Purple Patch Podcast

Email info@purplepatchfitness.com with questions about triathlon training and strength programming.

161 Stop Fearing the Swim! Solutions and Strategies for Triathlon Swim Success Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

The swim leg of any triathlon is one that elicits stress and fear. You're entering into murky water with the blinding sun in your eyes. There are choppy waves that are seemingly predestined to make their way into your lungs. All the while, you're getting very physical with hundreds of your closest friends. Swim anxiety is real, especially in open water swimming.

Today, Coach Matt Dixon and Coach John Stevens diffuse some of the stress around triathlon swimming and frame strategies to help you approach the swim more effectively.

In this deep dive on triathlon swimming, they will:

Help Establish a Positive Mindset Around Swimming
Benefits of Swim Band Training
Identify Common Sources of Anxiety and Fear
Outline Solutions and Strategies Around Many of Those Sources of Fear and Anxiety Around Swimming

The goal of this episode is to help you build confidence and become empowered when approaching the triathlon swim. Regardless of whether you are a multisport veteran or a complete newbie, we hope to help you develop a toolkit to help alleviate some of the open water swim anxiety that is prevalent at triathlons, IRONMANS, and multisport events.

This is your year of performance and Purple Patch is here to help!

John Stevens comes to Purple Patch with a wealth of athletic and coaching experience. His background is rich in swimming, progressing through high-level high school swimming and then venturing on to become the captain of the University of Miami swim team. John began coaching, first as an assistant in Tucson, AZ, and then two years as an assistant coach at Florida International University. John moved home to Maine in 2010 and coached high school swimming for three years. It was there that he transitioned to competing in triathlons and the emerging sport of SwimRun, with a notable result in 2018 where he and his partner won the San Juan Islands SwimRun, beating out Lance Armstrong and Simon Whitfield. John also won the Ödyssey SwimRun Casco Bay three years in a row. While coaching and developing multi-sport and endurance athletes, John has expanded his reach into both race director roles, as well as leading positions in triathlon and multi-sport camps.

Time Stamps on Episode Segments:

00:00-03:10 Intro to Episode - Get Rid of Your Swim Fears

03:10-10:06 Who the Bleeding Heck Are You? How Intentional Walk Breaks Lead to Faster Race Performance

10:08-15:00 Squaddie Update

15:00-20:00 Word of the Week - Change - Pave a New Path with the Opportunities Ahead

20:15 Meat and Potatoes - Alleviating Swim Anxiety

Episode and Purple Patch Resources

Purple Patch Open Water Swim Warm-Up

Email info@purplepatchfitness.com with questions about triathlon training and strength programming.

Subscribe to the Purple Patch Podcast:

160 Matt's Return to Racing Guide - It's Time to Dust the Rust Off Mar 24, 2021

Show notes

Celebrate Good Times, C'mon!

Fasten your seat belts, folks. It is time to get back to racing and over the course of the next several weeks, the podcast is executing a "triathlon takeover" - focusing on everything you'll need to implement a successful return to racing after our extended hiatus.

Today's episode lays the groundwork to arm you with the knowledge, mindset, and tactics for a confident experience. Matt outlines:

Expectations - How should you prioritize your expectations for this first race? The likelihood is that it has been a while since your last race, and if it is your first time then well -- it's your first time. In either scenario, it is always unclear how your body will respond to the unique situation and stressors of racing. But, this does not mean that things are destined to go poorly. Not at all. Matt explains 'the why'...
Mindset - Instead of trying to over-analyze and come up with solutions for things that don't need to be solved before the event, take on a mindset of excited curiosity. Your first race should be a celebration -- even mixed with a little gratitude...Gratitude for your health, your opportunity, and the signal of our world beginning to transition back to a version of normal.
Practical Tips and 'Must-Dos' - A little bonus material on how to train leading up to the race, tactical race planning, and a few logistic reminders since it has been a while for all of us!

It's time to dust the rust off and have some fun in 2021!

Episode and Purple Patch Resources

Purple Patch Podcast - Episode on Strength Training with Mike Olzinski

Email info@purplepatchfitness.com with questions about triathlon training and strength programming.

Download the Free Recovery Scorecard

159 Am I Too Obsessed? Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

Obsession.

It isn't an easy topic, but it's an important one and Matt explores this fine line between a healthy commitment to performance vs. an unhealthy obsession in today's episode that sets the backdrop of future episodes.

Remember, the pursuit and excellence in your sporting goals aren't the only measures of success. We define success as nailing that part, but by pursuing these goals, you also improve your health, increase your effectiveness at work, and are equipped to show up to friends and family as the best version of yourself possible.

So, to lead listeners in the subject, Matt focuses the discussion around four key phrases:

* Performance within Context

* Embrace the Journey

* Nail the Basics

* No One Gives a Sh*t

Using these four sayings as a guide and framework, we believe you can stabilize your relationship with the pursuit of excellence, and still become the best version of yourself within the context of life.

The four key sayings also endorse a high work ethic, great commitment, and the requirement to do a lot of things right, but they can also guard against falling into a paralyzing mindset that shackles growth and performance within the context of your life.

This is what success is: It is NOT pursuing your sporting goals at the cost of health, relationships, and effectiveness across life's commitments. It is the reverse. This mindset defines the ability to frame every single element of sport and performance and keep you from crossing the barrier onto the slippery and dangerous slope of obsession.

