In this episode, I sit down with Lucas Burgoyne, the 24-year-old U.S. Pro Criterium Champion who’s redefining what American cycling can look like. Lucas is raw, driven, and refreshingly honest — a kid from Texas who’s gone all-in on his dream and somehow still finds room for humor, faith, and a little cowboy swagger.

We talk about what it takes to grind for ten years for one perfect lap, how discipline and freedom coexist, and why stepping away from the bike can be just as important as the training itself. Lucas opens up about his parents’ influence, leadership, and the pressure that comes with newfound attention. This one’s not just about watts or wins — it’s about belief, burnout, and learning to stay grounded when the world finally starts paying attention.

Lucas’ IG: https://www.instagram.com/lucas_bourgoyne/

Team Cadence Cyclery: https://www.instagram.com/teamcadencecyclery/

Episode #200 Survey: https://forms.gle/s72MemFFdHuL7g8DA

Support the Pod: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch⁠

Newsletter: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/newsletter-signup⁠

Lance talking about Lucas: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/79x4UsyjMXs

In this round-two conversation, I sit back down with retired Navy Master Chief Mark Evans — a man who’s led submarine crews around the world, survived life-changing trauma, and still finds humor in it all.

We go deep on leadership, fatherhood, faith, and the strange pull between fear and perspective — from Ironman finish lines to moments of real loss. Mark shares what it means to stay calm when everyone else is panicking, how to raise strong kids without losing your own humility, and why he believes love is ultimately an act of service.

We also wander into the big stuff: God, AI, trauma, politics, and what it means to stay human in a world that often forgets how. It’s raw, grounded, and full of truth bombs that only come from a life fully lived.
Mark’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/frumpycob/

Episode #200 Survey: https://forms.gle/s72MemFFdHuL7g8DA

SQ Merch: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch⁠

SQ Newsletter: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/newsletter-signup⁠

Bible Verses Referenced:

• 2 Kings 2:11-12 (Elijah going to heaven)
• 1 Kings 19:14-18 (More serve good than we realize)

In this round-two conversation, I sit back down with Brenton Ford — the man behind Effortless Swimming — to catch up on everything that’s changed since our first talk a few years ago. We start with my own Ironman California story before diving deep into swimming, coaching, and how letting go can actually make you faster.

Brenton shares what he’s learned running global swim camps, launching anti-fog goggles, and working alongside Olympic champions. We talk about the mindset behind great coaching, what it means to truly “feel the water,” and how self-awareness can change the way you move — in the pool and in life.

He also opens up about leadership, family, and learning to slow down as a dad. It’s a thoughtful, down-to-earth conversation about mastery, patience, and building something that lasts — whether that’s a business, a team, or a life you actually enjoy living.

Effortless Swimming IG: https://www.instagram.com/effortlessswimming/

HydroClear Goggles: https://shop.effortlessswimming.com?utm_source=Instagram-bio&utm_medium=Instagram-bio&utm_campaign=Linktree

Episode #200 Survey: https://forms.gle/s72MemFFdHuL7g8DA

SQ Socks: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch⁠

SQ Newsletter: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/newsletter-signup⁠

I sat down with Luke Fetzer, a 5-time national champion who’s already carving out his place in American criterium racing at just 19 years old. What stood out to me most wasn’t just his results—it was how grounded and self-aware he is for someone still figuring life out.

We talked about what it was like growing up in his parents’ bike shop, watching them close it after nearly 30 years, and how that shaped his perspective on work, risk, and legacy. Luke shared why he left one of the biggest teams in the country to bet on himself, what “champions do everything right” really means to him, and how he’s learning to balance ambition, gratitude, and patience.

It’s an honest, down-to-earth conversation about identity, drive, and becoming the kind of man you want to be—on and off the bike. By the time this episode airs, Luke will have just turned 20, so go wish him a happy birthday and check out his journey in the show notes.

Luke’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/sendy_mcgee/

Episode #200 Survey: https://forms.gle/s72MemFFdHuL7g8DA

SQ Socks: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch⁠

SQ Newsletter: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/newsletter-signup⁠

Former professional triathlete Collin Chartier sits down with me for a raw, unguarded conversation about identity, faith, and healing after public failure.

