Ever get the feeling you just want to bail on a workout? Well, today we give you permission . . . but, there are some caveats. And bail doesn’t mean fail. This is about your autonomy in the sport and owning your sessions. What does that mean when it comes to an interval session on the bike or a tempo run? Or even a pool workout? Today we look at how often the most important thing is just to get on the bike and see what happens, but doing it with options. You never really know until you give it a shot and seeing a workout you don’t want to (or don’t think you can) do is a bummer. It’s all about the integrity of workouts. We also look at how much you really need to run for Ironman, what coaches look to for intel on athletes, and the dreaded 18 hour swim.

Topics -

• Kids in cars
• The greatest guy in Baltimore
• The perfect workout
• Pressure combined with expectations
• Bail not fail
• Different ways to set up your workouts for success
• Clearing up the gray areas of training
• Don’t be a robot to the session
• Interval length doesn’t make or break a workout
• Giving you autonomy with options
• How coaching get the most out of your workouts
• Coaching intel
• Own your sessions
• Destroyed by your runs?
• 2nd, 3rd, and 4th winds
• Hang around
• More people get hurt by bad form
• The 18 hour swing

Coaching Inquiries

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

*Note ... the first couple minutes have some wonky audio but it's fine after that.

Today we look at finding passion, purpose, and calling within triathlon. We get into how to find excitement in the little things and not have to always chase new races or shiny objects that are mostly just a distraction from what is in this moment.

We talk about motivation and how the most successful athletes go about finding it. Look at your process and figure out ways to find excitement in things that may not be exciting on the surface but lead to your long term success and health. We pay to do this sport, taking it too seriously can put you in a pinch.

We explore the beauty of “slow is smooth and smooth is fast.” All you have to do is look at the top runners at Boston and see them floating along like they’re on a group run. Mastering your movement makes you faster. And finally, be proud of the hard work and choices, not your natural gifts. Tackle hard things and create the best memories. 

Topics:

• Nagging Injuries
• Feeling younger as you get older
• Garmin sponsors at our Wisconsin Camp
• Don’t chase what is the hot trend of the day… Do your passion! 
• Training for trombone
• Finding your own motivation
• Keep the same routes 
• Create mini races
• Fun in training
• The races can’t be the motivation
• What do you want from the sport?
• We pay to do this
• Slow is smooth and smooth is fast…..  that’s progress.
• Slow is relative to everyone - think of it as easy.
• Be proud of your hard work and choices, not your natural gifts. 
• It’s harder to get better at things we’re naturally good at.
• Tackling hard things
• Difficult times create the best memories
•  

Coaching Inquiries:

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Today we talk about flat course racing, but as usual, there are a lot of applications for all courses as we bounce between the differences between flat and hilly. We start by talking early season open water swims and how to be prepared if you don’t have enough time to get in open water. We also look at what a wetsuit does and how to make sure you’re using it to your best advantage and not letting it throw you into a state of anxiety. We talk about the bike and the importance of training in aero for flat courses. We look at how a weak core can impact your swim, bike, and run. We talk about mixing up cadences on a flat bike and run. We get into training techniques that will make you more prepared for long flat runs. And we hit on the differences between training inside and the demands of being in the elements.

Topics: 

• Flashback Fridays?
• C26 Lifetime Listeners
• Early season Open Water Swimming
• Not enough time for Open Water practice?
• Building Open Water fitness
• Get in your wetsuit often
• Free speed, body compression
• Wetsuit anxiety
• The race goal: Delay the core from heating up
• There no such thing as too much lube
• Keep the wetsuit HIGH
• Core and Lower back issues in aero
• Technique for engaging the core
• A weak core drags you down in swimming, biking, and running
• Swim with a stable core in your wetsuit (and with pull buoy)
• Train in Aero
• Less power in aero
• Core in cycling as it relates to your run
• Full engagement of the pedal stroke
• Importance of slow pedal torque training
• Do you have an aero plan for the wind?
• Calibrate to the weather
• Crosswinds and aero
• Energy spent outdoors is significant
• Sailboats into the wind
• Flat runs
• Hips- Ironman lean
• Changing cadence and turnover
• Break up the load
• Change the demands on purpose

Coaching Inquiries:

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Today we talk about how to prepare and race Sprints and Olympics when you’re training for longer races.

But, if you’re just racing short course there are tons of good nuggets about how to get a much better performance.

Sometimes we forget what it feels like to go hard and short course is a great way to calibrate yourself with your effort.

