Episode #158 The Kona Debrief

A fun chat as we dive into the day that Reid Allen and Conrad Sanders had on course. Reid successfully completed his first Kona ending up beating over half his age group. Conrad was 3rd overall amateur and 34th overall, what a day out there!

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Jesse’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mr.jessev/

Learn More About Top Step Training

https://topsteptraining.com/

Marilyn’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/marilyn_chychota/

Learn More About Marilyn Chychota Coaching

https://mcc.coach/

Tucson Triathlon Camp

https://tucsoncamp.com/

Episode #158 Kona Athletes Reid and Conrad

In this Episode Jesse and Marilyn preview the paths of the two Top Step athletes headed to the big island. They both have their own jorney to get here, and both have different execution approaches for the race. Tune in to hear their race thoughts and we will debrief with them after the race!

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Jesse’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mr.jessev/

Learn More About Top Step Training

https://topsteptraining.com/

Marilyn’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/marilyn_chychota/

Learn More About Marilyn Chychota Coaching

https://mcc.coach/

Tucson Triathlon Camp

https://tucsoncamp.com/

Episode # 157 Ultra trail run learnings

In this episode Marilyn leads Jesse in a debrief of his recent ultra — a brutal 55K in the Alps with 10,000 feet of climbing. He and Marilyn break down what went wrong in his 4-week comeback and Marilyn provides some great feedback and things Jesse can implement moving forward. We also chat about the UTMB's lottery "stones" system, and that feeling of being hungry to race again.

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Jesse’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mr.jessev/

Learn More About Top Step Training

https://topsteptraining.com/

Marilyn’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/marilyn_chychota/

Learn More About Marilyn Chychota Coaching

https://mcc.coach/

Tucson Triathlon Camp

https://tucsoncamp.com/

Episode #156 Ryan Bolton on Communication

Ryan has been on the sideline of almost every single WTCS triathlon in the last decade. He has coached athletes in the last three Olympics, and been to one himself. I had the great fortune to sit down with Ryan and chat about how to effectively communicate with athletes at the absolute highest level in sport. This was an amazing deep dive into how the best coaches in the world communicate with athletes at the top of sport.

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Ryan Bolton

https://boltonendurance.com/

Jesse’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mr.jessev/

Learn More About Top Step Training

https://topsteptraining.com/

Marilyn’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/marilyn_chychota/

Learn More About Marilyn Chychota Coaching

https://mcc.coach/

Tucson Triathlon Camp

https://tucsoncamp.com/

Episode #155 Meet Top Step Training new coach - Zack!

In this Episode Jesse chats with his new assistant coach, listen on to hear about Zack!

Zack Benedict has been immersed in long-distance triathlon since 2019, building a competitive racing resume that includes more than a dozen IRONMAN 70.3 races, five full IRONMAN events, and qualifying for both the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship and the IRONMAN World Championship.

As a coach, Zack is passionate about helping athletes achieve breakthrough performances while enjoying the process along the way. He combines data-driven training principles with the latest research to create individualized programs that fit each athlete’s goals, experience level, and lifestyle. By fostering strong coach-athlete relationships and emphasizing balance, consistency, and long-term development, Zack helps athletes reach their highest potential both on race day and beyond.

contact Zack through topsteptraining.com to set up an intro call!

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Jesse’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mr.jessev/

Learn More About Top Step Training

https://topsteptraining.com/

Marilyn’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/marilyn_chychota/

Learn More About Marilyn Chychota Coaching

https://mcc.coach/

Tucson Triathlon Camp

https://tucsoncamp.com/

Episode # 154 Are your numbers holding you back?

Intensity control. A very important aspect of training. But, sometimes you need to reach beyond. When to push? When to stay in the lines? Listen to Marilyn and Jesse as they discuss is fun topic!

Also - sign up for Tucson Camp!

Enjoyed the show? Subscribe and leave a review — it really helps!

Jesse’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mr.jessev/

Learn More About Top Step Training

https://topsteptraining.com/

Marilyn’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/marilyn_chychota/

Learn More About Marilyn Chychota Coaching

https://mcc.coach/

Tucson Triathlon Camp

https://tucsoncamp.com/

Coach Training Chats- Applying the big picture to training camps! with Cam and Jesse

In this episode, Cam and Jesse dig into the philosophy behind long-term athletic development — how they balance getting an athlete ready for a race three weeks away with building toward the athlete they'll be five years from now. They talk through why rushing a young or developing athlete's progression costs them down the line, why consistency (not intensity) is the single biggest predictor of results, and why sleep might be the most underrated performance-enhancing tool available to any triathlete.

The conversation turns to what actually makes a training camp work: structuring key sessions around real recovery, keeping easy days genuinely easy, and avoiding the trap of turning every session into a hard one. Cam and Jesse also get into the balance side of the sport — how adding more training means something else in life has to give, and why that trade-off deserves as much planning as the workouts themselves.

Whether you're building your own training camp, coaching others, or just trying to get more consistent in your own training, this one's full of practical, experience-backed takeaways.

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Cam’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/coach_camlam/

Jesse’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mr.jessev/

Learn More About Top Step Training

https://topsteptraining.com/

Tucson Triathlon Camp

https://tucsoncamp.com/

Episode # 153 Coach-athlete expectations, unpacked.

Jesse sits down with Marilyn — former pro triathlete and Ironman Malaysia champion — to talk about what coaches actually expect from athletes, and how that changes across a career. Marilyn shares the picnic-table conversation where her own coach asked if she'd commit to the work for 10 years with no guaranteed win, a real letter one coach sends pros outlining the only 3 acceptable responses to direction, and the unglamorous 50-minute jog that preceded her first Ironman win by 18 minutes. A candid look at commitment, communication, and what it takes to get better.

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Jesse’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mr.jessev/

Learn More About Top Step Training

https://topsteptraining.com/

Marilyn’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/marilyn_chychota/

Learn More About Marilyn Chychota Coaching

https://mcc.coach/

Tucson Triathlon Camp

https://tucsoncamp.com/