Episode and Purple Patch Resources

Email info@purplepatchfitness.com with questions about triathlon training and strength programming.

158 Your Catalyst to Do More? Having The Courage to Recover Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

Athletes often think of recovery as a weakness or liability to their training. Unfortunately, our barometer of success is often a simple accumulation of training hours without regard to the quality of those hours or what we do in between. If we do give a thought to recovery, it's usually in the form of a rest day or a little foam rolling after a tough session. But, is this true recovery? Are we really allowing our body to adapt to the training stress?

Through two case studies, Matt defines recovery and teaches athletes and high-performers how to integrate it into their training and life roadmap.

Chris Lieto, and how Matt adapted his training to integrate real recovery during his 2008-2009 season, ultimately leading to a 2nd place finish at the Ironman World Championships

The story of "Ken," a Purple Patch age-group athlete, who, like most of us, balance jobs, family, and other obligations. How did Matt integrate recovery into his work and training schedule? It isn't just about athletic recovery.

He also identifies three Components of Recovery and how to integrate each into a time-starved life.

1. Training Recovery

2. Lifestyle Recovery

3. Modalities

With a little planning, forethought, and honest self-reflection, you can amplify your performance with integrated recovery.

Any dipshit can work hard, but it takes courage to recover

Episode and Purple Patch Resources

Purple Patch Free Resource: Why Good Nutrition and Falling in Love with Protein is Important as an Endurance Athlete

Email info@purplepatchfitness.com with questions about triathlon training and strength programming.

Subscribe to the Purple Patch Podcast:

157 How to Create Consistency - Your Magic Word for Performance Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

Consistency - the magic ingredient of success for those seeking to penetrate the thin air of word-class performance, to succeed in their journey to a first finish line, or to thrive in life performance.

While every coach will tell you this is the magic bullet for success, not all will explain the HOW of developing consistency in a time-starved life.

Via personal story and an athlete case study, Matt breathes life and practical application into this word, consistency, with:

A review of the definition of consistency
The methodology of consistency anchored around the pillars of performance
The right mindset to apply the methodology
Tactical 'how-tos' that you can implement today. This week. Right Now.

This is not short-term. There is no quick fix. This is -- you have heard it before -- your journey, and it will only be a successful one if you develop consistency around all of the pillars of performance.

Episode and Purple Patch Resources

Human Kinetics Study

Email info@purplepatchfitness.com with questions about triathlon training and strength programming.

Subscribe to the Purple Patch Podcast:

156 Secrets for Speed -Your Essentials for Training to Go Fast in Triathlon Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

There is a common thread that unites all Purple Patch athletes, and likely, all athletes in general - the desire to IMPROVE.

Whether winning a world championship or optimizing energy throughout the day, we, as humans, embrace and enjoy the journey more when we improve and when we see progression.

So, if you want to improve and go faster, you need to train faster, right??

Well, yes, sometimes. But, the greatest catalyst of performance improvement flows from a higher load strength-based training approach.

No matter where you fall on the spectrum of goals, this episode delivers a path to enhance your physical improvements with three distinct elements:

High-torque and low-cadence cycling
Hill-based running in your training
Strength and conditioning to optimize returns from your endurance intervals

Embrace the lessons and tips from today and, not only will you get stronger, but you will get faster.

Episode and Purple Patch Resources

Human Kinetics Study

Email info@purplepatchfitness.com with questions about triathlon training and strength programming.

Subscribe to the Purple Patch Podcast:

155 IRONMAN® Triathlon: A Guide to Your Success Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

You may be committed to, or thinking about committing to, your very first IRONMAN® event. You might be salivating at a return to racing following a very dry 2020 season, or, you could be committed to making this your best race season ever and are desperate to get it right.

What does it take to have your best performance at IRONMAN® racing? There is no escaping the requirement to thoroughly prepare and, as we say 'go on the journey.' A successful IRONMAN® event is not a single day, but a multi-month or multi-year journey. You want to do it right.

Whether this is a return to the sport and IRONMAN® racing, or it is a calling for your very first big finish line, this episode will provide a coach's guide to help you set the mindset, the approach, and a few practical tips to take you on the journey -- all within a time-starved life.

Episode and Purple Patch Resources

Purplepatchfitness.com/triguide - 5 principles that should drive your thinking when plotting your training for your sport

Email info@purplepatchfitness.com with questions about triathlon training and strength programming.

Subscribe to the Purple Patch Podcast:

154 A Dive Into Data and Metrics - Becoming Actionable and Empowered to Improve Performance Feb 10, 2021

Show notes

Wearables, FTP, Sleep, HRV, Pace, Power, Sleep, Calories...

There are so many opportunities to track things. As an athlete and a performance-minded fitness enthusiast, what are some aspects of your training and performance that you might consider tracking? And, most importantly, in what context?

Today, we dive into data and provide a performance lens to create a workable marriage between those feelings and sensations you have in life and training, and the incessant monitoring and tracking of the data.

Matt creates a filter of how you might lean into or stray away from data, dependent on your situation and who you are.

The key is aligning the right metrics and use of that data to help you become more empowered, not shackled. Measuring and tracking are only valuable if they assist you in becoming more actionable and aware. Ultimately, data should help you gain both perspective and performance.

Episode and Purple Patch Resources

Email info@purplepatchfitness.com with questions about triathlon training and strength programming.

Subscribe to the Purple Patch Podcast: