9 Lessons Our Triathlon Coaches Learned At The Races

TriDot Podcast Episode 306

9 Lessons Our Triathlon Coaches Learned at The Races

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Vanessa Ronksley: Welcome to the TriDot Podcast. I am so excited for today's conversation. I am joined by professional triathlete and coach Elizabeth James and biomechanics expert and coach Jeff Rains. The three of us will share the biggest things that we have learned traveling to races for TriDot and helping athletes to succeed on course. It turns out you learn a lot by watching other athletes go through the motions of doing a race. I'm Vanessa, your average triathlete with elite level enthusiasm as always. We'll start with our warmup question, settle into our main set conversation, and then wind things down by having our coaches answer an audience question on the cool down. Lots of good stuff. Let's get to it.

Announcer: This is the TriDot Podcast, the triathlon show that brings you world class coaching with every conversation. Let's get started with today's warm up.

Warmup

Vanessa Ronksley: Jeff and EJ for today's warm up question, what I want to know is at the present time, what is your favorite go to nutrition product for racing? And I specifically want to know about racing because I know a lot of people will train with food or different products and then practice with race fuel deeper into the session, deeper into the season. Um, it can get pretty pricey to train with the same thing that you race with and to be honest, it might get really boring too. So what is something that you have to have on course while racing? Uh, EJ, let's start with you.

Elizabeth James: Awesome. Well, Vanessa, it is so great to be back on a Podcast recording with you and Raines. This is just like fun reunion. Sitting down for a cup of coffee here today. Um, for me, this question, my go to nutrition product for racing would have to be the Precision Fuel and Hydration Flow Gel. And this has been a game changer for me and Lifesaver. I mean, all of. Yeah, Jeff’s even got some sitting right next to him. Perfect. Yeah. Gosh, like, this is so much easier than taking 10 gels and stuffing them into your pocket. And so just to have that in the bottle there and be able to take in all those carbs as you're racing is fantastic. I mean, I've used it in triathlon, but I also like stuff stuck to this religiously for the gravel races I did last year and it was, it was fantastic.

Vanessa Ronksley: You know, this is something that I actually dabbled with on my last long ride. I don't use precision gels, but I've been using Maurten gels and they actually sell a little, a little sachet that you can put five gels in. And I found the same thing like it was a game changer. Although I didn't know how much I was consuming so I think I over consumed carbs in the front half of my rice ride. But you're right, like having the ability to just kind of sip on that as opposed to opening the package, like trying to stay in arrow when you're on the bike, it's just it, it was a total game changer. So I agree with you. That is awesome. Jeff, how about you? What's your go to nutrition product for.

Jeff Raines: Racing on race day? It's Precision Fuel and I've been using the Flow Gel and you know, you, you, you mix your own kind of ratios. I, I love Precision. I mean sometimes it's as easy as putting the 90 gram gel in a bottle and shaking it up. But, but what I love about precision for race day is you can create your own ratios. They kind of separate the sodium versus the carbs and then you create your own and you can do it in gummy form and gel form or powder form. So that's what I like. You kind of build your own. But actually this just came out recently. I'm going to show this.

Vanessa Ronksley: Oh yeah.

Jeff Raines: Oh. So The Feed, right. Is actually they kind of house everybody else's nutrition and sell it, right? Well, they came out with their own high carb mix. I was intrigued because it's like half or a third of the price of everyone else out there. You mentioned like training with a little bit, maybe something different because it's cheaper. And then closer to race day, switch over to your actual race day stuff. I mean, months and months out, you know, I got my. I'm yelling at my daughter to make me a PB&J in the other room. Right. But I was intrigued by this high carb mix because if you look at the ingredients, they're almost exactly the same as Precision. And Maurten, there's only like three or four ingredients total. It's a clean, simple glucose and fructose mix. So anyways, gosh. The Feed came out with their own. I used it for the first time this week on my long run. I felt great. It seems to be exactly the same but a third of the price. So I'm going to start training a little bit more. More with The Feed’s high carb mix and then maybe outdoor rides. And closer to race day, switching over to Precision.

Vanessa Ronksley: Well, I think we could talk about nutrition products on a whole separate Podcast, but for me, this one, I've been using Vitargo for a while now for racing and for my key training sessions. And I have exclusively used the unflavored version. And then I've put in my own electrolytes to change up the flavor. And I often have used LMNT, and then I've been dabbling with Liquid IV here and there. However, the last time I put in my massive order, because it's very hard to get to Canada, I decided to throw in one of the sample packs that has the flavors in it. And oh, my gosh, the grape and the fruit punch are so good. And I was on a long ride, and I was, like, drinking it super fast because it was just so different from what I've had, and it was so delicious. So I think I'm going to be ordering large tubs of those two flavors and then adding electrolyte tabs for the occasional treat here and there, because it's nice to change up your. Your nutrition because those long sessions can get really long. So I appreciate that.

Main Set

Vanessa Ronksley: Let's get right into the history of TriDot at the races and start off with when and how this part of TriDot actually came to fruition. So which one of you went to the first race on behalf of TriDot? And I think that's how we should decide who answers this first. So was it EJ or was it Raines?

Jeff Raines: I think we're both looking at each other. Like, which was the first official one? Like, when did 17 or 18 somewhere in there. Oh, no, see, I know. Back to IRONMAN Texas says 2015. It was official, so.

Vanessa Ronksley: Okay, okay. I mean, EJ, you're up then. Okay.

Elizabeth James: And I mean, that one I attended as an athlete, but we did have official “At The Races” events. But that's why it's so tricky. Because, like, informally, I know both Raines and I were at some, like, Galveston races prior to 2015, where we still had, like, all of the at the races events, but it wasn't necessarily formalized yet. And so it's been an interesting evolution. Even as we were approaching this episode, I was trying to think back and I was actually trying to look back and figure out, what year did this really begin? And it's just something, like, naturally happened. We would always have these online groups where there was great discussion going into the race. We'd get together, we'd have dinner, we'd do some shakeout workouts. You know, we'd celebrate afterwards as well. And it's like, man, when did that really become formalized? And I could remember it back to IRONMAN Texas 2015. And it may have even been prior to that. I just don't know when it was like formally stamped as like this is an “At The Races” event. So I don't know. It's been going on a long time. I was just gonna say I was always in charge of the tent. I've logged that tent all over the US I have carried that heavy, heavy tent on my shoulder. That is so probably 200 miles. Right. And, and so I was, I was the tent guy and I did not like that job. But that tent has been any and everywhere all the races.

Vanessa Ronksley: And yeah, that was the tent blew away at Boulder, so that tent doesn't even exist anymore because of that massive windstorm that came through and ripped the, the tent right apart. And I don't. Did we ever even retrieve the tent topper?

Jeff Raines: I don't even know where it ended.

Vanessa Ronksley: Up actually to be honest.

Jeff Raines: I. This everybody that we've had a million try not tents throughout the years but that eight nine year old tent in Boulder. 2024 half Ironman. Yes. It, it bit the dust and I did not shed a tear. I was, I was happy that that sucker went down. No, I did find it. I found it and I dump and I was smiling the whole time.

Vanessa Ronksley: We're going to move into the meat of this, of this episode here and I want to know about the. We're going to talk about the biggest things that each of you have learned from being at the races. And I think that it's really important because we've had such a long history at the races and ultimately we learn a lot of things from them. So let's just go back and forth between Raines and EJ talking about your biggest takeaways, the things that you've learned. So Raines, let's start with you.

Jeff Raines: Yeah. Only being able to share three. Gosh, I know limitations. One of mine down the list was community. But I'm going to raise it to the top here. Number one and just echo that, you know, the, at the races, the, the events build community. And I'll just say that some of the best friends that I've ever, that I have, I met three days, two days before the race. You know, you, you learn a lot. You know, having a couple of meals right with, with, with people and, and, and on the shakeout ride and the run and the swim and you're helping them out and you're laughing and you're learning. But, but more importantly you're, you're, you're part of their journey now. So, so attending those at the races events, they kind of catch you up with the last year of, of all their ups and downs and their training in their why, I think that's a big one is at the races events, you get to know people in the community so well and you learn their why and then you're there with them and you're at their finish line and you become part of their journey, part of their family, and you continue those relationships. Well, what's next? What's next year? And so that's the biggest one for me is those friendships and connections that you make.

Vanessa Ronksley: You know, I just, that, I mean, again, I'm getting shivers all over because being at the races, that's exactly what happens. And when you come together in a point of time where there's adversity and there has to be perseverance and dedication and you're going through it together, there's nothing that forms and forms a bond between people than going through it together and being there to support one another through that thing. And I think that's what ultimately creates and cultivates the most meaningful relationships. And, and I know even just from the last race that we went to in Eagleman, we, we met so many people who were not TriDot athletes and we became a part of their journey and we were all bawling our eyes out with their families and we had just, you know, it was just such a beautiful experience to be a part of that and to share that highly emotional experience of whatever that race day looked like for them. And So I, I 100% agree with you on that and I love that community ASP so much. It's what drives me. It's like the one, it's the passion that is behind “At The Races.” I know for you and for everyone that's been a part of it.

Jeff Raines: Yeah. And just a final note on that. If, if, if any listeners out there have been to the shakeout run that I have led throughout the last 10 years, the shakeout run is usually one of the first events and then we stay and have a dinner. It's usually 3ish days out from that big event. And so one of the first things, you know, I, I ask is, you know, where are you from or who traveled the furthest to be here? But then I, I say, let's just introduce yourself where you're from. What number IRONMAN is this? And did you overcome anything extra special or unique that you would like to share with everybody and you like just day one, first minute, first event, people are crying and you know, I, I had a broken leg six months ago and I was in a wheelchair. And now I'm going to cross the line on my first IRONMAN, you know, so you. You dive right into that community and culture and then that journey and, and you see it come to fruition. And by Sunday night, you know, at midnight, you know, it all started on a maybe Thursday. It just, it. You. You feel like you've been through so much with those people, that's. I think that little part of it just highlights the triathlon community in general, too. I mean, you show up race morning, and you. You have the announcer saying, like, somebody's goggles just snapped. Like, does anybody have an extra pair? You can absolutely guarantee that person is going to have goggles to swim. I mean, same thing. People sharing bike pumps, you know, family members that are running back and forth to get water for somebody that their athlete met two minutes ago. And you just see this whole community coming together so that every person out there can accomplish what they set out to do that day. And it just. Oh, it blows me away every single time. Like, I do. I get goosebumps, I get chills anytime we travel to the races, and you just see good humans supporting other humans, and it's just the coolest thing. I love it. I'm so glad that you said that first, Jeff. I mean, community is so key here.

Vanessa Ronksley: I think so, too. EJ, what is your first takeaway from being at the races?

Elizabeth James: Well, because Jeff stole the top highlight.

Vanessa Ronksley: With Community.

Elizabeth James: I was trying to think of, like, a practical thing to add in here too. You know, we've got the good emotional feels now. So here's. Here's your practical tip coming at you. Good bike maintenance prior to race weekend can alleviate a lot of stress. I mean, so many of the issues that we have with in the days before the race have to do with some simple bike maintenance. And so, you know, go get a tune up before you travel to the race. Like, if your tires are worn out, get those replaced. Like, know how to change a flat. You know, know how to, you know, put your derailleur back on after you've traveled with it. You know, remove it for travel, then put it back on. And then also know, like, where you can get help if you have issues like that. I mean, I, for one, am not great at bike maintenance. I. I know enough to get by. But I remember a race where I was traveling and my derailleur went into crash mode. It never happened to me before. And I'm there on FaceTime with my bike mechanic, like, walking through and I'm like, okay, I'm gonna get through this. Well, traveling for races for other athletes too. Like, he knows when I'm traveling that he's probably gonna get a call because I'm like, hey, I've got this athlete here and can you take a look at their bike? And so, I mean, just good bike maintenance ahead of time can alleviate stress. And then, you know, look for those resources within athlete village or local bike shop, like make sure your bike is in good working condition once you arrive. And knowing enough to troubleshoot things or knowing that you don't know enough and need somebody else help is going to, is going to help come race day two.

Vanessa Ronksley: Yes, I highly agree with you because there are so many bike mechanicals that happen on course and being prepared is just one of those extra things that's going to de. Stress your mind just a little bit. You know, like having, having those contingency plans in place and knowing that you have some form of support in one way or another is, is amazing. And, and that is one of the things that I have learned, this is my first takeaway, is that you're doing something that's ridic. Monumental as a triathlon. It doesn't matter if it's your first sprint or if you're gunning for the podium in for age groupers at world championship events. The thing that, that is so important is that you require an entire support team. And I don't think there are very many people or triathletes that go to a race without having at least one person that is there with them or for them. And so having a support team is really important because there are a thousand things to remember and oftentimes those support people are going to help you to calm down. You know, calm down, bring a little bit of outsider perspective, help you get the things that you need. Because I don't know about anyone else, but I tend to have multiple freakouts in the days leading up to races. So much so that my support people don't necessarily want to be with me.

Elizabeth James: Those three days before the race.

Vanessa Ronksley: They like to show up after, after I've had my freakouts and then, and then I'm a little bit more calm version of myself. But it's, it's really amazing to have people who are there for you. And if you are traveling to a race on your own and you're a try not athlete, or maybe you're not a TriDot athlete, look for the try not people because they're more than willing to, to bring everyone together to become a part of Your journey. And so I think that, that my first takeaway is that the sport of triathlon is absolutely incredible. It brings people together and, and having that support from anyone, what, even if it's a stranger, it will make your race day go a lot better. So Raines, let's kick this back to you. What is your second takeaway for at the races?

Jeff Raines: In all the years of at the races, you know, working and not race, some of them, you know, I would, I would work and try to race that weekend. But I guess number two of my learnings is that so many athletes, more than you would think, just don't know what they don't know. And they actually have like really big deal questions like the day before the race. And sometimes people know the answers, they're just nervous and they're asking them anyways. But some are genuine and there's a statistic in the coaching world that about 85% of the market will not hire a coach just for whatever reason. Right? There's a number of them. But so, so essentially, I mean 85% of people out there are, you know, training on their own or learning on their own or the best that they can and they think they're fully prepared, but they get on site and maybe they come to some of our at the races events and they're like, wow, the, the tips and knowledge of this race and the course and how to execute, I had no idea. And you know, tell me more, tell me more. And in so many ways that's, that's mine is just that there's so many people that don't know what they don't know. And even a full IRONMAN, believe it or not, right? And like you signed up, you're doing an IRONMAN tomorrow and you didn't know that, you know, but you know, they just didn't know. And I'll end with this as a funny story. It was IRONMAN Texas, two, three, four years ago. I think it was three or four years ago. And we always work the at the races events for three, four days. And then we volunteer all day long on course. And so we see everybody, we're in transition. Anyways, one year I was like the sandwich guy in T1. For some reason all these athletes were coming up to me in the volunteer shirt, hey, can you help me put this 12 inch foot long Subway into my bike jersey, right? And John and Andrew were standing right next to me and they're like, I thought he was kidding. And then he handed me an entire soggy foot long Subway and I put it in his back pocket. He gets on the bike and goes 10 minutes later, hey sir, I have three Chick-Fil-A sandwiches. Can you help me put these in my back pocket? And, and, and Andrew and John were just over there laughing, you know, anyways, to each their own. But it brings back my point that so many athletes just don't know what they don't know. And there's probably, you know, instead of a foot long subway, just take this 90 gram gel right here. You get, you get the whole foot long subway right here. Right. So, so anyways, helping the athletes and just knowing that everyone probably has a question. So don't be afraid to ask or mingle with people because those things come out and we are here to help.

Vanessa Ronksley: That is so true. I, I love story time with Raines. I just have to say my favorite thing. You always have the best stories and just an epic way of sharing them. Thank you for, for talking about the sandwich race. That's amazing. EJ, what's your, what's your takeaway? Number two from being at the races?

Elizabeth James: Next for me would be for the athletes that are traveling for their A race. And this typically happens more on like a 70.3 distance or an IRONMAN that's probably a little bit further from home. But if you can build in a buffer travel day, that's ideal. There are so many times where flights get canceled or there's a flight delayed and you don't make your connecting flight. And I mean we have had to work with a number of athletes and talk with the race director about trying to figure out how this athlete is still going to pick up their packet or if we can, you know, have them come in, you know, after hours. And it becomes a huge stressful thing because there is no packet pickup on race day. Like you've got to take care of that before and it's not like the night before. I mean packet pickup closes hours and hours previous to that so that you can also check in your bike. And I mean, and that's the other thing, you know, if you don't have that buffer travel day, well, maybe you make it there, but your bike doesn't and maybe your luggage gets lost. And so if you can just build in another day, then if something happens like you still have that extra day, it just alleviates so much stress and you don't have to worry about getting there on time, getting to pack a pickup, making sure you have all your gear. And then kind of along those same lines with the travel. Like I always pack all of My crucial race gear in my carry on. Because if my luggage gets lost, I try to think about, like, what can I not go out and buy that's going to be okay for race day? I mean, you know, some of that stuff, it has to go in a carry on. I mean, some of the nutrition stuff with the liquid requirements, it's just going to have to be in a carry or, excuse me, in your checked bag, but whatever you can put in your carry on. So I'm talking about the run shoes that I'm going to have, my bike shoes. Like, I could probably get a new helmet. You know, I've gone both ways on that. Any specific nutrition that you have, your kit. So anything that you're like this would be really hard to replace in the two days before the race. Try to carry that on the plane. I mean, if you're, you know, doing a road trip, that's. That's another thing. But it seems like more and more people are now getting on a flight to go travel to these events, which is fantastic. I mean, what a great way to see the world and visit new places. But just, again, trying to minimize the stress that goes into the travel for these things. Try to build in a buffer day or think about what you can put in that carry on.

Vanessa Ronksley: That is a really amazing tip for anyone who's traveling to a race because that is just one other thing that you have to worry about when you're going to a race is if you're going on a plane and then it has happened to so many people, their luggage doesn't show up or their bike doesn't show up. And it's just so stressful. And so, yeah, I agree with you. I, I do the same thing, E.J. i have put, I bring like, I push the limits. I'm a limit pusher, I have to admit. And I do it on the plane as well. So if they say I can have two carry-ons, I am going to bring one of the, you know, the larger ones that you can fit right into the limit. And then my personal item will be like as large of a bag as possible that still qualifies as a purse. So I'm stuffing lots of stuff in there.

Elizabeth James: Yeah. Like my bike, shoes, a big backpack.

Vanessa Ronksley: Yep, exactly. Yeah. So I think that is, that is really key.

