAKER_03: Um and just have maybe a nap.
[13:56] SPEAKER_03: Like I think an afternoon nap can be great uh during this time because most of the year you don't get to do that.
[14:02] SPEAKER_03: So just a good time to train really hard, in my opinion, but also to use the extra time to recover and take time to do things for your recovery that you wouldn't get a chance to do with work and family all year round.
[14:14] SPEAKER_04: What's Boxing Day?
[14:15] SPEAKER_04: I don't know what that is.
[14:16] SPEAKER_00: Oh, I was gonna I'm gonna bring up Boxing Day now.
[14:19] SPEAKER_00: I can tell you, Boxing Day is the day after Christmas, so the 26th.
[14:23] SPEAKER_04: So do you guys like fight each other?
[14:24] SPEAKER_04: Like, I don't understand the whole the whole point of it.
[14:26] SPEAKER_04: Why is everyone obsessed with Boxing Day?
[14:28] SPEAKER_00: I presume it's because it always used to be a boxing match, but I actually don't know now that I've said that.
[14:32] SPEAKER_00: Jack, have you got any um insight on to why Boxing Day is called Boxing Day?
[14:37] SPEAKER_03: No, no, it's um it's because they used to give like uh Christmas presents in boxes, like Christmas boxes.
[14:43] SPEAKER_00: Is that right?
[14:44] SPEAKER_01: That makes tons of sense.
[14:46] SPEAKER_01: I like it.
[14:47] SPEAKER_03: They were always just like given out the day after Christmas, Greg.
[14:50] SPEAKER_03: So the day after Christmas in the UK um and Australia is called Boxing Day because of that.
[14:55] SPEAKER_03: And it's really famous because we have uh a Boxing Day test match between England and Australia in the cricket.
[15:01] SPEAKER_03: Moot point.
[15:02] SPEAKER_03: My commiserations on that, by the way, Vicky.
[15:04] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's not been good.
[15:05] SPEAKER_00: Let's let's not go into the cricket.
[15:06] SPEAKER_00: It's been bad.
[15:07] SPEAKER_04: Is that a sport?
[15:08] SPEAKER_04: Cricket?
[15:08] SPEAKER_04: That's a that's a sport you guys play?
[15:10] SPEAKER_04: What is it?
[15:10] SPEAKER_00: Not one we're good at right now.
[15:12] SPEAKER_03: Most watch sport in the world, Greg, actually.
[15:14] SPEAKER_03: And Australia are dominating England as we speak, Greg.
[15:17] SPEAKER_03: So you might hate Australia, but I know you hate England even more.
[15:20] SPEAKER_03: So uh surely that makes you a little bit happy.
[15:22] SPEAKER_04: I'm actually English.
[15:23] SPEAKER_04: I'm half English, so I'm a big UK fan.
[15:26] SPEAKER_04: Why do you think I love Alistair so much?
[15:29] SPEAKER_00: I thought it was a different reason entirely, if I'm honest with you, but there we go.
[15:33] SPEAKER_04: There's a lot of there's a lot of reasons, Vicky.
[15:36] SPEAKER_04: We don't need to get into them.
[15:37] SPEAKER_04: It's a little X-rated for the pod.
[15:39] SPEAKER_03: It's just because you always have to have some guy in triathon that you have a creepy obsession with.
[15:44] SPEAKER_00: Right, move on then.
[15:46] SPEAKER_00: So my final one is to look at local fun run type events.
[15:51] SPEAKER_00: And this is where Boxing Day comes in because there's often a lot of those on Boxing Day, whether it's a local 5k or something, or maybe even join a Zwift race one or two days during the holiday period, just as like a fun activity.
[16:03] SPEAKER_00: Just do some kind of event that makes it a bit more fun, and that's probably a really good way of getting your intensity in as well.
[16:10] SPEAKER_00: No stress, but a bit of extra intensity and a good hit out.
[16:14] SPEAKER_04: Are you going to be joining the Brownleys in the park run uh this Christmas, Vicky?
[16:18] SPEAKER_00: Uh, if I'm doing a park run, firstly, I'll be walking it because I'm not yet running at postpartum.
[16:24] SPEAKER_00: And secondly, I'm actually not in Yorkshire uh on Boxing Day.
[16:29] SPEAKER_00: So I'm visiting family that day.
[16:31] SPEAKER_00: So I will not be able to join in, I'm afraid.
[16:34] SPEAKER_00: Heartbreakingly.
[16:35] SPEAKER_03: I love this one though.
[16:36] SPEAKER_03: I think it's such a smart idea to go out and do something that has a little bit of a timing element or a test yourself element.
[16:43] SPEAKER_03: I love a 5K time trial or a park run if you're somewhere where you have have park run because it's time effective.
[16:49] SPEAKER_03: You can get it done quickly, but it's also highly rewarding.
[16:52] SPEAKER_03: So you feel really good afterwards.
[16:54] SPEAKER_03: And even if you kind of run below expectation, you're still worked really hard.
[16:58] SPEAKER_03: So you'll feel great eating some junk food throughout the day.
[17:01] SPEAKER_03: You'll feel a little bit of satisfaction just from working hard, even if you're a little bit disappointed, which generally speaking, even if if time trials or park runs go badly, you don't actually feel that disappointed because you got to work hard and you have so many uh positive chemicals flowing through your brain.
[17:16] SPEAKER_03: So I reckon that's an awesome one.
[17:17] SPEAKER_03: The Zwift Race idea is another great one, or yeah, just something that there's a little bit of a like uh a time challenge to.
[17:23] SPEAKER_04: Um, so no, mine's kind of about New Year's.
[17:26] SPEAKER_04: Like I I'm all for having fun and I've had lots of late New Year's in my life, but uh going to bed before midnight and waking up like early and working out to start New Year, I just feel like is the best thing there is.
[17:38] SPEAKER_04: Like it's such it's kind of like a letdown of a holiday.
[17:41] SPEAKER_04: It's just it seems weird to like start the year like very tired.
[17:44] SPEAKER_04: Like I feel like you should start the year with a good night's sleep and like just I don't know, I I just feel that's kind of the best New Year's that you could do for yourself.
[17:52] SPEAKER_04: So, you know, if you're like, oh I gotta stay up till midnight for the New Year, fuck it.
[17:56] SPEAKER_04: Like go to bed at 9 p.m., wake up early and do a workout, and you're gonna have a way better day on New Year's Day than if you just stay up till midnight to watch some shitty fireworks show.
[18:05] SPEAKER_03: I agree.
[18:06] SPEAKER_03: I think New Year's the most overrated holiday on the calendar.
[18:09] SPEAKER_03: Um I think my last tip, and I think we're done after this, is that you can have the best of both worlds if you want them.
[18:16] SPEAKER_03: Now you might notice a theme to mine, which are probably put training in yourself before your family, which I understand is an unpopular opinion.
[18:24] SPEAKER_03: Um, and I am only partially serious when I say them all, but I think you can have the best of both worlds.
[18:30] SPEAKER_03: I think you can use this period to train super hard, like really, really hard, and do lots for yourself.
[18:36] SPEAKER_03: You just gotta be willing to go the extra mile for other people around you as well.
[18:40] SPEAKER_03: So try not to be a dick about it.
[18:42] SPEAKER_03: Try not to go out there and train and be completely corked and then come home and be a shitty version of yourself.
[18:49] SPEAKER_03: All jokes aside, do the best thing for yourself, but then just try a little bit extra throughout the day to be the best, you know, husband or wife or boyfriend or girlfriend, the best son or daughter or mum or dad.
[19:01] SPEAKER_03: Like put in a little bit of extra effort because I think it buys you a lot of brownie points with people around you, and it allows for you to go out and do a little bit extra for yourself.
[19:10] SPEAKER_03: And I actually think it all has this like really positive snowball effect where you can just have the best period of your year.
[19:17] SPEAKER_03: So I think training really hard is a great great thing.
[19:19] SPEAKER_03: Like, really push yourself, challenge yourself in this period, and do it on the social front as well.
[19:24] SPEAKER_03: Like, challenge yourself to be to be the best of whatever role it is you feel in your community and your social life.
[19:30] SPEAKER_03: And I just think you can have a really good like five to seven days.
[19:33] SPEAKER_03: Um yeah, so that's our that's our how to train uh over the Christmas period tips wrapped up, and it's time for our first ad read.
[19:41] SPEAKER_03: Greg, because we have such lofty expectations about yours, start us off.
[19:48] SPEAKER_04: All right.
[19:50] SPEAKER_04: Are you tired of watching footage of boutique hotels instead of the 70.3 Iron Man World Championship sprint finish?
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[20:01] SPEAKER_04: Now, what is a VPN?
[20:03] SPEAKER_04: I don't know exactly.
[20:04] SPEAKER_04: I don't even know what it stands for, but what I can tell you is this it's a magic software that changes your location and lets you watch streams of triathlon on YouTube instead of watching the same outside TV commercial 69 times over the course of one hour.
[20:19] SPEAKER_04: It also allows you to watch TV shows that are not available in your core in your country.
[20:24] SPEAKER_04: It's basically a teleport teleportation machine.
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[20:41] SPEAKER_04: And listen, there are some free VPNs out there, but they are sketch.
[20:45] SPEAKER_04: They will steal your information and they will sell it to Andrew Mesek to use for targeted ads for his new business venture of live streaming himself eating on Twitch and YouTube Live.
[20:58] SPEAKER_04: No one wants to see or hear that.
[21:00] SPEAKER_04: So do yourself a favor, watch more TV shows, avoid endurance sports broadcasting blocks, and use NordVPN.
[21:08] SPEAKER_04: Trathlon hour is the discount code.
[21:10] SPEAKER_04: And if there isn't a hundred new users by the end of the year, the podcast is cancelled.
[21:15] SPEAKER_04: Get on it, pretenders.
[21:17] SPEAKER_04: NordVPN, it will change your life.
[21:22] SPEAKER_00: Fair play, Greg.
[21:23] SPEAKER_00: You delivered.
[21:25] SPEAKER_00: That was I mean, watching your face as you tried not to stumble, you were so intense.
[21:32] SPEAKER_01: But even with that, I thought that was brilliant.
[21:35] SPEAKER_01: Well done.
[21:36] SPEAKER_01: Well done.
[21:37] SPEAKER_01: Nothing, nothing bad to say.
[21:39] SPEAKER_03: NordVPN is actually awesome though.
[21:41] SPEAKER_03: I've been using it all week because I'm in Europe and I can't watch watch the ashes cricket over here.
[21:45] SPEAKER_03: So I've used NordVPN all week because I bought it before well, I bought it like two years before they sponsored the podcast.
[21:51] SPEAKER_03: And um, and so I've been using that to to watch KO, which is a sporting app in Australia that that covers the the ashes.
[21:57] SPEAKER_03: So I've probably used Nord VPN for like fifty hours over the last three weeks.
[22:02] SPEAKER_03: And uh I just think it's one of those things that once you actually like get it, you don't realise how much you'll use it for.
[22:08] SPEAKER_03: You'll be like, oh I want to watch that TV show or that movie.
[22:10] SPEAKER_03: And you can just like have Netflix.
[22:12] SPEAKER_03: You don't really need other other apps because you can just change your country to whatever has it.
[22:17] SPEAKER_03: So you don't need like four or five apps to watch um everything.
[22:20] SPEAKER_03: You can just like have one, maybe two Mac.
[22:22] SPEAKER_03: So all seriousness, NordVPN it's awesome.
[22:24] SPEAKER_03: Okay, Vicky, you brought up a really uh good conversation starter in the the podcast group chat this week about uh women being coached by their male partners.
[22:34] SPEAKER_03: Do you want to start us off here?
[22:35] SPEAKER_03: Kick us kick us off.
[22:36] SPEAKER_00: Yeah I mean I guess you you said something that sparked a whole thread from me, didn't it?
[22:42] SPEAKER_00: Where we were talking about that there are more and more examples of women who are either married to or partners with their coach but equally it doesn't seem to happen very much the other way around and it just got us thinking as to the reasons why it's increasingly common and why it is so common with females to have a a male coach who's their partner but not so much the other the other way.
[23:08] SPEAKER_00: And there are a few reasons why I think it's really important to or why it's why why it happens I should say I think the first one is that in general on a basic basic evolutionary level women are more trusting and they are more comfortable almost giving away some autonomy.
[23:29] SPEAKER_00: And I think to have a really successful coach athlete relationship yes it's got to be a partnership but at some point you've got to give someone the final say someone has to have the final word there and women in general are more comfortable giving away that autonomy whereas males struggle with that and I think the males who can give away some of that autonomy are much better athletes than those who can't.
