The Lonely Triathlete

Epizódok

• 
  Training Without Losing the Plot 10.08.2026 15p

  A year of training lies ahead of me. What should I focus on? What is my plan? How am I going to get through this massive year of effort?Join the club on Patreon www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathleteTRANSCRIPTAs I get ready to start a brand-new one-year training block, I’ve been thinking a lot less about the actual workouts and a lot more about how I want to approach the year.Because one year is a long time.And I think that’s the first thing I want to remember.A year is long enough that individual workouts really don't matter all that much.I’m going to have bad workouts.I’m going to have great workouts.There will be weeks where everything comes together perfectly, and there will be weeks where life gets in the way.And I don't want to stress about that.I want to focus on the workout that’s in front of me.What am I trying to accomplish today?And what can I do to give myself the best chance of accomplishing it?And, bonus points if I think about that the day before.Get a good night's sleep.Make sure my gear is clean.Get the bottles ready.Have whatever nutrition I need ready to go.Know what the workout is.Remove as much friction as possible.Because I think there’s a difference between being disciplined and making things unnecessarily difficult for yourself.If I can prepare today so that tomorrow's workout is easier to execute, that’s a win.Give the new plan a chanceI’m also stepping up my training volume.I’m moving from what I’d call a medium-volume plan to a high-volume plan.And that might turn out to be too much.I honestly don't know yet.But I don't need to know yet.I want to give it a solid few months before I start deciding whether it’s working.I think athletes can sometimes make the mistake of constantly adjusting the experiment before they've actually given the experiment enough time to produce a result.So I'm going to try to resist that.I'm going to train.I'm going to pay attention to how I feel.I'm going to pay attention to my performance and recovery.And then, after I've accumulated enough information, I'll make some decisions.Keep triathlon in perspectiveThe other thing I really want to remember is that triathlon isn't my life.It's an important part of my life.I love it.But it's not my life.My relationships and my mental health come first.Triathlon comes second.And that means I need to be willing to be flexible when those things conflict.If something important comes up with my partner, or with family, or I’m having a difficult day mentally, I don't want to look at my training plan and think, Well, I've got to get this workout done.Sometimes the workout loses.And that's okay.In fact, I think that's part of being a serious athlete.A training plan is a tool for supporting your life.Your life isn't supposed to become a tool for supporting your training plan.Habit stackingOne thing I want to experiment with this year is habit stacking.I've got a lot of training.But I've also got travel time to and from the pool or gym, preparation, cleanup, nutrition, recovery, stretching, mobility—all of those little things surrounding the actual workout.And if I treat every one of those things as a completely separate task, it can start to feel like training takes over my entire day.So I want to find ways to attach those things to things that are already happening.Maybe I listen to something specific during the drive.Maybe certain recovery habits happen immediately after training.Maybe my weekly training reflection happens alongside my personal journaling.The idea is to make these things part of an existing rhythm rather than creating ten more things I have to remember to do.Routine is a tool, not a prisonAnd that leads into another one.I really like routine.Probably too much sometimes.Routine makes life efficient.You know what you're doing.You know when you're doing it.You don't have to make a decision every time.But I don't want to become fixed on my routine.Because life isn't always efficient.Sometimes the weather changes.Sometimes plans change.Sometimes somebody needs something from you.Sometimes you just wake up and realize that today isn't going to go according to plan.And I want to be able to adapt without feeling like I've somehow failed.Routine is a mechanism for efficiency.It's not the objective.Actually enjoy the trainingThis one might be the most important.I want to enjoy the training.Because there are definitely days when I just get the workout done.I look at the clock.I look at the intervals.I get through the session.Check.Done.And there's value in consistency. Absolutely.But sometimes I think I'm missing the experience itself.I'm swimming.I'm riding my bike.I'm running.I'm lifting weights.My body is moving.And I want to notice that.Notice how it feels.Notice the movement.Notice the thoughts that come into my head.Notice the emotion.Notice the feeling of being outside.Notice the feeling of getting stronger.Because this isn't just a transaction where I put in 60 minutes and receive some future fitness benefit.This is my life happening right now.And I want to enjoy more of it.Reflect—but don't create another choreI also think it would be useful to spend a little time at the end of each week reflecting.What went well?What didn't?What did I learn?Was there anything I could do differently next week?But—and this is important—I don't want to turn that into another item on my productivity checklist.Weekly reflection: DONE.That defeats the purpose.Maybe I habit-stack it with personal journaling.I've wanted to become more consistent with journaling anyway, so perhaps that's where the training reflection belongs.A few minutes to step back and look at the week.Not judge it.Just notice it.Food should be more than fuelI also want to periodically revisit my nutrition.Not constantly.Not obsessively.But every once in a while, step back and ask:Is this actually working for me?Am I enjoying what I'm eating?Am I making food fun?Because food is fuel, especially when you're training a lot.But food is also one of the great pleasures of life.And I don't want every meal to become a calculation of protein, carbohydrates, sodium and calories.There should be room for enjoying food.Share the experienceAnother thing I want to do this year is find new ways to share the experience.That's one reason I'm interested in video.I've been podcasting for years now, but there's something really fun about telling the story visually.Showing the training.Showing the places I ride.Showing the process.Being creative.And I think that's another way of enjoying the sport.Not everything has to be about performance.Sometimes it's just fun to create something.Stay organizedAnd finally: stay organized.Because nothing makes training more stressful than getting to the moment when you're supposed to train and realizing:Oh crap. My gear isn't washed.Or:Where's that piece of equipment?Or:I wish I'd bought that thing three weeks ago.Or:I forgot to charge this.All of those little things create friction.And yes, staying organized takes time.Washing the gear.Putting things away.Replacing things before they run out.Charging things.Preparing nutrition.Getting tomorrow's stuff ready tonight.But I don't think that time is wasted.I think it's an investment in making the actual experience of training smoother and more enjoyable.And ultimately, that's what I want this year to be about.Not just getting fitter.Not just hitting numbers.Not just completing workouts.I want to build a year of training that fits into my life.A year where I'm prepared, but flexible.Disciplined, but not rigid.Focused, but not obsessive.Where I take the training seriously, but remember that triathlon isn't the most important thing in my life.And where, as much as possible, I actually enjoy the experience of doing it.Because I've got a whole year ahead of me.There's no need to rush it.I just need to show up today and make today a good day to train.
• 
  New Chapter Ahead 03.08.2026 13p

  The time seems right. It's now or never. This might be the end. We never know what tomorrow will bring, or next month or next year. Since that is the case, maybe I should start documenting my exploits sooner rather than later.Join us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathleteTRANSCRIPTIt's funny...this week I sat down to think about what I was going to talk about, and I realized I don't actually have a lot of exciting training news.Which, I suppose, is exactly the point.I'm still in this maintenance phase. Three rides a week. Two VO₂ max sessions and one endurance ride. That's it.TrainerRoad is predicting I'll lose maybe two or three percent of my FTP over the next week or so. And I'm actually okay with that. If I lose five or six watts over a month, that's a small price to pay for getting some physical and mental recovery after a long season.Because the alternative is doing nothing.And if I stop riding altogether, I know what happens. I lose thirty, forty, maybe even fifty watts. Then it takes me three or four months to earn that fitness back again.So right now my goal isn't to get stronger.It's simply to stay close enough to where I finished this season that, when I start my next training block, I can hit the ground running.Which makes for a pretty boring podcast.There really isn't much to say.The workouts are getting done.Fitness is staying relatively stable.Everything is...fine.But then something happened this week that completely took over my attention.I bought a drone.Well...not just a drone.I bought the new DJI Neo 2.I bought a DJI Osmo Action camera.I picked up a chest harness so I can record rides from my perspective.I already had the DJI Mic Mini, so now I can actually narrate while I'm riding or running without sounding like I'm talking through a hurricane.And ever since these boxes showed up at my house, I've been like a kid with a new toy.I've been testing them.Learning how they work.Figuring out camera angles.Learning how the drone follows me.Seeing what kind of footage I can get while riding and running.And the interesting part is...I don't think this is actually about the cameras.It's about what the cameras allow me to do.For years this podcast has documented what's happening inside my head.You've listened to me talk about races.Training.Self-doubt.Confidence.Injuries.Motivation.Discipline.All of those things work incredibly well in an audio format.But this week I realized something.Audio only tells half the story.I've spent years saying things like..."I had an amazing ride today.""The climb was brutal.""The ocean was calm.""The sunrise was incredible."You hear those words......but you've never actually seen any of it.You've never seen the roads I ride every week.You've never seen the climbs.You've never seen the places where I run.You've never stood beside the ocean where I swim.You've only experienced them through my descriptions.And that's when it hit me.Maybe this journey deserves more than words.Maybe it deserves pictures.Maybe it deserves video.Not because I think video is somehow better than audio.It's just......different.There are things that video can communicate that words simply can't.Imagine watching a drone slowly pull away as I'm climbing one of my local hills.No narration.Just breathing.Wind.The sound of tires on pavement.Sometimes silence tells the story better than words ever could.Or imagine seeing the roads that I've talked about for years.Instead of picturing them in your imagination......you'd actually be there.You'd see where I train.You'd see what I see.You'd experience a little piece of the journey alongside me.And I find that incredibly exciting.Now...I don't know exactly what this becomes.I'm experimenting.I'm learning.I'm making mistakes.I'm trying different shots.Trying different editing styles.Trying to figure out what feels authentic.I don't even know where these videos will eventually live.I'm intentionally not overthinking that part.Right now the important thing is simply documenting.Capturing.Recording.Because I realized something else this week.One day...this version of me won't exist anymore.I'm fifty-eight years old.Hopefully my best race is still ahead of me.Hopefully Germany in 2027 is the peak.That's certainly what I'm training toward.But none of us really know.Maybe Germany will be the highest point of my athletic life.Maybe it won't.Maybe I'll surprise myself.Maybe life has other plans.I honestly don't know.But wouldn't it be incredible to have a visual record of this entire journey?Not just race day.Everybody records race day.I'm talking about the Tuesday morning interval session.The rainy ride when I didn't feel like training.The quiet endurance ride where nothing special happened.The run where I questioned everything.The swim where everything finally clicked.Those ordinary moments...Those are actually the story.The race is just the ending.The story is everything that happens beforehand.And maybe that's really why these cameras excite me so much.Because they're giving me a chance to preserve something that otherwise would disappear.Five years from now...I'll be able to look back and remember exactly where I was.Not because Strava says I rode 82 kilometres.Not because Garmin tells me my average heart rate.But because I'll actually be able to see it.I'll see the roads.The weather.My posture on the bike.The way I moved.The expression on my face.I'll remember things that numbers could never capture.And maybe that's something we all lose sight of as endurance athletes.We're surrounded by data.FTP.Power.Heart rate.Pace.Cadence.VO₂ max.Training Stress Score.Recovery scores.Sleep scores.We measure everything.But the numbers don't remember the experience.The numbers don't remember the sunrise.They don't remember the laughter with training partners.They don't remember the eagle flying overhead during an early morning ride.They don't remember the feeling of finally reaching the top of a climb.The numbers tell us what happened.They don't tell us what it felt like.And maybe...that's what I want these cameras to capture.Not better workouts.Better memories.Because this isn't just a training plan anymore.This is becoming a chapter of my life.It's my road to Germany.Or maybe...my Highway to Hamburg.I haven't decided what to call it yet.But whatever the title ends up being, I know one thing.I don't want to remember this journey only through graphs on Garmin Connect.I want to remember what it looked like.I want to remember what it sounded like.I want to remember how it felt.And maybe, someday, some of you will come along for that ride too.I don't know exactly what this is going to become. Maybe it's a video diary. Maybe it's a documentary. Maybe it's just a collection of moments that only I end up appreciating. But I do know this: if I'm going to spend the next year chasing one of the biggest goals of my athletic life, I don't want to remember it only through numbers on a Garmin screen. I want to remember what the roads looked like, what the water looked like, what the climbs looked like, and maybe even what I looked like. Because one day, this version of me won't exist anymore. And I think it's worth preserving while it does.Until then, I'm not replacing the podcast, not at all. I think audio works formany or you, most of you. It allows you join me on your commute, your own runs, or while doing dishes. Video is simply another window into the same journey.One where you might see a drone image of me cycling from behind up a steep hill, switching to a first person POV as I race down the other side, followed by me stading at a lookout and waxing poetic on the difficulties of rear derailluers or my favourite flavour of carb drink.That's it from me.Until next time, peace.
• 
  [PREVIEW] New Chapter Ahead 03.08.2026 5p

