Jacob Tipper is a high-performance cycling and triathlon coach working with athletes such as Ben Healy (Tour de France stage winner and UCI World Championships third place in 2025), Lucy Byram, Dan Bigham and Jonny Brownlee. He is also a team coach or the EF Education-EasyPost WorldTour team. In today’s interview we discuss training for amateur triathletes and we dive deep into Ben Healy’s training and preparation that led to his breakthrough year in 2025. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

 * Jacob’s thoughts on doing aerobic runs at a decent clip to optimise biomechanical development and running economy improvements. 
 * The key characteristics of Ben Healy’s training in 2025
 * Being a high-volume athlete on an annual basis without having very high weekly training volumes. 
 * The changes in race tactics Ben implemented in 2025 to be able to win races at the highest level. 
 * The differences between the scientific literature’s view of cycling training and what it actually looks like
 * How age-group triathletes should think about volume and intensity as drivers of adaptation when it comes to their cycling.
 * How to maximise training return on investment for time-crunched athletes by not following rigid rules
 * Monitoring training improvements by feel 
 * How working on speed as the ultimate training metric is still important and still underestimated. 

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

 * We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
 * The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts690/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

 * Jacob’s website [https://www.jtperformancecoaching.com/] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jacobtipper/]
 * Jacob’s previous appearances on That Triathlon Show:
   * Jacob Tipper | EP#424 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts424/]
   * Training Talk with Jacob Tipper | EP#345 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts345/]
   * Sub7/Sub8 with Jacob Tipper | EP#344 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts344/]
 * Physiological Profiling Explained – Why, How, and Important Training Implications for Triathletes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts687/]

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

 * The Hour record and aerodynamics with Dan Bigham | EP#368 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts368/] - An interview going into the details of the training and aerodynamic preparations for setting the UCI Hour Record with Dan Bigham, coached by Jacob Tipper.
 * Luca Zenti – UAE Team ADQ coach on Tour de France Femmes and bike training for triathletes | EP#469 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts469/] - A great interview straddling both cycling and triathlon, mainly from a high performance perspective.

You can find our full episode archives here [https://scientifictriathlon.com/podcast-archives/], where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, C

Cycling Training for the WorldTour and for Age-Group Triathletes | Jacob Tipper (coach of Ben Healy and Lucy Byram)

We dive deep into Ironman training and preparation in today's episode, and discuss how to best get ready for an Ironman whether you're looking to achieve an ambitious time or position goal, or you're looking to complete your first full distance triathlon and simply want to beat the cut-off times.

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

 * What are the prerequisites for doing an Ironman? Can anybody do one? 
 * How much time should you have to prepare for an Ironman? 
 * Ironman periodisation
 * Key workouts, training volume and intensity, brick and simulation sessions, and more
 * How to taper for an Ironman
 * Nutrition and equipment considerations
 * Sample Ironman training weeks
 * The most common mistakes age-group triathletes make in their Ironman training

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

 * We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
 * The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts689/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

 * Ironman Course Ratings [https://www.trirating.com/course-ratings/] - how fast or slow are the different Ironman courses? By Trirating. 

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

 * Gordo Byrn on optimising Ironman training, the importance of volume and low intensity training, and practical age-group training [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts679/] - already a 2026 classic for That Triathlon Show, Gordo is a fantastic coach, athlete, thinker and communicator. This is one not to miss!
 * Ironman World Champion Solveig Løvseth on her race day strategy in Kona, her training block at altitude, heat training and more! [https://scientifictriathlon.com/670-2/] - Less relevant for age-groupers perhaps, but from a pure triathlon and Ironman performance perspective, it’s fantastic to hear exactly what the current Kona Champion did leading up to her great victory. 
 * Craig Alexander – Three-time Ironman World Champion [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts461/] - Crowie is one of the legends of the sport, and provides a fantastic perspective on how triathlon training and Ironman training specifically has evolved over the last two decades. 

You can find our full episode archives here [https://scientifictriathlon.com/podcast-archives/], where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/qa/], TTS Thursday episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/ttst/], and Beginner Tips episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/beginner-tips/]. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

 * The Scientific Triathlon website [https://scientifictriathlon.com/] is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do
 * Contact us through our

The Ironman Training Deep Dive: What Triathletes Need to Know

Sebastian Sitko is a cycling and triathlon coach, and a sports scientist. His active involvement in coaching both amateur and professional athletes, as well in conducting and evaluating research means today’s episode is a perfect opportunity to discuss how to approach the integration of science and practice in cycling, triathlon, and other endurance sports. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

 * The most impactful sports science on Sebastian’s training and coaching practice
 * Periodisation - science and practice. 
 * How to implement block periodisation in your training program. 
 * Sebastian’s approach to ultra-endurance training, with an extremely high proportion of low-intensity training
 * Threshold training - science and practice
 * Why Sebastian mainly prefers other intensities than threshold training in his coaching
 * The myth of “active recovery” 
 * What are the limitations of sports science, and applying it in training programs? 
 * What are some common misinterpretations of scientific evidence by athletes and coaches? 

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

 * We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
 * The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts688/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

 * Sebastian’s website [https://sitkotraining.com/en/] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sitkotraining/]
 * Cycling 2.0: Evidence-based training for peak performance on the bike [https://sitkotraining.shop/en/products/cycling-2-0-evidence-based-training-for-peak-performance-on-the-bike] - Sebastian’s newly published book
 * Sebastian Sitko, PhD | EP#376 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts376/] - Sebastian’s first appearance on That Triathlon Show

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

 * Training Talk with Kolie Moore | EP#271 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts271/] - Kolie is a cycling coach known for his use of science and physiology in coaching.
 * Training talk with cycling coach James Spragg | EP#251 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts251/] - Similarly to Sebastian, James is a coach-scietist, and we discuss several topics in this episode from a “science to practice” perspective. 

You can find our full episode archives here [https://scientifictriathlon.com/podcast-archives/], where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/qa/], TTS Thursday episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/ttst/], and Beginner Tips episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/beginner-tips/]. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

 * The Scientific Triathlon website [https://scientifictriathlon.com/] is the home of That Triathl

Evidence-based Training for Cycling and Triathlon Performance | Sebastian Sitko

Physiological profiling is often the missing link in amateur triathletes’ training programs. Knowing your profile on a scale from very endurance based (slow twitch phenotype) to very explosive (fast twitch phenotype) can help you avoid costly mistakes and break through plateaus in your triathlon training through better individualisation. In this episode, we discuss the ins and outs of this topic, from how to correctly profile an athlete without misinterpretation or overinterpretation, to important training implications for different athlete profiles.  

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

 * What is physiological profiling? 
 * Different methods, including race performance assessments, power-duration curve, Critical Power testing, psychological factors, and more…
 * What are the main differences between fast twitch dominant profiles and slow twitch dominant profiles, and why does it matter for your triathlon training program? 
 * Training implications for different profiles: intensity, volume, session structures, nutrition, rest within and between sessions, fatiguability, and more
 * How to deal with different profiles in a group training setting
 * Practical takehome messages that you can use to improve your triathlon training. 

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

 * We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
 * The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts687/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

 * Muscle fiber types, recovery and training adaptations, and overreaching with Phil Bellinger, PhD | EP#297 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts297/]
 * Estimating Muscle Fiber-Type Composition in Elite Athletes: A Survey on Current Practices and Perceived Merit [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383536306_Estimating_Muscle_Fiber-Type_Composition_in_Elite_Athletes_A_Survey_on_Current_Practices_and_Perceived_Merit] - Lievens et al. 2024
 * Muscle fiber typology is associated with the incidence of overreaching in response to overload training [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343780307_Muscle_fiber_typology_is_associated_with_the_incidence_of_overreaching_in_response_to_overload_training] - Bellinger et al. 2020

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

 * Musculoskeletal adaptations, “train low” strategies, and muscle fiber types with prof. John Hawley | EP#248 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts248/] - John Hawley is a legend in the field of exercise physiology, so if you’re somebody who wants to soak up all the triathlon science you can, this episode will be right up your alley! 
 * Critical Power and VO2 kinetics with Mark Burnley, PhD | EP#257 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts257/] - If you want to learn more about the science of Critical Power, and scientifically valid testing protocols, this is the episode to listen to. 

