Think race day is all about fitness? Think again. The difference between a smooth, confident performance and a chaotic morning often comes down to one thing—your pre-race routine. In this episode, Coaches Rich Soares and Kristin Overton walk you through how to stack the odds in your favor with a repeatable system that covers everything from race rehearsals and fueling to transition setup and mental prep. Because when you eliminate the guesswork, you unlock your best performance.

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#550 Race Day Starts Before Race Day: Build Your Winning Routine

Race day is supposed to showcase your fitness—but too often, it exposes execution gaps instead. In this episode, Coaches Rich and Lauren break down the most common race-day mistakes that sabotage performance, from pacing errors to fueling missteps and mental breakdowns. You’ll learn why execution beats fitness, how early discipline sets up a strong finish, and practical strategies to protect your race from avoidable disasters. If you want to race with confidence, stay in control, and finish knowing you gave your best effort, this episode gives you the framework to do it right.

🔥 Vespa

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This episode is brought to you by Vespa Power Products, helping endurance athletes optimize fat metabolism and unlock steady, efficient energy so you can perform stronger for longer.

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🌐 Grit2Greatness Links & Community

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👉 Facebook: @grit2greatnessendurance
👉 Instagram: @grit2greatness_endurance

👉 Ambassador Application: Apply Here [https://forms.gle/mQjPbyzjAmmBhM6m9]
👉 Become a Team Member: https://forms.gle
👉 Podcast Subscription: Grit2Greatness Endurance - Podcast - Apple Podcasts

#549 Race-Day Mistakes That Cost You Hours

Think you need more time to train? Think again. In this episode, Coaches Rich and April flip the script on the biggest excuse in endurance sports and show you how to thrive inside a full calendar. You’ll learn practical strategies like the A/B/C workout system, habit stacking, and energy-based scheduling so you can stop chasing perfect weeks and start building consistent ones. If your life is busy (and whose isn’t?), this episode delivers a clear, actionable playbook for turning limited time into meaningful progress—without sacrificing your career or relationships.

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#548 Busy Schedule, Stronger You: The Time-Crunched Athlete Playbook

Running well off the bike is one of the biggest performance separators in triathlon—and one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, Coaches Rich Soares and Lauren Brown break down exactly why the run feels so hard after the bike, from neuromuscular fatigue to fueling mistakes and pacing errors. You’ll learn the most common reasons athletes blow up, how to avoid them, and the key strategies to help you run strong, efficient, and in control on race day. If you want to stop surviving the run and start racing it, this episode gives you the roadmap.

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Grit2Greatness Links & Community

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👍 Facebook: @grit2greatnessendurance
📸 Instagram: @grit2greatness_endurance

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#547 Run Off the Bike: Why It Feels Hard and Common Mistakes

In Episode #546 of the Grit2Greatness Endurance Podcast, Coaches Rich Soares and April Spilde sit down with legendary endurance coach Bobby McGee to break down the essentials of run mechanics. Known for coaching Olympic medalists and world champions, Bobby shares how to simplify complex concepts into practical cues that any athlete can apply. From improving efficiency and reducing injury risk to unlocking free speed—this episode is packed with actionable insights for runners and triathletes looking to elevate their performance.

Less sugar. Higher performance. Faster recovery.
Vespa Power Endurance helps you tap into steady, clean energy so you stay strong, focused, and in the zone longer. It’s not fuel—it’s a metabolic catalyst that helps your body burn more fat and spare glycogen for when you need it most.

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#546 Run Mechanics Made Simple with Coach Bobby McGee

In this episode, we take you inside the world of elite bike fitting with Ivan O’Gorman, a world-renowned fitter based in Niwot, Colorado who works with top professional triathletes and cyclists. We break down why a professional fit is one of the highest ROI investments you can make—impacting comfort, power, aerodynamics, and injury prevention. Ivan shares his approach to assessing athletes, the technology behind modern fitting, and real-world examples of how small positional changes drive big performance gains. Whether you’re new to the sport or chasing your next PR, this episode will help you understand what it takes to ride like the pros.

Vespa Power Endurance helps you tap into steady, clean energy—so you stay strong, focused, and in the zone longer. Vespa isn’t fuel—it’s a metabolic catalyst that helps your body use more fat and spare precious glycogen.

Whether you’re training for your next PR or racing long, Vespa helps you go the distance with sustained energy and faster recovery.

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Grit2Greatness Links & Calls to Action

 * Website: Grit2Greatness Endurance Coaching
 * Facebook: @grit2greatnessendurance
 * Instagram: @grit2greatness_endurance
 * Ambassador Application: https://forms.gle/mQjPbyzjAmmBhM6m9
 * Become a Team Member: Getting Started with Grit2Greatness - Google Forms
 * Podcast Subscription: Grit2Greatness Endurance - Podcast - Apple Podcasts

#545 World-Class Precision: Inside Pro-Level Bike Fitting with Ivan O’Gorman

If you’ve been scrolling endurance social media and wondering why everyone is suddenly pushing sleds and throwing wall balls, this episode is for you. Coaches April Spilde and Lauren Brown break down the HYROX phenomenon—what it is, why it’s growing so fast, and why runners, cyclists, and triathletes are jumping in. We compare HYROX to traditional endurance sports, discuss the stations that shock first‑time athletes, and explain why endurance fitness translates surprisingly well to this hybrid racing format. Plus, Coach Lauren shares what training for her first HYROX Doubles race has taught her about pacing, strength, and durability.

This episode of the Grit2Greatness Endurance Podcast is brought to you by Vespa Power.  Less sugar. Higher performance. Faster recovery.

Vespa Power Endurance helps athletes tap into steady, clean energy by optimizing fat metabolism and reducing reliance on sugar and glycogen. Vespa isn’t fuel—it’s a metabolic catalyst that helps you stay strong, focused, and durable in training and racing.

Visit Home of Vespa Power Products | Optimizing Your Fat Metabolism and use discount code 303endurance20 to save on your order.

Grit2Greatness Links & Resources

 * Website: Grit2Greatness Endurance Coaching
 * Facebook: @grit2greatnessendurance
 * Instagram: @g2gendurance
 * Become a Team Member: Getting Started with Grit2Greatness – Google Forms
 * Ambassador Application: https://forms.gle/mQjPbyzjAmmBhM6m9
 * Subscribe to the Podcast: Grit2Greatness Endurance Podcast on Apple Podcasts

HYROX Explained: Endurance Meets the Sled

In Episode #543 of the Grit2Greatness Endurance Podcast, Coaches Rich Soares and April Spilde break down why Boulder is one of the most misunderstood and execution‑heavy races on the IRONMAN 70.3 calendar. This is a thinking athlete’s race—where small mistakes stack up fast under altitude, heat, and patience‑testing terrain.

We dive into the real reasons athletes DNF at Boulder, including:

 * Overbiking relative to altitude
 * Underfueling when effort feels “easy”
 * Heat and hydration mismanagement
 * Swim anxiety and disrupted breathing
 * Aggressive early run pacing
 * Missed bike lap cutoffs
 * Ignoring early warning signs

You’ll learn how to race Boulder with restraint, patience, and intention—so you’re still strong when it matters most.

We also debut a new fun segment: “Death, Taxes… or DNF?”—calling out the most predictable race‑day mistakes we see every year.

If you’re racing Boulder 70.3—or any altitude event—this episode is your race‑proofing checklist.

This episode is brought to you by Vespa Power Endurance.

Vespa Power Endurance helps you tap into steady, clean energy—so you stay strong, focused, and in the zone longer. Vespa is not fuel, but a metabolic catalyst that shifts your body to use more fat and less glycogen.

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Vespa comes in CV‑25, Junior, and Concentrate.

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#543 Death to DNF: Why Boulder 70.3 Is a Thinking Athlete’s Race

Fueling is one of the most misunderstood—and most performance‑limiting—parts of endurance training.

In Episode #542 of the Grit2Greatness Endurance Podcast, Coaches Rich Soares and Lauren Brown break down why so many endurance athletes train hard, follow the plan, and still underperform on race day. More often than not, the problem isn’t fitness—it’s fueling.

In this episode, we cover:

 * The most common fueling mistakes endurance athletes make in training and racing
 * Why “eating clean” does not automatically mean fueling well
 * How underfueling quietly sabotages performance, recovery, and long‑term durability
 * Why short‑course racing still punishes poor fueling
 * How to plan fueling instead of reacting when it’s already too late

Using real race‑day examples from supersprint to long‑course events, we connect fueling decisions directly to pacing, performance, injury risk, and consistency—so athletes can stop guessing and start fueling with intention.

Whether you’re a triathlete, cyclist, runner, or endurance athlete of any kind, this episode will help you understand how to fuel the work you want your body to absorb.

🎯 Free Fueling Resource

Grab our Fueling Audit & Checklist—designed to help you identify gaps and build a simple, effective fueling strategy.
👉 Visit Grit2Greatness Endurance Coaching [https://grit2greatnessendurance.com/] and head to the Free Guide page.

🔥 Sponsor: Vespa Power

This episode is brought to you by Vespa Power Endurance.

Vespa Power helps you tap into steady, clean energy—so you stay strong, focused, and in the zone longer. Vespa is not fuel, but a metabolic catalyst that helps your body rely more on fat and less on glycogen.

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✅ Faster recovery

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#542 — Fueling for Performance

In this episode of the Grit2Greatness Endurance Podcast, Coaches April Spilde and Kristen Overton take over the mic to go full dirt-mode on all things XTERRA triathlon.

Part 1 breaks down what XTERRA actually is, how it differs from traditional road triathlon, who it’s for, and how athletes should start training for off‑road racing — including mountain bike skills, trail running, open‑water swimming, gear choices that matter, and the biggest mistakes new XTERRA athletes make.

In Part 2, Kristen flips the script and interviews April as she prepares to race the XTERRA North American Championships, diving into race prep, expectations, mindset, and what success looks like on championship day.

The episode wraps with a fun and brutally accurate segment, “Send It or Send Help,” highlighting the many personalities you’ll find on an XTERRA start line.

Sponsor – Vespa Power Ad Read:
Vespa Power Endurance helps athletes tap into steady, clean energy so they can stay strong, focused, and in the zone longer. Vespa is not fuel — it’s a metabolic catalyst that helps your body burn more fat and spare glycogen during endurance efforts.

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#541 — X North American Championships

The Grit2Greatness Podcast mission is to is to create a global community of endurance athletes. To inspire participation in endurance sports by connecting you to coaches, experts and fellow athletes.