Episode 27: The Evolution of Triathlon Training with Guest Matt Hanson
03/21/25 • 48 min
In this episode, host Rick Prince chat with professional triathlete and coach, Matt Hanson. Matt is a six-time Ironman champion, and also a six-time Half Ironman champion. In 2024, Matt finished 5th overall in the Ironman Pro Series.
As both an accomplished triathlete and triathlon coach... as well as a former professor of exercise physiology, there is perhaps no one better to discuss the evolution of triathlon training than Matt.
In this podcast, Rick and Matt discuss many topics including how training has evolved over the years, how technology has played a role in this evolution and some common mistakes that triathletes make in their training.
Questions covered in this podcast include:
1. Could you tell us about your background, both academically and as a professional triathlete?
2. Could you give an overview of how triathlon training has evolved over the years?
3. Of the three sport disciplines, is there one that has evolved the most with respect to being triathlon-focused vs. training as a stand-alone sport discipline?
4. You are also a coach, have you found that any athletes push back against a modern triathlon-focused program versus a more old-school triathlon program?
5. What are some of the biggest changes in the sport with respect to training and racing from the days of Dave Scott to today?
6. How has technology played a role in the modernization of triathlon training?
7. There is a saying in bike racing “Train your weakness, race your strength.” Does this also hold true for triathlon? Meaning, do you overly focus on your weakest sport discipline, or do you focus on your strength?
8. What are some of the biggest training mistakes that you see triathletes make with respect to their training?
9. If you could give one piece of advice to our listeners with respect to triathlon training, what would it be?
In this episode, host Rick Prince chat with professional triathlete and coach, Matt Hanson. Matt is a six-time Ironman champion, and also a six-time Half Ironman champion. In 2024, Matt finished 5th overall in the Ironman Pro Series.
As both an accomplished triathlete and triathlon coach... as well as a former professor of exercise physiology, there is perhaps no one better to discuss the evolution of triathlon training than Matt.
In this podcast, Rick and Matt discuss many topics including how training has evolved over the years, how technology has played a role in this evolution and some common mistakes that triathletes make in their training.
Questions covered in this podcast include:
1. Could you tell us about your background, both academically and as a professional triathlete?
2. Could you give an overview of how triathlon training has evolved over the years?
3. Of the three sport disciplines, is there one that has evolved the most with respect to being triathlon-focused vs. training as a stand-alone sport discipline?
4. You are also a coach, have you found that any athletes push back against a modern triathlon-focused program versus a more old-school triathlon program?
5. What are some of the biggest changes in the sport with respect to training and racing from the days of Dave Scott to today?
6. How has technology played a role in the modernization of triathlon training?
7. There is a saying in bike racing “Train your weakness, race your strength.” Does this also hold true for triathlon? Meaning, do you overly focus on your weakest sport discipline, or do you focus on your strength?
8. What are some of the biggest training mistakes that you see triathletes make with respect to their training?
9. If you could give one piece of advice to our listeners with respect to triathlon training, what would it be?
Previous Episode
Episode 26: Risk Taking in Mountaineering and Business with Guest Steve House
Steve House is a former professional alpinist and mountaineer guide. Steve is currently the founder and CEO of Uphill Athlete.
As a professional climber, Steve climbed some of the most difficult mountains around the world and in 2006, Steve was awarded the Piolet d’Or (the Golden Ice Axe) award, which is the highest honor in the world of professional mountaineering.
With mountaineering being an inherently risky sport, host Rick Prince discusses the element of risk with Steve as it pertains to mountaineering and business. Unsurprisingly, there are quite a few takeaways with respect to mountaineering to business.
Questions covered in this podcast include:
1. Please tell us about your background as an alpinist and how you decided to start Uphill Athlete.
2. In most all sports, there is an element of risk. However, I can’t think of any sport with more at stake than high alpine mountaineering. How has being an alpinist shaped your perception of risk?
3. According to various sources, approximately 90% of start-up’s fail within the first 5 years, with 10% failing within the first year. Of the climbs that have been attempted, are there any that have this high (90%) of a failure rate?
4. What are some key lessons that you learned about risk that you’ve taken from climbing that you have applied to your business?
5. Regarding risk, what are some common mistakes that you see athletes and business owners make?
6. How do you assess risk? Specifically, deciding if a risk is worth the effort?
7. Appreciating the risk of a situation and going for it any way involves getting over one’s fear. As it relates to climbing, how did you get over the fear of certain situations that had a high risk factor?
If you could leave our listeners with one or two nuggets of advice with respect to assessing and managing risk in their athletic and business endeavors, what would they be?
Next Episode
Episode 28: The Landscape of Endurance Sports Training with Guest Jeff Pierce, CEO of CTS
Jeff Pierce is a former professional cyclist and the current CEO of Carmichael Training Systems (CTS). In Jeff’s distinguished cycling career, he rode for team 7-11, the first American to ride the Tour De France and in 1987, Jeff became just the third American to win a stage of the Tour De France on the final stage on the Champs-Elysees.
In his current role as CEO of CTS, Jeff is responsible for the overall operations and direction of CTS. In this episode, host Rick Prince chats with Jeff about the coaching landscape and how it has evolved over the years – as well as where it is heading.
Questions covered in this episode include:
1. Please tell our listeners about your sport background as well as your career post being a pro cyclist
2. What was the coaching landscape like while you were racing professionally?
3. How has training technology changed the coaching profession over the years?
4. What are some of the main reasons that athletes hire coaches at CTS?
5. What do you think the increase in demand of qualified coaches is due to?
6. Are there any significant trends that you see in the coaching landscape at CTS?
7. To be a successful coach, what are some of key qualities that athletes are looking for, as well as you as the head of CTS?
8. What are some current challenges that the coaching profession faces?
9. Where to you see the coaching profession in 5-10 years with respect to its evolution?
Lastly, as CTS is largely one of the first to legitimize the profession of endurance sports coaching, what do you attribute its longevity to?
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