  The time seems right. It's now or never. This might be the end. We never know what tomorrow will bring, or next month or next year. Since that is the case, maybe I should start documenting my exploits sooner rather than later.TRANSCRIPTIt's funny...this week I sat down to think about what I was going to talk about, and I realized I don't actually have a lot of exciting training news.Which, I suppose, is exactly the point.I'm still in this maintenance phase. Three rides a week. Two VO₂ max sessions and one endurance ride. That's it.TrainerRoad is predicting I'll lose maybe two or three percent of my FTP over the next week or so. And I'm actually okay with that. If I lose five or six watts over a month, that's a small price to pay for getting some physical and mental recovery after a long season.Because the alternative is doing nothing.And if I stop riding altogether, I know what happens. I lose thirty, forty, maybe even fifty watts. Then it takes me three or four months to earn that fitness back again.So right now my goal isn't to get stronger.It's simply to stay close enough to where I finished this season that, when I start my next training block, I can hit the ground running.Which makes for a pretty boring podcast.There really isn't much to say.The workouts are getting done.Fitness is staying relatively stable.Everything is...fine.But then something happened this week that completely took over my attention.I bought a drone.Well...not just a drone.I bought the new DJI Neo 2.I bought a DJI Osmo Action camera.I picked up a chest harness so I can record rides from my perspective.I already had the DJI Mic Mini, so now I can actually narrate while I'm riding or running without sounding like I'm talking through a hurricane.And ever since these boxes showed up at my house, I've been like a kid with a new toy.I've been testing them.Learning how they work.Figuring out camera angles.Learning how the drone follows me.Seeing what kind of footage I can get while riding and running.And the interesting part is...I don't think this is actually about the cameras.It's about what the cameras allow me to do.For years this podcast has documented what's happening inside my head.You've listened to me talk about races.Training.Self-doubt.Confidence.Injuries.Motivation.Discipline.All of those things work incredibly well in an audio format.But this week I realized something.Audio only tells half the story.I've spent years saying things like..."I had an amazing ride today.""The climb was brutal.""The ocean was calm.""The sunrise was incredible."You hear those words......but you've never actually seen any of it.You've never seen the roads I ride every week.You've never seen the climbs.You've never seen the places where I run.You've never stood beside the ocean where I swim.You've only experienced them through my descriptions.And that's when it hit me.Maybe this journey deserves more than words.Maybe it deserves pictures.Maybe it deserves video.Not because I think video is somehow better than audio.It's just......different.There are things that video can communicate that words simply can't.Imagine watching a drone slowly pull away as I'm climbing one of my local hills.No narration.Just breathing.Wind.The sound of tires on pavement.Sometimes silence tells the story better than words ever could.Or imagine seeing the roads that I've talked about for years.Instead of picturing them in your imagination......you'd actually be there.You'd see where I train.You'd see what I see.You'd experience a little piece of the journey alongside me.And I find that incredibly exciting.Now...I don't know exactly what this becomes.I'm experimenting.I'm learning.I'm making mistakes.I'm trying different shots.Trying different editing styles.Trying to figure out what feels authentic.I don't even know where these videos will eventually live.I'm intentionally not overthinking that part.Right now the important thing is simply documenting.Capturing.Recording.Because I realized something else this week.One day...this version of me won't exist anymore.I'm fifty-eight years old.Hopefully my best race is still ahead of me.Hopefully Germany in 2027 is the peak.That's certainly what I'm training toward.But none of us really know.Maybe Germany will be the highest point of my athletic life.Maybe it won't.Maybe I'll surprise myself.Maybe life has other plans.I honestly don't know.But wouldn't it be incredible to have a visual record of this entire journey?Not just race day.Everybody records race day.I'm talking about the Tuesday morning interval session.The rainy ride when I didn't feel like training.The quiet endurance ride where nothing special happened.The run where I questioned everything.The swim where everything finally clicked.Those ordinary moments...Those are actually the story.The race is just the ending.The story is everything that happens beforehand.And maybe that's really why these cameras excite me so much.Because they're giving me a chance to preserve something that otherwise would disappear.Five years from now...I'll be able to look back and remember exactly where I was.Not because Strava says I rode 82 kilometres.Not because Garmin tells me my average heart rate.But because I'll actually be able to see it.I'll see the roads.The weather.My posture on the bike.The way I moved.The expression on my face.I'll remember things that numbers could never capture.And maybe that's something we all lose sight of as endurance athletes.We're surrounded by data.FTP.Power.Heart rate.Pace.Cadence.VO₂ max.Training Stress Score.Recovery scores.Sleep scores.We measure everything.But the numbers don't remember the experience.The numbers don't remember the sunrise.They don't remember the laughter with training partners.They don't remember the eagle flying overhead during an early morning ride.They don't remember the feeling of finally reaching the top of a climb.The numbers tell us what happened.They don't tell us what it felt like.And maybe...that's what I want these cameras to capture.Not better workouts.Better memories.Because this isn't just a training plan anymore.This is becoming a chapter of my life.It's my road to Germany.Or maybe...my Highway to Hamburg.I haven't decided what to call it yet.But whatever the title ends up being, I know one thing.I don't want to remember this journey only through graphs on Garmin Connect.I want to remember what it looked like.I want to remember what it sounded like.I want to remember how it felt.And maybe, someday, some of you will come along for that ride too.I don't know exactly what this is going to become. Maybe it's a video diary. Maybe it's a documentary. Maybe it's just a collection of moments that only I end up appreciating. But I do know this: if I'm going to spend the next year chasing one of the biggest goals of my athletic life, I don't want to remember it only through numbers on a Garmin screen. I want to remember what the roads looked like, what the water looked like, what the climbs looked like, and maybe even what I looked like. Because one day, this version of me won't exist anymore. And I think it's worth preserving while it does.Until then, I'm not replacing the podcast, not at all. I think audio works formany or you, most of you. It allows you join me on your commute, your own runs, or while doing dishes. Video is simply another window into the same journey.One where you might see a drone image of me cycling from behind up a steep hill, switching to a first person POV as I race down the other side, followed by me stading at a lookout and waxing poetic on the difficulties of rear derailluers or my favourite flavour of carb drink.That's it from me.Until next time, peace.
• 
  Is a Triathlete's Body Designed to be Lazy? 26.07.2026 11p

  One week out of structured training and I already feel like a lazy slouch. But maybe that's natural?Please join us over at wwwpatreon.com/thelonelytriathleteTRANSCRIPTHey everybody, and welcome back to The Lonely Triathlete.I've been in a bit of an unusual place over the last couple of weeks.My racing season is over. I had my final race on July 12th, and now I'm in what coaches would call a maintenance phase. Instead of training six days a week, I'm only riding three. Two VO₂ max sessions and one endurance ride. That's it. The goal isn't to get faster right now. The goal is simply to hold onto the fitness I've built before I begin my next training block for the 2027 World Championships in Germany.On paper, this should be easy.Three rides a week.No swimming.No running.No pressure.And yet...I'm finding it harder to motivate myself to do three workouts than I was when I was doing six.That got me thinking.Is the human body actually designed to be...lazy?Now, "lazy" is probably the wrong word, but it's the word that came to mind.Why does taking just a little time off seem to wake up this voice in our heads that says, "You could skip today. You've earned it."If you've ever taken a week off because of vacation, illness, or simply burnout, you've probably experienced the same thing.The amazing thing is that physiologically, you haven't lost much fitness at all.Research consistently shows that if you've built a strong aerobic base, one or even two weeks of reduced training causes surprisingly little decline—especially if you keep a little intensity in the program. That's exactly why I'm still doing those VO₂ max intervals. They're enough to remind my body, "Hey, we're still athletes over here."So the body isn't falling apart.The interesting part is that the mind often changes faster than the body.Why?Because your brain is constantly trying to manage energy.For almost all of human history, calories weren't unlimited. They were precious. Our ancestors weren't rewarded for going out and doing hill repeats for fun. They were rewarded for surviving, conserving energy when they could, and spending it only when there was a good reason.So in many ways, our brains evolved to be efficient, not enthusiastic.When your brain senses that there isn't an urgent reason to burn energy, it starts negotiating."Maybe tomorrow.""One more cup of coffee.""You've had a busy day."Sound familiar?What's fascinating is that during a structured training block, those negotiations almost disappear.Why?Because you're no longer making decisions.You're following a routine.Monday is intervals.Tuesday is easy.Wednesday is strength.Thursday is another hard session.The routine does the thinking for you.But remove the structure for just a week, and suddenly every workout becomes a fresh decision.And decisions require motivation.I actually think that's why maintenance can feel harder than full training.It's not because the workouts are harder.It's because momentum has slowed down.I've often said that motivation is overrated.Identity is much more powerful.I'm not someone who trains because I feel motivated.I'm someone who trains because that's who I am.Right now, my schedule has changed.My identity hasn't.I'm still a triathlete.I'm simply in a different season.I think that's an important reminder for all of us.Not every month is about building fitness.Some months are about absorbing the work.Some months are about recovery.Some months are about letting your body and mind catch up.And that's exactly where I am.The funny thing is, I know this intellectually.I've read the research.I've experienced it before.And yet I'm still having the same conversations with myself before each ride.That's comforting in a strange way.It reminds me that discipline isn't something you achieve once.It's something you practice over and over again.Now, speaking of the next season...I've been working on something that I'm REALLY excited about.Some of you know that I qualified for the 2027 World Age Group Championships in Hamburg, Germany.Over the next year, I want to document that journey in a way I've never done before.I've ordered a follow-me sports drone.I've got a new action camera on the way.And I'm going to start experimenting with video.I'm calling the project—at least for now—Journey to Germany.I don't know exactly what form it's going to take.Some of it may end up on YouTube.Some might be exclusive to Patreon.I'm still figuring all of that out.But what excites me isn't the equipment.It's the opportunity to let you experience the process with me.Not just race day.Not just podiums.The rainy Tuesday morning ride.The workout that almost didn't happen.The trail runs.The recovery days.The small victories that nobody else usually sees.I've spent years talking into a microphone about training.Now I'd like to show you what that training actually looks like.And maybe that's fitting, because this next chapter feels different.I'm 58 years old, heading toward 59.For more than twenty-five years, I've somehow continued setting personal bests.Every few years I think, "Well...this is probably it. This is where improvement finally stops."And then somehow...Another personal best.I honestly don't know where my ceiling is anymore.Maybe I've already found it.Maybe it's still ahead of me.I don't know.But I don't want to spend the next year wondering.I'd rather find out.And if I'm going to find out, I thought it might be fun to bring all of you along for the ride.Thanks so much for listening. And if you want to hear more from me and even drop me a line, why don'tyou head on over to patreon.com and search for the lonely triathlete.If today's episode resonated with you—especially if you're struggling with motivation after taking some time off—I hope it reminds you that nothing is wrong with you. Your brain is simply doing what it evolved to do.Our job as endurance athletes isn't to eliminate that resistance.It's to gently, consistently, keep showing up anyway.Until next time...I'll be on my personal road to Germany.Peace
• 
  [PREVIEW] Is a Triathlete's Body Designed to be Lazy? 26.07.2026 5p

