That Triathlon Show

Epizode

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  Strength and Speed Training Methods of Norwegian Endurance Coaches | Research Roundup 10.09.2026 1h 36min

  In today's Research Roundup we bring you four recent studies. How world-class Norwegian endurance coaches programme strength and speed, the factors determining how a runner's physiology holds up over two and a half hours of running, a defence of the critical power model written by the people who built it, and a polarised versus high-intensity trial in cyclists with a result neither of us expected.
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  Alistair Brownlee, Two-Time Olympic Champion | Everyone Was Surprised by How Slow I Trained 03.09.2026 1h 18min

  Alistair Brownlee is the only triathlete to win two individual Olympic golds, winning at home in London in 2012 and in Rio in 2016. He retired at the end of 2024 after an 18-year career, in which he also won two World Titles, four European Titles and the Commonwealth Games. He also has two second-place finishes from Ironman 70.3 World Championships. This is a conversation about how he actually trained across two decades, in particular when he was at his most dominant and changed the sport: the volume, the intensity, what he would do differently, and lots more.
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  Swimskins, Power Duration Curves and Best Bike Sessions for Runner Turned Cyclist | Q&A 27.08.2026 1h 13min

  Listener Q&A, covering nine different questions/topics from building bike power as a runner and a collegiate swimmer moving back into triathlon, through what actually makes us fatigue during a threshold effort, to swimskins, power duration curves and lots more. We do listener Q&As monthly, the last Thursday every month.
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  The "Best Practices" We Stand By That the Research Does Not Support 20.08.2026 1h 19min

  Mikael and Jack Hutchens each bring up four things they do in their coaching practice that the research does not support, or does not support in the form they use it. Tapering, torque work, electrolytes, grey zone intervals, heat training, strength training, sprint interval training and psychology. For each one: what the evidence actually says, what the two of them do instead, and the reasoning they would defend it with.
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  We Are Nowhere Near Peak Aero | Marc Graveline, Aerodynamics Consultant 13.08.2026 1h 45min

  Marc Graveline is an aerodynamics consultant who works with WorldTour cycling teams as well as professional (e.g. Chelsea Sodaro, Lionel Sanders) and amateur triathletes, and road and gravel cyclists. He co-developed the Notio Konect, the first consumer on-bike aero sensor, and now develops his own device, the Gizmo. He also led the testing programme behind IRONMAN's decision to move the professional draft zone from 12 to 20 metres. We cover how to run an aero test you can actually trust, what to test and in what order, tyres and tyre pressure, and what IRONMAN's draft-zone testing actually found.
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  The 10% Rule Applies to Your Long Run, Not Your Week | Research Roundup 06.08.2026 56min

  Daniel Rowland and Mikael are back for another research roundup with four recent studies. What blood biomarkers do and do not tell you about training load in elite triathletes, why two athletes with the same VO2max can have very different thresholds, what actually predicts running injuries in a cohort of 5,200 runners, and whether supersets deliver the same strength gains in a third less gym time.
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  Is optimised workout design pointless (and time in zone what really matters)? | Q&A 30.07.2026 1h 8min

  Mikael and Jack answer listener questions on indoor versus outdoor FTP differences, whether time in zone is all that matters and how to optimise interval intensity, a first 70.3 debrief covering swim breathing problems and bike cramps, and lots more!
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  Physiology Over FTP | Robbie Deckard, Pro Triathlete & Coach 23.07.2026 1h 21min

  Robbie Deckard is a professional middle-distance triathlete and triathlon coach, and the founder of Freaky Fast Aero Accessories. In this episode, Robbie and Mikael dig into the real differences between American and European training methods, using lactate and VLaMax to optimise training and performance, and how age-group triathletes can apply lab-grade thinking to swim, bike and run training without actually going into a lab.
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  Why 90 Grams of Carbs Still Beats 120 | Paul Booth, UTMB-Winning Performance Nutritionist 16.07.2026 1h 34min

  Paul Booth is a performance nutritionist and exercise physiologist who works with elite ultra-endurance athletes and teams, including the Salomon International team, and was the nutritionist behind both the men's and women's UTMB winners in 2025, Tom Evans and Ruth Croft. We cover the science and practice of fuelling: how many carbs you actually need, why the high-carb trend has run ahead of the evidence, and how to get hydration and electrolytes right for triathlon and ultra-endurance racing.
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  Is VO2max more important than lactate threshold? | Research roundup 09.07.2026 1h 12min

  A research roundup episode, where Dr. Gabriele Gallo (of KnowledgeIsWatt) and myself cover four recent research papers and how they might help us train better and improve our understanding of triathlon and endurance performance
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  Jack Kelly (professional triathlon coach and host of The Triathlon Hour): “Stop fear-mongering about fatigue” 02.07.2026 2h 10min

  Jack Kelly, professional triathlon coach and host of The Triathlon Hour discusses everything about his coaching methods and thoughts on triathlon training and performance.
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  Kolie Moore - Overrated and Underrated Factors for Cycling Performance 25.06.2026 1h 40min

  Kolie Moore of Empirical Cycling returns to That Triathlon Show! In today’s episode Kolie brings lists of his top underrated and overrated factors for cycling performance to the table, and we discuss these. Kolie also tests Mikael on logical reasoning, and has him guess whether each factor is overrated or underrated on Kolie’s list.
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  Effective training on 7 hours per week, using running power to test and compare shoes, and Ironman training for fast-twitch dominant athletes | Q&A 18.06.2026 32min

  In today’s episode Scientific Triathlon coach Mikael Eriksson answers listener questions about time-crunched training and lots more…
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  10 Triathlon Race Day Tips That Actually Make a Difference 11.06.2026 1h 7min

  Today we discuss how to execute your best possible race day performance. Mikael and Jack provide practical tips that you can apply from sprint distance triathlon to the Ironman. Some of these tips are probably familiar (but bear repeating), others you have likely never heard or thought of before.
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  The Real Problem With FatMax (It's Not About Carbs vs Fat) 04.06.2026 59min

  If you are focusing on improving your FatMax in 2026, you’re likely wasting time and money. Not only is fat a more expensive substrate to burn than carbohydrate (you get less energy for the same amount of oxygen by oxidising fat), but the Fatmax number you see in your lab report is mostly noise and very little signal. In today’s episode of That Triathlon Show I’ll explain exactly why that is, but I’ll also give you a tool to evaluate any test or measure that you might (or might not) want to be tracking, from Time Trials to VO2max, HRV and various biomarkers like ferritin and testosterone.
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  How to Train Your Brain to Race to Your Potential | World Tour Neuroscientist David Spindler, PhD 28.05.2026 1h 3min

  Most triathlon training focuses on physiology and skills. Dr. David Spindler argues that the brain is the missing piece, and that you can (and should) train your brain to better process pressure, adapt under stress, and execute under fatigue. This episode will teach you how to do this.
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  New Research on Torque Training, Ketones, Carb Loading and Pacing 21.05.2026 1h 4min

  In this episode, coach Daniel Rowland and myself each bring two recent research studies to the table that we have found interesting and potentially useful for athletes and coaches. We discuss the implications and practical takeaways of the findings, how athletes can implement the findings in practice, and the strengths and weaknesses of the different studies. Whether you listen for the love of endurance sports science, or because you want to keep up to date with the cutting edge in triathlon training, this one is for you.
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  The Swim Technique Hierarchy of Needs for Triathletes | Brenton Ford (Effortless Swimming) 14.05.2026 1h 35min

  Brenton Ford is a swim coach and the founder of Effortless Swimming, one of the most well-known and well-respected resources of swimming knowledge for triathletes and open water swimmers. Especially for adult-onset swimmers without a swimming background. In today’s interview we start with an in-depth discussion of swim technique, before diving into specifics for open water swimming, training structure, and more. This episode is packed with information, and you’ll have a great chance of finding some advice applicable to your own situation that can help you improve your swimming.
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  The Essential Guide to Sprint and Olympic Distance Triathlon Training 07.05.2026 1h 14min

  This is the episode for every triathlete with ambitions in sprint and Olympic distance triathlon, from beginners looking to complete to front-of-the-pack athletes looking to compete. Triathlon training has similarities across the board from sprint to Ironman distance, but the specific training obviously differs between distances, and in this episode we break down exactly, when, why and how. Let’s get stuck in!
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  [Triathlon Science] Polarized vs. Pyramidal Training, Training Models from Canova to Kenyan to Norwegian, and More! | Arturo Casado, PhD 30.04.2026 1h 28min

  For many years, the topic of whether a polarized or pyramidal training intensity distribution is more effective for endurance athletes has been hotly debated. Arturo Casado, PhD, is one of the foremost researchers in this area (and former European Champion in the 1500 metres). Today, Arturo dissects what the science really says in 2026: whether there is a winner, and if not, what are the athlete-specific, event-specific, and other variables that impact which training distribution will bring the best results. We also discuss specific training models from Canova to Norwegian from both scientific and practical perspectives, and bring it all together with practical advice relevant for amateur triathletes and runners.