The biggest mistake age group triathletes make after a season? Jumping straight back into hard training. Matt and Steph break down why the reset matters more than the grind—and how the smartest athletes use the off-season to come back fitter, fresher, and actually ready to race. Steph shares hard-won lessons from burnout, injury, and finally learning how to stop properly after a big block, while Matt pushes the conversation into the practical stuff that matters right now: how to structure winter training, keep easy days truly easy, and build toward next season without wrecking your body or motivation.

Steph also opens up about the psychological side of missing Kona this year, the FOMO of watching world champs from afar, and why that disappointment is now being turned into a focused plan for 2027. From pool racing and CTTs to run blocks, fitness benchmarks, and race-day durability, this episode is packed with honest, practical advice for anyone trying to stay motivated when the next big race is still months away.

Matt and Steph also react to the 70.3 World Championships, including Hayden Wilde’s huge win, Kristian Blummenfelt’s terrifying run, Taylor Knibb’s dominant weekend, and what those performances could mean for Kona.

What happens when elite ambition meets relentless health setbacks, grief, and the kind of resilience most athletes never have to learn?

Tamsin Horne shares the story behind her second Kona qualification and why this year’s start line means even more after everything she’s overcome. From a brain bleed at 15 and chronic epilepsy to surgery, postpartum life, repeated setbacks, and a heartbreaking loss in the middle of her Kona build, Tamsin’s path to Ironman has been anything but straightforward. But this isn’t a story about surviving adversity, it’s about how she kept finding a way forward, even when medical advice, fatigue, and life itself seemed to say stop.

Through it all, she’s built a simple but powerful approach: not perfect, just honest, adaptable, and willing to keep showing up. If you’ve ever been told to stop, had to rebuild from nothing, or wondered how to stay connected to the part of you that loves the sport, this conversation will hit hard. It’s raw, practical, and deeply moving - and it’s a reminder that success is sometimes just crossing the line proud of what you gave.

Kona qualification after a bike crash, a surgically repaired shoulder, and a brutally short Ironman build - Kate Curran’s path to the World Championships is anything but ordinary.

Buck the Trend’s Matt and Steph unpack the full story with Kate from Lanzarote, where she’s dialling in the heat, humidity, and race-specific prep for her first Ironman World Championship in Kona. If you’re an age-group athlete dreaming of going pro, coming back from injury, or trying to turn a derailed season into something bigger, this one is packed with perspective.

Kate shares how she went from starting triathlon at eight years old, stepping away for university and a corporate legal career, and then finding her way back to the sport as a 70.3 athlete. She explains why her father’s Ironman journeys inspired her, how her corporate life gave her resilience and discipline, and why racing again felt like starting from scratch in the best possible way.We break down the difficult year that changed everything - the high-speed crash that put her out of action, the mental and physical grind of recovery, and the race in Western Australia that became a turning point.

Kate also opens up about what it took to balance an early Kona qualification with the demands of the Pro Series, why Hamburg, Texas, and Nice all shaped her season differently, and how she’s building toward Kona with steady consistency rather than hero sessions.

You’ll also hear the hosts and Kate dissect the upcoming 70.3 World Championship fields, including who looks most dangerous in Nice, who could make a breakthrough, and why racing in championship conditions always creates surprises. Along the way, they dig into pacing, heat management, nerves, and the unique challenge of Kona’s infamous run out of town. Essential listening if you love elite triathlon, comeback stories, or the behind-the-scenes reality of preparing for the biggest race in the sport.

Hosted by Matt Hnatiw and Steph Clutterbuck
Featuring Kate Curran