  One week off structured training and already I feel like a lazy slob. Maybe that's natural?TRANSCRIPTHey everybody, and welcome back to The Lonely Triathlete.I've been in a bit of an unusual place over the last couple of weeks.My racing season is over. I had my final race on July 12th, and now I'm in what coaches would call a maintenance phase. Instead of training six days a week, I'm only riding three. Two VO₂ max sessions and one endurance ride. That's it. The goal isn't to get faster right now. The goal is simply to hold onto the fitness I've built before I begin my next training block for the 2027 World Championships in Germany.On paper, this should be easy.Three rides a week.No swimming.No running.No pressure.And yet...I'm finding it harder to motivate myself to do three workouts than I was when I was doing six.That got me thinking.Is the human body actually designed to be...lazy?Now, "lazy" is probably the wrong word, but it's the word that came to mind.Why does taking just a little time off seem to wake up this voice in our heads that says, "You could skip today. You've earned it."If you've ever taken a week off because of vacation, illness, or simply burnout, you've probably experienced the same thing.The amazing thing is that physiologically, you haven't lost much fitness at all.Research consistently shows that if you've built a strong aerobic base, one or even two weeks of reduced training causes surprisingly little decline—especially if you keep a little intensity in the program. That's exactly why I'm still doing those VO₂ max intervals. They're enough to remind my body, "Hey, we're still athletes over here."So the body isn't falling apart.The interesting part is that the mind often changes faster than the body.Why?Because your brain is constantly trying to manage energy.For almost all of human history, calories weren't unlimited. They were precious. Our ancestors weren't rewarded for going out and doing hill repeats for fun. They were rewarded for surviving, conserving energy when they could, and spending it only when there was a good reason.So in many ways, our brains evolved to be efficient, not enthusiastic.When your brain senses that there isn't an urgent reason to burn energy, it starts negotiating."Maybe tomorrow.""One more cup of coffee.""You've had a busy day."Sound familiar?What's fascinating is that during a structured training block, those negotiations almost disappear.Why?Because you're no longer making decisions.You're following a routine.Monday is intervals.Tuesday is easy.Wednesday is strength.Thursday is another hard session.The routine does the thinking for you.But remove the structure for just a week, and suddenly every workout becomes a fresh decision.And decisions require motivation.I actually think that's why maintenance can feel harder than full training.It's not because the workouts are harder.It's because momentum has slowed down.I've often said that motivation is overrated.Identity is much more powerful.I'm not someone who trains because I feel motivated.I'm someone who trains because that's who I am.Right now, my schedule has changed.My identity hasn't.I'm still a triathlete.I'm simply in a different season.I think that's an important reminder for all of us.Not every month is about building fitness.Some months are about absorbing the work.Some months are about recovery.Some months are about letting your body and mind catch up.And that's exactly where I am.The funny thing is, I know this intellectually.I've read the research.I've experienced it before.And yet I'm still having the same conversations with myself before each ride.That's comforting in a strange way.It reminds me that discipline isn't something you achieve once.It's something you practice over and over again.Now, speaking of the next season...I've been working on something that I'm REALLY excited about.Some of you know that I qualified for the 2027 World Age Group Championships in Hamburg, Germany.Over the next year, I want to document that journey in a way I've never done before.I've ordered a follow-me sports drone.I've got a new action camera on the way.And I'm going to start experimenting with video.I'm calling the project—at least for now—Journey to Germany.I don't know exactly what form it's going to take.Some of it may end up on YouTube.Some might be exclusive to Patreon.I'm still figuring all of that out.But what excites me isn't the equipment.It's the opportunity to let you experience the process with me.Not just race day.Not just podiums.The rainy Tuesday morning ride.The workout that almost didn't happen.The trail runs.The recovery days.The small victories that nobody else usually sees.I've spent years talking into a microphone about training.Now I'd like to show you what that training actually looks like.And maybe that's fitting, because this next chapter feels different.I'm 58 years old, heading toward 59.For more than twenty-five years, I've somehow continued setting personal bests.Every few years I think, "Well...this is probably it. This is where improvement finally stops."And then somehow...Another personal best.I honestly don't know where my ceiling is anymore.Maybe I've already found it.Maybe it's still ahead of me.I don't know.But I don't want to spend the next year wondering.I'd rather find out.And if I'm going to find out, I thought it might be fun to bring all of you along for the ride.Thanks so much for listening. And if you want to hear more from me and even drop me a line, why don'tyou head on over to patreon.com and search for the lonely triathlete.If today's episode resonated with you—especially if you're struggling with motivation after taking some time off—I hope it reminds you that nothing is wrong with you. Your brain is simply doing what it evolved to do.Our job as endurance athletes isn't to eliminate that resistance.It's to gently, consistently, keep showing up anyway.Until next time...I'll be on my personal road to Germany.Peace
• 
  When Race Season Ends 21.07.2026 13p

  What do we do when the racing season ends? Put our feet up and chill out? And lose all that hard earned fitness? Not this time.Come join the fun at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathleteTRANSCRIPTWhat do you do when your race season is over?I've been asking myself that question all week.For almost an entire year, my life revolved around one goal: qualify for the World Championships.Six days a week I trained. Every workout had a purpose. Every interval session, every endurance ride, every swim, every run—it all pointed toward one day on the calendar.When my alarm went off at 6:00 a.m., I didn't have to negotiate with myself. I knew why I was getting up.There was no debate.The goal made the decision for me.And after nearly a year of consistent training...I qualified.It was one of the most satisfying athletic achievements of my life.Then, because I'm human—and because my ego wasn't quite finished—I signed up for one more race.I wanted to prove to myself that qualifying wasn't a fluke.Fortunately, that race went well too.Mission accomplished.And now...The triathlon season around here is over.So now what?For years, I've handled the offseason the same way.I take the entire month of August off.No structured training.No TrainerRoad.No worrying about fitness.I sleep in.Go for casual rides.Eat a little more.Enjoy life.Honestly...It's wonderful.I think every athlete deserves periods of genuine recovery.The body needs it.The mind definitely needs it.But over the years I've noticed something.Recovery quietly turns into detraining.By September my FTP has usually dropped about thirty watts.Thirty watts doesn't sound dramatic.But here's what I've learned.The problem isn't losing thirty watts.The problem is how long it takes to earn them back.Every autumn I spend two or three months simply returning to where I was before I stopped training.Only then can I begin building new fitness.It's like climbing halfway up a mountain, hiking back down to the parking lot, and then spending weeks just getting back to the place where you turned around.This year...I don't want to do that.Instead, I'm going to experiment.Rather than stopping completely, I'm going to shift into what I'd call a maintenance phase.Just three rides each week.One longer endurance ride.Two quality sessions—threshold or VO₂ max work.The objective isn't to improve.The objective is simply to hold onto as much fitness as I reasonably can while giving both my body and mind a chance to recover.It sounds simple.But psychologically...It's proving much harder than I expected.I just got back from a five-day cycling trip with friends.And I say "cycling" in quotation marks because we were riding e-bikes at a wonderfully relaxed pace.Before I go any further, let me just say this...Seattle is an incredible cycling city.Bike lanes everywhere.Protected paths through parks.Trails beside rivers.Routes along the ocean.It feels like a city designed by people who actually ride bikes.If you've never cycled there, I highly recommend it.But once I got home...Reality hit.Only one week has passed since my last race.One week.And already I feel...Less motivated.Less fit.Which is funny because physiologically I probably haven't lost very much fitness at all.Fitness doesn't disappear in seven days.Research on endurance athletes consistently shows that most aerobic adaptations are remarkably resilient over short breaks. You may notice your legs feel a little flat, but meaningful losses in aerobic capacity and threshold power usually take several weeks—not several days—to develop.So if my body hasn't changed very much...Why do I already feel different?I think the answer has very little to do with physiology.I think it has everything to do with purpose.Sports psychologists often talk about the power of goal-directed behavior. Clear goals don't just tell us what to do—they organize our attention, our habits, and even our identity. When we know why we're training, our brains spend far less energy debating whether we should train.Motivation isn't something we magically possess.It's something our goals create.There's another concept in psychology called Self-Determination Theory. It suggests that people stay motivated when three basic psychological needs are being met: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.Autonomy means we feel we're choosing our actions.Competence means we feel ourselves improving.Relatedness means we feel connected to other people through what we're doing.During race season, triathlon checks every one of those boxes.I choose to train.Every workout gives me evidence that I'm improving.And every race connects me to a community of people pursuing similar goals.Then suddenly...The season ends.The races disappear.The training plan ends.The improvements become harder to measure.And without realizing it, one or more of those psychological needs begins to fade.No wonder motivation feels different.I don't think I'm losing discipline.I think I've temporarily lost direction.Last week I knew exactly who I was.I was someone trying to qualify for Worlds.Today...I'm just a guy standing in the garage wondering if I really need to ride the trainer tonight.That identity shift is surprisingly unsettling.I suspect many athletes experience this after a major goal.Maybe runners after a marathon.Cyclists after a gran fondo.Parents after their kids leave home.Professionals after retirement.When a chapter ends, we're left asking a surprisingly uncomfortable question:"Who am I now?"Maybe that's the real challenge of the offseason.Not maintaining fitness.Maintaining purpose.I've been thinking a lot about how to solve that.And I don't think the answer is to immediately find another massive goal.I think it's smaller than that.I think I simply need a plan.Not a vague intention.A written plan.For the next couple of months that means maintenance riding, a few local 10K races just for fun, and volunteering at some triathlon events so I stay connected to the community.After that...I'll begin building my roadmap toward next year's World Championships.But this time I want to do something I've never really done before.I'm going to write the entire thing out.The milestones.The training blocks.The recovery periods.The races.Everything.Because visible plans reduce decision fatigue.When the workout is already on paper, you don't wake up asking, "Should I train today?"You simply execute the next step.That's what goals do.They remove uncertainty.They replace motivation with routine.And maybe that's the lesson I'm learning this week.Purpose isn't something that accidentally appears.It's something we intentionally build.When one season ends, another one doesn't magically begin.We have to create it.So that's my project this week.Not increasing my FTP.Not becoming fitter.Simply creating enough structure that, when September arrives, I haven't lost the fitness—or the sense of purpose—that took an entire year to build.I'll let you know how it goes.Until next time...Peace.
• 
  [PREVIEW] When Race Season Ends 21.07.2026 5p

  What do we do when the racing season ends? Put our feet up and chill out? And lose all that hard earned fitness? Not this time.TRANSCRIPTWhat do you do when your race season is over?I've been asking myself that question all week.For almost an entire year, my life revolved around one goal: qualify for the World Championships.Six days a week I trained. Every workout had a purpose. Every interval session, every endurance ride, every swim, every run—it all pointed toward one day on the calendar.When my alarm went off at 6:00 a.m., I didn't have to negotiate with myself. I knew why I was getting up.There was no debate.The goal made the decision for me.And after nearly a year of consistent training...I qualified.It was one of the most satisfying athletic achievements of my life.Then, because I'm human—and because my ego wasn't quite finished—I signed up for one more race.I wanted to prove to myself that qualifying wasn't a fluke.Fortunately, that race went well too.Mission accomplished.And now...The triathlon season around here is over.So now what?For years, I've handled the offseason the same way.I take the entire month of August off.No structured training.No TrainerRoad.No worrying about fitness.I sleep in.Go for casual rides.Eat a little more.Enjoy life.Honestly...It's wonderful.I think every athlete deserves periods of genuine recovery.The body needs it.The mind definitely needs it.But over the years I've noticed something.Recovery quietly turns into detraining.By September my FTP has usually dropped about thirty watts.Thirty watts doesn't sound dramatic.But here's what I've learned.The problem isn't losing thirty watts.The problem is how long it takes to earn them back.Every autumn I spend two or three months simply returning to where I was before I stopped training.Only then can I begin building new fitness.It's like climbing halfway up a mountain, hiking back down to the parking lot, and then spending weeks just getting back to the place where you turned around.This year...I don't want to do that.Instead, I'm going to experiment.Rather than stopping completely, I'm going to shift into what I'd call a maintenance phase.Just three rides each week.One longer endurance ride.Two quality sessions—threshold or VO₂ max work.The objective isn't to improve.The objective is simply to hold onto as much fitness as I reasonably can while giving both my body and mind a chance to recover.It sounds simple.But psychologically...It's proving much harder than I expected.I just got back from a five-day cycling trip with friends.And I say "cycling" in quotation marks because we were riding e-bikes at a wonderfully relaxed pace.Before I go any further, let me just say this...Seattle is an incredible cycling city.Bike lanes everywhere.Protected paths through parks.Trails beside rivers.Routes along the ocean.It feels like a city designed by people who actually ride bikes.If you've never cycled there, I highly recommend it.But once I got home...Reality hit.Only one week has passed since my last race.One week.And already I feel...Less motivated.Less fit.Which is funny because physiologically I probably haven't lost very much fitness at all.Fitness doesn't disappear in seven days.Research on endurance athletes consistently shows that most aerobic adaptations are remarkably resilient over short breaks. You may notice your legs feel a little flat, but meaningful losses in aerobic capacity and threshold power usually take several weeks—not several days—to develop.So if my body hasn't changed very much...Why do I already feel different?I think the answer has very little to do with physiology.I think it has everything to do with purpose.Sports psychologists often talk about the power of goal-directed behavior. Clear goals don't just tell us what to do—they organize our attention, our habits, and even our identity. When we know why we're training, our brains spend far less energy debating whether we should train.Motivation isn't something we magically possess.It's something our goals create.There's another concept in psychology called Self-Determination Theory. It suggests that people stay motivated when three basic psychological needs are being met: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.Autonomy means we feel we're choosing our actions.Competence means we feel ourselves improving.Relatedness means we feel connected to other people through what we're doing.During race season, triathlon checks every one of those boxes.I choose to train.Every workout gives me evidence that I'm improving.And every race connects me to a community of people pursuing similar goals.Then suddenly...The season ends.The races disappear.The training plan ends.The improvements become harder to measure.And without realizing it, one or more of those psychological needs begins to fade.No wonder motivation feels different.I don't think I'm losing discipline.I think I've temporarily lost direction.Last week I knew exactly who I was.I was someone trying to qualify for Worlds.Today...I'm just a guy standing in the garage wondering if I really need to ride the trainer tonight.That identity shift is surprisingly unsettling.I suspect many athletes experience this after a major goal.Maybe runners after a marathon.Cyclists after a gran fondo.Parents after their kids leave home.Professionals after retirement.When a chapter ends, we're left asking a surprisingly uncomfortable question:"Who am I now?"Maybe that's the real challenge of the offseason.Not maintaining fitness.Maintaining purpose.I've been thinking a lot about how to solve that.And I don't think the answer is to immediately find another massive goal.I think it's smaller than that.I think I simply need a plan.Not a vague intention.A written plan.For the next couple of months that means maintenance riding, a few local 10K races just for fun, and volunteering at some triathlon events so I stay connected to the community.After that...I'll begin building my roadmap toward next year's World Championships.But this time I want to do something I've never really done before.I'm going to write the entire thing out.The milestones.The training blocks.The recovery periods.The races.Everything.Because visible plans reduce decision fatigue.When the workout is already on paper, you don't wake up asking, "Should I train today?"You simply execute the next step.That's what goals do.They remove uncertainty.They replace motivation with routine.And maybe that's the lesson I'm learning this week.Purpose isn't something that accidentally appears.It's something we intentionally build.When one season ends, another one doesn't magically begin.We have to create it.So that's my project this week.Not increasing my FTP.Not becoming fitter.Simply creating enough structure that, when September arrives, I haven't lost the fitness—or the sense of purpose—that took an entire year to build.I'll let you know how it goes.Until next time...Peace.
• 
  Race report - Victoria Half Multisport Festival 13.07.2026 16p

  2nd race in 2 weeks! Was I able to bounce back and race hard or did I crash and burn? listen to find out.Join the fun at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete
• 
  [PREVIEW] Race Report - Victoria Half Multisport Festival 13.07.2026 5p

  2nd race in 2 weeks! Was I able to bounce back and race hard or did I crash and burn? listen to find out.Join the fun at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete
• 
  Triathlon Injuries and the Five Stages of Grief 06.07.2026 12p

  We all get injured and we all deal with it differently. It recently occurred to me that I seem to go through stages of grief when I am injured. And I don't make the best decisions for my long term health until I reach the last stage.Join the fun at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathleteTRANSCRIPTTriathlon Injuries and The 5 Stages of Grief Today I want to use the 5 Stages of Grief as a framework to talk about how we, as triathletes, often experience injuries.The Five Stages of Grief weren't actually created to explain sports injuries—or even the grief we feel after someone dies. They were originally observations of people facing their own mortality. Modern psychology tells us grief isn't nearly that tidy. But I've found those five emotions to be a surprisingly useful lens for understanding what happens in my own head every time an injury threatens a session or perhaps a season.As a quick recap, 3 weeks before my end of June race, I hurt my back. And I mean, I really hurt it. I had to take 8 complete days away from training and there were a few moments where I entertained the possibility that I might not be able to race in the World Championship qualifying race that I had been training for for 9 months. With all of my focus on rest, recovery, nutrition, medical attention and every marginally effective treatment I could think of, I managed to get to a place where I thought I might be able to race pain-free. And then, on the Friday before the Sunday race I hurt a different part of my back or neck. Once again, I faced difficult emotions but with luck on my side (and a million units of pain killer in my system) I managed to perform an all-time best race and secure my invitation to join Team Canada and represent at the World Triathlon Championships in Germany next year.My plan was to recover this past week, then get in some short hard efforts next week and once again race a Standard Distance here in Victoria. A race where I came 2nd in my category last year.Yet when I woke up this morning, I had difficuly walking due to a really sore hip. So, once again, I am forced to take extra time off for injury. And it reminded me that I seem to go through the same emotional journey every single time I get injured. I don't think it's just disappointment—I think it's grief.Not grief because someone died, but grief because, in a way, the athlete I thought I was for the next few weeks suddenly disappeared.So, what are the 5 Stage of Grief? And remember, we don't always go through them all and we don't necessarily go through them in a linear order.Stage 1: Denial"I'll be fine."My typical thoughts:It's just tight.I'll loosen up tomorrow.I'll still do my long run.Maybe I'll just bike instead.As triathletes, or simply very motivated people, we often tend to ignore warning signs because training has taught us to push through discomfort. No pain, no gain, right?And if you are anything like me, you've probably Googled 'Can I run on a torn [blank]?' hoping the internet says yes. You know who you are.Stage 2: Anger"This isn't fair."This is where frustration appears.Examples:Why now?I was finally getting fit.Everyone else is training.I did everything right.The timing is unbelievable!If you find yourself in this stage my advice to you would be to avoid social media because it can be almost unbearable to see friends and competitors on Strava crushing their workouts.Stage 3: BargainingThis is probably the funniest stage."If I only run easy...""What if I skip intervals and do some Base work instead?""I'll wear compression sleeves.""I'll ice it.""I'll take one more recovery day.""I'll only run downhill."This is where athletes become expert negotiators with themselves. Now, there is nothing wrong with trying to find a logical, reasonable compromise to work around an injury but realize this is a very dangerous place to be. There is a fine line between "getting through an injury" and "making it much worse".Stage 4: SadnessThis is the hardest part.The realization sets in:I'm going to lose fitness.That race might be over.My routine is gone.My identity takes a hit.We feel this way because training isn't just exercise — it's structure, stress relief, community, and confidence. Losing it feels much bigger than just missing a workout.Finally, Stage 5: AcceptanceThis is where good decisions FINALLY happen.Instead of asking:"How do I save this race?"You begin asking:"What's the smartest way forward?"Examples:Seeing a physiotherapist.Following a rehab plan.Adjusting goals.Cross-training.Sleeping more.Letting HEALING become the training.I've noticed that I can't skip straight to LOGIC. My brain wants to BARGAIN first. It wants to find shortcuts and loopholes. But eventually I reach acceptance, and that's when I actually start making good decisions. The sooner I recognize the emotional process, the sooner I stop fighting reality and start healing.I think it's been the realization that I need to go through these stages of grief when I am injured that have allowed me to stay calmer, cooler, less emotionally charged from my recent setbacks. It isn't easy at any level but the more quickly I move to acceptance, the more quickly I can begin to heal. And while we can't always control how quickly we get to that level the mere fact of recognizing what is happening to us emotionally is one of the biggest pieces of that puzzle.So, if you're injured right now, maybe give yourself a little grace. You might not just be dealing with sore muscles—you might be grieving the session, sessions or even season you thought you were going to have. That's normal. Just don't make permanent training decisions based on TEMPORARY EMOTIONS.Until next time,Peace
• 
  [PREVIEW] Triathlon Injuries and the Five Stages of Grief 06.07.2026 5p

  We all get injured and we all deal with it differently. It recently occurred to me that I seem to go through stages of grief when I am injured. And I don't make the best decisions for my long term health until I reach the last stage.Join the fun at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathleteTRANSCRIPTTriathlon Injuries and The 5 Stages of Grief Today I want to use the 5 Stages of Grief as a framework to talk about how we, as triathletes, often experience injuries.The Five Stages of Grief weren't actually created to explain sports injuries—or even the grief we feel after someone dies. They were originally observations of people facing their own mortality. Modern psychology tells us grief isn't nearly that tidy. But I've found those five emotions to be a surprisingly useful lens for understanding what happens in my own head every time an injury threatens a session or perhaps a season.As a quick recap, 3 weeks before my end of June race, I hurt my back. And I mean, I really hurt it. I had to take 8 complete days away from training and there were a few moments where I entertained the possibility that I might not be able to race in the World Championship qualifying race that I had been training for for 9 months. With all of my focus on rest, recovery, nutrition, medical attention and every marginally effective treatment I could think of, I managed to get to a place where I thought I might be able to race pain-free. And then, on the Friday before the Sunday race I hurt a different part of my back or neck. Once again, I faced difficult emotions but with luck on my side (and a million units of pain killer in my system) I managed to perform an all-time best race and secure my invitation to join Team Canada and represent at the World Triathlon Championships in Germany next year.My plan was to recover this past week, then get in some short hard efforts next week and once again race a Standard Distance here in Victoria. A race where I came 2nd in my category last year.Yet when I woke up this morning, I had difficuly walking due to a really sore hip. So, once again, I am forced to take extra time off for injury. And it reminded me that I seem to go through the same emotional journey every single time I get injured. I don't think it's just disappointment—I think it's grief.Not grief because someone died, but grief because, in a way, the athlete I thought I was for the next few weeks suddenly disappeared.So, what are the 5 Stage of Grief? And remember, we don't always go through them all and we don't necessarily go through them in a linear order.Stage 1: Denial"I'll be fine."My typical thoughts:It's just tight.I'll loosen up tomorrow.I'll still do my long run.Maybe I'll just bike instead.As triathletes, or simply very motivated people, we often tend to ignore warning signs because training has taught us to push through discomfort. No pain, no gain, right?And if you are anything like me, you've probably Googled 'Can I run on a torn [blank]?' hoping the internet says yes. You know who you are.Stage 2: Anger"This isn't fair."This is where frustration appears.Examples:Why now?I was finally getting fit.Everyone else is training.I did everything right.The timing is unbelievable!If you find yourself in this stage my advice to you would be to avoid social media because it can be almost unbearable to see friends and competitors on Strava crushing their workouts.Stage 3: BargainingThis is probably the funniest stage."If I only run easy...""What if I skip intervals and do some Base work instead?""I'll wear compression sleeves.""I'll ice it.""I'll take one more recovery day.""I'll only run downhill."This is where athletes become expert negotiators with themselves. Now, there is nothing wrong with trying to find a logical, reasonable compromise to work around an injury but realize this is a very dangerous place to be. There is a fine line between "getting through an injury" and "making it much worse".Stage 4: SadnessThis is the hardest part.The realization sets in:I'm going to lose fitness.That race might be over.My routine is gone.My identity takes a hit.We feel this way because training isn't just exercise — it's structure, stress relief, community, and confidence. Losing it feels much bigger than just missing a workout.Finally, Stage 5: AcceptanceThis is where good decisions FINALLY happen.Instead of asking:"How do I save this race?"You begin asking:"What's the smartest way forward?"Examples:Seeing a physiotherapist.Following a rehab plan.Adjusting goals.Cross-training.Sleeping more.Letting HEALING become the training.I've noticed that I can't skip straight to LOGIC. My brain wants to BARGAIN first. It wants to find shortcuts and loopholes. But eventually I reach acceptance, and that's when I actually start making good decisions. The sooner I recognize the emotional process, the sooner I stop fighting reality and start healing.I think it's been the realization that I need to go through these stages of grief when I am injured that have allowed me to stay calmer, cooler, less emotionally charged from my recent setbacks. It isn't easy at any level but the more quickly I move to acceptance, the more quickly I can begin to heal. And while we can't always control how quickly we get to that level the mere fact of recognizing what is happening to us emotionally is one of the biggest pieces of that puzzle.So, if you're injured right now, maybe give yourself a little grace. You might not just be dealing with sore muscles—you might be grieving the session, sessions or even season you thought you were going to have. That's normal. Just don't make permanent training decisions based on TEMPORARY EMOTIONS.Until next time,Peace
• 
  Triathlon Milestone 29.06.2026 17p

  I've trained consistently for years. I've dialed in my nutrition. I've focused on recovery. I've managed last minute injuries. And it all came down to today's race.Come join our community at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete
• 
  [PREVIEW] Triathlon Milestone 29.06.2026 5p

  I've trained consistently for years. I've dialed in my nutrition. I've focused on recovery. I've managed last minute injuries. And it all came down to today's race.Come join our community at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete
• 
  Being Race Ready 21.06.2026 17p

