Show Notes
Thinking about putting Challenge Roth on your bucket list? Three TNA athletes just raced it, and they are telling you exactly what to get right before you sign up. Three TNA athletes share what it really takes to race Challenge Roth, from importing race nutrition into Australia to riding through Solar Hill. Real lessons on fuelling, logistics and pacing for anyone with this iconic full distance race on the bucket list. Jo, Lisa and Leanne are all TNA athletes, all from Queensland, and they have just ticked one of triathlon's biggest bucket list events off the list: Challenge Roth in Bavaria, Germany. In this episode they share what training for and racing this iconic full distance event was really like, from importing race nutrition into Australia to talking themselves through a mid-race gut issue on the run. In this episode you will learn: Why Australians book Challenge Roth through a travel company, and how fast the race actually sells out What to pack, and import, when the on-course sports nutrition brand is not sold at home How to handle a mid-race gut issue without abandoning your fuelling plan Why nailing your everyday training nutrition is what actually gets you to the start line healthy Why hiring a bike for race day can cost you more than it saves What Solar Hill is really like, and why it might make you cry TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Cold open: why you should never hire a race bike 00:41 Meet Jo, Lisa and Leanne, fresh from racing Challenge Roth 01:04 What Challenge Roth actually is, and why Solar Hill is legendary 02:06 Did the race live up to the hype 02:36 Leanne on her 19th full distance race, and feeling her best yet 03:10 Jo's emotional swim start and watching Lucy Charles-Barclay 04:33 5am beers and the Bavarian party atmosphere 05:02 Lisa on finally racing the event she watched her husband race in 2018 05:27 Getting a start line spot, and why you need a travel company 07:02 Packing and importing race nutrition from Australia to Germany 08:42 Smuggling Tim Tams, Vegemite and a confiscated jar through customs 09:19 Travelling with family, bike bags and European train stairs 10:38 Arriving early to acclimatise to the European heatwave 13:00 What they would have changed about their preparation 14:03 Testing a new tri suit at the swim practice, not on race day 14:37 Did race day nutrition go to plan 15:11 Lisa's mid-race stomach upset, and how dry pretzels fixed it 16:55 Jo losing her appetite in the carb-loading days before the race 17:50 Race morning timing, and eating on an 8:15am wave start 20:17 Jo's decision to build her own race after a stress fracture 24:10 Solar Hill: riding through a wall of 300,000 people 26:40 What they would change if they raced it again tomorrow 32:31 Their best advice if Roth is on your bucket list 33:37 How long it actually took to prepare 34:24 Why nailing everyday training nutrition kept them consistent 35:43 Practising on gravel, and an 18 month lead-in block 37:06 Confidence in your coach, and the surprises on race day 39:42 What's next: Norseman, a sub four hour marathon and a Roth return 45:10 Final thoughts and a well-earned rest
Jo Hurley, Lisa McDonald and Leanne Coghill are all Triathlon Nutrition Academy athletes and all Queenslanders, who travelled to Bavaria this year to take on Challenge Roth between them. If Challenge Roth, or your first full distance race, is on your radar, the Triathlon Nutrition Academy is where we help you build a fuelling plan you can trust on race day. Get on the waitlist here. Download the FREE audio series The 5 Biggest Nutrition Mistakes Costing You Time on Race Day Recovery Accelerator Program SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Two of the best triathletes on the planet came undone in the Kona heat in back-to-back years, so how do you fuel a hot race without falling apart on the run? After two decades of working with triathletes, I can tell you that most hot races are won or lost before the gun even goes off. As an age-grouper you’re out on course for hours longer than the pros, in the hottest part of the day, often on a race nutrition plan you built and tested through winter. I break down what the heat actually does to your body, why falling apart in a hot race comes down to much more than toughness and what should change in your plan when the forecast says it’s going to be a scorcher. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN Why your body burns through stored carbohydrate faster in the heat, and why your aid stations can only top up so much The 3 ways triathletes fall apart in a hot race that look identical from the side of the road, and why they need opposite fixes Why “it’s hot, drink more” is the advice that puts age-groupers in the medical tent What heat does to your gut, and why backing off your fuel can make it worse The 4 mistakes I see over and over when the forecast is hot How one of my Academy athletes went from walking between poles at Spudman to crossing the line at the 70.3 World Championship in Nice TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction 01:28 How heat changes your body's job 03:30 3 ways to fall apart in a hot race 07:03 Why your gut struggles in the heat 09:16 4 mistakes when the forecast is hot 13:08 How to prepare for a hot race STUDIES MENTIONED Almond, C. S. D., Shin, A. Y., Fortescue, E. B., Mannix, R. C., Wypij, D., Binstadt, B. A., Duncan, C. N., Olson, D. P., Salerno, A. E., Newburger, J. W., & Greenes, D. S. (2005). Hyponatremia among runners in the Boston Marathon. New England Journal of Medicine, 352(15), 1550–1556. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa043901 González-Alonso, J., Teller, C., Andersen, S. L., Jensen, F. B., Hyldig, T., & Nielsen, B. (1999). Influence of body temperature on the development of fatigue during prolonged exercise in the heat. Journal of Applied Physiology, 86(3), 1032–1039. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1999.86.3.1032 Hew-Butler, T., Rosner, M. H., Fowkes-Godek, S., Dugas, J. P., Hoffman, M. D., Lewis, D. P., Maughan, R. J., Miller, K. C., Montain, S. J., Rehrer, N. J., Roberts, W. O., Rogers, I. R., Siegel, A. J., Stuempfle, K. J., Winger, J. M., & Verbalis, J. G. (2015). Statement of the Third International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference, Carlsbad, California, 2015. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 25(4), 303–320. https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0000000000000221 Jentjens, R. L. P. G., Wagenmakers, A. J. M., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2002). Heat stress increases muscle glycogen use but reduces the oxidation of ingested carbohydrates during exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 92(4), 1562–1572. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00482.2001 McCubbin, A. J., Allanson, B. A., Caldwell Odgers, J. N., Cort, M. M., Costa, R. J. S., Cox, G. R., Crawshay, S. T., Desbrow, B., Freney, E. G., Gaskell, S. K., Hughes, D., Irwin, C., Jay, O., Lalor, B. J., Ross, M. L. R., Shaw, G., Périard, J. D., & Burke, L. M. (2020). Sports Dietitians Australia position statement: Nutrition for exercise in hot environments. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 30(1), 83–98. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2019-0300 Mougin, L., Macrae, H. Z., Taylor, L., James, L. J., & Mears, S. A. (2025). The effect of heat stress and dehydration on carbohydrate use during endurance exercise: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 55(11), 2825–2847. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-025-02294-3 Parkin, J. M., Carey, M. F., Zhao, S., & Febbraio, M. A. (1999). Effect of ambient temperature on human skeletal muscle metabolism during fatiguing submaximal exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 86(3), 902–908. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1999.86.3.902 Périard, J. D., Racinais, S., & S
Are you still training like you did in your 20s, going hard every session and wondering why recovery takes so much longer than it used to? This is one of the most listened-to episodes of the Triathlon Nutrition Academy podcast, back by popular demand. I sat down with coach Joe Friel, co-founder of TrainingPeaks and author of Fast After 50, to talk about how masters triathletes can stay fit, fast and injury-free in their 40s, 50s and beyond. Joe covers the training side and my Ep 178 on key nutrients for masters triathletes covers the nutrition side, so listen to them as a pair. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN What actually changes in your body as you age, and the one marker that holds up surprisingly well Why rest and recovery become your biggest performance lever after 40 The 5:2 training week Joe uses with masters athletes (plus the nine-day alternative) Where strength and mobility fit into a busy training week, and the session you should never lift weights before How to use heart rate variability to decide when to train hard TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction 02:00 Training as a masters triathlete 04:09 How your physiology changes after 40 09:18 Why rest and recovery matter more with age 11:21 The nine-day week vs the 5:2 training week 14:28 The tortoise, the hare and the lactate myth 19:27 Mobility and strength training for masters athletes 28:57 Why you should never lift weights before a run 30:48 Recovery weeks, testing and the off-season 35:11 Using HRV and wearables to guide training 39:00 Daily habits for longevity in the sport 42:24 Joe’s number one piece of advice ABOUT JOE FRIEL Joe Friel has coached endurance athletes for more than four decades. He is a co-founder of TrainingPeaks and the author of Fast After 50, a go-to resource for athletes who want to keep performing as they age. Connect with Joe RESOURCES MENTIONED Fast After 50 by Joe Friel HRV4Training app Ep 178: Key Nutrients for Masters Triathletes Ep 179: the original release of this episode READY TO STOP GUESSING WITH YOUR NUTRITION? The Triathlete Fuel Kit brings together my Triathlon Nutrition Kickstart course, the Triathlete’s Kitchen recipe database and the Fuel Your Adventure recipe book, so you can get your everyday fuelling working for you, not against you. Get the Triathlete Fuel Kit SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why is your triathlon nutrition strategy still not working when you already know what to do? I asked the triathletes who just finished my Triathlon Fuel Camp what they had spent money on to improve their performance. 70% had paid for a bike fit, 66% had a coach and 50% had bought a power meter and faster wheels. Only 20% had ever invested in a dietitian or nutritionist, and 57% told me they were winging their nutrition. These are smart, driven athletes with more information at their fingertips than any triathlete in history. So why is it still not working? IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: Why more information is not what is missing from your nutrition What a strategy specific to you is actually built on (and why generic advice never holds for long) The 3 ways triathletes try to build a nutrition strategy, and the only one that lasts your whole racing life The 3 questions that keep triathletes on the precipice of dialling in their nutrition for years How Kelly, Steve and Julia from the Triathlon Nutrition Academy finally got off the fence TIMESTAMPS 02:02 Why your triathlon nutrition strategy isn't working 10:15 3 questions holding triathletes back EPISODES MENTIONED Episode 235 with Julia Episode 237 on why DIY nutrition is not working Episode 259 with Kelly and the TNA crew at the 70.3 World Championship in Nice Episode 261 with Steve, Curt and Jade READY FOR A STRATEGY THAT IS SPECIFIC TO YOU? The Triathlon Nutrition Academy is my 9-month program where I teach you how to fuel your own training and racing, step by step, with an Advanced Sports Dietitian checking your work along the way. Find out more about the Triathlon Nutrition Academy here. SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you have heard about the Triathlon Nutrition Academy and wondered what it actually is, this is your answer in under 10 minutes. You already have a training system. You have a coach or a program, a week of sessions you love to turn green and the discipline to follow it. What most triathletes don't have is a nutrition system that is just as organised, and that is exactly what you walk out of TNA with. I take you through how my 9-month program works, the 4 things that change when your nutrition is dialled in and who it is genuinely for (and who it is not for). WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY How TNA is built so you actually put it into practice, rather than buying something and never using it Why being able to function like an adult after a long ride is one of my KPIs How Stephen went from nearly quitting triathlon over cramps to taking 64 minutes off his 70.3 time, and why magnesium was never the fix How the program fits into 1 to 2 hours a week, whatever your time zone and however full your life is What changes when you become the expert on you, from every gel to every supplement ad in your feed What Kelly Estes, 4 years in, says happens by the end Who TNA is for, from your very first season to your 30th, and who should not join right now TIMESTAMPS 03:00 What changes when your nutrition is dialled in 07:16 Is this triathlon nutrition program right for you ATHLETE STORIES MENTIONED Stephen Duquette and the TNA athletes who raced the 70.3 World Championship in Nice: Episode 259 Jade, Curt and Steve, 9 months after joining TNA: Episode 261 If you want to see everything that is included, head to dietitianapproved.com/academy. When doors are open you can join the next cohort there, and when they are closed you can add your name to the waitlist so you are the first to know when they open again. SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What happens when you eat 1,000 more calories a day? For Curt, a 54 year old triathlete from Texas, it meant losing 8kg, ditching the daily nap and finally making it through a training day without bonking. That is not a typo, and it is not a fluke. Nine months ago, three brand new Triathlon Nutrition Academy athletes came on the show a few weeks into the program to share what it is really like on the inside. Now Curt, Jade and Steve have finished all three phases and they are back. Three different athletes, three different decades of life and three very different starting points: a 39 year old mum of three from WA in her second Ironman build, a scientist from Texas who watched from the sidelines for 4 years while his mate got faster and a 71 year old from San Diego with more than 300 races behind him and no formal nutrition education until now. WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY Why Curt lost 8kg while going from around 2,000 to closer to 3,000 calories a day, and why underfuelling was the thing keeping the body fat on The one change that eliminated Curt's post-workout naps and gave him back at least an hour a day How Jade went from years of fasted sessions to fuelling every session, and what changed when she hit 90g of carbs an hour on the bike Why Steve calls nutrition free speed after 30 years of hand waving it, and how a race week plan changed 5 national championship races in 3 days What separating fluid from fuel does to a race day plan The benefits nobody expected outside triathlon, from a happier marriage to more beach days and a kid who packs his mum's long run fuel What all three would say to the version of themselves sitting on the fence 9 months ago Nutrition is not something you fix in a week, and it is not something you fix for life by collecting free nuggets from AI, YouTube or podcasts. It is something you learn, practise and make your own. That is exactly what the Triathlon Nutrition Academy is built for: 9 months learning how to fuel your body for your own training, with me and a group of legends like Curt, Jade and Steve beside you. Doors to the Triathlon Nutrition Academy are open right now. Join the October cohort here before doors close on Saturday 10 October. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction: Curt, Jade and Steve 9 months on 01:45 One word for their nutrition now versus then 03:20 Curt: no more bonking, no more naps, 8kg down while eating more 08:40 Jade: fitting TNA around 3 kids, work and an Ironman build 10:50 Jade: from fasted training to every session fuelled 12:20 Steve: the biggest mistake of a 30 year career and why nutrition is free speed 14:30 Steve: 5 national championship races in 3 days with a plan 16:10 Curt: race day now, and separating fluid from fuel 17:55 Jade: the Busselton build, 90g of carbs an hour and the scribbled paper plan 22:30 A year of listening to the podcast versus a year inside the program 24:30 What changed the most in how they fuel and race 27:05 What changed outside triathlon: smoothie bags, a happier wife and more beach days 30:40 Steve on strength training and getting bigger at 71 31:30 What they learnt about themselves that they did not expect 36:20 What they would tell themselves 9 months ago, and was it worth the investment 41:20 What is next: Busselton, Edmonton and a possible full distance SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.