We look into whether you should taper or not and why it can simply be a waste of a week. We look at HOW to race sprints and olympics.

From training to pacing to letting it rip on the bike and figuring out the run. We talk about pain and how to go through it when you keep hearing alarm bells. Why the fastest athletes on the planet go without a watch on the run. Short course is all about finding your limits… today we look at smart and strategic ways to get there.

Topics:

• 30 Days of our lives
• 30 day commitment
• Looking for excuses
• Blaming yourself or others?
• When running and something hurts . . . 
• Going through the pain
• The obstacle is the way
• Froggy weather
• Commit or not
• Objective and mature decisions
• Does your decision makes sense with your life?
• What does your A-Race mean to you?
• Have a plan and purpose
• Drop a race in
• Tapering for short races?
• Always keep your swimming up
• Bike - Oly - Lower volume, intensity up
• Running - keep intensity
• Do you deserve a taper?
• Don’t waste a week
• Mixing in a marathon affects 5 weeks of your calendar 
• Be engaged with your running - no plod mode
• Calibrate yourself with racing. 
• Running matchless
• When all you know is how you feel
• Do you remember what it feels like to go hard?
• Brick runs . . . 
• Swim hard, then bike… 
• Bike like there is no run…
• All these alarm bells… 
• It’s about finding your limit

Coaching Inquiries:

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Today we answer listener questions and spend a lot of time in the rabbit hole finding good little nuggets. Mainly, there is a lot of discussion about cycling, specifically on windy or hilly courses. We go through a deep explanation of how to train and race your best with a thorough explanation of average power vs. normalized power. We also compare and contrast riding without power and how that should be approached. We look at the best tires and go into how (even though we know nobody wants to do it) important it is to be comfortable changing your tires on the race course. We also talk about when and how you should increase distance, both in training and races. A lot of good stuff in the weeds of this podcast. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Topics:

• Long winters
• Windy running
• Camp Openings
• Support the podcast by getting some C26 Gear
• Race day bike execution
• Ironman Texas vs. a hilly course
• Recognizing tail winds
• How to ride hills
• Average Power vs. Normalized Power
• The physiological cost of riding
• No one ever says, “I think I left a lot on the bike course”
• Road surfaces
• Riding outside vs. the trainer
• Tire suggestions
• Not flatting
• Learn how to change a tire! 
• New to triathlon
• Training to escape and punish ourselves
• Tired of being tired

Coaching Inquiries:

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

More great questions from all of you! We talk mass swim starts, seeding, and how to deal with the crowded water. We get into road bike vs. TT bike, including when to switch, and . . . do you even need to switch? We talk about the drawbacks of TT bikes if you’re not willing to put in the time, along with bike fits and why aggressive positions can hurt your race performance. We each give our biggest lessons from our first 70.3’s and fulls. Robbie is asked if he ever gets confused when Mike goes off on a tangent and Mike promptly goes off on a tangent to see if he gets confused. We look at self-calibration. We discuss when is the right time to jump from a 70.3 to a full. And we talk about your bandwidth, support, time constraints, and the “want” to race a Full.

Topics:

• Mass Swim Starts
• C26 Gear Store is Stocked! 
• C26 “Swim School” - Registration is Open
• Switching from a Road Bike to TT Bike - when and how
• TT bikes are not free speed unless you work at it
• Aggressive bike positions
• Training rides and run injuries
• The run is blamed for everything
• Lessons we learned from our first 70.3 and Full 
• Socks or no socks
• Don’t give in
• The run hurts
• Soak in the finish line
• Walking in Ironman is like a drug
• Does Robbie ever get confused when Mike goes off on a tangent?
• Mike goes off on a tangent
• Heart rate in the sauna and counting by polyrhythm 
• Self calibration
• Jumping from a 70.3 to a Full
• Training is the journey
• You need bandwidth, support, time, the want and the drive
• How are you willing to re-arrange?
• What are you willing to give up?
• Best way to seed yourself for a mass swim start

Coaching Inquiries:

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Today we talk about permission to be yourself. Owning your journey applies to so many things and we detail how that should be goal number one in your life, training, and racing. Resistance comes from within and it’s your job to jumpstart yourself into feeling good. We look at ways you can do that today, tomorrow, and to get in a groove for your race. We also look at ways to have fun with what you’re doing in training. Weather and mood and remedies. That post workout feeling. Owning happiness. Don’t burn yourself out, embrace the permission to do things you enjoy. 

Topics: 

• Cliff diving
• Leaning into Life
• What if we had advertising??
• New Classic C26 Gear is IN
• Weather and mood
• Cooped up inside
• Your body lets you travel, use it
• Zoom Calls
• Just do it
• The chasm between the recliner and a workout
• That post-workout feeling
• Own Your Journey
• Watch the sun come up
• When all the lanes are full
• Things tend to take care of themselves if you work it
• Take ownership of your happiness
• How long you gonna run today?
• Figure out how to have fun with what you do
• The hardest week EVER
• People who crave rigidity
• How much easy volume can I get in this week?
• Jumpstart yourself into feeling good
• Resistance comes from within
• You need outlets
• Don’t burn yourself out
• Permission to do what you want and to be yourself

Coaching Inquiries:

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Today we look at the little decisions in training and racing that will take you to the next level. Understanding simple things like, the more fatigue you have, the longer the warm up, and today’s success could be as simple as you getting out to move your body. We look into race mentality from the beginning of the swim until the end of the race, and why your tank should be full AFTER you get out of the water. We remind you that if you didn’t swim or bike enough in training, don’t act like you did in the race. We look at 2nd, 3rd, and 4th winds and how to find them. We talk about the power of incremental gains and why it’s so important to control and understand your effort. Race practice can happen in every single training session if you know what to look for and today we define how you should feel at the end and what’s the proper understanding of Emptying the Tank. 

Topics:

• Texas camp and new swim camp
• Attitude is contagious 
• Stepping out of your comfort zone
• Surround yourself with the right people
• You never regret having coffee with a good friend
• 2nd, 3rd and 4th winds
• Athletes overestimate what they can do in three weeks
• Athletes underestimate what they can do in a year
• Flipping the micro and macro
• Micro decisions to START a workout
• The hardest part of a run is putting on your shoes
• The win for today is that you got out and moved
• Easy to lay in your excuses
• Don’t make Macro decisions when you start
• Incremental gains and small increases
• Owning different paces, power and zones
• Own where you’re at
• Do you have the mental capacity to hold on?
• Racing mentality
• How to finish right
• If you didn’t swim or bike enough, don’t act like you did
• Lap pace only
• The problem with ERG
• The more fatigue the longer the warm up
• Keeping that Last Gear in your back pocked
• You should have a full tank of gas AFTER the swim

Coaching Inquiries:

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Today we’re talking race strategy, and more importantly how to handle the demands of race energy. We look at an honest evaluation of your training and how that might, should, could translate in your race. We look at the realism of your potential at this time. We discuss planned and unplanned governors that can help keep you under control. We talk your “energy bank” and how not to overdraw in the swim. We discuss how most people blame their run, but it’s really their bike. And we get into the concept of leaving it all on the race course and the right way for you to think about emptying the tank. 

Topics:

• Race performance is objective
• The origin of the Crushing Iron podcast photo
• Ask yourself - Did my training meet the requirements?
• Are you living in a pipe dream?
• How to be relaxed
• Coach’s job: Take you week to week based on where you’re at 
• Did you put in the work to get the result you wanted?
• The governor you didn’t know you needed
• Under fueling
• You have the ability but you have to have the energy
• Withdrawals from the energy bank start in the swim
• Certain parts of the race demand more energy
• Everyone blames the run because it’s last
• Be proud of your effort
• Pre-race excuse building
• Empty the tank in the way you want to
• Be proud that you showed up! 

Coaching Inquiries:

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com

Do you look back at your race and put an honest level of judgment on how you did? Today we look at what makes a great race for YOU. We talk about why time and placement shouldn’t be the number one factors. We look at your metrics not based on times/splits. We talk about your effort, how you figure out goals and attain them. Starting the swim without a watch. The course and the conditions and how to play them. We look at adjusting to the moment WHILE you’re racing and how the right mindset can give you a race you’re proud of instead of a complete sh*t show. 

Topics:

• Texas Camp
• Time isn’t everything
• Kicking off the race calendar
• What makes a great race?
• Be objective - Athletes tend to forget
• 3 Tier Projections
• How did YOU feel you did?
• Looking at your watch and judging
• Regardless of the time and placement, ask yourself . . . 
• How did you feel?
• Courses matter, conditions matter
• Metrics not based on time/splits
• Adjusting to the moment
• A, B, C Goals
• Your best effort is relative
• Not wearing a watch for the swim
• Mindset can save your race in the middle of it

Coaching Inquiries:

Mike Tarrolly - CrushingIron@gmail.com

Robbie Bruce - C26Coach@gmail.com

www.c26triathlon.com