[23:54] SPEAKER_00: There are very few there are some male athletes who are like the these alphas who are um I don't know how we say unicorns they are people that are just so rare that you very Alistair, Jan, people like that who are super intelligent and masters of their own destiny.
[24:14] SPEAKER_00: But most people need someone to guide them and to help them but you've got to give if you're gonna ask someone to do that you've got to accept the advice and help that they're giving you rather than going against every piece of advice that you're given.
[24:27] SPEAKER_00: And in general women seem to be better at doing that than men.
[24:31] SPEAKER_00: That's my my first take anyone got any uh thoughts on that one?
[24:34] SPEAKER_03: I've got a question for both of you who is the best male triathlete in the world right now that's coached by a female?
[24:41] SPEAKER_00: Oh wow trying to think who our world renowned female coaches are Cam Main?
[24:49] SPEAKER_03: Yeah Cam Main that's who I kind of thought as well.
[24:51] SPEAKER_00: I thought maybe Cam Main Because Bex Milns is his coach.
[24:54] SPEAKER_03: Yeah and that's a new thing as well like that's only been this year.
[24:58] SPEAKER_03: But it's like it it makes you think doesn't it God there it really isn't a thing.
[25:01] SPEAKER_03: And I mean you bring up Alistair and Jan I just can't imagine a world where Jan Fredino is coached by his partner Emma Snowsell like I just can't see that ever happening.
[25:11] SPEAKER_03: I definitely couldn't see Alistair Brownle uh like you know ticking off every session making every session green in training peaks that Ruth Astel sets in.
[25:19] SPEAKER_03: I just I think that is like almost laughable.
[25:21] SPEAKER_03: I just I think it would never happen.
[25:23] SPEAKER_03: But I think the other way around both of them would be would be coached by their male partner.
[25:28] SPEAKER_03: And it is interesting how it happens isn't it like if if you think of all of the coach athlete relationships that end in like relationships or marriage when when the male coach starts working with the the female athlete it's a it's a really interesting um look at like how people work isn't it Vicky?
[25:44] SPEAKER_00: Yeah so this is obviously something I have skin in the game on if you like so uh I am married to the person who was my coach for the last nigh on half of my career but we met as athletes we were both athletes at the time and I actually asked him to help me start coaching or start start I asked him to start coaching me if you like so he was already uh he was Alistair and Johnny's main training partner for a really long time all the way through London 2012 where obviously they were very successful and all the way up to pretty close to the the Rio games as well.
[26:18] SPEAKER_00: And it was around that time that I realized that I had a relatively good shot of getting to the Rio Olympics but we have a super strong depth of female talent in the UK and I wasn't even guaranteed to make the team.
[26:31] SPEAKER_00: So I felt like my biggest weakness was cycling and I wanted some help specifically in that area.
[26:37] SPEAKER_00: And so I I kind of just asked Reese if he could help me and it spiraled from there.
[26:41] SPEAKER_00: He sent me a bike program which worked brilliantly and ultimately got me not just qualified but then winning an Olympic medal off the back of that.
[26:49] SPEAKER_00: And from that point on he took on ownership of my whole program and stopped being an athlete himself.
[26:54] SPEAKER_00: And right now he's um the head of the Traffon Center in Leeds one of the two big centres in the UK but he's also worked with the likes of Georgia Taylor Brown and Sam Dickinson and um Jess Lemont, Jess uh Fulligar as well.
[27:09] SPEAKER_00: So he's he's worked with quite a few athletes over the last few years.
[27:13] SPEAKER_00: And I think firstly I guess I saw something in him that I thought he could be a very good coach.
[27:20] SPEAKER_00: But also I think it's important to say that I trusted him more than I trust anybody else.
[27:25] SPEAKER_00: So I'm putting my career in his hands but I believe that he A knows what he's doing and that he's going to do the right things by me.
[27:32] SPEAKER_00: But also no one else is going to be as invested in me as he is.
[27:36] SPEAKER_00: And that was a really huge part for me because even though we had disagreements over things over the years and there were times where I thought the bike plan wasn't working or I didn't like where I was at at a certain point in the season and we would sit down and have a really serious conversation about it.
[27:51] SPEAKER_00: I knew he would do absolutely everything to get me back to the place that I wanted to be or to get me better than I was before.
[27:57] SPEAKER_00: And I just always felt there was no other coach that would be able to do that for me.
[28:01] SPEAKER_00: And for some people there is this sidebar there of well we actually for me I want to keep our personal and professional relationships separate and I don't want that to blur the line and I I I want to go home and switch off from the the chat about triathlon and coaching and all the rest of it.
[28:18] SPEAKER_00: But for us with our character the way we are we live it and breathe it anyway we love it.
[28:23] SPEAKER_00: We want to have those conversations at home and so it made sense that well why are you just not my coach then like that makes total sense that we can have these conversations and we can build something special together.
[28:34] SPEAKER_00: And yeah I'm personally really proud that we've done that and there are so many other examples of women now doing the same.
[28:41] SPEAKER_00: I mean obviously we've got Laura Phillip who's coached by her husband um Philip Sype and then you've got Kat Matthews who's recently started being coached by Mark specifically I think with the running side of her program.
[28:54] SPEAKER_00: You've got Fanella Langridge and Billy I think Josh Amberger has taken on the responsibility for Ash's swim programme recently as well.
[29:02] SPEAKER_00: I mean there's loads and loads of examples but as you've said Jack I can't think of a single example of a top male athlete who is coached by their female partner.
[29:11] SPEAKER_00: And I might be wrong but I can't think of any right now.
[29:14] SPEAKER_00: But for me it makes total sense and I think the hardest thing is that knowing that it probably makes it hard for your partner to then coach other people because they don't think they're gonna get the same treatment that you get.
[29:29] SPEAKER_00: So for example with Reese Weest used to also coach Indy Lee we were very conscious that we didn't want Indy to feel that he was spending all his time with me and that all his effort into training and coaching went on me.
[29:42] SPEAKER_00: So there were times where he would prioritize going to her session over mine when she'd moved up to 70.3 and we were doing slightly different things because we didn't want her to feel that he wasn't as invested.
[29:54] SPEAKER_00: And so there was a period of his career where he really almost had to go the other way and invest in these other athletes so that they all knew oh no no he's he's he's equally in it for me as he is for Vicky.
[30:05] SPEAKER_00: So that's an element but again you've got someone like Lucy Charles Barclay and Reese Barclay he was her coach for quite a period of time whereas now I know of course she has Dan Lorang but Reese has gone on now to be able to coach other people like Marjolaine but that's taken a bit of time and you have to almost get a name and respect for yourself before you can probably coach other people if you're going to coach your partner first.
[30:24] SPEAKER_03: I think who else Holly Lawrence she's coached by her partner as well yep you're right Sean coaches her yeah and Ali Salthouse has been coached by her partner for for ages now there's I reckon if you went onto the PTO website and went to like the women's rankings there would be way more as well it it is a really a weird thing that I can't think of a single guy.
[30:42] SPEAKER_03: I was I was half listening to you Vicky half trying to think of a guy who's coached by their female partner and I couldn't think of any.
[30:49] SPEAKER_03: The only example I mean Nikki Bartlett was coached by her partner but they're they're two females so it doesn't really count.
[30:56] SPEAKER_03: Yeah and even like even trying to think of guys who are coached by females like obviously there's the Boulder swim group which is like swim coaching with Julie Gibbons which is like Morgan Pearson and Siri Lindley was coaching Luke McKenzie for a little bit there but obviously that's a while ago.
[31:13] SPEAKER_03: Yeah but there there is just a there is a thing in triathlon where males are coaches and females don't really tend to coach many male professionals.
[31:22] SPEAKER_03: They they more tend to coach other female professionals or the age groupers like there's some really big female age group coaches but like if we're gonna do the the like contenders for um coach of the year which we'll talk about in the pretendees later on and and other other shows and places we'll do I think all those people will be male right like we're we're pretty we can all universally agree that the coaches that are considered the best coaches in Triton right now are are all male.
[31:47] SPEAKER_03: And yeah I don't even know what female you would have as the best female coach of the year this year.
[31:52] SPEAKER_00: Well I think my point was going to be does this speak more to the fact that we simply don't have many women coaches especially not on the elite level and there could be many, many sort of more social reasons around that than simply males are better coaches but that is that is just a simple truth there aren't that many elite female coaches.
[32:14] SPEAKER_00: So yeah it just makes the probability so much higher that the top coaches are going to be are going to be guys and that that women are going to put their trust in their partners to coach them.
[32:24] SPEAKER_00: But you know like what right did I have I mean at the time I was I started being coached by Reese I already had a Commonwealth medal um I'd been I'd been to an Olympic Games I'd never won a medal at the World Series but I'd been to an Olympic Games um so I was a pretty established athlete and whilst I knew Reese obviously we were we were dating already at that point he didn't have you know coaching credentials that meant that I should put my trust in him but he didn't have other people that he'd coached to a particularly high level he wasn't a super super high level athlete himself he was an elite athlete but he'd never made it onto you know being a successful international athlete I think it's fair to say so why did I trust in him?
[33:03] SPEAKER_00: Well because yeah you like the way he looked well I do like the way he looked yes I still do but uh that's yeah I mean why why is it that as a woman I did that whereas as you said can you imagine Jan doing that?
[33:18] SPEAKER_00: Can you imagine Alistair doing that?
[33:20] SPEAKER_03: Well Reese didn't do it for you and you were the more like accomplished athlete at the time Reese wasn't over dinner over dinner with you one night like Vicky I I really think you need to coach me.
[33:29] SPEAKER_03: That's how I can finally take the next step like that's it's crazy.
[33:33] SPEAKER_00: You know I think I might have to have a word with him about this you've just you've just this is a light bulb moment for me Jack why why has Reese never asked me to coach him actually I stand by that's not true.
[33:43] SPEAKER_00: He has since he's been sort of retired from being an athlete and he's been coaching he has asked me to help him when he's you know wanted to set a fitness goal and all the rest of it and I'm actually like nah can't bother with that so maybe that's the actual answer.
[33:57] SPEAKER_03: Yeah right he he was fine with it when there was nothing on the lawn but when it was for his for his profession no nothing.
[34:03] SPEAKER_04: You know now that we've done this pod with Vicky I mean Jack obviously we people know that he coaches me if I was looking for a coach and Vicky was like hey let me coach you I'd be like okay and I'm not you know I don't I don't know another I don't know another and it's not like that I guess I don't talk about triathlon with females as much as males too you know so I I I can't say I know another female who I'd be like yeah I I want you to coach me but I know plenty of males because it just seems like yeah they they they talk about it more.
[34:31] SPEAKER_00: So what you're saying is I need to set up that coaching company pronto and uh get get onto it.
[34:37] SPEAKER_04: Yeah capitalise now.
[34:38] SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
[34:39] SPEAKER_03: Well it's funny you say that Greg because I as you know I coach I I think I coach seven professional athletes right now.
[34:45] SPEAKER_03: I don't coach any age groupers but I do kind of have a little bit of interest in it and I've actually said to Vicky like if I was ever going to start a coaching business it would be with Vicky and I would I would push her to like get into coaching because I do think Vicky could be one of the the best coaches in the world and actually become a female that probably does coach some male pros and and lots of really high level age groupers and that kind of thing.
[35:06] SPEAKER_03: So I fully agree.
[35:08] SPEAKER_00: I appreciate that guys that's really kind I mean I do have I mean not that it really means anything in the context that we're talking about I do have some coaching qualifications and obviously I have a fair bit of real world experience in Trathlon and of course I love the sport but I just I kind of feel like with coaching I want to be in a place where I want to give to people what they deserve and what they want and what they're probably paying for.
[35:30] SPEAKER_00: And right now with my life situation of being a brand new mum for the second time round I can't do that.
[35:37] SPEAKER_00: I don't think I'd do a good enough job.
[35:39] SPEAKER_00: I'd feel shitty taking people's money for not doing a good job.
[35:42] SPEAKER_00: I don't want to be that person so um at some point you know what not a terrible idea and I've thought about it and I'm I'm I'm kind of on board uh I just think I probably I probably can't do it now um okay so following on from the point about partners being coaching their female sorry following on from the point of think of your words Vicky think of your words okay don't edit this out don't edit this out absolute brain dump right now Greg Harper do you remember do you remember at the T100 in London I think it was where Kate Wolf was interviewed at the end and she went oh my brain isn't braining that that's me right now my brain is not braining that's exactly what's happened.
[36:28] SPEAKER_03: Vicky I'll take over for you I want to talk about training groups inside of this so I think Brett Sutton is the best example of this where he's obviously had pretty big training groups at times large stable of professional athletes but almost zero really really high level successful males and none that have really stuck around that long whereas females he's coached pretty much every female of the the past 15 years that you would you know consider for Mount Rushmore he's probably been their coach and they've stayed around for longer they've stayed in group environments for longer like look at Julie Duron.
