Episode 171 - Steve's insider secrets to a 64 minute PB at Sunshine Coast 70.3

Steve's insider secrets to a 64 minute PB at Sunshine Coast 70.3

Today, I’m thrilled to share a conversation with an incredible athlete, and member of the Triathlon Nutrition Academy, Steve Duquette. We’re going to discuss his performance at last year’s Sunshine Coast 70.3, where he smashed his PB by more than an hour. Listen in while he shares the strategies that helped him achieve this incredible result!

You might think a result like that comes from an easy race, but think again. Steve faced multiple unexpected challenges on race day, like waves that felt like a washing machine or blinding sun that knocked him off course. But thanks to his preparation, his training, and (of course) his nutrition, Steve persevered!

And, of course, the role of the community cannot be overstated. As part of our Supercharged Squad, Steve not only had access to what I teach but also the collective ideas and wisdom of the group.

 

 

Links:

Check how well you’re doing when it comes to your nutrition with our 50 Step Checklist to Triathlon Nutrition Mastery

Start working on your nutrition now with my Triathlon Nutrition Kickstart course 

It’s for you if you’re a triathlete and you feel like you’ve got your training under control and you’re ready to layer in your nutrition. It's your warmup on the path to becoming a SUPERCHARGED triathlete – woohoo!

Connect with me: 

To learn more about the Triathlon Nutrition Academy, head HERE | dietitianapproved.com/academy

See behind-the-scenes action on Instagram: @dietitian.approved

Follow along on Facebook: @DietitianApproved

Join our FREE Dietitian Approved Crew Facebook group

Enjoying the podcast?

Let me know what you loved about it and what you learnt by tagging me @dietitian.approved on Instagram!

Episode Transcription

Episode 171: Steve's insider secrets to a 64 minute PB at Sunshine Coast 70.3

Welcome to the Triathlon Nutrition Academy podcast. The show designed to serve you up evidence-based sports nutrition advice from the experts. Hi, I'm your host Taryn, Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Advanced Sports Dietitian and founder of Dietitian Approved. Listen as I break down the latest evidence to give you practical, easy-to-digest strategies to train hard, recover faster and perform at your best. You have so much potential, and I want to help you unlock that with the power of nutrition. Let's get into it.

[00:00:00] Taryn: Welcome back to another episode of the Triathlon Nutrition Academy podcast. We have got a cracking lineup of guests for you to kick off the new year and today's guest is definitely up there as one of my favorite people to talk about triathlon nutrition and just generally shoot the breeze. He is a talker, so we will have to keep him under wraps. But joining me today is Steve Duquette, all the way from a tiny town called tiny Ontario in Canada.

[00:00:44] Taryn: Welcome, Steve. 

[00:00:46] Steve: Taryn, how are you? Welcome.

[00:00:49] Taryn: you aboot so that people don't know that you're a Canadian.

[00:00:53] Steve: It's about time that we got together. Do

[00:00:59] Taryn: Triathlon Nutrition Academy program all the way back in September 2022. He is now part of our alumni program that I call the Supercharged Squad because we are supercharged by the time we get to the back end of the program. And you might've heard his voice before. He did an episode with me way back in April 2023, episode 89, if you do want to go and find it.

[00:01:23] Taryn: And that was about his journey from going from cycling only into the wonderful sport that is triathlon and linking together swimming and running at the front and the end of his favorite leg of the triathlon. But today he's going to join us to talk about some of his secrets behind a massive PB at Sunny Coast 70.3 at the end of last year.

[00:01:45] Taryn:  Managed to smack out. more than an hour better than his previous 70. 3 time. And there's got to be some things in that that you can learn. So I've asked Steve to join me to share some of that with you.

[00:02:00] Steve: to be here, Taryn. 

[00:02:01] Taryn: So what inspired you firstly, Steve, to travel 14, 912 kilometers or 9, 266 miles to do a 70. 3 race in Australia?

[00:02:15] Steve: Well, aside from the fact that I've never been to Australia, I hadn't been to Australia before. And it was something, you know, friends had been there, and I, I thought this would be a great place to go. But I didn't think it was really going to happen ever. But being part of the Triathlon Nutrition Academy with our cohort in the supercharged squad, There was this point in time, and I don't really remember exactly when, but we all started talking about how it would be kind of cool if we would go somewhere to, meet up, get together, because for the most part, most of us hadn't ever met each other in person.

[00:02:51] Steve: It was all the online Zoom meetings that we had with you. So somewhere along the way it was decided that it was going to be Australia. Now I kind of think it might be because our boss, Taryn, is in Brisbane.

[00:03:01] Steve: And it, maybe it made sense. And actually, you know, it did make sense because by going there, you spent some time with us. You know, as a group and doing some of the TNA activities and whatnot. So that was part of it. But you know, to travel like halfway around the world.

[00:03:17] Steve: It's a huge trip but really it was something that was driven by the desire of our TNA supercharged squad that wanted to do that. So we, I think we started something, that's going to continue on from what I can tell. And we had a great night. My wife came along, of course, Lynn and we spent a few weeks afterwards traveling around, being tourists and seeing, the big stuff, the big checkmark boxes of Australia, like the Great Barrier Reef and so on.

[00:03:45] Steve: so we just had an amazing trip. but I do have the claim to fame, apparently, according to you, being the one who traveled the farthest. 

[00:03:51] Taryn: Yes, you did get an award for that. 

[00:03:53] Steve: and I was going to say, thank you very much for the personalized jar of Vegemite, with my name on it, so, thank you very much.

[00:04:02] Taryn: You're welcome. It's a tiny consolation prize for traveling the furthest distance to get to the race ever. Have you cracked the lid of that yet? Have you had some Vegemite and used it out on your training rides?

[00:04:13] Taryn: A little 

[00:04:15] Steve: not a I'm still afraid, I'm still afraid of that stuff. I've got to tell you. It's just, I'll 

[00:04:22] Steve: get there. I will get there, I promise. It's going to be a New Year's resolution next year.

[00:04:28] Taryn: stuff. 

[00:04:29] Taryn: So compared to other 70. 3 races that you've done what made that race stand out so much? Like, Is it the best race you've ever been to? 

[00:04:36] Steve: Oh gosh, yeah. From the perspective of, well, a couple of things. Obviously, the location, right? Going to Australia, Sunshine Coast, 

[00:04:45] Taryn: Yeah, it is pretty special. Oh, you did it! You did it, he said it right. He's been practicing for like a year.

[00:04:53] Steve: After 200 tries, I figured at some point I'd get it right. So, aside from going to, you might kind of consider it almost like an exotic location. Maybe there's more exotic places, but for me that was pretty exotic and pretty amazing. But more than that, got to the point when I did a few of these races, it wasn't going well.

[00:05:13] Steve: And I really started to think to myself, This is painful. this is not fun because I did suffer. And mostly it was when I got onto the run I had, leg cramps GI discomfort, not to the point where I was running to the port a potty, but just feeling really lousy, and Really just running out of gas, I think, was another part of it, and what, whether that's related to the, nutrition and hydration combination of those, certainly we know that it, in working with you in the program, I think we figured that out, that that's what it was.

[00:05:47] Steve: So yeah, hands down the Sunshine Coast 70.3 has been my favorite race to this point in my recent triathlon career, if you will,

[00:05:58] Taryn: Best race ever. And we are going back, we are going back to do it all again this

[00:06:03] Taryn: year, because it 

[00:06:04] Taryn: was so good. I

[00:06:05] Steve: I didn't know if I was supposed to let everybody in on that, but we are going back.

[00:06:11] Taryn: We're going back. 

[00:06:12] Steve: We're going back.

[00:06:14] Taryn: Tell me about your race. Like, run me through the swim, the bike, the run. Like, how did it go compared to other races you've done? And, and you've got an amazing story about the swim that I feel like you should tell people.

[00:06:25] Taryn: If you haven't heard it yet, I just piss myself laughing every time.

[00:06:31] Steve: So, we got to Australia you know, five or six days ahead of time. So we had some time to, acclimatize to the time shift and all the rest of it.

[00:06:39] Steve: so we did. swim a little bit in the ocean a few days before the race. And it was pretty good, because the ocean was reasonably calm when we were doing our practice swims.

[00:06:52] Taryn: No it wasn't, it was really rough.

[00:06:54] Steve: No, it was not really rough. The ocean swims on, like, Thursday, they were, they were pretty decent.

[00:07:03] Steve: They were kind of rollers. We could put up with that.

[00:07:06] Steve: But on race morning, we're up at four in the morning and, all of you Aussie friends of mine that are doing the race that day are saying, it's going to be fine tomorrow. Like, they're telling us this, the day before, two days before it's going to be really good.

[00:07:22] Steve: It's wavy now, but it's always good here. Like, this is really good venue for the swim.

[00:07:26] Steve: Okay, great. shoot forward to race day. Up at four in the morning. Walking over to transition. And there's, like, the ocean is separated from the transition by some trees and a fence and whatnot.

[00:07:39] Steve: So, you can't see the ocean. But I could 

[00:07:41] Steve: hear the 

[00:07:41] Steve: ocean. 

[00:07:42] Taryn: not going

[00:07:43] Steve: And I

[00:07:43] Steve: could hear the wind coming

[00:07:45] Steve: off the ocean. 

[00:07:47] Steve: And, one of, our Aussie friends, it was Mark Mocha. Hi, Mocha. He's like, it's never like this. He's like, I can't believe it's like this. I'm like, yeah, me too. Because you told me it was going to be fine.

[00:08:01] Steve: It's all going to be good. So, you know, we're all kind of charged up and we get our swim caps on and get through into the shoot and, well, actually sorry, before that, you know, we're watching the pros go in. And they're like dolphin diving into these five foot waves. I'm like, oh, okay, I got to do that.

[00:08:20] Steve: Haven't really done that before. Don't do that back home. Don't have waves that big back home. it seemed like it went But all of a sudden, there I am, you know, at the front of that line. And they're like, OK, go. Well, you know, run in and try to, get in there and dive into these damn waves. Get past the break and head towards the buoy.

[00:08:41] Steve: And oh my gosh, like, It was like being in a washing machine. I was just getting churned and spun and, rinsed and you name it. I don't know how much water I gulped. I think I gulped water at least five times during that race. But I'm going, so I'm going along making my way around and I'm going across for the sort of final long stretch before you would turn to go in towards shore.

[00:09:07] Steve: But the sun is directly in my face. Now, full disclosure, not making excuses here, but I need glasses to see far away, and I didn't have contacts, and so I've got my goggles. Well, I can't see anything. It's just blinding sun in my face, and I'm swimming, and I'm going thinking I'm heading in the right direction.

[00:09:31] Steve: But I really don't know if I'm heading in the right direction. All of a sudden, You know, I turn to breathe, and I hear this volunteer, like, well, I figured out it's a volunteer, so they're on like a, Kayak or whatever and I hear this guy say, where are you going mate? So apparently I was kind of heading towards shore already with five or six hundred meters or more to go So literally I stop and I'm lifting up my goggles saying I can't see a damn thing like I'm looking over to the Sun and I can't see the buoys and And I see all this splashing in front of me over there.

[00:10:06] Steve: I'm like, okay, that's people swimming, so I'll try to follow them and they're way up in front of me. Right. So anyways, my initial plan, of course, with any triathlons, I'm going to get out of the water and I'm going to run to the transition and, peel off my wetsuit. Well, I got out of that water and I'm walking up the beach and I'm thinking, oh my gosh, like, honest to goodness, I'm thinking I'm exhausted.

[00:10:33] Steve: I really wasn't exhausted, but I just felt a little demoralized from that swim. so I, hit that little outside shower. Everybody said, you gotta wash off the salt water, cause it'll cause dehydration or whatever. And so I did that, and then off I go, and I got onto my bike.

[00:10:48] Steve: And it did feel a little bit weird. But not in the way that it would feel in other races. And it felt weird, I think, because I had taken in some salt water. And I think my stomach felt kind of weird because of all the salt water. think it was like eight or ten kilometers into that bike where, then I felt like I settled down.

[00:11:10] Steve: And then, I thought I had a really good, and I know I had a really good bike. And I love that bike course. You know, there's vistas along the ocean. It's not terribly hilly. I mean, there's a few spots here and there, but it's a really nice bike course. And I guess the one difference, if I remember correctly, was that normally I think you had said sometimes there's a headwind but I don't think we really had that same wind that day.

[00:11:33] Steve: So anyways, I had a really good bike. And you know what? My previous experience in these races just because things never felt great, and

[00:11:45] Steve: all of the stuff that I have been doing as, part of your program, I just felt like, okay, that's great, but I also felt that I don't want to push myself too hard.

[00:11:59] Steve: Now, it wasn't like I was, taking it easy, but at the same time, I was consciously reminding myself to not go too hard. And part of that reason was because all of the other times when I got leg cramps and felt crappy in the stomach, I just, it's kind of weird because through that race, I kept wondering, when is that going to happen? And it never happened. so it didn't happen on the bike. And I, honest to goodness, I did the bike and I thought, oh man, like I, I feel kind of sad that the bike ride's done. I want to keep biking some more. It was really, it was good. And I know that I, could have probably pushed harder, but I'm kind of glad that I didn't.

[00:12:37] Steve: So anyways, I got off the bike and did the transition. And again, what was really interesting and in a very positive way. Unlike other races, when I got off the bike and started running, where I almost had like, no energy and started cramping almost right away, I started running and I'm like, well, hang on a second, like, why does this feel good?

[00:12:57] Steve: Like, when is, when are my legs going to cramp up? Like, why am I running at, you know, at a 530 pace for now? I'm not a fast runner, full disclosure, and I certainly didn't run that fast for that race, but I started off at a pretty decent pace, which it did slow down. But at the same time, in any other race that just never happened.

[00:13:17] Steve: And so then, we got on the run and went out and again, the entire time in the back of my mind, I was still thinking, one of those leg cramps gonna get me. And they never did. And I'm like, I got done that race, and I felt great. You know, I chugged down some chocolate milk, that's one of the things I like to do.

[00:13:40] Steve: so yeah, so I got done the race and it was like, well, this was really fun. I like this. Now, I want to do more. Because you know, like I said, it was a significant part of my brain that kept saying, you're going to cramp up at some point, like, get ready for it. And, oh well, you know, if I have to walk, I'll walk.

[00:14:00] Steve: I'm getting my medal. I'm going to finish. I'm going to finish. now I did, full disclosure, I walked through the aid stations, but I did that intentionally because I wanted to make sure that I took in some nutrition, hydration stuff. So I, definitely purposely walked through the aid stations and then I start running again.

[00:14:18] Steve: And yeah, I mean, it's just, I look back at that race last year and I think, man, like that just, everything went so, so well. I was so happy with it and it just made me feel like. I want to do a lot more of this. little wee regret that I have, and I can't really say it's a regret, but a little part of me thinks, why didn't you push harder? 

[00:14:44] Taryn: Yeah, always. I thought that after my swim as well, I was like, that

[00:14:48] Steve: Oh, shush. Oh 

[00:14:50] Taryn: easy. 

[00:14:51] Steve: shush. 

[00:14:52] Steve: You

[00:14:52] Taryn: I should have gone harder. But everyone always thinks that, right? And you don't know that until you've finished. And if you're waiting the whole run for cramps to happen, then you're not to know.

[00:15:02] Steve: Yeah, no, it really, it really felt good. I was very happy with the entire race. Like I can't say enough about how good that race felt throughout the entire race. Other than, where are you going mate?

[00:15:16] Taryn: Other than a swim. Well, between now and Sunny Coast 17. 3, we'll have to do some more open water training with you and understand how to swim through swell,

[00:15:25] Taryn: which is not something you need in Canada. 

[00:15:27] Steve: open water swimming at home here, we have Georgian Bay and what's interesting, hindsight being 2020. is that I would drive, so where we live, we are like a five minute drive down to a beautiful beach, sandy beach on Georgian Bay. And so, you know, in the summer when I can do open water swimming, I'll drive down to the 13th concession to the beach and I'll walk out there and I'll look at all the waves some days because the wind's coming in.

[00:15:53] Steve: I'm like, well, the hell with that. I'm not swimming in that crap. So, you know, next, like when I, start doing my open water swimming this coming summer, I'm like, Bring it on. The more frickin wavier and shitty it is, I'm going in. Because I'll be damned if I'm going to show up in Australia next year and I'm shooting for a, better swim result, let's just say that.

[00:16:16] Taryn: Amazing. So, there's a stark contrast between previous race performances and this one. What were a couple of things that you worked on to have the result that you did at Sunny Coast, without giving away all of our secrets, maybe one or two strategies that really helped you have a successful day in the office?

[00:16:34] Steve: Yeah. I've said this before to, to other people in the program and, you know, your, TNA Triathlon Nutrition Academy program starts us off in that first phase and you go right into recovery nutrition. And I never had recovery nutrition. I would do my workouts and whatnot and I really didn't have much of a clue of what I should be doing and how much and so on.

[00:17:01] Steve: So the recovery nutrition really made a difference because if there's one part of your program that I've been very religious about. It's the recovery nutrition. So when I do workouts, I'm very adamant about getting that recovery done in the right, you know, quantities and proportions and in the right timeframe.

[00:17:21] Steve: And I really think that's made a big difference because it does allow you to recover properly and get ready for the next day of training and workouts. So, it's not like that doesn't happen and things don't change overnight, but that's, that's months and months and months and, but that's really, I focused a lot on being very religious about the recovery nutrition.

[00:17:44] Steve: So I think that that's helped me a lot for the training, which of course I think translates into having a good day, you know, on race day. And then the other, I think, significant part, and this is where It's not necessarily just me, but it's the group that we are part of in the TNA Supercharged Squad in this case.

[00:18:05] Steve: Where we meet every week, and whether it's myself or other members who are going to be doing a race, in the next month or two, you've given us a lot of tools to prepare race nutrition plans, pre race nutrition plans, carbohydrate loading plans, and I never had that before. I would, what I will say is, and you've said this before, and we kind of, you know, in our program we know this, is like having a big plate of spaghetti the night before the race is not carb loading.

[00:18:37] Steve: And as per not giving away the secrets, I'm not going to tell anybody what your carb loading plans or strategies look like, but I will say they work. And they are significantly, massively different than having a plate of spaghetti on the night before the race. So, you have spreadsheets.

[00:18:57] Steve: And I mean, I'm a math science geek. In terms of education. So, I love spreadsheets and I love data. you give us that stuff. But you give it to us in a way that we can actually use it. So it's not like we have to make it up. We don't have to, create the formulas and what not. But you, like, here's a spreadsheet.

[00:19:13] Steve: Go in there and create your plan. And so then you go in, you create your plan. So then we load that up onto your platform and on the, uh, meeting that we have, we'll review it. And of course, you're the advanced sports dietitian. So, Taryn's no BS approach to things works really well, which I really like, because I will put together and I have put together, say, a race nutrition plan and you're like, well, why do you have that there?

[00:19:42] Steve: you might have too much fiber or you've got too much of this or not enough of that and let's tweak it. And so the whole gang, everyone on the call gets to provide some input. And it's really, really beneficial because, having a team, not just yourself, I mean, you're kind of the, you're the key member of the team, of course, with your specialty and expertise, but everyone else that's doing races and being part of the program, everyone has really valuable input.

[00:20:07] Steve: You always get the little gold nuggets from, something, right? So having the, having those templated spreadsheets that we can prepare those plans, and then you've got something to work from. And all you need to do is implement that, like how easy is that? So I mean there's a lot of other things I could probably go on for a lot longer, but if I had to sort of pick a couple of, big rocks, right?

[00:20:32] Steve: Recovery nutrition, for me, has really made a huge difference in my training and recovery because I don't, sit on the couch after and, feel like I'm dead. Good. I'll get the work out, do the recovery and okay, well, let's go off and do something else and have a great day. So that recovery has been super important.

[00:20:49] Steve: I think it's been very beneficial for me. And then just having that ability to make that carbohydrate loading plan and, race day nutrition plans and having that concrete, Printed spreadsheet with everything you need to know to have yourself set up for a really good day.

[00:21:05] Steve: I think those are the, those would be two, significant, very significant things for me. 

[00:21:09] Taryn: and I think I need to add one more to your list, which you've forgotten about because it hasn't been a problem for so long now, is that you really struggled with cramping.

[00:21:18] Taryn: And that has gone away.

[00:21:21] Steve: Absolutely.

[00:21:22] Taryn: you don't take magnesium anymore.

[00:21:25] Steve: Oh yeah, we had that conversation. That was pretty funny. That was pretty funny. and we've talked about this, right? But people in the triathlon community, everybody means well.

[00:21:34] Steve: Everybody wants everybody else to do well. And so everybody's, you know, giving you what they think is really good advice and so on. Which, I think goes to the point of Where are you getting your information from, and is that the right information and advice for you? Because everybody's different.

[00:21:51] Steve: And you're right, I remember having a crap day on, on that 170. 3, and one of the athletes slash friends that were there, when I mentioned about the cramping, and she was saying, well, are you taking magnesium? I'm like, well no, what I didn't even know about magnesium, for gosh sakes. Thanks. And so, yeah, of course, went to the pharmacy and bought some magnesium.

[00:22:14] Steve: And this is before you and I met. And of course, when we had the conversation early on, and of course, you set me straight on that. And I've never touched any of that stuff. It's gone. Don't need it. Don't use it. Thank you very much.

[00:22:29] Taryn: done

[00:22:31] Steve: Done and

[00:22:33] Taryn: such, such a confusing space and people often get the wrong advice around that, and it is quite frustrating. But, you know, you're here, you're now educated around the right things to fix that problem, and I'm so pleased to hear that you just don't struggle with cramping anymore, and as a result can run off the back of a 90 kilometer.

[00:22:52] Taryn: Bike ride with no issues. So it'll be good to see how you go at sunny coast this year with some more confidence that that won't happen so that you can dig a little bit deeper and ride a little bit harder. And I know we've talked about your strategy for the next one, not walking through aid stations and seeing how that goes.

[00:23:11] Steve: and I do feel like, I mean, if my training goes well, and of course, leading up to the race, I, I'd like to think that, I will feel like, yeah, you know what, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go harder on, on this and I'll be smarter on the swim. And, I think there's a couple of minutes that I can take off that swim if I actually swim 1, 900 meters instead of 2, 000.

[00:23:35] Taryn: is a lake like it normally is. It's not usually that rough and windy. 

[00:23:39] Taryn: So 

[00:23:39] Taryn: hopefully you do experience what it is usually like. 

[00:23:43] Steve: I actually could care less. I don't care if it's the same. I know I'm going to do better. Because you're going to teach us how to do some better sighting. You kept that secret until after the swim was done. Thank you very 

[00:23:57] Steve: much. 

[00:23:58] Taryn: I just forgot that I knew how to

[00:23:59] Taryn: do 

[00:23:59] Taryn: that. It's been a long time since I've

[00:24:02] Taryn: swum 

[00:24:03] Steve: very convenient excuse, Taryn. Yes, 

[00:24:06] Steve: very 

[00:24:06] Steve: convenient. 

[00:24:06] Taryn: Anyway, we will do more practice. We did some ins and outs before the race, and I showed you how to do those. How to run with your knees up and things like that. But yeah, we'll do a few more open water skills, I think.

[00:24:16] Steve: to be fair, right, I've never, I mean, I've been in the ocean and, swam on holidays, but not like this, right, not to swim on a race. So it definitely was a new experience. And I think having done it once and realizing, oh my gosh, like, This was really different and difficult, but I do believe like the next time I do it, it will be better just because I will be a little bit more knowledgeable and somewhat more comfortable.

[00:24:40] Steve: I mean, but yeah, I mean, the race bit me in the ass really. I mean, it really did. Can I say that on this podcast?

[00:24:47] Taryn: can, you can.

[00:24:49] Steve: Okay, good,

[00:24:49] Steve: good. 

[00:24:50] Taryn: in this race then, like, you had a huge PB. Is there any moment in that event that you're like, holy crap, I'm like flying here and I'm going to do a massive PB. And like, I feel really good. Is there any one moment inside that race that you felt that, or were you just literally hanging on the whole time for dear life thinking cramping's going to come soon, cramping's going to come soon, like, just take it easy.

[00:25:12] Steve: Well, I'll tell you where I didn't feel. like I was going to get a massive PB is when I walked out of the water.

[00:25:19] Steve: Because I was thinking, oh boy, this is going to be a different day than what I expected. Because I was expecting good things, just because of everything that I've been doing. So of course I was expecting to have a good day.

[00:25:31] Steve: I didn't know really how good of a day. I didn't really, I mean, I did set some goals for times, and I've mentioned this before in one of our other TNA is Erin. And she always sets these three goals and I did set three goals. And I did achieve my middle goal. But, having said that.

[00:25:49] Steve: So, feeling kind of exhausted, like a little bit beat up from that ocean swim.

[00:25:54] Steve: I really wasn't, just running through the sand up to go to transition. I'm like, Oh my gosh, sorry, let me back up. I wasn't running. I was walking.

[00:26:02] Taryn: Until you saw me and I yelled at you and then you started running.

[00:26:05] Steve: tried my best to run as much as I could. Yes. So, uh, when I got biking. I felt good. I, I mean, my biking is my strength, of course it is. I've done so much biking but yeah, when I was on the bike, I really felt like I'm going to have a good day. So it wasn't really thinking as much about the cramping on the bike, only because it did feel different. I, I wasn't, it didn't feel like something popping up, if you will. I don't know how to describe it, but it just wasn't there.

[00:26:33] Steve: And, and like I said, when I, get out and back and all that, do the 90K, and, and I'm coming into the transition and I'm thinking, oh man, like I wish the bike leg was longer, because felt really good. So then. Unlike the T1, where I'm walking up the beach.

[00:26:49] Steve: Like, I'm off my bike and I'm sticking my shoes on, and of course, Taron, the boss, has always said, like, Don't be dilly dallying in the transition. That's eating up time. Get your ass out of there. Don't be eating gels and drinking shit in there. Get out and start running. But in previous races, Ha! In, in other races, I had to dilly dally because I was frickin tired.

[00:27:10] Steve: And I needed to drink some nutrition and take a gel and like, sort of stand and think, okay, now you can go. But this time it was like, yeah, get off your bike, get on your shoes, put on your cap, get the hell moving, and go get something at the first aid station, but get running. And I was able to do that. So Maybe part of it was, psychological and just you coaching us with some of those kinds of things.

[00:27:37] Steve: But truly, though, I do believe that, I mean, I got done 90k bike ride after that challenging swim. 

[00:27:45] Steve: so then I started running, and like I said earlier, I was, initially running, I think it was like a 530 pace for a K or two or something like that, but you know, that definitely slowed down, but again, at the same time I consciously was thinking, well, I don't think I can do that pace for 21 kilometers and, I was thinking, well, then maybe I'm going to cramp up.

[00:28:05] Steve: But so again, on the run, more of the cramping was in the back of my mind. But I never got that sensation, that feeling, and I thought, wow, like this is a great feeling. 

[00:28:17] Taryn: So you're coming back this year, 2025, to do it again. And last year you set your three goals and you wrote them down and put them in an envelope and told your wife. 

[00:28:27] Taryn: What goals have you set for this time around and who is it that you really want to beat?

[00:28:32] Steve: Ha ha ha. Oh, sure. Who do I want to beat? I'm going to answer that one. Let me start with the goals for the race itself. I haven't written this down just yet, but I do think about it a lot. And I really feel like, you With the swim there's got to be at least four or five minutes that I can get out of there.

[00:28:51] Steve: Like, I'm not tearing the 32 or 38 minute swim. I was 48 minutes. You were 32, weren't you? 

[00:28:59] Steve: Go ahead, say it. And you hadn't swam for 12 years, and had three babies, and, never put on a wetsuit. Yeah, 

[00:29:11] Steve: go 

[00:29:11] Taryn: I didn't wear a wetsuit. No, I was freezing at the beginning, but then it was beautiful. So non wetsuit. 

[00:29:16] Taryn: Anyway, whatever. Moving on. It's not 

[00:29:17] Taryn: about me and my awesome swim. 

[00:29:20] Taryn: I'm talking about your goals.

[00:29:22] Steve: Yeah. No, thank you. Thank you very much. So I'm not a fast swimmer, right? but I'm working on my swim, one of my goals for this year, I'm working on my swim and I'm working on my running. Because I, think for me, that's where I can 

[00:29:34] Steve: get the most gains. 

[00:29:36] Taryn: Yeah, as a cyclist, for sure. 

[00:29:38] Steve: Yeah.

[00:29:38] Steve: there's low hanging fruit there. You know, like I said, I, genuinely, I did, I swam 2000 meters. If I can sight better, That's a few minutes right there. if I come in at like 42 minutes, I'd be really happy that next time. Like six minutes, to me, that's a lot for a swim, for me, for me. And then I think the transition, if I'm able to run up the beach and, get there a little quicker, there's a minute or two here and there in the transitions.

[00:30:03] Steve: Okay. That being said the bike. Yep, I'm going to push harder. I know that. I'm going to plan for a, a faster result. So, I realistically think I can take 10 minutes or more off my bike.

[00:30:13] Steve: And then the run maybe 10 minutes, 15 if I'm, pick up the pace, you know, just shoot for a faster run overall.

[00:30:21] Steve: And then get through those age stations. And if it's not running through every single one, maybe it's every other one. You know, I'm going to see, it'll just, it'll be how I feel that day, right? But, like a stretch goal would be 30 minutes off that 

[00:30:33] Steve: time. 

[00:30:34] Taryn: Wow. 

[00:30:35] Taryn: That's 

[00:30:36] Steve: it is, it's a huge ask, and I know that.

[00:30:38] Steve: And I won't be disappointed if I don't get that. But if I, take 15 minutes, I'll be super happy.

[00:30:43] Taryn: Yep.

[00:30:45] Taryn: So we've got a, rockstar goal. We've got a super happy goal. What's your happy goal?

[00:30:49] Steve: the last time when I did the race last year, right? the baseline goal was just to finish, right? And then, So, I kind of feel like I can't have that goal this time, because I feel like I know I'm going to finish. So, I don't have that lowest goal yet. I think it's going to be three different times is what I'm feeling because obviously if, finishing is not going to be the goal anymore, that baseline goal it's going to be something with a time attached to it.

[00:31:13] Steve: whether that's, just beating my previous time by 10 minutes.

[00:31:18] Taryn: Yeah. Or it could be. 

[00:31:20] Steve: goal. 

[00:31:20] Taryn: could be only swimming 1. 9 kilometers.

[00:31:24] Steve: Well, yeah, no, that's, that's, 

[00:31:26] Taryn: be the baseline. 

[00:31:27] Steve: absolutely, goodness the swim is the, shortest part of the triathlon, right? Mean, otherwise 

[00:31:32] Taryn: sucks for me. 

[00:31:34] Steve: and I know, too bad for you, right?

[00:31:36] Taryn: Yeah, and so who do you want to beat? I know 

[00:31:38] Taryn: you've got some, like the smack talk already started at last

[00:31:41] Taryn: year's 

[00:31:41] Taryn: event. 

[00:31:42] Taryn: Smack talk is so funny, but who do you want to beat this time around?

[00:31:46] Steve: Yeah, so, well, so, Lynn, because Lynn and I, I think, are the same age, are very close,

[00:31:51] Taryn: So not your wife, Lyn, Lyn that's in the program.

[00:31:54] Steve: correct, yes, Lynn that's in the, in the program she ended up beating me by one minute in that race. So Lynn, I'm coming for you,

[00:32:03] Taryn: Look out, Lyn!

[00:32:06] Steve: a little secret that may not be such a secret is I did.

[00:32:11] Steve: The n plus one with the bicycles. so I did Sunny Coast and all my other races with, So I'm coming to Australia with a TT bike. you know, I'm buying some speed full disclosure, and there was some chirping going on in our group because I was asking about a bike fitter.

[00:32:31] Steve: And I think Lynn made a comment about, well, we don't want you doing that because we don't want you going any faster. Ha, ha, ha, ha. So, so I'm coming for you, Lynn. That one minute is going to disappear, so you better up your game because I'm up in mine. And then uh, Kelly is the guy from Idaho.

[00:32:51] Steve: And I think he beat me by I don't know what it was, like five or eight minutes or something. I don't know. Kelly will know. He'll have it locked in. But, 

[00:32:58] Taryn: He's probably, got all of our results on a

[00:33:01] Steve: oh my gosh, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh my gosh. You know, you're right. So, so Kelly did a little bit of a faster swim than I did, but then I finished ahead of him on the bike.

[00:33:14] Steve: And then, so I was out running, but then he passed me, I don't know when, 8 or 9K in, so he put some time in on me as well, so and Kelly and I are in the same age group, so that's another one. So Kelly, Kelly, coming for you. And then lastly, lastly, 

[00:33:31] Steve: Oh yeah, you, you know there's more.

[00:33:33] Steve: So you and Leanne. And I forget the name of the other member of your, relay team. I don't even know if Lien remembers this, but I do. And when I was coming in, finishing my bike, she was standing in and around the transition, and I don't know if she was cheering me, Or jeering me. But uh, She did the bike leg for you guys.

[00:33:58] Steve: And of course she was done before I got done. But just because you swam 16 minutes Faster than I did. So I got some unfinished business with Leanne on that bike leg too. So look out.

[00:34:10] Taryn: so you've got to beat the team as well. Team T and A.

[00:34:13] Steve: Well, that would be a big ask. That would be a very big ask. I, I will be very humble and say, I, that one's going to be very difficult to do.

[00:34:21] Steve: After watching you guys do your thing, and you guys made the podium.

[00:34:25] Taryn: Yeah!

[00:34:27] Steve: Ha ha! that's more than a stretch goal, let's just say that.

[00:34:31] Taryn: Depends who we have running. We don't actually have a runner yet, so it depends who we get running. We were meant to have Crystal, who is 

[00:34:36] Taryn: an 

[00:34:37] Taryn: absolute weapon, and we would have 

[00:34:39] Taryn: One. 

[00:34:40] Steve: You would have been, first place because she can run. That girl can run. My gosh, she's built for running. 

[00:34:46] Taryn: But we just had a mum friend jump in at the last minute. So it depends who runs. But yeah, that was a nice little goal to try and beat TNA, Team TNA.

[00:34:53] Taryn: I'm not sure anyone's going to be able to do that though. Maybe Paul. He's the only one that's close.

[00:34:57] Steve: yeah, but is Paul even coming back 

[00:34:59] Steve: though? Because they're, they've moved or something, 

[00:35:02] Steve: right? 

[00:35:02] Steve: They're further away. Yeah, we 

[00:35:04] Steve: gotta, 

[00:35:04] Taryn: don't think will be there.

[00:35:05] Steve: Paul and Lisa, you need to come. If I'm going to fly from Canada. 14, 912 kilometers to do this race. Surely you can fly a domestic flight Darwin to Malula.

[00:35:19] Taryn: Oh, you did it again! Well done! I love that Steve's strategy to say Malibara is just to say it really fast and hope it sounds okay.

[00:35:27] Steve: How did you guess? How did you know that? You're right.

[00:35:32] Taryn: Well, huge congratulations, Steve, for a massive PB. Like, the elation that you feel when you cross the finish line. You're like, holy crap, I just smacked it out. A more than one hour PB at the end. race. Like you were just so happy and I was getting so many messages. I'm like, hang on, I'm coming. I didn't quite make it to the finish line. But I'm, I'm really excited to see you come back and do it again this year because I know you've got some unfinished business with the swim. Plus you've got so much more time of your nutrition strategy under your belt. Like you know how to do it now and you've got all this time to practice and train and you've got a brand new TT bike to.

[00:36:07] Taryn: Get it a nice little locked in aero position. Actually, we're going to need to figure out your bottle set up and stuff on that new bike, but that's a topic for power hour.

[00:36:14] Steve: actually I would love to talk about that. Absolutely, 100%. 

[00:36:18] Taryn: for somebody that is thinking about joining the Academy program, when we have doors open this month, 

[00:36:23] Taryn: like you've obviously had some huge performance gains in your racing, but also just generally nutrition on a daily basis. What would you say to somebody that's like, I'm thinking about it, but I'm not sure it's an investment and I don't think I can afford it.

[00:36:37] Steve: TT bike.

[00:36:45] Taryn: Yes,

[00:36:46] Steve: Speaking from experience. So, sometimes we learn things the hard way. By making lots of mistakes, and then we realize that we have to do something different. I, I think I was kind of in between in the sense that I had done some races, and I wasn't doing what I needed to be doing with my nutrition, because I really didn't know.

[00:37:06] Steve: , it's not like I'm an unhealthy person. It's not like I wasn't eating. healthy diet because I was. But when you're trying to dial it in for like say a 70. 3 race, that takes a lot more preparation and planning. And I mean, months and months and months of doing the right thing.

[00:37:26] Steve: Well, how do you know what is the right thing to do? I'm a huge believer and, and, and, seeking out someone who is qualified to provide the information, the advice, the strategies, the techniques for that particular thing.

[00:37:41] Steve: So, like when I buy a new bicycle, I don't buy bicycles online. I go to my local bike shop and I have discussions and conversations with the people that own the store and the technicians that are there. And they are very knowledgeable. Some of them race bikes. They know what they're talking about.

[00:38:01] Steve: I feel like, wow, I'm getting some really quality information and I can make a good decision. So, after I struggled with the Some of these races back a couple of years back and I somehow landed on your podcast and when you started talking about your no BS approach to nutrition and whatnot, I knew right away that I had to learn more about you and what your program was about and I certainly had no intention of joining your program.

[00:38:28] Steve: but I knew that I needed to see more and hear more. And I did that and yes, I jumped in because, and when I don't even, I don't even know how much I'm paying for your program anymore and I could care less because it's a very small amount of money in the grand scheme of things in terms of the value and the results that I've gotten from the program, and sometimes too, to be fair, it's, you know, what I put into it, that I'm going to get out of it.

[00:38:54] Steve: So, if you're just going to pay the money, but not, follow along and kind of do what you're told, if you will, maybe it's not quite the right way to say that, 

[00:39:02] Taryn: you have to actually do something, right? I can't learn it by osmosis. I 

[00:39:05] Taryn: can't cook for you. I can't swat the donut out of your hand either,

[00:39:09] Steve: Yeah. And you know what? I still, I don't mind the odd donut. I'm a human being, right?

[00:39:13] Taryn: That's right? 

[00:39:13] Steve: so triathlon, as we all know, is not necessarily a inexpensive sport registrations are not cheap. Travel. All of that stuff, the bikes, the shoes, the Garmin watches, all of this stuff, sit down and look at yourself and say, how much money have I spent on all this other stuff? And then when you look at the price of your program, you will realize that it's a fraction of all the other money that you've spent on all this other stuff, including whatever nutrition and stuff that you've been doing before, like whatever, I don't know, gels and stuff you, and you don't even necessarily know that you're.