We talk through his upbringing in a nomadic Navy family, the identity collapse that followed his doping suspension, and the five-month bikepacking trip that became a turning point toward grace, breathwork, and self-understanding.

Collin opens up about learning to sit in silence, reconnecting with God, and finding empathy for himself and others. We dive deep into topics like “toxic vs. rocket fuel,” body-stored trauma, somatic healing, fear as a projection of the future, and the red flags that athletes miss when their drive turns into self-destruction.

This isn’t a conversation about excuses — it’s about awareness, humility, and the long road toward being of service again.

Collin’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/collinchartier/

The Body Keeps the Score: https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748

Episode #200 Survey: https://forms.gle/s72MemFFdHuL7g8DA

SQ Socks: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch⁠

SQ Newsletter: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/newsletter-signup⁠

I sit down with Dirk Friel—former pro cyclist and co-founder of TrainingPeaks—to trace how a scrappy, late-’90s idea between friends became the platform so many of us use to plan, track, and analyze training.

We talk about his entrepreneurial roots (yes, Joe Friel is his dad), racing in Belgium in the pre-internet era, and the “sweat-equity” nights that led to the first place you could view heart-rate and power files in a web browser. I ask Dirk what TrainingPeaks isn’t (spoiler: there’s no one-true method), how to treat TSS/CTL/PMC as tools—not gospel—and why most athletes overdo intensity more than volume.

Dirk shares why human coaches still beat AI (“there are more unknowns than knowns”), why good coaching often feels “too easy” at first, and how accountability—sometimes the tough kind—creates breakthroughs. We also get into TrainingPeaks Virtual and its physics-first approach (drafting, wind, and cornering actually matter), plus what he’s learned about leadership, hiring beyond your friend circle, and the purpose that drives him: helping others reach their potential.

Dirk’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/dirkfriel/
TrainingPeaks: https://app.trainingpeaks.com
Episode #200 Survey: https://forms.gle/s72MemFFdHuL7g8DA
SQ Socks: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch⁠

SQ Newsletter: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/newsletter-signup⁠

Professional operatic soprano Martha Eason joins me for a crossover conversation on music, endurance sport, and the mindset that powers both. We go from Appalachia bluegrass roots to Germany’s “fest” system, where the same resident cast performs night after night—often on tired vocal cords and tighter schedules. Martha breaks down why opera is an athletic event, how recovery, breath work, and nervous-system regulation protect those “two tiny muscles,” and what her Garmin reveals during rehearsals.

We talk technique vs. emotion (and why clear text and intention beat perfect high notes), naming the inner critic (“Hi, Brenda”), and practical ways singers taper, avoid burnout, and come back from overuse injuries. Martha shares role milestones—from Violetta in La Traviata to Missy Mazzoli’s gritty Breaking the Waves—and how faith, doubt, and real life feed performance without derailing it. Plus: the Via Francigena run, why second performances often outshine premieres, Germany’s public funding for opera, and how her “Rehearsal Notes” newsletter blends vocal pedagogy with athlete habits.

Martha’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/marthaeasonsoprano/

Episode #200 Survey: https://forms.gle/s72MemFFdHuL7g8DA
SQ Socks: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch⁠

SQ Newsletter: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/newsletter-signup⁠

In his round three on the show, TriRig founder and gear wizard Nick Salazar returns… as a filmmaker. We dive into his debut feature, The Game of Life—a two-year, DIY passion project shot largely inside his home with a tiny crew (and a big family cheering and helping behind the scenes). Nick opens up about writing, directing, acting, and scoring the film, why he designed distinct color palettes for each act, and how switching from clean spherical glass to wild anamorphic lenses created those dreamy, in-camera flares around a mysterious “skeleton key.”

We get into the story’s themes—mental health, unreliable narration, radical acceptance, and the “I am” moment—plus the nuts and bolts: 24 shoot days in three blocks, proof-of-concept scenes to win buy-in, private screenings, and what “success” looks like for a first feature. We also wander into consciousness, AI, and why imperfect human art still hits hardest.

The Game of Life (Preview): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyRZ5jH0CSY

Nick’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nick_salazar

TriRig: https://tririg.com/
Episode #200 Survey: https://forms.gle/s72MemFFdHuL7g8DA
SQ Socks: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch⁠

SQ Newsletter: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/newsletter-signup⁠