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One of the hardest parts of triathlon training isn’t necessarily the training. It’s figuring out how to fit that training into an already busy life.

If you’re like me, you probably have a job, family, errands to run, laundry to do, meals to cook, etc. Adding triathlon training on top of that sometimes feels like a constant balancing act, and there’s only so many hours in the day.

Speaking of hours, that brings me to the topic of today’s newsletter— training by time with the time you have.

When I first started with my coach, we talked about the number of hours a week I had available to dedicate to training. (Note: This is something every coach should ask you.) Her goal was to figure out how to use the time I had available to help me prepare for the races I wanted to do and to become a stronger, more well-rounded athlete.

Ultimately, if I only had 10 hours a week to dedicate to training, I only had 10 hours a week to train. It didn’t matter if she concocted an amazing 17-hour a week plan if I didn’t have the time to execute it.

These days, I see a lot of new athletes talk about their weekly workouts, and most focus on miles— “I have a 30-mile ride this weekend” or “I have a 5-mile run tonight.” Now, there’s nothing particularly wrong with training by miles. It’s what we used to do too, until we learned a better way.

Training by time, with the time you have

Who decided a mile was a mile anyway?

The word “mile” comes from the Latin mille passus, meaning “a thousand paces.” The English Parliament later standardized the mile as 8 furlongs or 5,280 feet.

Why am I telling you all this?

To illustrate that the mile is an arbitrary measurement, not a physiological unit. It’s a useful way to measure distance—but not a great way to measure how much stress you’re putting on your body during training.

Your body doesn’t care whether you’ve run 5 miles or 40 minutes—it responds to the duration and intensity of the session, as well as training load and recovery.

Consider this example. Athlete A and Athlete B are both training for a 70.3 triathlon. A training plan based on miles might have each of these athletes do a 50-mile bike ride.

• If Athlete A rides 50 miles, averaging 23 mph → 2 hours and 10 minutes

• If Athlete B rides 50 miles, averaging 15 mph → 3 hours and 20 minutes

That’s quite a disparity. Why is Athlete B riding 1:10 longer than Athlete A? Simply because she doesn’t ride as fast? Does riding the additional 1:10 help her become a better cyclist? Maybe, maybe not.

Also, wouldn’t Athlete A be better served spending a bit more time on the bike than just 2 hours? Probably.

Now, let’s look at a time-based training plan, where each athlete has a 3-hour bike ride.

• If Athlete A rides for 3 hours, averaging 23 mph → 69 miles

• If Athlete B rides for 3 hours, averaging 15 mph → 45 miles

This approach provides each athlete with the training stimulus needed to increase fitness and target different energy systems. It doesn’t matter whether that happened during 69 miles or 45 miles.

Certainly, each athlete will need to be prepared to cover 56 miles during the race, but that happens through the specific work done during those 3 hours, being consistent week after week, and learning to fuel the effort properly.

The bottom line is that the miles don’t matter as much as you think they do. Sure, it’s fun to reach milestones, like your first 30-mile ride, first 50-mile ride, or first century ride (100 miles). But that shouldn’t be the primary way we prescribe training volume.

Training by miles can be tricky, because it doesn’t consider differences in athletic ability. It forces every athlete into the same box. Training by time treats each athlete as an individual.

We train by time, because it’s what we have to work with.

One of the main reasons training by time works better for most athletes is because that’s the main commodity we have available. You don’t have 20 miles until you need to be at work, or 5 miles before you need to pick up your kid. You have 2 hours available.

That’s why, practically speaking, basing your training off time instead of miles makes the most sense.

If you’re training for a sprint or Olympic distance triathlon, training by miles can work. But when you start increasing the distance up to 70.3 and Ironman, this is really where the disparity between time and miles becomes much more obvious.

Let’s consider another example. This time, Athlete A and Athlete B are training for a full Ironman!

• Athlete A averages 8:00/mile

• Athlete B averages 12:00/mile

Both athletes have a 12-mile run:

• Athlete A will complete it in 1:36

• Athlete B will complete it in 2:24

So, Athlete B is running 48 minutes longer simply because the workout was prescribed by distance. Is that helping Athlete B to get any better at running? Probably not, and there’s a much higher risk of injury and unnecessary fatigue.

The argument might be, “Well, they have to run longer than that during the race, so they’d better get used to it.”

I would counter that by saying we’re talking about two very different things— the race and the training. The race is a one-time event. The training is a repeated stacking of sessions and accumulation of fatigue over months. At a certain point (around 2 hours for most athletes) the additional time spent on your feet creates more fatigue than training benefit. If it takes too long to recover from a single training run, you can’t do the rest of your training as intended. It actually sets you back.

Now, let’s flip it to time-based training.

Let’s say both athletes have a 2-hour run.

• Athlete A at 8:00/mile → 15 miles

• Athlete B at 12:00/mile → 10 miles

Both athletes get the same two-hour training stimulus, but their mileage is appropriately different. Athlete A doesn’t get a fitness boost because she ran 5 more miles, and Athlete B isn’t less prepared because she ran 10. They both spent 2 hours running.

But that pesky arguer is back- “How is Athlete B prepared to run a marathon if her longest run is 10 miles?”

I would respond by saying that we’re talking about an Ironman marathon, not a marathon. Same mileage, but the execution will look completely different. Also, where do you draw the line? Is she more prepared if she ran 15 miles, 20 miles, etc?

Most people will say 20 miles (Why? because it’s what many mile-based plans top out at). But for an athlete who runs a 12:00/mile, it will take them 4 hours to run 20 miles. That’s ridiculous and a recipe for disaster. One 4-hour training run is not what prepares you to run the marathon at the end of an Ironman. It’s what makes so you exhausted and depleted that you show up to your race empty, if you’re lucky enough not to get injured first.

An athlete needs to be trained to be able to cover the distance, not to actually cover the distance. By that account, we’d be doing 140.6 miles every weekend, and that’s racing, not training.

Triathlon training isn’t rocket science

I started to read a blog post the other day about triathlon training, and my eyes immediately glazed over at the complex training blocks, values, and terms. It was enough to make my head spin.

Here’s a secret. Triathlon training isn’t rocket science. You need to do each sport several times a week. Sometimes, you should do very hard things. Sometimes, you should do easy things. Sometimes, you work on technique and drills. Sometimes, you do strength. Always practice nutrition. That’s it, in a nutshell.

Let’s look at an example schedule to see what this might look like.

• Monday- Swim + mobility

• Tuesday- Brick workout (bike + short run)

• Wednesday- Swim + stand alone run

• Thursday- Brick workout (bike + short run)

• Friday- Swim + strength

• Saturday- Long bike ride + run

• Sunday- Long run

That’s pretty standard for most people, because the weekend is typically the time when we have the most availability to train. But if you happen to have Monday and Tuesday off instead, simply move your long bike and run to those days. Figure out what works best for you.

This standard schedule works for any distance of triathlon— whether you’re doing a sprint or an Ironman. The difference will be the length of the workouts and what happens inside each session.

To show you what that might look like in time, instead of miles, let’s look at one of my training weeks.

• Monday- 3,100y swim (49 min.) + 20 min. mobility

• Tuesday- 13 min. activation, 1:12 bike, 20 min. run

• Wednesday- 3,650y swim (59 min), 14 min. activation, 1:00 run

• Thursday- 13 min. activation, 1:41 bike, 1:00 run

• Friday- 4,100y swim (1:07), 34 min. strength

• Saturday- 16 min activation, 3:28 bike, 30 min. run

• Sunday- 17 min. activation, 1:31 run

Training hours per day: 1:30-2:30 hours

Total hours: 15.6 hours

As you can see, this isn’t based off miles. You don’t know that I rode 61 miles unless I told you. But this is what my body knows— we trained for 15.6 hours that week.

So, if you’re just starting your triathlon training journey, or you’ve been doing it for a while, I would encourage you to give this a try. If you’re an athlete who focuses a bit too much on speed and pace, and judges your workout execution that way, this strategy will help you learn to let go of that a bit.

If you want to give this a try, I suggest looking for a coach or training plan based on time instead of miles. It’s a more modern and thoughtful approach to training smarter, not harder.

Now, none of this takes into account your background in the sport, your strengths, weaknesses, and what distance you’re training for. Then, there’s the process of building a foundation, learning new skills, increasing in mileage, and tapering, which gets more complicated…

That’s why it’s a good idea to get some help.

Here’s what I know. A cookie-cutter plan you download off the internet may get you through, but if you want to do the best you can, hire a coach.

This is where I’m going to plug my own coaches, because I think they’re the best at truly personalized training that fits each individual athlete. They provide individual coaching, training plans, and team membership so you can pick what fits your budget and needs the best.

Trimarni- Marni and Karel

That’s about it for today.

I came up with the idea for this post while doing my workout today. I had an 18 min. activation, 1:32 bike, and 15 min. run. After calculating how much time I would need to get all this done before work and appointments later today, I realized… maybe this could help someone else.

So, here we are. I hopes this helps you.

If you want more content like this, subscribe to Triple Threat Life. We have free and paid options, group discounts, and gift subscriptions. I love you all, but paid subscribers get special kudos, because they help me continue the work of researching, writing, and funding this resource for all athletes.

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Happy training,

Brittany

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If you watched the Tour de France this year, you might have seen some of the pros wearing cool, custom-painted cycling shoes, like this pair Matteo Vercher wore featuring Smurfs!

Custom-painted shoes are such a fun way to express your personality, but is this something that only the pros get to have? No!

Believe it or not, this is something you can do yourself, as long as you have the right tools and understand the process. So today, I thought we’d do something a bit different and go through a fun DIY tutorial on how to paint your own cycling or running shoes.

Let’s get started!

Materials you’ll need:

• pair of cycling or running shoes (I prefer to work on new shoes)

• Angelus Direct leather paint

• Liquid Kicks topcoat

• fine grit sandpaper (600-800)

• different sized paintbrushes (I like Velvet Touch Princeton brushes)

• acetone or Angelus leather deglazer

• paper towels

• small Tupperware to use as a paint palette

• small container for water

• creativity, inspiration, and patience!

How to paint your own cycling or running shoes

In addition to being a writer, I’m also an artist, and in my spare time (which is not a lot!) I’ve painted cycling shoes, running shoes, and hats. I even painted a pair of shoes for mine and Matt’s wedding! (photos on this later).

My most recent project was a pair of cycling shoes for my coach, Marni. Her husband Karel, and I collaborated on a project to surprise her with a pair of shoes to honor her beloved dogs. He supplied the shoes (Fizik Tempos Deco Carbon) and I did the art!

The first step in this process was to gather inspiration. My plan was to paint her dog, Sunny, on one shoe and her logo on the other. But, Karel thought she would like to have her late dog, Campy, featured as well, so we were going for two doggy portraits.

Now, what to do on the insole… Even though this portion doesn’t show as much, I wanted to use this area to incorporate some color. My husband Matt had a great idea to use some type of imagery that represented their names. I found a sun design that I thought would work great to represent “Sunny” and then came up with a tent with trees to represent “Campy.”

Next, I sketched the design onto a piece of paper. I like to draw a rough outline of the shoe and sketch my design on it to create a mock-up. This helps with placement of the art, sizing, and to make sure the design looks cohesive. (Honestly, coming up with the design is the part of the process that takes the most time, for me personally.)

At this point, I decided that we needed an additional element to bring it all together. Marni loves pink, so I added a pink leash that looped around the shoe for a pop of color.

The next step is to prep the shoes for paint. *This is the most important step that you cannot skip. All cycling shoes come with a factory coating. You need to remove this coating so the paint will stick properly.

Put a bit of Angelus Leather Deglazer on a cotton ball and wipe it over the shoe’s surface to remove the factory coating. You can also use plain acetone in a pinch, but it can be more harsh, so be light and test in an inconspicuous area first. All we’re trying to do is remove the shiny coating on top.

Next, I use some fine grit sandpaper (600-800) to sand the surface of the shoe slightly. This helps to rough up the material just a bit so it accepts the paint better. Then, wipe off any dust with a damp paper towel, and you’re done with the prep work! Now, you can start painting freehand or sketch a rough outline onto the shoe with a pencil so you have marks to follow.

The paint you use matters; you can’t use regular acrylic paint. It needs to be paint specifically made to adhere to leather or composite materials. I use Angelus Direct, which is what’s used to customize many of the shoes you see worn by players in the NFL and NBA. You can get every color under the sun, including speciality paints with pastel, neon, and glitter finishes. Angelus also has a great website with lots of tutorials if you need more guidance on painting other materials like fabric, vinyl, canvas, etc.

When painting shoes, there are a few techniques I recommend. First, start with the lighter colors first and layers darker colors on top. Also, think about whether you’re right-handed or left-handed and paint your shoe in a way that you aren’t dragging your hand over top of the wet paint. (Right-handed, start on the far left of the surface and paint to the right. Left-handed, start on the far right of the shoe and paint to the left.)

Paint in thin, even coats and let each coat dry for 15-20 minutes before you place another coat on top.

TIP: Remember, proper surface prep and painting in thin coats is key. This ensures you get a smooth finish that will hold up well over time, even in high flex areas without cracking or peeling.

I like to set up a station with my shoes, a towel to prop up the shoes, pots of paint, paintbrushes, small container of water, and a paper towel. You can mix Angelus paints just like regular paint to create an unlimited variety of colors. When painting, you will likely need to add a bit of water with your paintbrush in order to mix the paint and thin it out a bit so it goes on smoothly.

I like to use a small, plastic Tupperware container to mix my paints. I pour paint inside and use the lid as my mixing palette. Then, I can put the top back on when I’m finished to save any unused paint for later.

Good quality paintbrushes are also important. I love Velvet Touch Princeton brushes you can get on Amazon or at Hobby Lobby. Get a variety of different sizes— some medium-sized ones for more coverage, one with a hard edge for straight lines, and small, detail brushes.

Once you’re done painting, let the shoes dry completely for 24-48 hours. Then, you can put on a topcoat. I like the Liquid Kicks topcoat. They have many different finishes ranging from matte to glossy. I prefer matte, because I think the surface looks so smooth and professional, and the design becomes part of the shoe itself.

Use a thicker brush to paint a thin topcoat over the entire design. Then, let it dry for 15-20 minutes before you put on another coat. I do four coats, which is probably a bit excessive, but I like to make sure the art is protected, because we’re going to be riding bikes while wearing these shoes! I let the shoes cure completely for 48 hours at least before using them. At this point, the shoes are protected, and unless you damage the leather itself, that paint isn’t coming off.

I painted my own shoes, and I sweat in them, wash them, put them on the shoe dryer, and they look just as good as when I painted them four years ago.

How long does this process take? It depends on the complexity of the design. This particular pair of shoes took me 20 hours from start to finish, spread out over a few weeks, because I paint for a few hours at night or on the weekend.

And here’s the finished product!

Now, let’s recap the steps so you can paint your own shoes.

DIY Shoe Painting Steps:

1. Gather equipment and materials.

2. Find design inspiration and sketch a mock-up on paper.

3. Prep the shoes with acetone or deglazer.

4. Use fine grit sandpaper to rough the surface slightly. Wipe off dust.

5. Sketch the design on the shoe with a pencil.

6. Paint in multiple, thin coats allowing paint to dry between each coat.

7. Let dry for 24-48 hours and seal with a topcoat.

8. Let dry completely before wearing.

Remember when I said that you can paint on running shoes as well? You can, and there’s actually less prep work involved. If your running shoe is fabric-based, it’s not really necessary to use deglazer. And don’t use sandpaper on fabric for obvious reasons.

The only thing to keep in mind when painting on fabric is that applying paint to mesh fabric with tiny holes is a bit different than painting on a solid surface. It’s harder to achieve a super crisp line. Also, I don’t paint on foam, the sole, or plastic parts of the shoe, because it won’t hold up well over time.

Need a little inspiration? Here’s a few projects I’ve done over the years using this process!

I painted this hat when I went to the 2021 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah. I loved the red rock mountains. Check out the teeny, tiny cyclists on the road!

I used a similar method to paint these running shoes for the 70.3 World Championship as well. These shoes were completely gray, so it was quite a transformation with the bright blue body, sunset fade in the script, World Championship logo, red rock mountains, and yellow strip at the bottom. (Notice I didn’t paint on the foam bottom or plastic upper by the laces.)

These are my own cycling shoes, and it’s going to be really hard to top these, because I love them so much! (Trying to come up with a design for my next pair…)

This was my first experiment painting shoes. I still have these in my closet.

I painted these as a race giveaway for a triathlon. The winner got to pick the design. I do not like, nor recommended painting on black base. It takes a lot of coats.

My very first time painting shoes. This was an older pair that was just a test project.

I painted this pop art version for a friend of mine.

And you can paint more than cycling and running shoes. I painted this pair of Pumas for Matt when he worked as the team doctor for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The guys loved them!

And yes, I painted a pair of Hokas to wear at our wedding. It was outdoors, and I wanted to be comfortable, so there was no way I was wearing heels. Now, I get to wear them running errands and stuff, which is fun.

And before you say- “Brittany, I don’t know how to draw or paint!” Please hear this. Everyone can draw and paint. All you need is some simple instruction and patience. It’s just like training for a triathlon. You probably weren’t very good at swimming, cycling, or running when you first started, were you? You need to learn proper technique and practice. That is it.

