Paula Findlay wins Ironman Lake Placid on her very first full distance triathlon attempt. Setting the bike course record, ringing the first-timer's bell, and crossing the tape after one of the most composed performances of the year. Nick and Eric were both on course for the day, and this week all three of us sit down to relive every moment: the cold non-wetsuit swim chasing Chelsea Sodaro, the wind-whipped bike ride where Paula refused to let the gusts derail nine months of preparation, the broken flask on the run, running a 1:24 half marathon split before her quads staged a full revolt, talking herself through lonely miles of River Road, and what it actually felt like to turn into the Olympic oval.

This week we discussed:

• Paula's full Ironman Lake Placid race recap: swim, bike, run, and every mental moment in between
• Racing without a wetsuit in cold windy weather — staying warm, not panicking off the bike, and why the cold nearly derailed the first 45 minutes
• Riding through 28mph gusts: how Paula stayed in her aerobars when everything in her said sit up
• The Marta Sanchez dynamic: running together through the first half, trusting her experience, and slowly stretching the gap
• Quad cramping from mile 13 of the marathon and choosing to keep running anyway
• Ringing the first-timer's bell
• The med tent, the wheelchair, and what "empty" actually feels like after an Ironman
• How Eric and Nick tracked splits all day: whiteboard shorthand, the Iron Man app, texts from people on course, and educated guesses
• What Paula discovered about herself: long activities are a mindset, not a personality type
• The timing chip chafe solution that actually worked (and the neck chafe that still didn't)
• TTL team finished 4th in the team competition — in their first year
• 150 people at the Lake Placid donut run and the volunteer team who drove 45 minutes for donuts
• Is it better to race a new distance naive, or knowing what's coming? Paula answers just days after finding out
• Long run advice for Ironman training: why 30K is probably enough, and why Paula wishes she'd run more pavement
• TTL Kona merch is happening, and so is Nice
• Samantha Skold qualifies for Kona off the back of a career-best run at Lake Placid

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive — this pod has no ads, and your support is what makes it possible. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

We're recording in person in Lake Placid, two days before Paula toes the line at her first-ever Ironman. She's feeling good, she's excited, and she's ready. We get into all of it before diving into your questions. It's a full bag this week, from the science of optimal racing temperatures to the very real question of how big the jump from 70.3 to full distance actually is, timed perfectly with Paula about to find out for herself.

This week we discussed:

• Paula's first Ironman Lake Placid preview: how she's feeling, what's got her excited, and what it's actually like to prepare for your first full
• How big is the jump from 70.3 to full Ironman — physically, mentally, and nutritionally — and how much does long-term base carry through?
• Optimal racing temperatures for endurance performance: does the 40°F–55°F research match real-world experience?
• Switching from power meter pedals to a crank-based system, what road pedal systems we've tried and why we ride what we ride
• Renting a tri bike vs. flying with a bike box: which scenarios tip the scales either way, especially internationally
• Wahoo Kickr Bike Pro deep dive: aerobar options, dialing in fit, and how well the bike fitness transfers to race day
• What is Elise Lagerstrom's running Eddington number? Richard from the UK asked the question we all wanted answered
• How to buy a TT bike when no local shop carries them, a guide for making a big investment without being able to test ride first
• Draft-legal racing tactics for a first-timer heading to Age Group Worlds: the two or three things you actually need to know
• The Wahoo-Coros partnership: has anyone made the switch, and what do we think of Coros watches?
• Tubeless tire setup for racing: is it worth upgrading your wheelset, and what do you actually do if you flat during an Ironman?
• Current coaching setups across the TTL crew, is Paula still working with Carmen Small on the bike?
• Hill repeat steepness: what grade are you actually looking for and does it 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

Elise Lagerstrom — Eric's sister and two-time desert ultra champion — joins us to recount winning the Gobi March outright, becoming the first woman in the race's 20-year history to beat all men across a 250-kilometer, seven-day self-supported ultra through central Mongolia. We cover everything: the emergency electrolyte crisis at mile 12, how she managed a 52-minute buffer over second place through the legendary 80-kilometer Stage 4 long march, what carrying a 25-pound pack for 155 miles has to do with running ability, and why this kind of racing is so much more tactical than it looks. Then Paula emerges from a rough morning to join us for the second half.