You can find our full episode archives here [https://scientifictriathlon.com/podcast-archives/], where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also

Physiological Profiling Explained - Why, How, and Important Training Implications for Triathletes

Torque and cadence are common features of cycling training programs, but how should you really train them to get the most out of your training? Peter Leo is a sports scientist and high-performance coach working across cycling (Team Jayco-Alula, Cycling Australia) and triathlon (coach of high-level short-course athletes), and since he’s personally researched this topic, and applied it at the highest level, he’s a perfect guest to answer this question. We also discuss training principles, including debunking some common misconceptions and mistakes made when applying training principles in practice. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

 * The science behind the torque-cadence relationship
 * Torque and cadence are performance limiters at different points on the power-duration curve
 * Practical application of the science in different contexts (track and road cycling, short and long course triathlon), including specific workout examples
 * Peter’s view on three core training principles…
 * Individualisation. What are the biggest factors behind needs to individualise training? Is individualisation overrated in certain contexts? 
 * Specificity. Is there an over emphasis on race specificity, compared to maximising core physiological capacities and general skills? 
 * Progression. What does effective progression really look like in triathlon and cycling training? Are amateur cyclists and triathletes adopting too aggressive progression rates? 
 * Evaluating response to training, AI and coaching, and Peter’s top tips for the listeners to improve their cycling and triathlon performance. 

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

 * We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
 * The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts686/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

 * Peter’s ResearchGate [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter-Leo]
 * Power profiling, critical power, and U23 cycling research with Peter Leo | EP#319 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts319/] - Peter’s previous appearance on That Triathlon Show (January 2022)
 * Rethinking Endurance Training: Insights from Peter Leo [https://joelfilliol.com/podcast/2025/3/20/rethinking-endurance-training-insights-from-peter-leo] - Peter’s appearance on Joel Filliol’s podcast

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

 * Dan Lorang | EP#417 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts417/] - Head of Performance (at the time) at team Bora-hansgrohe, and coach of athletes like Jan Frodeno, Lucy Charles-Barclay and Taylor Knibb, Dan needs no introduction. 
 * Training Talk with Ben Day (Team BikeExchange) | EP#289 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts289/] - Another coach straddling the cycling and triathlon worlds, Ben is (was, at the time) a coach at Team BikeExchange, and coach of professional long distance triathletes like Chris Leiferman.

You can find our full episode archives here [https://scientifictriathlon.com/podcast-archives/], where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cyc

The science of cadence, torque and power in cycling performance | Peter Leo (Team Jayco-Alula)

Most triathletes are limited not by their physical capacity to train more or harder, but by being time-limited, so we’re constantly looking for ways to make more out of the time we have to train. Nowhere is this challenge greater than when training for Ironman or other full distance triathlon races on a limited time budget. In this episode, coach Natasha Van Der Merwe joins me to discuss how to deal with this challenge in the context of age-group triathlon training.

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

 * How to maximize your triathlon training outcomes on a limited time budget - even if you’re training for an Ironman! 
 * How do you know when you’re really just limited by time and training volume? 
 * If you are volume-limited, how can you get around that when you don’t really have more time to spare. 
 * Listener questions: effective microcycle structures in triathlon, how to become more efficient at training, and more

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

 * We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
 * The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts685/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

 * Natasha’s website [https://www.nvdmcoaching.com/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/nvdmcoaching/] and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzAQ1h1IvZ0yuV-PyxfUgIA] (NVDM Coaching)
 * Training Talk with Natasha van der Merwe | EP#334 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts334/] - Natasha’s first appearance on That Triathlon Show

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

 * Tomasz Kowalski | EP#428 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts428/] - another episode leaning heavily into time-crunched Ironman and triathlon training
 * Jacob Tipper | EP#424 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts424/] - a mix of coaching advice and case study on Jacob’s transition from elite cycling into triathlon, on a much tighter time budget
 * Coaching Thoughts: 11 Overrated Factors for Triathlon Performance | EP#439 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts439/] - a solo episode with yours truly. If you want to maximise the return on your triathlon training, you certainly don’t want to spend too much time on overrated aspects of performance. 