Elizabeth James: Well, and as a coach, one of the things that, I mean, we started doing was carrying a bunch of that extra stuff because, I mean, I'm sure Raines can remember back. I mean, we came across so many athletes that did have lost luggage. And so especially if we were driving to a race, I remember going up to Tulsa and I had my bike and two extra helmets and an extra wetsuit and three pairs of goggles, because sure enough, like, one of the athletes up there was gonna have their luggage not show up. And so it's like, all right, well, we're. We're prepared now. So we came with all of this extra gear just to make sure that, you know, athletes would still be able to compete. And, oh, gosh, I don't know how many athletes we've, like, outfit stuff and like, oh, can you squeeze into this wetsuit? Because it might be better than nothing you got. Like, hopefully you can breathe like, oh, let's see how this goes. But, I mean, it's. It's, you know, made for some funny stories and. But if we can prevent that, that'd probably be even better, I think.

Vanessa Ronksley: So prevention is the key to life, right? For my second at the races, takeaway things that I've learned from watching a lot of athletes go through experiences is reaching out. This kind of goes in hand with what you were saying rains earlier in terms of you don't know what you don't know. And so I think prior to the race, if you've never done a race before, find an online community where you can ask questions. They're everywhere. They exist everywhere. And I think even if you don't have a question, just looking at what other people are asking is really valuable. And so at TriDot, we have a community hub that is open to the public. We have race hubs for a lot of the different races that are happening throughout the season. And we have coaches in there. We have athletes who are experts who've done the races there before. We have ambassadors. And so even if someone wants to join a community like that where you can just be a little fly on the wall, if you're not necessarily an extroverted person who wants to, you know, shout out from the rooftops that you've never done a race before, but just having someone to lead you and. And guide you, because there is so much value in being around people who have done triathlons before, just watching them watch what they do. I've heard Andrew say this on so many different Podcast episodes where he's. He. When he went and did his first full, he was just observing exactly what coach Joanna Nami was doing for her. And he was like, oh, she's doing yoga now. I gotta do yoga now. And. And I'm. She's eating, so I've got to eat now. And it's just, there's something so special about being around people who have experience because they've been around the block. They, they know what's coming and, and just being able to emulate what those people have done, regardless if that's in an online community prior to, or if you can find a friend at the race and just kind of follow them around. And there are. People are more than happy to share their, their secrets to success as triathletes because we love talking about triathlon. Cause no one else will listen to us. So just randomly go up to someone and ask a question and I'm sure they'd be, you know, more than happy to help you. So I do think, you know, surrounding yourself with people who have had an experience before is just highly valuable. Raines. Let's go for your third Learning from being at the races.

Jeff Raines: Oh, a third thing that I have learned and the final thing, I guess here for this Podcast deals with the finish line appropriately. Right? And, and, and, and being at so many athletes in our community's finish line, I've, I've learned that, you know, seeing their journeys in their, and their stories being fulfilled at the finish line. And you know, we're there 6pm all the way to, to 1 or 2am and, and we are out there until the last person finishes. But, you know, that's priceless. So that's, that's my learning is that that experience in being there is priceless. And, but actually another layer to it all is, you know, they think that their story is being fulfilled or finished. They cross the finish line. It is done. It is finished. But actually that's, that's just the beginning. And you know, seeing those athletes return to other events or, hey, this weekend was amazing with TriDot. I want to dive deeper. How can I help? And you know, just seeing that blossom and, and a lot of those athletes become ambassadors and then ambassadors become coaches, and a lot of those coaches are on staff now with us. And it's just grown and grown and so it's priceless. But the finish line is not the end of the story. It's the, the beginning.

Vanessa Ronksley: Okay, now you're gonna make me cry.

Jeff Raines: Right? Save that one for the end.

Vanessa Ronksley: I was thinking that as soon as you said finish line, I'm like, oh, we should have finished with that one. Because the finish line is a magical place. And it's, it's if, if you're feeling, if anyone out there is not a triathlete and you're randomly listening to this Podcast, if you ever feel sad or bad about anything in your life, just go to a triathlon finish line and witness what happens at the very end, because it is truly magical. There's nothing like it in the world. It's like, they say that Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, but I think the IRONMAN finish line is actually the happiest place on Earth because the suffering has finally ended. No, but in reality, you see a lot of hugging, you see a lot of tears, you see every single emotion that you could possibly imagine. Walk over that finish line, and it's just. Just absolutely incredible. Um, EJ, what's your, your third learning from being at the races?

Elizabeth James: I would say that my third learning has a lot to do with mindset and gratitude. And, gosh, we have seen, you know, so many great performances being at races, and we've also seen things go sideways. And one of the most inspiring things that I would say is, you know, when those things go sideways and how somebody responds to it and, you know, they. They maybe didn't have the day that they wanted to, but they still have a positive attitude about it, or they know that, you know, this is a really hard thing and they are going to be on the course for, for many hours, or maybe they're going to be out there many more hours than they originally anticipated. And for them to still, like, keep a positive mindset and keep pushing through when things get hard is, gosh, it's so inspiring to see. And then from volunteering at a lot of these races, just how far the gratitude goes that, I mean, when you're out there volunteering and an athlete tells you thank you, it just warms my heart so much. And it's like, you know, those volunteers are maybe a small part of the day, but the athletes that take the time to be thankful for the other people out there and the help that they're providing, I, I know as I'm racing it, it gives me a nice little mental boost to, to say thank you to the other people out there. And then on the other side of it, it really does mean a lot to the volunteers that are there and just showing that gratitude. So, you know, having that positive mindset and, and showing gratitude no matter how your day is going is, I think, something that everybody can practice.

Vanessa Ronksley: I a thousand percent agree with you. And I think one of the greatest things that an athlete can do is to take the five seconds and tell the volunteer what their action has meant to them, regardless of when it happens. There's been so many times where Athletes require help on course, and they have to stop for a few minutes, and there's a volunteer right there to help pick them up and to just extend that period of time, just for five seconds, say, you saved my butt. Like, thank you. I couldn't have done this without you.

Elizabeth James: I think there's.

Vanessa Ronksley: That will impact that volunteer on a very deep level and will potentially keep them coming back again and again. Which is part of the reason that our community is thriving and that triathlon is so valuable, is that we have these thousands of volunteers that take time out of their days and away from their families to support your dream and your goal as an athlete. And I think gratitude is just the greatest thing out there. And this kind of lends into my third. My third takeaway from being at the races. And it's something that I had never thought of. It had never occurred to me prior to being behind the scenes at the races and showing up days before the athletes get there. And I just want to give a huge shout out to the staff that put on these races because there are so many people who work in the back end to make these races happen, and they are hard workers. I. I just. Like, there's admin staff, there's setup crew. There's hours that go into preparation and tear down, like, those finish lines, arches that you see, that's all scaffolding. And it takes them days to put them together. Like, these people are out there for. They have. Their shifts are like 20 to 30 hours long, and we don't. As a racer, you would not even have a clue that this is happening. Like, these people do not sleep, and they do this every single weekend. And it's just incredible that. That they have the, the tenacity to be a part of someone else's journey in the most indirect way. Like, the people who build those scaffolds, they may not know what it means for people to run through that finish line, but they're, they're doing it out of the. You know, I mean, it's their part of their job, but they're still doing it and allowing us to have that magical experience. So I just really need to give a shout out to the staff. Regardless if this is an IRONMAN race or an unbranded IRONMAN race, everyone puts their heart and soul into making these an exceptional moment for athletes. Um, and so the next time you're, as an athlete walking around, just step back for a moment and stop thinking about yourself in your race and just have a look around and see all of the things that are there for you as an athlete and how many people it has taken to get that set up for you, for you to have a great day. And I think that, again, having that moment of gratitude and even maybe finding one of the workers out there and seeing how much you appreciate them, that would go a really long way and allow our community to keep thriving. So we're going to go into the last question here, and I'm really excited to hear from the two of you about your experiences. So I want to know what the most emotional experience you have had at the races. And this is not one as an athlete, but this is being a support person or a staff member or someone. I want to hear about your experience. So, EJ, let's go with you for this one first.

Elizabeth James: This is a hard question because there are a lot of moments here. Man, this was. This was cool to reflect on because choosing one is difficult, and that just shows how strong the community is and how impactful it is for the athletes and the staff. That's there. When I'm digging through the memory bank going, oh, I could share this. I could share this. I could share this. I eventually landed on this one, and. And Raines was there, too. And he's probably knowing exactly where I'm going with this. It was Kelly Adams Williams, and it was at IRONMAN, Florida. And I tell you what, like, that day was hot. It was long, and we were exhausted. Like, I mean, I know the athletes are exhausted, and so, you know, we had to keep that in mind. But it is late at night, and we. I mean, truth be told, we just want to go to bed. And we. We knew that, like, Kelly was still out on the course. She had been fighting through this major injury, and I mean, it was. It was amazing that she even set foot on the course and was going to pursue this goal. Major lower leg injury. She was in so much pain, but she was so determined that she was going to do this. And so we're like, you know what? It doesn't matter how tired we are. Like, we. We have nothing to compare to the pain that she's going through. And she probably needs our support right now. So let's figure out where she is. Let's go find her on the course. Let's make sure that she gets, you know, cheered all the way into the finish line. And I will never forget that. I mean, gosh, Raines was there. John Mayfield was there. We found her on the course. You know, we got to check in with her. Yeah, she was hurting really, really bad. But to see her on the course and then onto the red carpet. And there's this coolest picture too of where Mike Reilly is just like pointing at her and she's just beaming that she did it. And I mean, she crossed the finish line. And that's a memory I will always have of just how emotional she was and the gratitude that she sent to the three of us afterward. I still have that. I mean, it's something that sits in my inbox and I go back to it frequently because just her words of expression, of how much that meant to her reminded me of like, why we do this and how impactful we can be in somebody's moment of pain, of hardship, of still pursuing what they want to do. I'd say that's the one that I'll share. There's many others, but that's probably one at the top of the list for me.

Vanessa Ronksley: That's amazing. Thank you for sharing that, EJ. It's fun to relive those little moments and keep them alive at the forefront of your mind. Raines. How about you? What's the most emotional experience you've had at the races?

Jeff Raines: It's a journey and I'll keep it as brief as I can, but TriDot nation knows Michael Fenton two years ago at IRONMAN Texas and this shows his character as well. He was actually looking over to the side of the road asking if somebody who had just crashed is okay and if he needed, if he could help them. But when he turned back, his front tire went into a crack and he himself wrecked. Oh geez. He broke his pelvis and I think three different spots he broke. I think his, both his pinkies, bruised ribs. He was out for the race. You know, he came to all the at the races events. He was there and I, I helped his wife and you know, coordinate hospital and getting his stuff and he was out for, for six months, I think in a wheelchair and he made his comeback. So, so I was there when that happened, but I was there, I think it was 13 months later. Boulder, you were there. Vanessa. Last year at Boulder was his, I think it was 13 month or so comeback. So that was his first half iron and then this a. And so, so the emotion was being there at his finish line after seeing him wreck. But then he did a full IRONMAN, IRONMAN Texas this April and I was also there at his finish line with his family. So seeing that come full circle, right, the, the incident, the 70.3 comeback and the two year journey of coming back to the same race, the scene of the crime that, that is hard. And I'll share one other one. Three years ago, IRONMAN California was our team race for team Raines. And one of my athletes the day before fell off of his bike in the parking lot of his hotel, went into little railroad trolley tracks, broke his elbow, didn't race, but it was still out there all day cheering everyone on. Shows his character. He was in a sling. He came back that next April and did IRONMAN Texas and got his redemption and made his comeback. But he is doing IRONMAN California this fall, three years later to go back to the scene of the crime. So I can't wait to be at that finish line because I will be there as well and see that come full circle as well.

Vanessa Ronksley: Yeah, that's incredible. I didn't, I didn't realize the reason as to why Michael had crashed in his first race and it just goes to show his true character and that's the type of people that, you know, TriDot embraces as part of the family. And very incredible his comeback to be able to go back to that race and overcome not only the physical aspect of training but that mental aspect of this is the spot, you know, like where it happened and overcoming that and passing, that just must have been massively emotional on so many levels for him. So that, that's incredible. Thank you for sharing that. Yeah.

Jeff Raines: And sorry, I just wanted to add that the second story, my athlete and good friend, Chris Keller.

Vanessa Ronksley: Okay.

Jeff Raines: Yeah, I wanted to give him a shout out and, and good luck to him this fall.

Vanessa Ronksley: Yeah, Chris is awesome as well. That's going to be a great race. I can't wait to hear the stories that come from that one. Now for me, there's again so many to choose from. Most of them have me bawling my eyes out on a regular basis because I like to think about them so much. But the one that is the most recent is from Eagleman in June of this year. And coach, Coach Kurt Madden texted one of our team members an SOS message and he was watching his athlete Wamiq really struggling to reach the finish line of the 70.3. And this was his third attempt. He DNF'd twice before in the swim. He's 62 years old and had never finished the swim portion of the race before. And here he was out on the run course moving very, very slowly. And so Coach Kurt said, is there anyone who can go out and help them? And I was like, I'm putting my running shoes on and I'm going to find him. And he was about, I don't know, two and a half miles away from the finish line. And the pain that he was experiencing was, like. It was painful for me to see how much pain he was in. And after checking with him and making sure that he did not require medical attention, I said to him, like, are you sure you want to do this? And I told him straight, I'm like, this is how far it is. This is where, you know, it's windy at this point. Like, are you sure you want to go through this? And he said to me, I'm going to that finish line. I was like, okay, then let's do it. And I tried distracting him to chat with him, but he didn't want to hear any of it. So my blabbering was not effective. But what did work was giving him little targets to hit, and they were legitimately, like, 20ft apart. Let's run to this together, and then you can stop and walk. And we did that for two and a half miles, and it was just incredible to see how he made it. And then he would release the motion and what he had pent up inside him. And then after, you know, five steps of walking, I was like, okay, we're going again. And just to see his determination and his. His drive to reach his goal was so insane. I'd never seen anyone like that before. And we finally reached the finisher chute, and I sent him down the finisher chute, and I was running alongside it, trying to reach him from the other end. And they had kept the finisher chute open for him because they knew that he was coming. And there was Dottie at the end. Dan Caskie was there to welcome him with open arms, and they called him across the line. And it was just one of the most incredible experiences to see him so elated and, you know, relieved that he had made it and he finally held that medal in his hands. It was just, I can't stop crying now. It was so amazing to be a part of that experience. What a privilege.

Cooldown

Vanessa Ronksley: It is cool down time. Thank you, everybody, for sticking around for the cool down. And we have an athlete question that's actually a coach question, but also an athlete question. It comes from Anna Demerle, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the races one year, actually, and she's just a gem of a human. So she has asked us to answer this question. How do you get a good bike score? How do you get a good score on an outside bike session through TriDot? So I'm not sure which one of you wants to take a stab at that one first? EJ, do you want to go first?

Elizabeth James: I. I'm happy to. So there's a couple things here, and one thing that I've found in terms of, like, the execution of it is if you have the opportunity to send it to your Garmin bike computer and have that workout, like, automated, that will help, because then you're not fiddling with, like, oh, what are my intervals? When is it? It's going to show you exactly what the time is, what your average is like, in terms of power that you want to hit. And that's, you know, the. The first recommendation. But then I know that we get into all of the nuances of, like, well, what if there's traffic? What if, you know, the route isn't great? Like, what if it's more hilly? Like, what if I don't have power? And I think here's what I'm going to come back to is, like, don't stress over it so much. And I have to talk with my athletes about this too. Like, do the best that you can. And just keep in mind that there are also a lot of great skills that are gained from riding outside versus on the trainer. And are you going to execute it as perfectly as you would if you were inside on the trainer? No. Okay, that. That's fine. I often talk with my athletes about their, like, real life score. And so we talk about, like, the real life score. We call it the “Real X”. We also talk about, like, they're learning score from the day session. And so it's like, okay, so your TrainX was like, 78 instead of 100. Like, that's still fantastic, you know, 70s average. That's really good execution, especially for an outdoor workout. But let's also talk about real life score. Did you practice pulling your water bottle off the back cage and refilling your arrow bottle? Hey, guess what? Yeah, the real life points there, because you're going to need that in race day. Like, oh, you had to shift gears versus being in erg mode. Awesome. Like, oh, you had to face the headwinds. Great. You know, like, you had to pass other riders. These are all skills that you're going to need for racing. And so, okay, maybe TrainX wasn't as high as you wanted it to be, but let's talk about what we learned and what other skills we gained that you would not have gotten out on the trainer. So there are ways, you know, that we can still bump that TrainX score up. Maybe Jeff can even you know, give us a couple more hints on that. But I'm also gonna say there, there's a real life score that goes into this and how much did you learn that's gonna help you on race day that can't necessarily be measured by that TrainX score. Like take that into consideration too. Don't forego those outside rides just for a unicorn.

Vanessa Ronksley: Love it. Coach Raines, what do you have to add?

Jeff Raines: I love that the, the, the “Real X”. There's something to that there. We gotta. Yeah, I would say that if, if you were 100% intentional, regardless of stop signs or dogs or whatever interrupted your set or your session, if you are 100 intentional, then you get a 100 “Real X”. Right? But you know something that I do is let's just say you have a three hour ride and you've got three by 12 minutes of zone four inside, right. You know, I would pick a route that you know would help that, right? If your route has tons and tons of ups and downs and you're not going to have right, 12 minutes of uninterrupted, you know, consistency, then, then try to choose another route or put more time in between. If you had three minutes rest between those three 12 minute surges, put 25 minutes in between them. If you have to do the loop, come back around to that safe straightaway or whatever that is, right? And so you can piecemeal, you know, I mean, there is a reason and a rhyme and a reason why the rest is what it is in between. But if you're outdoors and you can't help it, but you're being as intentional as you can, you can put more space in between or try to find. Or if your next race is super hilly and you want to do some of those Zone 4 on some undulation or a couple hills, just because you're going to have to be intentional with your effort and watts on that hill on race day. So my, my point is, is to pick a route, look at the workout, right? Pick the right route and then pick where in that route you're going to do your quality sets, right? Everything else you can focus on those technical aspects that EJ was talking about. And if there is a curveball, rain or a headwind, right. Well, you can still sit up, focus on all those other things and, and push to where your heart rate's in that range still. So, so there are always ways to salvage that. So don't let it frustrate you or ruin your day. But at the same time, if you're over halfway through the workout and, and you're just killing yourself. Just eat it. Do it all zone two and focus on those other aspects. And, and you tried. You got 100 real “Real X” score regardless of the train act.

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