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Episode 6: What Nobody Tells You About Triathlon (Until You’re In Too Deep) · Happy Pace - a triathlon podcast

• Jaclyn: and welcome to episode six of the Happy Peace podcast. Marty, how are you going? Mardi: I am good, yes. Happy after a really good weekend of training. How about you? Jaclyn: Yeah, same. I'm really good. another really solid week of training. Mardi: we had such good feedback after last episode going back to basics with Trithlon. And I feel like ⁓ I just really tried to take that to heart this and just ⁓ tick some boxes and just be like, you know what? Doing my training hitting the intervals, hitting the paces and like not overthinking it, just ⁓ the basics was was enough me this week. Jaclyn: Yeah, definitely. I think it was just one of those weeks where it was about showing up and and being consistent, as we sort of keep on rolling towards cans, which is coming around really quickly. Mardi: yep, I'm excited. And I'm also excited about today's topic. so we are talking about things that you you knew before you started triathlon or things that no one told you when you first started doing triathlon. So, in the last few episodes we've talked a lot about, how to go about getting into the sport, the equipment you need, skills, training, all of those sorts of things. But there's also heaps of stuff that no one tells you. when you start triathlon. So we're gonna dive into some of that. Some of that today. Jaclyn: I cannot I cannot wait to get started on this. But first of all, ⁓ what was your session of the week? Mardi: So I feel like my session of the week needs a little bit of context. I had a pretty good week last week, like I said, last episode, recovering from Western Sydney, the rolled ankle ended up being okay. Came into this week actually got my period first thing Monday, which is always a nice way to start the week. So this week of training was like a pretty standard week from a routine point of view. ⁓ a recovery ride Monday, interval ride Tuesday. Yeah, had a big few days at work then and I thought Wednesday I'm gonna feel amazing after my run. That's gonna be really restorative. ⁓ it poured rain, like for most of the run session. ⁓ so like a drowned rat. What came to Thursday was like great bike intervals, like ⁓ again, really hoping for this to rejuvenate and refresh me. It was pouring even harder rain, like went out and it was fine. It just got totally wet. Had to stop three quarters of the way through the session. Pushed through, got it done. swam felt a swimming concrete. Like just just not ⁓ not vibing. Jaclyn: One of those weeks of those weeks. Mardi: Yeah, not vibing do my long run Saturday. ⁓ and in the afternoon I was like, I feel like I've been for like a massive brick session. Like I am wrecked. And it wasn't even a hard run. It was literally just easy run, you know, well fueled, all of those sorts of things. So didn't have any candidates for session of the week. Come come yesterday. However, this I had my brick session. So we were like, what, three, four weeks from Cairns now? ⁓ Jaclyn: Yeah. Mardi: ⁓ I had a three hour ride with some intervals in it. I did it with some friends at one not my usual crit track, another crit track here in Brizzy. We did a little out and back first and then the intervals. I was a little bit worried in the out and back it did rain. I'm like, ⁓ no, not again. Like, can we just ⁓ Jaclyn: And then you just thought about your friends in Melbourne. Mardi: I did and I realized I was like, yeah, it could actually be cold as well. Like at least it's not cold. But yeah, came back, did the remaining two hours on the crit track, had some good tunes going, felt really, really good. And then did a 7K run off the bike and did that with friends as well. Just had some guys that I was running with and it was just so good because they were just chatting the whole way, like didn't dip into the mental bucket, like just felt really really light, really energized and Yeah, had coffee and a pastry afterward and all is right in the world. And now ⁓ I'm good. ⁓ Jaclyn: think that links probably really well to our to our topic of the week, but sometimes you just ⁓ when you've training a lot and training really consistently, ⁓ sometimes you need that one session to go well ⁓ and then can reset your whole mindset and you feel like you're on track again. Mardi: Hundred percent. What was your session of the week this week, Jax? Jaclyn: Am I allowed to have two? Two sessions of the week? Well, I Mardi: ⁓ I mean I feel like a brick s if it's a brick session, like it's a ride and a run. Or it's just like they just both appear. Jaclyn: They're both up there. They're both equal. I ⁓ I've had one of those weeks training has generally felt really good. ⁓ so my session of the week is my Tuesday run. ⁓ So sometimes have a session on Tuesday, but ⁓ more often have an easy run. And it can be anywhere from like forty minutes to kind of fifty five minutes of easy running or similar with a session. But I was actually ⁓ working from home on Tuesday morning, is a little bit of a treat for me to be working from home it was clear blue skies, perfect in Melbourne, and I live pretty close to the city. ⁓ as I was running, I could see like all of these people that ⁓ had gotten out for their run during their lunch breaks and all like the office running groups were out and about. I personally just felt like that moment when like the fitness kind of hits and I was just like cruising. I was running easy. It felt super easy. My legs felt really good. Melbourne was up and about ⁓ and it was so, so nice Mardi: I love that. And I feel like those are the sessions where you're also super grateful because you're like, ⁓ I'm out of my lunch break. I don't usually get to do this. Like everyone else here feels like this is a bonus. It's not like we've all woken up at 5 a.m. in the pouring rain and we just like are grinding it out. Like everyone's happy about this and we all know it. Jaclyn: ⁓ Hundred percent. ⁓ absolutely. And then I got back to my like my phone, like I l ⁓ checked Strava when I got home and it was just like every person on my Strava had been for running their lunch break. So tell me that Melbourne needed like just one more day in the sun ⁓ before weather changes. ⁓ I titled my Strava ⁓ a in corporate with an asterisk. then the asterisk was ⁓ my job's not corporate. And it's really not that much of a treat, but it was just that it was sunny. Correct. ⁓ my second session of the week was actually today's long run. we were at Kew and we did a loop ⁓ the children's farm and then out onto Kew Boulevard. And we just had thirty five minutes, like ⁓ moderate to solid of intensity once we got onto Kew. Mardi: Yeah. Just a little bit of vitamin D. ⁓ she needed. Jaclyn: Boulevard, which for those who don't know, it's just like rolling, rolling hills. And I just really felt like I'd put together a really good week of training. It was just like the icing on top that I needed this week to just top off my training, knowing that I'm going into a recovery week next week, which I'm looking forward to. Mardi: You're like, like that's another way of saying like I'm really ready for that. Like Yeah Yeah, I think so. So good. Well, I think that this is a really great segue ⁓ into our topic of the week. So things that no one told you about triathlon, before you started or before you got into however deeply you are in right now. Jaclyn: Ha ha ha! Which ⁓ I need I think I'll leave that in there. Mardi: And this is something we've talked about this week, probably with the people we train with, you know, with some of our group chats, we asked on Instagram. So we have a whole bunch of these to get through and yeah, I think let's get started. Jaclyn: So the first one we've got is how tiring it is balancing training, life and work. What do you reckon? Mardi: Ooh, this is one I feel passionately about and only because I don't think it should be tiring to balance training life and work. that's my controversial take on this one. I think, ⁓ ⁓ for triathlon in a way is is like so so important to me. ⁓ And ⁓ also making sure that it's adding to and not taking away from other areas of your life. ⁓ I always to think about things like whether they are achievable or maintainable. And I think there are gonna be times where, you know, say when I was training for the Iron Man, where something the training that I was doing was more than I was used to, but it was still achievable for a period of time. But it definitely wasn't maintainable long term. And I knew that. I was like, I know I'm just embracing this for this phase. You know, I'm dedicating a lot of my weekends ⁓ To training, a little bit more tired, putting a little bit less energy into, some other parts of my life. But I'm okay with that because this is like the priority that I'm choosing right now. And I'm also finding ways in that to make it social, to make sure that I'm performing well at work, all of those sorts of things. So that's okay, but I think maintainable is really good. And I think that's something you and I have talked about a lot, about it being like part of your lifestyle. and ⁓ way that it fits into your routine of your week is a way that like adds to your energy rather taking away from it and something that you can maintain for long period of time, which means you can be consistent with it, which means you'll adapt, which means you'll perform better, Jaclyn: Yep, agree. I am very much of the mindset of you can have it all, but maybe just not all at once. so I think it depends where sits on kind of like that that priority ⁓ list for you. where are in your in your what what your goals are around racing. ⁓ and even if your goal is like performance based or whatever it might be, like it should definitely be adding to your day. Like I always think when I'm out riding, like there are days when I'm like, ⁓ this is so rough. But also like how lucky am I that that I get to go ride my bike for an hour and a half on a Monday morning before I go to work. and I think about how much better That makes me feel sure. Sometimes it's a juggle and we were just talking before we got started that I had a dirty lasagna dish sitting in the fridge from last from last week that like I just hadn't gotten around to washing. So I don't know. I don't think it should be tiring. Mardi: also think like I think when you and I are talking about tiring too, we're talking about like more mentally tiring. I think the physical tiredness is obvious. Like you should be a little bit tired from training, like it's taking energy out of you. But I think like energetically and like mentally that it shouldn't be tiring to feel like you're constantly at battle to try and fit things in ⁓ left, right, and center. And I think if it is, then that's where you maybe just need to take a little bit of a different focus. Like if it's a time where Jaclyn: Mm. Yeah. Mardi: Other parts of your life taking away, maybe focus on some run goals or just, you know, have a bit of a swim block or something like that where you can really like lean in and it can be, you know, maintainable and yeah, sort of still of benefit. I think like for me this week, and I'm interested in what your experience and is as well in your attitude. Like for me when work is getting busy or ⁓ I have some bigger with Jaclyn: Yeah. Yeah. Mardi: I tend to like want to double down a little bit on training. And I not in the sense of, you know, taking away from work, but you know, Monday night I needed to stay at work a little bit later. I missed going to swimming. And so then I was like, I owe myself a swim. Like I owe myself this swim. And then I couldn't get it done Tuesday. I had a similar, similar sort of night. And then it got to Wednesday and I was like, I am going for that swim tonight. And like it was just like this commitment to myself. And, I Jaclyn: Hmm. Mardi: didn't have a great swim, ⁓ which was the theme of the week, but I just like afterward I just felt so satisfied because I was like, I've made my commitments, I've contributed to what I needed to for work, all of those sorts of things. And now I've done something for myself. And in this week that that is actually really important to me. Yes, physically to like exercise, but I think also mentally as well. Jaclyn: Yeah, a hundred percent agree. Like if other areas of my life are pulling a little bit more, whether it's work or social things as well. Like we had a I had a pretty social week this week for me. ⁓ so I feel like if those things are pulling a little bit, then I definitely know that for me to show up as the best version of myself, ⁓ I to show up and do those training sessions or ⁓ if it's not been to complete the training session