  Getting race ready requires a plan and patience. It requires consistency. It requires boring determination. Then you have to show up on race day and swim, bike and run to the best of your ability. Simple, isn't it?Are you a member yet? Check membership options at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathleteTRANSCRIPTHappy Fathers Day and Welcome back to The Lonely Triathlete.Well… this is it.Eight months of training comes down to this.In just over a week, on June 28th, I’ll be lining up at the start line with a goal that, honestly, would have seemed pretty ambitious a few years ago.I’m going to attempt to qualify for the Triathlon Age Group World Championships.And the funny thing is… I actually think I have a shot.Now, before anyone thinks I’m getting ahead of myself, let me explain.Last year at this same race, I finished first in my age category.Which sounds pretty impressive.Except there’s a small detail.I was the only person in my category.So technically, yes, I was first.But I was also first because I was the only one.And that’s one of the funny things about endurance sports. You can prepare, you can train, you can execute — but there are still so many things completely outside your control.Who shows up.Who is having the race of their life.Who has been training specifically for that event.And that’s why I’m trying not to obsess about the competition.That said, I do think there are a few things that could work in my favour.This qualifier has not been heavily promoted. In fact, even knowing that this was a qualification race, I had trouble finding much information about it.So maybe that means fewer people are chasing those qualification spots.Maybe someone fast shows up and beats me — but they didn’t realize there were extra steps required to actually qualify.Who knows?The other thing is there is a potential rival I’m watching.He beat me by about a minute at the Vancouver Standard distance race in 2024.A minute.That’s not a huge gap.That’s the difference between a good transition and a slow one.A slightly better swim.A smarter bike.A stronger run.But he is also racing at the World Championships at the Sprint distance in Spain later this year, so it’s possible he won’t be targeting this Standard distance race.Again though — all of that is speculation.And that brings me to the only thing I actually control.The preparation.So what have I done since October to give myself the best possible chance?Number one: consistency.I started training back in October and I have put in six days a week of training consistently.And that is the thing I’m probably most proud of.Not one huge workout.Not one heroic training week.Just showing up.Week after week.The swim sessions.The bike sessions.The runs.The recovery.The boring stuff.Because that’s where endurance fitness is built.The race is just the final exam.The work happened months ago.The second thing I’m really excited about is my bike fitness.My FTP is the highest it has ever been.I’m sitting around 270 watts.And my watts per kilogram is also the highest it has ever been — around 3.43 watts per kilogram.For me, that’s a huge milestone.Because the goal isn’t just to be fit.The goal is to be fit enough that I can swim, bike, and still run well.That’s the challenge of triathlon.Then there are the little things.The marginal gains.Because if you’re a triathlete, you know exactly what I mean.At some point you start looking for every possible advantage.This year I added aerodynamic calf sleeves.Will they make a difference?Hopefully.Maybe they save me a few watts.Maybe those few watts add up.I’ve also got a new pair of Speed Laces ready for my race shoes.Because it makes absolutely no sense to spend eight months training and then waste 15 seconds in transition tying your shoes.I am fully aware of how silly it is to spend money on marginal gains but the reality is, as a mid or back-of-the-packer while these things don't matter, once you've done everything in your power to hit the podium and yet fall 1 minute short, it is an option to try and squeeze that minute from a slightly faster pair of shoes or by shaving your foreams or by getting those extra massage sessions. What else? Well, I’ve also got my new pair of TheMagic5 Vector goggles ready to go.A leak-free swim and clear vision is a pretty good way to start the race.And nutrition is another big focus this year.I’ve switched to Precision Fuel and Hydration.I’m loading more electrolytes before the race, and I’m carrying more electrolytes with me on the bike and run.Now, can I say for certain that electrolytes were a limiter for me?No.Especially at the Olympic distance.But I strongly suspect they hurt me during my 70.3 last year.So this year I’d rather go into the race slightly overprepared than underprepared.Speaking of things outside the plan…If you follow my Patreon, you’ll know I had a bit of a scare two weeks ago.I hurt my back.I think it happened during swimming, and for about three days I was in significant discomfort.It affected my sleep.It affected my ability to train.And the decision I made was probably one of the hardest decisions for an athlete:I stopped.I took eight full days completely off training.And in hindsight hat was the right decision.I’ve also seen a chiropractor twice.And I’ll admit — I’ve had reservations about chiropractors in the past.That’s probably a topic for another episode.But I have to say, I’ve been really impressed with the care I received.Not just the treatment itself, but the exercise recommendations and stretching protocols afterward.That homework has probably been just as valuable as the treatment.The other little experiment I’ve added is supplementing with 200 milligrams a day of Ubiquinol.This is the more bioavailable form of CoQ10.There are some studies suggesting potential benefits for endurance and recovery.Now, the frustrating part is that these things take time.Apparently four to six weeks for meaningful levels in the body.So I’m probably not going to see some magical transformation before race day.But if it gives me even the smallest advantage?I’ll take it.At this point, there really isn’t much more I can do.Other than one thing.Stay calm.There is a fine line between preparation and obsession.Between having a plan and trying to control every single variable.The weather.The competition.The exact race conditions.You can’t control those things.You can only control how you respond.Im happy to see that at the moent the forecast is looking pretty ideal.Cool temperatures.Blue skies.A great day for racing.So my goal for the final week is to be Zen about the things I can’t control.I want to show up prepared.I want to execute my race.I want to challenge myself.Yes, I want to qualify for Worlds.That’s the goal.But at the end of the day, the reason I do this sport is bigger than a result.It’s the feeling of pushing myself.It’s being surrounded by other people who live this strange triathlon lifestyle.It’s knowing that I gave my best.And regardless of the outcome, I know I’ll come away with either satisfaction, insight, or both.And why does any of this matter to me as a 58 year old amateur? Because as I age it is becoming increasingly clear that life is not forever. Every day brings a headline that a childhood hero or celebrity has passed away. More and more often I'm hearing of friends with sudden health issues. Personally, I'm experiencing injuries at a higher rate than ever. I realize that our time in this sport has a limit and while we never can never know where that limit is, it's out there somewhere on the horizon.So…The countdown begins once again.June 28th.Let’s see what happens.Until next time, peace
• 
  [PREVIEW] Being Race Ready 21.06.2026 5p

  Getting race ready requires a plan and patience. It requires consistency. It requires boring determination. Then you have to show up on race day and swim, bike and run to the best of your ability. Simple, isn't it?TRANSCRIPTHappy Fathers Day and Welcome back to The Lonely Triathlete.Well… this is it.Eight months of training comes down to this.In just over a week, on June 28th, I’ll be lining up at the start line with a goal that, honestly, would have seemed pretty ambitious a few years ago.I’m going to attempt to qualify for the Triathlon Age Group World Championships.And the funny thing is… I actually think I have a shot.Now, before anyone thinks I’m getting ahead of myself, let me explain.Last year at this same race, I finished first in my age category.Which sounds pretty impressive.Except there’s a small detail.I was the only person in my category.So technically, yes, I was first.But I was also first because I was the only one.And that’s one of the funny things about endurance sports. You can prepare, you can train, you can execute — but there are still so many things completely outside your control.Who shows up.Who is having the race of their life.Who has been training specifically for that event.And that’s why I’m trying not to obsess about the competition.That said, I do think there are a few things that could work in my favour.This qualifier has not been heavily promoted. In fact, even knowing that this was a qualification race, I had trouble finding much information about it.So maybe that means fewer people are chasing those qualification spots.Maybe someone fast shows up and beats me — but they didn’t realize there were extra steps required to actually qualify.Who knows?The other thing is there is a potential rival I’m watching.He beat me by about a minute at the Vancouver Standard distance race in 2024.A minute.That’s not a huge gap.That’s the difference between a good transition and a slow one.A slightly better swim.A smarter bike.A stronger run.But he is also racing at the World Championships at the Sprint distance in Spain later this year, so it’s possible he won’t be targeting this Standard distance race.Again though — all of that is speculation.And that brings me to the only thing I actually control.The preparation.So what have I done since October to give myself the best possible chance?Number one: consistency.I started training back in October and I have put in six days a week of training consistently.And that is the thing I’m probably most proud of.Not one huge workout.Not one heroic training week.Just showing up.Week after week.The swim sessions.The bike sessions.The runs.The recovery.The boring stuff.Because that’s where endurance fitness is built.The race is just the final exam.The work happened months ago.The second thing I’m really excited about is my bike fitness.My FTP is the highest it has ever been.I’m sitting around 270 watts.And my watts per kilogram is also the highest it has ever been — around 3.43 watts per kilogram.For me, that’s a huge milestone.Because the goal isn’t just to be fit.The goal is to be fit enough that I can swim, bike, and still run well.That’s the challenge of triathlon.Then there are the little things.The marginal gains.Because if you’re a triathlete, you know exactly what I mean.At some point you start looking for every possible advantage.This year I added aerodynamic calf sleeves.Will they make a difference?Hopefully.Maybe they save me a few watts.Maybe those few watts add up.I’ve also got a new pair of Speed Laces ready for my race shoes.Because it makes absolutely no sense to spend eight months training and then waste 15 seconds in transition tying your shoes.I am fully aware of how silly it is to spend money on marginal gains but the reality is, as a mid or back-of-the-packer while these things don't matter, once you've done everything in your power to hit the podium and yet fall 1 minute short, it is an option to try and squeeze that minute from a slightly faster pair of shoes or by shaving your foreams or by getting those extra massage sessions. What else? Well, I’ve also got my new pair of TheMagic5 Vector goggles ready to go.A leak-free swim and clear vision is a pretty good way to start the race.And nutrition is another big focus this year.I’ve switched to Precision Fuel and Hydration.I’m loading more electrolytes before the race, and I’m carrying more electrolytes with me on the bike and run.Now, can I say for certain that electrolytes were a limiter for me?No.Especially at the Olympic distance.But I strongly suspect they hurt me during my 70.3 last year.So this year I’d rather go into the race slightly overprepared than underprepared.Speaking of things outside the plan…If you follow my Patreon, you’ll know I had a bit of a scare two weeks ago.I hurt my back.I think it happened during swimming, and for about three days I was in significant discomfort.It affected my sleep.It affected my ability to train.And the decision I made was probably one of the hardest decisions for an athlete:I stopped.I took eight full days completely off training.And in hindsight hat was the right decision.I’ve also seen a chiropractor twice.And I’ll admit — I’ve had reservations about chiropractors in the past.That’s probably a topic for another episode.But I have to say, I’ve been really impressed with the care I received.Not just the treatment itself, but the exercise recommendations and stretching protocols afterward.That homework has probably been just as valuable as the treatment.The other little experiment I’ve added is supplementing with 200 milligrams a day of Ubiquinol.This is the more bioavailable form of CoQ10.There are some studies suggesting potential benefits for endurance and recovery.Now, the frustrating part is that these things take time.Apparently four to six weeks for meaningful levels in the body.So I’m probably not going to see some magical transformation before race day.But if it gives me even the smallest advantage?I’ll take it.At this point, there really isn’t much more I can do.Other than one thing.Stay calm.There is a fine line between preparation and obsession.Between having a plan and trying to control every single variable.The weather.The competition.The exact race conditions.You can’t control those things.You can only control how you respond.Im happy to see that at the moent the forecast is looking pretty ideal.Cool temperatures.Blue skies.A great day for racing.So my goal for the final week is to be Zen about the things I can’t control.I want to show up prepared.I want to execute my race.I want to challenge myself.Yes, I want to qualify for Worlds.That’s the goal.But at the end of the day, the reason I do this sport is bigger than a result.It’s the feeling of pushing myself.It’s being surrounded by other people who live this strange triathlon lifestyle.It’s knowing that I gave my best.And regardless of the outcome, I know I’ll come away with either satisfaction, insight, or both.And why does any of this matter to me as a 58 year old amateur? Because as I age it is becoming increasingly clear that life is not forever. Every day brings a headline that a childhood hero or celebrity has passed away. More and more often I'm hearing of friends with sudden health issues. Personally, I'm experiencing injuries at a higher rate than ever. I realize that our time in this sport has a limit and while we never can never know where that limit is, it's out there somewhere on the horizon.So…The countdown begins once again.June 28th.Let’s see what happens.Until next time, peace
• 
  Improving the Ironman Swim 15.06.2026 15p

  Let's face it, swimming 3.9km is no easy feat. Let's say you can easily swim 1.9km but find the IM swim cutoff challenging, what can be done. Well, it depends on your particular obstacles so let's get into it.Head on over to www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete for more lonely content!TRANSCRIPTA few weeks ago, my awesome patron on Patreon reached out with a question. Hi Ron, hope you are doing well.Ron is turning 74 years old.He's completed four Ironman 70.3 races.Four.Let's just pause there for a moment. What a freaking inspiration!Most people his age aren't training for endurance events. Many aren't exercising at all. Yet here's a guy still swimming, biking, running, racing, and setting ambitious goals.His question to me was simple.Why can he complete a 70.3 swim, but can't seem to make to swim cutoff in an Ironman swim?It's a fascinating question because on the surface it sounds like a swimming problem.But I don't think it is.At least not entirely.And the more I thought about it, the more I realized this episode isn't really about swimming.It's about something all endurance athletes eventually face.The point where determination alone is no longer enough.The point where we have to get smarter.Not just tougher.Now before we go any further, let's acknowledge something.A 74-year-old athlete attempting an Ironman deserves respect.Period.It would be easy to focus on what isn't working.But I'd rather focus on what already is.This athlete has completed four 70.3 races. That tells me he has discipline, consistency, courage, and experience.The question isn't whether he's capable of hard things.Clearly he is.The question is whether the approach that got him through a half Ironman can get him through a full one.And those are not always the same thing.The first thing I'd want to know is whether he can comfortably swim 3.8 kilometres in a pool.Not race it.Not hammer it.Just swim it continuously.Because if the answer is no, then we're dealing primarily with swim fitness.The Ironman swim is nearly four kilometres long.That's a long way.And while it looks like exactly twice the distance of a 70.3 swim, anyone who's raced long enough knows it doesn't feel like twice the distance.Fatigue compounds.Small inefficiencies become major inefficiencies.Little mistakes become quite expensive.And if you've never developed the fitness to comfortably cover that distance, the water will expose you.But let's imagine he CAN swim the distance in the pool.NOW things get interesting.Because that means the problem may not be fitness at all.It may be EFFICIENCY.One of the most important lessons I've learned in endurance sports is that fitness and efficiency are not the same thing.And nowhere is that more obvious than in swimming.You can be incredibly fit and still struggle in the water.I've heard coaches say something that stuck with me. "The water doesn't care how fit you are."And it's true.You can bully your way through a run.You can overpower mistakes on the bike.Swimming doesn't negotiate.If your technique is inefficient, the water collects payment on every single stroke.And those payments add up over nearly four kilometres.This reminds me of something from my own swimming journey.I was new to distance swimming when I took up triathlon around 25 years ago. I had a swimming background although not comptetitive and I'd never ever swam 100M straight witout stopping because...why would I? So I self taught myself how to swim. I watched videos and read a few books. I went to the pool 3-4 ays a week and swamd swam and swam until I could cover the race distace of 1500M. My times were slow, around 3:00/100M, maybe a bit faster but not much. And I figured that as I contiued to swim over the years I would naturally get faster.I was so wrong. I could muscle myself to a 2:30 pace formaybe 1000M but then I was gassed, no way I could cycle after an effort like that. Something was holding me back and I didn't know what, so I enrolled in a Masters swim class at the local pool.During one of those workouts the coach walked alongside my lane, calling out technical issues with my stroke. He kept yelling "deeper, deeper" and at the end of the class told me that on my breathing side I tended to pull very shallow, my arm didn't go deep in the water so I was effectively swimming with one hand. Over the course of a few evenings I corrected that. Then end of one of the last sessions he pulled me aside an commended me for dropping both arms deeper in the water but he said "Todd, you tend to push down with your hands and only pull towards the back half of your stroke. Remember those high elbow drills (the ones that I did but didnt really make sense to me), we do those to encourgee you to catch the water much earlier in your stroke and to PULL yourself thorugh the water rather than push down so much." Huh. Suddenly, everything made sense and as I pulled raher than pushed, I got my swim time down to 2:00/100M. A massive improvement in minimal time.What struck me afterward was how obvious those flaws seemed once they were pointed out.Yet I never would have found them on my own.I had convinced myself that the solution was more swimming.More fitness.More effort.Instead, the solution was seeing something I couldn't see.And I think that's an important lesson.Sometimes we're too close to our own problems to diagnose them accurately.The very thing holding us back may be completely invisible to us.Especially in swimming.Now there's another possibility.And this one is surprisingly common.Anxiety.I've seen athletes who can easily swim the required distance in a pool.Then race day arrives.The water is colder.There are hundreds of athletes around them.They're getting bumped and kicked.Their breathing feels different.Their wetsuit feels restrictive.Suddenly they're swimming at an intensity they would never sustain in training.Their heart rate climbs.Their stroke shortens.Their efficiency disappears.And twenty minutes later they're paying the price.Many Ironman swim struggles aren't actually swimming struggles.They're pacing struggles.They're anxiety struggles.They're energy management struggles.The athlete is burning matches far too early.When people talk about Ironman, they often focus on speed.But for many athletes, especially older athletes, the goal isn't speed.It's economy.How LITTLE energy can you spend to move through the water?How relaxed can you stay?How efficiently can you convert effort into forward motion?Those questions become increasingly important as we age.At 25 years old, we can often compensate for technical flaws.At 74, every unnecessary movement has a cost.Every inefficient stroke carries a penalty.Which brings me to the part of this conversation I find most interesting.There comes a point in every endurance athlete's life when we must decide whether we are trying harder or trying smarter.And that's not always an easy distinction to make.Most of us love hard work.We trust hard work.Hard work feels noble.If something isn't working, our instinct is often to do more.More miles.More intervals.More volume.More suffering.But sometimes the breakthrough isn't on the other side of more effort.Sometimes it's on the other side of better information.A coach notices something.A training partner sees something.A video reveals something.An expert identifies a flaw we've been carrying for years.And suddenly progress happens.Not because we're working harder.Because we're finally working on the right thing.I don't know whether Ron's challenge is fitness, technique, pacing, anxiety, or some combination of all four.But I do know this.The goal is not to SURVIVE the Ironman swim.The goal is to become the kind of swimmer for whom the Ironman swim is MANAGEBLE.That's a different objective entirely.And I think that's true outside of triathlon too.The challenges we struggle with for years are not always asking for more determination.Sometimes they're asking for a new perspective.Sometimes they're asking for better guidance.Sometimes they're asking us to admit that we don't know what we don't know.And that might be one of the hardest lessons in endurance sports.Not that we need to work harder.But that we might need help.If you're listening today and you're chasing a goal that's been stubbornly out of reach, maybe ask yourself this question.Am I missing effort?Or am I missing insight?Because those are very different problems.And one of them is often easier to solve than we think.Thanks for listening.And remember, whether you're training for your first sprint triathlon, your fifth Ironman, or simply trying to stay active and healthy as the years go by, you're not training alone.You're just another lonely triathlete.Until next time,Peace
• 
  [PREVIEW] Improving the Ironman Swim 15.06.2026 5p

  Let's face it, swimming 3.9km is no easy feat. Let's say you can easily swim 1.9km but find the IM swim cutoff challenging, what can be done. Well, it depends on your particular obstacles so let's get into it.TRANSCRIPTA few weeks ago, my awesome patron on Patreon reached out with a question. Hi Ron, hope you are doing well.Ron is turning 74 years old.He's completed four Ironman 70.3 races.Four.Let's just pause there for a moment. What a freaking inspiration!Most people his age aren't training for endurance events. Many aren't exercising at all. Yet here's a guy still swimming, biking, running, racing, and setting ambitious goals.His question to me was simple.Why can he complete a 70.3 swim, but can't seem to make to swim cutoff in an Ironman swim?It's a fascinating question because on the surface it sounds like a swimming problem.But I don't think it is.At least not entirely.And the more I thought about it, the more I realized this episode isn't really about swimming.It's about something all endurance athletes eventually face.The point where determination alone is no longer enough.The point where we have to get smarter.Not just tougher.Now before we go any further, let's acknowledge something.A 74-year-old athlete attempting an Ironman deserves respect.Period.It would be easy to focus on what isn't working.But I'd rather focus on what already is.This athlete has completed four 70.3 races. That tells me he has discipline, consistency, courage, and experience.The question isn't whether he's capable of hard things.Clearly he is.The question is whether the approach that got him through a half Ironman can get him through a full one.And those are not always the same thing.The first thing I'd want to know is whether he can comfortably swim 3.8 kilometres in a pool.Not race it.Not hammer it.Just swim it continuously.Because if the answer is no, then we're dealing primarily with swim fitness.The Ironman swim is nearly four kilometres long.That's a long way.And while it looks like exactly twice the distance of a 70.3 swim, anyone who's raced long enough knows it doesn't feel like twice the distance.Fatigue compounds.Small inefficiencies become major inefficiencies.Little mistakes become quite expensive.And if you've never developed the fitness to comfortably cover that distance, the water will expose you.But let's imagine he CAN swim the distance in the pool.NOW things get interesting.Because that means the problem may not be fitness at all.It may be EFFICIENCY.One of the most important lessons I've learned in endurance sports is that fitness and efficiency are not the same thing.And nowhere is that more obvious than in swimming.You can be incredibly fit and still struggle in the water.I've heard coaches say something that stuck with me. "The water doesn't care how fit you are."And it's true.You can bully your way through a run.You can overpower mistakes on the bike.Swimming doesn't negotiate.If your technique is inefficient, the water collects payment on every single stroke.And those payments add up over nearly four kilometres.This reminds me of something from my own swimming journey.I was new to distance swimming when I took up triathlon around 25 years ago. I had a swimming background although not comptetitive and I'd never ever swam 100M straight witout stopping because...why would I? So I self taught myself how to swim. I watched videos and read a few books. I went to the pool 3-4 ays a week and swamd swam and swam until I could cover the race distace of 1500M. My times were slow, around 3:00/100M, maybe a bit faster but not much. And I figured that as I contiued to swim over the years I would naturally get faster.I was so wrong. I could muscle myself to a 2:30 pace formaybe 1000M but then I was gassed, no way I could cycle after an effort like that. Something was holding me back and I didn't know what, so I enrolled in a Masters swim class at the local pool.During one of those workouts the coach walked alongside my lane, calling out technical issues with my stroke. He kept yelling "deeper, deeper" and at the end of the class told me that on my breathing side I tended to pull very shallow, my arm didn't go deep in the water so I was effectively swimming with one hand. Over the course of a few evenings I corrected that. Then end of one of the last sessions he pulled me aside an commended me for dropping both arms deeper in the water but he said "Todd, you tend to push down with your hands and only pull towards the back half of your stroke. Remember those high elbow drills (the ones that I did but didnt really make sense to me), we do those to encourgee you to catch the water much earlier in your stroke and to PULL yourself thorugh the water rather than push down so much." Huh. Suddenly, everything made sense and as I pulled raher than pushed, I got my swim time down to 2:00/100M. A massive improvement in minimal time.What struck me afterward was how obvious those flaws seemed once they were pointed out.Yet I never would have found them on my own.I had convinced myself that the solution was more swimming.More fitness.More effort.Instead, the solution was seeing something I couldn't see.And I think that's an important lesson.Sometimes we're too close to our own problems to diagnose them accurately.The very thing holding us back may be completely invisible to us.Especially in swimming.Now there's another possibility.And this one is surprisingly common.Anxiety.I've seen athletes who can easily swim the required distance in a pool.Then race day arrives.The water is colder.There are hundreds of athletes around them.They're getting bumped and kicked.Their breathing feels different.Their wetsuit feels restrictive.Suddenly they're swimming at an intensity they would never sustain in training.Their heart rate climbs.Their stroke shortens.Their efficiency disappears.And twenty minutes later they're paying the price.Many Ironman swim struggles aren't actually swimming struggles.They're pacing struggles.They're anxiety struggles.They're energy management struggles.The athlete is burning matches far too early.When people talk about Ironman, they often focus on speed.But for many athletes, especially older athletes, the goal isn't speed.It's economy.How LITTLE energy can you spend to move through the water?How relaxed can you stay?How efficiently can you convert effort into forward motion?Those questions become increasingly important as we age.At 25 years old, we can often compensate for technical flaws.At 74, every unnecessary movement has a cost.Every inefficient stroke carries a penalty.Which brings me to the part of this conversation I find most interesting.There comes a point in every endurance athlete's life when we must decide whether we are trying harder or trying smarter.And that's not always an easy distinction to make.Most of us love hard work.We trust hard work.Hard work feels noble.If something isn't working, our instinct is often to do more.More miles.More intervals.More volume.More suffering.But sometimes the breakthrough isn't on the other side of more effort.Sometimes it's on the other side of better information.A coach notices something.A training partner sees something.A video reveals something.An expert identifies a flaw we've been carrying for years.And suddenly progress happens.Not because we're working harder.Because we're finally working on the right thing.I don't know whether Ron's challenge is fitness, technique, pacing, anxiety, or some combination of all four.But I do know this.The goal is not to SURVIVE the Ironman swim.The goal is to become the kind of swimmer for whom the Ironman swim is MANAGEBLE.That's a different objective entirely.And I think that's true outside of triathlon too.The challenges we struggle with for years are not always asking for more determination.Sometimes they're asking for a new perspective.Sometimes they're asking for better guidance.Sometimes they're asking us to admit that we don't know what we don't know.And that might be one of the hardest lessons in endurance sports.Not that we need to work harder.But that we might need help.If you're listening today and you're chasing a goal that's been stubbornly out of reach, maybe ask yourself this question.Am I missing effort?Or am I missing insight?Because those are very different problems.And one of them is often easier to solve than we think.Thanks for listening.And remember, whether you're training for your first sprint triathlon, your fifth Ironman, or simply trying to stay active and healthy as the years go by, you're not training alone.You're just another lonely triathlete.Until next time,Peace
• 
  The Power of Habits 08.06.2026 20p

