JMT 042 Megan Pennington @megjpenn

After a rough 2017 season that ended early with an injury, Megan was determined to make 2018 her comeback year. That was an understatement! With an overall win at the Patriot 1/2 Triathlon, an age-group win (and Kona qualifier) at Ironman Lake Placid, she went to the big island and then set a PR!! She did all this while still being an amazing Mom, a loving wife, and a triathlon coach to both adults and children. Go follow Megan for motivation and positivity and lots of smiles!

Today I had the honor to chat with Eddie Vega; NYC Firefighter and President of the FDNY Triathlon Team...a group of badass men and women who risk their lives every day to keep us safe, while also finding time to crush it on the race course. We chat about the origins of the team and how the crazy schedule of a firefighter and EMT is not conducive to triathlon training...yet somehow they get it done!! www.fdnytri.com #jaymactris

I am stoked to be racing with Team Triumph this year and into the 2019 Tri season. There are many reasons...from the amazing teammates to the awesome sponsors to the totally rad kits...but all these things couldn’t come together if not for the two leaders: Jeff and Nathan. I got to know Jeff right after he completed his Triumph Project journey of 21 half iron-distance tri’s in 21 days and the documentary is finally coming out! Through Jeff, I then had the privilege of being introduced to Nate’s transformation of weight loss and goal of racing every 70.3 in North America. These two dudes are as humble as they are amazing triathletes and I couldn’t be any happier to toe the line with them next season and have them on my show right NOW! #jaymactris www.thetriumphproject.org/

Whatever I write here won’t do any justice to describe how incredible Julie is. She’s a Veteran, a Mom to 2 beautiful boys, a wife to her amazing soulmate Shawn and she just completed her 11th triathlon season by crossing the finish line at Ironman Louisville (her first IM!)...all while living with Type 1 Diabetes. BUT if that isn’t enough to call her a ROCKSTAR, both of her boys are autistic and Jacob is also Type 1. Julie doesn’t look for excuses or seek out sympathy, but what she does want is AWARENESS and ACCEPTANCE. She has teamed up with some amazing companies including @diabetessportsproject and @Zootsports to help her bring advocacy to issues that are close to her heart. I’m excited to bring you my conversation with Julie which includes some laughing, some seriousness and some snorting...

After suffering through a gut wrenching race where your heart rate is cranked at 200 against some of the fastest triathletes in the world, Jack heads back to his hotel room, fires up his laptop and works on his next assignment for his Queens University MBA. This is fun conversation with a guy who has a background in all three disciplines, but if not for some nagging injuries while running at Clemson, might not have been able to find a career racing for Team USA and now in the SuperLeague Triathlon Series. He earned his Golden Ticket to race against the best in the world, but not before he completes his homework. www.jackfelixracing.com #jaymactris

With a love for fashion and triathlon, Jillienne has created a nice little niche by providing in-depth reviews of various Tri kits and suits. You can find her on IGTV www.instagram.com/chasingraspberries taking the time to put them through rigorous workouts both in the pool or on the trainer. She just came back from Kona, where she spent some time with prior Pod guest Tarsh (founder of Stomp the Pedal) supporting athletes and having a fun time soaking in the atmosphere. But don’t let that amazing smile fool you; Jillienne has crushed multiple Ironman races and has dreams of racing at Worlds some day soon. #jaymactris

ITU World Championships, Age Group Nationals, a PhD, and cinnamon rolls?? This is fun conversation about a guy who doesn’t take himself too seriously until it’s time to put his head down and crush the competition. But even then, he still has a smile on his face. For the past five years, Todd has been a force in endurance racing, from multiple AG Nationals podiums, to a sub 2:30 marathon PR, and a World Championship to finish off his 2018 season. He’s still trying to figure out what the future holds, but for now, he’s going to put his PhD to work. Don’t forget to use “tbuckingham18” for a 25% discount on Every Man Jack products and be sure to visit www.toddbuckingham.com #jaymactris

“I want to to be the worlds most famous Age Group Triathlete.” Wearing only a Speedo and a handle-bar mustache, Justin won both the USAT Age Group National Championship Olympic and Sprint distance races...so he is well on his way to achieving his goal. This is a fun conversation about having passion in whatever you do and also doing it FullSend. We talk about how he juggles school (he’s studying for his MBA at Queens U), a job, triathlon training, and racing for the Queens U and Dudes of Nor'Easter Tri teams. He also has his sights set on USAT AG National Long Course Championships next month in Miami; and he is not afraid to make sure that the best of the best are towing the line with him...so he can solidify that he is in fact the Worlds Best AG Triathlete. www.instagram.com/justin_lippert #jaymactris #FullSend

The most dangerous thing you can do in life is play it safe.”- Casey Neistat. A self-proclaimed “pro triathlete fan boy” and “not great photographer,” my conversation with Talbot is more about following your passion and channeling your inner Gary Vee to make a career out of what you love. Although his photos and videos are epic, Talbot wants to be remembered more for his passion and energy, as well as building a business from nothing except a camera and a dream. It’s been a year since Talbot bust on the triathlon scene at Ironman Kona, so after you listen to our convo, be sure to follow his journey as he captures the top athletes in our sport. www.talbotcox.com

Not one to do anything half-assed, the first year of Peter’s jump into endurance sports has been nothing short of going FullSend. He has raced the NYC Marathon, IronMan Lake Placid, as well as two trail races of 42k & 50k. But this won’t surprise you knowing Peter’s career choice: he is a Real Estate Agent in the toughest city in the world...Manhattan. Give Peter a follow on IG, and you will see pictures of his training, his sheep-dog @nycsheepdog as well as multimillion dollar NYC Real Estate @engelvolkersnyc #jaymactris