[00:39:49] Steve: using the right stuff for you. You don't know, and I didn't know. You know, as, I mean, I was using some gels that after we learned all about gels and sugars and carbs and everything, I'm like, oh my gosh like, these gels have to go.

[00:40:06] Steve: It made a huge difference. So, it's a fraction of the price. In terms of the money that you're spending on registrations, on bicycles and shoes and whatnot, as I've said, and, I've gone through the program and I genuinely will say, like, I enjoyed the program so much and I enjoyed the people that are in the program that we spent all those three phases with. so much so that when the doors opened up for the Supercharged squad, which is kind of like, okay, you've graduated from the TNA, three phase program, you have this opportunity to be invited in to join this other cohort of people who've been through the program. I didn't think twice about that.

[00:40:50] Steve: And I didn't think twice about it because A, the group of people that I'd spent all those months with on those Zoom calls, just a fabulous, wonderful group of people that we have so much fun together. And it's all for a common interest of triathlon and nutrition. And so we all pump each other up and we have a great time and we chirp and we, do whatever.

[00:41:10] Steve: And 

[00:41:10] Steve: As you said, it truly is an investment. It's made a big difference for me, a massive difference for me. as I say, like I've, when I finished that last race, I thought, well, wow, what I feel is how it's supposed to feel.

[00:41:24] Steve: I'm not supposed to be running now to the Porta Potty or hobbling and walking for three hours to finish the run leg. was literally really questioning, like, why am I doing this? I love cycling, you know, and, having the open air and all the rest of it, but to put myself through that and have that experience, well, that was not a positive experience.

[00:41:52] Steve: So I genuinely believe, you know, and there's, hey, you've got to do the training, got to put the work in, but figuring out the nutrition and the hydration and that day to day and all that stuff, just, knowing more about how your body. reacts to things and what your body needs and what amounts and so on.

[00:42:12] Steve: I don't know where am I, where else am I getting that? I'm not getting it off the internet. I mean, everybody does that. I've done that. Totally guilty of looking up stuff on the internet and thinking, well, it must 

[00:42:23] Steve: be true. It's on 

[00:42:23] Taryn: Yeah. Some punter's written a blog about it, it'll be right? I'll just do that.

[00:42:28] Steve: Yeah, 

[00:42:29] Taryn: you, like, you were gonna quit triathlon altogether. We saved you, man. We

[00:42:33] Taryn: saved you from quitting in the sport.

[00:42:35] Steve: You really did. I mean, now I bought a damn new bicycle. Like, what the heck?

[00:42:40] Taryn: Sorry.

[00:42:41] Steve: I'm all in. And by the way, my wife Lynn, she does know that I bought the bike.

[00:42:46] Taryn: Lucky.

[00:42:47] Taryn: All right, Steve, thank you so much for sharing your story and some of the things that you were working on to have such an epic race performance at Sunny Coast. I'm very excited to see you again in Maloola Bar. You've got to keep practicing saying Mooloolaba.

[00:43:04] Taryn: And the smack talk has already started to escalate in our group, which is just so much fun to be around. But I hope that you, you know, hit some of those goals that you set for this for this upcoming race. And I will help you a little more in the open water. Now that I remember how to do it, there's lots of little tips and tricks that I can help you and guide you on.

[00:43:25] Taryn: But hopefully this year it is much smoother and

[00:43:28] Taryn: you will get to see what it's actually like out there. 

[00:43:31] Steve: guess the good news is, now that you've publicly stated you're going to help us with the Ocean Swim on this podcast, we are holding you to that. So, you can't say that you never offered that help because everybody now knows the entire world knows that you are going to help us non Australian you know, you guys are born in the damn

[00:43:51] Taryn: Yeah. 

[00:43:52] Taryn: Look, I did take you in a few days before, showed you a few things, but I'd honestly forgotten that I knew how to sight around a

[00:43:58] Taryn: can. 

[00:43:58] Steve: That's a bunch of crap. You know, you know what I'm thinking about? Here's what I'm, here's what I'm thinking. You're one of these people, like, do you want to play cards? And, and you're like, well, you know, I'm not really that good.

[00:44:10] Steve: But, if you really want me to, we'll play. Well, but Terran, we're going to play for money. Oh, okay, well, I guess so. And then you go and clean up on everybody, and you're like, sitting in the bushes, waiting to pounce. You're playing possum. It's the bait and switch. Oh, you, you did so. Oh my gosh, you know what, think I'm going to poll everybody in the Supercharged squad, everybody that went to that race, I'm going to ask them what they think, how you approached it.

[00:44:35] Steve: I think they're going to side with me

[00:44:36] Steve: on that one. Ha ha.

[00:44:40] Taryn: you in a few months.

[00:44:41] Steve: I appreciate the invite and I'm happy to be on the podcast and hopefully, uh, everyone else can benefit from, from, you know, sign up people like honest to goodness and I'm the worst sales guy. This is not, this is not meant to be a sales pitch, but honest to goodness, I have not found a better program for us with nutrition and, and triathlon, then your program, and I mean that genuinely, it, there is no better program out there in my humble opinion.

[00:45:05] Taryn: I agree. Thanks, Steve.

[00:45:06] Steve: You're welcome.

 

Thanks for joining me for this episode of the Triathlon Nutrition Academy podcast. I would love to hear from you. If you have any questions or want to share with me what you've learned, email me at [email protected]. You can also spread the word by leaving me a review and taking a screenshot of you listening to the show. Don't forget to tag me on social media, @dietitian.approved, so I can give you a shout out, too. If you want to learn more about what we do, head to dietitianapproved.com. And if you want to learn more about the Triathlon Nutrition Academy program, head to dietitianapproved.com/academy. Thanks for joining me and I look forward to helping you smashed in the fourth leg - nutrition!