TriDot Pool School and Endurance Exchange

02/08/25 • 91 min

#477 TriDot Pool School and State of Triathlon

Welcome

Welcome to Episode #477 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. We're your hosts Coaches Rich Soares and April Spilde. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance news, coaching tips and discussion.

Show Sponsor: UCAN

UCAN created LIVSTEADY as an alternative to sugar based nutrition products. LIVSTEADY was purposefully designed to work with your body, delivering long-lasting energy you can feel. Whether UCAN Energy Powders, Bars or Gels, LIVSTEADY's unique time-release profile allows your body to access energy consistently throughout the day, unlocking your natural ability to finish stronger and recover more quickly!

In Today's Show

Announcements and New
Ask a Coach: Webinar with Coach Brandy Ramirez
Get Gritty Tip: TBD
TriDot Workout of the Week - Best Average 50's
Fun Segment: Triathlon Would You Rather - Pool Edition

What do sprinters eat before a race?

Nothing. They fast...

Announcements and News:

Endurance Exchange Summary

Presenters

Vic Brumfield
Krista Prescott, CMO
Justin Trulee

Key Statistics:

Membership Sales: 80% of memberships are sold through external registration platforms, while only 20% are sold through USA Triathlon.
Unique Active Members: In 2024, there were 302,000 unique active members, a 2% growth from the previous year.
Membership Breakdown:

121,000 annual members
141,000 one-day or bronze members
40,000 youth members

Gender Balance: Overall membership in 2024 was 37% female and 63% male.
Age Group Trends:

20 to 29 age group saw a 25% increase from pre-COVID levels, with 10,000 members.
The largest cohort is now the 30 to 39 age group, overtaking the 40 to 49 category.
Significant reduction in the 40 to 59 age group, primarily driven by 40 to 49-year-old males.

Participation Rates:

Only 4% of members race three or more times per year.
22% race only once per year.
Total participation numbers have decreased from 550,000+ finishes in 2010 to around 280,000 in the last year.

Event Numbers:

The number of events per state varies, with states like Florida, California, Texas, and New York having healthy event ecosystems.
States with fewer events are considered "triathlon deserts".

Race Directors: The number of race directors has declined from 761 in 2017 to 472.

Key Points:

The organization is dedicated to transparency and aims to provide real-time data to help key constituents drive their business decisions.
There is a focus on understanding and leveraging data to drive active decision-making.
The organization is working on improving the value proposition for race directors, coaches, and clubs.
There is a need to address the decline in the 40 to 59 age group and ensure the sport's growth by tapping into younger age groups.
The organization is also focusing on increasing the number of events and participation rates to support the sport's ecosystem.

I hope this summary helps! If you have any specific questions or need more details, feel free to ask. 😊

: Extracted from the "Endurance Exchange" page in the "Episode Show Notes" section of the "Mile High Tri Podcast" notebook.

Group Ride Schedule - Last week’s Pike’s Peak ride was a success. We got to about mile 9 in 75 minutes. We are planning a ride in Colorado Springs on March 1st. The plan is Garden of the Gods.

Announcing Coaches Corner (aka Office Hours) with Coaches April Spilde and Rich Soares. Every 3rd Tuesday of the month.

Link to Feb. 18 Coaches Corner - https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NjMzYjNjNGItYzFlOS00N2RhLWFlMjYtNGQ0MTBkNzgzYzA0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22b66709e9-1b6a-4649-a18d-017b8a4b8aa7%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22a731b547-aa9a-4990-a6bc-527e8ce60a7e%22%7d

Upcoming Programming - Our February focus wil...

#477 TriDot Pool School and State of Triathlon

Welcome

Welcome to Episode #477 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. We're your hosts Coaches Rich Soares and April Spilde. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance news, coaching tips and discussion.

Show Sponsor: UCAN

In Today's Show

Announcements and New
Ask a Coach: Webinar with Coach Brandy Ramirez
Get Gritty Tip: TBD
TriDot Workout of the Week - Best Average 50's
Fun Segment: Triathlon Would You Rather - Pool Edition

What do sprinters eat before a race?

Nothing. They fast...

Announcements and News:

Endurance Exchange Summary

Presenters

Vic Brumfield
Krista Prescott, CMO
Justin Trulee

Key Statistics:

Membership Sales: 80% of memberships are sold through external registration platforms, while only 20% are sold through USA Triathlon.
Unique Active Members: In 2024, there were 302,000 unique active members, a 2% growth from the previous year.
Membership Breakdown:

121,000 annual members
141,000 one-day or bronze members
40,000 youth members

Gender Balance: Overall membership in 2024 was 37% female and 63% male.
Age Group Trends:

20 to 29 age group saw a 25% increase from pre-COVID levels, with 10,000 members.
The largest cohort is now the 30 to 39 age group, overtaking the 40 to 49 category.
Significant reduction in the 40 to 59 age group, primarily driven by 40 to 49-year-old males.

Participation Rates:

Only 4% of members race three or more times per year.
22% race only once per year.
Total participation numbers have decreased from 550,000+ finishes in 2010 to around 280,000 in the last year.

Event Numbers:

The number of events per state varies, with states like Florida, California, Texas, and New York having healthy event ecosystems.
States with fewer events are considered "triathlon deserts".

Race Directors: The number of race directors has declined from 761 in 2017 to 472.

Key Points:

The organization is dedicated to transparency and aims to provide real-time data to help key constituents drive their business decisions.
There is a focus on understanding and leveraging data to drive active decision-making.
The organization is working on improving the value proposition for race directors, coaches, and clubs.
There is a need to address the decline in the 40 to 59 age group and ensure the sport's growth by tapping into younger age groups.
The organization is also focusing on increasing the number of events and participation rates to support the sport's ecosystem.

I hope this summary helps! If you have any specific questions or need more details, feel free to ask. 😊

: Extracted from the "Endurance Exchange" page in the "Episode Show Notes" section of the "Mile High Tri Podcast" notebook.

Group Ride Schedule - Last week’s Pike’s Peak ride was a success. We got to about mile 9 in 75 minutes. We are planning a ride in Colorado Springs on March 1st. The plan is Garden of the Gods.

Announcing Coaches Corner (aka Office Hours) with Coaches April Spilde and Rich Soares. Every 3rd Tuesday of the month.

Upcoming Programming - Our February focus wil...

Previous Episode

Swim Stroke Secret

#476 What’s in a swim stroke?

Welcome

Welcome to Episode #476 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. We're your hosts Coaches Rich Soares and April Spilde. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance news, coaching tips and discussion.

February is our month to focus on swimming and I thought the highlight of today’s show should be the Ask A Coach section. The question everyone asks is - “How can I improve my swim stroke?” We are going to talk about what that is today and the answer is going to blow your mind!

Heck yes! I couldn’t agree more. The swim is oftentimes the barrier to entry for a lot of beginner triathletes and those who are interested in this sport. So, the timing of this topic couldn’t be more perfect as most of us are gearing up for our next season!

But first, I’m bringing back the Dad joke...What do a dentist and a swim coach have in common?

Show Sponsor: UCAN

In Today's Show

Announcements
Ask a Coach: What’s the most important part of the swim stroke?
Get Gritty Tip: The Power of a Misogi Challenge
TriDot Workout of the Week - CSS Assessment: What, how, and why?
Fun Segment: Like It, Love It, Leave It (Pool Edition)

Announcements:

FulGaz Virtual Group Ride Schedule - We are riding February 1st and we are riding the Pikes Peak ride on our FulGaz Virtual Group Ride.

Link to FulGaz Ride: Quick Start - FulGaz

Group Code: 830238

Link to Teams:

https://teams.microsoft.com/dl/launcher/launcher.html?url=%2F_%23%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%3Ameeting_ZjkyYjc2ZTktYTNmOC00OTliLWE5NTItMGM5ZGRiMzI1MWEx%40thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%2522b66709e9-1b6a-4649-a18d-017b8a4b8aa7%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%2522a731b547-aa9a-4990-a6bc-527e8ce60a7e%2522%257d%26anon%3Dtrue&type=meetup-join&deeplinkId=ed09915f-7770-4919-8ef2-058af0139cdf&directDl=true&msLaunch=true&enableMobilePage=true&suppressPrompt=true

Join us on this FulGaz Ride.

Start Here: https://fulgaz.com/quick-start/

1 JOIN & DOWNLOAD FULGAZ

Create an account to activate your 14-day FREE trial. Then download the FulGaz from your favourite app store. FulGaz is compatible with iOS, Android, Windows, Apple TV or Mac. To see if your device is compatible with FulGaz check out our guide.

2 Connect your trainer

Simply open FulGaz, hit “Get Started,” and then connect your devices via the button at the top of the homepage.

FulGaz is compatible with most smart trainers and smart bikes, speed sensors, and heart rate monitors. To see if your trainer is compatible, check out our guide.

QUICK START GUIDE

3 Let's ride

With 2,000+ rides and new ones added weekly, there is something for every level of cyclist. Search for iconic rides or by country, time and difficultly. Our NEW and TRENDING collections are also a great place to start.