[37:01] SPEAKER_03: Julie Duron travels to China to fucking live and train with him like no guy is going to China to train with Brett Sutton at the same level as Julie Duron.
[37:11] SPEAKER_03: It just doesn't happen.
[37:12] SPEAKER_03: They like would literally laugh at the idea of it.
[37:14] SPEAKER_03: They'd be like get fucked I'm not doing that.
[37:16] SPEAKER_03: Whereas like Danny Alla or Chrissy or Julie just be like yep getting on the plane now what do you need from me and I think there's lots of big groups as well like where the females kind of stay together and the male coach can keep them for long periods of time but if there's like too many males in the group it kind of splits up a little bit quicker and there's a bit more conflict and that kind of thing.
[37:35] SPEAKER_00: I totally agree with you and there's so many other examples.
[37:38] SPEAKER_00: You said Brett Sutton there but I was in one of these sort of um international training groups if you like and for part of my career when I was a bit younger and in my group again it was sort of 80% females and the females stuck around and got good success and performed really well and the males often struggled in that environment um that was Darren Smith he's a he's an Aussie coach as well and to be honest the trick to lasting in Darren's group was kind of doing what you're told.
[38:04] SPEAKER_00: You know that you you can you can have a conversation with him about where you think your coach your training is going and what you think is right and wrong but at the end of the day you had to suck it up and do what he said because that was how he operated and in general the men didn't like that.
[38:17] SPEAKER_00: Whereas the women were just better at doing it.
[38:19] SPEAKER_00: And I don't know whether I should admit that because I feel like that's a really sort of negative thing and very anti-feminist of me but it's just what I observed and it's just what simply happened.
[38:28] SPEAKER_00: And then you've got another example in uh the Paolo Sousa group that's pretty successful in short course specifically at the moment but also he was Paula Finlay's longtime coach until just at the beginning of this year and he's had a huge amount of success but especially with with females um then you've got the only male coach really I think that's done one of these international squads well and had a lot of male success is Joel Filliol.
[38:53] SPEAKER_00: He seemed to crack the code there's pretty much no one else who's been able to do it but he was the coach at one point to Mario Moller, Jake Burtwistle, Richard Murray, Vince Louie, Yelle Geens, Martin Van Riel, they were all in that group at one time.
[39:08] SPEAKER_00: And that's just an insane you know stable of athletes to have training together day in, day out and being successful and not killing one another, not tearing strips off one another.
[39:19] SPEAKER_00: And I've thought about his group a lot as to why he was so successful at that.
[39:24] SPEAKER_00: And I think some of it comes down to his character.
[39:26] SPEAKER_00: He's softly spoken.
[39:28] SPEAKER_00: He's not a do this do that kind of guy but he's intelligent.
[39:32] SPEAKER_00: He had great credibility before a lot of those guys started being coached by him because he'd already worked with the likes of Simon Whitfield really early on in his career when Simon won Olympic gold.
[39:42] SPEAKER_00: He'd worked in British Traff as a head coach for a little while so he had credibility before that group which again massive starting point he's not a as I said a do this do that kind of guy but he got results pretty early and on top of that his number one athlete for the first probably I don't know six seven years was Mario Moller.
[40:04] SPEAKER_00: And Mario is a great guy who is has no real ego he's a he's a guy who wants to bring athletes with him.
[40:11] SPEAKER_00: He doesn't want to beat everyone else down.
[40:13] SPEAKER_00: He wants to raise the whole tide of the group and so that really helped because other people came in they all referred to him as El Capitan because he was that guy in the group and that they all kind of learnt from him and I think he's responsible really for turning around the likes of Vincent Louis's career.
[40:29] SPEAKER_00: I mean Vince was just this athlete who had tons of potential and everyone had always spoken about how amazing he was going to be and could be but he wasn't coachable.
[40:38] SPEAKER_00: He had he flitted between different coaches different training regimes he had injury after injury he went into Joel's group and for the first time he was stable he was consistent and he became a two time world champion and were it not for COVID I fully believe he would have been the Olympic champion as well.
[40:54] SPEAKER_00: So yeah Joel Filio's the guy who cracked the code.
[40:57] SPEAKER_03: Yeah and I think Joel Filio has a lot of fingerprints on what's happening in long course triathlon right now.
[41:04] SPEAKER_03: I think if you look at Yalla Geans and Martin Van Riel there's a reason that they went into Long Course triathlon and did so well and I believe a lot of it was from the training they did with Joel Filio.
[41:15] SPEAKER_03: And another thing that Joel did was he made them train really hard.
[41:19] SPEAKER_03: Like yes he wasn't a dictator maybe in the way that a Brett Sutton is but he really created an environment where it was encouraged to train hard it was encouraged to do more it was encouraged that volume was was good and training hard was good and like have a group of guys that like be a little bit competitive against each other, push each other.
[41:38] SPEAKER_03: And so I think they all kind of just like worked off each other.
[41:42] SPEAKER_03: They weren't like all going and doing their own po program and being held back and so it had a bit of a team element to it.
[41:48] SPEAKER_03: And now if you look at Martin Van Riel and Yellow Gaines they've both gone on to to different coaches like Yellow Geans is with Ben Rezel and Martin Van Riel is with um Glenn Polunas and they are both kind of held back by their new coaches and so they're not as tired as what they were under Joel and that's probably where their performance has ultimately been able to flourish but the reason that they're as good as they are and at the top of the game is because they trained so hard for so many years under Joel Filio.
[42:16] SPEAKER_03: So I agree with that point about him having probably the best male training group of all time and and I I still think he has like I said fingerprints on long course triathlon right now.
[42:25] SPEAKER_03: And probably the last point talking point for me out of this Vicky is I think coachability is one of the most underrated skills in professional triathlon.
[42:35] SPEAKER_03: I think if you are someone male or female who isn't good at being coached you're actually leaving training and race day performance out on the table.
[42:45] SPEAKER_03: I think if you listen to this and you go oh yeah I probably am someone who doesn't say yes straight away or you know is constantly questioning things or you know gets a program set for me and then thinks oh I know better or oh what about this or this or this either one you're either the wrong coach because you don't trust them or two you need to look internally and think do I and could I be more coachable?
[43:08] SPEAKER_03: And if if the answer to that second one is yes then as as Vicky described it being being coachable is a super skill to have as a triathlete and I think if you don't have it 2026 New Year's resolution be more coachable.
[43:22] SPEAKER_03: Your performance will benefit greatly from it.
[43:24] SPEAKER_04: Well and especially in that group environment you know Vicky talked about Mario Mola if your leader is coachable like you're so lucky as a coach like it will trickle down to those other athletes it'll make your group successful like it's those it's those team cultures when the leader you know I was involved in you know national championship winning um swim team in college and our leader was Nathan Adrian he's a gold medalist incredibly coachable it trickles down to the other athletes you know you see it maybe like a Steph Curry because I'm a massivel basketball fan but like Mario Mola he's coachable he sets the tone for the other guys then they fall in line then everyone flourishes together So yeah, super important.
[44:02] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, coachability is something that Reese and I always term as a super strength.
[44:06] SPEAKER_00: And some people just have it.
[44:08] SPEAKER_00: Some people, as you said, Jack, get it with the right coach.
[44:11] SPEAKER_00: They can they can do that.
[44:13] SPEAKER_00: And some people simply can't let it go.
[44:15] SPEAKER_00: And I think we can all think of examples of fairly high profile, especially males, who do not appear to be particularly coachable, people who flip between one coach and the other, and maybe one who's got a chat GPT coach at the moment, or you know, it's you've got to question what you're doing if you can't stick with a coach.
[44:36] SPEAKER_00: And it's it's okay to question things.
[44:38] SPEAKER_00: That's really healthy for your coach-athlete relationship to sit down and have those conversations.
[44:43] SPEAKER_00: But if you can't get on board with a single thing that they are suggesting or prescribing or whatever, if you cannot agree with what they're saying, they are fundamentally not for you, or you are the problem and you need to go and have a look at yourself.
[44:58] SPEAKER_00: And the athletes that I look to as being incredibly coachable, like I said, Mario Moller, brilliant athlete, very coachable, great leader of that group.
[45:06] SPEAKER_00: He was a massive effect on that group.
[45:08] SPEAKER_00: Vincent Louis, I would say, turned himself into someone who was incredibly coachable and had a fantastic amount of success off the back of it.
[45:15] SPEAKER_00: And the next person I'm going to mention is Alex Yi.
[45:18] SPEAKER_00: Not only is he possibly the most prodigiously talented athlete that we've seen in triathlon.
[45:24] SPEAKER_00: I mean, have you seen the way the guy runs?
[45:25] SPEAKER_00: It's just sickening.
[45:27] SPEAKER_00: It's like poetry, isn't it?
[45:29] SPEAKER_00: But he's so coachable, he's so invested with Adam.
[45:32] SPEAKER_00: They've been working together now since 2020.
[45:36] SPEAKER_00: All their plans, their projects are meticulously planned out.
[45:39] SPEAKER_00: They sit down together, they have ideas together, and he trusts Adam.
[45:43] SPEAKER_00: And it works.
[45:44] SPEAKER_00: And that is just so, so important.
[45:46] SPEAKER_00: I mean, even someone like Hayden, yes, he's made coaching switch in the last year, but he was with his long-term coach for what, eight years or something before that?
[45:55] SPEAKER_00: Just forever.
[45:56] SPEAKER_00: And these people who can really buy into the coach and really understand that we're going to weather the ups and downs together, but we are in it together.
[46:04] SPEAKER_00: And I trust you, those are the people who are successful.
[46:07] SPEAKER_00: And for me personally, yes, I think I was always relatively coachable, but when I got working with Reese, that's when things took off for me because our coach-athlete relationship just worked.
[46:17] SPEAKER_03: I think this is the main reason why Brett Sutton's such a good coach.
[46:20] SPEAKER_03: And there's a saying in coaching that the best coaches pick the best athletes.
[46:24] SPEAKER_03: And Brett Sutton has a knack for picking women who are extremely talented, but also just say yes to everything.
[46:30] SPEAKER_03: Like Daniela Reeve has got to be one of the most coachable athletes in the history of Trithlon.
[46:35] SPEAKER_03: And if she's not in your top three greatest triflets of all time, then you just haven't really been following the sport for very long.
[46:40] SPEAKER_03: And Julie Duron's the same.
[46:42] SPEAKER_03: Chrissy Wellington was the same by all reports, just said yes to everything Sato said.
[46:47] SPEAKER_03: And then if you look at like uh people like Taylor Nibb, she's extremely coachable.
[46:51] SPEAKER_03: If Dan Lorang sets it, she does it.
[46:53] SPEAKER_03: Um I think you know Mick Anut is the same the same, you know, probably the most consistent triathlete on the planet right now.
[46:58] SPEAKER_03: If Ben Rezzel sets it, he does it.
[47:01] SPEAKER_03: And I did Yala Geen's training camp with him in the lead into 70.3 worlds that he won in Mar Bayer.
[47:06] SPEAKER_03: I never saw him make a change to the program.
[47:09] SPEAKER_03: Ben Rezzel said it, he did it.
[47:10] SPEAKER_03: Yalla would send me the program on the Sunday night, and there was never one time throughout that program where you know he'd said we're gonna do this on this day and this on this day, and whatever.
[47:20] SPEAKER_03: And we got to that day and it changed.
[47:22] SPEAKER_03: Like it would just be there on that day, he would be there, we would do the session, it was done.
[47:27] SPEAKER_03: And that was for the whole training block.
[47:29] SPEAKER_03: So um, and he went on to win the race there.
[47:31] SPEAKER_03: So I do think like this coachability point, like just be coachable and you will be better.
[47:36] SPEAKER_00: Before you move on, Jack, I just want to touch on something that I've remembered that I didn't mention earlier, and it's it's kind of goes into why females are coached by their partners, and it's an extension of that in that we there's a rise in males who are almost like full-time companion training partner, whether they might be coach or they're not coach, but they they do a lot of the training sessions with them, they do a lot of the travel with them, they work out the logistics, they almost take on like a full-time role and that they become like a team that you know, the woman might earn the money out there on the race course, but the guy is the person behind them.
[48:14] SPEAKER_00: They are doing everything to facilitate those kind of results.
[48:17] SPEAKER_00: And it's something that started, I think, in my memory anyway, with Gwen Jorgensen and her partner Pat Lemur.
[48:23] SPEAKER_00: He started doing a lot of that stuff for her.
