Episode # 140 Racing your race!

In this episode we chat about the Women's race at the Ironman World Championships and what take aways athletes can use in any race. We explored the importance of adapting race strategies to environmental conditions and personal limits, emphasizing the value of pacing, self-regulation, and tactical decision-making during competitions. We also discussed the benefits of multi-sport training, shared experiences with recent races, and highlighted the need for athletes to develop strategies that balance fitness levels with race-specific demands.

Episode #139 Intensity control in triathlon training

In this Episode Jesse is joined by Cameron Lamont, Head coach of the Wildcats Triathlon Team. They chat about how they use intensity control with the team, and go into how each of them use it with there individual athletes they coach. They end up chatting about intensity control coupled with intuitive training, all in all a really fun chat!

Jesse Vondracek - https://topsteptraining.com/

Cameron Lamont - https://cams-world.de/

Episode #138 Triathlon Training through Pregnancy

Jesse and Marilyn are joined by Emily Machiela-Leestman to share her story on training during pregnancy and postpartum. She is an open book and shares her story including miscarriages, pregnancy, and getting back to sport as well as offering advice for other women facing similar challenges. We know this process is extremely individual, but Emily offers great insights on what worked for her and she has some great take aways for daily practices for physical and emotional well-being that everyone can learn from!

Episode #137 Swim Block training for triathletes

In this Episode I am joined by a blast from the past - Elliot is back! Elliot and I dive into block training and how it can be effective and we seemed to really deep dive into this idea with the swim, we head down a few other tangents on the swim, a fun episode, not for the linear listener!!

Episode # 136 The Fartlek Run Workout

The Fartlek Run Workout for triathletes - a personal favorite of mine. My running partners will affectionately remember them as "a few strides" until after the workout starts and I tell them the plan. In this episode we dive into the Fartlek run workout and how you can use it in your training effectively. A great listen for understanding the nuance of building a fartlek workout.

Readiness for performance isn’t a simple checklist of fitness metrics or generic data points. It’s personal, layered, and often emotional. It evolves as we do—shaped by age, experience, setbacks, and growth.

Episode # 134

In this edition of “The 99%,” Marilyn sits down with two longtime friends, athletes, and training partners—Eddie Fishman and Gary Allen—to talk about endurance sport, diabetes, and the delicate balance between performance and health. What unfolds is a raw, insightful, and powerful conversation that transcends diagnosis and dives deep into self-awareness, adaptation, and the athlete’s mindset.

Episode #133 Open Water Swim Skills

In this Episode Marilyn and Jesse chat about going from swimming in the pool to swimming in open water. We go into ways to mimic open water in the pool and some skills you can work on in the pool to get better at open water swimming, after all how you swim in open water is really the only benchmark of success! Enjoy -

Marilyn -- swim resources

Jesse -- Top Step Training