Triathlon Taren Podcast

Triathletes obsess over their training but quite often overlook race nutrition, and then wonder why they don't feel nearly as good as they should or even, why they DNF (Did Not Finish).  Most of the time it comes down to nutrition. That's why we wrote Triathlon Nutrition Foundations, which gives you an easy-to-follow guideline on how to fuel yourself in a race to make sure you have the best performance possible.  We talk about the book and more on today's show.

Tom Oosterdijk is an age-group triathlete who went from sedentary and overweight, to fit and winning the overall age group titles at IRONMAN NZ an IRONMAN Cork, all in the space of about 15 months.  We found out how he did it, and what his plans are for the future (as in, when does he intend to go pro!?)

Dr. Andy Pruitt is the Sports Medicine Consultant for iKOR Labs, a Boulder-based producer of hemp oil/CBD (cannabidiol) products. He talks to us about CBD for triathletes and endurance athletes. He's a former bike fit specialist with Specialized bikes, and a two-time paralympic road cycling world champion, as well as a Nordic ski racer.

One of the greatest IRONMAN athletes of all time, five time Kona champion Craig "Crowie" Alexander joins us on the podcast today. He's been using CBD as a recovery tool for a couple of years, we learn more about his experiences with it, as well as his thoughts on training during the pandemic, and various performances at Kona!

John Clark was somewhere around 400 pounds at his highest weight, as multi-time UK's Strongest Man. He could pull vehicles and throw logs, but he couldn't close a seatbelt around his giant torso. After injuries and surgery put an end to his Strong Man career, he knew he needed other fitness goals. Now, he has lost a ton of weight and is getting ready to complete his very first triathlon -- an Ironman distance race! SHOW LINKS The Uncomfortable Truth podcast with John Clark (featuring Triathlon Taren) John Clark Instagram

Reggie Harrison is a Black age-group triathlete from Atlanta, Georgia. A tremendously talented youth swimmer, now as an adult, he's completed several IM 70.3 races and three full IRONMAN distance races. On the podcast today, we talk with Reggie about race in triathlon, and Reggie describes the extra steps he has to take, as a Black person, just to be able to train safely, and without putting his life at risk. 

Luke McKenzie is an 8-time Ironman champion, and was the 2nd place finisher in Kona 2013.  His wife, Beth McKenzie is also a pro triathlete with multiple 70.3 and Ironman wins.  The pair lives in Australia with their kids where they not only train for triathlon but run a triathlon clothing apparel company, Wyn Republic, one of the most successful lines in the world.

Hannah Wells has a PhD in BioTech Engineering, but recently left her science career to pursue a career as a professional triathlete. And the decision was clearly the right one, as she has won 4 of the 7 Ironman 70.3 races she's entered over the past 18 months. We talk about an illness that sidelined her for five weeks, what her plans are post-lockdown, and more.  

On today's podcast, Taren discusses the basics of triathlon running for beginners, with explanations of why triathlon running is not like regular running, and now to make the most of your run training.

Nicole Walker is an age-group triathlete and mother to a nearly 2-year old son. Just one year into attempting to race as a pro, over training caused her to have to give up racing, and then she became pregnant. Just nine months after having her baby, she returned to racing as an amateur for the first time in nearly two years, and she won the amateur division at IMAZ, qualifying for Kona 2020.  We talk about over-training, training while breast feeding, coming back after giving birth, and what's next.

Before the Olympics were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 25-year old Canadian triathlete Tyler Mislawchuk won the Olympic triathlon test event in Toyko -- solidifying himself as a threat to win Olympic gold. Ranked 5th in the world, Mislawchuk talks about his progression in the sport, the test event, a couple of significant crashes and injuries he's had, and a hilarious, crazy story about accidentally ending up in jail.  

Jackie Hering is a 35-year old pro triathlete who is a 6x Ironman and 70.3 champion; she's had four 70.3 wins in the past year, at Campeche, Waco, Traverse City, and Steelhead. On the podcast, she talks about how her fitness dramatically improved after she quit birth control, how having children shapes her training/racing mindset, and also being the 2019 US Snowshoe Racing National Champion!

Patrick Cutter is a running coach. He's also built like a CrossFit beast, at 5'10" and 185lbs, and he's fast.  Really fast. He's run the Boston Marathon six times, plus countless other half and full marathons, with personal best times of 2:34 (marathon) and 1:12 (half-marathon). On the podcast, we talk about the misconception that to be fast, you can't be built; how Patrick found his speed; and how the average runner can get faster too.

Ellie Salthouse and Andres Chirinos are a pro triathlon couple, they're quarantining together, and like so many triathletes, they're trying to navigate training during the COVID pandemic lockdown.  For Ellie the layoff is particularly tough; she was the fittest she'd ever been, and was on pace to podium at the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France, but a freak accident took her out of the race. 2020 was supposed to be her redemption year, but with everything cancelled, she has no idea when her next chance will be. We chat quarantine training, how a couple of triathletes handle lockdown together, and what their plans and hopes are for when racing resumes.  

Helle Fredericksen is the Ironman 70.3 world record holder for female racers, with a time of 3:55.  Yet, at age 38 and at the height of her career last year, she decided to call it quits.  On the podcast today, we find out why she retired, what she's imparting to the athletes she's coaching, and some awesome nuggets of inspiration and motivation!

25-year old triathlete Noel Mulkey has a dramatic transformation story. Not only has he made a significant physical transformation, he was also addicted to hard drugs in the past.  From addict to clean World Champion triathlete, we hear Noel's story.

On the podcast, we talk to Dr. Dan Plews about his win at IM 70.3 Taupo right before the pandemic began, and whether Taren could have qualified for Kona this year as previously planned.

Jenna-Caer Seefried grew up 50lbs overweight. In her 20s, she decided it was time to get her weight under control.  She got a personal trainer and started getting fit but it wasn't until she found endurance sports that her weight loss stuck and she found her passion. And it turns out, she's pretty talented. In 2017, Jenna won the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championship in the 25-29 female age category, and has placed well in many other races. We talk weight loss, motivation, and finding the reason to keep going.

Six-time Ironman World Champion Dave Scott joins us on the podcast. He reveals that even for one of the most accomplished triathletes in history, he still has trouble with motivation like the rest of us. We also talk about lesser known stories from his six wins, and how he went from carb machine to a lower-carb advocate.

Triny Willerton took up triathlon and found she had a natural aptitude for it.  She just barely missed a Kona qualification, and was about to try again to qualify, when she was hit by a truck while on a training ride. She ended up in hospital with multiple fractures and required surgery, and months of rehab; the accident nearly killed her. The man who hit her received only a few hours community service and a tiny $300 fine.  Now Triny is campaigning for tougher laws for careless driving, because all cyclists know #itcouldbeme.