Paula wins the 70.3 North American Championship in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania. Her fourth North American title. We do a full race recap covering Paula's pre-race warmup adjustments, the bike leg where she went full throttle up a climb, fueling breakthroughs, timing chip chafe as a legitimate race threat, and shoutout to Lindee Kent for delivering the best aid station splits anyone has ever heard. Then we get into your questions.

This week we discussed:

• Paula's 70.3 North American Championship race recap: swim warmup changes, crushing the bike climb, and why fueling more actually worked
• Is Happy Valley the best riding location of any North American 70.3?
• Paula is a four-time North American champion, most wins of any pro female ever.
• Front and rear hydration setups explained: torpedo bottles, bento boxes, behind-the-seat cages, and how to actually refill on course
• Gravel bike vs. road bike as a do-it-all rig, especially for New Zealand chip seal roads (via a hilarious poem)
• When to switch to race tires before Ironman Lake Placid
• Is a swim skin worth it for a 300-meter pool swim sprint triathlon?
• Pull buoy preferences and swim run buoy sizing for open water racing
• What to actually do with all your Ironman finisher t-shirts and medals
• Eric's "pro athlete vs. former pro triathlete" status, officially addressed
• Electric bike pumps for disc wheels: what actually works

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

This week Nick races the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon for the first time. We do a full race recap, answer Instagram questions from listeners who followed along, and discuss whether the steep price tag is actually worth it. Eventually we also got to our classic listener submitted questions.

This week we discussed:

• Nick's Escape from Alcatraz race recap: the jump off the ferry, 57° Bay swim, iconic bike course, and sand ladder
• Instagram Q&A: thermal cap vs. booties, TT bike vs. road bike, and what crime would have landed you in Alcatraz
• Is the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon worth the price tag?
• Chasing validation vs. personal excellence. How do you know the difference?
• Body image, weight gain, and the toxic myth that more training = leaner body
• Flying with an indoor trainer, what the pros actually do
• Balancing passion across multiple disciplines without losing focus
• Carbon seatpost slipping despite proper torque, what's going on?
• Getting blown off your bike by wind, has it actually happened?
• Off day during intervals: ease off the intensity, shorten the session, or go home?
• Running surfaces ranked: tarmac, concrete, pavers, treadmill, does it actually matter?

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

This week we kicked things off with Eric's experience crewing for Heather Jackson at Unbound XL, 350 miles of gravel, mud, and racing through the night. Josh Amberger also made a stunning gravel debut with a fourth-place finish, and we had some thoughts on that. Then we went through listener questions. We also talked the Escape from Alcatraz donut run, compression shorts, and the best perks of being a pro athlete (or pro athlete adjacent). This week we discussed:

• Eric supporting Heather Jackson at Unbound XL and Josh Amberger's surprise fourth-place finish
• What it's like when podcast listeners know more about you than you know about them
• Panicking in an open water swim and how to recover your composure mid-race
• Off-road triathlon etiquette, do you have to stop and let faster riders pass?
• Racing a tri bike you've never ridden before: smart gamble or bad idea?
• Mile repeats vs. kilometer repeats, does interval length actually matter?
• Sodium and cramping: preloading, in-race electrolytes
• Wearing compression shorts under your bibs
• Will 32-inch wheels ever make it into triathlon?
• Favorite perks of being a professional (or pro-adjacent) triathlete

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

This week we almost didn’t manage to record a podcast between travel, family visits, birthday celebrations, and Eric leaving at 5 a.m. to film Heather Jackson at Unbound XL, but skipping wasn’t an option. So instead, we went full rapid-fire mode and packed in as many listener-submitted questions as possible. We also talked fast helmets, Escape From Alcatraz, questionable podcast comments, and the latest TTL merch drop. This week we discussed:

• Aero vs ventilation for Xterra helmets
• Balancing triathlon obsession with actually being present in life
• 32 inch wheels
• Revisiting old races vs constantly chasing new challenges
• Returning to fitness after forced time completely off training
• Which part of a full ironman scares the most
• Heat training vs convenience
• Best tires for Xterra North American Championships in Pelham
• Finishing a 70.3 swim while doggy paddling
• Cycling group ride warmup and when it's ok to attack
• Heart rate monitor locations for women
• What to do when someone tries to talk to you mid swim set

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

This week we hear all about Paula’s experience racing through the highs and lows of IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga, but not before hearing Nick’s trail running adventures in Maui, Hawaii, and getting an update from last week’s mysterious Mr. Smith. When we finally got to listener questions, we discussed:

• Washing your sweaty cycling helmet
• Riding with someone who’s always pushing the pace
• Making parts of training intentionally harder to build mental toughness

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

This week we’re gearing up for Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga as Paula Findlay prepares to race this weekend. She also brought us a challenging Swim Sets With Paula before we dove into listener questions.

This week we covered:

• Sherpa-ing Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga for a pro triathlete
• Training alone vs. training with friends
• Adjusting swim sets from short course to long course
• Forbidden love between triathlon club members
• How strictly athletes should follow coach-made plans
• Sunscreen during races
• ERG mode vs. free ride mode on the trainer
• Keeping young triathletes excited about the sport
• Is there a perfect gravel tire?
• When 70.3 training starts to feel like too much

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

This week we tackle some of the best listener questions we’ve gotten lately, including:

• How to eat before an early morning session
• Why swimming creates such strong friendships
• Tire size for triathlon vs cycling
• What events like Whiskey Tango Fondo are actually like
• When to replace cassettes, chainrings, pedals, cleats, and more
• Bilateral breathing in swimming
• How sponsorships actually work for pro athletes
• Dealing with neck pain in triathlon
• Finding balance between marriage and triathlon training

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

This week we got sidetracked with 2-hour marathons, trail running, photography, and more before finally diving into some Bike Tech with Eric and answering your listener questions.

On this episode:

• What it takes to switch from mechanical to electronic shifting
• Does equipment quality actually matter for training?
• How to find the right triathlon coach
• Can paddles hurt your swimming?
• Building a healthy relationship with Strava
• Solving leaky goggles
• Choosing the right shoes for the Bachelor Ascent 50k
• What to do when air quality gets bad
• Our hype songs for a first marathon

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast