Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast

929 – Stroking Your Ego or Making Progress?

21 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes we have to understand why we're bitching all the time and uncover the best way to enjoy training and life. Today we start by discussing dopa...

#928 – It's All About The Challenge

19 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After a weekend of racing and our Nashville Triathlon Camp, once again, we're reminded that we got into this sport for the challenge. This is really t...

#927 – Find Something That Breaks You

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we talk about a topic that a lot of us who've been in the sport a while need to think about. How to break ourselves down like we did in the beg...

#926 – Practice Being Uncomfortable

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On some level we all dread the wind, the heat, the cold, the rough water, and the hills, but how do you learn to love it all for training benefit? Tod...

#925 – 10 Things Ironman Should Start Doing With Races

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we brainstormed to give Ironman (at least) 10 great ideas to increase excitement, revenue, and branding at their races. We talk about ways to i...

#924 - Precision Fatigue in Training, Racing, and Life

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Are you always trying to be perfect? Every day we face thousands of decisions that can either help us break free or tie us in knots. Today, we look at...

#923 – Prepared For The Swim

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, our goal is to help you prepare for a solid swim by learning to like, and eventually love the water. We talk about many things you can be doing...

#922 – Rethinking The Metrics - Power, HR, and Pace

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We start today with a proclamation that Mike is throwing out his power meter and Robbie has a surprising reaction. We ask, what's your preferred way o...

#922 – 2026 Ironman Texas Preview

16 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we preview Ironman Texas, but this is great info for any Ironman you might be racing. We include strategy for the age groupers and take a look ...

#920 – Optimize Your Engine and Decision Making

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Are you paying compounding interest on fatigue and recovery? We look at several different ways to address today's workout depending on where you are m...

#919 – Chasing Speed The Right Way

09 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We all want to be faster and today we look at the right ways to go about speed in triathlon. We talk about pushing the limits along with how putting i...

#918 – C26 Coaches vs. AI - Listener Q&A

07 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today we take athlete questions and compare our answers with A.I. We get into how long to train for an Ironman after taking a chunk of time off. We lo...

#917 – When Your Race Goes Sideways

03 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Most of us have moments within a race where things aren't going as planned. The question is, how do you handle it? Will you throw in the towel or try ...

#916 – Are You Reaching Your Potential?

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

So many people want to put limits on our potential, but are we really going to just settle for someone else's opinion? Today, we talk about the unexpl...

#915 – How To Get Excited About The "Boring" Stuff

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We're not here to sell you the top hacks for getting on the podium. Today, we advocate for the long game. Often times the quicker you gain, the quicke...

#914 – Free Speed With Better Posture And Form

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Expensive wetsuits, Disc wheels and carbon shoes only matter if they matter. Today, we look at true free speed within better posture and form. When yo...

#912 – Bike Trainer Strategies To Nail A Specific Course

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about how to think about riding the trainer so you can be more prepared for the reality of the course. We talk about hills, wind, aero, ...

#912 – Little Elm Dallas 70.3 Recap

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

C26 had a good crew in Dallas for Little Elm 70.3, including Coach Robbie, and today he details his experience on the course. We get into whether the ...

#911 – The Surefire Path To Burnout and Regret

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Triathlon can be for today, this year, or this life depending on how you approach it. Today we take a look at not forcing fitness, training smart, and...

#910 – The Food and Mood Equation

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today we look at simplifying the often complex chain of energy and how it relates to what you eat and your mental stress. We look at ways to recognize...

#909 – Nutrition and Hydration for Training, Racing, and Life

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Struggling to dial in your nutrition? We have you covered . . . well, sort of. Nutrition and hydration vary greatly between athletes and we'll give yo...

#908 – Race Day Logistics and Pacing

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today we look into your race day logistics. Things to think about beforehand so they are not taking up space in your brain on race day. We get into re...

#907 – Ironman Training Basics

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes it's best to go back to the basics and re-think what you might already know. Or answer the questions that a lot of people think about but ar...

#906 – Be Your Own Olympian

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Do you find the Olympics motivating? Today was look at some of the stories and the roads they took to get there. We also talk about why Mike hasn't be...

#905 – Responsive and Adaptable On The Bike

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we take a look at what why it's so important to be responsive and adaptable on a bike and show you how to build those skills.  We dive into th...

#904 – How To Not Suck At Swimming #17

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Back into the water today with an explosive episode focusing on early vertical forearm and the catch. We get into things like the proper entry, whethe...

#903 – How To Not Suck At Swimming #16

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we go deep on swimming but keep it relatively simple so you can work on things that matter and lock them in. We talk about some of the most imp...

#902 – Do The Little Things Right

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we start by looking at the way Indiana built a program that seemingly came out of nowhere to win the National Title. It wasn't an accident and ...

#901 – Information Overload and How It Affects Training

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Let's just stop for a minute and think about the endless choices we have and how they can overwhelm us. Ever get that feeling like you need to get in ...

#900 – Understanding Your Fatigue

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today we get into understanding fatigue and what it means. Is it in your head or your body? Lungs or legs? It all matters and it's important for you t...

#899 – One Speed Wonders

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Stuck in the same gear? Not happy with your race speed? It might mean you need more work on being responsive. How do you build another gear? Glad you ...

#898 – Empty Your Cup

06 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Is it possible that we're carrying too much in our cup? Today we talk about approaching the year with a solid, focused, and consistent plan. It's so e...

#897 – Moderating The Holidays and Being Ready To Roll In 2026

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

These next few weeks are tricky and today we look at how to get the most from them. Society has created an addictive nature in us and what's coming at...

#896 – What It REALLY Takes To Hit Your Race Goal

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Robbie talks about a lot of stuff and Mike's not really sure what's going on. And vice versa, probably. ---------- Get some C26 Gear for Christmas: ht...

#895 – This Is YOUR Journey . . . Make It Count

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you making your days count? Is triathlon your fuel for life or is life your fuel for triathlon? It's easy to put too much pressure on ourselves wi...

#894 – Rewire How You Think About Training

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is there is a small mental shift we can make to turn training from a pain into something we look forward to on a deeper level? We think the answer is ...

#893 – Listener Questions

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today the listener controls the show! We talk about building bike strength to be a better climber. We get into how to fall in love with the trainer an...

#892 – Real Change Comes At A Price

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Thanksgiving from C26 and all of our coaching staff!  ***Check out the C26 Store and use Code: C26Xmas for 15% off your shopping!  We can't as...

#891 – What Do You REALLY Want From Triathlon?

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is your REAL goal to be fast, healthy, or just have a good time with training and racing? Today, we talk about why it's important to define your true ...

#890 – The Psychology of A Day Off

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Going HARD is easy to understand, but taking rest for recovery of your mind and body can sometimes create guilt. Why do we think like that? Today, we ...

#889 – Ironman 70.3 World Championship - Courage to Come Back and Leave it on the line

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we look at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship weekend. We break down each event, including the unbelievable comebacks for Lucy and Taylor, alon...

#888 – Zone Zero

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We can't go hard all the time. Movement is medicine and those movements should have different speeds. Today we get into Zone Zero or active recovery o...

#887 – Learn To Love The Process

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you giving enough love to the process? Today, we look at what the process is and why it's really the way ti get better and get more out of life an...

#886 – Max Flexibility Season

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Don't turn triathlon into a job you hate. Now is the time to embrace flexibility and work on being healthy, happy, and a more resilient athlete. Today...

#885 – Heart Rate, Power, or RPE?

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we look at the three dominant metrics in triathlon: Heart Rate, Power, and RPE. Which one is right for you, and does that answer change with dif...

#884 – Freedom Meets Discipline

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Motivation is fleeting. How do we train and live in such a way that we're looking forward to what's next? Not down the road in 10 months, but what's n...

#883 – Kona 2025 Recap

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What a race! Today we go through our observations of the Kona Women's World Championship. We start with some intriguing swim strategies, get into deci...

#882 – Being, And Staying At Your Best, Plus 2025 Kona Preview

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we come partly from the great north of Wisconsin. We get into Kona predictions, jeans and ribeyes, then dive into the question of: how do the be...

#881 – The Case For Slowing Down This Fall

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a great time to build the cake, or maybe even just put your shopping list together. Today, we look at the unlimited potential of aerobic capac...

#880 – Building Your Internal Fire In The Off Season

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Post race highs. Post race lows. And everything in between. Today, we look at this journey as something that honestly builds health. Are your expectat...