[48:26] SPEAKER_00: He was at all the races, and it was quite novel at the time.
[48:28] SPEAKER_00: No one really knew that that was a thing, that that was happening.
[48:31] SPEAKER_00: But he used to go on all her bike rides with her, he'd pace her sessions, he would pack up her bike and unpack it at races, just make everything easier for her, cook her food, all of that kind of stuff.
[48:42] SPEAKER_00: And more and more we're seeing that happening.
[48:45] SPEAKER_00: And I think it's this huge advantage that we don't talk about so much.
[48:48] SPEAKER_00: If you are a woman or a guy who has that person in your life doing that for you, and you can afford, you're successful enough that you can afford to have that person, it is no doubt a benefit for you.
[49:00] SPEAKER_00: You're recovering better, you're eating better, your training is more consistent, you've got that person there to drag you out the door every day, you've got your logistics taken care of, which takes away stress, all of that.
[49:10] SPEAKER_00: It's a massive, massive advantage.
[49:12] SPEAKER_00: And the reason it happens more often for females than it does for males is because of the training partner element.
[49:19] SPEAKER_00: So the one thing that is really hard for a woman to do for their elite male partner is to be a really legitimate training partner because of the differences between genders and how much stronger and faster men are.
[49:32] SPEAKER_00: Sorry, it's just a fact.
[49:33] SPEAKER_00: We can try all we like, but we're never quite gonna be as fast and strong as the men.
[49:38] SPEAKER_00: If you've got a partner, like, for example, for me, I had Reese.
[49:43] SPEAKER_00: He, as I said, was a strong athlete.
[49:46] SPEAKER_00: He was never an international elite, but he was absolutely good enough to pace me through every single session that I ever wanted to do.
[49:52] SPEAKER_00: Whereas the other way around, could I have done that for someone like Alistair?
[49:55] SPEAKER_00: No.
[49:56] SPEAKER_00: Maybe I could have gone on some of his easy training rides with him, but I couldn't have ever been the training partner he needed to push him.
[50:02] SPEAKER_00: And so I think that's another factor that's that's more and more coming into our sport.
[50:07] SPEAKER_04: I have a confession to make.
[50:08] SPEAKER_04: Um this is actually I have personal experience with this.
[50:13] SPEAKER_04: As I dated a girl that I coached for about two years.
[50:17] SPEAKER_04: Um, I was in college, I was 20, and she was 18, and I was coaching her on a summer rec team, and we ended up dating for two years after that.
[50:26] SPEAKER_04: And it's probably like Vicky said, because I was just like such this amazing figure on deck, like just such good information about swimming, and you know, just that's how it went.
[50:35] SPEAKER_04: So um, yeah, I don't know why I decided to share that with everyone, but uh, you're welcome, everyone.
[50:39] SPEAKER_04: I just wanted to partake in the conversation, goddammit.
[50:43] SPEAKER_00: Let's get on to a Greg topic here, because this has been crap for you.
[50:47] SPEAKER_04: Can I ask actually one question?
[50:49] SPEAKER_04: Like, because you brought up Sam and Lionel.
[50:51] SPEAKER_04: I mean, we didn't talk about them directly, but do you think there's a world where these ITU athletes are like people who have trained in squads can like go to a long course career and like trust in their coach better because they've like they've kind of honed in on that, you know, beforehand?
[51:04] SPEAKER_04: Because like, you know, Lionel and Sam have never like been with a coach one-on-one every day, right?
[51:09] SPEAKER_04: And it's I feel like maybe even swimmers or people who have grown up in squad environments can have, you know, more coachability in the long term.
[51:16] SPEAKER_00: Oh, I totally agree.
[51:17] SPEAKER_00: And I think it's actually part of, as you mentioned, Jack, that Joel filial effect.
[51:22] SPEAKER_00: People who've been in that group who did very well, became really coachable, have then been able to go slightly more into their own separate paths, whether that's Martin into a different coaching group, whether that's Yella, who does a lot of his training now on his own, whether that's Vince, who is still coached by Joel, but but doesn't really train with the group anymore, does a lot of it on his own.
[51:42] SPEAKER_00: You become much better at doing that.
[51:45] SPEAKER_00: And I think I definitely did as well.
[51:47] SPEAKER_00: I was in one of those training groups and I then learned very much how to be more coachable.
[51:53] SPEAKER_00: So no, I I think that's a very valid point.
[51:55] SPEAKER_03: Well, I think that Lionel Sanders should be a two-time world champion.
[52:00] SPEAKER_03: I think he should have won the 2016 70.3 world championships, and I think he should have won the 2017 Iron Man World Championships.
[52:07] SPEAKER_03: And I strongly believe, and I know it's a wulda, coulda, shoulda, that if he had a coach that was full-time, he just said yes to, he wasn't like questioning or doing his own thing, I think he would have won both of those titles.
[52:19] SPEAKER_03: And Sam Lade, though, in my opinion, is the biggest talent in Iron Man Triathon right now.
[52:25] SPEAKER_03: And I think for him to have not won a follow-up Iron Man World Championships at 2024 in Kona or 2025 in Nice is underperforming for him.
[52:33] SPEAKER_03: I really think there's a world where he could be a two to three time Iron Man World Champion.
[52:38] SPEAKER_03: And I think that in 2023, he probably was more from what I've heard in line with just saying yes to things from a coach athlete perspective.
[52:47] SPEAKER_03: Whereas, you know, once he had that success, maybe, you know, maybe that that balance wasn't quite what it's always been, and and and that type of thing.
[52:56] SPEAKER_03: Like I think I think uh this is another element, like getting coach within your family, which has worked pretty well for them.
[53:02] SPEAKER_03: But I do think that if like Sam Laidlow or Lionel Sanders or Sam Long, people like that had coaches that they just had had training set for them, said yes every single day of the year, every single session, and almost never track changed anything or all that type of thing, that all three of them could have had so much more success than they already have.
[53:20] SPEAKER_03: And they're they're already hugely successful athletes.
[53:23] SPEAKER_03: And I do think that if you come from a team sport background or a short course background where you've been in a program your whole life and relied on a coach, um, that you are more coachable as a as an adult athlete and it does help you.
[53:36] SPEAKER_03: Whereas, you know, if you look at Lionel, it doesn't seem like he's had that.
[53:39] SPEAKER_03: Sam Long doesn't seem like he's had that.
[53:41] SPEAKER_03: They've been individual sport guys their whole life.
[53:43] SPEAKER_03: So I think there's a huge element of truth to that, Greg.
[53:46] SPEAKER_03: Um but let's move on from this chat.
[53:48] SPEAKER_03: And it's time for me to do my ad read.
[53:50] SPEAKER_03: So I'm gonna talk to you about precision fuel and hydration.
[53:53] SPEAKER_03: I didn't prepare anything, I didn't write anything.
[53:56] SPEAKER_03: I think I can talk about precision at the moment because I'm using them so much.
[54:00] SPEAKER_03: I ran 145k last week, I've ran over a hundred K for like six weeks in a row now, and I'm going through almost more precision fuel and hydration than I uh I care to admit to.
[54:11] SPEAKER_03: I think the best way to use it is consistently.
[54:15] SPEAKER_03: And I've been thinking about this because I think that over the history of my training, I've been someone who uses gels or electrolyte tablets really haphazardly, really sporadically, and I don't think I was ever getting the most out of myself now that I reflect on it.
[54:31] SPEAKER_03: Whereas now I use them almost every day, like literally almost every day.
[54:34] SPEAKER_03: If I have a long run, then I have three gels with me.
[54:37] SPEAKER_03: I have a PF30, a PF30 caffeine, and a PF90.
[54:41] SPEAKER_03: Every single long run, whether it's 20k or 30k, whether I take them all or not, I just have them with me at all times.
[54:47] SPEAKER_03: If I'm on the treadmill doing an hour session, I have two gels, two PF30 gels.
[54:52] SPEAKER_03: Every night before bed, if I've got a big session the next day, I have a pH 1000 electrolyte tablet in a 600mm bottle of water at about 7 p.m.
[55:01] SPEAKER_03: the night before.
[55:02] SPEAKER_03: And I just feel like so good every day.
[55:04] SPEAKER_03: Like if you go and look at my Strava, my training's been super consistent.
[55:08] SPEAKER_03: I haven't had a bad run in like, you know, 12 weeks since I've been running seriously.
[55:13] SPEAKER_03: And I 100% think it's because of how I've been fueling, and I use precision for that because I just love them.
[55:19] SPEAKER_03: I think the gels have the best texture and flavor of any gel that I've had.
[55:23] SPEAKER_03: Um, I really like their electrolyte tablet.
[55:26] SPEAKER_03: Some Evervescency electrolyte tablets have made my gut a bit shit in the past, whereas the pH 1000 hasn't.
[55:32] SPEAKER_03: And I think it's maybe because of the concentration of the minerals in the the uh tablets.
[55:38] SPEAKER_03: Like some are stronger than others, some are weaker than others.
[55:40] SPEAKER_03: I think I can't handle a really strong one, like the pH 1500.
[55:44] SPEAKER_03: I don't think I lose enough in my sweat to tolerate that.
[55:47] SPEAKER_03: Whereas the pH 1000, which just has a little bit less, is so good for me and I never feel sick from it.
[55:53] SPEAKER_03: Um and if I reflect on my training, like I said, I just used to feel so like randomly bad out of nowhere, randomly fucked out of nowhere, tired, I'd have bad sessions all the time.
[56:04] SPEAKER_03: I'd start to do like a threshold session and I'd be like, why don't I have it today?
[56:08] SPEAKER_03: I haven't felt that this entire training block.
[56:10] SPEAKER_03: And I do think it's just because I consistently every day am on top of my nutrition, on top of my fueling, on top of my hydration.
[56:17] SPEAKER_03: So if you want to do that as well, if you relate to anything that you just heard me say, then head over to Precision Fuel and Hydration's website.
[56:24] SPEAKER_03: Use the discount code TTH25 that gets you 15% off your first order.
[56:29] SPEAKER_03: Um, and all the details for that are in the description to this podcast as well.
[56:33] SPEAKER_04: All right, so we decided to bring the segment to the table, goals for 2026, because you know, new year, new me.
[56:41] SPEAKER_04: We're gonna go to the gym on January 1st, so we're gonna do all that type of stuff, right?
[56:44] SPEAKER_04: And then not go the rest of the year.
[56:46] SPEAKER_04: But anyway, we've set goals for each other.
[56:49] SPEAKER_04: Um so basically, I'll I'll have a goal for Vicky or Jack and and and vice versa.
[56:53] SPEAKER_04: So, Jack, why don't you start us off?
[56:56] SPEAKER_03: Yep.
[56:57] SPEAKER_03: Okay, so my first goal uh is for Vicky, and I've got two goals for each of you.
[57:02] SPEAKER_03: And we're we're putting these out publicly because we want you to hold us accountable to these.
[57:06] SPEAKER_03: We hope to talk about them throughout the year in 2026 on the podcast next year.
[57:10] SPEAKER_03: So my first goal for Vicky in 2026 is to log every single activity you do in 2026 on Strava.
[57:19] SPEAKER_00: This is gonna be so much harder for me than you think it is.
[57:23] SPEAKER_00: Like seriously.
[57:25] SPEAKER_00: Firstly, I'm gonna have to get Strava, then I'm gonna have to learn how to use Strava, then I'm gonna have to link devices to Strava, and then I'm gonna have to actually kind of check in on Strava and oh wow, this is just this is if you knew me as an athlete, the one thing that I was terrible, well, I mean, there's lots of things I was terrible at, but one of the things I was really terrible at was making sure my training peaks was up to date.
[57:48] SPEAKER_00: I was awful at it, and I got away with it because my husband was my coach and he knew everything that I did anyway, so he didn't need to see it, but I was useless at it.
[57:58] SPEAKER_00: So this you don't know how hard this is gonna be for me, but I am gonna commit to trying.
[58:02] SPEAKER_03: I think it'll be great though, because you're on the podcast now.
[58:05] SPEAKER_03: We have 50,000 people who listen every single week, and like I don't know, like a thousand, two thousand, three thousand of them are probably really invested in what you're doing and interested in what you're doing and can follow along.
[58:17] SPEAKER_03: And and it makes it like so much more accessible when we talk about it and relatable when we talk about it on the podcast, because people have seen it throughout the week or over the previous month or have followed it for the whole year, so that when you go and do the next thing, which is going to be my next goal for you, people will be so around you and it'll just make it, I think it'll make it better for you and better for everyone following.
[58:37] SPEAKER_03: Um, and this takes me to my second goal for you, Vicky, which is to break your half marathon PB by the end of 2026.
[58:45] SPEAKER_00: Well, conversely, this one is really easy because I don't have a half marathon PB.
[58:51] SPEAKER_00: So basically, if I run 21 kilometers, I will have a half marathon PB.
[58:57] SPEAKER_00: So I'm totally on board with it.
[58:59] SPEAKER_00: I like it as a challenge, I really want to have a go at one and yeah, bring it on.
[59:03] SPEAKER_03: Keep in mind, Vicky, you can't run them in time trials.
[59:05] SPEAKER_03: We talked about this on the podcast last night.
[59:07] SPEAKER_03: It will be official.
[59:08] SPEAKER_03: Chip time in an official race.
[59:10] SPEAKER_03: Okay, set a goal.
[59:12] SPEAKER_03: What time do you want to run in the half marathon by the end of 2026?
[59:16] SPEAKER_00: Oh wow.
[59:17] SPEAKER_00: Um okay, well, this is difficult because Athlete Me has very lofty goals.
[59:25] SPEAKER_00: But my sensible brain is telling me that right now I'm not even running yet.
[59:31] SPEAKER_00: I'm seven weeks postpartum, nearly eight.
[59:34] SPEAKER_00: Um, and I don't know how much time I'm gonna have to commit to this, but definitely under 120.
[59:42] SPEAKER_00: And I would like to think I can go quite a bit faster than that, but I don't think I've got the time and capacity to right now say that I could do more than that.
[59:51] SPEAKER_00: But I would love to think I can go under 120 within the year.
[59:54] SPEAKER_03: Are you satisfied with that sub 120, Greg?
[59:57] SPEAKER_00: No.
[1:00:00] SPEAKER_04: I want one 115.
[1:00:02] SPEAKER_00: Okay, that's what that's what the athlete in me wants.
[1:00:04] SPEAKER_00: Okay, the athlete in my head is wants to try and do a 115.
[1:00:08] SPEAKER_00: And don't get me wrong, if this was 12 months ago, I would say no problem.
[1:00:12] SPEAKER_00: I'm on it.
[1:00:12] SPEAKER_00: Let me let me enter me in a race now, let me have it, kind of thing.
[1:00:16] SPEAKER_00: Uh, but yeah, the the where I am right now, that feels like a very long way away.
[1:00:22] SPEAKER_00: So yeah, watch the space.
[1:00:24] SPEAKER_03: Let let's split it.
[1:00:25] SPEAKER_03: Let's split it.
[1:00:26] SPEAKER_03: Your half marathon goal, I'll decide for you.
[1:00:28] SPEAKER_03: 11730.
[1:00:30] SPEAKER_03: Sub 11730.
[1:00:31] SPEAKER_00: What pace is that off the top of your head?
[1:00:32] SPEAKER_00: Anyone know?
[1:00:33] SPEAKER_03: Oh, 140.
[1:00:35] SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
[1:00:35] SPEAKER_00: Okay.
[1:00:36] SPEAKER_04: I was almost gonna say 550, but I know.
[1:00:39] SPEAKER_00: No, I can't do my land.
[1:00:40] SPEAKER_00: No, we need we need kilometers.
[1:00:42] SPEAKER_00: We need kilometers.
[1:00:43] SPEAKER_00: Okay, 340 per K.
[1:00:45] SPEAKER_00: Alright, guys, I accept your challenges.
[1:00:47] SPEAKER_03: Okay, and my goals for you, Greg, in 2026.
[1:00:51] SPEAKER_03: Number one, run a 112.30 or faster off the bike in a 70.3.
[1:00:57] SPEAKER_04: Just head to Europe, dude.
[1:00:58] SPEAKER_04: Do one of those Mickey Mouse courses.
[1:01:01] SPEAKER_00: What is your what is your best off the bike so far?
[1:01:06] SPEAKER_04: Uh 117, maybe.
[1:01:08] SPEAKER_00: What do we think?
[1:01:09] SPEAKER_04: I ran 110 though last year.
[1:01:11] SPEAKER_04: Like in the 050s.
[1:01:12] SPEAKER_04: Okay, okay.
[1:01:13] SPEAKER_04: Whatever.
[1:01:14] SPEAKER_04: I I honestly, yeah, I feel like I should be like knocking on the door that already.
[1:01:18] SPEAKER_04: So I have full faith in my coach, and I will do everything that he says for me to get.
[1:01:23] SPEAKER_00: Great coachability demonstrated right there.
[1:01:25] SPEAKER_00: I like it.
[1:01:26] SPEAKER_03: I mean, that's an unfair dig on Europe when the first race oh well it's not the first this year, but generally speaking, the first race of the year is Oceanside 70.3, which is like where everyone has their run BD in 70.3.
[1:01:38] SPEAKER_03: Um and my number two goal for you for 2026, Greg, is to hold 400 watts for 10 minutes on the bark.
[1:01:45] SPEAKER_04: That's a good one.
[1:01:46] SPEAKER_04: I feel like we're not that far off, honestly.
[1:01:48] SPEAKER_04: But uh, yeah, good.
[1:01:51] SPEAKER_04: Let's do it.
[1:01:52] SPEAKER_04: So I was thinking so my my goal for Vicky is like to and I I don't I feel like winning isn't a good goal, but I also know she's competitive, so I'm gonna say win a local trail running race.
[1:02:04] SPEAKER_04: Um I just really love trail running and it's like kind of low-key.
[1:02:07] SPEAKER_04: And I think if Vicky just trains and goes, and like I just I want also want you to do like a trail running race, you know, with some like steep hills.
[1:02:14] SPEAKER_04: I mean, you might have done some whatever felun in the past anyway, but you know, maybe it's like a half marathon trail race, you know, with a thousand meters of elevation.
[1:02:22] SPEAKER_04: And um, yeah, I want you to go do that, and I just feel like you're gonna win anyway.
[1:02:25] SPEAKER_04: So that's that's my goal for you.
[1:02:27] SPEAKER_03: So, Greg, read this one because it is the UK.
[1:02:30] SPEAKER_03: What what is classified as a trail running race?
[1:02:33] SPEAKER_03: Because you said it yourself, they have fell running.
[1:02:35] SPEAKER_03: They also have a big like cross-country scene.
[1:02:37] SPEAKER_03: So I think like they could they could they have like a cross-country race every week in all their little shires or whatever they call them, boroughs.
[1:02:44] SPEAKER_03: And like, does that does that count?
[1:02:46] SPEAKER_03: Or does it have what like what is what does it have to be to constitute constitute a trail race?
[1:02:51] SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I think it has to it's like not cross like cross country is more like mud and grass and stuff.
[1:02:57] SPEAKER_01: I think it's more like crap at cross country, so don't ask me to try and win one of those.
[1:03:01] SPEAKER_04: I know it's funny because in the US it's just trail running.
[1:03:04] SPEAKER_04: Like there is some cross country, but it's like not that much, and there's I don't even I don't even know what fell running is, why do you guys just like run down mountains or something or run down the local hill?
[1:03:12] SPEAKER_04: I think I'd like to see you do like a half marathon one where you know you have about you know eight maybe eight hundred meters of of elevation or something like that.
[1:03:20] SPEAKER_04: Like that in that ballpark is kind of what I uh foresee.
[1:03:23] SPEAKER_04: And I think it's like a yeah, I don't even know.
[1:03:25] SPEAKER_04: Maybe it doesn't hey, come over to America.
[1:03:27] SPEAKER_04: We'll uh we'll we'll get you one.
[1:03:29] SPEAKER_03: Nah, there's lots of these in the UK.
[1:03:31] SPEAKER_00: I reckon we got stuff like that in in our hobbit little hobbiton land that uh Jack thinks we live in in Shire.
[1:03:37] SPEAKER_00: Uh I think what he's referring to as counties that all end in the word Shire.
[1:03:42] SPEAKER_00: Um, but I guess in our shires.
[1:03:44] SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, like places like the Peak District, Lake District, they'll have things like trail races like that with a decent amount of elevation.
[1:03:51] SPEAKER_00: And again, um not sure it's gonna be my absolute forte.
[1:03:55] SPEAKER_00: I'm definitely better on a track or road.
[1:03:58] SPEAKER_00: But you know what, Greg?
[1:03:59] SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna give him a best shot.
[1:04:01] SPEAKER_04: You're a good athlete.
[1:04:02] SPEAKER_04: All right, and my goal for Jack is to revisit his sub-15 glory days of a 5K.
[1:04:08] SPEAKER_04: And yeah, I want you to become a sub-15 uh 5k runner once again, Jack.
[1:04:13] SPEAKER_03: Done.
[1:04:14] SPEAKER_03: Consider it done.
[1:04:15] SPEAKER_00: Too easy.
[1:04:16] SPEAKER_00: All right, I guess it's my turn then.
[1:04:18] SPEAKER_00: So mine are kind of boring, to be honest, and they're pretty much similar.
[1:04:21] SPEAKER_00: So, Greg, you got quite a bit of pushback in the comments last week for suggesting that uh a sub-three marathon is not fast.
[1:04:31] SPEAKER_00: And there were a lot of people calling for you to demonstrate that you can do a sub three.
[1:04:37] SPEAKER_00: And the problem with setting you a goal is that your coach is the is the other person on this podcast.
[1:04:42] SPEAKER_00: So if I set you an athletic goal, your coach can override me and say, no way, you're not doing that.
[1:04:47] SPEAKER_00: But my first thought was that you need to try and do an Iron Man and run sub three off the bike.
[1:04:54] SPEAKER_00: Now, coach, how do we feel about that?
[1:04:56] SPEAKER_03: I think it depends, right?
[1:04:58] SPEAKER_03: Like, he's not gonna do it in the first half of the year, he's not ready.
[1:05:01] SPEAKER_03: He absolutely is not ready.
[1:05:03] SPEAKER_03: He will do an Iron Man really, really poorly, and he'll run a shit marathon.
[1:05:07] SPEAKER_03: But if he has a great first six to seven to eight months of the year, there's a chance that an Iron Man could happen at the end of the year.
[1:05:14] SPEAKER_03: However, I wouldn't bank on it.
[1:05:16] SPEAKER_03: I think he'll only do 70.3s next year.
[1:05:19] SPEAKER_03: And I think he'll do lots of them.
[1:05:20] SPEAKER_03: Like, I think he'll do like ten of them.
[1:05:22] SPEAKER_03: And so I guess that was a goal I like thought we could do.
[1:05:26] SPEAKER_03: Instead of do one Iron Man, you could like set a number of 70.3s that he has to do.
[1:05:31] SPEAKER_03: So instead of doing like five or six that we might usually do in a season, maybe it is like do ten 70 point threes.
[1:05:38] SPEAKER_03: Um, but I I'd be okay with him trying to run a sub three marathon in training.
[1:05:42] SPEAKER_03: Like I'm fine with that.
[1:05:43] SPEAKER_00: Well, that was going to be my next my sub for this.
[1:05:46] SPEAKER_00: If if he if the mar if the Iron Man is off the cards, we need a sub three marathon from Gregory Harper to prove that he can do it.
[1:05:56] SPEAKER_04: Fucking do that right now, dude.
[1:05:58] SPEAKER_04: I'll go out the door run that sub three marathon.
[1:06:00] SPEAKER_03: If it's as easy as he thinks it is, Vicky, it should just be a nice, easy Sunday long run, shouldn't it?
[1:06:05] SPEAKER_04: I think I have to look back to my uh Strava because I have done some long runs that are flat around that distance, and I I'm not sure if I've run around I've yeah, anyway, so I'll I'll have to visit and see if I've actually done it before.
[1:06:17] SPEAKER_04: It is possible.
[1:06:18] SPEAKER_00: Can we get you into a registered marathon to run this time?
[1:06:22] SPEAKER_00: And to also just let's see how fast you can go.
[1:06:25] SPEAKER_00: So let's see how much credibility we can get you, Greg, when you talk about sub three being easy.
[1:06:31] SPEAKER_00: We need we need to see how fast you can go.
[1:06:33] SPEAKER_04: I didn't I never said it was easy, I said it wasn't fast.
[1:06:36] SPEAKER_04: And the thing about me doing a marathon is I'll never um, you know, fast as like 215.
[1:06:42] SPEAKER_04: So I probably won't do that, so I'll just go run it and be slow.
[1:06:45] SPEAKER_04: I was you know, I was gonna come out and actually apologize to everyone, but now that you guys have brought it up, I'm just doubling down.
[1:06:51] SPEAKER_04: Like if you're running like two like 240, that ain't even good either.
[1:06:55] SPEAKER_04: Hey, 40 minutes off the world record, get better, kid.
[1:07:00] SPEAKER_03: You're the king of doubling down, you do it too often, you do it for fun, you know that you're talking shit.