You can find our full episode archives here [https://scientifictriathlon.com/podcast-archives/], where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/qa/], TTS Thursday episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/ttst/], and Beginner Tips episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/beginner-tips/]. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

 * The Scientific Triathlon website [https://scientifictriathlon.com/] is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do
 * Contact us through our contact form [https://scientifictriathlon.com/contact/] or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)
 * Subscribe to our Newsletter [https://scientifictriathlon.com/newsletter/]
 * Follow us on

How to Optimize Your Triathlon Training on a Limited Time Budget | Natasha Van Der Merwe

Most triathletes and runners will suffer from injuries almost every single year (and many will suffer multiple injuries per year). In this episode, world-renowned physical therapist Chris Johnson explains how to break out of this injury cycle, by looking at all of the different variables contributing to injuries. This is an in-depth look at how to balance your running or triathlon training with proper strength training, nutrition, and lifestyle factors, to allow you to train and perform more and better in the long run. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

 * Which factors contribute to injuries and injury risk, and how? 
 * How to manage small niggles, aches and pains
 * Bone stress injuries and soft tissue injuries
 * Return to training protocols
 * A minimal effective dose strength training protocol that can be easily combined with triathlon training
 * Recommended strength training exercises, from isometrics and heavy slow resistance training to plyometrics
 * How heavy should you lift and how hard should you be working in the gym? 
 * Is stretching, mobility work, massage and manual therapy recommended for injury prevention? 
 * Myths and misconception about injuries and strength training for triathletes and runners

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

 * We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
 * The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts684/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

 * How stretching actually changes your muscles - Malachy McHugh [https://youtu.be/g1pb2aK2we4] - video (TED-Ed)
 * Return to run from Bone Stress Injuries - Management and Prevention of Bone Stress Injuries in Long-Distance Runners [https://www.jospt.org/doi/pdf/10.2519/jospt.2014.5334] - Warden et al. 2014
 * Fueling Performance: A Guide to the Athlete’s Plate [https://youthsportsnutrition.com/blog/athletes-plate/]
 * Validation of the Athlete’s Plate Nutrition Educational Tool: Phase I [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333473417_Validation_of_the_Athlete's_Plate_Nutrition_Educational_Tool_Phase_I] - Reguant-Closa et al. 2019
 * Effects of Bilateral and Unilateral Resistance Training on Horizontally-Orientated Movement Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344466352_Effects_of_Bilateral_and_Unilateral_Resistance_Training_on_Horizontally-Orientated_Movement_Performance_A_Systematic_Review_and_Meta-Analysis] - Moran et al. 2021

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

 * Brad Beer | EP#396 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts396/] - the until now most popular episode related to injuries on That Triathlon Show
 * Injury prevention and rehabilitation with James Debenham, PhD | EP#209 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts209/] - my personal favourite episode I’ve ever recorded on the topic. James was a fantastic guest, and we go really in-depth here, and more into the science behind injuries and injury prevention. 
 * Injury prevention, strength training, and running biomechanics with Eoin Everard, PhD | EP#336 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts336/] - a great episode tying together multiple related aspects of running performance and running injuries, including lots of very specific and practical ti

How to avoid triathlon and running injuries by optimising training load, life stress, strength training and nutrition | Chris Johnson PT

If you want to improve your running performance as a triathlete, these are the tried and true sessions that we rely on as triathlon coaches and athletes.

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

 * Fartlek workouts to improve your running speed and VO2max
 * How we use hills in run sessions for triathletes
 * The value of progressive sets and pace alterations within a workout
 * How we prescribe threshold work for running
 * We upvote and downvote each others sessions
 * A discussion on using percentage based run sessions and the difference between pace vs. speed based percentages

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

 * We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
 * The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts683/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

 * All running related episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/category/running/] on That Triathlon Show
 * John Davis – Coaching, physiology, and running calculators | EP#464 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts464/]
 * Running Writings Pace Percentage Calculator [https://apps.runningwritings.com/pace-percent/]

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

 * Power Rankings – Our top-5 bike sessions to improve triathlon cycling performance [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts681/]
 * Power Rankings – Our top five sessions to improve your triathlon swimming [https://scientifictriathlon.com/677-2/]
 * Triathlon Base Training Series 4 – Running [https://scientifictriathlon.com/base4/]
 * Modern marathon training principles and preparation with running coach John Davis [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts472/]
 * Run training with Hugo van den Broek | EP#242 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts242/]
 * Training methods of Ethiopian runners with Michael Crawley | EP#275 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts275/]

You can find our full episode archives here [https://scientifictriathlon.com/podcast-archives/], where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/qa/], TTS Thursday episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/ttst/], and Beginner Tips episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/beginner-tips/]. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

 * The Scientific Triathlon website [https://scientifictriathlon.com/] is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do
 * Contact us through our contact form [https://scientifictriathlon.com/contact/] or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)
 * Subscribe to our Newsletter [https://scientifictriathlon.com/newsletter/]
 * Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/scientifictriathlonhq/]
 * Learn more about our coaching [https://scientifictriathlon.com/coaching/], training plans [https://scientifictriathlon.com/plans/], and trainin [https://scientifictriathlon.com/training-camp-mallorca/]

Power Rankings - Our top-5 run sessions to improve triathlon running performance

A great fartlek and progressive threshold session to improve your running. Plus, the components that should be part of an effective run program, even though they’re not necessarily classified as “run sessions”. 