to its full capacity, like completing it to what I've got on that day. Mardi: Mm. Agree. So next one is comparison spirals. ⁓ Jax, what's your what's your take? What's your experience on this? Jaclyn: We have so many conversations about this And I actually made a point this morning that A couple of years ago, like I just got completely bogged down in comparing myself to other people that I was training with, other people that I would be racing with, 'cause maybe they were riding more or running more, ⁓ doing different sessions, or doing things that I perceived were maybe harder than what I was doing and I felt like I wasn't doing enough, or performing enough. ⁓ And it just got me really, really bogged down in the sport and I was just so ⁓ flat and just it took the joy out of it, I think. you know, the old saying, comparison is the thief of joy. ⁓ and it ⁓ absolutely did So I think when I was then able to sort of take a step back or had a little bit of time away, 'cause I was injured, I was actually just like, It's it's not that deep. ⁓ Like everyone there for the same reason. Everyone's there trying to get the best out of themselves. Sure, there's times when we want to be competitive and whatever else, but I think that like we're not professionals in this sport. We don't get paid to do it. We do it because we enjoy the training, we enjoy the process, we enjoy racing. ⁓ ⁓ that stuff means so much more than someone finishing ⁓ of me or having a better bike ride than me. Like it just it doesn't matter. It's not that deep. Mardi: Yeah. ⁓ I think that that is so wise. And I was actually talking about this with one of the guys I was running with today. And I feel really fortunate that we started Charathlon at a time where social media was like not a big deal in sport. Yeah, like we when I started Charathlon I had an Instagram account and I yeah, TikTok and stuff didn't exist. So Jaclyn: Yeah. Yep. Mardi: My also I don't even think Stra Strava didn't exist. This was like three years before I started Strava. So like you were actually like when I started, it was like I'm doing it because I love it. Like I'm not posting this to share with other people. If I scroll back on my Instagram, there's probably like some photos of me in Runners on a road bike. Like loving life, you know, with my coloured runners and colored, you know, bike and all of this stuff. ⁓ but I wasn't posting like my sessions, my splits, like all that sort of stuff. Like all of it was Jaclyn: No. He Mardi: I was just doing it because I love it. So I also think like, you know, people starting the sport now, particularly with like TikTok and people sharing their runs or sharing every Strava overlay with their sessions, like I just don't feel compelled to do that because I don't I don't want to compare myself to other people and I don't want other people to feel like they're comparing themselves to me either. Yeah. I don't know, like what do you think, Jax? Jaclyn: It's just not I think for me it's about how much fun did I have when I was out running, ⁓ how was I able to push myself in that training session? Like ⁓ did get to hang out with my friends and have a cup of coffee? ⁓ And I think you if you listen back to what our sessions of the week even like sure, some of them are about like did I hit my splits or it's the other things around that, who we trained with, who was who showed up, like how did we feel? What did we do afterwards? Was the sun out? Was I did I have mud up the back of my leg? that's what it was that's what it was about. Like it it wasn't about anything else. And I just think from ⁓ from my experience so easy to get bogged down in that ⁓ and ⁓ Mardi: Yeah. Yeah. Jaclyn: And just get caught up in it. But I just it's it's just not worth it. It just takes away so much joy from the sport All right. next Is feeling flat after races. Mardi: Do you wanna go yours or you'll I'll go mine? Talk to me. Talk to me. Talk to me. Okay, so I think feeling flat after races for me physically is like pretty obvious. You know, you're probably not gonna run a half marathon two days later or something like that. ⁓ I think it's just mentally flat after races. I feel like you have a really big build up to a race, obviously from your training, but then also mentally, it's something you're working towards. ⁓ Jaclyn: Talk to talk to me. Mardi: For weeks, maybe months, and yeah, you've really built yourself up to it, and perhaps you haven't really thought beyond it from a training and racing perspective. It's been this really big goal. So I think feeling flat could be like not feeling motivated or also just feeling a bit unfulfilled. I think there can be a whole range of experiences and factors, but I'm trying to think, like Jax, do have any examples of times you felt flat after races? Jaclyn: Mm. Yeah, I think for me it's probably something that comes on after a bigger race, like a race that we'd marked as kind of like an A race. Like I don't tend to get it after shorter races or say over the summer where I'm racing every week. And it might be because I don't have anything else on the calendar, or it could just be because I maybe just don't feel as great 'cause I'm not not moving as much. But I think there can be such a big build up to a race, especially if it's like your first seventy point three or your first Iron Man or an A race on your calendar, there's the build up is is big and like that's your focus for whether it's ⁓ ten, twelve, weeks, whatever it might be, ⁓ and then don't have that. It's like the build up for Christmas ⁓ so I I I just think it's it's part of the roller of the sport a little bit. but I also think don't live and die on that hill. whether you whether you had a great race or ⁓ Or whether you had a race that maybe you weren't that happy with, like it's whatever. it's just not that deep. ⁓ Just well, that's answer I think. Just have something else to look forward to. What about you? ⁓ Mardi: It's whatever. Just sign up for another race. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I was just thinking about this with cans last year, because that's probably for me like the most recent experience I've had of feeling I wouldn't say I felt flat after the race. I felt in disbelief that I'd done the Iron Man. That was yeah, that probably still stands. Still can't believe I did that. ⁓ But I think flat in terms of motivation for racing after that. And I think, it's probably taken me until maybe the start of this year to really feel that fire and motivation. Like Iron Man had been such a big goal for me for a really long time. I'd signed up for the full year before and I think, you know, kind of manifested that I would do it for a good couple of years before that. And I think, you know, lining up for Sunny Coast 70.3 and Noosa last year in particular, like I kind of I felt flat in those races in that I was on the start line and I was like, Where's the nerves? normally I love that nervous energy when you're going to start a race because it really like pushes you on and lets you take it to the next level. And I just didn't have that. And like even Noosa last year, you know, I had an aspirin attack just into the run because I Jaclyn: Mm. Mardi: Was a bit complacent about my tri transition setup and after that got like two, three K in and I just ran walked the rest of it. I caught up to a friend and and we ran walked, which was a beautiful experience and a really great reframing for me. But I think I just felt a bit flat because I just I'd put so much energy and investment into the full Iron Man that Jaclyn: Mm. Mardi: I just maybe didn't have the the mental battery for it for the rest of the year. I think that's probably as simple as that. Jaclyn: It's digging into that mental bucket that we talk about a bit, isn't it? and I I think knowing you, you you to dig into that enough. Like anyone has to, for an Iron Man. Mardi: Mm. Mm. If there was like an hourly limit for the year, like I used the limit on the for that build on that race, yeah. Jaclyn: Yeah, exact there's only so many times that you can go into that bucket and I then I think like when like you you did back up quite quickly like with Sunnyco seventy point three and Noosa and the the performance goals or whatever maybe weren't there but you're still showing up for training. You're still ticking boxes and things like that. And yeah, I think a lot of people experience it after either their first ⁓ triathlon, their first ⁓ Mardi: Yeah. Yeah. Jaclyn: Seventy point three, their first Iron Man, I think I think that would be quite common. And I think that's why we see so many people just coming in and being one done, which like is fine as well. ⁓ But I think this one leads really nicely into how motivation actually is. what are your thoughts on that one? Mardi: Yeah, I think I tend to lean less on motivation and more on routine for me. ⁓ I think having a weekly routine where it's just a no brainer for what you're gonna do on every day of the week just actually takes motivation out of it. and I've got a different routine ⁓ now, living in Queensland than did twelve months ago. But that's because I was willing to shift that routine. Jaclyn: Yeah, same. Mardi: you know, to adjust for my circumstance and my lifestyle now. And I think routine, if you know yep, I swim on Monday night, I ride on Tuesday morning, I run on Wednesday morning, like if you know your routine, then when the day of the week comes and the time, like mentally you're like, Yep, well that's what I'm gonna do. and I think physically as well, you know, it's just really good for your body. Jaclyn: Yeah. Motivation is always always going to be transient. And I think if we always relied on our motivation being consistent, we'd never do anything. It's the same with work, right? Like you know that you've got to get work done. ⁓ I definitely rely on habit and routine a lot more than what I'd rely on motivation. Like I'm people always ask like how do you get up in the morning and just like go and do your session? Well I get up and do my session because that's what's on my programme. But also like it's my routine. Like I I get up and I do it and if I think about it too much or I think about how cold it is in Melbourne or whatever it might be, like I'm not gonna do it. Mardi: Yeah, I think that's so true. yeah, I just don't really think about motivation too much. ⁓ Yeah. ⁓ gosh, totally. Totally. Jaclyn: We could do a whole episode on that, hey. Mardi: ⁓ So the next one we've got down on the list is of bike maintenance. Jaclyn: Yeah. I think it is one of those things that you do have to kind of take care of. things like grease in your chain ⁓ or waxing your ⁓ washing your bike after been out riding, ⁓ booking your bike in for a service the same way as you would your car. it is one of those things that no one tells you about and it can be a little bit expensive sometimes is if you've left it too long and then like You need a new chain or you need a new cassette. But I think all of this information is on YouTube. if you are part of a tri club, there will be someone who knows and probably help you out or ⁓ may even be to to help you switch ⁓ your chain over. I think as like that information's really accessible even from a bike shop. Like if you find a really great bike shop that you feel comfortable with, just go in and ask questions or book your bike in for a service and and have those conversations with them about what you need to be doing to be regularly maintaining your bike. But it is definitely one of those things that no one tells you about. Mardi: Yeah, agree. I think some of my first experiences with bike maintenance were riding with friends who were good cyclists and they were like, Whoa, when was the last time you cleaned your chain or cleaned your derail or something? And being sh sh yeah, shamed you into it, and you're like, ⁓ man, what what do you mean? What you talking about? ⁓ and then you very quickly, yeah, get to know your local bike mechanic and ⁓ one of the best relationships you'll have, to be honest. ⁓ Jaclyn: Or pumped up your tires. Yeah. I re I remember when I first got my bike and I was riding around with like flat tires for ages. Like I just I just didn't know that you had to pump up your tires. Mardi: Hm. Yeah. Hmm. Yeah, totally. Jaclyn: The ⁓ next one that we have on list ⁓ is wearing undies under your cycling slash try suit. Mardi: ⁓ Yeah, okay. So my experience with this was our first ⁓ tri coach who you also had, Amy. And she was really good at just telling us like girls like these cycling bibs are designed that you don't wear undies underneath. same tri-suits, like it just adds a layer of friction, adds a layer of pressure, and also adds a generally adds a visible panty line So yeah, this one is a bit of no-brainer, but no one really talks to you about it. Jaclyn: Nobody will tell you until they notice that you're doing it. And then like you'll probably have a bit of a laugh about it at the coffee shop and then five years later you'll still be talking about it. Mardi: Yes. the other thing is like bras for the girls. So ⁓ yeah, definitely wear bras under your kit for sure. ⁓ I think when I first started, I was like, is there like tri bra that I should be wearing? How does this work? Honestly, I don't know about you. I just wear like a normal sports bra. It's fine. It's designed to for sweat anyway, so the water is just more of it. Jaclyn: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I actually for quite a few years have worn this Lululemon that I only wear for racing, but it was like an old one that they did that was like ⁓ swim material. ⁓ but like a a normal kind of crop top or sports bra ⁓ with support in it, is all you really need. The other one I will add here ⁓ is things chamois cream ⁓ or body Mardi: Okay. Yeah. Jaclyn: No one tells you that that will just make riding so much comfortable. That said, I but I believe if you've got a good bike fit, like you should be okay mostly without it. ⁓ but there are gonna be days when your nicks maybe rub a bit funny or your nicks are a bit worn out. and some body glide or chamois cream can just help to reduce some of that that friction and just make you a little bit more comfortable. Mardi: Mm. Mm. Yeah, and that goes for like, yeah, legs, arms, underarms, around your neck. Just like anywhere. Definitely something that's really good to know. The next one is recovery weeks, things no one tells you about. Jaclyn: So important. And think that comes back to a bit of management that we spoke about last week. Is that triathlon can be a lot. It helps you to recover ⁓ physically. So your body's absorbing the load that you're putting through it, it's swim, bike, or run, ⁓ It also helps with. Mardi: Hm. Jaclyn: ⁓ a bit of mental recovery as well. So earlier on when we were talking about how tiring balancing everything can be or how to how inconsistent motivation can be, this is where your recovery weeks are so important because ⁓ where maybe you do get a little bit of a down week from training. Like your hours or your volume might be a little bit less and you can lean into some of those other things that maybe haven't had as much attention. I think so, so important. ⁓ for so many reasons. What's your experience? Mardi: Yeah. ⁓ I think yeah, so important for load management. ⁓ I think mentally no one tells you about recovery weeks sometimes being hard. 'Cause like s if you are training less hours and than you are used to, you're like, Hey, what do I do with this time? Or if you've got less intensity in your sessions, like my inkling is always like, ⁓ I'll just push a little bit harder then. That's okay. Like if this doesn't feel hard, let's go a little bit harder. ⁓ Jaclyn: Ha ha ha. Mardi: So yeah, I think I am embracing more and more like having recovery days and recovery weeks and I think generally, knowing that I will better after them than I will probably before or during has been probably key. Jaclyn: think just reframing it as well, like like you you're gonna get that physical and mental recovery, but it's also a time to maybe, which is one of our other other points, is maybe catch up on your washing. maybe it's steak night with the girls or like you try and schedule that for your recovery week 'cause you get to fill up that social bucket away from your your training friends maybe a little bit more as well. Mardi: Mm. Yeah. I think that is perfect to to link into our next one is the volume of laundry ⁓ as a result a tire bond. ⁓ Jaclyn: Yep. When you are training for three sports, maybe you're riding two or three times a week, you might be running two or three, maybe four times a week, plus then your your towels and your togs ⁓ things like that, the the washing just does not stop. Mardi: Yeah, no one tells you about that. I do there's the fact that your collection will literally become a selection of traton towels, like all of my beach towels, ⁓ and now noose to try 70.3 Iron Man towels. it's just a constant rotation. Jaclyn: Ha ha ha. Yeah. What about hair washing? no one tells you how often you're gonna have wash your hair and that your hair washing days will now be scheduled around your training slash swim days. ⁓ Mardi: Yeah, totally. ⁓ I actually think like I have structured my weeks around hair washing, my training weeks. Jaclyn: ⁓ you've flipped it. Mardi: For me, I try and tie my hair washing around swimming, so Monday, Wednesday nights, sometimes Fridays, and then depending on the session Saturday or Sunday. But it is actually like a whole thing. ⁓ And I had wash my had to wash my hair after today's session and you just have to it, but it it just takes time. ⁓ Jaclyn: Yeah, I try and I try and like keep my hair washing days on swimming days. ⁓ I swim before work and I try and just like I I hate going to work with wet hair. I want to go to work and be really presentable ⁓ at work. So sometimes I like bloss the heater in my car to dry my hair. Mardi: Mm. Jaclyn: ⁓ so that when I get to work I can just I know. I I hate trying to dry my hair on my way to work. so that at least then it can be somewhat presentable ⁓ when I do get into the office. Mardi: Pro tip. Wow. It's actually good HET training as well. Yeah. Yeah. did struggle over summer here because it's so humid that like after running I ⁓ had to wash my hair like it was so I was like dripping from the humidity and sweat. ⁓ and so I really just embraced like the slick, slick ponytail, slick bun. Yeah. I'm a little bit ashamed of it that it's been held together by sweat, but you gotta do what you gotta do. There's only so many hours in the day. ⁓ next one is hairstyling for races. Sorry, we're going very like for the girls, on couple of these, but important. No one tells you how to style your hair for races. Jaclyn: Not at all. Now I actually chopped my hair off. best thing I ever did. ⁓ I don't have lot of options, but Maddie, got a lot more hair than what I do. So talk us through what you do for a race. Mardi: Yeah. I've got this down, Pat. so a lot of people will tell you braids ⁓ are the go. Like Lucy Charles Barclay is a big advocate, she's a professional athlete, ⁓ big advocate the battle braids. that's her hairstyle. For me, that turns into like an absolute knotted mess. And I know that I've also heard of people who do braids and then when they go to put the helmet on in T2, like their helmet doesn't fit as it usually would if they just had a ponytail or a bun. So I don't love braids. I've tried, I did for a little while do like a plait, so like a low ponytail at the back into a plait. It just turns into an absolute waspy knotted mess. It takes ages to get out. I've actually found like the perfect bun. ⁓ so I'll do a low ponytail, split my hair into tie it in a knot, tie it in a second knot, and then loop it around and tie it with a hair tie. I might have to do like a little tutorial on Instagram for this. But 10 out of 10, if it is like a wet riding day ⁓ or a run day ⁓ or a day, ⁓ like that the only style that I can do where my hair will not turn into. ⁓ like 15 minutes in the shower trying to get it out. and even like today I made the mistake. I was like, ⁓ it's gonna be a fine ride. It's not gonna rain. I'll go with the low plaid option under my helmet. ⁓ No no it did rain. ⁓ And by the I did the run off bike, it took ⁓ twenty minutes to sort out afterwards. So ⁓ embrace low bun. ⁓ all I'd say is it is for a like just double check your helmet fits right. when you're in transition, so you don't get there and go, Shit, like the do is ruining it. Jaclyn: Now what do I I I used to do a a low bun with a plait and then kind of like wind that into a bun. that used to work well for me, but everyone's hair is different. Find out what works for you, but make sure you practice it. Mardi: Yep. Important. Very important. Jaclyn: Lucky last on the list is Porteleuse. Mardi: Yeah, so this is the this was the listener suggestion. ⁓ but it's true. Portaloos before races. you set up your transition, then you're gonna like go to race start. You do need some time in the bathroom. There's, you know, whatever it is, like twenty portalous and like two thousand people who need to use them. Like there is ⁓ there's just nice way of going about it. Like I don't know. What's ⁓ my experience been that I've pretty much expected like that I'll go into transition, come out of transition, and then be able to use the bathroom in like ten minutes. Really, I need to readjust my timing schedule so I actually have timed for that cue because I missed the start of Sunshine Cross 70.3. Like I'd put myself in the first or second wave and I didn't get to the start until the third chorale because I was, yeah, waiting for the bathroom for half an hour. Jaclyn: ⁓ no. think expect the worst and hope for the best. so give yourself plenty of time. Know that there's probably two thousand other triathletes that are using that portaloo as well that day. depending Mardi: Maybe stay at the the race venue, like at Palm Cove. Jaclyn: That was gonna be my next one. ⁓ and works for me, Mardi: just stay at the swim start, Jaclyn: Yeah. Mardi: I don't need to sell you on it, like Jaclyn: Like that's what I do. Mardi: Yeah. Seriously. just also just like pack toilet paper or tissues, like pack one of those little packs 'cause like sometimes by the time you get to the the front there is none of that left. But yeah, no one tells you about that and we just have. Hmm. Jaclyn: Actually, what I will say is make sure you do go I remember in New Zealand, I was standing in the at then this is at World Champs, so the stats were a little bit different to sort of a normal sort of age group race. And I remember just standing there being like, I should have gone to the toilet. And I was like, it's fine, I can just do a wee while I'm swimming. But I think I was just so nervous that I couldn't. And I spent the whole swim and the whole bike needing to we and then I should have gone when I came out of transition But I didn't. And then I got six K's into the run and like I j I got to the point where I just had to kind of go. So just make sure you go before you start would be my best advice there. Mardi: Yeah, go before you start, allow plenty of time in the line, beware your toilet paper. Don't say we didn't tell you, you know? Yeah. All right. Jaclyn: Exactly. What has been happening this week in the pro world? Mardi: In the pro world, so I wanna say not a lot, but actually a lot, all things considered. Mm hmm. Jaclyn: A lot. Yeah. So we kind of did a little bit of a preview preview of Ion Provence last week. ⁓ Ion Provence 70.3, which is a pro series race. We previewed that last week. However, it has only just started. So we will do a bit more of a recap of that next weekend or in our next episode. ⁓ but we did have Mardi: Hmm. I have to say, sorry, like if we weren't recording this, I actually just love putting on a seventy point three or an IMAN in the background on a weekend afternoon. Jaclyn: ⁓ that's what I'm doing when we're done. Mardi: Yeah, so it's like it's real nice. Real nice. Just like soothing. Obviously it's great to watch the racing, but also there's just something very comfortable about having it on. You know, people have their comfort shows. Jaclyn: Most most people watch Friends or Grey's Anatomy as their comfort shows comfort shows we watch Iron Man's and Seventy point threes. But we did have the WTCS Yokohama race ⁓ yesterday, actually, over in Japan. So we're gonna have a bit of a chat about that and then we'll also chat about Chattanooga seventy point three, which is also on tonight. Mardi: Yeah. Special types. Mm. Jaclyn: ⁓ melt ⁓ kind of east coast time. Mardi: Yeah. So Yokohama is the World Triathlon series and that like we said a few weeks ago, it's actually not the start of the qualifying period of the for the LA Games until I think it starts today. So like the next World Tri race will be a qualifier for points towards qualifications ⁓ the LA Olympics. So Taylor Dib was originally on the start list but she didn't race, which is interesting. could be any reason for that. I mean, I feel like Taylor is one of those people who will only race a race if she knows that she's gonna win or that she's gonna do well. And ⁓ versus some other athletes, you know, like Caden Wilde or someone who will just do it and get the points and, you know, enjoy the sort of race experience. So she should be back hopefully at the next world triathon race. But I mean, not super surprising if the qualification hasn't period hasn't started. She just did an Iron Man a few weeks