[1:07:05] SPEAKER_03: 240 is definitely fast, and even three, like 259 is fast.
[1:07:10] SPEAKER_03: I I would love to know what percentage of people who did a marathon in 2025 ran it in sub three.
[1:07:17] SPEAKER_03: I reckon it would be it would be single figures for sure.
[1:07:19] SPEAKER_03: It would be like one or two percent.
[1:07:22] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, when you think about the thousands and thousands of people that do these big city marathons and how many of them finish under under three hours, yeah.
[1:07:30] SPEAKER_00: It's it's not a big percentage.
[1:07:32] SPEAKER_00: Which leads me to my next one, which is for you, Jack.
[1:07:35] SPEAKER_00: And I think we need to see a marathon from you.
[1:07:38] SPEAKER_00: The people want to see how fast you can go.
[1:07:41] SPEAKER_00: And I have umdenard about what the time target should be for you.
[1:07:46] SPEAKER_00: Because the jack of 2025 is not the jack of 2024, so the time target that I'm wanted to set you, I don't think it's actually that hard.
[1:07:56] SPEAKER_00: So originally I was going sub 230, but I think for you that's actually pretty easy now.
[1:08:02] SPEAKER_00: So I'm actually inclined to say 220.
[1:08:05] SPEAKER_03: I reckon 230.
[1:08:06] SPEAKER_03: I reckon I can run sub 230 in 2026.
[1:08:09] SPEAKER_03: I reckon 220.
[1:08:11] SPEAKER_03: Like, I just don't know, like, yeah, I got maybe, maybe it's all right, okay.
[1:08:15] SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna do the easy thing here.
[1:08:16] SPEAKER_00: We're splitting it again.
[1:08:18] SPEAKER_00: 225.
[1:08:18] SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I reckon Valencia at the end of the year is is where you have the crack.
[1:08:22] SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
[1:08:23] SPEAKER_03: Because I in the at the start of the year I'm just gonna do 5K's, 10ks, um, take off your sub 15s.
[1:08:29] SPEAKER_03: Yeah, do some track races, like just get fast.
[1:08:32] SPEAKER_03: But yeah, I I'm willing to put in a like a big training block uh in Andorra neck at the end of next year and and uh in the lead up to Yala's 70.3 world champs, and then he goes off and and wins that for the third time, and I'll head off and and do do Valencia.
[1:08:45] SPEAKER_04: Done.
[1:08:46] SPEAKER_04: So do you guys have like tr I mean I know in the US we have like Olympic trials standards.
[1:08:51] SPEAKER_04: Is that that's not how you guys pick marathoners?
[1:08:54] SPEAKER_04: Like, is there some standard or anything that no one chases?
[1:08:56] SPEAKER_04: No, okay.
[1:08:57] SPEAKER_03: There's like there's an Olympic standard, right?
[1:08:58] SPEAKER_03: So there's an Olympic quality.
[1:09:00] SPEAKER_03: But that's like ridiculous.
[1:09:01] SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
[1:09:01] SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
[1:09:01] SPEAKER_03: That almost no one can get um unless you're a dog Kenyan.
[1:09:05] SPEAKER_03: But like America do it really well, Greg.
[1:09:08] SPEAKER_03: The Olympic marathon trials for America is something that I wish we had in Australia.
[1:09:12] SPEAKER_03: I'm sure Vicky wishes they had in the UK, because right now, and this isn't tri-phon related at all, but there's too much discretion involved in who gets picked for these teams.
[1:09:20] SPEAKER_03: Like it's it's like this weird criteria where the time is kind of like too fast for most people to get anyway, and it's all based off like previous results in marathons, or like, you know, what was your PB in the last two years?
[1:09:32] SPEAKER_03: How did you perform at you know the the games last time?
[1:09:35] SPEAKER_03: Things like that.
[1:09:36] SPEAKER_03: But I think the American way is the best.
[1:09:38] SPEAKER_03: Like, hey, let's all go to a race and whoever whoever comes um top two gets straight in.
[1:09:43] SPEAKER_03: Okay, uh, so that's that done.
[1:09:45] SPEAKER_03: That's our goals for 2026.
[1:09:46] SPEAKER_03: I actually am really looking forward to following them.
[1:09:48] SPEAKER_03: Vicky, download Strava tomorrow.
[1:09:51] SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna message you on the group chat.
[1:09:52] SPEAKER_03: I want Strava downloaded, I want to follow you tomorrow.
[1:09:55] SPEAKER_03: And um, you're just gonna make your name Vicky Holland.
[1:09:58] SPEAKER_03: So everyone, once they're listening to this, I'm sure Vicky's already made it.
[1:10:01] SPEAKER_03: So search Vicki Holland on Strava and go and get her a couple of things.
[1:10:05] SPEAKER_01: I have not.
[1:10:06] SPEAKER_03: This is a very quick topic.
[1:10:08] SPEAKER_03: I just wanted to quickly announce the the final seven categories for the pretendees next week.
[1:10:13] SPEAKER_03: So how you can vote on these is um throughout the week on Instagram, on the triath on our Instagram, I'm gonna put polls up with all of these, with all of the options.
[1:10:23] SPEAKER_03: And so um we're gonna get a voting panel together.
[1:10:26] SPEAKER_03: It'll be myself, Greg, Vicky.
[1:10:29] SPEAKER_03: I've got a couple of special guests who are gonna vote as well.
[1:10:31] SPEAKER_03: And then your vote as the trith on our community, the pretenders, uh, if you will, will also have a vote on that voting panel.
[1:10:38] SPEAKER_03: So keep an eye out on the triath on our Instagram stories throughout the week to vote for the pretendees.
[1:10:44] SPEAKER_03: The first category is the pretender of the year.
[1:10:46] SPEAKER_03: We already talked about this.
[1:10:47] SPEAKER_03: This is the people's champion, this is the most prestigious award of the pretendees.
[1:10:51] SPEAKER_03: Um we'll announce the nominees for all these during the week.
[1:10:54] SPEAKER_03: The second um is contender of the year.
[1:10:57] SPEAKER_03: This is for the best tri-athlet of the year.
[1:10:59] SPEAKER_03: We don't split them up.
[1:11:00] SPEAKER_03: We don't do best male, best female, best long course, best middle distance, best short course.
[1:11:05] SPEAKER_03: None of that.
[1:11:06] SPEAKER_03: None of that bullshit.
[1:11:07] SPEAKER_03: Contender of the year is the best athlete of the year, no matter who you are, no matter what you have between your legs, no matter what distance you do.
[1:11:14] SPEAKER_03: Number three, the Glovely Award.
[1:11:16] SPEAKER_03: That's the award for the best coach of the year, obviously named after the great Olav Alexander Boo and his coaching methods, uh, particularly those involving a glove and a thermometer.
[1:11:26] SPEAKER_03: Number four is the biggest cock-up of the year.
[1:11:29] SPEAKER_03: This will make more sense once you see the nominees.
[1:11:31] SPEAKER_03: Number five is the most impressive Stravaphile of the Year.
[1:11:35] SPEAKER_03: I mean, think of Camworth's 13-hour ride the week before the uh Iron Man World Championships, or Christian Blumenfeld's massive brick sessions before the Iron Man World Championships, for an example.
[1:11:44] SPEAKER_03: Number six, the best Spotify comment of the year, and number seven, the best podcast guest of the year.
[1:11:51] SPEAKER_03: So these are all going to be uh read out and announced live as to who the winner is, and we'll go through the nominees as well in next week's podcast, and that'll be a bit of fun.
[1:11:59] SPEAKER_03: But um, yeah, like I said, keep an eye out on the Triathon Hour Instagram uh stories throughout the week.
[1:12:04] SPEAKER_04: I'm looking forward to it, Jack.
[1:12:06] SPEAKER_04: And uh I can't wait to vote for myself for number seven.
[1:12:10] SPEAKER_00: Do you count as a guest?
[1:12:12] SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure about that.
[1:12:14] SPEAKER_04: No, I was a guest at the beginning of the year.
[1:12:16] SPEAKER_04: Um when people as the the least listened to uh episode of all time for the trial on hour.
[1:12:22] SPEAKER_04: They're like, who the four?
[1:12:22] SPEAKER_01: Well, at least yours got put out there.
[1:12:24] SPEAKER_01: Some of them are still hidden in the archives on Jack's computer.
[1:12:27] SPEAKER_04: Whoa, whoa, whoa.
[1:12:28] SPEAKER_04: Don't talk about that.
[1:12:29] SPEAKER_04: Whoa.
[1:12:30] SPEAKER_03: We don't talk about the Florida and Angod episode, Vicky.
[1:12:32] SPEAKER_03: That's a rule in the market.
[1:12:33] SPEAKER_01: Okay, okay.
[1:12:34] SPEAKER_01: It's like Voldemort.
[1:12:35] SPEAKER_01: We don't talk about it.
[1:12:36] SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, he who must not be nice.
[1:12:38] SPEAKER_01: Release the files.
[1:12:40] SPEAKER_00: Right, I think it's my turn for an ad read, don't you?
[1:12:43] SPEAKER_03: Go for it.
[1:12:44] SPEAKER_00: All right, so I am gonna talk about pillar performance.
[1:12:48] SPEAKER_00: And before I start, I have to make a bit of a disclaimer because throughout my career I sort of tried to stay away from too many supplements.
[1:12:56] SPEAKER_00: Largely, I didn't believe in them.
[1:12:58] SPEAKER_00: I was I hadn't done the research and I was a bit scared of contamination risk.
[1:13:03] SPEAKER_00: So the evidence out there, though, is really strong enough that I should have been looking into certain supplements.
[1:13:10] SPEAKER_00: And when you come across a brand that you trust, like Pillar Performance, you really need to invest and you'd be silly not to.
[1:13:18] SPEAKER_00: Now, whether it's for performance benefits, your immune health, or sleep and recovery, pillar have got you covered.
[1:13:25] SPEAKER_00: Jack is a very well-known fan of triple magnesium, which by the way now comes in peach iced tea flavour, if you didn't know already.
[1:13:33] SPEAKER_00: Because it assists with your sleep and recovery, and whether that's because you're someone who is looking to optimize your training, or whether it's simply to get the sleep that you need after stressful work, travel days, or maybe perhaps you're a mum like me who really, really values high-quality sleep.
[1:13:50] SPEAKER_00: Whatever it is, magnesium is what you need.
[1:13:53] SPEAKER_00: When it comes to athletic performance, Pillar also got you covered.
[1:13:57] SPEAKER_00: They have both creatine monohydrate and collagen, which are two of the most studied, researched, and proven supplements in the world.
[1:14:05] SPEAKER_00: If you don't already know, then creatine monohydrate promotes strength and power.
[1:14:09] SPEAKER_00: And then there is collagen for both tendon and ligament health and repair, something that's just more and more important to me as an athlete as I age.
[1:14:18] SPEAKER_00: The benefits of collagen, however, are far reaching.
[1:14:22] SPEAKER_00: And I did a little bit of a Google dive.
[1:14:24] SPEAKER_00: It's been known to help anti-aging, joint support, tissue strength, help with skin elasticity and hydration, reduce your wrinkles, strengthen hair, nails, easing joint pain, especially post-menopause when levels of collagen naturally drop.
[1:14:40] SPEAKER_00: It's also great in supporting bone density, promoting your gut health, aiding in postpartum recovery, which again is something that's really important for me right now.
[1:14:49] SPEAKER_00: It helps by rebuilding connective tissues.
[1:14:51] SPEAKER_00: So there's just such a multitude of reasons there.
[1:14:54] SPEAKER_00: If one of those doesn't hit home for you, then I don't know what I can say.
[1:14:57] SPEAKER_00: You're just perfect.
[1:14:58] SPEAKER_00: Go away.
[1:14:58] SPEAKER_00: We don't want you to listen.
[1:15:01] SPEAKER_00: We need you to head to Pillar Performance to get your supplements.
[1:15:05] SPEAKER_00: You know it's the place to go.
[1:15:07] SPEAKER_00: They've got a code TTH, 15% off any of your needs.
[1:15:12] SPEAKER_00: If you're not in the UK or Europe, if you're in the States, go to the feed.
[1:15:16] SPEAKER_00: If you're anywhere else, go to Pillar's website.
[1:15:18] SPEAKER_00: Again, code TTH for 15% off.
[1:15:21] SPEAKER_03: And you made an important um point at the start of that ad read, Vicky, about caring about um not taking in supplements that might be tainted.
[1:15:30] SPEAKER_03: Pillar performance are in sp informed sports certified.
[1:15:33] SPEAKER_00: So exactly.
[1:15:34] SPEAKER_03: You can trust them.
