That Triathlon Show

This is the episode for every triathlete with ambitions in sprint and Olympic distance triathlon, from beginners looking to complete to front-of-the-pack athletes looking to compete. Triathlon training has similarities across the board from sprint to Ironman distance, but the specific training obviously differs between distances, and in this episode we break down exactly, when, why and how. Let’s get stuck in! 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

How long does it take to prepare for a sprint or an Olympic distance race if you’re a beginner? What about an intermediate to advanced triathlete? 

Key sessions in swimming, cycling and running for sprint and Olympic distance triathletes

How long should your long run and ride be as a sprint or Olympic distance triathlete? 

What role does brick workouts play in sprint and Olympic Distance triathlon training? 

Why tapering is much harder to get right for shorter than for longer races, and how to actually do it. 

Key considerations if you’re racing draft-legal rather than non-draft sprint and Olympic distance races

Sample training week for an Olympic distance triathlon

Listener questions! 

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 

The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts696/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

Chain lubrication (save watts and money) with Adam Kerin | EP#323

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

The Ironman Training Deep Dive: What Triathletes Need to Know 

How to Optimize Your Triathlon Training on a Limited Time Budget | Natasha Van Der Merwe

Lance Watson – coach of Olympic Champion Simon Whitfield | EP#453

You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do

Contact us through our contact form or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Follow us on Instagram

Learn more about our coaching, training plans, and training camps. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals. 

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? 

I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. 

Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.

Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far! 

Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).

Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack. 

SPONSORS:
Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout.

Rouvy is hands down the most complete indoor cycling platform for triathletes. Among their thousands of beautiful bike courses from all around the world, all filmed in stunning quality, they have over 75 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race courses plus 20+ Challenge Family courses, so you can pre-ride your race from home. Real gradients, real visuals, and real feel! Head to rouvy.com and use the code TTS to get your first month free on top of a 7-day free trial.

Effortless Swimming produce the best swim goggles for triathletes and open water swimmers. Their NanoClear anti-fog lenses give you clear, fog-free vision that lasts and doesn't wear off. Don't let foggy or leaky goggles ruin another swim. Go to shop.effortlessswimming.com and use the code TTS15 to get 15% off your goggles, and get a free two-month Effortless Swimming course membership.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For many years, the topic of whether a polarized or pyramidal training intensity distribution is more effective for endurance athletes has been hotly debated. Arturo Casado, PhD, is one of the foremost researchers in this area (and former European Champion in the 1500 metres). Today, Arturo dissects what the science really says in 2026: whether there is a winner, and if not, what are the athlete-specific, event-specific, and other variables that impact which training distribution will bring the best results. We also discuss specific training models from Canova to Norwegian from both scientific and practical perspectives, and bring it all together with practical advice relevant for amateur triathletes and runners. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

The science and practice of training intensity distributions. Who should use polarized versus pyramidal TIDs and when? 

How do factors such as athlete level, age and sex, sport or modality, distance or event, periodization and more impact the choice of training intensity distribution?

The science and practise of different training models in distance running, including Lydiard, Kenyan, Canova, Norwegian, Coe and more

How do best practices differ between amateur athletes and elite runners and triathletes?  

Practical tips and takeaways

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 

The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts695/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

Arturo’s ResearchGate, Instagram and World Athletics profiles 

Effects of polarized, pyramidal, and combined training periodisations with Luca Filipas, PhD | EP#328 - study mentioned in the interview

Michele Zanini (part 2) | EP#394 - the Renato Canova training method

Training Periodization, Methods, Intensity Distribution, and Volume in Highly Trained and Elite Distance Runners: A Systematic Review Casado et al. 2022

World-Class Long-Distance Running Performances Are Best Predicted by Volume of Easy Runs and Deliberate Practice of Short-Interval and Tempo Runs - Casado et al. 2021

Does Lactate-Guided Threshold Interval Training within a High-Volume Low-Intensity Approach Represent the “Next Step” in the Evolution of Distance Running Training?- Casado et al. 2023

Pacing strategies in men's and women's world- record marathon performances and Olympic Games and World Championship's winning performances - Casado et al. 2024

Training Intensity Distribution, Volume, Periodization, and Performance in Elite Rowers: A Systematic Review - Zhong et al. 2025

Which Training Intensity Distribution Intervention will Produce the Greatest Improvements in Maximal Oxygen Uptake and Time-Trial Performance in Endurance Athletes? A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis of Individual Participant Data - Rosenblat et al. 2025

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

John Davis – Coaching, physiology, and running calculators | EP#464

[Triathlon Science] Durability decoded – a 2025 perspective with Michele Zanini, PhD

Gabriele Gallo, PhD – The Science of Cycling Performance | EP#441

You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do

Contact us through our contact form or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Follow us on Instagram

Learn more about our coaching, training plans, and training camps. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals. 

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? 

I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. 

Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.

Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far! 

Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).

Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack. 

SPONSORS:
Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout.

Rouvy is hands down the most complete indoor cycling platform for triathletes. Among their thousands of beautiful bike courses from all around the world, all filmed in stunning quality, they have over 75 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race courses plus 20+ Challenge Family courses, so you can pre-ride your race from home. Real gradients, real visuals, and real feel! Head to rouvy.com and use the code TTS to get your first month free on top of a 7-day free trial.

Effortless Swimming produce the best swim goggles for triathletes and open water swimmers. Their NanoClear anti-fog lenses give you clear, fog-free vision that lasts and doesn't wear off. Don't let foggy or leaky goggles ruin another swim. Go to shop.effortlessswimming.com and use the code TTS15 to get 15% off your goggles, and get a free two-month Effortless Swimming course membership.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Triathlon is a sport that rewards a big aerobic base, built over multiple years (if not decades) of training. But even though we all know this, it’s often hard in practice to prioritise this kind of long-term aerobic development, and we make tradeoffs that might lead to short-term gains, but might not help us achieve our full potential in the long-term. Coach Carson Christen joins me today to discuss this topic in detail. By the end of this episode you should have a better idea of what you can do today, this month, and this year, to maximise your long-term development as a triathlete.

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

How many lifetime training hours do you need to get close to (90% of the way there) your full triathlon potential? 

How age-group triathletes should adopt a more long-term focused mindset to their training with this in mind

What is the role of intensity when it comes to long-term aerobic development? 

Do swimming, cycling and running require different approaches to maximise long-term development? 

Common mistakes age-group triathletes and triathlon coaches make that might lead to short-term gains while limiting long-term potential

Practical tips and takeaways

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 

The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts694/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

Carson and Torden Multisport on Instagram

Carson’s previous appearance on That Triathlon Show: The Trisutto Way of Triathlon Training with Carson Christen | EP#140

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

World Champions keep things simple: training masterclass with Joel Filliol | EP#172 - similar sentiments, but applied to a world class context (where 90% is not enough)

Aerobic training and testing with Scott Johnston | EP#326 - a great episode specifically on developing the aerobic engine

You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do

Contact us through our contact form or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Follow us on Instagram

Learn more about our coaching, training plans, and training camps. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals. 

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? 

I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. 

Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.

Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far! 

Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).

Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack. 

SPONSORS:
Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout.

Rouvy is hands down the most complete indoor cycling platform for triathletes. Among their thousands of beautiful bike courses from all around the world, all filmed in stunning quality, they have over 75 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race courses plus 20+ Challenge Family courses, so you can pre-ride your race from home. Real gradients, real visuals, and real feel! Head to rouvy.com and use the code TTS to get your first month free on top of a 7-day free trial.

Effortless Swimming produce the best swim goggles for triathletes and open water swimmers. Their NanoClear anti-fog lenses give you clear, fog-free vision that lasts and doesn't wear off. Don't let foggy or leaky goggles ruin another swim. Go to shop.effortlessswimming.com and use the code TTS15 to get 15% off your goggles, and get a free two-month Effortless Swimming course membership.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we take on your questions about triathlon training, strength training, Ironman, swimming, cycling, running, and other bits and pieces. We also briefly review our recent race experiences, and what’s next on our schedules. Hosted by Scientific Triathlon coaches Mikael Eriksson and Jack Hutchens. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

How to make your bike commutes as effective as possible from a training standpoint! 

Essential strength training advice for Ironman athletes

Can you simulate the effectiveness of 4+ hour rides when all you have is 2.5 hours to ride? 

How do you know that your actually responding to and adapting to training?

Are long, hard group rides beneficial in preparation for Ironman races and other long-distance triathlon events? 

Using the Finis Tempo Trainer to improve your swim training and swimming performance

Are supershoes still worth it on hilly courses? 

Big discrepancies between heart rate zones and pace zones, and how to deal with it

Rapid-fire questions on hypoxic training, starting out in triathlon when overweight, and more…

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 

The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts693/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

Triathlon Base Training Series 5 – Strength Training, Nutrition & Diet, and Listener Q&A - further details to the strength training question asked in this episode

Metabolic cost of level, uphill, and downhill running in highly cushioned shoes with carbon-fiber plates - Whiting et. al 2022

Dustin Joubert, PhD & Dr. Amol Saxena, DPM | EP#383 - the importance of gradually building up use of super shoes

Shallow Water Blackout - by Swimming Canada 

Effects of Swimming-Specific Repeated-Sprint Training in Hypoxia Training in Swimmers - Camacho-Cardenosa et al. 2020

Repeated Sprint Training in Hypoxia Induced by Voluntary Hypoventilation in Swimming - Trincat et al. 2016

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

Q&A on swim training | EP#377 - Jack’s first ever appearance on That Triathlon Show (back in 2023)

Triathlon Base Training Series 5 – Strength Training, Nutrition & Diet, and Listener Q&A - already mentioned above, a recent Q&A with Mikael and Jack related to Base Training

Q&A on middle-distance development, training load and overtraining metrics, cadence, and more | EP#463 - a solo Q&A with just Mikael

High intensity, running power, suffering capacity, bias in training prescription (Q&A) | EP#447 - a Q&A with Mikael and Tobias Haumann (also a coach for Scientific Triathlon)

You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do

Contact us through our contact form or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Follow us on Instagram

Learn more about our coaching, training plans, and training camps. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals. 

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? 

I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. 

Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.

Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far! 

Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).

Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack. 

SPONSORS:
Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout.

Rouvy is hands down the most complete indoor cycling platform for triathletes. Among their thousands of beautiful bike courses from all around the world, all filmed in stunning quality, they have over 75 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race courses plus 20+ Challenge Family courses, so you can pre-ride your race from home. Real gradients, real visuals, and real feel! Head to rouvy.com and use the code TTS to get your first month free on top of a 7-day free trial.

Effortless Swimming produce the best swim goggles for triathletes and open water swimmers. Their NanoClear anti-fog lenses give you clear, fog-free vision that lasts and doesn't wear off. Don't let foggy or leaky goggles ruin another swim. Go to shop.effortlessswimming.com and use the code TTS15 to get 15% off your goggles, and get a free two-month Effortless Swimming course membership.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Innovations like the aerobar, power meter and GPS watches have shaped triathlon and endurance sports in the last decades. But what comes next? What will be the next big innovation to shape triathlon? Dr. David Lipman returns to the podcast to discuss what the next big innovations will be, and which ones might fall flat. We also take a stroll down memory lane to look at past innovations that succeeded and failed, and try to parse what it takes for an innovation to really stick. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

Past innovations that succeeded and failed - David and I list five each from both categories. Do you agree with our takes here? 

We predict the future of current or “coming soon” innovations. Will technologies like continuous sweat sensors, ventilation sensors, 3D-printed running shoes and many be huge hits or will they flop? 

Where were we right and wrong in the past? We each name one innovation that  we called correctly (as success/failure) and one that we called incorrectly in the past

What separates successful innovations in endurance sports from failed ones

Why many promising physiological sensors struggle to achieve widespread adoption despite valid scientific rationales

How network effects and ecosystem adoption influence technology success

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 

The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts692/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

David’s website, Substack, Podcast and Instagram

David’s previous appearance on That Triathlon Show: David Lipman | EP#414

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

Information, decision making, training and technology | EP#452 - In this episode I am the interviewee. Among the topics covered, we discuss evaluatingf new products, technology, and metrics. Highly related to today’s episode

Q&A on gear and technology | EP#400 - Carbon shoes, barefoot shoes, lactate meters, VO2master, Moxy/NIRS, etc. 

François Modave, PhD – Artificial Intelligence in triathlon | EP#455 - Key concepts of artificial intelligence and how it could be applied (and to what level of success) in a triathlon context.

You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do

Contact us through our contact form or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Follow us on Instagram

Learn more about our coaching, training plans, and training camps. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals. 

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? 

I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. 

Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.

Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far! 

Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).

Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack. 

SPONSORS:
Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout.

Rouvy is hands down the most complete indoor cycling platform for triathletes. Among their thousands of beautiful bike courses from all around the world, all filmed in stunning quality, they have over 75 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race courses plus 20+ Challenge Family courses, so you can pre-ride your race from home. Real gradients, real visuals, and real feel! Head to rouvy.com and use the code TTS to get your first month free on top of a 7-day free trial.

Effortless Swimming produce the best swim goggles for triathletes and open water swimmers. Their NanoClear anti-fog lenses give you clear, fog-free vision that lasts and doesn't wear off. Don't let foggy or leaky goggles ruin another swim. Go to shop.effortlessswimming.com and use the code TTS15 to get 15% off your goggles, and get a free two-month Effortless Swimming course membership.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.