ago, so We'll let you off, Taylor. Jaclyn: I agree. But we did have Tilda Manson from Sweden take out the win. ⁓ no, same. And I and I wonder if this is a bit of like a a change in like who's winning ⁓ WTCS races, like a bit of a changing of the guard, so to speak. ⁓ away from people like I mean Beth Potter, she still came second, but a few of the other big Mardi: I've never heard of her. I'll say that. Mm. Jaclyn: bigger names that we've seen be quite competitive in these races as a result of them maybe kind of moving towards T one hundred or middle distance racing. Mardi: Yeah, yeah, I think you might be right. And ⁓ it does generally attract like the the younger racer, ⁓ in that sort of world triathlon ⁓ series races. But I do think there's some like pretty big names, you know, previous medalists and also just other athletes who LA is like, you know, probably their last Olympic cycle and their last opportunity. So really wanting to lean into that. one of those athletes is probably Gwen Jorgensen. So Gwen has been an Olympic Jaclyn: Mm. Mardi: Triathlete for many years She won Golden Rio in 2016, which is 10 years ago now, and she was ⁓ yeah, competing Yokohama. So I think she would be someone who's definitely one to watch ⁓ wanting to qualify for the Olympics for the US. And if you look her up, like she's had such an amazing career. she finished seventh, nothing to nothing to bat eyes at and nothing to Does nothing to bow is that a good thing or a bad thing? Jaclyn: Nothing to bat eyes at. I I think that means that like she did a good job. No, I think that means that I think that means that I I think what we're trying I think what we mean is I I think that's something that shouldn't be looked away from. Mardi: I think that's a bad thing. Okay. I mean that in the nicest way. Correct, yeah. Yeah. That is something to write home about. How's that? Yeah, that's such a strong finish in a really ⁓ you know, it's a very competitive field, obviously coming into the games. Yeah, so sh go Gwen. ⁓ yeah, definitely someone to watch. Jaclyn: Let's go with that one. Young and competitive, yep. In second place we had, as I said, Beth Potter, who has been around the circuit for quite some time. Mardi: Yeah, Gun Runner too. I think she set like a five K road record for in the UK maybe five years ago. Super amazing. Jaclyn: And then Jeanne Le Haire from France finished third. Mardi: She's usually up there. I'm pretty sure she did the Paris Games, exciting. Rochelle Hill from Australia. That was her WTCS debut. ⁓ she won the under 23 World Championships last year, which were in Wollongong. So a bit of a home race ⁓ for her. huge opportunity. And I think like shows us really strong Aussie athletes leading into ⁓ LA, she's definitely, I mean, this is just before the qualification period and she ⁓ she's on the start line, I think definitely one to watch ⁓ for us LA. and on the side, Houser, our Aussie Fave, who, you know, coming off his first T one hundred a couple of weeks ago in Singapore, he and reigning world champion at world triathlon level, ⁓ he won the race. ⁓ Which is great. And even better, Luke Willen came third, another Australian. ⁓ Jaclyn: Yeah. So good. So I think I think Matt looked pretty dominant all the way through the race. he actually won the Yokohama race last year ⁓ well. So came back and defended his title. ⁓ just was really in control across swim, bike, and run for the whole race. ⁓ ⁓ is huge, especially for someone who's sort of starting to dip their toe into that middle distance racing, but will be ⁓ ⁓ definitely ⁓ on board for that for that LA quite. kind of qualification and LA building cycle. Mardi: Yeah, totally. And I think, Matt came I think it was about sixth place in the Paris Games and obviously coming into this cycle is really keen and really motivated to get on the podium. I love following Matt has a YouTube now, worth watching some of his They're always just good to watch just worth following his journey because he's got a really exciting couple of years coming up. Jaclyn: The other really exciting thing about the men's race was having Alex Ye back on ⁓ WTCS start line. So Alex is a British triathlete he won gold the last Olympic Games. ⁓ and then he kind of stepped away from triathlon and focused on ⁓ some marathon goals. Running two ⁓ Mardi: six two ⁓ six second fastest ⁓ British marathon of time. Jaclyn: British Marathon. Which is absolutely massive. So then he's come back onto the WTCS start list, probably looking for a qualification spot for LA as well. but really strong. He's a really gun runner, really great rider, but just maybe lacking a little bit of that kind of top end sharpness that you need to be ⁓ super competitive on a WTCS start list. Mardi: Yeah. Yeah, totally. And I think, you know, there's a few things to be said there. One is like, how good is triathlon that you can, win a gold medal and then go off and ⁓ pursue marathon dreams and then, ⁓ you come back to to sort of defend your Olympic title. Like that is cool to be able to do that. and I think also, at this point, probably a nice confidence boost for other athletes knowing they've just beaten the Olympic champion, but he's on the rise and no doubt looking to yeah, ⁓ lean swim back and run for the next couple of years. Jaclyn: I often think about this like how strong triathletes would be as as marathon runners or as just pure long distance runners. if you look at people like Christian Blumenfeld on the men's side and Tamara Jewett or even like Kat Matthews on the women's side, like ⁓ running quick marathons off the bike, like having swum ⁓ of three point eight Ks, having done a hundred and eighty K bike ride, and they're running like quick marathons and quick half marathons. So ⁓ think it's really cool that Alex is leaning into sort of that marathon earlier, I guess, in his career. we'll be watching that one quite closely, I think. Mardi: Yeah. so the other race, we've got Chattanooga seventy point three. ⁓ That is a US seventy three. I think like similar to what we talked about last week with Gulf Coast. It's one of those like sort of mid tier ⁓ races which attracts like a lot of US and Canadian athletes. this one is pretty famous because it has a downstream swim. Jaclyn: So expect those swim times to be really, really quick. It kind of like compresses the race close together because swimmers who maybe would have