Be social and join us on Teams too - https://teams.microsoft.com/dl/launcher/launcher.html?url=%2F_%23%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%3Ameeting_ZjkyYjc2ZTktYTNmOC00OTliLWE5NTItMGM5ZGRiMzI1MWEx%40thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%2522b66709e9-1b6a-4649-a18d-017b8a4b8aa7%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%2522a731b547-aa9a-4990-a6bc-527e8ce60a7e%2522%257d%26anon%3Dtrue&type=meetup-join&deeplinkId=ed09915f-7770-4919-8ef2-058af0139cdf&directDl=true&msLaunch=true&enableMobilePage=true&suppressPrompt=true

303 Webinar Series Continues - February 4th 6-7 TriDot Pool School. We have Coach Brandy Ramirez to take us though the program and where you can find a TriDot Pool School near you!

Announcing Coaches Corner (aka Office Hours) with Coaches April Spilde and Rich Soares. Every 3rd Tuesday of the month.

Link to Feb. 18 Coaches Corner - link

Upcoming Programming - Our February focus will be on swimming.

Feb. 1 - FASST and essential pool equipment

Feb. 8...

Next Episode

478 Swim Terms and Etiquette

#478 Decoding Swim Workout Lingo and Pool Etiquette

Welcome

Welcome to Episode #478 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. We're your hosts Coaches Rich Soares and April Spilde. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance news, coaching tips and discussion.

It’s our Valentine’s weekend show and we know you love swimming!

Show Sponsor: UCAN

Announcements and News:

Breckebiener USAT Winter Triathlon National Championship

Gold Run Nordic Center Breckenridge, CO

Sunday, February 16, 2025

COURSE INFO

TRIATHLON SPRINT

RUN DISTANCE: 1.88mi / 3k

RUN ELEVATION: 170ft / 52m

BIKE DISTANCE: 3.1mi / 5k

BIKE ELEVATION: 338ft / 103m

SKI DISTANCE: 3.1mi / 5k

SKI EVEVATION: 277ft / 85m

TRIATHLON INTERMEDIATE

RUN DISTANCE: 3.76mi / 6k

RUN ELEVATION: 340ft / 104m

BIKE DISTANCE: 6.2mi / 10k

BIKE ELEVATION: 676ft / 206m

SKI DISTANCE: 6.2mi / 10k

SKI ELEVATION: 554ft / 170m

Group Ride Schedule - March 1st Garden of the Gods.

Announcing Coaches Corner (aka Office Hours) with Coaches April Spilde and Rich Soares. Every 3rd Tuesday of the month.

Upcoming Programming - Our February focus will be on swimming.

Feb. 22 - Open Water Skills

Mar. 1 - Run Intensity as HR, Pace, GAP and Power

Mar. 8 - Guest Interview

Mar. 15 - Run Drills to Become More Efficient and Powerful

Grit2Greatness Endurance Website and Social Media - Come check out our new coaching

Website - Grit2Greatness Endurance Coaching

Facebook page @grit2greatnessendurance

Ask A Coach Sponsor: G2G Endurance

Triathletes, stop guessing and start progressing! At Grit2Greatness Endurance Coaching, we’ve teamed up with TriDot to take the trial and error out of your training. Personalized workouts, next-level analytics, and seamless onboarding—it's all built to make you better, faster. Try it for two weeks FREE, then keep going for as little as $14.99 a month. The right training platform can change everything. Ready to see how far you can go? Click one of the sign-up links in our show notes today!

Ask A Coach: Decoding Swim Workouts and Pool Etiquette

Swimming terminology, specifically the swim lingo you will see during a workout, can often be confusing. The definitions of typical swim practice terms will help you navigate swim workouts so you can focus on your swimming.

@1:30 (Send Off Time)

Swimmers use a pace clock to time their sets. They always speak in minutes and seconds. When a coach tells you to swim a set on “the 1:30,” the coach is saying that you have 1 minute, 30 seconds to complete each swim and rest and then begin the next swim.

@ :30 Rest

The prescribed time in-between intervals or sets. When a coach tells you "30 seconds rest” the coach is saying that you have 30 seconds to rest that starts as soon as your hand touches the wall and ends with you pushing off the wall.

1 x 100

If a pool is 25 yards long and you swam across it. You have completed 1 x 25. If you were to make it a roundtrip and swim from one side of the pool and back, you have swum 50 yards, or 1 x 50. If you were to swim two roundtrips, then you have swum 100 yards, or 1 x 100.

10 x 100

This describes the number of repeats of the distance for each set. If you were to swim 100 yards 10 times, then you have done 10 x 100s.

Bilateral Breathing

The process of breathing on alternate sides during freestyle, such as breathing every third or fifth stroke.

Build-Up Swim

Specific distances over which you gradually increase your speed. For a build-up 100-yard swim, you start at a certain speed, gradually building to maximum or near maximum speed at the end of the 100.

Cool-Down

Easy to moderate swimming following an intensive effort or race. The purpose is ...