Paula is racing the Canadian National Time Trial Championships, so it's a bro pod, especially when Ari Klau calls in live from O'Hare Airport after his first-ever 70.3 win at Mont-Tremblant to finally explain the shoe phone celebration that baffled the entire internet. We also break down a deceptively addictive cycling metric, answer your bike tech questions, and get into open water swimming in rough conditions.

This week we discussed:

• Paula races Canadian National Time Trial Championships, night-before logistics, bad roads, 23 mph winds, and going off 4th
• Martin Van Riel is 6-for-6 in 70.3s, the case for showing up only when you're ready
• The Eddington number explained: the cycling and running metric you didn't know you needed (and how to figure out yours)
• When to switch from road bike to TT bike in your race build, Ari and Eric weigh in
• Sharing one wheel set between a TT bike and road bike: does it actually work?
• How to keep your bottles cold in transition
• Swimming in choppy open water: Eric's technique advice
• The most minimalist race belt options, including the shoelace method and the Nerd Belt
• Is the North American Championship more prestigious than a regular 70.3 for age groupers?
• Do pros still fall off their bikes? Ari's trainer near-misses and the AirPod problem

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Paula wins the 70.3 North American Championship in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania. Her fourth North American title. We do a full race recap covering Paula's pre-race warmup adjustments, the bike leg where she went full throttle up a climb, fueling breakthroughs, timing chip chafe as a legitimate race threat, and shoutout to Lindee Kent for delivering the best aid station splits anyone has ever heard. Then we get into your questions.

This week we discussed:

• Paula's 70.3 North American Championship race recap: swim warmup changes, crushing the bike climb, and why fueling more actually worked
• Is Happy Valley the best riding location of any North American 70.3?
• Paula is a four-time North American champion, most wins of any pro female ever.
• Front and rear hydration setups explained: torpedo bottles, bento boxes, behind-the-seat cages, and how to actually refill on course
• Gravel bike vs. road bike as a do-it-all rig, especially for New Zealand chip seal roads (via a hilarious poem)
• When to switch to race tires before Ironman Lake Placid
• Is a swim skin worth it for a 300-meter pool swim sprint triathlon?
• Pull buoy preferences and swim run buoy sizing for open water racing
• What to actually do with all your Ironman finisher t-shirts and medals
• Eric's "pro athlete vs. former pro triathlete" status, officially addressed
• Electric bike pumps for disc wheels: what actually works

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

This week Nick races the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon for the first time. We do a full race recap, answer Instagram questions from listeners who followed along, and discuss whether the steep price tag is actually worth it. Eventually we also got to our classic listener submitted questions.

This week we discussed:

• Nick's Escape from Alcatraz race recap: the jump off the ferry, 57° Bay swim, iconic bike course, and sand ladder
• Instagram Q&A: thermal cap vs. booties, TT bike vs. road bike, and what crime would have landed you in Alcatraz
• Is the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon worth the price tag?
• Chasing validation vs. personal excellence. How do you know the difference?
• Body image, weight gain, and the toxic myth that more training = leaner body
• Flying with an indoor trainer, what the pros actually do
• Balancing passion across multiple disciplines without losing focus
• Carbon seatpost slipping despite proper torque, what's going on?
• Getting blown off your bike by wind, has it actually happened?
• Off day during intervals: ease off the intensity, shorten the session, or go home?
• Running surfaces ranked: tarmac, concrete, pavers, treadmill, does it actually matter?

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast