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  • [PREVIEW] Be The Best Triathlete You Can Be

    [PREVIEW] Be The Best Triathlete You Can Be
    2026/05/11

    Do you want to optimize your race performance? Do you want to be the best, fastest triathlete that you can possibly be? Really? I mean, do you really want that? Are you prepared to do what it takes to achieve that? Because most of us are not and that's OK.
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    5 分
  • How To Be the Best Triathlete

    How To Be the Best Triathlete
    2026/05/11
    Do you want to optimize your race performance? Do you want to be the best, fastest triathlete that you can possibly be? Really? I mean, do you really want that? Are you prepared to do what it takes to achieve that? Because most of us are not and that's OK.SummaryTriathlon has a unique way of making improvement feel possible, which is why so many athletes believe there’s a faster, stronger version of themselves waiting to emerge. But this piece explores the uncomfortable reality that most athletes want the rewards of peak performance without fully paying the physical, emotional, social, financial, and lifestyle costs required to achieve it. It breaks down what true high-level amateur performance actually demands — consistent training, smart specificity, recovery, fueling, and relentless discipline — while also arguing that pursuing absolute optimization isn’t necessarily the healthiest or happiest path. Ultimately, it suggests that the real goal may not be maximizing athletic potential at all costs, but finding the balance between excellence in triathlon and excellence in life.Join the community at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathleteTranscript/Talk NotesThere’s something almost magical about triathlon.Because unlike a lot of sports, improvement feels available. Tangible. Earned.You see someone cross the finish line of an Ironman and you think:“What if I actually committed? What if I really tried?”Most amateur triathletes carry around this quiet belief that somewhere inside them is a faster version of themselves. Leaner. Stronger. More disciplined. More capable.But here’s the uncomfortable truth:Most athletes don’t actually want optimal performance.They want the results of optimal performance without paying the full price for it.And I’m not saying that judgmentally. I include myself in this conversation.Because optimal performance has a cost.Not just physically. Emotionally. Socially. Financially.And most of us — wisely, honestly — are unwilling to pay all of it.So today I want to talk about:what the actual prescription for optimal triathlon performance looks like,the hidden prices athletes avoid paying,the difference between “doing your best” and “doing your physiological best,”and finally… what you can cut back on with the smallest performance penalty so you can still have a life outside triathlon.Part 1 — Everyone Wants Peak Performance… Until It Costs Something (3–4 minutes)Most athletes love the idea of excellence.Very few love the lifestyle required for it.People say:“I want to qualify for Kona.”“I want to podium.”“I want to unlock my potential.”But then reality shows up.Because performance is built on sacrifices that are often deeply unsexy.Not motivation. Not inspiration. Not buying carbon wheels.Sacrifice.You already mentioned some obvious ones:eating with purpose instead of entertainment,prioritizing sleep over Netflix,doing the session you need instead of the session you feel like doing,getting up at 5am,doing doubles or triples,reducing stress,training when nobody is watching.But there are other prices athletes quietly refuse to pay.The Emotional CostSome athletes don’t want to confront weakness.They avoid swim sessions because they hate feeling incompetent.They avoid intervals because they expose limitations.They stay in Zone 2 forever because suffering threatens their self-image.Improvement requires repeatedly visiting the place where you are not yet good enough.That’s emotionally expensive.The Social CostOptimal performance often makes you less available.You leave parties early.You stop drinking much.You say no to late nights.You disappear for long rides.You become “the triathlon person.”And many athletes unconsciously sabotage progress because they fear social separation more than they desire performance.The Identity CostThis one is huge.To truly improve, sometimes you have to let go of comforting stories:“I’m just not fast.”“I don’t respond well to intensity.”“I’m too old.”“I’m too busy.”Or conversely:“I’m naturally talented so I don’t need structure.”Your ego will often protect your identity before it protects your potential.The Financial CostNobody likes talking about this one.But performance costs money.Good nutrition.Race entries.A coach.Pool access.Bike maintenance.Recovery tools.Travel.More time means sometimes less earning.And ironically, some athletes spend thousands on gear while refusing to invest in the boring things that actually matter:sleep,consistency,coaching,nutrition,recovery,stress management.Because buying equipment feels easier than changing behavior.Part 2 — What Does Optimal Triathlon Performance Actually Require? (4–5 minutes)Let’s strip away fantasy for a minute.What would it actually take for an amateur athlete to approach their physiological potential?Not perfection. But close.Here’s the blueprint.1. Consistent Training VolumeThis is still king.Not hero ...
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    24 分
  • Triathlete Running Thoughts

    Triathlete Running Thoughts
    2026/05/04
    In this episode I muse about all sorts of subjects while I take you along for an easy Sunday morning run. If you want to comment on today's episode, consider signing up on Patreon and join the Lonely Triathlete community!Join our community at www.patreon.com/TheLonelyTriathleteTranscriptAll right. Well, this is my first run of the year. in shorts and a t-shirt. And I am stoked. Absolutely love it. Now, I was thinking, how often do we really love our workouts? It's a great question, because I'm on an indoor bike, most of the year, and I like my workouts, but do I love them? No? I'm more interested in maybe the podcast I'm listening to or the movie I'm watching. But for the actual workout, curious about it, kind of like the feeling of sweat. But do I love it? No. Swimming in the winter. When you go to the pool at 6 in the morning, 6:30 in the morning, and it's dark and cold outside, it's fun to swim. But do you love it? Most of the time, I don't love it, but when you swim outside in a lake or the ocean with your wetsuit, that, that stuff that I love. And running in the dark and the cold, and sometimes the snow and the rain, don't love it. Don't even... don't even like it half the time. But now, in the sunshine, love it.Another thing I do love is running on trails. I never used to run the trails that much because, oh, you know, I didn't know the exact distances. This was before GPS watches, of course. And it was a very terrain, so I couldn't establish a solid pace. He just felt all too random for me. So I'd be running on the road a lot. In the last couple of years, I've really disliked running on the road. Not 'cause of the road. But because of the traffic. And there's a section here in Victoria, where I have to run on the road a bit, and, uh, it's starting to bug me. I'm feeling, uh, what's the word? Negative towards the loud trucks, the loud motorcycles, a blast by me. I don't know. I don't like running on the road as much as I used to. So that brings up the point. What do we do? to enjoy our workouts more? I think it starts with identifying what we like and then doing more of what we like. So I just said, I like trail running. I'm gonna focus more running on trails. I like swimming in the lakes in the ocean, well more lakes than ocean. I'm kind of dependent upon the weather and temperature, obviously, but I'm gonna be swimming in the lake, probably starting next weekend. So that's good. Now, riding my bike, that's a different story, because I get so much fitness riding indoors. So I really don't want to do training rides outside, necessarily, unless they're long. Long, and easy kind of rides. So I'll have to give that a thought.So I may have just inspired myself. I think if I can't get out for a training run on the road, then maybe I'll go out for at least a pleasurable, a pleasurable ride. Longer, easier ride, on the weekend, outside, just so I can enjoy being outside my bike more.Sunday morning, and I've already run past 15 dog walkers, 15 dogs, 15 kilos. Nothing, says Victoria, weekend mornings, like dog walking, that's for sure. A lot of dogs in this area.All right, my run has taken me down along the ocean, or just above the ocean. And I'm heading up about a one kilometre hill. Hello, Crow. I'm not talking to you. And, uh, yeah, so I'll be doing a slow jog up a hill with, guess what? More traffic. You can't escape it. But I was thinking as I have my eyes on the ocean here. running up this hill, how fortunate I am to be living in a location that is conducive to my passions, my interests, when it comes to sports. I go kayaking. I run, I can bike, I can swim in the lakes. Absolutely fantastic. Oh, I gotta run across this massive lane. I found myself in a bike lane. Not a run lane. Okay, across the ditch. Into the sidewalk. Yeah, how conducive it is to live in an area that... is conducive to, uh, doing the things I love. And I know that we all can't choose necessarily, very easily, the places that we live, especially if we've got a job, and we can't change locations easily.But it is a reminder that if, if we can, if it's possible to choose a location to live, the next time you're moving, I would give serious, serious thought. to the location, the geography, that you're moving to. Don't just, you know, move to a place that's 10 minutes close to the work. But maybe, maybe a place that's 15 minutes away from work, but puts you in the heart of a trail system. Or buy the water. I don't know, something to think about.All right, halfway up this hill, and the traffic is going by, and I realize another thing I can't stand about traffic is the pollution. Oh, man. When someone goes by me, I just smell gas and oil. I was going in my lungs. Can't stand it. Maybe every more reason to live out in the country, right? We all can't all be so lucky, but, oh, I tell you, being near the place near the places where you enjoy, it goes a long way in your life. It really does.Alright, head me to the top of the hill. And I am ...
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    24 分
  • How Does Long Course Training Affect Your 10K Speed?

    How Does Long Course Training Affect Your 10K Speed?
    2026/04/27
    Train faster run faster, right? Let's assume that is true, so how much faster? I've done the experiment on myself and I share with you the results.Join our community at www.patreon.com/TheLonelyTriathleteTranscript0:07 Hi and welcome to the lonely triathlete. My name is Todd, and I am the lonely triathlete coming to you live from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, on this Sunday, April 26 2026.0:22 Welcome to the lonely triathlete. This is a podcast where I talk about age group, training and racing and promote community in an effort to help us all be a little less lonely. Now I'm suffering at the moment, and probably in a way in which you cannot guess. And I'm going to eliminate the guesswork right now - I feel like, for the past five minutes, I'm gonna burp just I can't, I can't get a burp out. So I would be shocked if I don't burp in the middle of this podcast. And this is an authentic podcast, I don't edit 99.9% of the time. I don't edit anything, so I'm not going to edit. I will. I will not burp in your ear. I guarantee you that. But I'm just telling you that feeling of having an impending burp,1:25 it's almost worse than an aerobic threshold. It's almost worse than VO2max intervals, I just found something that like hurts more than a triathlon experience.1:39 Okay, so let's get past the bodily issues and move on to this episode. You know there are a few things I have always wondered in my 25 years of racing, I've always wondered, can I produce or does Olympic distance standard course distance training, does it produce a decent 10k speed in and of itself, mixing in your swimming and your biking and your running and your strength training, like how? How close to your kind of optimal 10k speed do you really get with that kind of training? So that's always been in the back of my mind.2:26 Second is, how much faster could I get if I put triathlon training on the back burner for a while and just did dedicated run training, and then finally, would 70.3 training, or Ironman training, make me significantly faster or slower in a standalone 10k race? And how much faster or slower? I'm assuming it would be slower, but how much slower would I be Well, I have the answer to these questions, because for me, for many years, I have trained almost exclusively for Olympic distance triathlons. I did one Half Ironman. I did one Ironman, but mostly it's been Olympic distance. So I'm very familiar with how my body responds to Olympic distance training, and what my 10k times are within Olympic races. And so accounting for variability in run course elevation, my 10k times have been for the past decade, they've been between 45 minutes, which is really fast, like, almost so fast it makes me question the course distance, like, was it accurate or not? And 52 minutes on the other end, which is super slow. Like, what the heck happened? Did I just go too hard on the bike? Or what's going on? So 45 to 52 so let's call my average 10k speed in an Olympic distance 48 minutes. Okay, so you can almost bet on me being within plus or minus 10-15% of that in any race. Now I've also sprinkled in a few standalone 10k races in between triathlons, and those times have been consistently, on average, about one and a half to two minutes faster? Well, that makes sense. I didn't just swim for 30 minutes and bike for an hour and 10 minutes. So that makes sense. But the missing piece to this is I've also done dedicated run training leading up to some of these races anywhere from four weeks to twelve weeks, and that, by itself, improved my time another couple of minutes to the point where my personal best is 42:43.5:14 And that was achieved on about four months of Dedicated run training. So to answer the first question, Olympic distance training, from for me, I'm imagining, for most people, it does produce a pretty decent 10k time. However, standalone racing helps you go quite a bit faster, and if you add in some dedicated run training, maybe six weeks of run training prior to the race. That adds even more speed. I know it's not rocket science, but it's really it's really interesting to see it in action. It's like where theory meets meets practicality. Now, the only part of this experiment that I had been missing for the past 20 some years, is seeing how a switch to 70.3 training might affect my 10k Speed. Ah, that's interesting, because, as you would know, if you've ever done 70.3 or Ironman training, you don't do a lot of speed work in in in your run training. A little bit, but nothing like you would if you were dedicated to a 10k plan. So last year, as it happens, all I did was train and race a 70.3 Well, I raced in the Olympic afterwards, but my most of my training was completely centered around a 70.3 and ideally, I would have done the race and then a few weeks later, run a standalone 10k just to see what the difference is. But instead, what I did was I ran my 70.3 and then I trained a dedicated run plan. I trained with a dedicated run plan, and...
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    18 分
  • Triathlon Training Tip - Less Really is More

    Triathlon Training Tip - Less Really is More
    2026/04/20

    You've all heard the expression "less is more" and that is true for regular life as well as triathlon. I'll break down what this looks like in triathlon training, and ask yourself if you ever do a little (or a lot) more than necessary.

    Join our community at www.patreon.com/TheLonelyTriathlete
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    14 分
  • Let's Build a Triathlon Community Together

    Let's Build a Triathlon Community Together
    2026/04/13

    Big news. Big. News. I am taking The Lonely Triathlete to the next level.

    www.patreon.com/TheLonelyTriathlete
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    18 分
  • Staying Present as a Triathlete

    Staying Present as a Triathlete
    2026/04/06

    Are you the type to rush through life? Do you always find yourself thinking of the future? Do you stub your toes a lot? I used to stub my toes a lot, rushing to the do the next thing...but not so much anymore.

    Join our community at www.patreon.com/TheLonelyTriathlete
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    13 分
  • Voices in Your Head - Triathlon and Mental Health

    Voices in Your Head - Triathlon and Mental Health
    2026/03/30

    Do you ever notice voices in your head? During a race do they ever try and convince you to slow down? Or tell you this hurts too much or that you are going too slow or that this is going to be a disappointing experience?

    If so, you can be prepared with a rebuttal. You can direct those voices in a certain direction. No arguing, no fretting, no agonizing doubts, only confident direction. You are in control!

    Join our community at www.patreon.com/TheLonelyTriathlete
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    19 分