That Triathlon Life Podcast

This is an epic one. Heather Jackson joins us to recount her win at the 2026 Javelina Jundred, a 100-mile trail running race in the Arizona desert. Eric and Nick crewed her and paced the final two laps, and Paula, who wasn’t there, hears the full story for the first time. Heather walks us through her headspace coming in, the plan, and how the day unfolded lap by lap up until the dramatic finish.
This week we discussed:
Heather’s mindset heading into Javelina after getting sick following a Kona camp, and what a good day looked like to her
The pre-race crew meeting: the plan, and “don’t be a first lap hero”
Why Heather chose Eric and Nick as her crew and pacers
How crewing and pacing work at a 100-mile race with four aid station visits
Fueling a 100-miler: carb targets, flasks, gels, and what changed after lap one
Shoe choice, mud, and a rockier course than in past years
Managing quads on the downhill half of the course
Racing the people ahead of you when you can’t see the standings
A moment on the trail with Des Linden
Running in the dark and the rain: headlamps, wet phones, and getting tracker updates by text
Pacing a 100-miler as a triathlete and as a trail runner
How Cocodona 250 changed Heather’s mindset at this distance
Western States, the Golden Ticket, and what’s next
The Javelina broadcast and Wattie's upcoming film
A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Nick and Eric are heading to Arizona this weekend to pace Heather Jackson through the final 40 miles of Javelina Jundred, Eric takes miles 60-80, Nick runs her home from 80 to 100 through the night. We preview the plan, talk through what we’re in for, and then get into a full question bag. Team TTL emails are out, Racing Division decisions are coming, and there’s something new dropping on the website.
This week we discussed:
Nick and Eric are pacing Heather Jackson at Javelina Jundred this weekend, who has the harder shift and what are we actually getting ourselves into
Race tracking privacy follow-up: a listener reveals how going anonymous on the Ironman tracker was used tactically to hide from competitors chasing a Kona slot
Team TTL emails are out, Racing Division decisions coming imminently after 180 applications
Are you a gradual getter-inner or a jump right-inner at the pool?
What do you attribute to your longevity in endurance sport?
If you had $200K in prize money, what one chore would you outsource?
When is a niggle something to push through and when is it time to stop, especially with a race two weeks away and a swollen knee
Is it distracting watching Breakfast with Bob when you can see his notes, and what actually makes someone great at interviewing?
If you had no responsibilities and unlimited time, what one sport adventure would you do?
Do pros pee on the bike during an Ironman, and what’s the ideal number of bathroom breaks?
Continuous swimming vs. intervals
Is age group triathlon in the US getting faster ahead of 70.3 Worlds Chattanooga?
Arm band vs. chest strap heart rate monitors: accuracy, convenience, and what to do when the optical sensor goes rogue
A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Eric and Paula are recording from Canada, Nick’s in LA, and the mailbag is full of Kona questions. We work through what the race actually does to your body and why it breaks even the best in the world, answer your training and gear questions, get a van update, and weigh in on the Moab 240 weather cancellation controversy.
This week we discussed:
Bike Tech with Eric: should you remove dried tubeless sealant film from inside your tire, or does it actually add protection?
What truly makes Kona harder than any other Ironman, heat, humidity, wind, the pre-race demands, cameras, and the psychological weight of the race itself
Should athletes have the option to keep their Ironman race tracking private?
Running vs. cycling right of way on Ali’i Drive, and the broader question of pedestrian lane etiquette
Would extending the trash zone at aid stations improve safety and fueling, and did Gustav Iden and Matthew Marquardt's penalty tent stops accidentally help put them on the podium?
Carbon plated shoe lifespan: are your Hoka Rocket X 2s still worth racing in over 200km?
How hard should you actually swim a 70.3, and if swimming is your highest heart rate activity of the day, are you costing yourself on the bike and run?
Off-season training structure, to rest or not to rest?
How do you keep up with the laundry that three sports creates?
The Moab 240 cancellation: the decision to start knowing bad weather was coming
Treadmill workout structure: TrainingPeaks, Zwift custom workouts, or just winging it?
A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Paula raced the Ironman World Championship in Kona, and this is the full, unfiltered debrief. No questions this week. Just Paula, Eric, and Nick working through the whole day: the rough, choppy swim, the windy bike leg, and a marathon that became something else entirely. This episode is the whole story:
The days leading into Kona: the commitments, the exhaustion, the headaches, and whether the race week experience matched four years of FOMO
The TTL Kona Donut Run recap, Malasadas, two kilometers in the heat, and a star-studded crowd
The swim: rough conditions, a swollen lip, disorientation near the far buoy, and finishing in good position despite it all
The bike: treating the first half like a 70.3, riding above watts to chase people, Race Ranger dynamics, and what Paula would do differently
Navigating the aid stations in 28mph crosswinds on a day when the fastest male pro bike split was 4:11
The run: from the first steps on Ali'i Drive to the Energy Lab turnaround and back, what it actually felt like, minute by minute
Rachel Zelenkas, Kat Matthews, and the camaraderie that got Paula to the finish line
Lucy Charles, Solveig Løvseth, and a day that humbled the entire pro field
Whether finishing without a medical reason to stop is something to be proud of
What Paula thinks about doing it again
Kona TTL gear still available, Energy Lab hats, Castelli technical apparel, socks, and swim caps
A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To help support the podcast, and if you have a question for next week, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Just the boys this week. We're recording live from Kona, a couple of days before Paula toes the line at the Ironman World Championship. Eric and Nick recap the week so far, including the TTL Donut Run, which brought out some familiar faces including Flora Duffy, Heather Jackson, and Jodie Stimpson. Then listener submitted questions.
This week we discussed:
Kona race week: what it's actually like to be here, the energy, the chaos, and the pro athlete sightings
The TTL Kona Donut Run recap, malasadas, a big turnout, and some A-list company
Best apps for finding triathlon training routes, gravel rides, and camping spots
Hip mobility stretches that actually work
Would Nick take over from Bob Babbitt someday, and what would he call the series?
Miscounting laps in the pool: do you shorten the next interval or just carry on?
Advice to your past selves at the inception of TTL, and what it means for anyone building something big from scratch
Surviving washboard gravel roads: positioning, speed, and whether anything actually helps
Hydration on long trail and gravel rides with no gas stations in sight
Backing out of a race you signed up for with a friend, how to feel about it
Why marathon swimmers hold 1:10 per 100m for 10K but pro triathletes swim 1:20 for 3.8K
A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast