Have you ever wondered whether that lingering ache is just soreness—or the beginning of a real injury?

In this episode of the Be Fierce & Tri Podcast, Coach Jill Bartholomew is joined by physical therapist, triathlon coach, bike fitter, and fellow endurance athlete Dr. Steph Peterson for an honest conversation about injuries, recovery, and staying healthy for the long haul.

Steph shares her personal journey through stress fractures, underfueling, ankle injuries, and balancing triathlon through every season of life—from junior elite racing to motherhood, coaching, and opening her own physical therapy practice.

Together, Jill and Steph discuss what endurance athletes can do to reduce their injury risk, recognize warning signs before they become major setbacks, and build a training routine that supports long-term success.

• Why injuries happen—even to experienced athletes
• The difference between soreness and pain that shouldn't be ignored
• Why underfueling is still one of the biggest mistakes endurance athletes make
• How strength training helps prevent common triathlon injuries
• The importance of proper bike fit and when it's time for a refit
• How HRV and other training metrics should (and shouldn't) guide training
• The mental side of recovering from injury and disappointing race performances
• Practical strategies to stay healthy while training for marathons, IRONMAN®, 70.3, and other endurance events

Whether you're training for your first sprint triathlon, your next marathon, the Dopey Challenge, or chasing a personal best at IRONMAN, this episode is packed with practical advice you can start applying immediately.

Dr. Steph Peterson is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, endurance coach, professional bike fitter, and longtime triathlete. She works with endurance athletes to help them recover from injuries, optimize movement, and return to racing stronger than ever.

If you are training for a Triathlon or Run event of any distance from your first 10k to your first full IRONMAN and beyond, connect with Jill to talk about how to take your performance to the next level! Jill is the Head Coach and owner of Be Fierce Multisport is a full time, professional coach and works with athletes of all skill levels.

We also specialize in training for runDisney race, as Jill is an avid runDisney fan with 7 Dopey finishes and nearly 100 Disney races under her legs - she knows the courses and how to train for them!

Click here to schedule a consultation

Tired of cycling in your basement alone? Peloton and Zwift has gotten old? Try live online group cycling with Be Fierce Multisport - now in Beta and accepting founding members!

Join our virtual group cycling beta at 👉 https://fierce.li/cycling

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The IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship is returning to the United States in 2027—and specifically, to Chattanooga, Tennessee.

If you've spent any time in triathlon circles recently, you've probably seen the reactions online. Some athletes are thrilled. Others are wondering why Chattanooga was selected over more "exotic" destinations.

In this episode, I sit down with Triathlon Joe, one of the sport's most recognizable voices on social media and a Chattanooga local, to talk about what athletes can realistically expect from the return of Worlds to the Scenic City.

We discuss:

• Why Chattanooga was the worst-kept secret in triathlon
• Why the World Championship course likely won't be the same as the annual 70.3 course
• The legendary Chattanooga swim and the challenges of swimming upstream
• What the 2017 World Championship course looked like
• The brutal reality of racing in Tennessee heat and humidity in August
• Logistics, travel, and why Chattanooga may be one of the easiest World Championship venues to navigate
• Qualification roll-downs and whether demand for Chattanooga will be different than recent European championships
• The incredible triathlon community that makes Chattanooga a special place to race
• Why community, friendships, and connection keep so many of us coming back to this sport year after year

Whether you're hoping to qualify for Chattanooga, considering racing there, or simply love talking about the future of our sport, this episode offers an inside look at one of triathlon's most talked-about announcements.

Train with purpose. Race with confidence. And as always…

Be Fierce. Be You.

If you are training for a Triathlon or Run event of any distance from your first 10k to your first full IRONMAN and beyond, connect with Jill to talk about how to take your performance to the next level! Jill is the Head Coach and owner of Be Fierce Multisport is a full time, professional coach and works with athletes of all skill levels.

We also specialize in training for runDisney race, as Jill is an avid runDisney fan with 7 Dopey finishes and nearly 100 Disney races under her legs - she knows the courses and how to train for them!

Click here to schedule a consultation

Tired of cycling in your basement alone? Peloton and Zwift has gotten old? Try live online group cycling with Be Fierce Multisport - now in Beta and accepting founding members!

Join our virtual group cycling beta at 👉 https://fierce.li/cycling

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode:

• Why IRONMAN 70.3 has become a favorite distance for many athletes
• Travel, race-week preparation, and managing pre-race anxiety
• First impressions of the Happy Valley course and expo experience
• Swim conditions, wetsuit decisions, and navigating the long transition
• Funny race-day mishaps (including forgetting to remove a swim skin!)
• Breaking down the infamous Happy Valley bike course and its 4,200+ feet of climbing
• Spectator support and the unique atmosphere of racing through Amish country
• Fueling mistakes and the lessons learned from underfueling
• Mental challenges during the run and strategies for getting through dark moments
• Why difficult races can be the perfect preparation for IRONMAN Lake Placid
• The importance of community and how fellow athletes can help carry you to the finish line

✅ Tough courses reveal your strengths and weaknesses.
✅ Nutrition mistakes compound quickly and are difficult to recover from.
✅ Every athlete, regardless of pace, experiences dark moments during long-course racing.
✅ Community support can completely change your race experience.
✅ Hard races often provide the best preparation for future goals.

If you are training for a Triathlon or Run event of any distance from your first 10k to your first full IRONMAN and beyond, connect with Jill to talk about how to take your performance to the next level! Jill is the Head Coach and owner of Be Fierce Multisport is a full time, professional coach and works with athletes of all skill levels.

We also specialize in training for runDisney race, as Jill is an avid runDisney fan with 7 Dopey finishes and nearly 100 Disney races under her legs - she knows the courses and how to train for them!

Click here to schedule a consultation

Tired of cycling in your basement alone? Peloton and Zwift has gotten old? Try live online group cycling with Be Fierce Multisport - now in Beta and accepting founding members!

Join our virtual group cycling beta at 👉 https://fierce.li/cycling

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.