Mr Smith Talks Triathlon: Podcasts from 2020
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 76 - Nutrition Challenge Week 6: Consistency & Quality
17 Nov 2020: This is the final in the nutrition podcast series. To date we have talked veges, protein, mindful behaviours, and training and recovery nutrition. Your ongoing challenge is to put that into practice consistently over time, and slowly keep working at opportunities to improve the quality of your nutrition
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 75 - Training and Recovery Nutrition
04 Nov 2020: Now that we have established our day to day nutrition foundations, it’s time to consider how training fits in with those, and what we do differently to support our training
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 74 - Nutrition challenge week 4: Mindful eating behaviours
14 Oct 2020: Having focussed on the basics of day to day nutrition the last couple of weeks, this week it’s all about behaviours and HOW you are eating. Are you making conscious choices? Are you paying attention as you eat? Are you enjoying your food?
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 73 - Nutrition challenge week 3: Protein
02 Oct 2020: We started by recording a food log. Last week we put the focus on meeting the 5+ a day fruit and vege goal. And this week we add on one more thing: protein - an absolute essential for day to day health and nutrition.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 72 - Key things for squaddies
30 Sep 2020: This podcast is specifically for the Wellington squad. Talking about important etiquette and safety when training together, plus tips about your training plan, training zones, and thinking ahead to events.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 71 - Nutrition challenge: week 2
23 Sep 2020: Our challenge was to simply record what you eat and drink for the week. Even if you have an imperfect record, you still have really useful data to review. And this week we review it, looking for one specific thing that will make the biggest difference to your health and performance.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 70 - Nutrition challenge: week 1
16 Sep 2020: Good nutrition practices are a foundation for good health and performance. So here is a simple six week challenge to learn about yourself, and adjust your nutrition practices. No fad diets. No magic pills and potions. Just good simple practices consistently..
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 69 - Half Marathon race planning
18 Aug 2020: A half marathon can seem only a “small” event compared with Ironman or a Half Ironman. But it is still an endurance event worthy of some fore-planning. A little thought into goals, pacing, nutrition, and mental strategy goes a long way towards your best possible performance on the day.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 68 - Six unusual swim tips
04 Aug 2020: Having just done a big technique focus in swim squad, I want to pull back from the details and look at the big concepts we’re trying to achieve. So six swim tips coming up, but explained in different / unusual ways.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 67 - Performance is a habit, not a 12 week plan
27 Jul 2020: True peak performance doesn't come in a 12 week training plan. So stand back from the details of a training plan, and lets build habits that will help you be successful in the long term: nutrition, sleep, strength work, and all other other things that contribute to your success.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 66 - ERG mode & smart trainers
20 Jul 2020: ERG mode is switched on by default for most smart trainers. There are some great benefits from using ERG mode and obvious reasons to use it. But there are also times where it’s better not to use it. Listen in to understand the different situations
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 65 - Exercise vs Training vs Racing
07 Jul 2020: What’s the difference between exercise, training, and racing? Purpose or intent. Being clear on what your purpose is for each session means you can get the most out of it, whether that is exercising for fun and fitness, training towards an outcome, or racing at maximum effort.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 64 - Mid Winter Blues
25 Jun 2020: 6min of sunshine in Wellington last week. That’s enough to give anyone the blues. But the mid winter blues are a real thing right now, so don’t try and fight it. Recognise it might be happening, be kind to yourself, and be prepared to take a break from “training” so you can come back to it fresh and keen for more.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 63 - Curses of the “average” athlete
16 Jun 2020: Do you train plenty but don’t seem to get a lot faster? Has performance plateaued and you’re not sure why? It could be that you are stuck in a rut like many “average” or “typical” athletes are. Here are 4 common “curses of the average athlete”, and what to do about each of them
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 62 - Importance of MEDIUM intensity training
09 Jun 2020: MEDIUM intensity training has a distinct purpose and place in a training plan. So the trap is to make sure it’s not your only or main intensity used. Make sure there is plenty of LOW intensity, a little HIGH intensity, and some MEDIUM intensity across the course of your training
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 61 - Importance of HIGH intensity training
02 Jun 2020: Yes high intensity training is tough, but it’s not something to be avoided. There are big benefits to had from small amounts of intense training. New athletes, older athletes, and everyone in between should have some level of high intensity in your training.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 60 - Importance of LOW intensity training
26 May 2020: Slow down to speed up. It can be a really hard concept to get your head around, but time spent at low intensity has huge benefits to your long term performance: health, base efficiency, and a platform to achieve more. Don’t be in a rush to be a little bit fast now - lay the foundations to be truly fast when it counts.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 59 - “Ultramarathon” Race Report
19 May 2020: We might not have events happening right now, but hearing people’s experiences are so valuable to help focus on what’s important now, in order to give us a greater level of performance for future events.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 58 - Reminders about Recovery
11 May 2020: Even though we’re not trying to be in peak form at this time of year, it’s important to remind ourselves how important recovery is. If we can set up some recovery habits and behaviours now, those will will be hugely beneficial throughout all levels of training.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 57 - Warm ups and cool downs
04 May 2020: Do we need to warm up and cool down? Traditional thinking says yes but there is evidence to suggest it may not be necessary. So if you’re not big on warm ups or cool downs don’t assume you’re doing it “wrong”. Stay in touch with your body, be prepared to try different things, and figure out what’s right for you.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 56 - Foundations for success
29 Apr 2020: Right now is the perfect time to be laying foundations to make your next season even more successful. Are you making the most of that opportunity? Health, strength and durability, skills, etc are things we can all work on now, to make the swim bike run training even more successful later on
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 55 - Balancing stress
21 Apr 2020: COVID19 means disruption, change, and stress for just about everyone at the moment. That can affect both mental and physical health, so we have to be very purposeful about adding extra training stress on top. Be very clear about when is the right time for you to “train” for performance, and when is the right time for you to “exercise” for health and wellbeing
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 54 - Bike and Run testing
14 Apr 2020: After a few weeks of post-season downtime, a few weeks of getting back into training, and a few weeks of adapting to life under lockdown, it’s now time to do some bike and run benchmark testing. We outline what testing we are doing, why, and how to get the most out of it.
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 53 - Time for some certainty
07 Apr 2020: With so much unknown about the future it’s time to establish some certainty. And that certainty is 2 key things our squad is training towards: Wuu2k ultramarathon, and the Wellington Tri Club Winterman. Whether the planned events happen or not, we will do whatever version of them we can - be it together, solo, online, etc. And anyone can joins us no matter where in the country you live. The dates are fixed, so lets go!
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 52 - Self care under lockdown
30 Mar 2020: We never imagined it would come to this, but now we’re under lockdown we need to make the most of the situation. Yes there are actually some positives and plenty of opportunities - sometimes we just need to go looking for them
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 51 - How we’re training under lockdown
25 Mar 2020: COVID-19, and particularly Alert Level 4, changes how we need to train right now. But there are plenty of ways to make the most of this time. Are you going to make the most of this opportunity?
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 50 - WTF!?
23 Mar 2020: The world has changed massively in the last 2 weeks. What's important right now? And how do we adapt?
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 49 - Debrief from Ironman and 70.3
12 Mar 2020: Last weekend were the two biggest events of the season for our team: Ironman and 70.3 in Taupo. We talk through some of the things that led to PBs for Doug and Gerrard, plus observations from the sidelines
Mr Smith Talks Triathlon Episode 48 - Ironman Visualisation
27 Feb 2020: We all know that written race plans lead to greater success. Visualisation is the next step on, where you dedicate time to playing through that plan, seeing, smelling, and feeling the experience. That reinforces it to your brain, then your subconscious will help you achieve it on the day.
Older episodes available here: 2019 | 2018