Tip for making art: When we draw, don’t think “I want to draw a dog and this is what I think a dog looks like.” Look at an actual photo and break it down into shapes. Don’t draw the dog. Draw the shapes you see. Try flipping the photo upside down and draw it that way to break yourself out of the habit. Pay attention to the negative space and how the shapes relate to each other. It’s the same with painting. Don’t paint an ocean blue, because you think an ocean is blue. Actually look at the colors. You will probably see some blue, turquoise, purple, green, and white in there too.

Well, I think that’s about it. If you’re new here, this is a bit different than what we typically do, but I thought it would be something fun!

Let me know if you have any questions about the process. Drop your comments below or reply to this email.

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Part of what makes triathlon so intimidating is there’s a lot of different parts and pieces. You can’t just lace up your running shoes, pin on a bib, and race like you would at a 5K.

Because triathlon consists of three different sports in one (swim, bike, run) you need a lot of gear. As the distance of the race increases, so does the logistics involved. It can all be a bit complicated…

Never fear! I’m here to walk you through how to pack gear bags for each distance of triathlon. A sprint will be a bit different than an Ironman, so we have sections below for both short-course and long-course triathlon.

In this post, we’ll cover:

• How to pack triathlon gear bags for different distances (sprint to Ironman)

• What to put inside your gear bags

• Where to find your gear bags on course

• *Plus, you get my Triathlon Packing List as a gift :)

Let’s get started!

Packing for a Short-Course Triathlon (Sprint or Olympic)

One of the main differences between a short-course triathlon and a long-course triathlon is that you don’t technically use “gear bags” for a sprint or Olympic. For this distance, you typically show up on race morning with all your gear in a backpack. Once you’ve checked in and received your timing chip and race number, you head over to transition to rack your bike. Sometimes, you have specific spots assigned by race number and other times it’s dealer’s-choice.

You’ll put your bottles of nutrition on your bike and place all of your gear underneath the rear wheel. (To learn how to set up your transition area with a helpful video, click here.)

But what exactly are you bringing to the race? Well, you need everything for swim, bike, and run, along with nutrition, any tech you might have, and a few important extras. Here’s a simplified list:

Swim:

• tri-suit

• goggles (2 pairs)

• wet suit/swim skin

• ear plugs (if used)

• swim cap (may be provided)

Bike:

• bike

• cycling shoes

• socks

• sunglasses

• helmet

• flat kit

Run:

• running shoes

• race belt

• hat/visor

• watch

Supplies:

• bike pump

• heart rate strap

• bike computer

• ID and USAT card

• water bottles

• nutrition

• change of clothes

• body glide

• safety pins/zip tie/electrical tape (in case of emergency repairs)

• towel

You can download a PDF version of this list below to keep for easy access.

Triathlon Packing List

214KB ∙ PDF file

Download

This is the actual list Matt and I use!

Download

Gear Bags For Long-Course Triathlon (70.3 & Ironman)

Besides the distance, the main reason long-course racing is more complex is because of the logistics involved. Because you will be covering 70.3 or 140.6 miles, there’s more planning and prep work to do.

Don’t worry. It might seem intimidating at first, but once you understand the basics, and get a few helpful tips, it’s pretty simple. The key is organization.

The procedure is slightly different whether you’re doing a 70.3 or a full IRONMAN, so we’ll talk about both.

All IRONMAN races employ the use of gear bags in some capacity. You will receive these bags during athlete check-in. At most 70.3 races, you only have a white morning clothes bag and will set up the rest of your bike and run gear underneath your rear wheel in one centrally-located transition area.

The white morning clothes bag is where you will put items like the hoodie you wore on race morning, glasses, a pair of shoes, or a water bottle— anything you need to drop off before the swim start and want delivered to the finish line.

However, if your race has a split transition, where T1 (swim to bike) and T2 (bike to run) are located in different places, you’ll also use a blue bike bag and a red run bag to store your gear. This is because you’ll be moving from point-to-point on the way to the finish line and not returning to a single transition.

Learn how to do a triathlon with a split transition here: How to do a Triathlon With Split Transitions

When you get up to the full IRONMAN distance, you have those three bags, plus two more for special needs!

• White morning clothes bag

• Blue bike bag

• Red run bag

• Orange special needs bike bag

• Black special needs run bag

TIP: Notice how the colors match the names of the bags. Blue is for bike and red is for run.

What’s special needs in an IRONMAN Triathlon?

We’ve already covered the white morning clothes bag that’s commonly used at both 70.3 and 140.6 triathlons. It’s where you put your hoodie, shoes, and water bottle that you took with you to the swim start. The blue bike bag and red run bag are pretty self-explanatory. They hold your cycling and run gear for those parts of the race and are accessed in T1 and T2, respectively.

Where you find these bags depends entirely on the race. I’ve done races where all gear bags hang on a large rack at the entrance to transition. I’ve also done races where gear bags lay in piles on the ground separated by number ranges. I’ve even done races where gear bags hang on the transition rack right next to your bike. You can find out where gear bags will be located at your race by looking at the Athlete Guide.

So, what’s special needs?

It’s a section at the halfway point of the bike in a full IRONMAN (around 56 miles) and the halfway point on the run (around 13.1 miles) where you can access additional personal items. Here’s how it works. You drop off these special needs bags (bike and run) the morning of the race, and they will be taken out on course.

As you approach the halfway point of the bike ride, you will see an area labelled as special needs that’s manned with volunteers. Typically, you shout out your bib number as you approach, and that information will be relayed to a volunteer who will get your bag and deliver it to you by the roadside.

Some people worry about the efficiency of the process, but every time I’ve done an IRONMAN they got my bag to me in 30 seconds or less! Simply take what you need out of your bag, and then get back on your way. It’s the same process with special needs on the run.

Important note: Unlike your morning clothes bag, bike bag, and run bag that are returned to you at the finish line, special needs bags are typically not returned. So, know that if you leave an item behind, you likely won’t see it again.

What do you put in IRONMAN gear bags?

Now that you know what each bag is for, and how to find them, you’re probably wondering what to put inside these bags.

White morning clothes bag

Think of the morning clothes bag as a “swim bag.” You can put your swim cap, goggles, wetsuit, and Body Glide inside this bag so you can transport your gear to the swim start. We also bring a bottle of carbs and a gel that we take 15 minutes prior to the start of the race.

Once you’ve changed into your wetsuit, put your morning clothes, bottle, shoes, etc. into the bag and drop it off at a designated area by the swim start. These bags are then taken to the finish line.

TIP: You can’t put large items in this bag, like a bike pump or a backpack. Those items will have to be left with a spectator.

Blue bike bag

The blue bike bag holds everything you will need for the cycling portion of the race, like a helmet, cycling shoes, socks, sunglasses, etc. Some athletes will wear a tri suit for the entirety of an IRONMAN, while others prefer to put on cycling gear for the bike ride. This is where you’d put your cycling bibs, jersey, and chamois cream. Some people also include sunscreen in this bag, although it’s typically available in changing tents as well.

NOTE: For athletes who do a flying mount and keep their shoes attached to pedals, check to see if it’s allowed at your race. Some races don’t allow flying mounts for athlete and volunteer safety, typically if bike catching volunteers are used in T2.

After the swim, you change into your bike gear and put your swim gear back in the bag. Then, you drop this bag off in the designated area before you get on your bike.

Red run bag

This bag holds all of the gear you will need for the marathon. This includes items like running shoes, race belt, hat, sunglasses, nutrition, etc. I also put an inhaler in this bag, so I can use it before the marathon.

After you dismount your bike, you’ll grab your run bag and go into the changing tent. (There are different tents for men and women.) After changing out of your cycling gear and into your run gear, you’ll put your bike gear back into this bag and drop it off in a designated area before starting the run.

Again, some athletes wear a tri suit for the entirety of an IRONMAN, while others change into running shorts and tank for the marathon. It’s entirely personal preference. Think about what will make you most comfortable and able to run your best. Also, consider whether your race has a freshwater or saltwater swim, because that residual salt can dry and cause chafing later in the day.

TIP: If you use a run belt for the marathon, put a small baggie with extra carb mix for your run bottle, gels, and some type of antacid in case of stomach upset.

Before we move on to the special needs bags, let’s pause for a moment to talk about what you do with these bags after you pack them. You’ll bring the morning clothes bag with you on race morning, but the bike and run bags are dropped in a designated area the day before the race.

Because the special needs bags we’ll talk about next often contain nutrition, they’re dropped off on race morning.

Orange special needs bike bag

(Note, the actual color of this bag may change depending on the race.)

You’ll be able to access this bag around the halfway point of the 112-mile bike course, so think about what you might want at that time. Because I carry my own nutrition, I put extra carb bottles in this bag. I use three bottles for the first half of the bike, and then swap them out for three new bottles for the second half.

Consider what the weather will be like at your race. If it’s going to be a very hot day, many people just put powder inside their special needs bottles and fill them up with cold water at the next aid station. You can follow this procedure during the bike and the run.

You might also put a spare tube and extra Co2 cartridge in this bag. Although you need to carry a flat kit on your bike, it’s nice to have extra security. You might also put a small tube of chamois cream in this bag and some extra gels.

Keep in mind that special needs bags will not be returned at the end of the race, so you’re sacrificing any items you choose to leave behind.

Black special needs run bag

(Note, the actual color of this bag may change depending on the race.)

You’ll be able to access this bag at the halfway point of the run. What goes in this bag? You might include nutrition like gels, salt tabs, and a small bag of carb mix for your run bottle.

If it’s a cold race, you might include a dry shirt, chapstick, or a pair of gloves. If you’re expecting to finish after dark, you might even add a headlamp to this bag. Although, IRONMAN races are typically well-lit.

Some people even include a special treat in this bag— like some Skittles or gummies, as a fun boost for the latter stages of the marathon.

Remember, unlike your main blue bike bag and red run bag, these special needs bags will not be returned to you, so don’t leave anything behind that you want to keep.

Gear Bag Recap

Let’s recap:

For a sprint or Olympic distance triathlon, you typically bring all your gear in a backpack on race morning and set it up underneath your bike.

For a 70.3 triathlon with a single transition area, you will use:

• White morning clothes bag

For a 70.3 triathlon with a split transition (where T1 and T2 are in different places) you will use:

• White morning clothes bag

• Blue bike bag

• Red run bag

For a full IRONMAN, you will use:

• White morning clothes bag

• Blue bike bag

• Red run bag

• Orange special needs bike bag

• Black special needs run bag

I hope this post has helped you better understand what triathlon gear bags are for, where to find them on course, and what to put inside them.

Getting ready for a 70.3 or IRONMAN can be intimidating. That’s why I created an Ironman and 70.3 Guide For Beginners. It includes everything you need to know about training, skills to learn, nutrition, pacing, mindset, rules, and more. Check it out here.

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Ah, the triathlon swim…

For most new (and even veteran) athletes, this is the part of a triathlon that’s the most intimidating, nerve-wracking, terror-inducing, (insert-your-emotion-here).

If I had $1 for every person who’s ever told me, “I would do a triathlon if I didn’t have to swim,” I would be a very wealthy person indeed.

Most new triathletes worry about making the time cut-off, about contact with other athletes, about cold water, dark water, waves, going off course, or what lurks beneath the surface…

These concerns stem from two places:

• fear of the unknown

• lack of confidence in your abilities

If you don’t have experience with open water swimming, it’s understandable that it might be frightening. If you’re not confident in your ability to swim in the pool, it makes sense that you’re not thrilled about jumping into a lake, river, or ocean.

I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be this way.

Thousands of people, just like you, complete triathlons of all distances— from sprint to Ironman— every month, and they aren’t great swimmers either. What they are is committed.

1. They’re committed to learning proper technique and practicing on a regular basis.

2. They’re committed to consistency. (You need to swim at least 3 x a week. Sorry.)

3. They’re committed to stepping out of their comfort zone and trying something scary.

You might not ever love open water swimming (like I do) and that’s ok. But you can learn how to stay calm and swim efficiently, so it doesn’t negatively impact the rest of your race.

The first step is this process is obtaining information— learning how the swim is set up, what you will encounter, what you can do and can’t do. It’s all important to help you feel more confident.

That’s what today’s video is all about. It’s a visual guide to the triathlon swim, and while I focus on specifics for Ironman races, most of the things I reference (with the exception of water temperature ranges) will be similar for short-course triathlons as well.

In the video below, we cover temperatures for wetsuit use, how to sight for buoys, wetsuit vs swim skin, how open water swimming is different than pool swimming, common mistakes athletes make, and my tips to stay calm and in control.

So grab your pencil, and let’s go to Triathlon University!

If you can’t view the embedded video, click here to watch on our private members YouTube channel.

*Enjoyed this video? Paid subscribers get access to more videos just like this in the Video Vault. The Vault contains 80+ tutorials on swim, bike, run, transition, nutrition, mindset, and race prep to make triathlon easier to understand. Join the TTL Club today for instant access and more great benefits.

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For a more in-depth look into open water swimming with specific techniques to learn, check out our free guide:

🏊🏻 Complete Beginners Guide to the Triathlon Swim

If you know someone who’s getting ready for a triathlon, please send this video to them!

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So, I broke my own rule in the title…

Words are very powerful. If we’re not careful, we start believing the things we say about ourselves (which are almost always not true).

• If you don’t think you’re a good swimmer, you start believing that’s just the way it is and don’t dedicate the time to training and drills, because why bother?

• If you think the run is your weakest leg, then you don’t have confidence in your abilities and you’re mentally out of the game before you even leave T2.

• If you’re an athlete who struggles with nerves before a race, you might say you “have anxiety.”

For this last one, I would urge you to reframe those words. You’re not an athlete “with anxiety” and you don’t “have anxiety.” Let’s not take this on ourselves and adopt it as part of our personal identity.

Instead, you’re just an athlete who “has anxious feelings.” Feelings come and go; they’re malleable and ever-changing. By the same token, you also have excited feelings, sad feelings, and happy feelings. When you adopt this approach, it creates a sense psychological distance between yourself and your feelings, making them easier to control.

Your emotions don’t make up your personality. They’re simply things you feel.

So, the title for this post probably should’ve been 4-Step Foolproof Strategy to Conquer Pre-Race Nerves (From Someone With Anxious Feelings). But that doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, does it?

If you’re new here, I should probably share a bit about my background in sports, so you can decide for yourself whether I actually know what I’m talking about (when it comes to conquering nerves, that is.)

I’ve been an athlete my entire life. I did soccer, softball, karate, tennis, and cheerleading as a child. In high school and college, I competed nationally showing horses, winning 6 World Championship titles, 5 Reserve titles, and was the number one rider in the country in 2004.

Once I graduated college and needed to fund my own athletic ambitions with a job, I started going to the gym (boring), which led to running (hard, but less boring), which led to being invited to a triathlon club meeting, and here we are!

For the past eight years, my husband Matt, and I have focused on triathlon. We’ve completed 12 70.3 triathlons, 2 Ironman, and qualified for the 70.3 World Championship four times.

I’m telling you all this to show a progression and illustrate a comparison. I know what it’s like to compete at an elite level in one sport and to be a complete beginner in another. When I started triathlon, I didn’t know how to swim freestyle, I could sort of ride a bike, and I didn’t know how to run.

It takes time, but with consistent training, practicing skills, and dedication, you learn these things. But what many people don’t have experience with, and never learn, is how to navigate the mental side of sports, especially in high stakes, high pressure situations.

Imagine this:

• You enter an arena, solo, riding a 1,500 lb. animal. There are hundreds of people watching, and it’s so quiet you can hear a pin drop. If you do what you know how to do— what you’ve practiced millions of time, you win a World Championship. Make one mistake and you’re done. Thank you, come again. Try next year.

High stakes = High pressure

• Standing on the start line, knowing you have mere seconds before the timer beeps and you jump in the unforgiving and unknown open water to swim with thousands of other athletes.

High stakes = High pressure

You could come up with countless other scenarios: trying to qualify for a World Championship, getting a podium finish, a PR, an age group win, crossing the finish line, tackling a new distance, reaching your own expectations, etc.

Anytime you stand on the start line— whether it’s a running race, a triathlon, or some other feat of endurance-related insanity, you will feel nerves. If you don’t, I’d question why you’re doing it in the first place.

Nerves indicate you have a stake in what’s about to happen. You feel nervous, because the outcome is unknown. Nerves mean- “I’m excited, scared, worried, slightly freaking out, and I really want this to go well.” There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s completely normal. But when pre-race nerves become so crippling that they destroy confidence, contribute to physical sickness, and cause you to dread standing on the start line, that’s a problem.

So, how do you deal with pre-race nerves?

A common suggestion is to reframe nerves as feelings of excitement. You’re not nervous; you’re simply excited and your body is preparing to compete. The tiny, angry gremlins in your stomach are in fact glorious butterflies.

That’s a good start, but in order for this to be successful, you must convince yourself that it’s true— that you’re simply excited and not nervous. And if you could convince yourself not to be nervous, you would do that and probably wouldn’t be reading this newsletter. ;)

In order to overcome nerves before a competition, you’re going to need a combination of mental and physiological strategies. One without the other simply isn’t going to work.

There’s a 4-step process I use to conquer pre-race nerves. These are actual strategies I use before every race, and I want to share them with you.

Let’s get started.

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Since you guys enjoyed this the last time we did it for 70.3 Chattanooga, we’re back with race photos from 70.3 Calgary!

I love race photos (and not just because I’m a photographer). I love that a split second can capture a moment in time.

Simply look at a photo from a few years ago, and it all comes rushing back- the sights and sounds, what the weather was like, and the emotions you felt.

We all experience good and bad races— that’s just part of being an athlete. But it’s important to celebrate both.

The good races fill you with joy and confidence, reminding you why you love the sport. The bad races remind you that you’re just human and still have room to learn and grow.

What follows is a selection of our favorite photos from Ironman 70.3 Calgary with commentary about what we were thinking at the time…

Enjoy!

This was a truly bizarre race start. Unlike most Ironman races that have athletes line up into swim waves based on your predicted swim time, 70.3 Calgary adopted a more laissez-faire approach. (I suppose this makes sense considering we were in Canada, Bonjour!)

Instead, we all gathered together in a giant mass of humanity and huddled by the start line awaiting instructions. I was kind of surprised that they didn’t play the national anthem either, but we listened to the melodic tunes of a guy playing bagpipes while wearing a kilt, so that’s something…

Yay! Matt and I lined up together, right next to a guy who looks like he’s getting ready to sprint on the track. Also, why is the timing assistant wearing an Asian conical hat?… Sun protection is important, but still it’s an eclectic choice.

Matt started the swim first, and as per his water entry style, he likes to walk into waist deep water before starting to swim. This is contrasted by those who run in aggressively and those who launch themselves across the surface of the water. Whatever floats your boat.

If I had to guess, he’s probably thinking. “Ok lunatic, dive into knee deep water on the rocks. Have fun with that.”

I started right after Matt, and I’m pretty sure we’re all thinking at this point- “So, do we just start or what?” We realized pretty quickly that it was a free-for-all and off we went.

Dude, seriously. The water is up to your shins, and you’re diving onto rocks. Chill. In contrast, because I value my brain, I chose the jog/squat/half-dive combo.

After a successful swim, Matt exits the water. His fastest swim yet, I think! Apparently, this is what he was thinking…

“Ok, so Brittany and I were swimming together and she started five seconds behind me, so I have to finish 5 seconds ahead of her to come out first.”

Seriously?

ANYWAYS.

Here I am coming out of the swim hoping I will see Matt in transition. This is becoming increasingly less common as Matt has worked very hard on his swim over the past few years and is getting pretty fast. Also, we had to be careful not to break our toes while running on the red carpet over the concrete boat ramp.

This is at the very start of the bike course. The lake was so pretty with the sunrise and sailboats.

The first few miles of the bike course was on a busy highway, and they asked athletes to ride far over on the shoulder. However, as you can see in the picture, there were a lot of rumble strips that made this fairly impossible unless you wanted to break your teeth, so I just stuck to the white line as best I could until we turned off the main road.

This is when we got to the prettiest part of the bike course.

Check out these beautiful yellow fields! It felt a bit like riding through sunflowers in the Tour de France. But this is Alberta, so instead of sunflowers they have canola! Millions of acres of canola fields bloom mid-July through August, so we were there at the perfect time.

Canola is a member of the rapeseed family, which also includes mustards and cabbages. After the plants produce these vibrant yellow blooms, they’re left with brown seeds that are rich in oil. The seeds are ground up, and the oil is used for cooking and high protein animal feed.

Here’s Matt riding up one of the longer climbs on the bike course. From about mile 6 to 16 was a steady, gradual uphill, but nothing too steep. There were a few punchier bits, but they were short. So, overall this was a fast bike course. I believe it was my fastest yet, although it was a bit short on mileage.

The photographer who took this picture found the perfect spot at the top of one of the climbs. I told him so as I rode by, and he chuckled.

WHEE!!! Here’s me riding super fast. I’ve been working on maintaining a better aerodynamic position, and it helped on this course because we did have a crazy tailwind for a few miles. At one point, I was going 30 mph, which was fun!

Well hello there, photographer ;) We’ve covered Matt’s set-up before, because it has a lot of unique things and everything piece of gear is purposeful. He’s wearing the Rudy Project Wingdream helmet as well as compression calf sleeves with aero trip dots from Compress Sport. On his bike, he has aero extensions from Vision to get his hands up a bit higher in front of his face, and he’s using a very light disc wheel (930g) from Boyd Cycling.

FYI: You guys get 35% off helmets and sunglasses from Rudy Project with code- triplethreatlife. Create a free account at this link. When you browse the website, discounted prices will show up automatically.

Now, here’s what I’m wearing! Both Matt and I wear custom trisuits from Castelli. I wear compression calf sleeves from Zensah to help with my blood pressure during long bike rides. I wear these calf sleeves under my wetsuit, but if the water temperature isn’t wetsuit legal, I would have to put them on in transition. In that case, I would just opt for full compression socks.

For this race, I’m wearing socks from bambu-werx that match our kit! FYI, you get 20% off bambu-werx with code: TTTL20. Something else you might have noticed is that I’m wearing long sleeves. These are cooling arm sleeves from Pearl Izumi. I wear these mostly for the run, because I can pour water over myself at aid stations, and it helps keep my core temperature down.

The last thing are my favorite photochromic lenses from Rudy Project that change tint with sunlight. I wear them everyday for everything.

*Get all our club discounts here.

I had to include one more bike picture, because I love how it looks like we’re racing in some far-off alpine destination like Switzerland. Although, Alberta is pretty far away from Florida come to think of it. This photo was taken on a small bike path that was at the end of the bike course. It was a bit twisty and turny and no-pass, which Matt didn’t love, but I thought it was fun and unique.

Ah, the run. By now, Matt is completing his first lap of the run. He’s already climbed up the massive triple-decker hill (mountain) to get to the top of the run course where you get this spectacular view of the Bow River!

On the way back, he’s got to tackle the 17%-er that gets you back to triple-decker mountain before he can make his way to the turnaround to start lap 2 and do it all over again. Yay.

Here’s what Matt was thinking on the run:

• “How is this entire run course uphilll?!”

• “Great, I’m walking the uphills and my quads stop working on the downhills, so when am I supposed to be running?”

• “I do not like this.”

Here’s me looking quite happy at the end of the first lap. I loved seeing the river and this was a slight downhill, so it’s easy to convince yourself that you feel better than you actually do.

(Yes, dear reader, that is foreshadowing.)

Here’s Matt looking considerably more wet toward the middle portion of lap 2, likely around mile 9. He still has the 17%-er to run up, the triple-decker to run down, and then a consistent uphill mile to the finish.

He looks thrilled. You do not want to know what he was thinking at this point. Just trust me.

What I was thinking on the run:

• Approaching the big hill/mountain- “Ah no, absolutely not. I opt out. Thank you for coming.”

• “I shall not run faster sir. You are standing, while holding a sign. Shush.”

• “What is 20K? What does that even mean?! Someone help, I’m American! Seriously, if a half marathon isn’t 21K, I’m calling it right here.”

I do not remember making this face! This looks like it’s getting pretty steep, so I’m guessing it’s the start of the triple-decker hill/mountain. I don’t think I’m unhappy per se, just concentrating.

Yay! Matt crosses the finish line. Here’s what he was thinking.

“Thank you Lord that it’s over.”

Yay! Me finishing. I’m pointing to the one who got me through and gets me through every hard thing I do- my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The last 2 miles of the race was rough, because although the big hills were done, my stomach decided to revolt at mile 12.5 (Seriously? I’m. Almost. Done. Keep it together body!) So, I spent a minute or two on the side of the road.

No matter how a race goes, I can typically muster up enough strength to run quickly down the red carpet. This was the first time I’ve not being able to do that— just kind of jogged trying to stave off a stomach cramp, so apparently I thoroughly emptied the tank before the finish.

Matt and I have done 12 Ironman 70.3 races at this point, and we both agree that this was one of the most challenging. I thought the swim was lovely, I rode the bike course very strong, and the run was beautiful and brutally hard. Matt seconds those comments. The elevation got to us a bit, since we live practically below sea level here in Florida, but it was really fun to visit a completely new place and it was our first time in Canada.

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I talk to a lot of athletes getting ready for their first triathlon, first half marathon, first Ironman, first (insert crazy endurance event here).

Most of these conversations center around one specific question.

“How long will it take me to finish?”

Followed soon after by…

“How do I pace my effort?”

I don’t claim to know everything about pacing the perfect race, but I do know what doesn’t work, because I’ve made many mistakes in the past.

One of the biggest mistakes is something I see in 80-90% of the athletes I speak with, see on social media, and read about happening time and time again in post-race reports.

The biggest mistake athletes make is an over reliance on and obsession with metrics.

By metrics, I mean the numbers associated with physical training. This includes things like swim pace, power or speed on the bike, pace or heart rate on the run.

Let me be clear, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the metrics we use in sport. Also, I’m not advocating we train all willy-nilly with no structure, somehow trying to manifest our way into being prepared for an event.

There’s nothing wrong with the numbers themselves. The problem arises when athletes become so obsessed with the numbers that they can’t make a decision without staring at a watch or screen.

One reason this tends to happen is because the event or distance is new to an athlete, and they want something to provide guidance. But it’s more than that.

Many athletes simply interpret these numbers in the wrong way. Metrics aren’t a guide for your effort; they’re simply a reflection of the effort you’re putting forth.

Why a race plan based solely on metrics is a bad plan

Through training, we get a general idea of the effort level we can sustain to swim, bike, and run across various distances. There’s many ways to quantify this effort. We can use metrics like pace, heart rate, speed, and power.

While this data is important to establish training zones and provide a general guideline for training structure, over reliance on the numbers we see on our devices is one of the biggest mistakes most athletes make on race day.

A few months ago, a friend of mine was getting ready for her first full-distance Ironman. She’d never done a 70.3, so this race would be the longest triathlon she’d ever done (I definitely wouldn’t advise this). She asked me how she should pace the bike ride. After doing an FTP test, she learned that she should be able to hold a certain percentage of her max power for the 112-mile bike.

You might think: My Ironman bike power is 150w, so all I need to do to have the best race I can is hold 150 watts for 112 miles, right?

There are a few problems with that approach. First, you probably didn’t swim 2.4 miles before you did your FTP test. Also, you probably weren’t tapered at the time you did the test and had some training fatigue. And we haven’t even discussed the course profile yet.

With a race that takes athletes anywhere from 9 to 17 hours, there’s a lot of variability, and you never race a consistent speed throughout. There will be fluctuations based on changes in weather, course profile, and your own energy level.

If this is how you’ve approached racing in the past, don’t feel bad. It’s what most new (and some veteran) athletes do. But it isn’t the best plan, and there are many problems with this approach.

Our coach calls this “racing by spreadsheet” and that really isn’t racing at all.

A reality check about your race estimates

“I wonder how long will it take me to complete a sprint triathlon? I swim X pace, ride X mph, and run X pace, so I should finish in X time. Voila, race estimate!”

Sorry friend, that’s not exactly how it works.

Understandably, when faced with a new challenge or a new distance, athletes want to know how long it will take them to complete said event. With triathlon in particular, most athletes take the speed they typically do all three sports, add them up, and arrive at an estimated finish time.

The first problem is that people always forget about transition. Don’t forget you have to get from the swim to the bike and the bike to the run, change gear, sometimes clothes, ect.

But, most importantly, people forget to account for cumulative fatigue.

Let’s consider the big boys- 70.3 and Ironman.

You might think you’re going to hold your 70.3 power for the 56-mile ride based off a 20-minute long test you did on Zwift. But did you swim 1.2 miles before the test? Did you have to run 13.1 miles after that test?

Here’s something important to know about benchmark testing (FTP test, swim test, time trial, ect.) They’re valuable to set training zones, but even the most accurate testing in the world can’t provide you with a guaranteed number you can sustain on race day. It’s only an estimate.

And that estimate will vary depending on factors like your fatigue headed into the test, how you fueled the day before, and even your ability to take a test. Also, if you repeated the same test once a week, you would likely see different results.

For many athletes doing a long-distance triathlon, half marathon, or marathon, the only time they will encounter the total distance is on race day. Therefore, there must be some flexibility with “race predictions” and more importantly expectations.

Where metrics can be helpful and harmful

Last year, I raced 70.3 North Carolina. It was a spectacular. If you stopped me during the race and told me what pace I was running the half marathon I likely, A. wouldn’t have believed you and B. would’ve definitely slowed down. Why? Because I’d never run a half marathon off the bike that fast before.

These days, I don’t look at my watch when I run. Its job is simply to record data. I make my own decisions about whether to speed up, slow down, or hold steady based on how I’m feeling. So, I didn’t know that I ran a 5-minute run PR until I crossed the finish line.

This is where metrics can be harmful. If I’d been so intent on running my “half marathon” pace, I would’ve slowed down, despite feeling great, simply because a test or previous workout told me what I was “supposed to do.”

Having an obsession with metrics can put a ceiling over our heads. It might prevent you from achieving something that’s very much in reach simply because you’re trusting what a piece of technology, and the past, tells you instead of what you feel.

Also, keep in mind that technology does fail. (It’s happened to me!) What happens if all of a sudden you can’t see power on your bike computer or your watch stops working on the run. Are you going to stop racing?

On the other hand, you might be so obsessed with hitting a certain number that you push too hard. What if it’s a hot and humid day? Your heart rate will probably be higher. What if it’s windy on the bike or hillier than you expected? Your speed/power numbers might look higher or lower than you’re used to.

That can be a big problem, especially during longer endurance events, because you might push harder than your body is capable in the current conditions. This is poor pacing and leads to the dreaded slow-down, shuffle, limp to the finish line.

Where metrics can be helpful is with large discrepancies. For example, if your target power is 160w and you consistently see 190w, that might be a problem later on. If you’ve only ever seen 9:00 min. mile in training and you come blazing out of T2 at a 7:30, that probably isn’t going to last for long.

While it’s fun to hit your target power/speed on the bike or goal pace on the run, that isn’t the point of a race.

The point of a race is to reach the finish line, first and foremost, and to do so in the most expedient manner possible with nothing left to give at the end. There’s no prize for the athlete who hits their time goals or target paces the best.

Smart athletes train and race with data, but we aren’t governed by it. We make decisions based on the effort we feel, instead of blindly following estimates or stubbornly refusing to budge from expectations.

What to do instead: the 4-pronged approach to pacing

“But Brittannyyyy, how am I supposed to know how to pace if I’m not constantly looking at my watch?”

I’m glad you asked!

Here’s our 4-pronged approach to pacing:

• Ranges

• Percentages

• Words/Questions

• Feelings

1. Ranges

To start, think about using ranges. You can use metrics to inform these ranges, but ideally you should know what an effort level feels like for whatever distance of race you’ll be doing. For example, let’s say my target power for a sprint triathlon is 170w. I likely have some wiggle room on either end, so let’s set a range of 165-185w. I’m not hamstrung by this range, but I know that I don’t have to stay locked in on a single number the whole time. Also, if I’m going uphill I might see numbers over 200w and downhill might be under 140w, and that is perfectly fine and expected.

Setting a range is a much better way to use metrics to inform decision making, because there’s flexibility based on how your body is feeling on the day, weather conditions, course terrain, ect.

2. Percentages

My coach likes to use this one a lot. She’s not going to tell me to go out and run an 8:30 min. mile for a half marathon. That’s a number not a pacing strategy. She will say to think about a percentage, like 80% effort. One day, 80% might result in an 8:30. Another day, it might be 8:15 or even 8:45 or 9:00. Basing your pacing strategy off percentages is a much better way to ensure that you’re actually listening to your body, which will always provide a better result than trying to hit a certain number.

3. Words/Questions

I have an easy, smooth, steady, strong, and sprint effort when riding the bike. Each word describes an effort level that corresponds to a zone I might race in. For example, smooth is like full Ironman, steady to steady/strong is 70.3, strong is Olympic, ect. I can do the same while swimming. Running is a bit harder for me, but I’m getting better at it. ;)

Asking yourself questions is another great technique my coach taught me. For example, I had a tempo run with multiple intervals yesterday. To help with pacing “tempo” she said I should feel like I still have 3 more gears left. So, while running I asked myself- “Do I still have 3 more gears?” If the answer was no, I would back off a bit.

If you’re training for a 70.3, you might ask yourself, “Can I hold this pace for over an hour?” If the answer is no, you’re definitely running too fast, because nobody reading this newsletter is running 13.1 miles in under an hour! You can base the questions off whatever distance race you’re training for.

4. Feelings

Ultimately, all of these strategies help you learn how to race at a certain effort level for a given distance based on how it feels. If you took away my watch and bike computer and asked me to race a sprint, 70.3, or Ironman, I could do it, because I know what each effort level is supposed to feel like. But that’s not something that happened overnight. It’s been a process of working on this for almost two years, and still I don't always get it right.

To work on it, try this fun game on the trainer. Try to ride at your “sprint” pace, “Olympic” pace, ect. without looking at your watts on the screen. Ride for a minute or so and then check. See how accurate your feelers are. Then, practice the same thing when riding or running outside too.

Adopting a 4-pronged strategy of using ranges, percentages, words/questions, and feelings is something every athlete can do, regardless of experience level or ability. It will help the elite age grouper or pro as much as it will the average athlete or back-of-the-pack finisher.

It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you go. It’s about learning how to pace your effort and give it everything you have by the time you cross the finish line (but not before).

If you can trust the process, even when it’s different from what everyone else is doing, you will see results. This is how breakthrough performances happen.

One last thing. I know it’s easy to fall into the comparison trap as an athlete.

I don’t use Strava anymore, so here's a quick example. I had a tempo run yesterday. I ran for an hour and 7 minutes for 6.93 miles. That means my average pace was 9:48. Some might think- that’s so fast! Others might think- that’s so slow! Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, because I did the work and it’s part of a bigger plan that’s helping me grow stronger.

Keep in mind that the workouts people upload online don’t tell the whole story. For example, it’s over 90° here in Florida, and I was doing faster efforts, so I had 1 minute walk breaks throughout my workout. I walked a total of 7 minutes and 25 seconds during that run. Overall pace of your workout means nothing. The work being done inside.

You don’t need to share your data with anyone, but if you choose to do so, remember this. There will always be someone faster than you, and there will always be someone slower than you.

Most importantly, remember that your worth isn’t determined by a number, and your value isn’t dependent upon a time.

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One of the coolest things about this newsletter is that it’s not a one-sided endeavor.

Sure, I share practical triathlon tips and mindset strategies with you, but I also receive so much in return!

I get messages all the time from readers- from beginners just starting their triathlon journey and more experienced athletes looking for an extra edge. It reminds me of why triathlon is such an amazing sport. There’s always something to learn.

As you approach your own training and racing, remember this:

The most successful athletes aren’t the ones who do everything perfectly.

The most successful athletes are the ones who understand that making mistakes, learning, and growing is part of the process. Those who approach this sport with curiosity and commit to learning as much as they can will find success.

So, I thought we’d do something a bit different today and answer some of the questions I’ve received from readers! You might find the answer to a question you’ve always wondered about, but were too scared to ask (or didn’t know who to ask.)

You can ask me. I don’t claim to know everything about this sport, but after 8 years, I know enough to be dangerous. ;)

Let’s get started.

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Question #1: Can I get multiple penalties during the bike in an Ironman? Like if I do something wrong 3 times, for example like overtaking, could I get 9-10 minutes of penalties? And if like 10 people are in front of me in a line, and everyone has 6 bike lengths between one another, how do I overtake them? Do I first overtake the first one and so on, or everyone at once? That seems stressful.

Answer: An athlete can get multiple penalties, but it would be very unlikely. Technically, if an athlete were to get three similar penalties in a row, he or she could get a red card and be disqualified. However, that would be the result of blatantly not following the rules and not changing behavior after already having been warned by a referee.

Referees aren’t trying to “catch you” doing something wrong. They’re simply enforcing the rules and trying to keep athletes safe. Many times they will give a warning before issuing a penalty (not always, but often). Also, keep in mind that there’s probably two to three referees monitoring a 56 to 112-mile bike course (70.3 and full).

Simply follow the rules to the best of your ability, and you will be just fine. It’s much easier to visualize and put the drafting rules into practice when you’re out there on course. Essentially, you just ride up until you’re too close to the person in front of you (6 bike lengths) and then pass (within 25 seconds). Then, if you encounter another person, you pass them in the same manner. You can pass however many people you want at a time. Just remember that the goal is to pass on the left and move back over to the right side of the road (US.) so you don’t block any athletes coming from behind.

Question #2: My first ever Ironman 70.3 is going to be in December. I’m excited and nervous. Do you have any tips about training, especially in this heat and humidity?

Answer: 70.3 Florida is a popular race! The goal is to put yourself in situations where you can stay as cool as possible, so training in early morning (more humidity but less heat) and seeking out shade where you run.

During the summer in Florida, I use cooling sleeves, an ice hat, and a cooling neck towel, and it makes a big difference. Always carry hydration with you for every bike and run, no matter the distance! My favorite run belt is from Naked, because I can carry a 20 oz. bottle in the back, and it has space for gels, salt tabs, ect. I use this for races as well, because it has bungees for your bib number in the front.

Also, take walk breaks while running. It can be as little as 15-30 seconds every mile. This helps lower your heart rate and allows you to take in nutrition. It’s a smart strategy that enables you to run farther and faster for longer, which is crucial during a long-distance triathlon.

You can walk aid stations and grab ice (goes in your kit, hold in your hands) and pour water over your head and body. Staying wet helps you stay cool. This will be key at a hot race like 70.3 Florida. Think about it like this- the most successful athlete isn’t necessarily the one who goes fastest but the one who slows down the least.

Question #3: How do you balance wanting to go as fast as possible on the bike but also saving energy for the run? (for 70.3 triathlon)

Answer: I’d reframe the idea of trying to go as “fast as possible” on the bike, especially during a 70.3 triathlon. The goal on the bike for this distance of triathlon is to ride efficiently, manage the terrain strategically, and take in enough nutrition to set yourself up for a great run.

You’re not riding easy, but you’re not riding full gas either. Think about 70-80% effort. Imagine yourself like a cellphone battery. If you trained properly and tapered well, you might start the race close to 100%. If you use 20% in the swim and 70% on the bike, that leaves you with just 10% for the run. Not a great strategy. It’s a moderate effort that you have to practice in training.

Question #4: How long do you think it would take to train for a 70.3 if you just started your triathlon training journey?

Answer: That depends entirely on your background. If you’re coming to the sport not knowing how to swim, bike, or run at all, it could take 6-8 months to do it properly. It may take less time if you have experience in one or more disciplines. I would suggest starting out with a sprint or Olympic distance triathlon to see if you like it. That’s what Matt and I did. I raced triathlon for two years before I did my first 70.3.

After that, you can work your way up to the longer distances. There’s a big learning curve that happens when going from short course to long course, so getting the basics down and creating a good foundation is very important.

Question #5: I just did my first 70.3 in July, and I’m considering another one this September…. Is that too soon?

Answer: Not necessarily, but the question would be if you took the appropriate amount of time post-race to recover. For example, for us, it looks like one week of light, easier activity followed by one week of getting back into some structured, daily, workouts, but nothing too intense. I understand the post-race high, but we have to be smart and come down a bit after the race so we can build back up again.

One of the biggest mistakes I see athletes make is rushing back to training and racing after a full Ironman. There’s much more of a physiological cost associated with a full Ironman as opposed to a 70.3. In general, a 3-4 week period of light, aerobic, fun activity with nothing too structured is typically advised and can vary by person. Then, you actually start “training” again. I would definitely not recommend doing a 70.3 or running a marathon in the months following a full Ironman. I have seen it so much on social media lately, and it’s a horrible plan if you hope to stay injury free, avoid burnout, and stay in the sport for more than a year or so.

Question #6: What should you do with the wetsuit after you’re done with the swim?

Answer: As you exit the swim, pull your goggles up onto your forehead. Then, reach around and grab the zipper pull and unzip the suit halfway to your hips. You can jog into transition like that and remove your wetsuit at your transition area next to your bike. Some races have volunteers who will help you get out of your wetsuit, but we like to do that ourselves.

All of your gear will stay at your transition area. At some races, with a split transition (where T1 and T2 are in different places) you will put all your swim gear into a transition bag so it can be delivered to the finish line.

Question #7: This might be silly, but do you just not wear shoes when heading to the swim start?

Answer: There are no silly questions. You can just walk barefoot if it’s a short distance from transition to the swim start. At an Ironman triathlon, you can wear shoes because you will have a morning clothes bag that you can put a hoody, glasses, water bottle, ect. inside before you start the race. You drop these bags near the swim start and they will be delivered to the finish line.

Question #8: I’m planning on doing Ironman Chattanooga. Typically, do you know if it’s wetsuit legal? I’m not concerned about awards, so if it’s in the 76°- 83° window can we wear calf sleeves and a wetsuit?

Answer: It depends which Ironman triathlon you’re talking about. Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga in May tends to be wetsuit legal, although it can be just on the edge. Ironman Chattanooga in September does have a higher likelihood of being a non-wetsuit swim.

Here’s how wetsuit rules work for Ironman (2026). Wetsuits may be worn in water temperature up to and including 76.1°. If the water temperature is above 76.1, but less than or equal to 83.8°, at certain events they may allow you to use a wetsuit. But you will start in a non-competitive wave with no awards. Wetsuits are prohibited above 83.8°.

If you’re wearing a wetsuit, you can wear calf sleeves underneath it. If you’re not wearing a wetsuit, you can’t have clothing covering anywhere below the elbows or below the knees. In that case, you would need to put calf sleeves on in transition.

We always bring both options to races, wetsuit and swimskin, because you never know how the water temperature will change by race day, and you want to be prepared.

Question #9: Is there any penalty to the lead biker if they speed up when you’re trying to pass them or is there an Ironman kind of common courtesy?

Answer: I’ve done 12 70.3 triathlons and 2 Ironman, and I’ve only encountered this situation twice- where I tried to pass an athlete and that person sped up to prevent me from passing. It’s not very common. Technically, it’s also not allowed, nor very nice, but if a referee were to see that happen, and you weren’t able to pass within the 25-second requirement as a result, they would be very unlikely to give you a penalty for drafting or dropping back because you didn’t complete a pass.

I interviewed the Ironman head referee for an article and asked him this specific question. He said he doesn’t know a referee who would ever call that as a penalty. Remember that referees have understanding and use common sense when enforcing the rules. It’s not really something to worry about.

Question #10: Any tips for getting faster on the bike? I’ve done a couple of triathlons and signed up for my first Ironman 70.3 in December. I’ve been starting to add more mileage (30-40 miles) but I feel that my Apple Watch is telling me the average speed is on the slower end, which has started to make me a little nervous.

Answer: You’re correct that the Apple Watch isn’t a reliable device to use for bike speed. You can purchase a small bike computer that will mount on the front of your bike and show you things like heart rate, cadence, and speed. Garmin is popular. But honestly, I wouldn’t get too worried about speed. It’s awesome that you’re already doing 30-40-mile rides!

What you need to focus on now is being consistent. For example, riding 3 times a week (two shorter rides during the week, like an hour, and a longer ride on the weekend). Be sure to incorporate some runs off the bike (10, 15, 30 minutes) and practice your nutrition strategy for both the bike and run. Long distance triathlon is all about efficiency, taking in nutrition, and continuing to move forward. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a “fast” thing.

There are ways we can work to increase bike fitness: slow cadence, big gear work for strength, shorter race efforts (6-8 minutes) with rest in between, ect. But the main goal of the 56-mile bike is to ride around 70-80% effort, stay cool by pouring water on your body at aid stations, take in nutrition, and set yourself up to run well off the bike.

*Remember, all subscribers (that means you) get access to 1 month free on Rouvy, $40 annual nutrition credit from TheFeed, 25% off ROKA, and 20% off bambu-werx.

Get your discounts here

Book Review

I love receiving emails from athletes who have enjoyed my book! This one comes from Luis in Germany who just did his first middle-distance triathlon at Challenge Turku.

*Grab your copy of the book here. (paid subs get 25% off)

News & Notes:

1. My most recently published for Triathlete Magazine: The World’s Most Spectacular Triathlon Swim Courses.

2. Here’s an oldie but a goodie for Outside Run. The One Thing Every Female Athlete Should Ask Her Doctor.

What I’ve enjoyed reading lately:

• Didn’t Triathlon Start Out As Fun? by Mark Allen

• The 5 Why’s, by Prachi Nain

• An Exercise Program for Life, Not Instagram, by Steve Magness

3. *For paid subscribers, the replay of this month’s Club Chat: Triathlon Travel Tips is now in the Video Vault! Click here for the Video Vault link and your password (make sure you’re logged into your paid sub account to view).

If you aren’t familiar with ROKA, they’re one of our Triple Threat Life partners, which means they provide discounts (25% off) just for our subscribers. (That’s you). At ROKA you can find some of the best wetsuits, swimsuits, swim skins, goggles, and sunglasses on the market.

Here’s what Matt and I use from ROKA:

• ROKA Maverick X3 wetsuit

• ROKA Viper Pro 3 swim skin (sleeved for Matt, sleeveless for me)

• R1 goggles (Just got the R2 goggles!)

Get your 25% off ROKA discount here

Cool story, at our most recent race, 70.3 Calgary, we did an open water swim practice. That’s when I noticed I had an odd tear in the back of my wetsuit at the waist seam. This wetsuit was within their 2-year warranty period, which means any manufacturer defects, like a seam tear, are covered. So, today, they sent me a brand, new wetsuit. No cost!

That is why we use ROKA. They have the best customer service in the industry.

So far, our $50 ROKA gift card winners have included:

1. Raleigh- doing her first 70.3 at Augusta

2. Vincent- did his first full at Ironman Lake Placid

3. Nhifko- 70.3 Oregon

4. Ryan C- doing 70.3 Waco

And today’s winner is…

Toryn! According to her entry, Toryn is competing at the Dorney Lake Triathlon in the United Kingdom.

If you didn’t win this time, don’t be sad. As a subscriber, you still get 25% off ROKA, which is a lot, especially on the pricier items!

Also, we’ve got more cool surprises from ROKA coming soon… ;)

25% off ROKA discount code

Also, don’t forget that as a Triple Threat Life subscriber, you also get access to:

• $40 annual nutrition credit with The Feed

• 1 month free on Rouvy indoor cycling platform

Access discounts here

Have a great weekend of training!

See you in the next newsletter,

Brittany

Pick your plan here

We’re excited to host our monthly Club Chat this evening, Thursday, August 6th at 6 pm EST!

The topic for this month is Triathlon Travel Tips.

Over the past eight years, we’ve traveled to races all over the U.S., to states like Maine, Utah, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. We’ve also done a few international races, visiting Canada just last week and Spain last year.

We often get asked questions like:

• How do you pack your bike for flights?

• How do you find accommodations with the best location for races?

• Why kinds of workouts do you do race week?

• How do you pack everything you need for an international race?

Tonight, we’ll answer all of those questions and more!

Members of the Triple Threat Life Club can join in on a live call with Matt and I as we walk you through everything you need to know when traveling to a triathlon.

Topics include:

• How we pack our bikes for travel, tools needed, tips to replicate fit measurements.

• Airport tricks to help ensure your bike arrives safely to its destination.

• Matt’s master Airbnb tips, rental vs hotel, and amenities to look for.

• Acclimating to different time zones.

• Our race week process with favorite workouts that help us feel race ready.

• More about our experience racing at a first-year race in a new location: 70.3 Calgary

If you want to join, here’s what to do:

Step 1: Click on the link below and upgrade to a paid subscription (just $5 a month). Get access to all the cool membership benefits!

Join the Triple Threat Life Club here

Step 2: Scroll below the paywall in this post to view the Google Meet link.

Step 3: Tune in tonight (8/6) at 6 pm EST and come with questions!

If you can’t attend live, replay will be available for paid subscribers in the Video Vault.

See everyone tonight!

-Brittany

Read more

Pick your plan here

Last week, you read our post-race recap from Ironman 70.3 Calgary. Since this was our first time visiting Canada, we couldn’t go home without taking a fun side trip to Banff.

Matt and I love hiking. (In fact, we hiked 4 National Parks in Utah on our honeymoon! I need to share those incredible photos some time…) But with only two days available in Banff, we needed to pack everything in that we could.

The day after the race, we woke up at 7 am, packed the bikes into their boxes, grabbed breakfast at a local cafe, and drove an hour and a half to Banff. Matt had picked a lovely Airbnb with a great view of Mount Rundle to serve as our home-base for the next 48 hours.

(If you’ve been following along, you know that Matt is the Airbnb master! He’s found us a glass-walled cabin in Maine, a rooftop villa in Spain, and a desert condo in Utah.)

This particular townhome was located just a short walk off the main strip in Banff, which is filled with wonderful restaurants, shops, churches, and the most spectacular flowers you’ve ever seen! Matt thinks that since they get a short summer season in Alberta, the flowers have to put on a show. ;)

This race was particularly challenging, so we were still a bit tired and sore. We decided to walk downtown Banff to stretch our legs and grab lunch at Park, a restaurant and distillery with an amazing outdoor patio with a view of the mountains.

I had an Okanagan Summer Salad with peaches, tomato, cucumber, whipped feta, walnuts, and herb vinaigrette plus French fries, because I was so hungry after this race. Matt got a Beef Dip sandwich and a cream soda.

After we felt somewhat refreshed, we hopped in the car for a scenic drive on the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) through Banff National Park. This road is fairly secluded so there’s lots of opportunities for animal sightings.

Johnston Canyon

We stopped at Johnston Canyon to do a short hike to a series of waterfalls. This hike is very popular, because it’s one of the easier routes in the park. It’s a bit over 5K roundtrip, paved, and primarily flat with a few climby bits.

What makes this hike so amazing is you get to walk on elevated pathways on the canyon’s edge that are suspended above an alpine river. Wonder why this water is so incredibly turquoise? We’ll reveal the secret in the Lake Louise section…

You begin this hike on a wide trail through a lush evergreen forest. Keep an eye out for Clark’s nutcracker, giant ravens, and tiny chipmunks that skitter across the path. The Lodgepole Pine and Douglas Fir trees are large and lovely. You can actually smell the pine!

You reach the Lower Falls in just .75 mile. This is a very popular spot because you can walk through a small cave entrance to stand directly in front of the waterfall and feel the spray! We continued on 1.7 miles to the more dramatic Upper Falls.

As you get further into the canyon, you feel the air getting cooler as you walk above the rushing water below between the limestone walls. Green moss, ferns, and lichen cover the rocks, and you might be able to spot an American Dipper hunting for insects in the river if you look closely.

By the time we hiked back to the trailhead, our quads, knees, and the lovely blister I got during the race were screaming, so we opted for a quick dinner at a trailside cafe and went to bed to prepare for an early wake-up call.

Sunrise at Lake Louise

Lake Louise is one of the most iconic spots in Banff. You’ve probably seen a photo of this scenic spot even if you’ve never heard of it. What makes this glacial lake so special is its vibrant turquoise color as well as the spectacular glaciers that provide a dramatic backdrop.

There’s parking at Lake Louise, but good luck getting a spot. During the peak summer season, it often fills up by 5:30 am. Another way to get to the lake is to purchase a timed ticket for a shuttle, but those sell out months in advance. Last-minute tickets are released 48 hours prior, but you don’t need a shuttle if you’re willing to get up at 3:45 am. ;)

Upon recommendation from our transition mate at the race, we got up super early and drove to Lake Louise. It was quite cold in the morning, so we bundled up, took our head lamps, and sat along the lake’s edge with 20 or so other early birds to await the sunrise.

There’s a small cabin on the shoreline where you can rent a canoe, and their lights were on at 5:15 am, which provided a cozy wintertime feel in the pre-dawn light. Over the course of the next hour, we watched as the sun slowly rose above the clouds behind us, lighting up the lake and surrounding mountains, causing beautiful golden reflections on the water.

By sunrise, the crowd had grew to about 100 people, so we knew it was time to start the next part of our adventure- hiking to the Plain of Six Glaciers.

Plain of Six Glaciers Hike

Considering we were about 48 hours post-race at this point, the Plain of Six Glaciers was an ambitious hike. But we really wanted to do a big hike, and this 9-mile, 5 and a half hour hike up to the glaciers was definitely worth it!

The hike begins on the Lakeshore Trail, which is flat and circles Lake Louise. We stopped to take lots of pictures of wildflowers dotting the trail next to the bright blue water. The first several miles is completely flat along the lakeshore, but that just means you get more elevation in the back half…

Total elevation gain for this hike is 1,939 ft., but you gain 1,640 ft. over 2.5 miles. The hike starts at 5,689 ft. above sea level and finishes at 7,224 ft.

The first part of the hike climbs gently through the best smelling pine forest ever! We passed by a silty delta that looks like an alpine beach and saw a fast-moving river just off the trail that was coming down from the mountains. This water looked white, almost milky, but the water in Lake Louise is vibrant turquoise. Why?

As Victoria Glacier moves, it grinds the underlying bedrock into a fine powder called rock flour. As the glacier meltwater trickles down into the lake, the mineral particles remain suspended in the water. Thanks to a natural phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering, when the sunlight hits these particles, the light reflected back to our eyes appears bright blue and turquoise. That’s why the lake looks more vibrant in the summer, because there’s more glacial runoff.

One of the most interesting features of this hike are the distinctly different sections. There’s the pine forest (Matt calls this the E.T. section). Then, you start to climb up a dirt trail dotted with all kinds of colorful wildflowers. As you get higher, the trail becomes considerably more rocky, and you reach a section with switchbacks. It was about here that we spotted the fluffy butt of a porcupine waddling down the trail!

One you get high enough, you can look back down at Lake Louise and see how far you’ve come. You also get a great view of the Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise, a four-diamond, luxury, alpine resort with rates that will make your eyes water…

Then, you reach a section with a tiny, trickling waterfall, and you can see the moraine below. A moraine is an accumulation of rocks and debris that the glacier pushes along and leaves behind when it melts. We also saw large swaths of old ice with great cracks and caverns that looked like the perfect place for a bear to hide.

Speaking of bears, it’s always recommended to hike with bear spray in Banff, because there are 65 grizzly bears that live in the park, as well as Black Bears. In fact, the park is home to legendary Bear 122, known locally as “the Boss.” We stopped by a photographer’s studio who had several pictures of the Boss. This bear is responsible for most of the cubs in the area, and he’s massive.

If you’re planning to visit Banff, don’t worry about bears too much. Actual attacks are extremely rare (only 3 physical contact, non-fatal incidents in a 10-year period). Just carry bear spray, hike with a friend, and be sure to clap or sing when you’re rounding a corner to let any animals know that you’re approaching. One fun fact is that dogs are allowed on this hike, and we did see a few.

Once you get closer to the glacier, about 5.5K, you reach a very unique feature of this hike- the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House. This historic cabin was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1927 and has been operated by the same family since 1959.

The teahouse is run by three to four people at any time, and they must hike the same route up for their shift- which lasts 4 days. They also hike any garbage back down the mountain. Helicopters drop off heavier supplies like flour and sugar a few times a year. There are a number of teahouses on hikes in Banff, and I thought this was the coolest thing!

We sat on the balcony and ate a tomato vegetable soup, hummus sandwiches with lettuce and yellow peppers, and chocolate and cinnamon loaf for dessert. Matt had coffee, and I tried the apple spice tea. It was the coolest experience, and once we were fueled, we headed back on the trail toward the glacier.

Once you reach the top, the scenery changes dramatically. Trees and wildflowers are replaced by rock, massive mountains, and glacier ice. The last part of the hike is on a narrow trail with loose rock and a pretty good drop-off, so we were careful on this section. We sat for a few minutes and listened to the sounds of the glacier cracking, which is a bit like low, crunching thunder.

On our way back down the trail, we experienced an animal encounter with the cutest, Canadian, critters! Scampering across the trail was a small chipmunk that was very friendly/aggressive. Sadly, this is because people feed them (which you should never do) but it meant he put on quite a show for our pictures. He stood on his hind legs and even touched Matt’s boot before crisscrossing down the trail to look for less compliant hikers.

Matt has a great eye, and at the same time he spotted what looked like an adorable mountain mouse sitting on a rock! We later learned it’s a pika. He was the cutest, little guy with round ears and no tail. Pika love cold, alpine areas and don’t hibernate, but instead travel in tunnels under the rock and snow eating all the dried grass they’ve gathered. (If you guessed that pika was the inspiration for Pikachu, you’re right!)

By the time we reached the rocky ledge before the pine forest, our legs were definitely starting to feel this hike. On a normal day, this would’ve been a moderate hike (we saw several older groups doing just fine) but we were 48 hours post half Ironman, so a bit slower and limpier than normal.

Fun fact: We had two cool encounters on this trail. One was with a triathlete who did 70.3 Calgary that we met at the teahouse. The other was a man I stopped on the trail because he was wearing a very old Ironman hat. Apparently, it was from 2000 Kona, and he wanted to hear all about our race. It was such a cool experience.

By the time we reached the lake, it was vibrant turquoise and in full-on Disney World mode. There were people everywhere. We climbed in the car and headed to town to pick up sandwiches and coffee before our next adventure.

Sunshine Meadows Chair Lift

To close out our day, we drove to Sunshine Meadows, which is normally a skiing location but offers great hiking in the summer months. We didn’t have much climbing left in our legs, so we rode the gondola up to the Mt. Standish Chairlift which takes you up to 8,000 ft.

On the way, we had one of the coolest animal encounters of the whole trip. We saw a small herd of animals crossing the road. At first, Matt thought they were elk. Once we got closer, we realized they were big horned sheep! There was one larger male, several females, and a lot of babies- probably 20 in total. They slowly crossed the road and scrambled up the hillside.

Although we didn’t see a grizzly bear during our trip, we were excited to spot several other animals including: deer, a black bear, chipmunks, ground squirrels, porcupine, ravens, pika, and big horned sheep. Here are a few photos from my sketchbook.

Once we got to Sunshine Meadows, we rode the gondola to the chairlift and up to the very top. There, you can walk to an overlook with a deck that provides views of Laryx, Grizzly, and Rock Isle lakes. It was pretty cold and windy that afternoon, but we got amazing 360° views of the Canadian Rockies.

To cap off a very busy day, we headed to dinner at The Fat Ox for modern, alpine Italian. We enjoyed rigatoni carbonara (me), bison tagliatelle (Matt), and sticky toffee pudding on their outside patio in the cool air. After purchasing a few small gifts and souvenirs, we were ready for an early night, because we had another 3:15 am wake-up call to drive back to Calgary for our 6:15 am flight.

It was a whirlwind of a trip, but we had so much fun racing and exploring Canada. We can’t wait to go back!

Club Members: Don’t forget to join us Thursday, August 6th at 6 pm est for our Triathlon Travel webinar. If you aren’t a paid sub yet, sign up below. It’s just $5 a month and you get access to monthly webinars, over a dozen product discounts, a free Triathlon Foundations e-book, behind-the-scenes content, and our Video Vault with 80+ tutorials. We can’t wait to meet you!

Sign up here

Don’t forget: As a subscriber of Triple Threat Life, you get cool discounts:

• 1 month free on Rouvy cycling platform

• $40 annual nutrition credit at The Feed

• 25% off at ROKA

• NEW! 20% off my favorite ice hat and socks at bambu werx

Paid subscribers get access to over a dozen discounts from our partners.

Click here for your discount codes

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We hadn’t planned on doing another 70.3 triathlon this year, but the promise of cooler weather in July was simply too good to pass up.

This crazy adventure started about a month ago as I was researching races for an article about “cool” summer triathlons.

Our coach mentioned we should look for a fun race to do this summer ahead of our two half Ironman races this fall. And while she most definitely meant a sprint or Olympic, the idea of doing a triathlon in 100° in the south didn’t fill me with joy.

So, Matt said, “What about that Calgary race on your list? We could go to Canada!”

Kind of joking, but maybe not…

The weather looked perfect. The setting looked ideal. The price was right with the Canadian exchange rate, and we had free flights thanks to Delta SkyMiles, so why not?

So, we packed up our bikes and on Sunday, Matt and I raced the inaugural 70.3 Calgary (in Cochrane)! What follows is a comprehensive recap of our adventures in Canada.

Reminder: Sign up for the Triple Threat Life newsletter to receive weekly triathlon tips + mindset strategies. Free for all. Paid subscribers get cool benefits like expert webinars, access to the Video Vault, product discounts, a free e-book, and more fun stuff. And you help support this newsletter. :)

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4 days before the race

We left for this race a bit earlier than normal, simply because we had to get all the way across the country to Alberta! Day 1 consisted of three different flights that took us from Tallahassee to Atlanta to Minneapolis to Calgary. (I don’t know why I assumed we would go directly north, but we went almost as far west as you can go.) Canada is a very big place.

The days leading up to the race were busy, trying to wrap up articles before deadline, regular training sessions, and making sure two bikes and all our gear were packed for travel. This included 2 sets of newly waxed chains, 5 wheels with new sealant, new bar tape, and packing two bikes. (click here to download my packing list).

Incredibly, we managed to fit everything into two bike boxes, two suitcases, and two backpacks, and off we went to Canada!

Thanks to a lovely 2-hour time change, we arrived in Calgary at 2 pm and checked into our Airbnb on the Bow River. The trail we’d be running on during the race was right outside our door! We met our host, Guy, who informed us that since we didn’t have any friends in town, he would be happy to provide race support if needed, which was very kind.

Something interesting we realized is that the sun rises at 5:45 am this time of year in Cochrane and doesn’t set until 9:45 pm, which took some getting used to!

3 days before the race

The first item on my agenda was to build the bikes, while Matt located a safe route to ride. We headed out to Horse Creek Road for a short bike ride and run. The roads were good quality, wide, and vehicles were respectful. We saw horses, cows, and sheep on the green rolling hills that went on for miles.

Something we didn’t expect was the smoke that had rolled in from wildfires, which made it impossible to see the Rockies Mountains, or much beyond Cochrane for that matter. The smoke and the altitude (almost 4K as oppose to 200 ft. here in Florida) made running feel considerably more difficult, but the forecast indicated it would clear up some by race day.

We visited the Calgary Co-op to get groceries and saw the most incredible produce, cheese, and meats. It was amazing and so unlike our grocery stores here in the States. Thus far, everyone we had met was friendly and kind, confirming the stereotype that Canadians are pretty nice people.

48 hours before the race

70.3 Calgary has been around for a while, but this was the first year for a new location in Cochrane. Apparently, this is cowboy country, which seemed super odd for Canada, considering I lived in Texas for a large portion of my life… But the theme was reflected well in the super fun, belt buckle medals, Ironman wooden cookies, and “branding station” at the finish line. (More on that later. Yes it’s exactly what you think it is).

Something we didn’t anticipate was needing to buy an Alberta Triathlon license, which was fun (USAT doesn’t apply here). We checked in at the SLS Centre, picked up our packets, and bought t-shirts at the miniature Ironman expo. I say mini, because it was just 4 tables with shirts, considerably different than most Ironman races, but kind of refreshing.

Overall, this race felt like a little sibling to Ironman. It had the name and the main things were the same, but it definitely had a more laid back vibe of a small, local race.

We headed off to Ghost Lake for an open water swim, and the water temperature was about 60°. It was a beautiful course starting right through the middle of a collection of colorful sailboats and heading under the bridge for a loop in the main part of the lake that was surrounded by massive pine trees and bright yellow flowers.

24 hours before the race

On the schedule for today was a pre-race brick consisting of a 1-hour bike and 15-minute run. We did our usual route on Horse Creek Rd., which we would be riding during the race, and ran along the Bow River. My legs felt strong, and I was pretty calm and confident, so I was looking forward to race day with the hopes that we’d acclimated “slightly” so the run would feel a bit easier.

The day before a race, I always like to make a schedule, because it eliminates any decision-making fatigue. It helps you stay on track, ensures you don’t forget anything, and reduces stress, which is key before race day.

This was a split transition race, meaning T1 and T2 would be located in different places. This meant we’d be using gear bags, and there would be some more complex logistics on race day. The race start was at 7:00 am at Ghost Lake, but you couldn’t park there and would need to ride a shuttle. Also, T2 and the finish line was at the Ranche, so you would need to ride a shuttle and somehow get your bike back to the parking area…

Spoiler Alert: Some of this worked well, and some of it did not…

Race day!

We woke up bright and early at 3:45 am on race morning with the goal to be at the shuttle by 5:15 am. We didn’t actually get on the shuttle until 5:45 am, because the parking situation was kind of a mess, which lead to a very loooong line of athletes that stretched out to the main road.

Luckily, we’d planned for plenty of time, but I said a prayer for the athletes who were still waiting in line because there was no way they were making it to the lake for a 7:00 am race start. We knew the race would be delayed, so when they made the announcement that we weren’t starting until 7:20 am, it wasn’t a surprise. That’s why we always carry a bottle with nutrition and a gel, just in case. ;)

Swim

We set up transition, stretched, and got into our wetsuits as a vibrant, orange sunrise lit up the entire lake. Athletes were warming up in the water, which isn’t really a common thing at most Ironman races. Also, we didn’t line up in swim waves so much as a giant ball of athletes. Then, we were instructed to go in five athletes at a time while a guy wearing a kilt played a bagpipe on the shore… why?

This meant the start was a bit congested, but I was very happy that I got to swim right next to Matt! The water had warmed up considerably to 68° so our loop under the bridge and into the main part of the lake was quite pleasant.

I didn’t get into my groove until we made the turn and headed back to transition, but I was pleased with a pretty solid swim. Weather on race day was a bit odd, so it was hard to plan for what to put on in transition- 50s in the morning and 80s by the run. Ultimately, I decided to add my cooling arm sleeves as “arm warmers” and called it a day.

Bike

Despite the fact that this race was a bit smaller, the bike course was still pretty busy. I was pleased that my legs felt good right away, and I headed out on course. We started with one steady climb from mile 6-16, nothing particularly steep, just a gradual uphill the whole way to a plateau of sorts.

I was pushing good power, climbing and descending well, and I felt strong. I think I paced this bike very well, and my power didn’t drop off on the back half, so I was very happy. We had a screaming tailwind on the back section, which was so much fun, until we turned and headed right into a headwind.

Although we couldn’t see the mountains, the scenery on the course was peaceful and lovely- rolling hills and green pastureland for miles. A few locals sat on their driveways holding signs, ringing bells, and cheering us on.

An interesting feature of this course was an interior loop, which meant you doubled back and would be riding on the same portion of the course you did at the beginning. We thought this might lead to some unfortunate traffic with other athletes, but it wasn’t too bad.

The last mile or so was a no-passing zone on a winding descent through a neighborhood and bike path all the way to transition at the Ranche. Because we had to drop off our run bags at T1 with our bikes, we weren’t able to see this second transition area, which didn’t fill me with great joy, because I like to do a pre-race walk through. I had to have faith that my run bag would be there waiting for me.

Run

After grabbing my neck towel, ice hat, and run belt with bottle of nutrition, I headed out on course. I felt great right away, which might have been due to the fact that the first mile and a half was a gradual downhill to the river, but I was going with it. There were so many interesting features on this run course. First, we ran down a tiny gravel path, then a rolling trail, through a tunnel over a creek, and down a pine-tree lined dirt road.

Finally, we made it to the Bow River. We knew what awaited us on this 13.1-mile course, because we’d previewed it the day before, but the reaction as other athletes rounded the bend was hilarious. It ranged from astounded, to a few expletives, to assigned resignation, to questioning of life choices.

You see, this path isn’t really ever flat. It’s always gradually up or down. But the main elevation comes in two hills- one very long and winding and one very short and steep. Apparently Canadian for “hill” is more like Florida for “mountain,” so I was a bit unsure about doing this part of the course not once, but twice.

The first hill/mountain is a triple-decker, so you run up, walk the flat, run up, walk the flat, and run up until it’s too steep to run, and walk to the aid station at the top, which was cleverly named Hillbilly Hollow. And yes, the volunteers were all wearing cowboy hats.

The next hill is a downhill (yay!) a 17% downhill (wait, whaaaat?!) It’s really hard to run down a hill that steep, but we tried. Also, you have to “run” back up it again, but that was a problem for later in the course.