This week we discussed:

• Elise Lagerstrom's Gobi March race recap: the first woman to win the 250K Mongolian desert ultra outright in 20 years of the event
• Self-supported racing explained: what you carry, what the race provides, and how the tent situation works
• Stage 4 long march — 80 kilometers in a single day and why Elise knew it was her moment
• The near-crisis at mile 12 and how she corrected her electrolyte strategy mid-race
• Why running ability matters less than you think in a 30-hour race
• Racing vs. surviving: how tactical the Gobi March actually gets, day by day
• The Roth swim controversy: how the men's field used a coordinated swim paceline to finally beat Christian
• Paula's take on Alanis Siffert's stunning Roth win — and her 2:45 marathon
• Should this new collegiate national champion race his first pro 70.3 on a road bike?
• Altitude racing tips for Leadville: heat training as the poor man's altitude prep, and the two-weeks-or-right-before rule
• When should you replace your running shoes — and the case for buying three pairs at once
• How motivation in triathlon evolves: from proving yourself to something harder to name
• Paula's first Iron Man in two weeks: wetsuit neck chafe solutions, and why Paula hates the words "Ironman training"
• Donut run at Lake Placid: Friday, 3 PM — come find us

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 have a shorter episode getting straight to questions. Nick podiums third overall at San Diego International Triathlon, feeling breathless the whole time. We get into it. Then we launch the official TTL Eddington Number Challenge (with a gift card prize), debut the Lake Placid limited edition merch, and answer your questions.

This week we discussed:

• Nick's San Diego International Triathlon recap: third overall, why being too fresh can still leave you breathless, and why it felt harder than the numbers showed
• The official TTL Eddington Number Challenge: submit your cycling Eddington number in miles on Instagram for a chance to win a TTL gift card equal to your number
• Lake Placid limited edition poster, t-shirt, and hats: how to get yours before race day
• Combating imposter syndrome in triathlon, what to do when you earned the slot but don't feel like you belong
• TT bike saddle discomfort: when your bike fitter blames your bibs (and whether they might have a point)
• The best pocket camera for riding: Ricoh GR vs. phone vs. GoPro
• Has T100 paid its athletes? Paula addresses the Lucy Charles-Barclay question directly
• What would you do if you knew your next race was your last? A moving question from Jason, who's hanging up the tri kit after Ironman Oregon 70.3

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

Paula is racing the Canadian National Time Trial Championships, so it's a bro pod, especially when Ari Klau calls in live from O'Hare Airport after his first-ever 70.3 win at Mont-Tremblant to finally explain the shoe phone celebration that baffled the entire internet. We also break down a deceptively addictive cycling metric, answer your bike tech questions, and get into open water swimming in rough conditions.

This week we discussed:

• Paula races Canadian National Time Trial Championships, night-before logistics, bad roads, 23 mph winds, and going off 4th
• Martin Van Riel is 6-for-6 in 70.3s, the case for showing up only when you're ready
• The Eddington number explained: the cycling and running metric you didn't know you needed (and how to figure out yours)
• When to switch from road bike to TT bike in your race build, Ari and Eric weigh in
• Sharing one wheel set between a TT bike and road bike: does it actually work?
• How to keep your bottles cold in transition
• Swimming in choppy open water: Eric's technique advice
• The most minimalist race belt options, including the shoelace method and the Nerd Belt
• Is the North American Championship more prestigious than a regular 70.3 for age groupers?
• Do pros still fall off their bikes? Ari's trainer near-misses and the AirPod problem

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

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