[1:15:35] SPEAKER_03: You can trust them, and it's also why you must wear a condom during sex, because we know the risks of that as well.
[1:15:41] SPEAKER_01: Topical, Jack, but correct.
[1:15:43] SPEAKER_01: For many reasons.
[1:15:46] SPEAKER_03: Not on race week.
[1:15:48] SPEAKER_03: Well yeah.
[1:15:58] SPEAKER_00: Just get pregnant and start.
[1:15:59] SPEAKER_04: I don't know what a condom is anymore.
[1:16:00] SPEAKER_03: Maybe after the race, but just risk it, race risk it, I reckon.
[1:16:03] SPEAKER_03: All right.
[1:16:03] SPEAKER_03: Um, moving on to your Spotify comments uh to wrap up the podcast.
[1:16:07] SPEAKER_03: So I'll start us off.
[1:16:09] SPEAKER_03: Alex D23 says a controversial one for Vicky Investigates, but for people like I and Ryan and the rise of influencers exaggerating times, I think Alex Ye could be to blame.
[1:16:22] SPEAKER_03: Hear me out.
[1:16:24] SPEAKER_03: The official marathon time integrity unit found one of the most common trends among offenders is people with runner app affiliate codes.
[1:16:33] SPEAKER_03: And who's an investor/slash coach on the app?
[1:16:36] SPEAKER_03: Alex Ye.
[1:16:38] SPEAKER_03: The app's head coach has a huge PB at the virtual London Marathon running around his local park and a 5k PB on a training run.
[1:16:48] SPEAKER_03: And I didn't realise this, but I looked into this, Vicky and Greg, and this guy, I mean, I don't want to get sued.
[1:16:55] SPEAKER_03: I'm not gonna say his name or anything, but just look into who this guy is that runs runner.
[1:17:00] SPEAKER_03: Dodgy cat, and guess what?
[1:17:02] SPEAKER_03: He's an Iron Man coach, an Iron Man certified coach, but like just classic, right?
[1:17:08] SPEAKER_03: And he does, he's claims like so he's like this coach, you know, um uh a professional running coach and a professional triathlon coach, how he has in his bios.
[1:17:17] SPEAKER_03: And he's he's marathon PBs that he's advertising.
[1:17:20] SPEAKER_03: He just did as a time trial using his his GPS watch, running laps around his local park, and same for his 5k.
[1:17:26] SPEAKER_03: So, I mean, this guy, in my opinion, the the runner founder, I think he's a bit of a fraud.
[1:17:31] SPEAKER_03: I think he's a fraud.
[1:17:32] SPEAKER_00: Well, firstly, it sounds like I don't need to do a Vicky investigates because I think Jack and uh of Alex D here have done the investigating for me.
[1:17:40] SPEAKER_00: So thanks guys.
[1:17:41] SPEAKER_00: Uh but what I would say is it's a slight stretch to say that Alex Y is responsible for this when there are so many others who are also either coaches or investors in the app.
[1:17:53] SPEAKER_00: For example, Beth Potter's another one, loads of the top British marathon or um sort of uh endurance runners are also involved in the app.
[1:18:02] SPEAKER_00: So basically, anyone high profile British and a runner, they're all to blame.
[1:18:08] SPEAKER_03: Uh, Vicky, I'm just gonna correct you there.
[1:18:10] SPEAKER_03: Alex Ye is to blame.
[1:18:12] SPEAKER_03: He's also a fraud.
[1:18:13] SPEAKER_03: Move on.
[1:18:14] SPEAKER_00: Wow, you're going after Alex Ye.
[1:18:16] SPEAKER_00: You really are gonna be the most hated man in Travel Podcasting if you go after our Prince Alex.
[1:18:21] SPEAKER_00: How dare you!
[1:18:22] SPEAKER_03: Do you think there's anyone more loved in triathone than Alex Yee?
[1:18:26] SPEAKER_03: There's not everywhere.
[1:18:28] SPEAKER_04: Ask one question.
[1:18:29] SPEAKER_04: Is there a coach out there who's Iron Man certified who's actually a good coach?
[1:18:34] SPEAKER_04: Or is that like a total red flag?
[1:18:36] SPEAKER_03: That's a red flag, for sure.
[1:18:37] SPEAKER_04: That's a crazy red flag, right?
[1:18:39] SPEAKER_04: Like, oh, Iron Man certified coach, be like, dude, don't go to that guy.
[1:18:42] SPEAKER_00: Because honestly, you would have to be you would have to be actually mental, I think, to do the Iron Man certification.
[1:18:48] SPEAKER_00: So I think that is enough.
[1:18:50] SPEAKER_00: That that makes you really, oh, they're stupid, they did that.
[1:18:52] SPEAKER_00: No, I'm not gonna be coached by them.
[1:18:54] SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it makes you re like if you see that, it it says one of two things to me.
[1:18:59] SPEAKER_03: It said this person isn't experienced enough to realise this program's an absolute load of shit.
[1:19:05] SPEAKER_03: Or even maybe worse, it says this person has gone gone and done this because they're trying to make money through age group coaching, and they feel like having this on their tagline will make more people invest in them as a coach.
[1:19:18] SPEAKER_03: Which I think, you know, maybe we could say that being an Iron Man certified coach is the number one green flag.
[1:19:24] SPEAKER_03: But I think the number two red flag is if that person has things that make it seem like they're only coaching for money, I just think that's a big issue.
[1:19:33] SPEAKER_03: And I think the Iron Man certification like screams, hey, I'm I'm in this because I want your money.
[1:19:39] SPEAKER_04: All right.
[1:19:39] SPEAKER_04: Mick Monahan says, 1K swims, absolute woke nonsense like that.
[1:19:46] SPEAKER_04: Uh and Lucas says, How a nonsense.
[1:19:49] SPEAKER_04: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
[1:19:52] SPEAKER_03: What's his last name, Greg?
[1:19:55] SPEAKER_01: Skonach says I think he might be Shunak.
[1:20:04] SPEAKER_01: Do like I think I think I don't know.
[1:20:06] SPEAKER_01: Lucas, write back to us and let us know.
[1:20:09] SPEAKER_01: Write it phonetically in the comments, please.
[1:20:11] SPEAKER_04: Let me live my life.
[1:20:13] SPEAKER_04: How nonsensical is this?
[1:20:15] SPEAKER_04: 140 slash nine distance.
[1:20:18] SPEAKER_04: So he's talking about a T50.
[1:20:20] SPEAKER_04: Nine kilometers just sucks when you get to a 10 kilometer PB and what people I didn't read that good.
[1:20:28] SPEAKER_01: I didn't read that good.
[1:20:29] SPEAKER_01: That's like Zulan Zillow to school for people who don't read good or whatever it is.
[1:20:35] SPEAKER_03: Greg, this is just this is bad, mate.
[1:20:37] SPEAKER_03: You need it.
[1:20:38] SPEAKER_03: Pull it, pull it together here.
[1:20:39] SPEAKER_03: Come on.
[1:20:40] SPEAKER_04: Nine kilometers just sucks when you can get a 10 kilometer PB.
[1:20:44] SPEAKER_04: And what people train on with all these 10 kilometer runs in literally every city.
[1:20:49] SPEAKER_01: You should have read that before, I think.
[1:20:51] SPEAKER_04: Honestly, that comment was bad, okay?
[1:20:53] SPEAKER_04: It didn't make sense.
[1:20:55] SPEAKER_03: But basically what they're saying, Greg, is that the 1k swim sucks and the 149 distance that T100 that we kind of suggested might be happening with the T50.
[1:21:05] SPEAKER_03: The people aren't loving that.
[1:21:06] SPEAKER_03: But I think like, can we just stop caring about distance?
[1:21:10] SPEAKER_03: Like, I hate T100 and T50 because I hate how they're so tied to the distances.
[1:21:15] SPEAKER_03: I just wish we were more flexible with distances.
[1:21:17] SPEAKER_03: I wish there were races that had 3K swims and 1k swims and you know 40k rides and 100k rides and 150k rides.
[1:21:25] SPEAKER_03: And I wish the T100 had a longer run, like a 30k run, and then maybe a 5k.
[1:21:29] SPEAKER_03: I just I wish we were just more flexible in general and had more exciting courses and you know, a course that suited a bike specialist, a course that suited a runner, a course that suited a swimmer.
[1:21:38] SPEAKER_03: I just think that's that's a way to make triflons so much more entertaining.
[1:21:41] SPEAKER_03: C-Boam 64 says, appreciate Jack reframing the sub three hour marathon.
[1:21:47] SPEAKER_03: Greg's comments were honestly really elitist and alienating.
[1:21:50] SPEAKER_03: All jokes aside, and the fact he hasn't even ran a sub three hour is embarrassing giving his comments.
[1:21:55] SPEAKER_03: Well, C-Boom, we talked about this earlier in the podcast.
[1:21:59] SPEAKER_03: Greg will run a sub-three by the end of the year.
[1:22:01] SPEAKER_03: He has doubled down on his comments.
[1:22:03] SPEAKER_03: Um, so leave another comment, tell Greg to get fucked, tell him he's an elitist, tell him he thinks he's better than everyone, um, because it's all true.
[1:22:10] SPEAKER_04: Yeah, that's that is true.
[1:22:12] SPEAKER_01: Um nothing to add other than yeah, true.
[1:22:18] SPEAKER_04: Neil X says Jack refusing to get an Apo Tat is worse than iron rye Ryan fabricating a sub three hour marathon.
[1:22:30] SPEAKER_04: Come with you, Jack.
[1:22:31] SPEAKER_03: It's just not true.
[1:22:32] SPEAKER_03: I'm getting the tattoo.
[1:22:33] SPEAKER_03: I have got my flight booked back to Australia on I think I'll be back in Australia on like January 20th, and I'll be getting a tattoo within the first month I'm back home.
[1:22:42] SPEAKER_03: I know the place I'm gonna get it, I'm gonna book in, so it'll just depend when they have an appointment.
[1:22:46] SPEAKER_03: I will have an Apo tattooed on me in February 2026.
[1:22:50] SPEAKER_00: Wow, you're going back a lot sooner than we thought.
[1:22:52] SPEAKER_00: It's actually gonna happen, guys.
[1:22:53] SPEAKER_03: Do we also need to address why Apo isn't here?
[1:22:56] SPEAKER_03: Like, are we gonna talk about the fact that no none of us have heard from him in two weeks?
[1:22:59] SPEAKER_03: A bit awkward.
[1:23:00] SPEAKER_03: There might be a little bit of beef, and maybe there's a reason that Apo isn't here.
[1:23:04] SPEAKER_04: I don't want to get into it.
[1:23:05] SPEAKER_00: It's a bit close to close to the bone for Greg.
[1:23:08] SPEAKER_03: Maybe a bit of internal beef in the podcast between Apo and Greg that isn't sorted out, and we're hoping to sort out so that Apo can come back on the podcast, but no comment from Greg.
[1:23:17] SPEAKER_00: Interesting.
[1:23:18] SPEAKER_00: Better just move on by then.
[1:23:21] SPEAKER_00: Roy31NZ says, I'm sorry, but all these athletes posting how tired they are is a cop-out excuse.
[1:23:28] SPEAKER_00: Own your poor performance with honour, not excuses.
[1:23:31] SPEAKER_00: Age group athletes are more tired than you.
[1:23:33] SPEAKER_00: And Tom Liker says, I don't understand the whole discussion about length of season.
[1:23:38] SPEAKER_00: It's their full-time job.
[1:23:40] SPEAKER_00: At some point, they have to nail this.
[1:23:42] SPEAKER_00: Some can, some can't.
[1:23:44] SPEAKER_00: Normal people are working 50 weeks a year for eight hours a week.
[1:23:48] SPEAKER_00: I think he means a day there, but I'm not sure.
[1:23:50] SPEAKER_00: Not including commuting.
[1:23:52] SPEAKER_00: Athletes do not have a hard life at all, in my opinion.
[1:23:55] SPEAKER_00: So I thought I'd address this because in some ways you're absolutely right.
[1:23:58] SPEAKER_00: If you're a professional athlete, that is your job.
[1:24:01] SPEAKER_00: That's all you're doing.
[1:24:02] SPEAKER_00: I say all, you're working pretty hard, but you're not trying to juggle that with another full-time job.
[1:24:07] SPEAKER_00: And I have the utmost respect for people who do that.
[1:24:12] SPEAKER_00: But also, you're they're earning money from this.
[1:24:15] SPEAKER_00: They're asking their bodies to perform at a level that you do not actually do when you are an amateur athlete.
[1:24:22] SPEAKER_00: You can't perform at that level because it's not your job and you're not pushing your body as hard in that same way.
[1:24:27] SPEAKER_00: It's just physically impossible.