The turnaround took us all the way to the top with a spectacular view of the Bow River. It was magnificent! Then, we headed back to the big hill section. We certainly did not run up the 17%-er, more like hands-on-knees walking, which was still hard, but the first triple-decker hill was runnable. After a turnaround on the dirt path, we headed back out to do it all over again…

Now, this run course was incredibly beautiful, but if I had to make a suggestion for future races, I would take athletes further out on the trail the opposite direction and go over the two big hills once. It’s enough for the wow factor and still a big challenge, but two laps was kind of insane.

I held it together fairly well until mile 9, and then it was all I could do to limp back home the last 4 miles, with a stop to get a bit sick right before the finish. Matt said it was the hardest run course he’s ever done, and I would probably have to agree. Although, I think out of kindness my mind has blocked out most of the pain by now.

Finish

The finish line was in a beautiful setting at the Ranche under big, pine trees that provided a lot of shade. After we crossed the finish line, we picked up our medals (that you can disconnect and wear as a belt buckle), giant wet towel (amazing), and Ironman branded wooden cookie…

This race had a “branding station” at the finish line. A group of cowboys stoked a fire and used various brands to mark wooden squares with the Ironman logo, and you got one when you finished the race. Next to that, there was a tattoo tent (not kidding).

After we had recovered slightly, we drank the protein shakes I had packed and collapsed on the grass. Now, the next plan of action was to figure out how to get ourselves and our bikes back to the parking area. The athlete guide said “athletes will ride one shuttle and bikes will be loaded onto another.” I had no idea what that meant, but didn’t like it.

Apparently, what it meant was loading 10 athletes at a time onto a school bus, with their bikes in the aisles, and driving them back to parking, and repeating that process for over 1,000 athletes… Fun.

Matt wanted to stay for awards to see about the possibility of getting a 70.3 World Championship slot, so we waited for 3 hours as we had no way to get back to the truck and back to the finish in time. It ended up being 4 hours with a late ceremony start, but we were surprised that we both got slots for the 2027 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga!

Matt placed 12th in his age group and I placed 7th in mine, so a very successful, if not painful, day out on a brand new course. The final difficult part of the day came in claiming the slots and paying (which you have to do onsite). We had no service in Canada, therefore the internet wouldn’t load. After an hour of trying to get it to work, Ironman eventually hooked Matt’s phone up to their Starlink account so we could pay!

They gave him a beer for all the trouble, and we were the very last bikes out of transition. We got back to our house at 6 pm, which is insane for a half Ironman, ate some food, watched sunset on the Bow River with some ice cream, and collapsed into bed.

Throughout the course of the day, we made a few friends, which tends to happen at these races. I shall call them: Sparkle Freckles, Hummingbird, and Yo-Yo, because I did not know their names at the time and could only go based off their kits. Now I do!

I rode with Hummingbird, aka “Bronwyn,” for most of the bike course. We caught up at the awards where her fiancé placed third in his age group. Yo-Yo, aka “Lisa,” stayed in the Airbnb directly above us (unbeknownst to us at the time!) and we rode together on the bike course. Sparkle Freckles, aka “Jacquelyn,” was in transition next to us, provided tips about hiking at Banff, and will also be going to the 70.3 WC next year!

That’s one of the best parts about doing Ironman races. No matter how fast, slow, or in between, you’re racing with thousands of people who love doing the same sport as you! They get up early to train, balance triathlon with work and family, and have their own strengths, weaknesses, and goals. Talk to someone on course. Ask how their race went. You never know how it might impact your day, or theirs.

Also, one of my favorite things to do at the end of a race is to find a spot on course and cheer on the final finishers. I can’t imagine being out there for 8 hours doing what they do, so give them some extra encouragement and love.

Mini Review- Print My Pr

Speaking of the 70.3 World Championship, I have a cool gift idea to share with you guys! I was approached last month by Ignace, who owns Print My PR. He takes your race or favorite route and transforms it into a piece of art!

He offered to make one from Matt’s Strava file from the 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, Spain last year. It’s small, light, and the detail in the mountains is really cool. It’s the perfect stocking stuffer or small gift item to set on your desk to commemorate a special race. I could envision getting a bunch of these from favorite races and stacking all the tiles together in a large frame.

Click here to check out Print My PR.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this recap from 70.3 Calgary! After the race, we headed to Banff to hike for two days. Stay tuned for photos and videos from our adventures in Canada…

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Today, I want to tell you a story.

It’s a story about kindness found in unexpected places.

It’s a story about giving without expecting anything in return.

It’s a story about doing something that’s right even when nobody else will see it and you won’t receive applause for it.

A few weeks ago, I was getting ready for a run. It was Wednesday, which is typically my big day of training. It’s swim + run day.

Now, ideally one workout would be done in the morning before work, and the other would be done after work. But we live in Florida- a cruel state to live in during the summer. During a Floridian summer, there’s no such thing as ideal. There’s only survival.

Therefore, I have to stack these two, big boys back-to-back in the morning, because no person in their right mind runs after work in a Florida summer, when the temperatures rise into the triple digits (except for Matt who’s a doctor and has no choice).

So, after a 4:50 am wake-up call and a 3,000y swim, it’s time for a quick snack before I head out for a run. At this point, the “feels-like” temperature is already 90°. Fun!

After doing a bit of pre-workout activation and dropping off a small cooler of ice, extra water, and nutrition on my run loop, it was time to brave the elements.

Today’s run was an hour and ten minutes with some serious efforts in the middle (plus walk breaks to lower heart rate in this heat). If you’ve been reading this blog for very long, you better believe I was wearing ALL my cooling stuff for this run: cooling arm sleeves, neck towel, ice hat, and run band with nutrition.

Now, this run loop I speak of is right up the hill from our house. When we first moved in, there were no houses on this .4 mile “track.” Now there are about 20. New houses pop up almost daily. That means we’re used to running around construction crews, workmen, and their trucks, and they’re used to us.

On this particular morning, there were three crews building new houses and two moving trucks. That’s a lot for a .4 mile stretch of road! Combine that with lawn care trucks spraying for weeds and people heading to work, and it’s a bustling little cul-de-sac.

Most of our neighbors are used to us running around like looney tunes in the summer- sweating profusely, breathing heavily, looking like we’re about to collapse. I’m sure some secretly question our sanity, but most are supportive.

In fact, there’s an older gentleman who likes to provide encouragement when he sees us out running. He will stand on his driveway and clap. Sometimes, he shout words of inspiration. Other times, he drives slowly in his car while giving us celebratory fist pumps.

• “You guys are killing it!”

• “He’s gaining on you. Better speed up!”

It’s amazing. Makes us smile and crack up laughing at the same time, but it’s not the norm. When did we stop interacting with our neighbors- with other human beings? Are we really that busy that we try to sneak inside when we see someone pulling in their trash can, because we don’t have time to get caught up in a conversation?

Matt and I like to go hiking, and it never ceases to amaze me when you’re out in the middle of nowhere, miles away from civilization. You can pass someone on a trail, and they don’t say a word or make eye contact. It boggles the mind.

That’s not how we are meant to live.

At this point, I’m nearing the end of my efforts, wondering if it’s actually possible for your brain to melt, when a lawn care guy pulls up. First, he looks at me like the construction guys do- with a mixture of confusion and concern.

They’re wearing long-sleeved shirts that are soaked in water, large brimmed hats, and drinking profusely out of water coolers. And here’s this tiny, drenched human running manically in circles.

Is she ok?….

So, here’s what happens.

The first time around, he solemnly salutes. Kind of like, respect. You’re insane, but respect.

The second lap, he sticks his hand out of the truck window. He’s holding a bottle of water that I grab as I run by. It’s like a makeshift aid station, and the hand-off is impressive.

By the fifth lap, he’s now spraying the lawn. I run by and shout “Thank you!” He drops his hose and punches the air with both fists like Rocky. He yells, “You’re doing it!”

It’s time for my cooldown, and as I run home, I think about how special that interaction was.

He didn’t want anything.

He was respectful, not weird.

He simply wanted to show kindness without expecting anything in return.

And I’ll mention one small fact, just to elucidate a point. He and I did not have the same skin color.

It doesn’t matter. You can show love and kindness to people who don’t look like you, who don’t sound like you, even to those who don’t act like you. But that’s easier said than done. It’s often easier, more convenient, and more comfortable to focus on ourselves and our own lives, because we’re so busy after all.

Do you know the greatest commandment?

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”- Matthew 22:37-38

What’s the second?

“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”- Matthew 22:39

That’s a big ask. I get it. I mean, think about how much you love yourself. Probably A LOT. And we’re supposed to love other people as much as we love ourselves?

To love your neighbor as yourself means to think and act sacrificially, like Jesus. It means putting the needs of others above your own. It means showing kindness through words and actions. It means doing the right thing even when it’s not comfortable or convenient.

Your neighbor isn’t just the person who lives next door. Your neighbor is every human being on the planet.

Your neighbor is the checkout person at the grocery store who’s tired and cranky because they have to work on the weekend.

Your neighbor is your doctor, who doesn’t have bad bedside manner; you’re just the 13th patient he’s seen today, and he gets tired too.

Your neighbor is the person sitting on the curb outside of a restaurant asking if you have anything you could give to help them out.

What have I learned about my neighbors by actually talking to them?

• The wife of our super cheerleader apparently used to be “one of the fastest runners in town.” They like to ride their road bikes down to the lake on the weekends. He collects fancy cars.

• There’s a young mother who rides her bike and runs, and she can’t figure out why she’s tired all the time after workouts. Until I told her about the joys of fueling properly. She now subscribes to this newsletter. Hi!

• There’s a mom and health care professional who enjoys running, but is getting really frustrated with the heat and hills. She never considered doing pre-run activation, but is hopefully doing it now. ;)

• There’s a new couple who just moved here from Georgia. The husband is training for a 5K and looking for good run routes in our neighborhood.

You never know what you might learn about someone- how much you have in common- if you just take a few minutes out of your day to have a conversation with them. None of us are that busy.

You never know how something you say or do could completely change a person’s day, or even their life.

Triple Threat Life is a reader-supported publication. If you enjoyed this post and want to show your support, the most meaningful way to do that is with a paid subscription. $5 a month and you get cool benefits.

Subscribe here

If you aren’t familiar with ROKA, they’re one of our Triple Threat Life partners, which means they provide discounts (25%) just for our subscribers. (That’s you). At ROKA you can find some of the best wetsuits, swimsuits, swim skins, goggles, and sunglasses on the market.

Here’s what Matt and I use from ROKA:

• ROKA Maverick X3 wetsuit

• ROKA Viper Pro 3 swim skin (sleeved for Matt, sleeveless for me)

• R1 goggles (Just got the R2 goggles over the weekend!)

• (I used their cheapest Maverick sleeveless wetsuit when I was just starting out).

Get your 25% off ROKA discount here.

So far, our winners have included:

1. Raleigh- doing her first 70.3 at Augusta

2. Vincent- doing his first full at Ironman Lake Placid this weekend

3. Nhifko- doing 70.3 Oregon

And today’s winner is…

Ryan C!

According to his entry, Ryan is planning to do 70.3 Waco (and he’s very excited about it, because there was three exclamation points in his entry!!!)

You don’t have to be training for an Ironman, to win a gift card. These drawings are completely random. See the cute, wheel, spinny thing above. I just like knowing what you’re training for!

If you didn’t win this time, don’t be sad. :(

We have 1 more $50 ROKA gift card to give away over the next few weeks! :)

If you haven’t signed up yet, do that at the link below.

Click here to enter.

Also, don’t forget that as a Triple Threat Life subscriber, you get access to:

• $40 annual nutrition credit with The Feed

• 1 month free on Rouvy indoor cycling platform

• 25% off ROKA! (this is crazy good)

Access your discounts here

Have a great weekend of training!

See you in the next newsletter,

Brittany

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For three weeks in July, people around the world tune in to watch the biggest, most spectacular cycling event on the planet- The Tour de France. It’s the oldest and most prestigious of the Grand Tours, which also include the Giro d'Italia (Italy) and the Vuelta a España (Spain).

If you’ve never watched Le Tour before, the only way to describe it is part multi-stage cycling race/international team competition/moving party caravan/3-week-long celebration of all things cycling!

(Seriously, some people travel ahead of the Tour in motorhomes, ride up climbs, wear the most outrageous costumes, and camp out on the side of the road for hours just to see their favorite cyclists ride by for 15 seconds.)

The Tour is a blast to watch, because you get to follow along as the best cyclists in the world climb magnificently brutal mountains, ride solo on daring breakaways, and work as a team with the goal to win the most coveted item in all of cycling- the yellow jersey.

Even if you’re not an athlete, you will enjoy watching the Tour. My mom even likes watching the Tour, because of the incredibly beautiful scenery of Paris and the historical anecdotes the commentators weave into the live coverage.

But for triathletes specifically, there is so much we can learn from watching these elite athletes compete.

If you’re new to Le Tour, let’s start with some fun facts!

Fun facts about the Tour de France

• 23 teams of 8 riders competing this year

• 184 riders total

• Grand depart from Barcelona to the finish in Paris on the Champs-Élysées

• Saturday, July 4th- Sunday, July 26th

• Cyclists will cover a total of 3,320.7 KM/2,063 miles

  

• Consists of 21 stages in 7 regions

• 7 flat stages, 8 mountain stages, 4 hilly stages, 2 rest days, 1 team time trial, and 1 individual time trial

• Highest point of the tour is Col du Galibier at 2,642m

• Total elevation gain is 53,950m/33,522 ft.

• Mountains include the Pyrenees, Massif Central, the Vosges, the Jura, and the Alps

Basics to know about Le Tour

While it might sound a bit strange, the Tour isn’t necessarily an individual competition. It is, but it’s more than that. The Tour is a multi-stage team race where the overall times from each stage accumulate over the course of three weeks to determine an overall individual winner by the time the peloton reaches the finish in Paris. (There’s also an overall team winner). In addition, there are individual competitions within the race for four specific jerseys.

The Yellow Jersey (GC) is for the current leader of the race with the fastest overall time.

The Polka Dot Jersey (Mountain) is for the best climber.

The Green Jersey (Points) is for the best sprinter.

The White Jersey is for the best young rider.

Riders accumulate points during each stage, and the jerseys often change hands many times throughout the course of the race. Simply wearing one of these jerseys for a single day is a huge achievement and career highlight for these cyclists. The ultimate goal is to get to Paris with the jersey on your shoulders for the overall win.

The Tour is a bit different than triathlons in that there’s a team component. The sole job of many teammates is to serve as “domestiques,” who essentially work for their team leader, who has the best chance of winning the GC and yellow jersey. Their sole job is to do work on the front to control the pace, block the wind for their team leader (drafting is definitely allowed), drop back to team cars to pick up extra bottles and snacks, or even give up their own bike if their team leader has a mechanical.

That’s another thing, outside assistance is definitely allowed at this race (from your own team that is). Team cars will follow riders with extra bikes, bottles, nutrition, ice, and help the cyclists in any way they need during the race. There are Feed Zones where team helpers stand alongside the road and hold out a musette (small bag with bottles and snacks) for riders to grab as they ride past traveling 30+ mph.

All this is fun and fascinating to watch, but if you pay close attention there are a few things you can learn that will help you become a better triathlete.

What triathletes can learn from watching the Tour

1. Bike handling skills are crucial

While you might not be riding in a massive peloton at high speed mere inches away from other cyclists, there’s a lot to learn from watching these elite athletes ride their bikes.

In a previous post- the Art of the Climb- we talked about how to climb hills and descend. Take a look at the pedal stroke of these cyclists and their cadence. Watch how it’s smooth and circular. See how they take a certain line around hairpin turns. Pay close attention to their body position and feet when they descend.

There will be times when going down a mountain that these cyclists approach speeds of 50+ mph. At that point, they won’t be pedaling. Instead, they will lower their chest toward the bars, bend at the elbows, shift their weight far back in the saddle, and keep both pedals horizontal putting weight in their feet to balance.

If there’s a turn on a descent, they will press down hard in the outside pedal, extending that leg, while lifting the inside pedal up. They do not hold onto the brakes; instead, if they need to slow down, they use “safety braking” by squeezing the brakes intermittently to scrub speed.

2. Pacing is important

Cyclists in the Tour ride an average of 100 miles a day, more or less if it’s a flat stage vs a mountain stage. Although they’re riding in a massive group, aka “peloton,” where drafting helps reduce effort, they’re also riding at very high speed.

Each team has their own goals for the race, and it’s not purely an individual effort. However, the importance of pacing is crucial, because they need to approach the finish line (or put their team leader) in the best possible position to contend for a stage win, gain points, ect.

This is done through dialed-in pacing. These cyclists aren’t glued to their bike computers obsessing over how many watts they’re pushing or what speed they’re riding. That isn’t important. Completing their mission for that stage is what’s important. They will have practiced in training so they know exactly how hard they can go and how deep they can push before they have nothing left.

3. Fueling is key

In a single stage, Tour cyclists can burn up to 1,000 calories, and many consume upwards of 120 grams of carbohydrates per hour. That doesn’t mean you necessarily need to take in that much fuel, but the point is they have a very specific fueling plan for a reason.

They want to perform to the best of their ability during that stage and be able to recover well for the next day’s stage. (Sounds an awful lot like triathlon training, doesn’t it…)

These cyclists will have practiced their fueling plan countless times in training, to ensure the plan works, and feel confident in their ability to execute it during the race.

They know how much fluid, carbs, and sodium they need to consume per hour. They might use a variety of different products (gels, bars, chews, drink mix) to reach their goal. They consume nutrition every 10-15 minutes to stay on top of hydration and maximize carb absorption while reducing gut stress.

This is how you should approach nutrition for triathlon as well.

*How Team EF Education First maximizes carb absorption

4. Staying cool is essential

This year at the Tour, temperatures have topped out at 90°-100° for multiple stages, which takes a toll on the riders. They understand how the heat will impact their ability to race, so they have a number of cooling strategies in place.

Before the team time trial, you might have seen riders warming up while wearing ice vests or dipping their forearms in cold water. During stages, team cars will pass out “ice socks”- basically a pantyhose filled with ice they can stuff inside their jersey to help stay cool.

Riders will drink frozen ice slushies before stages, dump ice water on their heads during the race, and put ice in their carb drinks. Anything you can do to keep your core temperature lower will help your muscles (and gut) continue working as long as possible. Overheat and you’re cooked, literally.

You can take advantage of these cooling strategies when you train and race too.

Here’s a breakdown of my Super Secret Cooling Strategy and review for my favorite ice hat (that we now get 20% off!).

5. Recovery is king

Tour cyclists aren’t just masters at riding bikes; they’re also skilled at the art of recovery. As soon as a rider crosses the finish line, they’re immediately handed a bottle so they can start the rehydration process. They don’t have time to waste, because they have to recover as quickly as possible to get ready for the next stage.

What’s in these bottles? Most riders drink tart cherry juice like Amacx, because it has anti-inflammatory properties that alleviate muscle soreness, reduce inflammation, and replenish glycogen stores. Also, within 30 minutes of finishing a stage, they down a protein shake aiming for 25-30g protein with 40-50g carbs, followed by a post-race meal that focuses on carbohydrates and protein.

You’ll also see cyclists head immediately to the bike trainer for a 10-20 minute cool-down to flush their legs from metabolic waste. Riders often use compression boots back at the hotel to further assist with this process. They have daily massages to flush the body of toxins and alleviate sore muscles.

And finally the most important- sleep! This is such an important recovery tool that some teams even travel with their own mattresses and use sleep coaches to make sure they’re getting high quality, restorative sleep.

*How Team Visma Lease A Bike recovers during the Tour

6. Never stop racing, even when things go sideways

If you’ve watched the Tour long enough, you know that at some point things are bound to go sideways. Riders get caught up in a crash, suffer a mechanical, or get a flat tire. They have to deal with melting tar on roads, wind, heat, hail, rain, and snow.

Sometimes, they even take a wrong turn…

At the 2026 Giro d’Italia, Igor Arrieta crashed with 12km to go, then took a wrong turn, and still ended up winning the race! Afterwards, he said this to reporters: “In a bike race, they always say nothing is over til you’re past the finish line.”

There have been countless moments during Tour history when a victory looked secure, only to have another rider steal it away at the last millisecond. Other times, it seemed as if there was no way a rider would finish a stage, and they somehow found a way.

Fun Ironman connection to Le Tour!

There’s a young rider competing in the Tour who has a fun connection to triathlon… Matthew Riccitello of Team Decathlon CMA CGM is riding in his first Tour at the age of 24. His father is Jimmy Riccitello, Head Referee for IRONMAN.

Before he became a rules expert, Jimmy was a pro triathlete who was known to push the envelope on occasion…

Here’s what he said in a previous interview. “As a pro, I got a few penalties myself and rode right on the edge of that drafting limit. I had my share of penalties that were very impactful. One was a DQ for unbuckling my chinstrap too early. It cost me $5K and a Mazda Miata.”

In the 80s and 90s, most people knew Jimmy Riccitello as a short and middle course dynamo. He was crowned the XTERRA World Champion in 1996 and won several 70.3 Ironman races. He was an amazing cyclist and it seems his son, Matthew, has followed in his footsteps.

• Drafting 101: What NOT to Do During a Triathlon

• How Does the IRONMAN Zipper Rule Pertain to Sports Bras? Head Referee Explains

Fun personal connection to the Tour

Our good friend, and TriMarni teammate, Ruthanne is riding several stage of the Tour with EF Education First through their Tour de France VIP Access Program. She leaves on Saturday for her international adventure!

She will get to ride up the legendary Alpe d’Huez ahead of the Tour on Stage 19, watch the grand finale on the Champs-Élysées, tour the EF team bus, and join the team at their post-race party. She told me that she packed a swimsuit and goggles for a little open water swim practice in Lake Annecy. ;)

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it’s inspired you to watch the Tour!

You might have noticed there are no ads here. If you enjoy Triple Threat Life and want to support my writing, a paid subscription is the most meaningful way to do that. Plus, you get some pretty cool benefits.

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I don’t do many product reviews. But every once in a while, I come across a product that’s so amazing I can’t keep it to myself.

That’s the case with the coolest new run gear to hit the market in a long time.

It’s the bambū werx Ice Hat.

I got his hat right before Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga, wore it at the race, and pretty much haven’t taken it off since.

What’s so special about this hat?

I’m going to show you.

*TTL Club members, scroll to the bottom for bonus videos.

Can a piece of gear help improve performance?

Let me ask you a question. Do you think a piece of running gear can actually improve performance? Or at the very least, help you to have a more enjoyable experience while running?

If you’re a devotee of carbon-plated shoes, you will probably say- “yes, absolutely!” The reason we use gear, shoes, tech is because they help us in some way.

A heart rate strap allows you to monitor zones, which can be helpful for training and recovery. Certain shoes have plates and foam that improve energy return, so running feels a bit easier. A hydration belt allows you to carry nutrition, so you can fuel your effort for a more high quality session.

But what can a hat do besides keep the sun out of your eyes?…

Not much, until now!

Features of the bambū werx Ice Hat

Earlier this year, bambū werx released a new hat that has the capability to keep you cool in hot conditions and even improve performance. How? There’s a few different features of this hat that set it apart, and we’re going to break them down.

Technically speaking, this hat is called the bambū werx Trail Cap, but I don’t think that name does it justice. You can wear this hat on trails, road, races, mowing the grass, and everywhere in between. Anywhere you want to stay cool, that’s where you want to wear this hat, so consider this my official petition to rename it- the Ice Hat.

When you’re trying to stay cool in hot conditions, keeping the sun off your head by wearing a hat is helpful. But a traditional hat traps the heat. The Ice Hat was created with extra-large, laser-cut ventilation to deliver maximum airflow.

The hat itself is super-light. You can barely feel it on your head, which is great for people who don’t like wearing hats (like me!). Actually, I never used to wear hats while I ran. I sweat a lot and produce a lot of body heat, so the idea of wearing something on my head while running never appealed much to me.

This is the only hat I’ve worn for more than 20 minutes without ripping it off and throwing it on the ground, so that’s saying something.

Because this hat is from bambū werx, it’s made with bamboo-based fabric, which is naturally antimicrobial and hypoallergenic. That means it doesn’t hold onto odor like other fabrics and won’t irritate your skin.

I wear this hat every time I run, and it gets soaking wet. I simply rinse it off in the sink, use a bit of soap every once in a while, and let air dry, and it’s as good as new.

Another smart feature is the adjustable drawstring closure. One of the main problems with other hats is that one-size-doesn’t-fit-all. Some people have large heads. Some people have small heads. Some people have weirdly-shaped heads.

Most hats have a velcro adjustment that wears out over time or button snaps that never seem to fit right- they’re either too tight or too loose. This hat has an adjustable bungee drawstring, so you can tighten it to the perfect amount of tension.

But, by far, the best part of this hat is the built-in ice pouch in the front! This cleverly-designed slot on the front of the crown has the ability to hold (in my experience) 5 large ice cubes. Simply load up your hat with ice and head out for a run.

We live in Florida, and it’s about 85-95° most days in the summer. The ice stays solid for about 20-22 minutes, and as it melts, the cold water keeps the hat wet and cool.

Why I think this hat is a total game changer

I’ve shared videos of this hat multiple times on social media, and one question I keep getting asked is: ”Does the water drip in your eyes?” The answer is no. I’ve never had that happen. As the ice melts, it soaks into the hat itself, and any extra droplets simply run off the brim.

Now, you’re probably running for longer than 20-ish minutes, so what do you do then? Simply refill the hat with more ice!

One of our best tips for hot summer runs is to set up a DIY aid station. We drop off a small cooler on our favorite loop and stock it with extra bottles of nutrition, ice water, and ice. Every couple of laps, we stop at the cooler, pour ice water over our head and body, pop a few more cubes in the hat, and keep running.

This is the same procedure you would follow in a race as well. Most Ironman races have aid stations located approximately every 1-1.5 miles, so you can grab a cup of water and ice at every aid station.

This is exactly what I did at 70.3 Chattanooga this year, when the temperature got into the 90°s on the run. Check out my Super Secret Cooling Protocol here.

Overheating is one of the biggest complications when racing in the heat.

When the sweat on your skin evaporates into the air, it takes excess heat with it, which helps cool you off. But when it’s hot and humid, the air is already saturated with moisture, so your sweat can’t evaporate. If your body can’t offload heat, and you keep exercising at a high intensity producing more heat, guess what happens?

You risk overheating, dehydration, gut issues, and your performance will suffer.

But, you can help offset some of these negative effects by making sure you’re fueling properly with fluid, carbs, and sodium, pacing smart, and using cooling strategies like a neck towel, ice in your kit, or this ice hat!

In my opinion, this hat is a total game changer. Anytime you can keep your head cool, it helps so much to provide mental clarity and lower rate of perceived exertion. It’s a core component of my cooling strategy.

If you’re a runner, triathlete, gardener, person who lives in a hot climate, you should run (seriously) to get this hat immediately.

The hat costs $42 and the sizing is (54-60cm).

But…

We are super excited to announce that bambū werx is now a partner of Triple Threat Life, so that means all subscribers get a discount!

Use code: TTTL20 for 20% off at bambū werx.

(This code also works for their socks, which are great too.)

Links to buy:

bambu werx Trail Cap

TriMarni cap version (that we wear)

As a reminder, all subscribers (both free and paid) have access to the following discounts.

• 1 month free on Rouvy cycling platform

• $40 annual credit from the Feed nutrition marketplace

• 25% off ROKA wetsuits, sunglasses

Get your discounts here.

Triple Threat Life Club members get all kinds of cool stuff.

• Unlock 14 partner discounts

• Access to the Video Vault with 70+ tutorials

• Free Tri Smarter, Not Harder e-book

• Access to expert webinars + replay

• Members-only content

Join the Triple Threat Life Club today

Triple Threat Life Club Member Shoutout

For Triple Threat Life Club members, I’ve got a few fun videos for you below. They will go in the Video Vault as well.

• Breakdown of my 5-part cooling strategies for a 95° run

• Ice hat in action!

Stay cool out there, friends!

Read more

So, we’re having a lot of fun giving out these gift cards to ROKA!

If you aren’t familiar with ROKA, they’re one of our blog partners, which means they provide discounts (25%) just for our newsletter subscribers. (That’s you). At ROKA you can find some of the best wetsuits, swimsuits, swim skins, goggles, and sunglasses on the market.

Here’s what Matt and I use from ROKA:

• ROKA Maverick X3 wetsuit

• ROKA Viper Pro 3 swim skin (sleeved for Matt, sleeveless for me)

• R1 goggles

• (I used their cheapest Maverick sleeveless wetsuit when I was just starting and it was great too, as well as their custom color sunglasses).

  ---

So far, our winners have included:

1. Raleigh- doing her first 70.3 at Augusta

2. Vincent- doing his first full at Ironman Lake Placid next week

and…

Nhifko- doing 70.3 Oregon (today’s winner!)

*Nhifko, I will send your digital giftcard shortly.

But you don't have to be a triathlete, or do an Ironman, to win a giftcard. These drawings are completely random. See the cute, wheel, spinny thing above. I just like knowing what you’re training for!

If you didn’t win this time, don’t be sad. :(

We have 2 more $50 ROKA gift cards to give away over the next few weeks! :)

If you haven’t signed up yet, do that at the link below.

Sign up here to win a $50 ROKA gift card.

Also, don’t forget that as a Triple Threat Life subscriber, you get access to:

• $40 annual nutrition credit with The Feed

• 1 month free on Rouvy indoor cycling platform

• 25% off ROKA! (this is crazy good)

Click here to get your discounts.

Have a great weekend of training!

See you in the next newsletter,

Brittany

Subscribe here

“If you’re not planning to run a hilly race, then you don’t need to run hills…”

Right?

Mmmm, nope.

Sorry friend, but I’m about to show you how running hills (specifically hill repeats) is one of the best, and most underrated, ways to improve endurance, strength, and speed without getting injured in the process.

That last part is important, because many athletes think the only way to get faster is to go to the track. That is false.

In fact, running high intensity intervals on a flat surface like a track may look cool for an Instagram video, but there’s a higher risk for injury. The main problem that occurs when running at high speed is coordination of limbs and run form.

And how many of us amateur runners have perfect run form?…

There’s simply less injury risk when doing hill repeats as opposed to running those same intervals on a flat surface like a track, because the gradient of a hill naturally promotes good form and encourages better run mechanics.

In a nutshell, hill repeats provide all the benefits with less wear and tear on the body.

If you want to be a stronger, faster, more injury-free runner, you should be doing hill repeats.

How running hills will make you stronger, faster, efficient, and generally more awesome.

I once read a claim that hill running might make you better at running hills, but it doesn’t make you any faster at running on the flat.

Ummm... (pause for disbelieving head shake)

1. In order to propel your body up a hill, you must produce more power than when sprinting on a flat surface. Strength = speed. In order to run fast, you must first be strong. Trying to increase speed before strength is just asking for injury.

2. You encounter greater resistance when running uphill. This demands greater force production in quads, hamstrings, calves, improving power and endurance.

3. Running back down the hill after each repeat promotes quick cadence and landing underneath your center of mass, as well as neuromuscular coordination. These are essential components of being able to run fast!

This makes sense. It’s logical.

I think the main reason people don’t like hill repeats is because they aren’t sexy.

It’s much more impressive to watch an athlete run at top speed around a fancy, oval track. You get a better Strava time for it too, and that’s important for some reason I have yet to fully understand.

In contrast, hill repeats involve a nutty person sprinting up and down a hill over and over again while their neighbors watch in disbelief with concern for their mental sanity.

Also, hill repeats aren’t easy. It’s supposed to be hard. That’s kind of the point.

I didn’t like hill repeats when I first started either, but now that I know how to do them properly, I actually kind of enjoy it!

(more on how to do them properly later)

This cute, little guy is just $7.99 and he wants to go home with you.

Grab your copy here.

Show me the proof!

For those who like studies, I’ve picked two that should provide some eye candy for those interested in the benefits that uphill running provides. For those who don’t enjoy studies, check out my Cliff Notes below.

1. The impact of hill training on middle and long distance athletes, International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (2017)

This study investigated the effect of a 12-week hill training plan on the performance of middle and long distance athletes. By week 6 and 12, the group that trained on hills showed “significant improvement in VO2 max, resting heart rate, speed endurance, and race time.” The group that didn’t train on hills saw no significant changes.

Results: “Well planned hill training program can significantly improve VO2 max, resting heart rate, speed endurance, and race performance of middle and long distance athletes.”

2. The effects of uphill training on the maximal velocity and performance of middle-distance runners, Scientific Reports (2025)

This cool study investigated three different hill gradients (how steep it is):  2.5%,  5.1%, and 7.6% to determine how each impacted 800m time trial performance (there’s your speed!) and also strength endurance in middle-distance runners. The steeper gradients provided the greatest benefit for all performance measures, but 5.1% saw significant improvement in time trial performance as well.

Results: “Uphill training, particularly steeper gradients, significantly enhances speed, endurance, and running performances.”

How to do hill repeats

Hopefully, I’ve now convinced you that running up hills is a good idea. At this point, you might be wondering how one does hill repeats.

Pay attention very closely.

You find a steep hill. Run up the hill. Then, run down the hill. And repeat.

Ok, so those are the basics, but there’s a bit more to it than that. First, you want to pick a good hill. My coach suggests that we look for a moderate incline (4-6%) so not too steep.

Then, you need to do a good warm-up. Think easy, aerobic running. Next, we often do a few short hill activations to prime the system, so :15, :20, :30.

Now, it’s time for hill repeats! There are a number of different ways to structure this. You can do :30 uphill run, 1 minute uphill, or even 2 minutes uphill. The goal is to maintain a steady/strong effort, so you aren’t necessarily sprinting up the hill. My coach suggests that we build into the effort so we aren’t fading at the end, but stay running strong.

Don’t lift your head up and look at the top of the hill. Look forward and into the hill. Use your arms, because that helps with hip turnover too. I like to think about quick cadence, like a bunny, not heavy, plodding steps like an elephant.

Then, you turn around and jog back down the hill. This is your recovery period, so take it easy. Think about good form with a slight forward lean (from the hips, not chest) and your leg landing underneath the center of your body so you don’t overstride. Keep your arms close to your sides; don’t flail them about.

Once you get to the bottom, you can take a quick reset by walking in a circle to catch your breath and then repeat the process again.

How many hill repeats should you do?

It depends on where you’re at in your running journey and what you’re working towards. The other day, I did 10 x :30 hill repeats, whereas Matt often does 2 minute repeats.