#879 – Ironman Chattanooga 2025 Preview

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we go through how to race Ironman Chattanooga, plus, give a few suggestions on how they could spice up the course.  We used to live in Chattano...

#878 – Listener Q&A

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we dive into your awesome questions with what might be one of our longest podcasts to date. We tackle back pain and bad bike position. We get in...

#877 –Being At Your Best On Race Day

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we start with an Ironman World Championship breakdown and bridge into how we can learn from how the pros race. We get into understanding what yo...

#876 – Primal Instinct Training and Racing

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We start by talking about a C26 athlete that raced without a watch at Ironman Wisconsin and dive into the mentality of being in tune with your body. W...

#875 – Ironman Wisconsin 2025 Recap - How's Your Mental Game?

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Triathlon is 90% mental, the other half is physical.* Today we recap Ironman Wisconsin 2025. This was Mike's 12th Ironman and there was some good, bad...

#874 – Ironman Wisconsin and 70.3 Preview

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ready to rumble at Wisconsin? We share our insight from years of racing and coaching athletes at Wisconsin. We go in-depth on the swim, bike, and run ...

#873 – Listener Q&A

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Some really great questions today! We talk about mental barriers on the back half of your race run. We get into how to train/taper if you feel like yo...

#872 – Owning Your Core Principles

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There are so many opinions on training and nutrition these days. How do you know what's really right for you? Today, we talk about how we've sorted th...

#871 – Finding Your Training Sweet Spots

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the hardest things about triathlon is staying on point with three different sports. Today, we look at tendencies that develop with triathletes ...

#870 – Don't "Mail It In" Before Your Race

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting your hands on some awesome C26 Triathlon gear at our store!  Most of us hit a bit of a wall deep in training and a few...

#869 – Keep Your Race-Mind In Check

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting your hands on some awesome C26 Triathlon gear at our store! Race goals too high, or maybe to low? How do you handle the...

#868 – Figure Out A Way

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting your hands on some awesome C26 Triathlon gear at our store! It's hot, we're deep in training, and the easiest decision ...

#867 – Different Training for Different Courses

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting your hands on some awesome C26 Triathlon gear at our store! Should you train differently for Ironman Wisconsin and Lake...

#866 – Ironman Racing, Pacing, and Mentality

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting your hands on some awesome C26 Triathlon gear at our store! On the heels of our Ironman Wisconsin camp we dive deep int...

#865 – What Can We Learn From Katie Ledecky?

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting your hands on some awesome C26 Triathlon gear at our store! How on earth can Katie Ledecky continue to dominate for so ...

#864 – Building Your Confidence

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting your hands on some awesome C26 Triathlon gear at our store! Today, we look at things you can and should be using to bui...

#863 – Unforced Errors

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting your hands on some awesome C26 Triathlon gear at our store! Are you making mistakes in training and racing that slowly ...

#862 – New Kona Qualifying System

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting your hands on some awesome C26 Triathlon gear at our store! Despite our best effort to resist, today we look at what th...

#861 – Progress Over Perfection

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting your hands on some awesome C26 Triathlon gear at our store! Bogged down by the heat or the serious nature of metrics an...

#860 – Nail The Run In Your Next Race

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting your hands on some awesome C26 Triathlon gear at our store! It's easy to blame a bad race on the run, but it goes much ...

#859 – Racing In The Heat (Rockford 70.3 Recap)

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we go through all the lessons learned at Rockford 70.3 to give you strategy and ammunition for the rest of the summer. We talk about everything...

#858 – ROCKFORD 70.3 PREVIEW

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we take a look at the inaugural Rockford 70.3. We get into the course, race strategies, and how to handle what looks to be a hot day. We talk ab...

#857 - Priming Your Workouts

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A lot of times we don't "feel it" and the workout seems daunting. Today we look at why it's important to use priming to get things going whether you'r...

#856 – Listener Q&A - Run form and economy, staying motivated, open water swimming, ultra training

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Some great questions today! We look at run form and economy and how to be a better runner for a longer distance. We talk about what do do when you los...

#855 – Keep Your Race Emotions In Check

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's easy to get your emotions twisted during tough blocks or on race week. Today we look at the little things that can frustrate us in triathlon and ...

#854 – Training To Hit Your Race Goals

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do you keep struggling to hit your race goals but can't figure out why? Today, we give you some clear thoughts and solid strategies to improve your sw...

#853 – Make Training Harder Than The Race

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We call it "training" for a reason and we should be "practicing" in a way that sets us up for a better race. That can mean getting out into the heat a...

#852 – The WORK Is The Gift

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There's no doubt triathlon can be an isolated sport. Grinding for miles and miles with no one watching, or frankly caring. But you do. Or you should, ...

#815 – Fatigued or Shelled?

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we look at the concept of owning where you're at in training and smart ways to move the needle without blowing a gasket. We also talk about how ...

#850 – Getting The Most Out Of Your Bike

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mike goes for a rare bike fit and we dive deep into the nuances of a comfort, position, aero power, and training strategy. We look at saddle height an...

#849 – IRONMAN World Championship Returns All Athletes To Kona

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Ironman World Championships are back to a one day event for men and women. What does this mean for the sport? What does it mean to you? That's our...

#848 – Lessons From Hot and Windy Ironman Texas

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On the ground report from Ironman Texas with a lot of lessons for anyone training for Ironman. Doing Ironman Wisconsin? Check out our Camp: https://c2...

#847 – Think Inside Out

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do you chase the process or the excitement of race as the cure? Today we look going inside yourself as the solution. Topics: Lawn talk Door to door s...

#846 – Fresh and Confident on Race Day

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pre-Race nerves. How do we get ahead of them in training? Today, we look into many things we've learned as athletes and coaches to prepare for the rac...

#845 – Type A vs. Type B Athletes

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting some awesome C26 Gear! Thank you for listening. Today we look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of personality traits ...

#844 – Be Ready For Anything on Race Day

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Race conditions can be unforgiving and downright brutal (see Texas 70.3). Today, we look at how training can help us prepare for the unexpected on rac...

#843 – Intensity vs. Aerobic

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting some awesome C26 Gear! Thank you for listening. The argument for a weekend of RPE. Topics: Taking it outside to the st...

#842 – Pacing Your Season

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting some awesome C26 Gear! Thank you for listening. Triathlon is all about pacing and this goes for workouts, races, and yo...

#841 – Things We've Learned From 10 Years of Coaching/Casting

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting some awesome C26 Gear! Thank you for listening. Today we sort of cut through the clutter of complicated training and us...

#840 – Crafting Your Training Week

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting some awesome C26 Gear! Thank you for listening. Are you good at recognizing the levels of fatigue? Today we look at dif...

#839 – How To Not Suck At Swimming #15

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Support the podcast by getting some awesome C26 Gear! Thank you for listening. Today, we look at how you can be faster by being more efficient. We bre...

#838 – Swim Like A Swimmer

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today is a little rant about swimming. We look at a few easy ways for you to improve your stroke, body position, and economy in the water. It it reall...

#736 – Exploring Your Discomfort Zone

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we start with why 70.3's are gaining popularity and roll that into training with more intensity. We look at how to explore higher zones and how ...

#836 – Work Smarter for Better Stimulus

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we look at ways to work on little things that matter instead of always grinding yourself to the core. Better economy and efficiency go a LONG wa...

#835 – 10 SIMPLE THOUGHTS ABOUT TRAINING

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we run down a list of ideas generated from our athlete comments in Training Peaks. We look at 10 ways to simplify training by a shift in perspec...

#834 – Tapping Your Deep Motivation

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do you tap that "positive group motivation" when you're by yourself? Today we look into how training can be more motivating, positive, and effecti...

#833 – Keep Showing Up

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's the time of year when we all need a little pep talk to keep showing up. Just when things seem like they're getting too tough is usually when you'...

#832 – Train Harder Than You Race (sometimes)

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you watch the Bobby Knight 30 for 30 it brings up a lot of questions and today we explore some of them and what it must have been like playing for ...

#831 – Experimenting With Your Training and Fueling

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we look at some of the things we learned from doing hard things at Run Camp. The body always seems to be more capable than we understand, and e...

#830 – How Good Can You Possibly Feel?

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There's always a point of diminishing marginal returns, but how do we know what's not enough and how much is too much? What kind of athlete and person...