Today, we open the podcast to listener questions from our Facebook Group (search Crushing Iron Group). They range from bike periodization, to maintaining fitness without a race scheduled, to benefits of training for time vs. mileage, handling missed time due to illness, short course vs. long course training, pilates, how each discipline helps the others, 70.3 nutrition and marathon training, strength training . . . and more. Questions are bolded below.

YA Man! Can you talk about bike workout periodization and what structures build overall strength that increase the ability to translate into faster bike splits?

• Allergies or Sick?
• Base, build, race specifics, intensities,
• Athletes response to specific stimulus
• If something’s working, why change it?
• Attention to detail vs. lazy

For those not racing but want to keep in some reasonable shape/fitness to where they could build back toward racing in the future, what are some tips to navigate that time?

• What fits your schedule?
• Have fun and do variety?
• Be grateful you can
• Get off Netflix
• Your body could be thanking you

If we MUST eat solid food on the bike during an IM, what are the best options?

• So varied but we’re all different
• What you can and want might be different than what you should.
• Depends on intensity
• Whatever it is, practice for your gut
• You have to fuel for the run
• Bike calories are easier to take
• Experiment NOW on the trainer

Can the "How to not suck at running" method work for a 11 year old girl who wants to run a half marathon?

• Working with youth is so much different

I know y’all have discussed this before but would be great to get a good explanation of training off time versus mileage. I don’t need the explanation for myself (time all the way) but I have a hard time conveying the idea to others that think mileage is the most important.

• Your body only knows time and perceived effort
• Understanding the weekly volume of stress
• Wind, terrain, overall stress all matter
• People force themselves out of their zone

Awesome! How do you coach an athlete who misses 3-5 consecutive days of a high-volume block due to illness? Obviously there’s a lot of individual variability here, but missing nearly 10 hours of training is mentally challenging..not to mention your body hasn’t moved in days. Just wondering how you would suggest re-introducing training within a high-volume block.

• You can’t just make things up, you should re-work things
• We need to figure out why and lessen the stress
• Wait 24 hours even after you feel good again
• Catch up doesn’t work

I feel like Mike is not being himself lately. Can we just work in a few YEA MANS?!? Mike has to continue to be the Mike we have grown to love - don’t change Mike!! Be yourself!

Also what will it take to get Mike Tarrolly to resume his signature yea man riff. We need a solid yea man in the pod today to resume consistency.

What’s the fastest tt bike in the world?

• The one ridden by the fastest cyclist

You touched on it a little in the last podcast about the minimal differences needed between short course and long course base training, but could you further talk about any differences in training philosophy between those doing short course vs long course tris...maybe specifically in similarities and differences in workout types.

• Generally it’s volume
• Z1 and Z2 volume is still incredibly valuable
• Sprints and Olys are still about durability

Do we really have to do strength training?

• Should you? It depends on goals and time available

When overcoming a shoulder injury and beginning to swim, should strength training be incorporated into the training in conjunction with swimming to build up the upper body from lack of use? 

• Don’t underestimate body weight work

Does the time of day you do a workout matter? Is morning best?

• Let your day, feeling and energy dictate

Best way to prepare for a 70.3 in six weeks with four hours of training time a week? Mostly kidding. Best bang for your buck for improving swim speed - swim coach or just more swimming sessions? Both? Take up duathlons instead?

What’s your take on Pilates?

How does each discipline (swim, bike, run) impact and improve the other disciplines? Example; cycling to running. Or swimming to cycling. Any benefits of focusing on one discipline over the others?

• They all help each other, but it is athlete dependent and on their history

IM long training day/race nutrition. Have always struggled with feeling depleted once I hit the 4-5 hour mark. Have a real hard time with all the sugar from Gels/Gatorade. Is it just a matter of training your gut?

Is it normal feel like 💩 after a very long endurance race? Or is it a sign that you: didn’t fuel right, pushed too hard, didn’t train enough, etc. I have felt completely drained after each of my marathons, and I’ve always wondered if that’s normal or if I should have done something different.

• Marathons will leave you trashed
• But . . . there are varying degrees of trash

Advice for beginners! I am learning that there is a lot more than I thought that I don’t know. I am sometimes intimidated and don’t want to look “dumb” to more advanced triathletes

• Find good people to surround yourself with
• Get their good advice
• Have fun with what you’re doing

Looking for an awesome coach this season? Former Professional triathlete, Jessica Jacobs is now coaching for C26 Triathlon. Check out her bio and contact information at our Coaching Page on C26Triathlon.com 

If you're looking for a great custom coaching plan, please check out the new C26 Systems Plan for 2020 at the new c26triathlon.com. Coach Robbie will lay out your entire season (from 12-40 weeks) culminating at your A-Race. Take the confusion out of your entire year for only $499. The package includes team events, access to our online hub resource library, priority camp registration and more. 

Big Shout out to podcast listener and Wordpress designer Bobby Hughes for helping get the new c26triathlon.com off the ground. If you like what you see and may need a website, check out Bobby’s work at https://hughesdesign.co/

You can also slide by www.crushingiron.com which is now the official blog page for the podcast. Community and coaching information are at www.c26triathlon.com 

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Mike Tarrolly - crushingiron@gmail.com Robbie Bruce - c26coach@gmail.com