To repeat about hill repeats, it’s a great way to increase strength, power, endurance, and speed, so go find yourself a good hill and try it out! Let me know how it goes.

If you enjoyed this post, please do two things.

#1, click the subscribe button, so you don’t miss out on future newsletters.

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*Today, for paid subscribers you get to do hill repeats with me! Check out the short video below where I talk more about hill repeats and illustrate some form tips. I also included a second short video with some of my favorite pre-run activations, because you need to activate muscles before you train!

Both videos are also in the Video Vault- 70+ tutorials on everything swim, bike, and run. Paid subs, use your password to access.

Read more

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Following the recent announcement that Chattanooga, Tennessee will serve as the site for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in 2027, triathletes around the country are pretty excited!

This is because the 70.3 World Championship is a rotating event, held at different locations around the globe. The last time the 70.3 World Championship was held in the US was in 2022 in St. George, Utah. Since then, it’s been to Lahti, Finland (2023), Taupo, New Zealand (2024), Marbella, Spain (2025), and Nice, France (2026).

But in 2027, it’s coming home to the US!

Triathletes around the country are very excited, but…

The reality is 90% of these athletes will not be able to compete at this race. That’s because the World Championship is a qualification-only event, much like Kona. Therefore, athletes must qualify at other Ironman races held throughout the year in order to even get the chance to compete.

How do you get a slot?

That’s a loaded question these days… but we’ll cover that later.

Long story short, getting a spot for this particular edition of the World Championship will be tough. When a race is held in the US, more athletes will accept their slots and not let them roll down, because it’s easier (and cheaper) to travel to Tennessee than to Europe or the Middle East (if you live in the US).

Now, if you’re not an athlete who places in the top 10-15% at Ironman events, you might ask yourself why this even matters to you. Well, I want to show how there’s a place- a very important place- for you at the World Championship, regardless of how “fast” you race.

In today’s post, I’ll explain how every athlete (yes you!) can go to the 2027 70.3 World Championship. With a myriad of volunteer opportunities, and roles you can create for yourself, there’s no reason why you can’t go to the World Championship and be part of all the fun and excitement.

I’ll also breakdown the qualification procedure with essential information and tips for those athletes hoping to qualify to race at the 70.3 World Championship in 2027.

Let’s get started!

2027 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship- Things to Know

• The 2027 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship will be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee on August 28th and 29th, 2027.

• Chattanooga also hosts a regular 70.3 and IRONMAN each year (May & Sept). The 70.3 World Championship is its own stand-alone race.

• The 70.3 World Championship has been held in Chattanooga before, in 2017. It was actually the first 2-day 70.3 WC event.

• IRONMAN expects some 7,000 pro and age-group athletes to attend.

• There are traditionally separate days for women and men at the 70.3 WC.

• This is a qualification-only event. There will be 120 qualifying events worldwide.

• The qualification cycle began on July 5th at IRONMAN 70.3 Jönköping, 70.3 Les Sables d’Olonne-Vendée, and 70.3 Muskoka. When it actually ends is still TBD.

• Chattanooga is a very welcoming host city with one of the more scenic courses in the US.

How you can go to the 70.3 World Championship too

I don’t think I’ve ever told you the story of how I started writing for Ironman…

I wasn’t racing. I was volunteering.

A few years back, Matt and I were manning an unofficial “cheer station” and taking photographs of athletes at Ironman Florida. I wanted to get a media pass to abide by Ironman rules, so I connected with their media rep, who just happened to be the communications manager for North America.

I showed him a few photos I took of the pros, and he said, “You took those with that camera? I’ll get you in touch with our editorial department.”

And that’s how it started. Now, 40 some odd articles and a few big projects later, and I still write for IRONMAN on a pretty consistent basis.

Here’s a mindset shift that will help you get an introduction in any area of business. Don’t tell people what you can do for them. Show them.

All that being said, there are many things you can do at an Ironman besides race. If you want to go to Chattanooga next fall and be part of the World Championship, I’ve curated a few positions you can use for yourself.

Team House Host

Even if you don’t qualify for the World Championship yourself, chances are you belong to a team that will have athletes there or know a few friends who will be racing. Consider hosting a Team House. You can book accommodations, create a team schedule of events, make a swag bag, and plan meals. You can create a welcoming environment that helps take some of the pressure off the athletes who are competing, and it’s a fun way to be up close to all the action.

Social Media Freelancer

Every brand in triathlon will want to have a presence at the 70.3 World Championship. Many smaller companies don’t have dedicated teams that manage their social media, but instead use freelancers. Now, this shouldn’t be a volunteer-only position, but if you have experience capturing content, consider reaching out to smaller companies, triathlon teams, or even individual pro athletes to ask about assisting with taking photos, video, ect. But be sure to abide by IRONMAN media rules.

Vendor Assistant

There will be all different types of vendors in the Expo Village, which tends to be quite large at a World Championship event. All these vendors need staff to operate their tents. Many bring their own employees, but additional hands are always needed. If you’re going to watch the race anyways, consider reaching out to your favorite brand to see if they need some help manning their vendor tent for the day.

DIY Cheer Station Manager

Ever heard of Hippie Hollow? It’s the tie-dye-filled, wild and wacky cheer station at IRONMAN Texas. Also, it’s entirely volunteer-run and not associated with the race in any official capacity. That means you can set up a spectacular cheer station too! Break out the balloons, crazy costumes, cowbells, chalk, bubbles, funny signs, and music. If you belong to a triathlon club, help create the most epic cheer station ever!

Team Photographer

If you belong to a triathlon club, or just have a great group of buddies racing, put that IRONMAN tracker to good use and capture their journey on film. I have to say, my husband Matt is an elite-level spectator. And trust me when I say spectating (at least the way we do it) is not for the faint of heart. We’re more tired after spectating races than when we race!

Matt can load up the tracker with a dozen athletes and not only monitor their location on course, but can also predict (with surprising accuracy) when they will pass by and determine a route to get us to that point as quickly as possible so we can cheer for them. It’s pretty impressive.

Race Week Vacationer

Let’s say you want to go to the World Championship to spectate the race and soak up the exciting atmosphere. You can book a room for 4 days and take advantage of all the fun race week activities. There’s the Parade of Nations, panels with pro triathletes, and Q&A sessions with coaches and experts. You can explore the Race Expo, participate in a shake-out run, and train on the course. Then, cheer your heart out on Saturday and Sunday. It’s a perfect triathlete vacation.

Now, these are all unofficial roles, but if you really want to get up close to all the action, consider volunteering with IRONMAN.

Volunteer opportunities with IRONMAN

You probably have no idea the massive amount of volunteers IRONMAN needs to put on these races. Quite frankly, these races simply wouldn’t go on without the many locals who donate their time. You can volunteer for any IRONMAN race, including a World Championship. Look for the subheading- IRONFans- Volunteers.

Volunteer info for the 2027 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship will be posted here closer to the race.

In the meantime, let’s look at volunteer opportunities for an upcoming race- 70.3 Wisconsin. First, you must fill out a volunteer application and then select a time slot and position. For example, you could serve as Bike SAG from 6:30-10 am or Finish Line Awards from 1-5 pm.

Here’s a breakdown of some common volunteer positions.

• Bike/Run Aid Station- You will help set up an aid station and hand out nutrition and drinks, as well as clean up debris at an aid station on the bike or run course.

• Course Pointer- Your job is to point and cheer! Stand at a designated intersection or corner and point athletes in the right direction on the bike or run course.

• Personal Needs- At a full Ironman, you can help organize personal needs bags. Listen for an athlete to call out their race number and quickly retrieve the bag and assist the athlete with putting on gear, swapping bottles, etc.

• Environmental Green Team- Drive along the bike course to pick up trash and debris.

• Bike SAG- Drive along the bike course and pick up any athletes who do not want to continue the race.

• Expo Volunteer Tent- Check in other volunteers, hand out t-shirts, and give directions.

• Finish Line Food Tent- Hand out food and drinks to hungry athletes.

• Finish Line Awards/Medals- This is a fun one! You get to present athletes with their medals after they cross the finish line, hand them water, and remove their timing chip.

• Finish Line Catcher- This is actually a job. You have to “catch” any athlete who needs physical assistance and help them get to the end of the finisher’s chute and guide them to the medical tent if needed.

• Massage Therapist- Credentials are required

• Medical (RN, paramedic, EMT)

• Medical (MD/NP/PA) Matt served in the IRONMAN Florida medical tent years ago before he was even a triathlete! He thought they were all crazy…

• Motorcyles- If you own a motorcycle, you can assist by carrying race officials or photographers on course.

• Pre-Event Athlete Registration- Assist athletes with check-in and hand out packets and Ironman swag.

• Run Leader Bike Escort- This would be super fun! You get to ride a bike and follow the top 3 male and female runners on course.

• Swim Kayak/SUP- This is a very important job. You serve during the swim as a directional guide and first responder for athletes who need assistance.

• Lifeguards/On Shore Swim Support- There are many volunteer positions for the swim for safety reasons.

• Timing- Provide timing assistance at the start of swim, bike, run and finish.

• Transition- This is a fun spot to be in all the action. You can indicate the mount/dismount line, direct the flow of traffic, apply sunscreen, etc.

• Transition Bike Handler- This is a special job that doesn’t happen at every race. At certain races, once an athlete completes the bike course, they will hand their bike off to a volunteer to rack it while they grab their run gear bag and head out on course. Like looking at beautiful bikes? This is the spot for you.

• Transition Changing Tent- The people who work changing tents are so important! They help athletes unpack their gear, put on items, and provide motivational support.

• Transition- Wetsuit Peeler- If you aren’t afraid of getting wet, a fun job is to serve as wetsuit stripper. You will wait at the swim exit and help athletes get out of their wetsuits before they head into transition. It’s a pretty short time commitment too.

These races could not go on without volunteers. Period. You never know how something you do or say might have a huge impact on someone’s race or even their life. Consider being a volunteer. You will love it.

How to qualify for the 2027 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship

Now, if you’re hoping to qualify for the 2027 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, there’s some information you need to know. Do not plan on simply showing up to a random 70.3 and hope for the best. That’s not going to cut it. Be prepared. Do your homework. Make a plan.

The qualifying cycle started on July 5th, 2026. When it ends, nobody knows, but it will definitely be before the race in August 2027, so you’ve got a rough timeline. A full list of qualifying events can be found here.

Now, how do you qualify for this thing?

Here’s a link to how qualification works, but here’s my abridged version.

Athletes will qualify by age group, which refers to your age and gender, so 40-44 Female or 35-39 Male. There are 13 age groups which are determined based upon your “triathlon age” or how old you will be on December 31st of that calendar year.

The winner of each male and female age group automatically gets a slot. If that athlete doesn’t take the slot, it rolls down to the second-place finisher. If that athlete doesn’t take the slot, it rolls down to the third-place finisher. If that athlete doesn’t take the slot, it goes into the Performance Pool (gender-based.)

This is where things get a bit tricky… The finishing times of all athletes are compared to a benchmark called the IRONMAN 70.3 Standard. That has been created by taking an average of the top 20% of finish times at the 70.3 WC over the past 5 years for each age group. Each athletes finish time is compared to the age group standard and voila, you get an age-graded finish time.

What does this mean?

Well, in the past you could look at an upcoming race and see how many slots were available in your age group. It varied depending on the size. For example, if the 25-29 men had 10 athletes and the 35-39 men had 300 athletes, the latter would get more slots. So, if you saw 4 slots available for your age group and you placed 3rd, then you knew you were guaranteed a slot. It isn’t like that anymore. Now, how you finish compared to other people of your gender and age, and the standard, is most important.

Once the age group winners by gender get their slots, the rest go into the Performance Pool For Men and Performance Pool For Women. Every athlete is listed based on their age-graded finish time. The remaining slots are then awarded and roll down if an athlete doesn’t take them.

If you looked at the qualifying races link, you saw that most races have 30 slots for men and 30 slots for women, but some might have 25 or 20. In the past, certain large races (like Chattanooga 70.3) have been awarded extra slots, and there’s even been Women For Tri slots added in the past, but that’s never a guarantee. Ironman can add extra slots as they choose or not. It’s their race.

Our 70.3 World Championship Experiences

Matt and I have qualified for, and competed at, the 70.3 World Championship a few times. I qualified for the 70.3 WC in 2021 at 70.3 Chattanooga. It was my first 70.3 so a bit of a surprise. I think I placed around 32nd or so in my AG, so I benefitted that year from additional spots at one of the largest 70.3 in the country and additional slots from the pandemic. The race was in St. George, Utah. It was a very challenging and beautiful course with super crazy weather, but we had a fantastic time!

I’ve since qualified for the 70.3 WC a few more times- once for St. George in 2022, but didn’t race because it was on our honeymoon! I was probably in the top 25 AG that time. Then, I qualified for the 2026 70.3 WC in Nice, France at 2025 70.3 North Carolina and didn’t take the slot. I was 12th in my AG.

Matt qualified for the 2025 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, Spain at 70.3 Gulf Coast in 2025. He was 11th in his AG. The race was super challenging with a massive climb up the mountain, but he had fun. Then, we spent another week exploring in Spain!

• When the 70.3 WC is Your Third Half Ironman in 6 Weeks

• My Favorite Photos from the 70.3 World Championship

• Beyond the Finish Line: Our Post-Race Adventures in Malaga

As you can see, we’ve taken roll-down spots. And I’m here to illuminate the fact that you should never feel shy about taking a roll-down spot, if you want it. Here’s the reality. Unless you’re the winner of your age-group, you’re getting a roll-down spot, because second-place is a roll-down. ;)

Top Tips to Qualify for the 70.3 World Championship

If you want to qualify for the 2027 70.3 World Championship, here’s a few things to keep in mind.

1. Plan your season thoughtfully. Don’t try to stack too many 70.3 races in an effort to get more opportunities to qualify. Plan a strategic calendar that makes sense and gives you the best chance to show up to the start line healthy and ready to race.

2. Don’t just pick random races. Some races are traditionally more competitive than others. Some races are larger than others. This all plays into how the slots are awarded. Do research and determine which races might suit you best.

3. Don’t make it your only goal. I understand if you want to qualify for the World Championship; it’s a fun experience. But, it shouldn’t be your only goal. That’s a good way to make racing all about results, and that will quickly sap all joy out of the sport. Here’s a good way to think about it. Do everything you can to have the best race possible, and then qualification is just a bonus.

4. Never stop racing. This one comes courtesy of our coach, who brought this up on a recent team call. Because of the new age-graded system, you literally have no idea where your time will land in your age group as compared to the standard, so even if things go off the rails at some point, never give up and never stop racing. You never know what might happen. This applies to every race, honestly. Give your best till the end.

5. Show up to the slot allocation on time. IRONMAN is very strict about this. Pros have even missed out on their slots, because they didn’t make it to the awards ceremony in time! Because of the way roll-down works, they will not hold a spot for you. Show up on time if you want the chance to accept a slot.

6. You don’t always have to take the slot. Don’t feel bad if you qualify and just can’t make it work, because of finances, work, family, etc. The athlete in the spot behind you will be incredibly grateful, so you can let it roll down with gratitude and pass it on.

I hope you’ve found this post helpful. The 70.3 World Championship isn’t everything, but it’s a cool thing. So, whether you want to qualify, volunteer, or spectate, I would encourage you to join in on the fun and enjoy being part of the triathlon community.

*Special thanks to my coach for inspiring this post. Marni and Karel of TriMarni have helped us learn and grow in ways we never thought possible, completely transformed how we approach triathlon training and racing, and we’ve made some incredible friends! Check out their website if you’re interested in individual endurance sport coaching, being on the team, or a training plan. Trust me, it will be the best decision you make.

Also, our second $50 ROKA gift card winner is…

According to his entry, Tr Vincent is preparing for his first Ironman at Lake Placid this month. (*Tr Vincent, I will email your gift card shortly).

If you’re getting ready for your first Ironman or 70.3 triathlon, check out this free guide: Ironman and 70.3 Guide For Beginners: Everything You Need to Know.

If you aren’t familiar with ROKA, they’re one of our blog partners, which means they provide discounts just for our newsletter subscribers. (That’s you). At ROKA you can find some of the best wetsuits, swimsuits, swim skins, goggles, and sunglasses on the market.

Here’s what Matt and I use from ROKA:

• ROKA Maverick X3 wetsuit

• ROKA Viper Pro 3 swim skin (sleeved for Matt, sleeveless for me)

• R1 goggles

• (I used their cheapest Maverick sleeveless wetsuit when I was just starting and it was great too, as well as their custom color sunglasses).

If you didn’t win this time, don’t be sad. :(

We have 3 more $50 ROKA gift cards to give away over the next few weeks! :)

If you haven’t signed up yet, do that at the link below.

Sign up here to win a $50 ROKA gift card.

Also, don’t forget that as a Triple Threat Life subscriber, you get access to:

• $40 annual nutrition credit with The Feed

• 1 month free on Rouvy indoor cycling platform

• 25% off ROKA! (this is crazy good)

Click here to get your discounts.

*The rest of our partner discounts on that page for Rudy Project, Zealios, Never Second, Apollo Neuro, Cool Mitt, Running Warehouse, Cool Mitt, Road iD, Firefly Recovery, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and Synergy are for our Triple Threat Life Club members. Unlock all the discounts by signing up for the Club here.

Have a great weekend of training!

See you in the next newsletter,

Brittany