[1:24:29] SPEAKER_00: And when you are asking them to work at a certain level, week in, week out, all year round, to try and be at a top level of performance across a season that's now looking at being eight, nine months long, that is incredibly intense.
[1:24:43] SPEAKER_00: Not only does it massively increase the risk of injuries and illness, the mental burnout is extremely high from that because you're always having to be on it.
[1:24:52] SPEAKER_00: There's never an off-switch.
[1:24:53] SPEAKER_00: It's seven days a week.
[1:24:54] SPEAKER_00: It's not just the training, it's the nutrition that goes into it, it's the recovery that goes into it, it's the life planning, the logistics of traveling around the world, which in itself is exhausting.
[1:25:04] SPEAKER_00: It's it's a great life.
[1:25:06] SPEAKER_00: There is no question, I would never have traded it for something else.
[1:25:09] SPEAKER_00: And I'm so lucky that I got to do it, no question.
[1:25:12] SPEAKER_00: But it's not as easy as you think it is, and the burnout from a long season is real.
[1:25:17] SPEAKER_04: I'll I'll I'll I'll say one thing on that.
[1:25:19] SPEAKER_04: I do like the no excuses thing, but like athletes do not have a hard life at all, in my opinion.
[1:25:24] SPEAKER_04: It's a harder life than you could ever possibly do because you're not good enough to do it.
[1:25:29] SPEAKER_04: So I don't know what you're trying to say, man.
[1:25:31] SPEAKER_04: Like, you literally can't be a professional athlete because you're not good enough.
[1:25:34] SPEAKER_04: So, like, sorry, brother.
[1:25:37] SPEAKER_03: Greg, just just stop.
[1:25:39] SPEAKER_03: Greg, just making friends everywhere.
[1:25:43] SPEAKER_03: You know what, you know when like most people have that thing in their brain, and I've lacked this at times, but I think I've gotten a lot better at it.
[1:25:49] SPEAKER_03: Although I did call out Alex Yi before.
[1:25:51] SPEAKER_03: I hope you realize that was a joke, everyone.
[1:25:53] SPEAKER_03: Greg doesn't have the switch that says, Maybe what I'm about to say is stupid, and I should just not say the intrusive thought that's coming into my brain.
[1:26:02] SPEAKER_03: He has the intrusive thought and he does it, and he or he says it.
[1:26:06] SPEAKER_01: It's kind of why we love him though, but also what's gonna get us all cancelled.
[1:26:10] SPEAKER_01: So it's a fine line.
[1:26:12] SPEAKER_03: And also what makes you think at some point he's gonna have an intrusive thought that's like commit a serious felony and end up in jail for a long, long time because you can't control that thought.
[1:26:21] SPEAKER_04: Alright, Chris Bow says Jack's knowledge of Trathlon is legit.
[1:26:25] SPEAKER_04: That said, Greg by far won the predictions going six for six when you take out his joke about Darth Hayden.
[1:26:33] SPEAKER_04: And it wasn't a joke.
[1:26:35] SPEAKER_01: I thought Hayden was gonna be off the podium, so So this guy is giving you a compliment, right?
[1:26:42] SPEAKER_01: This guy is like bigging you up, and you're like, no, no, I don't want it, because actually I really hate Hayden.
[1:26:48] SPEAKER_03: Greg's been given a way out, you know.
[1:26:50] SPEAKER_03: He's done the sarcastic congratulations on getting married off the top of the show.
[1:26:54] SPEAKER_03: He's been given a way out here by Chris, and he just doubles down.
[1:26:57] SPEAKER_03: He's doubling down on everything.
[1:27:00] SPEAKER_00: Okay, Key says, Vicky, please change your name to Kim Holland for free upgrades, but don't Google her at work though.
[1:27:06] SPEAKER_00: Well, I did Google her.
[1:27:08] SPEAKER_00: I don't have a workplace, but I did Google her.
[1:27:10] SPEAKER_00: Actually, an adult film star.
[1:27:12] SPEAKER_00: So, yes, that could certainly benefit, or maybe not, in getting the free upgrades that I mentioned last week I was not getting with my female name, and that maybe I needed to change it to Kim.
[1:27:22] SPEAKER_00: So you were onto something there.
[1:27:23] SPEAKER_03: But announcement for everyone listening to the podcast Vicky Holland will be starting an OnlyFans in 2026.
[1:27:30] SPEAKER_03: So keep your eyes peeled for that.
[1:27:33] SPEAKER_03: Wow.
[1:27:33] SPEAKER_03: Okay, Jay Aguira 9 asks, I was wondering what metrics, if any, would you guys think us age groupers should use when racing?
[1:27:42] SPEAKER_03: Should we go on heart rate, pace, power, RPE?
[1:27:46] SPEAKER_03: Now, I have a few opinions on this.
[1:27:48] SPEAKER_03: Number one, whatever you train with is obviously going to be best.
[1:27:51] SPEAKER_03: You have to have an understanding of the data that you're looking at to use it in a race.
[1:27:55] SPEAKER_03: So if you don't use heart rate ever during your training, don't use it in your racing.
[1:27:59] SPEAKER_03: If you don't use pace, Or power or RPE ever during your training, but don't use it during your racing.
[1:28:05] SPEAKER_03: However, if you do use all of these, I think RPE is the king of all training and racing metrics.
[1:28:11] SPEAKER_03: If you don't have that as your foundation on a pyramid, you're just going to struggle in racing.
[1:28:16] SPEAKER_03: Like no one is looking at other forms of data at all times during a race.
[1:28:21] SPEAKER_03: So at some point, if not for 95% of a triathlon race, a running race, a cycling race, or a swimming race, you're going to be using RPE, whether it's consciously or subconsciously.
[1:28:32] SPEAKER_03: So throughout your training, make sure that you're really getting to know yourself, getting to know your RPE so you can implement it into your racing.
[1:28:40] SPEAKER_03: Outside of that, I love using power on the bike.
[1:28:42] SPEAKER_03: I love using pace on the run.
[1:28:44] SPEAKER_03: I like having your heart rate there if you're on a good day.
[1:28:47] SPEAKER_03: I like avoiding heart rate if you're on a bad day.
[1:28:50] SPEAKER_00: I like RPE because I think you need to rely on your own feeling at times as to how you are in a race.
[1:28:58] SPEAKER_00: You can't always rely on data.
[1:28:59] SPEAKER_00: You've got to be able to do your own internal feedback.
[1:29:02] SPEAKER_00: And we become so reliant on data from watches or from bike computers that it kind of dulls that down.
[1:29:09] SPEAKER_00: You've got to know when you're at that limit, where you're at the when you're at the right area.
[1:29:13] SPEAKER_00: So I think using RP is a skill, and that you can lose that skill if you don't use it too often.
[1:29:19] SPEAKER_00: So I really like RP for that reason.
[1:29:21] SPEAKER_00: And also, what happens in a race if your Garmin's not working, your GPSs aren't locating, your you go over a speed bump and use your bike computer.
[1:29:30] SPEAKER_00: The amount of times I've heard people like, I think Kate Waff in Singapore said her power meter wasn't working.
[1:29:35] SPEAKER_00: She just rode on field and Ola won the race by about seven minutes or something stupid.
[1:29:40] SPEAKER_00: Like you you've got to be able to do that as well, and it's really important that you learn how.
[1:29:45] SPEAKER_04: Zazie B says nomination for contender of the year.
[1:29:48] SPEAKER_04: Greg's primary school English teacher for not giving him enough attention and facilitating the comedic gold that is Greg trying to pronounce existential.
[1:30:02] SPEAKER_04: Yes, I listened on Apple Podcasts and downloaded Spotify specifically to leave this comment.
[1:30:07] SPEAKER_04: Love the show, you are all awesome.
[1:30:09] SPEAKER_04: Now, we don't have primary school, this is America, just called school.
[1:30:12] SPEAKER_04: And secondly, I've got an exciting announcement to make.
[1:30:15] SPEAKER_04: Um, I'm actually taking applications for an English teacher, yeah, basically tutor, because my wife can't keep up with the workload.
[1:30:25] SPEAKER_04: So I'm looking for someone to come in, school me up.
[1:30:28] SPEAKER_04: So if you know anyone, um, yeah, send them my way and I'll pay you really shitty, and hopefully you are overworked and overtired.
[1:30:34] SPEAKER_04: So that's what that's what I'm looking for in that.
[1:30:36] SPEAKER_03: That was an opportunity that if you stuffed up that comment, if you just read it wrong, that we were gonna take the absolute piss out of you.
[1:30:42] SPEAKER_03: And you've never nailed a Spotify comment like that.
[1:30:44] SPEAKER_03: That had multiple tough words in it.
[1:30:47] SPEAKER_00: And I really, I really loved the pause.
[1:30:49] SPEAKER_00: You paused just before you said existential.
[1:30:51] SPEAKER_00: It's like, okay, take a deep breath.
[1:30:53] SPEAKER_00: I can do this, I can do this, and then you nailed it.
[1:30:55] SPEAKER_04: I actually had to say it in my head before because I have I have this trick now when I say that word, and I had to like rethink it.
[1:31:03] SPEAKER_03: What's the trick?
[1:31:05] SPEAKER_04: It's like uh EKS, like X phonetically, you've got to think phonetically.
[1:31:10] SPEAKER_00: That's right.
[1:31:11] SPEAKER_00: X, yeah.
[1:31:11] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, exactly.
[1:31:12] SPEAKER_00: I like it.
[1:31:14] SPEAKER_03: All right.
[1:31:14] SPEAKER_03: Uh that's the uh that's the podcast done for this week.
[1:31:18] SPEAKER_03: Another almost triathlon two hours.
[1:31:20] SPEAKER_03: We're really getting away from the triathon hours ever since Vicky came in.
[1:31:23] SPEAKER_03: It's it's the triathlon 90 minutes at best, if not the triflon two hours.
[1:31:26] SPEAKER_03: But uh, hopefully you enjoyed it.
[1:31:28] SPEAKER_03: Hopefully you liked our ad reads.
[1:31:30] SPEAKER_03: If you want to get anything from Pillar, Precision, NordVPN, then you can just go into the the description of this episode.
[1:31:37] SPEAKER_03: All the links and discount codes are in there.
[1:31:40] SPEAKER_03: And also remember, we have bonus content available over on Patreon.
[1:31:44] SPEAKER_03: The link for the Patreon is in the description as well.
[1:31:46] SPEAKER_03: We do one to three bonus podcasts over there every single week that are exclusive and you can only get access to if you are a member of the Patreon.
[1:31:55] SPEAKER_03: Um we'll have the after hours podcast coming out in about two days' time.
[1:31:59] SPEAKER_03: Myself and Apo have the training uh weekly training podcast over there.
[1:32:03] SPEAKER_03: We've got the the Lads Triathlon Training Podcast, which is three professional male triathletes who get on there and talk about their training and their racing.
[1:32:11] SPEAKER_03: Uh, and we've got a new series coming to the Patreon next week as well, which will just be a fortnightly um podcast series.
[1:32:18] SPEAKER_03: So lots of bonus content.
[1:32:20] SPEAKER_03: Not the best stuff.
[1:32:22] SPEAKER_03: Lots of bonus content over there, and it's the number one way you can support the podcast.
[1:32:26] SPEAKER_03: It's great if you use the brands, but by far the way that we keep the podcast together um is by you going over and supporting us on Patreon.
[1:32:34] SPEAKER_03: It also allows us to be able to say whatever the fuck we want and not have to worry about whether Iron Man or the PTO um or some other brands want to be associated with us because uh we have your guys' support.
[1:32:45] SPEAKER_03: So it keeps us muzzle free.
[1:32:46] SPEAKER_03: Um so, like I said, the link for that's in the description of this episode.
[1:32:50] SPEAKER_03: Greg, Vicky, thank you for joining us.
[1:32:52] SPEAKER_03: Um, not sure where Apo is, not sure when he'll be back, um, but we'll try and sort out the problems we're having with uh with some internal uh maybe stories on the podcast.
[1:33:02] SPEAKER_00: I think we think we need some mediation to do.
[1:33:04] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, me and you, Jack, are gonna have to sit these boys down and sort them out.
[1:33:06] SPEAKER_03: We'll get it sorted and we'll we'll hope that Apo might be back in the next couple of weeks.
[1:33:10] SPEAKER_03: So yeah, thanks guys, see you next week.
[1:33:12] SPEAKER_01: Cheers and Merry Christmas, everyone.
[1:33:14] SPEAKER_01: Have a great one.
[1:33:14] SPEAKER_04: Yep, see ya, and hope a hopefully Apo's not here.
[1:33:17] SPEAKER_01: Train hard.

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