The Official TriDot Podcast 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

TriDot Podcast Episode 272

The Official TriDot Podcast 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

Intro: This is the TriDot podcast. TriDot uses your training data and genetic profile, combined with predictive analytics and artificial intelligence to optimize your training, giving you better results in less time with fewer injuries. Our podcast is here to educate, inspire, and entertain. We’ll talk all things triathlon with expert coaches and special guests. Join the conversation and let’s improve together.

Andrew Harley: Welcome to the TriDot Podcast. We have never done a Christmas holiday season gift guide episode of our show. And I had, guys, I had so many people ask in the last month or so, “Can we get a TriDot podcast gift guide?” And so this is literally an exercise in giving the people what they want. And I've got two wonderful coaches on to be our little Santa's helpers in guiding the conversation on what are some great things to ask our friends and family to gift us with for Christmas. Our first guest helping us with this is Coach Brandy Ramirez. Her passion is to empower women and young girls, and as such, she is the president and CEO of She Strong Incorporated. Brandy is also a cancer survivor and founded the Monarch Triathlon Super Half, which funds scholarships for girls who lose their mother to cancer. Brandy has been coaching with TriDot since 2020 and is the director of TriDot Pool School. Coach Brandy, welcome back to the show.

Brandy Ramirez: Thank you for having me back here, Andrew. I love being on this podcast. And I'm even more excited about the Christmas guide, because shopping is right up my alley. So let's go.

Andrew: I'm glad we chose you. I'm glad we picked you. Also with us is TriDot Coach Chris Navin from Chicago, Illinois. Chris has raced over 130 triathlons and is a Kona finisher. He's a 40+ time marathoner and 20+ time IRONMAN, ranking as high as 9th in the U.S. and 33rd in the world in the IRONMAN age group rankings. Chris is a level 2 USA triathlon certified coach and he's the head endurance coach of Four Star Endurance and the Team to End AIDS. Coach Chris, thanks for joining us for the Christmas episode.

Chris Navin: Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm excited. I love retail therapy when it gets stressful in the holiday season. So I love to talk about gifts and gadgets and all that good stuff.

Andrew: There you go. That's the spirit. Well, I'm Andrew the Average Triathlete, Voice of the People and Captain of the Middle of the Pack. As always we'll roll through our warm up question with a little extra holiday theme today, we’ll settle in for our main set conversation, and then wind things down with our cool down. Lots of good stuff. Let's get to it.

Warm up theme: Time to warm up! Let’s get moving.

Andrew: It's always fun, like Coach Chris said, dabbling in a little retail therapy this time of year. And it's even more fun when you are not spending your own money on yourself. You're getting things that somebody else bought for you. Always a fun time of year. And what I want to know for our warmup question today is, triathlon related or not, what is the number one item on your Christmas list this year? Coach Brandy?

Brandy: Greece is a bucket list vacation for me. And so, of course, if we're going to go for it, let's go big. And I would just say a racecation to the 70.3 Marathon Greece. So I would race it, and then I would stay for a little longer to enjoy it. So if I got to have whatever I wanted, that would be what I would ask for.

Andrew: Brandy, I hope that that dream comes true for you. Coach Chris, what's your answer to this question?

Chris: Well, I think I always have a new time trial bike on the top of the to-do list for a gift. But I feel like every triathlete has that on their list. And yeah, even though my time trial bike I think now is officially a teenager and well overdue for an upgrade, I always like doing experiences. So, whether it's a racecation or – I've done a number of races, but I like the less pressure ridden trips – so just a training vacation. So I think if I did a race, Roth, Germany would be the main racecation. But I saw recently the Craig Alexander, the Crowley Camp in Hawaii, looks interesting. And then my local bike racing team that I help coach, they have a training camp every year, but I haven't been able to attend it for several years. So I think that'll be the top one on my wish list, is just a hang out with our teammates and do a fun training camp with no race pressures attached.

Andrew: Good eye, Chris, good eye. Kind of looking at those different, scoping out the landscape of experiences you can get yourself into. My answer here is an item, and it's not a triathlon item. I am asking Santa for a new Kindle e-reader this year. Me and my wife both love to read, and she has a pretty modern state-of-the-art Kindle. I think I bought my Kindle like in 2011, 2012? It is over a decade old. It is an older model. It still works great. But as they keep improving that tech, I've asked for a nice, shiny new Kindle e-reader. So that's this answer for me. We're going to throw this question out to the TriDot podcast audience. I'm very curious to hear: what is the number 1 tip-top item on your Christmas list? Whether it's triathlon-related or not, we'll pose this question to the Facebook group. We'll pose this question to the Community Hub. So go find the post asking you for your top item. Hint, hint. Can't wait to see what you have to say.

Main set theme: On to the main set. Going in 3…2…1…

Andrew: All right. Really excited at our main set to have two TriDot coaches help us craft our Christmas lists. And when we approached this, it was: are we helping people add things to their Christmas lists for other people to buy for them? Are we creating an episode that our listeners can suggest their family members listen to so they get ideas? And reality is, the people listening to this podcast are triathletes. So we are approaching this as these are, we are suggesting items to you to add to your Christmas list so that your friends and family can buy them for you. And the way we're going to do it is kind of go by price, right? And so we're going to start with stocking stuffers. What are just some great, maybe cheaper, smaller items that we all enjoy getting that are great stocking stuffers to suggest. And then we'll go kind of up the food chain in terms of how much money we're asking our loved ones to spend. And I can't wait to get into it and hear people say. But before we get to the actual items themselves, I just kind of want to pick both of your brains on what is your mindset when it comes to Christmas shopping as a triathlete? Is it like everything you're asking for is Christmas related? Is it kind of half and half? Do you ask for certain items, but withhold other items cause you want to buy them for yourself? Just in general, kind of blank canvas, whatever you want to say, what is your personal mindset when it comes to approaching Christmas as a triathlete and asking for things? Coach Chris?

Chris: I generally always try to recommend experiences over gadgets. But also anything that's like education related, because I feel like that sometimes is a more personal investment, so to speak. And so when I put stuff on, like, sometimes I might not prioritize something like that for myself, but if I put it on a wish list, or a gift list, that someone else might get me, it gives them something that is more meaningful than just another gadget or something. And then I feel like I got it from them, and it makes me really want to do it more. So I think anything that's, you know, education or a fun experience is usually what's put on my wish list.

Andrew: My personal answer here, I try to think about what are the items that I've wanted, but for whatever reason, either budget or just it hasn't been the next most important thing up, I haven't bought for myself. And so an example of that, like many, many Christmases back, my parents got me like one of the little Hyperice massage guns. I had wanted one forever, right? I had seen triathletes at the races with them. I had seen triathletes on social media with them. I didn't have one. And I just personally had not gotten to a place where I was willing to spend a couple hundred bucks to get myself one. And so it became a great Christmas present, right? So that's kind of my mindset is, like, what are the things that I really want, but I know I'm never going to sit down and actually buy for myself? And then you kind of get those things, right? And it's exciting to get those things. And for the person shopping for you, they're excited to give you those things. Coach Brandy, same question to you. What is your mindset when it comes to approaching your Christmas list as a triathlete at the holidays?

Brandy: The great thing about Christmas is that it's at the end of the year. So for us triathletes, it's also at the end of the season. So anything that's broken or anything that we know we really need–

Andrew: Hey, yeah.

Brandy: –that's a good time to ask for it. I'm not sure about everybody out there listening, but for me, I'm the only triathlete in my family, which means that my family has no idea what gifts, gadgets, anything that I need. So I found being very direct and just asking for what I want, giving them the information about what I want, I'm going to be more successful in actually receiving that, because they have no idea what a triathlete would need. So I'm very upfront. I'm open about anything that I get for Christmas, but I'm very upfront about my wants and my needs.

Andrew: I am curious about this: are there items, as a triathlete, you intentionally do not ask somebody else to buy for you, because you want to be in control of making sure you get that exact item – that's that exact size that fits you just so, and is that exact color scheme you want? Cause I found, I don't know about you guys, I found, even if I give somebody the exact details, the exact hyperlink to buy this exact thing, there can still be room for errors to be made if you're not buying it yourself. So on some gear items, I think that's okay. On others, you might want to be more in control. Are there things that you would recommend our audience just buy themselves and not ask for, for a reason kind of like that? Coach Brandy?

Brandy: I mean, I would say being super direct, and creating a list. I literally create a list with a color, the size, the brand, everything that I want. So, I'm much more likely to get exactly what I want. However, when it would come to, like, a kit, a racing kit, I'm very specific about the brand and the way that it feels on me. So if there was going to be an item, I would probably say that is the one I want to buy by myself.

Andrew: Yeah, and that's a great point, too. Cause, say, you get that kit, and it doesn't fit you how you thought, and you end up returning it. Well, then that person sees your race photos or your training photos, and they never see the kit that they bought you, right. And it's like, “Well, sorry, I returned it.” And no one wants their gift to get returned. So yeah, you just kind of avoid that. Totally get that. Coach Chris, anything extra you would add here?

Chris: Yeah. I mean, especially with things, even if you think the size might be perfect for you, anything that you don't need to try on like running shoes. Like I know the brand, the style that I always use, and the size I typically want, but I try to avoid putting those on my wishlist, just in case. You never know. Sometimes with an Amazon wishlist, you might have it to the exact size or whatever, but then it might be out of stock, and it might switch it over to something else. So I always worry about things like that. And generally, if there's something like that I really want to get, I'll just ask people for a gift card for that type of item. Like a local running store, they always do a gift card promo during the holiday season here in Chicago. And so, if I know I want a pair of shoes, I'll say, “Hey, just a gift card to this store.” That way they know they're buying me a pair of shoes, but then I can still go and pick out the color, and the size, and everything like that.

Andrew: Last question I want to ask before we get into our actual list. We all know at the time we're recording this, the time this podcast is posting, we just got through Cyber Monday, and Black Friday, and small business Saturday – all those different holiday week sales that we have here in North America. We're entering the Christmas season, and regardless of the holiday, regardless of the reason, there are loads of sales this time of year, right, from a variety of brands. Some are pretty meager, some are pretty major. So just for our triathletes listening, whether it's for their Christmas list or otherwise, just in general, what tips do you have for really capitalizing on the sales that come out this time of year? Coach Chris?

Chris: I always encourage people don't jump on those offers when you see them right away, because sometimes through your community – whether it's through TriDot, or a local club, or a coach that you work with – especially for triathlon related stuff, we oftentimes have relationships with certain brands where we get a team discount that might be even better than some of those promotions. So whenever I try to get people in the habit of, if you see an offer, don't jump on it, check with your team, check with your coach, because you might have a better offer there before you pull the trigger on that first email, or Instagram post, or whatever you see.

Andrew: Yeah. Coach Brandy?

Brandy: I think that's a great tip, Chris. For me, I would say reach out to the brand directly. If you've missed the sales, right, we're past Black Friday and Cyber Monday. So it doesn't hurt to send an email to the brand, and just say, “Hey, I want to buy X item, but I miss Black Friday. Are there any specials coming up or any deals that you might have?” I mean, the worst they're going to say is no, but you might get lucky, and they give you something different.

Andrew: Absolutely. My one additional tip here that I like to tell people is if there's something that you know you want, or there's a brand that you really like their stuff and you're just always eyeballing their stuff, just pay attention to what brand sales practices are so that you're not just throwing your holiday spending money on brands that run more sales more often. To me, you get more bang for the buck if you're capitalizing on the brands that that’s when they run their sales, and they run pretty good sales that time of year. So that's my thing there. Alright, let's have some fun. Let's do some retail therapy. Let's get into the list, and let's actually give our people some good ideas for what you can ask for for the holidays. We're going to start with stocking stuffers. Now, the traditional stocking stuffer is small enough to fit in a stocking. That's what makes it a stocking stuffer by definition. And usually those items are not as pricey. So keep that in mind as we're suggesting our stocking stuffers. Coach Chris, what is on your stocking stuffer possibilities list?

Chris: Well, one of my recent ones that I really liked was the – and this is plugging TriDot, but it can be really anything – is a transition towel, because those get worn down if you do a lot of races, and it's fun to have something that is a unique color. It can be something silly. It can be a unicorn, or a rainbow, or a certain brand, or bright color. And oftentimes, if you get that, or give that to somebody as a gift, they're actually likely to use it for that purpose.

Andrew: That’s so true, yeah.

Chris: I think a fun or silly towel of some kind is always helpful, or it can be for your trainer. If you're training indoors, you can use things like that for multiple purposes. And some fun or unique sports nutrition products, like flavors and things that you might not try otherwise–

Andrew: Yeah, I love that.

Chris: –or some new flavors or whatnot. I think small items like that, you can fill up a whole stocking with an endless amount of sports nutrition products. And you know, as a triathlete, you'll probably use that at some point pretty quickly. If not, you'll probably eat it as candy, even though you're not supposed to.

Andrew: I really like that suggestion, Chris, because I think we all get in the habit of just buying what we know and what we know we like. I think we're all open to trying different things, and it's fun to try different things, right? You can either go down to a local shop, right, and buy whatever's there and kind of get a variety of items. Or there's websites like The Feed, which I think most people are aware of these days, but thefeed.com, they're the one website that just has a ton of different brands, and they sell individual everything on there. So you can kind of stock up on a lot of different things to try. So really great suggestion, Chris, that I would not have thought of giving. Coach Brandy, same question over to you. Stocking stuffers that Chris didn't say there?

Brandy: For me, I'm huge about socks.

Andrew: Yes! Thank you.

Brandy: I think my family, they're very used to getting socks every Christmas in their stocking stuffer. Socks are a big, huge thing for me. TriDot has socks as well, and I have a pair of them. They fit so perfect in a stocking. The other thing that I always give to my family is bubble gum. So for me on race day, I'm constantly chewing a piece of bubble gum when I'm running so my mouth doesn’t get dry, so bubble gum in a stocking stuffer is great.

Andrew: I've never heard of that. That is very fascinating, Brandy, very fascinating. Socks is my number one thing here. I think the thing with athletic socks, there's so many brands these days that do really fun running and cycling socks and triathlon socks. So it's something that you can tell your loved ones, “I'm a size such-and-such. I like these 2, 3, 4 brands,” and then they can go pick whatever design speaks to them. And they feel like they have a creative input in what your gift is, but you're getting something that you're actually going to use and something that you actually want. And none of us can have too many running socks. So if you just are at a loss, tell your friends to get yourself small nutrition items. Tell your friends to get you new running socks. Any triathlete will be happy with that kind of stuff. In my family, guys, I'm notorious. My wife is much better at staying on budget than I am. I'm very horrible at overspending on things like this. And a problem I have with stocking stuffers is I will put things in her stocking that are small, but not cheap. So in my mind it’s like, “Oh, this is a stocking stuffer because it is small,” but it’s not cheap, right. A triathlon example of that would be like a Stryd Power Meter. That's not a stocking stuffer by price range, but it can go into stocking. So anyway, there's a lot of items like that that are small that fit in a stocking if you're like me and you're overspending on stockings. Anyway, my next category is under $50. I think there's a lot of scenarios where someone is looking to spend $50 or less on you. So let's talk about what are those items, that fall within that category, that make great things to ask for? Coach Brandy?

Brandy: So I found three different things in the under $50. One is going to be a custom t-shirt, right. You can have so much fun with custom t-shirts, and they can go for the triathlete or your support crew. Like a really cute one would say like “IronWife,” and it says, “I survived his training.” So those are just, and you could do so many different options with a custom t-shirt. You can find them on Etsy from like $18 to $25. The other one is bike lights. Safety is huge, right? So bike lights is a big thing for me; front, back, helmet, on the bike, everywhere. And those are usually around like $40. The other one is a Christmas ornament that can be customized; the swim, bike, run, it could have whatever race you've done, or you can gift it to a fellow triathlete that you know they just hit a big race for themselves. You can give that as a gift as well. And those, you can find them on Etsy for about $13 to $40.

Andrew: Yeah, really like that. And Brandy, even expanding on that in the customized field, if you go on Etsy and just type in “Triathlete,” “Triathlon,” there's going to be all sorts of stuff that comes up that people are customizing for triathletes. And it's things like medal holders for people's walls. Kyle Stone, TriDot coach from Pearland, Texas, shout out to Kyle Stone, after I finished IRONMAN Waco, he made me a Yeti tumbler that had my IRONMAN Waco finish time on it. I'm sure customized stuff like that on Etsy is usually under 50 bucks, but it's very personalized. And this is where my wife is the queen of Etsy gift giving. Because she, I know I already said we use the Giftful app, she will use that when she has to, but she loves nothing more than finding a personalized gift that will make you cry on the spot. And she's very gifted at it, and a lot of it comes from Etsy. And so for that triathlete in your life, if you go on Etsy and type in something like this, there's all sorts of things you can customize for the triathlete in your life that is going to make a big emotional, meaningful impact like Brandy is suggesting. So really like that, Brandy. Coach Chris over to you.

Chris: I think those are all fantastic items. Usually I'm big on bike safety, so I'm always recommending bike lights. And even if someone has a bike light already, there's always something newer, better, brighter. You can look at helmet lights instead of a light you mount on the bike. Or for runner’s lights; when they run this time of year, it's usually dark in the evenings and whatnot. So anything that's running safety or bike safety related, I think is really good. I like your medal holder idea. If we all do a lot of races, we all end up with tons of medals and probably never put them on display. So a customized Etsy gift holder. Or I like, recently I've done the Polar insulated bottles. You can order single ones customized and whatnot. So like a premium water bottle that is actually, like, personalized. And I've had a lot of athletes over the years that I've done things like that for, and they literally use the same water bottle for years and years and years, just because they like it and it's more personalized, even though we have way too many water bottles, I’m sure. And then, yeah. Other things that I like to have on this price range is education related stuff, or skill specific. So like with swimming, if people haven't yet gotten a centerline snorkel, or swim fins, or things like that, that we usually have with Pool School, I like to always encourage something that would be like a practical tool that will help enhance a training experience. I think Brandy already mentioned them, but premium, ultra-premium running socks. Sometimes I buy myself nice things, but I don't get the best or the highest-highest quality. So, pampering myself with a really high premium, but simple item, like a pair of running socks. Like Balega and Bally that, you know, these brands have really some of the best running socks out there, but they cost $20, $30 or more for a pair. So you might not think of getting that for yourself all the time, but that's a great gift as well.

Andrew: What I like and what I think about in the $50 and under category– there are so many odds and ends, like knick knacks, in our sport, right? Running has them, swimming has them, cycling has them, your pain cave has them. And things like – let's just take swimming first, right? Think about your pool tool bag, right? A good swim bag to hold your pool tools is probably between 20 and 50 bucks, right, to start with, and then all of those different fins you can get, the pole buoy, the snorkel sets, like all of it, the stretch bands that you need for TriDot Pool School. Anyway, all of that stuff is usually between 20 and 50 bucks, right? And so kind of look at your pool bag and see what you don't have that you would like to add to the pool bag. The hand paddles– and that's a great thing to ask for for Christmas. Same thing on the bike: all of those little bento boxes that can help you hold your nutrition, the funky bottle cages you can put between the aero bars or behind the saddle– all those things cost 40, 50, 60, 70 bucks, if they're carbon. So there's a lot of knick knacks like that across all three sports. For running, it's probably your handheld water bottles, and your flip belts, and your fancier, your nicer running hats are in this price range. And your pain cave; I already talked about the massage gun a little bit, but in this price range, there is all the different little balls, and all the different little paddles you can scrape along your muscles when they're sore, and all the different spiky-this, and different foam rollers. So I like this, in this $20 to $50 kind of range that family is usually looking to spend on somebody, look around at your knick knacks and see what are the holes in my triathlon knick knack repertoire, so to speak, and then throw some of those on your list. And it gives people the ability to buy the one for you that they think looks fun, right? So that's my addition to this price range. We're going to move on to the $50 to $100 category. Everybody has people in their lives that are looking to spend 50 to 100 bucks, so let's help those people out, because often, the knick knacks I'm talking about, the really good stuff gets pricier than this. So let's talk about it. Coach Chris?

Chris: I've got a couple of items on my list, and one is kind of what I actually ended up getting for myself this year when I signed up to do a long distance gravel race, the UNBOUND 200, and I needed a better headlight for my bike. So it's a similar thing we mentioned, a bike light, but one that can actually light up the road, not just make you visible. So not necessarily safety focus, but actually your own visibility, and from a performance standpoint, being able to see in the pitch black of night, if you do any of the events that are in the evening, I think is a nice upgrade from a typical light. But I think also, in this price range, I also like practical training technology items, like a nicer heart rate monitor, something to really get someone to have accurate heart rate data. I like to geek out on all my sports tech, having a metabolic lab, but getting someone to kind of upgrade from an optical heart rate monitor to a chest strap is something I like in this price range. And for the pain cave, sweat-proof headphones, I do a lot of training on the trainer, and sweat through and damage a lot of headphones, or earbuds, or whatnot. And there's some great ones. Recently I found the JBL Endurance Run 2. It's like, I think it's actually just $20, it might be even cheaper, but it's–

Andrew: A stocking stuffer! A stocking stuffer!

Chris: –a true sweat-proof. Yeah, it's a stocking stuffer probably still, but there's some in that price range. There's other headphones like that, I think, that are great as well.

Andrew: I'm the guy who would buy the $150 Aeropex sweat-proof bone conduction headphones, and it's so small I call it a stocking stuffer and throw it in the stocking. But again, that's a me problem. Brandy, same question over to you, $50 to $100 range?

Brandy: So one of them was the metal rack for displaying the medals that you've earned. The one that I liked with that one was the “Always earned, never given,” it's etched in the actual metal rack. But a TriDot gift card, that's always great. You can go into the TriDot store, you can get a gift card, send it to your athletes and let them spend it how they want to, right. Something that's around $50 to $100, gift cards are always a go-to for me. But another great one is like a transition bag. So like I have the Blue70 transition bag, right? That bag goes with me when I travel to races. That is my carry-on. It's got everything I need for race day in case, God forbid, my luggage gets lost. I can still race, cause I've got it with me on the plane. So a good transition bag is what I would put in this category.

Andrew: I have not met somebody who doesn't like getting a gift card. And I love it in this price range, Brandy, because when you get like a $20 gift card, and there's going to be things and occasions where that's fine and appreciated, but largely, you can't really buy something super meaningful. It doesn't put that big of a dent in what you were trying to buy for yourself with 20 bucks. But you get a gift card for 50 bucks, 75 bucks, 100 bucks, and what my mindset goes to, as a consumer, I find a $300 item on sale for $200 and I have a $100 gift card, suddenly I just got that item for $100, right?

Brandy: Exactly.

Andrew: I love that. I love it! So yeah, I love gift cards, and gift cards as a consumer. If someone just gives me 100 bucks, there's a decent chance it ends up going to a tank of gas or something, or towards a Target or grocery store run for the family. But if you give me a gift card to the TriDot store, a running store, ROKA's website, something that there's a lot there a triathlete could want, they have to spend it there, and that's great.

Chris: I'll mention an alternative there, too. Like if people don't like giving a gift card, if they don't want to get just a generic gift card, they want something a little more personal. I coach with a lot of charity athletes, and they have fundraisers. And so sometimes, just making a donation to their fundraiser shows that you're paying attention to their training and their journey and you want to support them. So this time of year, I know a lot of people are finishing up. We just had Giving Tuesday, end of the year donations are trying to get to their targets by the end of the year. Or, in a lot of cases, they're signing up with new charities for the new year, and they might be training for a new event, like a big A-race or a goal that they're doing with a charity team. So getting them started on their fundraising for the new year I think is always a good alternative if you don't want to do just the standard gift card thing. But this price range is perfect for those types of donations, too.

Andrew: Really agree. And that's a great, great, great point. I mean, there's a ton of athletes in the TriDot family that race specifically raising money for certain charities, and every single one of them would be pounding the table agreeing with you, I'm sure. And at a certain point, they'd probably rather have that, right, have that happen than get another pair of running socks. So, really great addition there, Chris. The one thing I'll say about this price range without giving any more tangible items, this to me is the price range where all of the items we mentioned as stocking stuffers or under $50, you can get a good version of those items for under 50, or you can get a high-end version of those items for over 50, right? And so, I gave the example of bottle cages. You can get somebody a fun bottle cage that matches their bike. It can even be an aero bottle cage for under 50 bucks. But to get them the carbon version of that, that's lighter and sexier, is usually 70 bucks, right? This is the price range where, if there's something you're wanting and you know there's somebody in your family who's interested in spending a little more on you, this is where you can splurge on the higher-end version of a lot of the items. This is also the price range where I like asking for things that I already have but need more of. So for example, we all go through a couple of pairs of tri shorts per week, just spinning on the trainer, doing our TriDot workouts on the trainer. And if I've worn a pair or two down, or a pair of swim jammers, I've worn a pair or two down, I'm down to one pair, I need to restock on swim jammers, or run shirts. If there's something like that, that I've run down on my stock of, hey, pick me up just another pair of swim jammers that cost 60 bucks, 50 bucks, 70 bucks, whatever. I kind of use this price range to restock on items like that sometimes, moving on up to the next price range, your loved ones who really love you might be looking to spend somewhere between $100 and $300. I almost went over that. I almost decided to make this range $100 to $500, but at a certain point, I mean, to me, if you're crossing over the $300 threshold, like you're looking to spend some serious money on somebody, so that's a different conversation. So this is the $100 to $300 price range. And this is where you get into some really fun items to buy or ask for. Coach Chris, what do you have in this price range?

Chris: Oh, there's a lot of items in this price range, but I would say as a triathlete, this is where you can get really good with the best bang for your buck on performance improvements. So getting like a premium aero helmet; helmets do wear down, the foam and whatnot, so getting a new helmet every couple of years. Or upgrading a triathlon kit to the more premium triathlon kit, the aero kit for free speed. You'll get more bang for your buck on a helmet, or a kit, than you will a new bike frame in terms of performance. So I think those are big. And then, a lot of the sports tech gadgets are really in this range. Whether it's like the FORM swim goggles, so you can train with cadence and heart rate when you're swimming, or stride power meter to get power data when you're running and kind of more accuracy there. But I think this is also a great range for experiences. So end of the season, getting a nice massage, going in and getting any type of service, personal training, work on strength training or Pilates. I run a metabolic lab, so VO2 testing, metabolic testing, that sort of thing. I think this is a great range for that kind of experience gift as well.

Andrew: Yup, yeah, I totally agree there. And I think there's a lot of triathletes that are interested in metabolic testing, getting sweat rate testing done, getting a run gate analysis, getting a swim stroke analysis. I mean, all those kinds of things usually fall in this range. And it kind of goes back to the thing I said earlier in the main set, like, those are things I think a lot of people are interested in, but just haven't brought themselves to pull the trigger on for themselves. And so if you open up a small Christmas present, and inside is a gift card, or a prepaid pass, to go get a bike fit with Coach Chris in Chicago, that's great. That's great to see. So yeah, absolutely love the inclusion of testing here. You also mentioned FORM Swim goggles, which are fantastic, by the way; highly recommend FORM Swim goggles. It made me think of goggles as a stocking stuffer, kind of the same thing as socks. We all usually have our go-to brands, but if a loved one just went to Dick's Sporting Goods, and bought a nice-ish pair of swim goggles, and put them in my stocking, like, I’d try them. And you never know, you might like them more than the ones you thought you liked the best. And so it's kind of like a $10, $15, $20, $30, $40 item that is no harm in buying your triathlete loved one another version of. Anyway, I'm taking this back 4 steps, but I just wanted to throw a swim goggles in there as a good-to-decent stocking stuffer. Coach Brandy?

Brandy: With Chris's running background, I'm surprised he didn't say running shoes, right? This is the end of the season; how much mileage did we put on our shoes? And this is a great time to get a new pair of shoes, break them in, and then–

Andrew: A pair of race shoes.

Brandy: Yeah. So for me, running shoes is huge, obviously a good pair. Like I have the Hoka Cliftons, like $250, right, depending on where you buy it, when you buy them. So for me, running shoes is a really, really big one. The other one is sunglasses. Anybody who knows me knows I have a ton of sunglasses, and I could never have enough. So, like, there's a pair of Rudy's, they're called the Stardash. And so I like, not eclectic, but older styles, right? So they're almost like the Ray-Ban, but they have a white rim, and they come with changeable lenses. So you could change the color in the lens. And so I would love a pair of the Rudy Stardash glasses, and those are about $250.

Andrew: A lot of great things that you guys are pointing out here. This is also where, if you're a more of a budget triathlete or just now getting into the sport, this is kind of the price range where you can get your first of a lot of stuff, right? If you are new to the sport and, cause I was this way, and you've done a couple, maybe, pool indoor triathlons, and you need a wetsuit, or a swim skin, and you just don't have that yet in your arsenal, you can start getting the, not low-ends, but low-end to mid-range of a lot of those items, right? The sleeveless wetsuits, or the swim skins, or sometimes even a used more aero set of wheels for your bike, a used smart trainer for your indoor bike training. If you're kind of in that spot, where you're still collecting all of the necessity items, between $100 and $300, I mean, I used Christmas every year to buy my next training upgrade for the first 4 or 5 years I was in the sport. So definitely be thinking about those kinds of items if you're in that phase where you're still getting the essentials for the sport. And like Chris said, you might have a basic bike helmet, or you might have a basic activity tracker of some kind – this is where you can ask for a nicer version of those items if you’re in the sport. One thing I forgot to mention, I’m having so many thoughts as we are talking. Going back a step to like $50 to $100, I don't want to bypass bike tools. That's where you can ask for a nicer bike pump. That's where you can start asking for some essential tools to help you maintain your bike at home. And in this price range, $100 to $300, the last thing I picked up personally that's in this price range, I just saw on Craigslist a used Park Tool bike stand, mechanic stand. It was one that retails for like $400, and this lady was selling it for $150, barely used. And I pounced, I didn't need it-need it, but that's a great pickup for $150. And so a lot of those at-home helping-you-maintain-your-bike-equipment kind of items are in this price range, too. Moving us to the next category, I've got the next category as $300 to $1,000. Coach Chris, what can we ask for in this price range?

Chris: Oh, this is where I get the really nice stuff. The Garmin bike computers, like the really premium bike computers. I saw Wahoo just came out with a new one too, ones that have now bells built into them. So for bike safety, those are kind of nice items as well. Or I just got last year, the Garmin bike light, radar, and camera all-in-one, ultra premium, but it's three things in one, basically. I think it's the RCT 715, the model number that I remember. And actually, what you just mentioned, the bike work stand. One of my favorite things that I got recently, and I need to replace ‘cause part of it broke, is a bike travel case that has a built-in bike stand. So when you travel to races, it folds out into its own work stand. So you can put your bike together more easily. So those ultra premium, like a bike travel case, especially if you're doing destination races, and you don't have a Tri bike transport type of service anymore to get your bike to the destination.

Andrew: Yeah, great thing to ask for in this price range. Yeah, absolutely.

Chris: And this is also for a cyclist, the range where you start getting into training with power. So getting like bike power pedals, or like a crank arm-based power meter. I know 4iiii is one company that has a power meter that goes on your crank arm of your bike, but it also is an Apple tracker, a smart tracker. So if people are worried about bike theft and whatnot, it's a way you can track your bike when you travel, or through airports, it's basically a luggage tracker, essentially, for your bike. So little things like that, I think are really nice. Or if people are going into the indoor training season, this is a good range for really nice pain cave upgrades, whether it's getting, like, a new TV or the super fancy heart rate-controlled cooling fans. You can get pretty creative with things that really can be utilized on a daily basis in this price range.

Andrew: And you've got the, along those lines, things like the indoor rocker plates are often in this price range. Wahoo has their Climb that you can mount your bike, and it's going to change the elevation on your bike. So, a lot of indoor training gadgets and gizmos are in this price range. If someone wants their first smart trainer, absolutely in this price range. If somebody, honestly, if somebody needs a multi-sport watch, right, to actually track. You can find some stuff less than $300, but if you're not latching on any of the other ideas, the nice ones are $500, $600, $700 these days, right? And so if you want a nice multi-sport watch that has all the bells and whistles, or future proof you for the next decade until the battery on it dies, a top tier watch is a good thing to add here. And you mentioned the bike travel case. I mean, that was something I, for Christmas, got a couple of years ago, was a bike travel case. So that's spot on in this price range, even on sale, often in this price range. Lots of good stuff, suggestions there from Chris. Brandy, over to you. What do you like between $300 and $1,000?

Brandy: Well, being the director of TriDot Pool School, of course, I'm going to say Pool School for anybody who has not done it.

Andrew: Yeah, you are!

Brandy: Yeah. $599, it's amazing. It will totally change everything about you in the water. You'll be more confident. You'll be more efficient. You'll be faster. It's a wonderful experience. It's a weekend experience. And for a gift in this price range, what I would say, if you are an athlete and you really want to do something like TriDot Pool School, or the other one for me is going to be a Garmin epix Pro. I'm the kind of person where I'm going to put it into my family, and I'm going to say, here's me being direct, “This is how much it costs. Who wants to pay what and help me get there?” Right? So, I mean, when it's a bigger ticket item price, yeah, if you, your spouse, your loved one – I've got 3 adult children. So if there's something that's 600 bucks, I'm going to be like, “Hey, each of you can pay $200 and send mama somewhere.”

Andrew: And Brandy, that's a really underrated point in this conversation that I would not have thought of to say, so that's why I'm stopping to highlight that. As we're getting into this price range, if you're out there listening and you don't have a smart trainer for indoor training, or you don't have a multi-sport watch, and there's not one person in your life that has the budget to get you a $500 multi-sport watch – if there's an item like this and there's just not one person that can make it happen – that is a great thought, Brandy, to pull your people together and say, “Listen, guys, listen. I'm being so serious right now. All I want for Christmas, all I want for Christmas is this one freaking thing between the 4 of you, the 9 of you, the 12 of you, like nobody buy me anything else, please, please. Even if all you do is everybody gives me 9 gift cards towards this thing and that covers part of it, just help me get this one thing.” That is a really great idea for a lot of people as we start looking at these big items, because these big items, they have a big price tag for a reason. They can make a big difference, right? TriDot Pool School can make a big difference in your swim.

Brandy: Absolutely.

Andrew: An indoor smart trainer will make a huge difference to your quality of training on the bike. A $1,000 wetsuit will make a huge difference to your race performance in open water versus a cheap one. So we're talking about big ticket items that make a big difference. Anyway, sorry, Brandy, please continue.

Brandy: Yeah, no, no, it's great. The other one for me is the Garmin, obviously, we were talking about smart watches. So for me, the Garmin epix Pro, like I just recently got one. It is amazing. As I'm getting older, my eyes are not great. So it's a big face watch, it’s a touch face watch. It can do so much for you. It has all the classic Garmin features, but it also has a very long battery life. So for those of us using Garmin and you have to constantly charge your watch all the time, the battery life in this watch is amazing. I could use it for 8 days, including my training, and not even have to worry about it. The other thing is that it has a flashlight in it, right? So you can turn it on, and it'll do the actual flashlight. So you can be walking in, and it helps you fine. Or it does the red flashing, so it's more safety, again. The seasons are changing where it's darker a lot more, so you can have that flashing when you're out running so people can actually see you. I know where I'm at it's pretty rural, so we don't have sidewalks. We have street and dirt. So it is great to have that flashing. So people driving towards me can see that, hey, there's something out here, somebody's out here. For me, it would be the Garmin epix Pro.

Andrew: One more thing I think of in this $300 to $1,000 price range is, like race wheels usually cost more than this, but there's a lot of other ways to buy speed on your bike in this price range, right. Between $300 and $1,000, you can get a full-on integrated carbon cockpit for this price. You can start getting ceramic pulleys, the sexy, good-looking, oversized, ceramic pulley wheels and ceramic bearings. You can start getting aerodynamic brakes, and attachments, and add-ons to your bike. This is where you can start really scouring the market on ways to upgrade your bike. All the pros, you see the pros riding with these beautiful full arm extension, full arm padded – TriRig sells them, Drag2Zero sells them – there's a couple of brands that have those really comfortable full-on arm bars, that you just buy the bars and add them. Those are usually in this price range. So a lot of the comfort and speed on the bike you can start getting in this $300 to $1,000 price range.

Chris: Yeah, and actually a good thing to plug with that too, when you're getting something like the aero bars, like new aero bars especially, make sure that you get fitted for that properly, like bundling it with the ultra premium, like a RETÜL 3D motion capture-type of bike fit so that you're making sure you're getting the right fit with everything of those.

Andrew: Great point, great point.

Chris: So that could be a good way to bundle it, as like, buy the bike fit, and then include, like, “Hey, I'll be paying for a new cockpit for your bike” or this-or-that upgrade, new crank set, power meter, whatever it might be. So yeah, or kind of in this price range, actually, in some areas, you can find out, like, wind tunnel testing experience.

Andrew: Hey!

Chris: 3D virtual wind tunnel bike fit, like those types of things are a lot of, again, free speed, but something that will benefit you for years to come.

Andrew: Yep. Two things I'm going to say here before I move us on to the next price category is, one, this is where I kind of give the disclaimer, that if you're coming into the sport and trying to collect all the essentials, the last price range – $100 to $300 – is where you can start getting entry level and a lot of the essential gear, whether it's the wetsuits, or the bike computers, or the multi-sport watches. And this is where you get the nice wetsuits, and the nice watches, and the nice all-of-those essential gear, right. If you're new to the sport, and you have more budget, and you need your first wetsuit, cool. You can ask for a nice wetsuit, straight out of the gate, as your first one. But this is a spot where, if you've been in a sport for a little while and you're itching to upgrade any of those items – swim skins, wetsuits, aero wheels – you can start one-by-one asking for those upgrades in this price range very often. That's the first thing I wanted to add. The second thing I want to add here, Chris mentioned performance testing in our $100 to $300 price range, but this is where, if an athlete – if you're kind of on the pointy end of the spectrum, or you just want to learn more about your body – this is where you can do a lot of the InsideTracker blood tracking, or a variety of other companies that do blood panels and can teach you about your body and its needs based on that blood panel. So there's a lot of services that sell trackers that attach to your body and help you track a variety of things. And usually, if you buy one of them, it's in the cheaper price range. But if you really want to go all in on using their services throughout a season, you're in this price range of $300 to $1000.

Chris: In the whole biosensor world, there's a lot of sweat sensors, and body temperature sensors, and new technology that's coming out, and a lot of them, like you mentioned, are good bundles. I do a lot of sweat testing, like active sweat rate testing, but there's also the static testing, like the Precision Fuel & Hydration sweat testing, the sodium concentration testing, where you could do bundles – do sweat testing and something else. Like with metabolic testing, we oftentimes do active and resting metabolic rate testing in one appointment, or fat max testing. And so you can spend like a half day with a local industry expert and have a premium experience in that regard. But actually, one thing that you got me thinking about too, if you have any athletes, especially as we get older and we worry about things like heart health, like one heart rate monitor that I recommend to a few athletes, the Frontier X2, there's like a live EKG tracking of all your activities and can do a vibration alert if your respiratory rate goes too high and things like that. So it's something that's heart health focused, but it's an ultra premium piece of sports tech.

Andrew: Yeah, great mention.

Chris: Those are anything, like heart health related, I think it is a good gift, as well. Like any EKG, like the fancy weight scales that now have the built-in EKG that you can do. There's some really nice thoughtful gifts for anyone that has any health, or family history of, heart health concerns. I think that this is a place you can actually get a very meaningful gift, as well.

Andrew: Great ad there, Chris. This is also the price range where you start getting into the compression boots. There's a variety of those on the market now. I saw on social media just the other day, Normatec is putting out a shoe, I think with Nike, that has the Normatec compression boot technology in a recovery shoe for your foot. I didn't click on it. I didn't read it. I didn't watch a video. I just saw the post, I was like, wow. So there's all sorts of now – like 5 years ago, like everybody was just buying the boots, and now there's just so many. There's a huge variety in the different attachments, and different shapes, and things that are just TENS machines for your calves, or your this, or your that. But anything that is where tech meets active recovery, you start getting into this price range. And so there's a lot of recovery doodads, and gadgets, and gizmos without mentioning any one particular thing that you can start scouting out and asking for in this price range.

Chris: Like the ice baths, or like the massage guns that are heat and cooling. So massage boots, you're seeing heating and cooling built into those. Like there's some really, really fancy stuff out there.

Andrew: Alright so now, guys, we're in the home stretch here, and we're getting into some serious price tags, but over $1,000. If we have a loved one that we know is wanting to spend over $1,000, first of all, what do you do for a living? And second of all, can you adopt me? But if that's your family's vibe here on Christmas – or, like Brandy said, if you got a lot of friends who are going to pull together on one big gift for you, somebody who's looking for a big ticket item to make a big difference on their training – when we're spending over $1,000, what are we asking for? Coach Brandy?

Brandy: I would say a race entry, right? Race entries are not cheap. We're going to pay a lot of money, either a full or a half. So, if there's somebody out there who wants me to go to a certain race, you want to pay for my entry, please let me know. Absolutely.

Andrew: Greece, yeah. Pay for Brandy's half Ironman Greece registration.

Brandy: Exactly.

Chris: Or a fancy hotel upgrade. That would be real nice in this price range.

Brandy: Yeah, exactly. And the other one, we've been talking about wetsuits, but like your very top of the line wetsuits are going to run over $1,000, like the ROKA Maverick, right? That's $1,200. I mean, there's a reason why Lucy Charles-Barclay has it and uses it. They're the top of the line. And so if you have a place where you want to go, and it's cold, and you're going to need the top of the top-of-the-line wetsuit, and you can afford it or somebody can buy it for you, definitely invest in a really good wetsuit. They will last a long time if you take really good care of them. Obviously I'm about the swimming, and so we want to see you successful in the water, and get out, and feeling refreshed.

Andrew: All great stuff. Coach Chris, in this price range, what are you looking at?

Chris: Oh, I always like a new pair of race wheels, like the top of the line, high performance race wheels, on my bike all the time and racing. So it's something I can use in training and racing, and it makes me faster. So I think that's always at the top of the list in this price range. Also an indoor smart bike, getting one of those, the Wahoo KICKR BIKE or the Tacx, the Garmin bike, that's something that cleans up your home training environment. It's a smaller footprint. You don't have to worry about putting your bike on and off. So I think those types of investments in your own training, with the higher end. Or, a couple of years ago, I got the Hydrow rowing machine, like the really nice, high-end equipment.

Andrew: Cool, yeah!

Chris: You can really get creative with a lot of different options in this price range. Or, if you want to go crazy with those Garmin watches, now the Garmin watches over $1,000, that it would be, like, the Garmin to end all Garmins, the one watch you'll use for the rest of your life, probably. But yeah, I think that there's lots of fun options in this price range, as well.

Andrew: Yeah, and Chris, I actually have Garmin’s indoor smart bike, and I love it. I love it. I really got interested in that when I got my Diamond bike, and I just didn't want to have my beautiful high-end Diamond bike be being sweated on a trainer all day, every day. And I just kind of had the funds and got it. And yeah, just to hop on that. Cause those machines are just built for you to hop on and start riding, right? They're just wonderfully integrated, protects the investment of your bikes. And treadmills go along the same line, right? You can absolutely get a treadmill for under $1,000, but honestly a good one that's really going to future-proof you, that you will be happy for years, and years, and years, and years, they're usually in this $1,000 to $2,000 to $3,000 price range. I have a pretty decent treadmill, and Wahoo just put out a new one that looks wonderful that integrates with Zwift and like, I'm like, “Man, I want that one now,” but I already have a perfectly usable one. And something we haven't talked about yet, but works in this price range, and even the price ranges we've already talked about, is strength training items, right? Between $300 and $1,000 dollars or over $1,000, you can have a loved one buy you a whole full-on indoor training kit. Or, “Hey, update my dumbbell collection, update my kettlebell collection.” You can really add some home fitness equipment to the pain cave, $300 to $1000 dollars, $1,000+. So I'm gonna mention that one here, as well. Big ticket items. We're going to end the main set with this. I'm talking, like, money's no object, right? And I only asked this, because there's a local Facebook group I'm a part of for Dallas/Fort Worth area athletes. And I saw a lady post this question, and she literally said, “Hey, guys. Christmas is coming up and my husband has asked me what I want. We have a budget where money's ‘whatever’. I have everything. I have everything I can think of in the triathlon space. I literally cannot think of what to buy. What should I ask for?” And people were lobbing stuff out left and right. And then it's just like, “Good for you. Good for you. Have everything. And money's no object on whatever you buy next.” So, hey, there's people out there that fall in this category. So big ticket items, if there's someone out there who's looking to just dream big, and wants to make a big splash on the holidays and gift forum, what are some possibilities here? Coach Brandy?

Brandy: For me, I would say build me a gym, right?

Andrew: Yeah, cool!

Brandy: At home, I have a Peloton. I believe, like you, I don't want to do all my training on my Time Trial, because it's a lot of wear and tear. So I have a Peloton, but I mean, if you want to give me the ultimate-ultimate, I have a spare room, you can buy me a treadmill, and the weights, and a new Peloton, and, like, just build me an indoor training gym. That would be my ultimate.

Andrew: Yep. Super cool. Coach Chris?

Chris: Yeah. I mean, that's on the top of my wishlist, is actually the new Wahoo treadmill, which is, I think, like, a $4,000 treadmill.

Andrew: I want it, Chris. I want it. I want it.

Chris: And an endless pool. You know, if you have a pool at home and get those endless pools you can install on your own pool, or actually, like, build it’s own pool–

Andrew: That's a great ad here. Yeah, that's great.

Chris: –you know, an endless pool. But I think this is where you get to the experience, the premium experience category, as well. Whether it's a racecation, or a training camp with a celebrity legendary coach of some kind. I've done many, many bike trips, and vacations, and training camps over the years, like one in Australia, where I was watching the Tour Down Under, kind of like a Tour de France, racecation, or just vacation. And I did one in Switzerland, but I went to the UCI Cycling World Headquarters and got to ride on the velodrome, and the pump track, and BMX, and bike up mountains. Those are once-in-a-lifetime type of experiences, that I always say it's a better investment of your money to get those really memorable experiences, because you're going to remember that for the rest of your life, versus just getting some physical item, as well. That would be, if money was no object, I would probably move to Hawaii and train with Crowie and the other coaches that are out there all the time.

Andrew: And sometimes, Chris, it's not even like, “Hey, let's spend all this money right now at Christmas time. For my Christmas present, you have to buy me the flights and do this and do that.” For a lot of triathletes, if I say, “Man, my dream is to go do Challenge Roth,” or “Escape from Alcatraz,” and my loved one knows that – like 70.3 Greece, for Brandy – and my loved one knows that, a lot of times for Christmas, you give me permission, you give me the “Yes, we're going to make this happen,” and you buy one thing – “Let's register for the race,” or “Let's get the plane flights,” – and that's the Christmas present. And then between now and the event, you can slow play all the other purchases that will be involved. But the Christmas present could just be the verbal yes and one purchase that gets going a step in that direction. And Brandy's like, “Yes, please send me to Greece.”

Brandy: Yes, please send me to Greece. And while you're at it, you have to do the VIP.

Chris: Those VIP upgrades at races, sometimes you don't want to spend the money on that, buy it for somebody. They'll be very, very thankful for that. Or I've had – I’m being biased as a coach, but obviously a lot of people have actually bought, for their significant others, coaching, private coaching for the year.

Andrew: Thank you for saying that.

Chris: But for me, I wouldn't mind getting coached by another legendary coach, that would be awesome. But anything that a triathlete uses a lot; we train a lot. I was going to plug the final thing, but gym memberships. A really nice high-end gym, you know, that beautiful swimming pool you want to have access to, like that's where you could really get crazy with some of these big ticket items, as well. Again, a little more experience or training focused, but I think those are the gifts that keep on giving. Because it's something that people will use literally every day for the whole year.

Cool down theme: Great set everyone! Let’s cool down.

Vanessa Ronksley: Welcome one and all. It is cool down time. And I'm Vanessa, your average triathlete with elite level enthusiasm. I am sure that many from the TriDot community are familiar with our guest today, who is not only a TriDot coach, but also an elite age group athlete. The one and only Lauren LeBlanc. Lauren is a three-time USAT All-American and four-time 70.3 World Championship qualifier, in addition to placing third overall at Clash Daytona in 2022. Lauren got her coach bug from being the cockswain for the Grand Valley State Crew team in college, and she has now brought over her wide array of skills to triathlon. Lauren specializes in athletes with busy schedules who need to balance everything out, in addition to those with complex medical needs, given that she's a Physician's Assistant in cardiology. Lauren lives in Michigan with her husband, her two little boys, and their adorable golden retriever puppy. Welcome to the cool down, Lauren.

Lauren LeBlanc: Thanks. So happy to be here. Great to see you.

Vanessa: Something that most people don't know about you is that you recently acquired a new skill. So what is this?

Lauren: So I always swore I was never going to ski. I didn't grow up skiing, and I thought it’s just a really good way to wreck your knees. However, living where I live in Michigan, we have a few ski hills actually near us, and we like to go up north. I have 2 little boys who love skiing, and have been on skis since they were 2 and 3 years old. So I started learning right along with them. So I'm not going to say I'm good, and I definitely am not fast, but I can get down the hills safely, and we have a really good time out there together as a family.

Vanessa: You know, I think that there's a lot of credit that goes to anyone who picks up skiing as an adult, because it is so much harder to learn as an adult than it is as a child.

Lauren: Yeah, they go flying by me, and they're like, “See you later.”

Vanessa: Yeah, exactly.

Lauren: It's the only thing I don't mind losing.

Vanessa: Yeah, right! And you're in your snow plow, and they're just busting down the hill.

Lauren: I just sashay from side to side, lots of turns.

Vanessa: What tip do you have for us today?

Lauren: I think it's important for all of us – as athletes, we always talk about the hurt locker or getting into the hurt. I think it's important for us to have a way to manage that pain effectively while still staying focused and engaged on the task at hand. You don't necessarily want to distract yourself, but you do want to have a way to cope with what you're putting yourself through. I was reading a race recap from Emma Bates, she's obviously a marathoner for the U.S., very good, and she was talking about how she often dances with the pain. And that really has stuck with me. When you're out on the dance floor and you're young, and excited, and a good song is on, it doesn't matter how much your legs are burning from jumping up and down, or doing whatever crazy stuff you're doing on the dance floor, you keep pushing through, because you're so excited and your body is fully engaged in this activity. So I started kind of thinking about it that way, where, when that burn comes on, rather than taking it as this negative, and then your body starts mentally going in this negative direction, taking it as sort of a positive, and letting it fill you with excitement and kind of turning on all those nerves and muscles to help you get through it.

Vanessa: That is a really good mental picture to have when you start to feel that burn and to change it into the positive, because I know I really like dancing.

Lauren: Me too.

Vanessa: It's one of the best things in the whole world, and you're right. Like, you’re happy, you’re jumping around. It's exercise. You don't want it to end. That's the thing. Like, you don't want that dancing to end. And so, if we can approach our racing in the same way, like you don't want that burn to end, and to just embrace it, embrace that, then you're going to be way more successful. And I really appreciate this tip, because I think this is something that I know I struggle with, is getting to that point. Like, allowing myself to push myself to that point of being able to feel that pain and then embrace it. So I think that this is a really valuable tip.

Lauren: Awesome, yeah, some of those really long threshold intervals – and we'll kind of build into those intervals where the first, maybe, 6 minutes are low-end of thresholds, and then as you get into that, maybe 12 minutes in, 14 minutes in, it does start to burn. And so instead, I just kind of think to myself like, okay, you want to tango? Let's tango.

Vanessa: Love it. Yes. And so now, we'll probably start seeing some little tattoos on, maybe, a wrist or a hand that say ‘Cha-cha’ or ‘Tango’.

Lauren: Yes! Maybe I'll just get a little one that says ‘Let's dance’ right along my thumb so I can see it in the aero bars.

Outro: Thanks for joining us. Make sure to subscribe and share the TriDot podcast with your triathlon crew. For more great tri content and community, connect with us on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Ready to optimize your training? Head to tridot.com and start your free trial today! TriDot – the obvious and automatic choice for triathlon training.

‍