Part of this episode is original content, and part of it is a preview of the full episode "Power Rankings - Our top-5 run sessions to improve triathlon running performance" (release date 5th of February 2026). 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: 

 * Mikael’s favourite Fartlek run 
 * Jack’s descending threshold session
 * Why and how to do strides and hill sprints
 * When is running off the bike a good idea? (Even though a lot of the time it isn’t a good idea, and it’s probably overused in triathlon)
 * How hilly is a “hilly endurance run”? 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

 * The Scientific Triathlon website [https://scientifictriathlon.com/] is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do
 * Contact us through our contact form [https://scientifictriathlon.com/contact/] or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)
 * Subscribe to our Newsletter [https://scientifictriathlon.com/newsletter/]
 * Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/scientifictriathlonhq/]
 * Learn more about our coaching [https://scientifictriathlon.com/coaching/], training plans [https://scientifictriathlon.com/plans/], and training camps [https://scientifictriathlon.com/training-camp-mallorca/]. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals. 

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? 

I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. 

 * Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.
 * Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far! 
 * Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).
 * Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack.

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Two sessions to improve your running - a brutally effective fartlek and a finely balanced threshold progression

We rank our most effective bike sessions in this “Power rankings” episode. If you want to improve your cycling performance, try adding some of these sessions to your program. Whether your training for sprint distance triathlon or Ironman, or even pure cycling events like road or gravel races, there will be several sessions on these lists that can help you take your cycling to the next level. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

 * VO2max, threshold, and race specific sessions we really rate 
 * Two different ways of executing threshold sessions
 * Why micro-intervals reign supreme of our favoured VO2max-sessions
 * “Sessions” that might surprise you as number one on both Mikael’s and Jack’s top-5 list
 * And, we upvote and downvote each other’s sessions

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

 * We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
 * The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts681/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

 * All cycling related episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/category/cycling/] on That Triathlon Show

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following episodes related to sswimming:

 * Power Rankings – Our top five sessions to improve your triathlon swimming [https://scientifictriathlon.com/677-2/]
 * Triathlon Base Training Series 3 – Cycling [https://scientifictriathlon.com/base3/]
 * Beginner Series 6 – Cycling for beginner triathletes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/beginner6/]
 * Cycling training methods from the WorldTour with Stephen Barrett, Head Coach of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale and coach of Felix Gall [https://scientifictriathlon.com/672-2/]
 * Luca Zenti – UAE Team ADQ coach on Tour de France Femmes and bike training for triathletes | EP#469 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts469/]
 * Anna Kiesenhofer – Olympic Champion | EP#454 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts454/]
 * Training talk with Tom Bell | EP#356 [https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts356/]

You can find our full episode archives here [https://scientifictriathlon.com/podcast-archives/], where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/qa/], TTS Thursday episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/ttst/], and Beginner Tips episodes [https://scientifictriathlon.com/beginner-tips/]. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

 * The Scientific Triathlon website [https://scientifictriathlon.com/] is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do
 * Contact us through our contact form [https://scientifictriathlon.com/contact/] or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)
 * Subscribe to our Newsletter [https://scientifictriathlon.com/newsletter/]
 * Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/scientifictriathlonhq/]
 * Learn more about our coaching [https://scientifictriathlon.com/coaching/],

Power Rankings - Our top-5 bike sessions to improve triathlon cycling performance

The one triathlon show focusing on practical and actionable advice that you can
use in your own triathlon training and racing. New episodes are released twice
per week. The episode types are interview episodes with the greatest and
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Mikael Eriksson where you'll learn tactics and strategies you can apply in your
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both interview and solo episodes, are produced with the goal in mind of giving
age-group triathletes actionable advice. That Triathlon Show is brought to you
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about That Triathlon Show at www.scientifictriathlon.com/podcast/

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