The Giddy Up Edge: Conversations on Getting Faster

Kona 2026 delivered one of the most unpredictable IRONMAN World Championships in recent memory. Incredible performances, dramatic late-race struggles, costly penalties, and a reminder that even the world's best athletes aren't immune to the demands of the Big Island.
In this episode of The Giddy Up Edge, Evan Gruda and former IRONMAN World Champion Michellie Jones break down the racing, the drama, and the lessons every triathlete can take away from Kona 2026.
What happens when your race plan stops matching reality? Can an athlete be perfectly prepared and still fall apart? And when conditions become extreme, is the smartest decision sometimes to slow down?
Evan and MJ explore the science and strategy behind racing in Kona's heat and humidity, the growing trend toward aggressive carbohydrate fueling, and whether athletes are putting too much confidence in their heat preparation. They also discuss the psychological pressure of a World Championship, the remarkable podium performances following bike penalties, and the difficult line between pushing through adversity and knowing when to stop.
In this episode:
The biggest moments and surprises from Kona 2026

How heat and humidity change the physiological demands of racing

Why hitting your target watts doesn't always mean you're pacing correctly

High-carbohydrate fueling, gut tolerance, and whether more is always better

The benefits and limitations of heat acclimation

How athletes recover mentally and physically from race-day setbacks

Why the final hour of an IRONMAN can reveal the cost of decisions made hours earlier

The debate around outside assistance, medical safety, and finishing at all costs

Whether you're chasing a Kona qualification, preparing for your first IRONMAN, or simply looking to become a smarter athlete, this conversation is packed with lessons you can apply to your own racing.
Kona doesn't just reward the athletes who can suffer the most. It rewards those who know when to push, when to be patient, and when to adapt.
If you want to reach out to Michellie Jones you can find her at https://giddyupmultisports.com/ for coaching, camps, and tools.
Evan Gruda can be found on instagram @GrudaGoesGlobal
Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

Are you fueling enough to get the most out of your training, or could your nutrition be holding you back?
In Part 1 of our two-part sports nutrition series, Michellie Jones sits down with Dr. Jules Strauss, a sports nutrition researcher and registered nutritionist with over 14 years of experience in exercise physiology and sports nutrition.
Together, they dive into some of the biggest questions endurance athletes face. Can you be underfueling even if your weight stays the same? Why does hunger sometimes hit hardest at night? Should you eat before an early-morning workout? And how many carbohydrates do you actually need on race day?
From body composition and aging to gut training, hydration, and caffeine, Dr. Strauss breaks down the science behind fueling for performance and shares practical advice you can apply to your own training.
Whether you're chasing a personal best or simply trying to train consistently and stay healthy, this conversation is a reminder that nutrition isn't separate from training. It's a critical part of it.
In this episode:
Recognizing the signs of underfueling

Fueling early-morning workouts

Body composition and changing nutritional needs

Training your gut for higher carbohydrate intake

Hydration, sweat rates, and caffeine

Balancing performance, recovery, and long-term health

About Dr. Jules Strauss
Dr. Strauss holds a PhD in sports nutrition and has spent 14 years researching exercise physiology and sports nutrition, with a particular focus on female athletes.
Learn more: https://thefuelhq.com/
Bonus: Calculate Your Sweat Rate
Dr. Strauss shared a simple at-home sweat rate test to help athletes better understand their individual hydration needs.
Weigh yourself before training. Empty your bladder, then weigh yourself nude or in minimal clothing. Record your weight.

Complete your workout. Record the duration, conditions, intensity, and how much fluid you consume.

Weigh yourself afterward. Use the same scale and clothing conditions as before.

Calculate weight loss. Subtract your post-workout weight from your pre-workout weight.

Calculate total sweat loss. Add the amount of fluid you consumed to your weight loss.

Calculate sweat rate. Divide total sweat loss by exercise duration in hours.

Sweat Rate (L/hr) = [Weight Lost (kg) + Fluid Consumed (L)] ÷ Exercise Time (hr)
For this estimate, 1 kg of body mass loss is approximately equivalent to 1 liter of fluid. Account for any urine produced during the session, and keep in mind that temperature, humidity, and exercise intensity can significantly affect your results.
Consider repeating the test in different conditions to better prepare for your next race.
Coming in Part 2: We continue the conversation with Dr. Strauss, exploring continuous glucose monitors, alcohol, supplements, and what to eat before race day.
Find your fast with The Giddy Up Edge: Conversations on Getting Faster.

If you want to reach out to Michellie Jones you can find her at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://giddyupmultisports.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for coaching, camps, and tools.
Evan Gruda can be found on instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@GrudaGoesGlobal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Podcast theme music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Transistor.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

What if running faster wasn’t about working harder—but wasting less?
Legendary running coach Bobby McGee joins Michellie and Evan for a deep dive into the mechanics and mindset behind better running.
Bobby has coached Olympic medalists, world champions, elite triathletes and age-group athletes, and in this episode he breaks down what he actually sees when he watches someone run: where athletes lose efficincy, the biomechanical mistakes triathletes commonly make, aend why there may be no such thing as “perfect” running form.
But this conversation goes far beyond mechanics.
Bobby explores confidence, self-talk, breathing, pressure, identity, anti-fragility and what truly separates great performers when things get difficult. He also explains why relaxation can be a performance skill, how athletes can change the language they use with themselves, and what coaches need to understand about building trust.
Plus, Bobby tackles some of running’s biggest myths, training tools, super shoes, AI in coaching and what he would tell an athlete in the final minute before the biggest race of their life.
Whether you’re chasing a PR, trying to become a more efficient triathlon runner, or simply want to perform closer to your potential, there’s plenty to take into your next training session.
Find your fast. Trust the process. Giddy Up!

If you want to reach out to Michellie Jones you can find her at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://giddyupmultisports.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for coaching, camps, and tools.
Evan Gruda can be found on instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@GrudaGoesGlobal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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What if some of the limits you believe about yourself were never really yours to begin with?
This week on The Giddy Up Edge, Michellie sits down with Australian Paralympian, psychologist, former elite equestrian, author, and para-triathlete Kate Naess for a powerful conversation about resilience, identity, performance, and learning to play the hand you’re dealt.
Born with a limb difference, Kate grew up learning to adapt, problem-solve, and challenge other people’s assumptions about what she could do. That mindset eventually took her from competing internationally in para dressage to an entirely new sport — triathlon — and ultimately to representing Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.
Kate opens up about the influence of her parents, her connection with horses, losing her mum, mental health struggles, learning to run when she once believed she couldn’t, and the internal narratives that can either expand or limit what we believe is possible.
We also dive into the psychology of high performance: self-talk, limiting beliefs, expectations, emotional flexibility, celebrating other people’s success, and why the moments that matter most aren’t always the ones that come with a medal.
Kate also shares the story behind her new book, The Hand You’re Dealt, and what she hopes people take from it when navigating their own uncertainty, setbacks, or self-doubt.
This is a conversation about more than sport. It’s about perspective, possibility, and recognizing the “gold medal moments” that happen along the way.
Giddy Up.

You can reach Kate via her website https://katenaess.com/

If you want to reach out to Michellie Jones you can find her at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://giddyupmultisports.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for coaching, camps, and tools.
Evan Gruda can be found on instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@GrudaGoesGlobal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Podcast theme music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Transistor.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Six Ironman World Championships. Ten victories in Nice. An ITU World Championship. And one of the most iconic races in endurance sports history.
This week on The Giddy Up Edge: Conversations on Getting Faster, Michellie Jones and Evan Gruda sit down with triathlon legend Mark Allen for a conversation that goes far beyond the results.
Mark reflects on the failures that came before his breakthrough in Kona, the training environment that helped push him to another level, and the mental approach that ultimately allowed him to overcome Dave Scott in the legendary Iron War.
We dive into his dominance in Nice, including his battle with Simon Lessing and the changing generations of the sport, as well as the experimentation and performance testing that put Mark ahead of his time.
Mark also shares what life and training look like today, what most people misunderstand about his career, and how his experiences as an athlete now shape his work as a coach and mentor. We discuss the future of coaching, the TriDot Limitless Women’s Initiative, and what excites him about where triathlon is heading.
From resilience and racing psychology to innovation, legacy, and the lessons learned over a lifetime in endurance sport, this is a rare look inside the mind of one of the greatest triathletes of all time.

You can find Mark on Instgram ⁠⁠@markallengrip ⁠⁠ or substack https://markallengrip.substack.com/

If you want to reach out to Michellie Jones you can find her at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://giddyupmultisports.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for coaching, camps, and tools.
Evan Gruda can be found on instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@GrudaGoesGlobal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Podcast theme music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Transistor.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.