been a little bit or athletes that maybe would have been a little bit further back in the swim are gonna be be brought up ⁓ in race, which means it can be a little bit chaotic, in a bit more of tactical kind of race. ⁓ Mardi: Yeah. And I mean, Jax, you're excited because your best friend Paula Finlay is racing this race. Jaclyn: My my close friend Paula Finlay. ⁓ so one of my faves is racing. She did start ⁓ 70 point three Oceanside earlier in the year, but was a bit unwell, maybe still battling a little bit of injury. so really excited to see her on this start list. I think the bike course probably suits her quite well ⁓ of the course style and 'cause it's an aggressive course. I I think that she can probably have quite an impact across the race and I just really want her to do well. Mardi: Yeah. And she's, if you haven't heard of Paula before, she's a Canadian athlete, lives in trains in the US and has a great podcast called That Triathlon Life. another really good listen. So yeah, get around Paula. ⁓ I'm excited Jackie Herring is back on the course. Jackie is someone who we mentioned in previous episodes, won Cans Iron Man last year here in Australia. She has had a good little run with Texas ⁓ and ⁓ Oceanside in those run battles with Grace Tech. that'll be a nice l race that's closest to home for her in the US. ⁓ Grace had been down on the start list for this one, but I think she's pulled out this week. So hopefully she is not injured and it's just needs a little rest. Jaclyn: And then excitingly, we've also got Danielle Lewis and Grace Alexander on these start lists who just like quietly build ⁓ and have strong results consistently throughout the season. So I think what will be interesting to see on the women's side is like who can go with Paula on the bike. ⁓ and then what impact does the run have on the race? So we will give you a little bit of a recap on that one next week, but on the men's side ⁓ Mardi: Mm. On the men's side, Sam Long is going back to back on on last weekend's win at Gulf Coast. Not Gold Coast, Gulf Coast. So yeah, he's going back to back. ⁓ I think it would be hard to see anyone beat him unless he is somehow quite fatigued from last weekend, but I'm pretty sure he's been doing all the right things in between. ⁓ and then just sadly Trevor Foley, who won Iron Man New Zealand in a lovely purplish tri-suit. Jaclyn: Yeah. Mardi: ⁓ he had been on the start list, he's not racing. So yeah, I think it's just a lot of like US males mainly doing this race. Jaclyn: Yeah, Hanson, Jackson Laundry, they're on the start list. both kind of like all round kind of athletes, but if Matt's in touch in distance on the run, ⁓ I think that's who we're really, really looking out ⁓ The bike course will suit Jackson Laundry a lot Mardi: Yeah, Definitely one to watch. and then next weekend we have T one hundred Spain. So the T one hundred they're alternating and women's races. So we had men's at Singapore, so now it's women's in Spain. ⁓ we have ⁓ yes, a really good lineup. See Taylor Nibb is on this start list. ⁓ So she's on the start list, is Kate Wolf, who's the reigning champion ⁓ from the T one hundred last Julie Duron, who is always she's basically podiumed, I think, nearly every T one hundred she's done. She this is her first T one hundred this year. She's done like a challenge event a few weeks ago, which ⁓ we talked about. But yeah, excited to those three. Like they are gonna be super strong. Jaclyn: Mm. And I'm excited to see Holly Lawrence ⁓ this race. ⁓ We mentioned Jackie just before. she has got a called The Women's Race. and she actually interviewed Holly ⁓ in her sort of episode four or five, ⁓ which was such a great interview. ⁓ And Holly speaks about sort of the experiences ⁓ that she's had having her daughter Poppy. ⁓ ⁓ but this will actually be the first T one hundred start list that Holly is on this year, which is really cool. then the other one that we haven't seen yet ⁓ ⁓ Lee. ⁓ Mardi: Yeah, Indy Lee, she was on the start list for Men Texas, but then pulled out in race week. So this is her first race in a little while ⁓ and yeah, definitely first T one hundred this year. ⁓ Jaclyn: Yeah. Has had some strong performances at T one hundred though. Like she won T one hundred Miami couple of years ago and and can be quite competitive across the distance. So I'll be interested to see how she goes against the the girls that have kind of stepped up from ⁓ racing. Mardi: Yeah, and we've got Imogen Simmons as well. So Imogen who gave us our at T one hundred Gold She podiumed there. So yeah, no doubt feeling strong at the T one hundred distance and yeah, ready to roll. Jaclyn: So let's off with ⁓ our quick of the week, which is sort of based around cans coming up in about four weeks' time. Mardi: Yeah, so our happy pace athletes, we had a ⁓ online nutrition seminar with Christy from Multi Sport Nutrition this week, which was so good. We had like a little Zoom call on Wednesday night and ⁓ yeah, talked about sport nutrition for training and racing, which was so, so helpful. one thing we talking about is practicing and preparing your race nutrition plan. So, you know, talk thinking about how many grams of carbs. Per hour you need, and there's plenty of resources available to help guide you with that, Coming up with that as your plan, ⁓ making sure you've got all of items or or that they'll be on the race course in the aid stations, and also practicing with them in your last few key sessions. So that is my like quick hit. My tip of the week is particularly cans related, plan out your race nutrition and ⁓ Make sure you're practicing it for the next couple of weeks. Jaclyn: Yep. And I will just add to that is it's really easy to fall into an underfueling habit in these last few weeks where your training load is a little bit higher maybe, ⁓ or you're maybe got a week here and there. So my tip is just make sure you're eating enough outside of training. ⁓ So whether it's packing an snack at work, adding some extra carbs to your lunches, whatever it might be, just make sure you're eating enough this week. Mardi: But your triath on older sisters. Yes, that's us. All right. Jaclyn: That's us. Well, I am off to go and watch seventy point three Ion Provence, so we can talk about it next week. Mardi: Yes, love that. Very excited for a date with the couch. All right. See you next week. Jaclyn: See you next week.