  This year, if you could perform one behavior over and over (that you aren't currently doing) that you think would most positively impact your triathlon performance, what would that be? It would be a powerful habit, is what I think!Come join our community at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathleteTRANSCRIPTToday I want to talk about something that might be more important than your training plan, more important than your latest piece of gear, and maybe even more important than your motivation.I want to talk about habits.Because if you've been in this sport long enough, you've probably noticed something.The athletes who succeed year after year aren't necessarily the most talented.They aren't always the fastest.They aren't always the most motivated.They're often just the ones with the best habits.And that's because habits do something incredibly valuable.They reduce the number of decisions we have to make.Every decision requires energy.Should I go to bed now or watch one more episode?Should I do my workout before work or after work?Should I eat the apple or the doughnut?Should I stretch?Should I hydrate?Should I foam roll?Should I prepare tomorrow's workout?If every one of those actions requires a fresh decision every day, eventually decision fatigue wins.Life gets busy.Work gets stressful.The kids need something.The weather is lousy.And suddenly all those good intentions disappear.But habits are different.Habits automate behavior.When something becomes a habit, we stop negotiating with ourselves.We simply do it.And that's where long-term performance gains come from.Not heroic efforts.Not occasional bursts of motivation.Consistency.The compound interest of athletic performance.So today I want to walk through some of the most valuable habits a triathlete can build.Not workouts.Not race strategies.Habits.The small recurring actions that quietly improve performance over time.Before we get into the specific habits that improve performance, I want to share something.For a long time, I wrestled with the whole idea of habits.They sounded boring.They sounded restrictive.I like spontaneity.I like making decisions off the cuff.I like the feeling that I'm in control of my time and free to do whatever I want in a given moment.For years, I looked at highly structured routines and thought, "That doesn't sound like a very interesting way to live."I thought habits would make life feel scripted.Like I was following a checklist instead of actually living.But over time, I came to realize a couple of things.The first was that finding an effective action and repeating it over and over again is incredibly productive.Far more productive than constantly making mistakes and trying to reinvent the wheel.Think about triathlon training.Once you discover a workout structure that works, you don't throw it away and invent an entirely new training philosophy every Tuesday.You repeat what works.You build on it.You let consistency create results.So why wouldn't the same principle apply to sleep, nutrition, recovery, and the rest of life?The second realization was even more important.I discovered that I was already living a life full of habits.I just wasn't calling them habits.I showered at roughly the same time every morning.I ate many of the same breakfasts.I arrived at work at roughly the same time.I watched many of the same television shows.I read many of the same types of books.I followed dozens of patterns every single day without even thinking about them.In other words, habits weren't something I needed to add to my life.They were already there.The difference was that most of them had developed unconsciously.And that's when the light bulb went on.If habits already exist in my life, why not examine them?Why not identify which ones are helping me and which ones are holding me back?Why not intentionally select the habits that support my goals?Why not add the ones that are missing?Instead of letting habits happen by accident, why not consciously design them?That's when habits stopped feeling restrictive to me.They started feeling empowering.Because habits aren't really about removing freedom.They're about using today's decisions to make tomorrow easier.And for endurance athletes, that's a pretty powerful advantage.Sleep HabitsLet's start with the foundation.Sleep.I know.Sleep isn't exciting.Nobody posts screenshots of their bedtime on social media.But if there was a legal performance-enhancing drug available to every athlete, sleep would probably be it.The problem is that many athletes treat sleep like whatever time is left over after everything else is done.Instead, high-performing athletes often reverse the equation.Sleep comes first.Everything else fits around it.One habit that can dramatically improve sleep quality is having a consistent bedtime.Not just on weekdays.Every day.Your body loves routine.Going to bed at roughly the same time each night trains your body to expect sleep.Another powerful habit is reducing screen time before bed.I'm not perfect at this one.In fact, I suspect many of us are not.But we all know the difference between drifting off peacefully and scrolling through social media until midnight.A third habit is preparing for tomorrow before going to bed.Lay out your workout clothes.Charge your watch.Fill your water bottle.When you wake up, there is less friction between you and the workout.And less friction means more consistency.Training HabitsNow let's talk about training.Most athletes focus on the big sessions.The long ride.The key run.The hard intervals.But the athletes who improve year after year tend to have strong training habits.One of the best habits is simply protecting training time.Treating workouts like appointments.We don't skip dentist appointments because we don't feel like going.We shouldn't casually skip important workouts either.Another habit is beginning workouts at a consistent time whenever possible.If you always run at 6:00 AM, eventually your brain stops debating whether you're going.It's just what you do.The same way brushing your teeth is what you do.One habit I've come to appreciate is tracking workouts immediately after completion.A few notes.How did it feel?What worked?What didn't?Those little observations accumulate over months and years.They help us become smarter athletes.And perhaps the most important training habit of all:Show up on the days you don't feel like it.Not every workout needs to be amazing.Sometimes success is simply putting on the shoes and starting.Many workouts that begin reluctantly end up being perfectly fine.Recovery HabitsRecovery is where a lot of age-group athletes leave performance on the table.We spend hours thinking about training.Minutes thinking about recovery.Yet recovery is where adaptation actually happens.One valuable habit is doing a short recovery routine immediately after training.Not someday later.Immediately.Five minutes.Stretching.Foam rolling.Walking.Whatever works for you.The key is consistency.Another habit is paying attention to recovery markers.How's your energy?How's your mood?How's your motivation?How's your resting heart rate?How are you sleeping?Elite athletes monitor recovery because they understand that training stress only creates improvement if recovery keeps pace.One recovery habit I've become a fan of is scheduling recovery before you think you need it.Not after you're exhausted.Before.Because once fatigue becomes obvious, you've often been accumulating it for quite some time.Nutrition HabitsNow let's move to nutrition.If you're anything like me, you may have spent years looking for nutrition secrets.But most successful athletes aren't relying on secrets.They're relying on habits.For example, having a protein-rich breakfast.Hydrating first thing in the morning.Bringing healthy snacks to work.Eating vegetables with most meals.None of these habits are revolutionary.But together they become powerful.One nutrition habit that made a huge difference for me was becoming more aware of evening snacking.It's amazing how many calories can sneak in between dinner and bedtime.A handful of chips becomes a bowl.A bowl becomes several hundred calories.And suddenly we're wondering why training isn't producing the body composition changes we expected.Another critical habit is fueling workouts properly.Especially longer sessions.Many athletes train hard but under-fuel.Then wonder why performance stalls.Consistent fueling is a habit.Just like consistent hydration.And just like recovery.The Habit That Connects EverythingThere's one habit that may be more important than any other.Planning.Every successful athlete I know plans.Maybe not obsessively.But intentionally.They know when they're training.They know what they're eating.They know where recovery fits into the week.They don't leave important behaviors to chance.Because chance is usually where inconsistency lives.A few minutes of planning each week can eliminate dozens of decisions.And remember, every decision you eliminate preserves mental energy.How Do We Identify the Right Habits?So how do we decide which habits to build?Here's a simple question.What behavior, if repeated consistently for the next year, would have the biggest positive impact on my performance?Notice I didn't say biggest workout.I said behavior.Maybe it's going to bed 30 minutes earlier.Maybe it's drinking more water.Maybe it's strength training twice a week.Maybe it's eliminating late-night snacking.The best habit is often not the most impressive one.It's the one that addresses your biggest weakness.And it's the one you're actually willing to do.How Do We Turn Behaviors Into Habits?The mistake many athletes make is trying to change everything at once.More training.Better nutrition.Earlier bedtime.Daily stretching.Strength training.Meditation.Hydration.Reading.Journaling.By next Tuesday they're exhausted.So, start small. Ridiculously small.If you want to stretch more, start with five minutes.If you want to improve sleep, move bedtime earlier by fifteen minutes.If you want to hydrate better, put a water bottle where you'll see it.Make the habit easy.Attach it to something you already do.This is called habit stacking.After I brush my teeth, I stretch for five minutes.After I finish a workout, I drink a recovery shake.After dinner, I prepare tomorrow's training gear.The more automatic the sequence becomes, the less motivation is required.And that's the goal.Because motivation comes and goes.Habits stay.Closing ThoughtsAs triathletes, we spend a lot of time chasing breakthroughs.The perfect workout.The perfect race.The perfect piece of equipment.But most breakthroughs aren't dramatic.They're quiet.They're the result of hundreds of small actions repeated over and over again.A consistent bedtime.A prepared water bottle.A planned workout.A healthy snack.Five minutes of stretching.Nothing spectacular on its own.But together?They create the athlete you become.So this week, don't ask yourself what huge change you need to make.Ask yourself:What's one habit that future me will be grateful I started today?Build that habit.Protect it.Repeat it.And then let consistency do what consistency always does.Compound.
• 
  [PREVIEW] The Power of Habits 08.06.2026 5p

  This year, if you could perform one behavior over and over (that you aren't currently doing) that you think would most positively impact your triathlon performance, what would that be? It would be a powerful habit, is what I think!TRANSCRIPTToday I want to talk about something that might be more important than your training plan, more important than your latest piece of gear, and maybe even more important than your motivation.I want to talk about habits.Because if you've been in this sport long enough, you've probably noticed something.The athletes who succeed year after year aren't necessarily the most talented.They aren't always the fastest.They aren't always the most motivated.They're often just the ones with the best habits.And that's because habits do something incredibly valuable.They reduce the number of decisions we have to make.Every decision requires energy.Should I go to bed now or watch one more episode?Should I do my workout before work or after work?Should I eat the apple or the doughnut?Should I stretch?Should I hydrate?Should I foam roll?Should I prepare tomorrow's workout?If every one of those actions requires a fresh decision every day, eventually decision fatigue wins.Life gets busy.Work gets stressful.The kids need something.The weather is lousy.And suddenly all those good intentions disappear.But habits are different.Habits automate behavior.When something becomes a habit, we stop negotiating with ourselves.We simply do it.And that's where long-term performance gains come from.Not heroic efforts.Not occasional bursts of motivation.Consistency.The compound interest of athletic performance.So today I want to walk through some of the most valuable habits a triathlete can build.Not workouts.Not race strategies.Habits.The small recurring actions that quietly improve performance over time.Before we get into the specific habits that improve performance, I want to share something.For a long time, I wrestled with the whole idea of habits.They sounded boring.They sounded restrictive.I like spontaneity.I like making decisions off the cuff.I like the feeling that I'm in control of my time and free to do whatever I want in a given moment.For years, I looked at highly structured routines and thought, "That doesn't sound like a very interesting way to live."I thought habits would make life feel scripted.Like I was following a checklist instead of actually living.But over time, I came to realize a couple of things.The first was that finding an effective action and repeating it over and over again is incredibly productive.Far more productive than constantly making mistakes and trying to reinvent the wheel.Think about triathlon training.Once you discover a workout structure that works, you don't throw it away and invent an entirely new training philosophy every Tuesday.You repeat what works.You build on it.You let consistency create results.So why wouldn't the same principle apply to sleep, nutrition, recovery, and the rest of life?The second realization was even more important.I discovered that I was already living a life full of habits.I just wasn't calling them habits.I showered at roughly the same time every morning.I ate many of the same breakfasts.I arrived at work at roughly the same time.I watched many of the same television shows.I read many of the same types of books.I followed dozens of patterns every single day without even thinking about them.In other words, habits weren't something I needed to add to my life.They were already there.The difference was that most of them had developed unconsciously.And that's when the light bulb went on.If habits already exist in my life, why not examine them?Why not identify which ones are helping me and which ones are holding me back?Why not intentionally select the habits that support my goals?Why not add the ones that are missing?Instead of letting habits happen by accident, why not consciously design them?That's when habits stopped feeling restrictive to me.They started feeling empowering.Because habits aren't really about removing freedom.They're about using today's decisions to make tomorrow easier.And for endurance athletes, that's a pretty powerful advantage.Sleep HabitsLet's start with the foundation.Sleep.I know.Sleep isn't exciting.Nobody posts screenshots of their bedtime on social media.But if there was a legal performance-enhancing drug available to every athlete, sleep would probably be it.The problem is that many athletes treat sleep like whatever time is left over after everything else is done.Instead, high-performing athletes often reverse the equation.Sleep comes first.Everything else fits around it.One habit that can dramatically improve sleep quality is having a consistent bedtime.Not just on weekdays.Every day.Your body loves routine.Going to bed at roughly the same time each night trains your body to expect sleep.Another powerful habit is reducing screen time before bed.I'm not perfect at this one.In fact, I suspect many of us are not.But we all know the difference between drifting off peacefully and scrolling through social media until midnight.A third habit is preparing for tomorrow before going to bed.Lay out your workout clothes.Charge your watch.Fill your water bottle.When you wake up, there is less friction between you and the workout.And less friction means more consistency.Training HabitsNow let's talk about training.Most athletes focus on the big sessions.The long ride.The key run.The hard intervals.But the athletes who improve year after year tend to have strong training habits.One of the best habits is simply protecting training time.Treating workouts like appointments.We don't skip dentist appointments because we don't feel like going.We shouldn't casually skip important workouts either.Another habit is beginning workouts at a consistent time whenever possible.If you always run at 6:00 AM, eventually your brain stops debating whether you're going.It's just what you do.The same way brushing your teeth is what you do.One habit I've come to appreciate is tracking workouts immediately after completion.A few notes.How did it feel?What worked?What didn't?Those little observations accumulate over months and years.They help us become smarter athletes.And perhaps the most important training habit of all:Show up on the days you don't feel like it.Not every workout needs to be amazing.Sometimes success is simply putting on the shoes and starting.Many workouts that begin reluctantly end up being perfectly fine.Recovery HabitsRecovery is where a lot of age-group athletes leave performance on the table.We spend hours thinking about training.Minutes thinking about recovery.Yet recovery is where adaptation actually happens.One valuable habit is doing a short recovery routine immediately after training.Not someday later.Immediately.Five minutes.Stretching.Foam rolling.Walking.Whatever works for you.The key is consistency.Another habit is paying attention to recovery markers.How's your energy?How's your mood?How's your motivation?How's your resting heart rate?How are you sleeping?Elite athletes monitor recovery because they understand that training stress only creates improvement if recovery keeps pace.One recovery habit I've become a fan of is scheduling recovery before you think you need it.Not after you're exhausted.Before.Because once fatigue becomes obvious, you've often been accumulating it for quite some time.Nutrition HabitsNow let's move to nutrition.If you're anything like me, you may have spent years looking for nutrition secrets.But most successful athletes aren't relying on secrets.They're relying on habits.For example, having a protein-rich breakfast.Hydrating first thing in the morning.Bringing healthy snacks to work.Eating vegetables with most meals.None of these habits are revolutionary.But together they become powerful.One nutrition habit that made a huge difference for me was becoming more aware of evening snacking.It's amazing how many calories can sneak in between dinner and bedtime.A handful of chips becomes a bowl.A bowl becomes several hundred calories.And suddenly we're wondering why training isn't producing the body composition changes we expected.Another critical habit is fueling workouts properly.Especially longer sessions.Many athletes train hard but under-fuel.Then wonder why performance stalls.Consistent fueling is a habit.Just like consistent hydration.And just like recovery.The Habit That Connects EverythingThere's one habit that may be more important than any other.Planning.Every successful athlete I know plans.Maybe not obsessively.But intentionally.They know when they're training.They know what they're eating.They know where recovery fits into the week.They don't leave important behaviors to chance.Because chance is usually where inconsistency lives.A few minutes of planning each week can eliminate dozens of decisions.And remember, every decision you eliminate preserves mental energy.How Do We Identify the Right Habits?So how do we decide which habits to build?Here's a simple question.What behavior, if repeated consistently for the next year, would have the biggest positive impact on my performance?Notice I didn't say biggest workout.I said behavior.Maybe it's going to bed 30 minutes earlier.Maybe it's drinking more water.Maybe it's strength training twice a week.Maybe it's eliminating late-night snacking.The best habit is often not the most impressive one.It's the one that addresses your biggest weakness.And it's the one you're actually willing to do.How Do We Turn Behaviors Into Habits?The mistake many athletes make is trying to change everything at once.More training.Better nutrition.Earlier bedtime.Daily stretching.Strength training.Meditation.Hydration.Reading.Journaling.By next Tuesday they're exhausted.So, start small. Ridiculously small.If you want to stretch more, start with five minutes.If you want to improve sleep, move bedtime earlier by fifteen minutes.If you want to hydrate better, put a water bottle where you'll see it.Make the habit easy.Attach it to something you already do.This is called habit stacking.After I brush my teeth, I stretch for five minutes.After I finish a workout, I drink a recovery shake.After dinner, I prepare tomorrow's training gear.The more automatic the sequence becomes, the less motivation is required.And that's the goal.Because motivation comes and goes.Habits stay.Closing ThoughtsAs triathletes, we spend a lot of time chasing breakthroughs.The perfect workout.The perfect race.The perfect piece of equipment.But most breakthroughs aren't dramatic.They're quiet.They're the result of hundreds of small actions repeated over and over again.A consistent bedtime.A prepared water bottle.A planned workout.A healthy snack.Five minutes of stretching.Nothing spectacular on its own.But together?They create the athlete you become.So this week, don't ask yourself what huge change you need to make.Ask yourself:What's one habit that future me will be grateful I started today?Build that habit.Protect it.Repeat it.And then let consistency do what consistency always does.Compound.
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  Achieving Triathlon Race Weight 31.05.2026 28p

  Don't most of us want to be the most optimal weight for racing? Don't most of us love eating? Don't most of us just let nature take its course and we'll then just race at whatever weight we happened to get to? It doesn't have to be that way.Come join our growing community at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathleteTRANSCRIPTWelcome back to The Lonely Triathlete.On January 2nd, 2026, I stepped on the scale and saw a number I wasn't expecting: 193 pounds.The strange part wasn't the number itself.The strange part was that I was already training again.I had restarted my triathlon training at the end of October. I was doing dryland swim training, cycling, running, and doing all the things endurance athletes are supposed to do. Yet somehow I was carrying around an extra 23 pounds compared to where I sit today.And you know the strangest part of all?I didn't really think I needed to lose weight. I mean, I knew I was way heavier than I wanted to be for race performance but...I didn't look overweight.I wasn't struggling to fit into my clothes.Nobody was pulling me aside to express concern.The weight was distributed evenly enough that I simply looked like a bigger version of myself.Today I'm hovering very close to 170 pounds.So how does a reasonably fit triathlete gain more than 20 pounds while continuing to train?And what happens when those pounds gradually disappear?That's what I want to talk about today.Because this isn't really a story about weight loss.It's a story about habits, performance, health, and a few uncomfortable truths that many endurance athletes probably don't want to hear.One of the biggest mistakes I made was believing that training alone would solve the problem.I had stopped training consistently for a period of time and gained some weight. When I restarted my training in October, I assumed the extra pounds would simply melt away.After all, that's what seemed to happen when I was younger.More training meant more calories burned.More calories burned meant less weight.Simple.Except this time it wasn't.The scale barely moved.Months went by.The training continued.The weight stayed.Looking back, I think I was relying on an old formula that no longer applied.Age changes things.Habits matter more.And unfortunately, there is no amount of Zone 2 riding that can completely erase poor nutritional habits.If I had to identify the single biggest contributor to my weight gain, it would be evening snacking.Potato chips.Pie.Doughnuts.Simple carbohydrates.The kinds of foods that are easy to justify after a hard workout.You tell yourself you've earned it.You tell yourself you've burned enough calories.You tell yourself it's only one snack.And then that one snack becomes a daily habit.The funny thing about gradual weight gain is that it becomes invisible.You adapt.You normalize it.You continue to think of yourself as the athlete you were ten or twenty pounds ago.The scale tells a different story.Eventually I decided it was time to stop guessing and start paying attention.The first thing I did was download the free version of MyFitnessPal and begin tracking calories.That single step changed everything.Not because I became obsessed with numbers.Quite the opposite.It simply gave me awareness.And awareness tends to change behaviour.The second thing I did was increase my protein intake.For me, that mostly came from whey protein shakes.One of the biggest discoveries I made was identifying my danger zone.For me, it wasn't breakfast.It wasn't lunch.It wasn't immediately after training.It was around 8 p.m.That's when the cravings showed up.That's when the urge to snack would hit.That's when good intentions became vulnerable.So instead of waiting until I was hungry enough to make poor choices, I started getting ahead of the problem.I'd drink a protein shake.I'd eat carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower.I'd pour myself a naturally flavoured sparkling water.And something interesting happened.The cravings lost much of their power.They didn't disappear.But they became manageable.Looking back, I honestly think that evening protein shake was one of the most important tools in my entire weight-loss journey.Not because it magically burned fat.Because it reduced the likelihood that I'd reach for something far more calorie-dense.The third change involved alcohol.I didn't eliminate it.I reduced it.I limited myself mostly to weekends and generally capped it at about three drinks in an evening.Again, nothing dramatic.No radical diets.No extreme restrictions.Just a series of small behavioural changes repeated consistently.And that's really the lesson.The weight came off steadily over five months.Not perfectly.Some weeks I lost weight.Some weeks I didn't.Some weeks the scale actually went up.But the overall trend continued downward.That's an important point because so many people expect weight loss to look like a straight line.It doesn't.Neither does fitness.Neither does triathlon training.Neither does life.Progress is messy.What matters is the trend.Now let's talk about performance.Because this is where things became impossible to ignore.The biggest difference has been running.I feel lighter.Not metaphorically.Literally.My feet seem to float across the ground.My stride feels smoother.My footfalls feel softer.Less pounding.Less plodding.More efficiency.Last September I ran a 10K in roughly 47 and a half minutes.Recently I ran a 46-minute 10K.About a minute and a half faster.Now, weight loss isn't the entire explanation.I've also trained consistently.My fitness has improved.But it's difficult to imagine that losing 23 pounds hasn't played a significant role.When you think about it, every step in a run requires lifting and moving your body weight forward.When you remove 23 pounds from that equation, the savings accumulate over thousands of steps.Cycling has been a little different.On flat terrain I don't notice a dramatic difference.But my watts-per-kilogram have steadily increased.Partly because my FTP has improved.Partly because there's simply less of me to move.On climbs, physics becomes your friend.Swimming?Honestly, I don't notice much difference.If there is a performance gain there, it's subtle compared to what I've experienced on the run.This naturally leads to the concept of race weight.One of the books that influenced my thinking on this topic is Race Weight by Matt Fitzgerald.One of Fitzgerald's key points is that race weight is not the lightest possible version of yourself.That's important.Because chasing the lowest number on the scale can become unhealthy very quickly.Instead, Fitzgerald describes race weight as the weight that naturally results from consistently practicing high-quality nutrition habits.In other words, race weight is an outcome.Not a target.I love that idea because it shifts the focus away from appearance and toward behaviour.The goal isn't to become skinny.The goal isn't to look good in a mirror.The goal is to become the healthiest and most capable athlete you can be.That brings me to another question.What are the health implications of carrying an extra 20-plus pounds?Now, I haven't had my blood work done yet.I'm planning to do that at the end of race season, along with another DEXA scan.So I don't have hard numbers to compare.But we do know that excess body weight—even in people who are relatively fit—can influence important health markers.It can reduce insulin sensitivity.It can elevate triglycerides.It can increase systemic inflammation.It can place additional strain on joints.It can contribute to higher blood pressure over time.Interestingly, my blood pressure has remained stable throughout this process, which is great.But I'll be fascinated to see whether my DEXA scan and blood work reveal improvements that mirror the changes I've already noticed in training and performance.Perhaps the most interesting reaction I've received came from my brother.I showed him my weight-loss graph.He looked at it and asked if the graph also represented my happiness level.In other words, as the weight went down, was I becoming less happy?I laughed because I think that question captures how many people view weight loss.They imagine deprivation.Sacrifice.Misery.Constant hunger.A joyless existence.That wasn't my experience at all.Was I hungrier in the evenings?Absolutely.But I managed it.I drank water.I had vegetables ready to go.I used protein strategically.I worked with my hunger rather than pretending it didn't exist.And the result wasn't unhappiness.It was actually the opposite.I feel better.I move better.My clothes fit better.My running feels better.My confidence is higher.My strength has improved despite eating fewer calories because I also began a twice-weekly strength training routine back in January.That's another lesson worth mentioning.Weight loss doesn't have to mean becoming weaker.When approached properly, you can improve body composition while becoming stronger.Finally, I think it's important to discuss the difference between pursuing performance and becoming obsessed with body image.These are not the same thing.Endurance athletes need to be careful here.A desire to optimize race weight can be healthy.An obsession with every pound can be unhealthy.The question I like to ask myself is this:If nobody could see my body, would I still want to lose this weight?For me, the answer was yes.Because this wasn't about appearance.It was about performance.Health.Longevity.Feeling better.Moving better.Becoming a stronger athlete.Those motivations feel healthy and sustainable.So where should someone start if they want to move closer to an ideal race weight?Keep it simple.Track what you're eating for a week.Not to judge yourself.To learn.Increase protein.Reduce liquid calories.Find healthier substitutes for your biggest nutritional weaknesses.Focus on food quality before obsessing over quantity.Aim for consistency rather than perfection.And most importantly, think in months rather than weeks.Nobody expects to go from couch to Ironman in six weeks.Yet people routinely expect dramatic body composition changes in that amount of time.The same principles apply.Small actions.Repeated consistently.Over long periods of time.Five months ago I weighed 193 pounds.Today I'm very close to 170.And the biggest lesson I've learned is that I wasn't carrying 23 pounds.I was carrying 23 pounds and a collection of habits.The habits were the real weight.Once those changed, everything else started to follow.In September I'll be getting another DEXA scan and blood work.I'm genuinely curious to see whether the improvements I've noticed in performance show up in the data as well.When those results come in, I'll share them here on the podcast.Until then, thanks for listening to The Lonely Triathlete.Keep showing up.Keep training.And remember that sometimes the biggest gains don't come from working harder.They come from making a few better choices and repeating them long enough for them to matter.